Happy New Year

by Barbara Betts

Hello All

Christmas has come and gone. I hope you all enjoyed all the blessings and joy the holiday brought. In just a few days the year 2014 will come to an end and we will usher in a New Year, 2015 With the New Year comes new hopes and new dreams. But I am always a bit sad to see the old year end. It seems it’s a time to look back and remember those that may no longer be with us or promises made that were broken or dreams that didn’t come true. Perhaps that is why I love the old song Auld Lang Syne. The song brings to mind forgotten friends and days gone by.

The song is an old Scottish song. It was first published as a poem by Robert Burns in 1796. He heard a Scotsman singing the words one night and decided to make it into a song. So after making a few changes and putting it to music it became the song we listen to today.

It was Guy Lombardo who first made the song popular. He and his band played it for the first time on New Year’s Eve at the Roosevelt Hotel in 1929. After that it was played every New Year’s Eve at the Waldorf Astoria from 1930-1976.

Who would have guessed back in 1796 that a song written back then would become a tradition to be sung across the land to welcome in the New Year?

I did a bit of research on traditions from other countries. This is something that has always intrigued me.

Many New Year customs that we take for granted actually date from ancient times. This year, ring out the old and ring in the new with a New Year tradition—or two!

Make Some Noise

• In ancient Thailand, guns were fired to frighten off demons.
• In China, firecrackers routed the forces of darkness.
• In the early American colonies, the sounds of pistol shots rang through the air.
• Today, Italians let their church bells peal, the Swiss beat drums, and the North Americans sound sirens and party horns to bid the old year farewell.
  Eat Lucky Food
  Many New Year's traditions surround food. Here are a few:

• In the southern US, black-eyed peas and pork foretell good fortune.
• Eating any ring-shaped treat (such as a donut) symbolize "coming full circle" and leads to good fortune. In Dutch homes, fritters called olie bollen are served.
• The Irish enjoy pastries called bannocks.
• The tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight comes from Spain.
• In India and Pakistan, rice promises prosperity.
   
   
• Apples dipped in honey are a Rosh Hashanah tradition.
• In Swiss homes, dollops of whipped cream, symbolizing the richness of the year to come, are dropped on the floors (and allowed to remain there!)
  Drink a Beverage
  Although the pop of a champagne cork signals the arrival of the New Year around the world, some countries have their own traditions.

• Wassail, the Gaelic term for "good health" is served in some parts of England.
• Spiced "hot pot" is the Scottish version of Wassail. It's customary to drink a glass or two at home before sharing with neighbors.
• In Holland, toasts are made with hot, spiced wine.
   
  Give a Gift
  New Year's Day was once the time to swap presents.

• Gifts of gilded nuts or coins marked the start of the new year in Rome.
• Eggs, the symbol of fertility, were exchanged by the Persians.
• Early Egyptians traded earthenware flasks.
• In Scotland, coal, shortbread and silverware are exchanged for good luck.
  Put Your Best Foot Forward
  In Scotland, the custom of first-footing is an important part of the celebration of Hogmanay, or New Year's Eve Day.This practice holds that the first foot to cross a threshold after midnight will predict the next year's fortune. Although the tradition varies, those deemed especially fortunate as "first footers" are new brides, new mothers, those who are tall and dark (and handsome?) or anyone born on January 1. 
  Turn Over a New Leaf
  The dawn of a new year is an opportune time to take stock of your life. 

