Cranky Thankfulness

It has been a rough couple of weeks for me.  I'm recovering from surgery to repair a rather large hiatal hernia and I'm finding that I'm not a good patient.

Mainly because I have no patience.

I want to be well and I want to be well now.  It's not happening.  The truth is that I have like six incisions and they all hurt and they're supposed to.  So fine.  I'll wait.  I want to eat comfort foods to help me through this.  But I'm not allowed to basically eat anything.  Seriously, it's like my doctor got a list of every food I enjoy and said, "Nope."  First it was a liquid diet and now I'm on to the really restricted, bland, soft, I-want-to-scream-with-hunger part of the diet which is where I'll be for another five weeks. 

I think a six-week medically induced coma would have been better for everyone.

I thought that the time recovering at home would help me to be productive with my writing.  That's not happening either.  My brain just isn't focusing and my characters aren't talking to me.

Probably because I'm so cranky and I scared them off!
 
Luckily, there are some good things going on to keep me somewhat motivated.  I participated in a Christmas anthology that is benefiting a children's hospital in Orlando.  I've been part of the Authors in the City family for three years and we just released "Christmas in the City" which is an anthology of Christmas novellas where all proceeds will go to charity.  Fourteen stories in all with something for everyone. 

My contribution is a story called "Waiting for Midnight" - Best friends Maddie and Kiera have a plan for them not to be alone with no one to kiss on New Years Eve. Unfortunately, Maddie has this huge crush on her neighbor Noah who is a loner and the only one she really wants to kiss. After an accident can Maddie open Noah's heart to love?

I also released my own Christmas novella this week - "Christmas in Silver Bell Falls".  I LOVE writing holiday romances and if I could, I would do them year round.  Maybe it would lose some of the fun that way so I guess I'll stick to the once a year thing.  Here's the back cover blurb:   

Her attitude is less than merry and bright…

Melanie Harper and Christmas do not see eye to eye. While most people celebrate and look forward to the holidays, it's something she has come to dread. When she receives a gift from an unlikely source - a house in the quaint town of Silver Bell Falls - her immediate reaction is to reject it. After all, with a name like that, you're pretty much guaranteed to be surrounded by people who love Christmas!

He sees it as the most wonderful time of the year…

Josiah Stone is all about peace on earth and goodwill toward man. Maybe it's because he's the sheriff of a town named after a beloved Christmas song, but that doesn't make it any less true. Christmas is his favorite time of year and living in Silver Bell Falls where everyone feels the same and celebrates it nearly year-round only adds to his festive outlook on life.

Can a white Christmas change everything?

When Melanie is forced to stay in Silver Bell Falls during the actual holiday season, she's less than thrilled. But after meeting the sexy sheriff she finds that there is something to be said about the magic of Christmas.

 The release of both of these stories this week served as a good reminder of how much I love what I do and that it's okay to take a week or two off to recover.  It's the perfect time to curl up with a good book and catch up on some reading, right?  There's my silver lining.

 
So for now I'll leave you with a teeny excerpt from "Christmas in Silver Bell Falls": 

“A romance at Christmas time,” she said quietly.  “Major emphasis on romance, minor on Christmas.  Technically, I’m meeting my obligations.”  She smiled.  “Hmm…a heroine alone—maybe stranded—in a winter storm and a sexy hero who storms in and rescues her.”

Melanie purred.  “Yeah.  That could definitely work.”  Sinking further down into the water, an image of the hero came to mind.  Tall. That was a given.  Muscular, but not overly so.  Maybe lean would be a better way to describe him.  And dark hair.  She was a sucker for the dark hair.  “Sex on a stick,” she said quietly, enjoying the image that was playing in her mind.

The bathroom door swung open and Melanie’s eyes flew open as she screamed.  The man standing in the doorway seemed to have stepped almost completely from her imagination.  If she wasn’t so freaking scared at the moment, she would appreciate it.

“I wouldn’t count on sex on a stick or anyplace else if I were you.  You’re trespassing and you’re under arrest.”

For a moment, Josiah could only stare.

There was a naked woman in Carol Harper’s tub. 

Holy.  Crap.

When he’d driven up to his place a few minutes ago and saw the strange car parked out in front of the cabin, he immediately became suspicious.  Hazards of the job, considering he was the sheriff of Silver Bell Falls.  The front door had been locked and the blinds drawn just as they always were, but the car was definitely a red flag.  So he let himself in.

And found the naked woman he was currently staring at.

“Who the hell are you?” she demanded, strategically covering herself so he couldn’t see what he already saw.

Like he was going to forget that any time soon. 

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