Happy Thanksgiving and Release Day!

I hope everyone is having a great day with friends and family. Since my family did an early Thanksgiving last weekend, I slept in, and have been relaxing today. My hubby has been busy downstairs making me a new dining room table. He's gotten quite good at it and has sold several. For instance, here is a picture of one we delivered yesterday. We loved it so much, he's making me one. However, we will only do one bench and then six chairs with our 9 x 4 foot table.

And, the day is finally here! I'm posting all the release day information in case you'd like to help share the news. My story is A Christmas Prayer by River Ford. If you share on social media, you will be entered to win one of two free e-copies of the entire anthology! See the rafflecopter below. 

Unwrapping in time for Christmas 2017.

Snuggle up with new holiday favorites for a kiss under the mistletoe. From handsome strangers to second chances, this collection will keep your heart warm and toasty this holiday season! So grab some eggnog and a blanket and curl up by the fire with a sexy new book boyfriend!

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Includes the following multi-heat level novelettes:

A Merry Matchmaker Mess by USA Today bestselling author Virginia Nelson
Veronica “Ronnie” Murray loved fixer-upper projects, and she’d never met one as challenging as her coworker, Elijah Conrad. Eli may be an absentminded and sometimes grumpy genius, but he carries a sadness in his eyes… one she knows love will cure.
Eli isn’t looking for love, but he can’t help but notice the feisty little Ronnie’s attempts to play matchmaker. She might be his best friend’s little sister, but Ronnie has something about her… something he would like to explore, if he could get her to stop throwing women at him like snowballs.
Can these two opposites find a lifelong love from their stolen Christmas kisses?

Lovers of Christmas Past by USA Today bestselling author Ashelyn Drake
Holly Michaels loves managing the children’s center in Sapphire Springs, but she longs to have children of her own. She’s haunted by her decision to leave the love of her life after he declared he didn’t want kids.
Nick Masters never got over Holly leaving him at the altar five years ago. Now, he’s volunteered to play the part of Santa at the children’s center’s Christmas celebration to get close to Holly again.
Nick is all smiles for the little ones, but will his attitude change when it comes time to hang up his red suit for the season?

A Christmas Prayer by River Ford
Newly divorced, Lindsey leaves Idaho for the first time in her life. Abandoned by her husband, she prays that taking her two year-old daughter east to live close to family will give them both the life they deserve. Unfortunately, a car accident leaves her stranded in the middle of Wyoming. Jake's felt like something's missing for a while. He's finally turned to prayer for guidance. Almost immediately, he get's to rescue a beautiful woman and her adorable daughter.
Could love be the answer to both of their prayers?

All I Want for Christmas Is My Book Boyfriend by Beth Fred
Katie spends all of her time in the OR or re-reading about the Gypsy Eliam Monaj her favorite Regency romance hero. Who needs a real boyfriend when she has a perfect book boyfriend? But when Katie ends up on a Christmas cruise--of sorts--alone with Eledon she finds the mutual attraction hard to ignore. Still a gambling loaf is no match for a conscientious doctor. Can Katie find a real happily ever after or is she destined to live in books?

A Cowboy for Christmas by Cate Grimm
Fashionista Sarah Jayne traded in her Laredos for Louboutins and planned to make it big in New York City. But, when her life in the Big Apple falls apart, she comes home to Love, Texas.
Cody Hayes is focused on getting his family’s failing ranch patched together and sold so he can return to his wanderlust career as a journalist. He has no intention of embracing his cowboy roots and making Love his permanent home. Until he finds himself distracted by a certain sassy New Yorker who's making him think Texas roots might not be so bad.
Will Love, Texas be the perfect place for two people with wanderlust to find a happily ever after?

Merry Mismatch by Lily Vega
Stick-in-the-mud Director of Finance Aaron gets under edgy party girl Zara’s skin. His budget cuts jeopardized her project, putting her video game on the company chopping block. Inviting Zara to Windy City Gaming’s holiday retreat to pitch her project seems like the perfect solution. Aaron didn’t count on his ex-girlfriend’s quest to eliminate the competition by getting Zara fired. He must convince his ex of Zara’s value to the company, while keeping his growing attraction wrapped up tighter than a Christmas present.

Goal Updates

First, a little update from a couple things I mentioned in my Insecure Writer's Support Group post.

• A Merrily Matched Christmas (6 novelettes) is available for $0.99 preorder for today and tomorrow before it's release on Thursday. 
• The author events in Mulberry and Bella Vista were a lot of fun. I enjoy getting to talk about writing in general and love talking about my own stories. What's not to love?
• I sold a couple books at the craft fair, including my proof copy of The Magic Wakes. I probably shouldn't have, but the teen really wanted it and I felt bad that I hadn't been able to get the books delivered before the fair. I hope he enjoys it. 
• Last weekend was a wonderful time with family. I ate way too much food, but that's what we do. 
• I have been writing more this month than I have in the last 8 months, thanks to sort of doing Nanowrimo. That may not say a lot, but I'll take it! Sadly, the writing is scattered between several new ideas as well as the three I need to be finishing. 

IWSG--November is a BIG month!

How much can you cram into one month? A lot if you really try. It's kind of funny though. For some reason I thought that when I quit my "real" job, I'd get to stay home. However, this is what the month looks like:

• 1st or 2nd--A Merrily Matched Christmas goes up for preorder
• 7th--Author event in Mulberry, Arkansas
• 11th--The Magic Wakes Series books 1 & 2 are re-released on Amazon, and Christmas Bazaar in Bella Vista, Arkansas
• 14th--I'll be the one of the featured authors at the Bella Vista Writers and Poets night
• 17th--my son's play (and my sister's birthday)
• 23rd--Thanksgiving AND A Merrily Matched Christmas is released
• 1st--30th is also NANOWRIMO, which I originally intended to do this year. We will see what happens...

With all the plans, I'm worried my family won't realized that I quit "working." Guess I'll have to try extra hard to make sure I'm really present in their lives when I'm not traveling. 

Are you doing NANO this year?

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!  Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

November 1 question - Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo project? Have any of them gone on to be published?

Even though I haven't participated the last two years, I have finished Nano in the past. In fact, three of my four published novels started as Nano projects. It took many long months to finish, and years for some of them to be polished enough to publish. Nano has always been a good project for me because it forces you to turn off the inner editor and just write. I believe that's why so many people never finish a book--they keep editing, trying to reach perfection before they ever get the whole story on the page. 

Even the years I didn't make the Nano goal of 50K were successful for me. I often use November for exploring ideas. Some of them get put away and never see the light of day again, but it's all good practice.