Day: December 25, 2016

Peace on Earth

For Christians, today is Christmas, the day the birth of The Prince of Peace is commemorated. Peace on earth, goodwill toward man is the holiday mantra.

This year, December 25 is also the first night of Chanukkah. In the US, this holiday has gotten a reputation for being the Jewish Christmas. Not so. It’s not even a religious-based holiday.  It is a commemoration of the first war ever fought in the name of religious freedom. After the war was won, and religious freedom was a right, the Israelites rededicated their temple. The word “chanukkah” means dedication.

Apparently religious freedom was a daring new concept back in the days of the Maccabees. Sometimes, it seems like it still is.

Regardless, if you celebrate Christmas, observe Chanukkah or any of the other approximately 27 other holidays observed by seven major religions on this planet, may your day be filled with peace and a dedication to it.

Snarky Sunday: A Rant About Labeling Books

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I have a pet peeve.(That doesn’t surprise anyone who knows me.) And I might offend some people. But the label or classification some people apply to certain books offends me.

It all came to a head when I read this advice in a recent article:  “write a clean book”.

A “clean” book.

Well, my books are trayf–which is Yiddish for UNCLEAN.

Examples:

  • In my upcoming  Halloween novella–there’s a shrimp appetizer in the form of a human brain. Definitely trayf. 
  • Pulled pork sliders put in an appearance, too.(Now there’s a dish with some double entendre built right in.)
  • Andouille (Cajun pork sausage) is eaten in the Mardi Gras novella I’m currently writing.
  • I’m sure one of my characters in one of my books eats a cheeseburger washed down with a glass of milk.
  • And bacon! Pages are spattered with bacon.

Why are Jewish dietary laws even a consideration in romance writing?

I don’t have a problem with sweet romance. I like reading sweet romance. And if the story I’m writing doesn’t call for a sex scene, then I won’t write one.

Labeling sex-free books “clean” is a passive-aggressive way of judging books that do contain physical love scenes. And it is insulting to the authors of those books by implying sex-free books are somehow better than others. They are not.

Insults, no matter how subtle, are not what the romance writing community is about. We lift each other up. We support each other.

So let’s get rid of the label “clean” and find a category description that is less polarizing.

 

National Wine Day with Author Claire Gem

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The Character of Grapes

And no, we’re not talking Gilbert Grape here….

Wine is one of my favorite fruits. No, really. If given the choice between orange, cranberry, or apple juice, I’ll take grape. The fermented kind. Unless the orange juice is diluted with champagne, or the cranberry has a splash of vodka.

In my novels, most of my characters drink alcoholic beverages. It makes them real. I’m sure there are lots of folks who won’t touch the stuff, but I grew up in an Italian family. So having my characters enjoy a libation, particularly a glass of wine, makes them real to me. On Sundays, my father used to slice fresh peaches and soak them in Chianti. That was our after-the-big-pasta-dinner dessert.

Even when I was six years old. Took a hell of nap on Sunday afternoons.

But if I had to say what kind of wine my characters would be, well, that raises an entirely new set of questions. Wines, like people, come from different families (of grape), and each has its own unique characteristics. Just like my characters.

Let’s start with Chianti, since that was my initial introduction to the world of wine. Chianti is a classic, dry red wine named after the region where it is made: Tuscany, Italy. This area produces the Sangiovese grapes – deep purple, almost black fruit. The wine is dark, rich, and earthy. Being high in tannins (which dries your mouth out) and acidic, it goes well with food – a natural choice for food-loving Italians.

If the hero in my new release, Marco Lareci, were a wine, he would definitely be a Chianti. Italian, rich, and dark. But instead of drying your mouth out, he might be more inclined to make it water.

My heroine, Kate Bardach prefers drinking Pinot Grigio, the Italian version of what the French call Pinot Gris. These wines, although pale yellow itself, come from grapes that range from brownish-pink to grayish-blue in color. Pinot Gris actually means “gray grape,” and is a sweeter, fruitier wine than its Italian cousin, Pinot Grigio. Kate is definitely not fruity and sweet, which is, I guess, why she prefers Pinot Grigio, the dryer, more acidic, Italian version of this varietal.

And ah, are we surprised Kate prefers Italian wine to French? Not once we see her reaction to dark-haired, sexy Marco.

So, if the characters of Hearts Unloched appeared on a wine list, they would be under entirely different sections: Robust Reds and Semi-Dry Whites. Would you prefer a glass of Marco Lareci to go with that lasagna? Or may I suggest a carafe of Kate Bardach to accompany your chicken piccata?

Opposites, right? Perhaps. But as we all know, opposites attract. Cheers!

About the book:

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A psychic interior designer reluctantly agrees to renovate a sexy investor’s abandoned hotel on a lake rumored to have once been the mob’s body dumping ground.

Interior designer Kate Bardach loves her single girl’s lifestyle—living in Manhattan and spending weekends at her lake house. She’s passionate about her career, reinventing old buildings. But there are some projects she can’t take on because of the spirits trapped there. Kate is psychic—she sees dead people.

