The First Day of Christmas – Darcy Flynn

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me …

A wonderful Christmas recipe and a fantastic author! Today is the start of our 12 day event. To start things, “sweet,” I’m sharing an old family recipe. These are the best sugar cookies you’ll ever eat! The secret, (yes, I’m telling!), nutmeg. Yum!

Swedish Sugar Cookies

4 Cups Flour 1 1/2 Cups Sugar 1/2 tsp. salt (optional) 1 tsp. soda 2 tsp. nutmeg

Cut in: 1 1/2 Cups shortening

Beat:

2 Eggs and combine with 1/2 Cup canned milk and 1 tsp. vanilla

Mix with dry ingredients. When I was a little girl and didn’t have the strength I do today, I used to have to get both hands in the mix and combine it by hand. Messy, but I enjoyed licking my fingers. Of course that was back in the time when eating raw cookie dough was okay. How times have changed!

Roll the dough very thin and cut with cookie cutters. Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 5-8 minutes. Then the real fun begins! Here’s a photo of my decorated masterpieces! ENJOY!

Swedish Sugar Cookies

And now…something else very sweet. Or, I should say, someone sweet. My guest author today is Darcy Flynn. I’m happy to say that she’s a friend of mine, and a very accomplished author. She writes sweet romance and I know you’re going to love her!

Rogue’s Son by Darcy Flynn

Tough, driven Kit Kendall has replaced her frills and dresses with no nonsense haircuts and wranglers, years ago. As owner of Sage Brush, the once thriving west Texas bed and breakfast ranch, she now struggles daily to keep her business afloat. Since McCabe Resort Lodge reopened next door as a multi-million dollar hotel, her financial difficulties compound, as she suffers one cancellation after another.

Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, Kit’s childhood sweetheart turned nemesis returns as the new owner of the resort that’s now putting her out of business, resurrecting memories she thought she’d buried long ago.

Cowboy, entrepreneur Sam Dawson has returned to Sugar Creek, Texas after six years of exile with a secret that could destroy Kit’s happiness. He left town because of it and for the past two years has secretly tried to make it right. Having failed, he now returns to make one last attempt to undo the tangled web created by his father.

Set in motion by his father’s Last Will and Testament and with the clock ticking, Sam has only weeks to convince Kit to sell him her ranch or reveal the truth that will break her heart.

Pick up a copy today at Amazon.

As part of The 12 Days of Christmas celebration, Darcy donated a package full of author swag, paired with a $10 Amazon card from Jennifer Faye to the prize list. Click HERE for this and many more random drawings. To follow the celebration, find a new recipe, pick up a holiday decorating or shopping tip, click HERE.

About the Author

Joy Dent writes sweet contemporary romances as Darcy Flynn. Her life is a gumbo world. Take a little New Orleans heritage, some art, music, dance and add a lot of love and time to simmer and all you have is spice, flavor, and a memory of something so fine you can’t wait for another helping. Her fiction is a few B&Bs, a bit of moon magic and a lot of problems mixed with a healthy portion of sweet romance. Add a dash of sizzle and a lot of sass and all that’s left is magic.

A native of New Orleans, Darcy swapped her city roots for garden boots when she and her husband moved to their farm in Franklin, Tennessee, where Darcy is surrounded by her beautiful gardens and a menagerie of living creatures–English setters and Millie Fleur chickens, being her favorite.

Although, published in the Christian non-fiction market under her real name, Joy Dent, it was the empty nest that turned her to writing romantic fiction. A lover of lighthouses, Darcy’s first novel, Keeper Of My Heart, is set in a small Maryland fishing village on the Chesapeake Bay. Her short story, Sealed With a Kiss: Prequel to Keeper of My Heart is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

The Joys of Moving

Dec13

And you thought I’d be posting Day 1 of the 12 Days of Christmas!

Well…not only did I fool you, but I fooled myself. Leave it to me to be a day off and several brain cells short. If you’re confused, blame me. I can’t seem to keep track of the days of the week. I had it in my head that today was the kick-off for the event, but today is the day I was supposed to make the announcement that I made yesterday. (Insert rose-colored cheeks)

And why am I so frazzled? Imagine having to move three times in less than six months. It does something to the brain. I can honestly say that I’ll be able to list “professional packer” as one of my outstanding abilities on my next job application. My hope is that I’ll be able to stay in the same place for a little while longer than the last one. No, I’m not running from something or someone–that only happens in my books–I’m keeping up with my husband who was transferred with his job. The good thing for me is that I can write anywhere.

