Participating Authors for January's Blog Bash!

January 2nd -- Joyee Flynn

January 3rd -- Tammy Dennings Maggy

January 4th -- Kalista Kyle

January 5th -- A.J. Jarrett

January 6th -- Jan Springer

January 7th -- Lorelei Confer

January 9th -- Carla Angela

January 10th -- Scarlet Hyacinth

January 11th -- Drea Becraft

January 12th -- Winona Wilder

January 13th -- Jana Downs

January 14th -- Cindy Jacks

January 16th -- N.J. Nielsen

January 17th -- Ashley Marie Lucas

January 18th -- Susan Laine

January 19th -- Gabrielle Evans

January 20th -- Ann Jacobs

January 21st -- Stacey Espino

January 22nd -- Stormy Glenn

January 23rd -- Embry Carlysle

January 24th -- Julie Lynn Hayes

January 25th -- Sharita Lira

January 26th -- Devon Rhodes

January 27th -- Amber Kell

January 28th -- Rose Anderson

January 30th -- T.N. Tarrant

January 31st -- Gabrielle Evans



Each author will be giving away something fun, so be sure to check back every day starting January 2nd! Contests will run for 3 days from the date of the post.


Also, I will be giving away a Kindle Fire at the end of the blog bash. You can comment once on each post, and every comment counts as an entry to win! So be sure to check back each day and post your comments!  Winner will be announced on February 3rd. :)

Blog Hop Winners!

A big thank you to everyone who participated and shared their holiday memories and traditions! Some made me laugh, others made my eyes a bit misty, but they were all truly wonderful.

Now, on to the winners! Names were chosen by using a random number generator.

Grand Prize Winner of the gift basket: Stacey Siferd

2nd Prize Winner of a signed paperback book: Jim Evans

3rd Prize Winners of a free ebook copy from my backlist: Gena Robertson and Renee S

Congratulations! I'll be emailing you shortly, so be sure to check your inbox!

Stuff Your Stockings Blog Hop

To say that I came from humble beginnings would be a horrible understatement. Times were hard, money was scarce, and knowing there would be food on the table wasn’t always a given. For all the things we lacked, love wasn’t one of them.

My favorite Christmas memory was probably the year just before I turned five. Seems strange that I would remember something from when I was four and half, but I do. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to appreciate it more with each passing year, and it still warms me whenever I think of it.

Both of my parents worked long hours and still barely made ends meet. We lived in a camper in northern Arkansas. I don’t mean a mobile home, a luxury RV, or anything like that. This was a tiny camper with just enough room for a bathroom, a table that folded into a bed, a microwave, and a small refrigerator. No stove. No air conditioner. And we used space heaters to stay warm.

With barely enough money to buy food, Santa wasn’t making a visit this year. Even that young, I understood. We couldn’t afford a tree. Wouldn’t have had room for it if we did. Still, we made the best of it. My dad went out into this small field behind our “home” and used his pocket knife to cut down a tiny little tree that somewhat resembled an evergreen, though it was barely more than eighteen inches tall.

We placed it in the middle of our table, decorated it with balls of aluminum foil, and strung popcorn and jelly beans to wrap around it. Christmas dinner that year consisted of turkey sandwiches—made from the cheapest luncheon meat available. I had an orange soda and got to stay up late. Which, to me, meant I was the luckiest kid on earth.

There was no Christmas miracle where presents magically appeared under that little tree, but it did snow, and I spent most of the day building snowmen and forts. So, why is this my favorite memory? Because as I look back on it now, I realize that with as little as we had, my parents could have chosen to ignore the entire holiday, but instead, did their best to make it as special as possible. I will always cherish that memory.

Now that I’m all grown up with a family of my own, we add our own sparkle and festive rituals. Every year, we go out as a family and each select our own personal ornament for the tree, as well as a family ornament. Then we write our names on the backs, along with the year, before hanging them. After ten years of marriage and two children, we no longer have the need for “regular” bulbs. Our Christmas tree is a unique and eclectic assortment of our personalities.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, tell me your favorite holiday memory or tradition, or simply leave a comment to say hello. Four winners will be chosen at random on December 19^th. Winners will be announced on my blog, so be sure to check back or leave your contact info so I can email you.

Grand Prize: Gift basket filled with swag, one signed paperback book from my backlist, and Fun in the Frosty Air bath and body set by Philosophy.

2^nd Prize: One signed paperback book from my backlist.

3^rd Prize: 2 winners will receive a free ebook from my backlist.

And because I think it's just so damn gorgeous, the new cover for When the Sun Goes Down, coming December 31st from Siren Publishing.

www.gabrielleevans.com
www.bookstrand.com/gabrielle-evans

 

Once you comment, be sure to click the button below to bounce to the next blog. Good luck and happy blog hopping!

Updates and Dates to Remember!

Book releases through January 2012

When the Sun Goes Down [Howl at the Moon 1] -- December 31st

Monsters and Mayhem [Midnight Matings] -- January 14th

Strip: Tease and Search [Lawful Disorder 2] -- January 21st

Invincible [Haven 5] -- January 28th


Upcoming Events

December 16th - 18th -- Stuff Your Stocking Blog Hop

January 1st - 31st -- Gabrielle's Blog Bash! Celebrating the one year birthday of my very first release, Leap of Faith! 25 authors and 25 prizes to win! The party kicks off on January 2nd with guest author Joyee Flynn! A full list of participating authors will be announced on December 18th.

Signing Events (Places I'll be appearing in 2012 to meet readers and sign books!)

RT Convention -- Chicago, IL -- April 11th - 15th

Authors After Dark -- New Orleans, LA -- August 8th - 12th

The Romance Convention -- Dallas, Tx -- August 18th

GayRomLit -- Albuquerque, NM -- October 18t - 21st


I have 4 new series in the works, as well as revisiting some old favorites. The month of January, however, I will be taking a break to rest and recharge my batteries. So, there will be approximately 4-6 weeks when I will have no releases near early Spring. I apologize for this, but promise to be back in full swing with tons of stories ready to go in February!