Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Please welcome Inez Kelley to my blog today!







Hey all! Are you ready for the holidays? I’m not! I tried to be but everything under the sun conspired against me. Several years ago, I was one of those people smirking because I was done everything but the baking in November. I once decorated my house the night after trick or Treating! I had more Christmas decorations than Macy’s.

Life got more hectic and I slowly pared down. It took several years and I do still get occasional pangs of guilt for not doing more but this is better for my sanity. My family barely notices so that tells me something right there. Less is not a bad thing.

That has been my mantra this season. I mean, my tree is up, the stockings are hung but I cut back on the decorating. I don’t do outside lights anymore. My closest neighbor is several acres away and it just didn’t seem like a priority. I no longer use my Christmas village, the 40 piece nativity, the decorations for EACH room of the house (Yes, I had the annoying Santa shower curtain).

No one seems to be bothered by this. Some of my shopping is done but that is the least of my worries. We scaled back on that, too, and I am confident that Thursday I can finish up. We buy only for the children in the family. Bright shining faces who believe in the magic are who is important to us so those we indulge.

I will wrap on Friday then start baking. Yeah, cut back there, too. No longer do I make the pumpkin rolls, the eleventy billion cookies, the gingerbread houses, the stained-glass candy, the potato candy, the pies and cakes. Nope. Just don’t. No one cares.

The reason they don’t care is I kept the important stuff, the stuff they would miss. My tree is huge and the kids get their own to decorate how they like. Right now there are firetrucks and matchbox cars shoved onto hooks and hanging from a four foot red tree. It works for them.

We have a family tradition on Winter Solstice that we make sugar cookies, decorate them, and then hang them on a tree for the animals. We put out apples and popcorn and I added recently stale cereal that I start emptying from mostly empty boxes. Peanut butter holds this on pinecones and that too goes on their Solstice tree. They look forward to this every year. That did not get cut back on. There is just no replacement for seeing your family enjoy something so old fashioned.

We make more cookies for Santa Claus, which go on his special plate and cup. I kept the music, the movies they loved to watch and finger-foods for Christmas Eve. It is a kick back and relax day here now. But it just isn’t Christmas unless there is MonkeyBread for breakfast.

Less is more, as in less stress and more time. I could put out all the unpacked boxes of decorations. I could spend days baking and sweating and covered in flour. Or I could remember that Christmas is for family and for spending time with them, not the trappings. I’ll take that “more” any day.

Now, since I still have some presents get, I thought I would give you a gift, your choice of either of my two current Samhain releases. As one gift does not fit all neither does one romance genre. So I have two for you to pick from. The reviews for both have been overwhelmingly positive!

Here is the blurb from my romantic comedy titled JINXED.

When opposites attract, they are screwed three ways from Sunday.

Frannie learned the hard way that a McHottie doesn’t always equal marriage material. Besides, she’s happy with her vanilla life. She has friends, a career and a double-D-powered vibrator. Then Fate shoves her, literally, into Prince Charming’s lap. His declaration of love at first sight is cute—and spikes her bullcrap meter into the red zone.

She’s more than willing to give in with her body. But she’s barricaded her heart behind castle walls—and permanently welded the gates shut.



Tragedy taught Jinx that time is too precious to waste, so when a series of uncanny coincidences thrusts Frannie into his life, he holds on tight. He knows she thinks he’s several fries short of a Happy Meal, but he’s determined to breach the fortress around her heart and give her a Happily Ever After.

Even if he has to carry her fanny-first into his kingdom.

WARNING: Includes jelly shoes, a narcoleptic cat, and meatloaf. The steamy sex scenes may lead to fogged windows and wet panties, so proceed at your own risk. Do not attempt to read without the following items: tissues, napkins for spewed beverages, and a booty call on speed dial.



Is fantasy romance more your thing? Then perhaps you would prefer MYLA BY MOONLIGHT.

MAGIC BITES…and its name is Myla.

Created at Prince Taric’s birth, Myla is a spell, an enchantment designed to appear and protect him when he needs it most. She has always been content to do her duty…until one night of forbidden passion leaves her longing to experience life—and love—as a mortal woman. Yet the risk is too great. Even if her blood runs as red as his, she can never give him the one thing he needs: a child.

Taric’s blessing—and his curse—is knowing the kingdom’s future depends on his producing an heir to continue the bloodline. His bond with Myla has always been that of protector and protected. When it suddenly becomes something much more, he unwittingly sentences his people to certain death.

An old enemy is plotting to destroy all he holds dear: his lands, his people, his father, and his lover. And this time, even if they fight tooth and blade, their shared magic may not be enough to save them…

Warning: This book contains a shape-shifting bodyguard, sizzling sex scenes, supernatural lilac mist, sword-fighting and heartbreaking sacrifices. No jaguars were harmed in the writing of this story.



Just comment below to be eligible to win. No pressure, less fuss, more fun. I hope you have less stress and more joy in your life this holiday season. Merry Christmas!

~Inez

http://inezkelley.com/

13 comments:

Mary Alford said...

Welcome, Inez!

Sorry about the mix-up yesterday!

All the best...

Mary Eason

s7anna said...

Hey Inez,
Christmas is so much more about spending time with loved ones...I love the tree idea for Winter Solstice...

Wish you and yours a Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays
Anna Shah Hoque
s7anna@yahoo.ca

Sherry said...

I loved your excerpts for the books and can't wait to read them.

sstrode@scrtc.com

Colleen said...

Wow both excerpts were great... Wishing you and yours a Wonderful Holiday Season!

greenshamrock AT go DOT com

Cathy M said...

Hi Inez,

I cut back a lot this year, too, and realized that it's okay if everything isn't perfect. Put my boys in charge of buying and decorating the tree, with no nagging from Mom, lol. They had a blast, and I laughed myself silly with their antics. Will definitely make this part of next year's Christmas tradition too.

Happy Holidays

caity_mack(at)yahoo(dot)com

Sandra Barkevich said...

Great post, Inez!

And to all who haven't yet read Myla By Moonlight. Go get it RIGHT NOW! Very, very good book. I loved Jinxed too. But, Myla just really hit me in the gut. It's fantastic!

And I can't wait to read Bryton's story in full, Inez. ;-)

Sandy
Sandra Barkevich - Romance Author

Sabrina Darby said...

I want Santa curtains now! Or at least snow flakes or something.

Sharon K said...

I agree with you about less is more and have cut way back. We are having Chili for Christmas dinner this year. Very few of my family shows up on time. So chili will work out great.
Jinxed sounds hot, hope I win it!

Charlotte McClain said...

Those titles both sound delightful!

We're actually doing more this Christmas than the past few years. Given, a couple of those Christmases were spent overseas and any decorations had to fit in my 2 checked bags and 2 carry ons with all the rest of the stuff I needed for a year.

ErinT said...

Merry Christmas! I love the way Jinxed sounds!! My kind of book! The narcoleptic cat line had my LMAO!
Thanks for the post, I am always looking to find new authors to read.

misskallie2000 said...

This sounds like a good read. Will hold my attention. Thanks

Janice Seagraves said...

Hi Inez,

Your book sounds very intereresting.

I wanted to thank you for posting on my Thursday's thirteen.

Janice~

iokijo said...

Thanks for the post Inez, and the tweetlink. I'm in a similar place this year. While I've never been the gungho decorator, this year it's minimal at best. Being together while you can is the most important thing has been reinforced for our family..so that's the big thing for this year. Agree with the other posters.. the Solstice tree is a great tree idea..
Thanks again.. Hope everyone is getting plenty of time with their loved ones this season.