Marco Lareci is one of Wall Street’s most successful investment brokers who’s achieved all of his life’s goals—except for finding his soulmate.  His latest project, an abandoned resort on Loch Sheldrake, needs a savvy designer to transform the crumbling complex into a boutique hotel. When Marco meets Kate, he can’t believe his luck. She’s the perfect match for his business and his heart.

Marco’s body excites Kate even more than does his renovation project. But the haunting there, a bonafide poltergeist, affects her on an intensely personal level. Kate’s aunt disappeared from the place fifty years ago.

Will the spirit doom Kate and Marco’s love, or drive them closer together?

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Book Trailer

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About the author:

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Claire Gem writes intensely emotional romantic novels. Her vision is to transport her readers into another place and time, creating characters so real, readers miss them when the book is closed.

Always fascinated by the paranormal, she holds a Certificate in Paranormal Studies from Duke University’s Rhine’s Research Center. When she ran out of paranormal romance novels to read, she decided to start writing her own.

Claire also writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction under the Claire Gem Contemporary line. If you are looking for an intensely romantic novel, with or without ghosts or paranormal elements, you’ll love Claire Gem.

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Gratitudes

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Because tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US, I reached out to my author friends to find out what they’re grateful for.

Diane Culver (Love on the Run): I am very thankful for Nicki Greenwood, otherwise this techno dinosaur would have long become extinct.

Jacci DeVera (Queen of the Hollow): I’m grateful I’m fluent in English as well as Appalachian because it’s fun to be the translator between friends.

Susanna Eastman (Someone Like Him): I’m thankful that even though I am the worst techie in the world, my hubby and two sons can fix my computer, cable, and phone in a snap.

CJ England (Hustle Into Love): I’m grateful that God has given Jonathon and me the ability to travel the world.  Writing stories about each place is a dream come true.

Alina K. Field (Rosalyn’s Ring): I’m grateful for my dog, my four-legged trainer/life coach/and unconditional friend.

Joanne Guidoccio (The Coming of Arabella): I am grateful for all the wonderful online companions on my writing journey. Thanks for all your help and support.

Kim Hotzon (Hands Full of Ashes): I’m grateful for sensory aptitude. Without taste buds, I wouldn’t be able to connect with chocolate melting into my tongue; without sight I would miss the copper leaves on the trees and without smell I would be unable to locate my spaniel buried beneath my duvet cover.

Gail Koger (Vexing Voss):  I’m grateful for chocolate and it’s ability to keep me sane.

Becky Lower (A Widow’s Salvation): I’m thankful for each morning when I can get out of bed and be excited about going to work at my job as a writer. This is the only job I’ve ever had that made me excited. I’m also thankful for my family and friends who I will break bread with this Thanksgiving.

Linda Mooney (Neverwylde, The Rim of the World): I’m grateful for my husband, who is fully supportive of my writing and all it entails.

Katie O’Boyle, (Waking Up To Love:)I’m grateful I live in the Finger Lakes because the beauty smacks me in the face every morning and makes me smile all day long.

Viola Russell (Buccaneer Beauty): I am most grateful for my husband Ben!

Cynthia Sax (Releasing Rage): I’m grateful to be a plus-sized girl because when I fall, I bounce. (grins)

Ryan Jo Summers (Chasing the Painted Skies): I am grateful for the challenges, stumbling blocks and jerks in our paths because they all teach us to appreciate the beauty and love we find in the peaceful and happy moments and to better savor our successes.

Caroline Warfield (Dangerous Weakness): I am grateful to live near a public library that shares with other libraries. It makes research so much easier.

Christine Wenger (It’s a Wonderful Knife) I’m grateful for kind remarks from readers stating they have enjoyed my books. After I exclaim, “Really?! Tell me more!!”, it always makes me smile and gush with gratitude.

Gay Yellen (The Body Business): I love telling stories, and I’m always thankful for readers of my own books. But the most surprising and wonderful discovery I’ve made in my writing journey is the nurturing community of writers who graciously share their knowledge, experience and audience. Back when I was only dreaming of being an author, I pictured it as a solo endeavor. Now I know that it takes a village, filled with caring members of critique groups, marketing partnerships, bloggers and beyond. As I write the sequel to my last book, I’m hoping that it will be even more worthy of their interest, and will allow me to deepen our relationships. We all yearn for book lovers who take the time to write a review and tell their friends about it, but we do not compete against one another for attention. Instead, we march (and sometimes slog) down the road to publishing success together. Many thanks to all those who, in the past year, have hosted me on blogs, retweeted, shared on Facebook and in so
many other ways, boosted this very grateful writer.

MJ Compton (Summer Fling): I’m grateful for my community, my tribe of writers. May you all have a safe, happy, and blessed Thanksgiving.

 

Reading By The Season: October

OCTOBER

AMMIE, COME HOME by Barbara Michaels.

I’m on my second or third paperback copy of this book. They keep falling apart on me!

The story actually takes place in November. There is not a hint of Halloween.

The author skillfully weaves the autumn weather into the story, adding to the atmosphere. This is a must-read for fans of haunted houses. Except maybe it wasn’t the house that was haunted . . .