Happy Holidays everyone!
This is the season to be jolly, but so many of us find the stress of the holidays to be a little overwhelming and turn us into Scrooge-like behavior, when in our hearts we want to spread joy, love, and good cheer. The cause of this hum-bug attitude to Christmas can be attributed to many factors, such as financial worries, the inability to be with your loved ones, the stress of shopping, juggling too many parties, house guests, family obligations, and so on.
Here are a few tips for combating the holiday stress, and if you are a writer, they can also be applied to dealing with the challenge of writing through rejection too!
So here goes:
Have realistic expectations and set realistic goals for yourself.
Pace yourself.
Make a list and prioritize the important activities.
Live "in the moment" and enjoy the present.
Look to the future with optimism.
Don't set yourself up for disappointment or compare yourself to others!
Volunteer some of your time to help others.
Make some time for yourself!

I don't know if any of this will help, or if we just need to plow through, and keep that chin up, and place a smile on our face. But soon the holidays will be over, soon we will rebound from a rejection or two, and life will smile on us once again.
Until then, good luck, enjoy the season of giving as much as you can, and take time to remember your blessings.

Patrice

Good rainy Sunday morning from Georgia. I've read some super books recently. Each rates 10 Fuzzy Slippers out of 10.

In the Paranormal area I recently read Eternal Moon by Rebecca York and Seize the Night and Bad Moon Rising by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Both writers will pull you into their series books in a big way.

The Dark Hunter series took me to a world ofsupernatural and eternal creatures. If you start one of Sherrilyn's books, beprepared to give your imagination free reign and meet the monsters from your nightmares. Also be prepared to find good in demons and were creatures you could adore. She weaves a sassy, irreverent voice with alpha heroes and kickass heroines you gotta love. Gods and goddesses play with lives of humans. You won't read The Three Bears or Little Red Riding Hood the same way ever again. You'll wonder if Teddy Bear grows fangs when you sleep.
Each of her books will be your new favorite! God bless St Martin's press for this series.


Eternal Moon is part of a group of books about a family of werewolves. Yep, Rebecca makes me willing to believe in men who are wolves and the women who love them.
It this series characters move between worlds that feel too real. Is there a portal to another world or dimension in your own neighborhood? Could be.

Back from tutoring.

A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield was an absolute hoot. (That's southern for laugh-out-loud funny) It was also suspenseful. Can a book be both? Oh, yes. You'll love Stella Hardesty's idea of justice for men who mistreat their wives. You'll also wish you had done some of the things this "older" woman does to the bad guys. Check it out and make some money for St Martin's press and for Sophie.

Pemberley by the Sea by Abigail Reynolds totally touched my heart. If you love the sea or women dedicated to a cause and to being themselves, you'll root for Cassie. If you've ever wanted to smack a stubborn male for being dense, you'll love Calder but you'll still want to bop him on the head. Yes, it's a love story but I'm not giving away the ending. Just know the conflict is pretty high. Think Pride and Prejudice, only better.

Okay, whatcha reading that you love? Each of these was my fav while i was reading it.

Caroling, a Christmas tradition contemplated with nostalgia and fondness can, in reality, be an exhausting ordeal for the carolers as well as the carolees. One December, many moons ago, my husband cleaned up our big old farm truck so that the young parents and children from our church could brighten that wintry evening for the elderly and shut-ins.

Bundled against the frosty air, we clambered into the back of the truck. Some of the less agile women and small children had to be lifted by a few of the husky men and pitched into the bed, still smelling of manure (the truck, not the women and children). Then my husband revved up the motor and off we lurched into the starry night, singing merrily.

As our crowd of carolers overwhelmed the smaller homes and apartments, some of the shut-ins had to be assisted out of their cozy chairs, or warm beds (at least one was down for the night, or so they’d thought) to stand on frigid porches, leaning on canes, clutching a shawl to their shoulders, to smile and wave, expressing their pleasure that yet another group brimming with Yuletide cheer had remembered them. I wondered if they later requested that the church remove their names from the list of shut-ins.

Those individuals with ample room invited us in for refreshments, insisting we share the trove of cookies we and other groups had brought them. It wasn’t long before the children launched into sugar highs and we adults, who hated to disappoint our hosts, began to feel rather ill from all the  treats we’d consumed–worsened by the jouncing truck.

And then there was the problem with our route. Not having planned it very efficiently, a member of our zealous band would suddenly remember some neglected soul across town which meant a long chilly ride in the teeth of the biting wind. Despite our exhaustion and rising queasiness, we felt compelled to push ever forward, dragging our fussy children along, to bring the joy of Christmas at last to the needy folk in the nursing home.

As we trooped up the hall, I overheard one elderly resident, weary but resigned, comment, “We’ve had carolers every night this week.”

And that, my friends, is the last time I ever went caroling.  But for those of you who insist on this holiday undertaking, I suggest giving your route some thought beforehand, limit the number of homes you visit.  Here’s a wild thought, maybe even call ahead to see if people actually want carolers.  I don’t–unless you’re wearing costumes like the ones  in A Christmas Carol and sing those lovely Old English tunes.  Also,  find some other transport besides the back of a freezing cold  farm truck, and bring treats you actually want to eat because they will be offered to you.