So please come back again tomorrow for Day 1 of the 12 Days of Christmas. The author I’ll be introducing is a very good friend of mine and I’m excited that she’s #1 on my list! AND the theme for tomorrow is “Dessert Recipe.” I’ll have a good one for you.

Tomorrow the Countdown Begins!

Dec12

I’ll never forget participating in a grade school Christmas program when I was in the fourth grade. It’s amazing how certain childhood memories stick in our minds over others. I feel extremely blessed to have had many happy memories from my youth.

In the fourth grade we did a rendition of “A Partridge in a Pear Tree.” At a time when the “Partridge Family” was a big hit, the song left me hopeful to say the least! Even at that young age I thought that David Cassidy was pretty cute. “Cute” sums up my age at the time in a nutshell.

Aside from my Christmas wish that David Cassidy would appear magically on our stage, I enjoyed performing. Even without him.

I was one of the Four Calling Birds. If I remember correctly, we even had feathers! But the thing I recall the most is that I held a cardboard telephone. When it came to my part in the song, following “Four Calling Birds,” I picked up the cardboard receiver and said, “Yackety, Yackety, Yack.” Cute, right? Actually it was. My parents loved it and because I was number four in the song, I got to repeat it over and over again.

I’m sharing this fun Christmas memory to help kick off the 12 Days of Christmas event that starts officially tomorrow! Every day for the next twelve days I’ll be introducing an author and telling you about her latest release. In addition, I’ll be sharing more memories and other fun stuff. Each day will have a theme.

I hope you’ll stop by and check it out! And please, share some of your Christmas memories with me. I love this time of year and hope that you do, too!

12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop!

Dec8

I’m so excited to announce an upcoming Christmas event that I hope you all will follow:

The 12 Days of Christmas

Join me and a group of incredibly talented authors as we share Christmas recipes, memories, favorite things, and of course blurbs on our current books! And to make this even more fun, prizes are involved!

To get a preview and see who will be participating, check out the link to our event. A great big THANK YOU goes out to Cynthia Gail, who has done a fantastic job of organizing and orchestrating this wonderful event.

http://bit.ly/1FDRSsU

Merry Christmas!!

Thank You, Teachers

Nov25

I have great admiration for people who dedicate their lives to educating children. It takes a special heart to have that passion that burns deep within, creating the desire to pass on knowledge.

Sometimes I think that teachers don’t realize the impact they make on lives. Or, maybe they do. But whatever the case might be, I want to share a few stories about how my life has been impacted by a number of teachers, but especially one in particular.

First I want to say that sometimes their influence can be negative. But luckily, that’s rare! My example is an experience from grade school. I had a PE teacher tell me that I was uncoordinated. Of course I believed him. Prior to that revelation, I loved to run. (I have very long legs!) After he said what he did, I essentially gave up on athletics. Even in high school when I grew to a height of six feet, I refused to go out for basketball. The basketball coach urged me to try, but I gracefully declined. Instead, I focused my energy on music and drama. And honestly, I was happy. I didn’t feel my life was cheated by not being in athletics. But I often wonder if I would have had a different attitude if that PE teacher had told me that I just needed to try a little harder and I would succeed.

So, enough about the negative.

My young mind begged to be filled with new ideas. I thank God for Mrs. Banks. She was my fourth grade teacher at Sherwood Elementary in Edmonds, Washington. Maybe someone else out there reading this was lucky enough to have her for a teacher. She encouraged me to push myself a little harder in every subject. From math to writing, and everything in between.

I moved away from Washington after fifth grade, but never lost touch with her. Every year we’ve exchanged Christmas cards and letters. When I wrote my first children’s story, I sent her a copy and she encouraged me to publish. I should have listened to her, but at that time I didn’t pursue it. Maybe I was a little scared. Still, she never gave up on me. Yesterday I received a wonderful note from her telling me that she can’t wait to read my novels. I wonder if she knows how much her encouragement pushed me to keep writing?

Thank you, Mrs. Banks, for being that incredible gem who genuinely cared about her students. Your heart is golden.

I want to also mention my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. McPeak. I was the new girl in town and she welcomed me with open arms, and warm hugs. She introduced me to my friend, Diane, who is still one of my best friends. Mrs. McPeak wasn’t afraid to tell us that God loves us. I know that’s frowned upon nowadays, but back then it was part of who she was, and something she felt compelled to share. She looked after us and even opened her home to us for a pool party during our summer break. Thank you, Mrs. McPeak, for being a bright light in my young life.

My love of history was impacted in high school thanks to Mr. Batchelder. He wasn’t the kind of teacher who stood in front of us and told us to read such-and-such a chapter. He brought history to life by telling us the stories. He put so much enthusiasm in his teaching that it made me want to learn more. It was obvious, he loved history. He passed that on to me. So, thank you, Mr. Batchelder, for inspiring me to write about what I love.

And to all those other teachers out there, know this. You’re impacting lives. Maybe you don’t know it now, but one little individualized comment could be the thing that pushes your student to do something incredible with their life. And if you happen to have one that trips over her own feet, just tell her to try a little harder and she’ll succeed.

Technology

Nov7

Does anyone else ever feel like they’re behind the times?

I’ve made great strides over the years learning the ins and outs of social media, and understanding the difference between an upload and a download. And yet there are times when I feel that my six-year-old grandson can navigate his way around a computer better than I can.

I used to laugh at my mom. I remember getting our first microwave oven. It took her a while to get comfortable with it. I’m happy to say that she has no difficulties with microwaves any longer, but if you ever get the chance, ask her about her experience using a VHS. Or was it the DVD player she fried? I love you, Mom, and if you’re reading this, I’m extremely proud of you for navigating your way through my website. 🙂

I’ve worked in offices where I’ve had to use different kinds of accounting software, and managed to master them with little effort. And at my last job, I was introduced to Excel spreadsheets. Wow. I could use a long-term class on those.

I’m a pretty quick study, but I get frustrated when things don’t work the way I think they should. I’m glad I have friends and family who know more than I do about all this fun technology. I know that it’s here to stay. One day, the things I think are complicated will be looked at as being just as silly as the working of a microwave oven was to me. Actually, I think my grandson already finds me a bit silly.

I have to admit that I’m glad I no longer have to use a typewriter to compose my novels. My laptop has made my life much easier. No more white-out. And no more ribbons to change. That was always fun. I’ll never forget my excitement when I got a self-correcting typewriter! And now, all I have to do is hit the delete key, or backspace until all my typo’s have left the page. Maybe technology isn’t so bad after all.

I’m happy to say that I just released my newest novel, “From the Ashes of Atlanta.” I hope you’ll check out my book tab and read all about it!

Thank you for keeping up with me. What would we do without the Internet?

From the Ashes of Atlanta

Updating My Websites!

Oct23

With another new book about to be released, I’m updating all of my websites so that I can share my news with the world.

Stay tuned for a cover reveal soon!

WRITE ON!!!

And the Winner is …

Sep23

The envelope, please.

And, the winner is …

Oh, my goodness, how I always wished I could be in the crowd waiting for my name to be called. Seeing the women in their glamorous dresses, and the men in fine tuxes made the event even more exciting. Whether it was an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony, a Grammy, or one of the many different kinds of music awards, I wanted one of each. Too much to wish for? Why not reach for the stars?

I believe that if we stop dreaming and reaching, a part of us dies.

Most people strive for excellence. Seriously, who wants to come in second? But not many people will reach the top. So those of us sitting in our living rooms watching the cream of the crop on their special night can enjoy being allowed to witness their success. And it’s a lot of fun. That being said, I’d still like to have one of those pretty awards!

Now that I’m a writer, a new kind of award has become that thing that I’m striving for. I witnessed my first awards ceremony at the Romance Writers of America’s national convention this past summer in San Antonio, TX. All I can say is, WOW! Right before my eyes I watched as some of my favorite authors–like Nora Roberts–presented awards to authors in an assortment of categories in romance fiction. My heart pounded–excited for the winners. They accepted their award, known as the RITA, decked out in floor-length gowns and looking just as sharp as any Academy Award winner. I cheered them on, proud of their success and happy that I could be a part of it. Yes–happy! Not jealous or envious, but genuinely happy. I’ve been given a new goal. One day I want to stand on that stage and accept a RITA of my own. Maybe one day I’ll even be asked to present an award. Why not? I consider myself a good writer and every book I write gets even better. I believe in my heart that it’s something reachable.

And if I never attain that precious emblem of writing recognition, that’s okay, too. Striving to reach a goal is half of the fun. It gives me something to shoot for. More important than anything, striving to be the best makes me a better writer.

But, I’ll tell you a secret. The greatest reward I get is when I have a new reader tell me that he/she enjoyed my book. Nothing feels better, or makes my day, like pleasing a reader. No statue can do that for me. And better still, compliments don’t have to be dusted. I like that!

WRITE ON!!!

A Part of History

Sep9

Our world is imperfect. No one can argue that point. We all have different opinions on many topics, and I’m incredibly thankful that we live in a country where we have the freedom to speak our minds. Many people around the world are not given that freedom.

I also have the freedom to write what I choose. This is an amazing blessing. When I started my career as an author I was compelled to write about southern history. Mainly Civil War era. To date I’ve completed seven books that take place during that time. Some are before the war, some after, and one takes place during the war.

I understand that the industry shies away from this time period and that they currently don’t wish to promote it. I also understand how difficult it is to discuss racial tensions and some of the terrible things that transpired in our country’s past. But something deep inside of me pushed me to write these stories. I feel that I handle the issues with respect, but I also do my best to be historically accurate–even though I’m writing fiction. Many of the events that my books are centered around are true. I love to blend fact with fiction. I think it’s important to keep major events true to history.

I may be frowned upon for treading on tender subject matter, but I believe it’s important that we don’t forget how things used to be. Hopefully by remembering, we can prevent those horrific things from happening again. It’s also important to remember that no matter how horrible things might be, people always find a way to love each other. My stories have happy endings, just as I hope that everyone reading them will find in their own lives.

I will always grasp onto hope and believe in the power of love. And I thank God every day for my freedom.

Our Favorite Things

Aug10

How many of you collect things?

I’ve often wondered what it is that prompts us to latch onto certain things.

I’ve known people who collect trading cards, figurines, Disney items, etc. My brother will tell you about how our mother threw away his baseball cards when he was a kid. Those cards from the 60’s would probably be worth a fortune now! I guess that anything will increase in value the longer you keep it. Just wander through an antique mall and you’ll see all kinds of memories that will cost you a great deal to own again.

My collection is something I can’t bring myself to part with and will one day be passed on to my son. I assume he’ll probably turn around and sell it, but it won’t matter to me any longer. I’ll be long gone.

When I was in the first grade I was given my first Liddle Kiddle doll. Liddle Riddle Riding Hood. And believe it or not, all these years later she’s still wearing her original removable plastic shoes. And these things are tiny! The doll herself is only 3 1/2″ tall. She came with a bendable wolf. A fluffy little guy with wires inside.

Liddle Riddle Riding Hood

Eventually I added more dolls to my collection. More storybook Kiddles, followed by a variety of other kinds. Jewelry Kiddles that were barely an inch tall and came inside rings and necklaces, Skediddle Kiddles that had little walkers that snapped into their backs to make them walk, Lucky Locket Kiddles that came inside framed ‘lockets,’ and others that came inside pretend soda bottles. There were Kiddles that were dressed like animals, and even holiday Kiddles. I could go on and on, but don’t want you yawning. Unless you’re a fellow Kiddle Kollector, you won’t understand my passion for these tiny, plastic dolls.

Every time I look at them, I’m reminded of wonderful times with my friends. Playing, collecting, and eventually talking them out of theirs! For a while I had my dolls displayed on a “Kiddle Land” that I made out of a piece of 6×6 plywood. I covered it in fake grass and rock pathways. It had a paper mache mountain, a beautiful castle made out of rocks that I pasted onto a cardboard box, a lake complete with plastic ducks, and multiple fake trees. It was pretty cool! But eventually, dust overcame it, and I had to disassemble it. Now I have some of my favorites displayed in a wooden frame on my wall.

Memories make us who we are, and I think there will always be that little girl inside of me who inspires the things I do as well as what I write. These dolls make me happy, and maybe someday they’ll make someone else happy, too.

I’ve often dreamed that I find more of them in some remote place. eBay has a bunch, and I’ve made my share of eBay purchases. But there’s something really thrilling about finding one where I’d least expect it. Like finding hidden treasure! But, what’s a treasure to me is probably a piece of junk to someone else. A silly little plastic doll with very little value. Well–that person doesn’t understand the value of a memory. Or I should say, the value of my memories. We’re all different. That same person might find value in a rock. And that’s okay. At one time, someone made a fortune selling ‘pet rocks!’

I’d love to hear about what you collect. And if you’re a fellow Kiddle Kollector, be sure to drop me a line! We’re a rare breed!!

Liddle Kiddles

Jeanne Hardt

In the footsteps of the past…We, too, shall walk. Romance, Love, and so much more…