• Jews who observe Rosh Hashanah make time for personal introspection and prayer, as well as visiting graves.
• Christian churches hold "watch-night" services, a custom that began in 1770 at Old St. Georges Methodist Church in Philadelphia.
• The practice of making New Year's resolutions, said to have begun with the Babylonians as early as 2600 B.C., is another way to reflect on the past and plan ahead.
  New Year's Folklore
  Some customs and beliefs are simply passed down through the ages. Here are some of our favorite age-old sayings and proverbs.
  On New Year's Eve, kiss the person you hope to keep kissing.
  If New Year's Eve night wind blow south, It betokeneth warmth and growth.
  For abundance in the new year, fill your pockets and cupboards today.
  If the old year goes out like a lion, the new year will come in like a lamb.
  Begin the new year square with every man. (i.e., pay your debts!) –Robert B. Thomas, founder of The Old Farmer's Almanac
  So, whether we resolve to return borrowed farm equipment (as did the Babylonians) or drop a few pounds, we're tapping into an ancient and powerful longing for a fresh start!  

SEASON OF FRUSTRATION

By Celia Yeary



It seems more and more I'm reading and hearing an increased amount of frustration from authors. Maybe I notice this because, I, too, feel a kind of restlessness and weariness and even a bit of failure.

This feeling is familiar from my teaching years. It's MAY, for heaven's sake! School is winding down, coming to a close, and we can't wait to escape our present situation. May always brings the same feelings I've described. During the school year, didn't we always believe as soon as that last bell rang we'd be free? And happy? And no longer frustrated?

Remember January 2014? We were upbeat and optimistic, a new year had begun, and we had thoughts of promise and success. It's like getting a do-over.

Now that the end of 2014 is near, we want to shake off the old cloak of fatigue and boredom.

But for us authors, we don't get a free vacation as teachers do. Teachers at least have the summer to experience different activities, such as golf, swimming, camping, cruising, or even sign up for a few hours to work on another degree. Yes, we can do those things, and we should, but for three months? Not me any more.

That's the life of an author. Take a break from writing, but make it short.

What shall we do about the frustration?

~*~For starters, look at all your published books. Just this much is a great accomplishment, so pat yourself on the back.

~*~Now study them and locate the main source of your disquiet. Which one needs the most attention? Which one is not selling as it should, or maybe just not at all? Choose that one to channel all your promotional energy on and decide what you can do. A new excerpt to post on the loops? A give-away contest? A fresh post for a guest blog? Some new unique gimmick concerning that book?

~*~Are you stuck on a WIP? Look at it with a critical eye. Is it as good as you thought it might be? Or is it rather staid and mundane? Study it to determine if it's worth saving, or just a bunch of nonsense you could easily delete and get out of your hair.

~*~Would you feel better if you began a new story? Well, by all means, do. That's the best way, in my opinion, to make yourself feel better. A new plot, a new direction, a new set of characters. Why, it's just like going on vacation.

~*~Whatever you do, find some way to change your routine. You might even want to step away for a couple of weeks and just read and perhaps make notes for new ideas. Then when the vacation is over, return and get to work.

I'm in it with you all the way. This is how I feel sometimes, so I speak from experience. Just remember...You are a writer. Whether the world loves your work or not, you do...and in the end, that's all that matters.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
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PRP #NewRelease--GUARDING HER HEART--Heart Pounding Action

In all these years of marriage, my husband James's love for B-Western movies has rubbed off on me, especially an appreciation for the stunt work involved, to the extent that my longest-running series features Lucas Hallam, a private detective and Western movie extra who works in 1920s Hollywood. (Hallam is a supporting character in my story "Tinseltown", from the PRESENT FOR A COWBOY anthology.)

I love writing action scenes, so when I set out to write "Guarding Her Heart", I wanted to include the sort of spectacular stunt that took place in so many B-Westerns: a great stagecoach chase scene culminating with the coach plunging off a cliff. You can see two amazing stunts from the 1938 serial Zorro's Fighting Legion.

Of course, in a story no stuntmen or horses are actually at risk, but I hoped to achieve the same sort of pulse-pounding thrills, as the movie trailers put it. And Grant and Julia have plenty of other thrills coming their way in "Guarding Her Heart" as well...

BLURB:

Julia Courtland was on her way west to marry a man she had never met. Henry Everett, the marshal of Flat Rock, Texas, was the grandson of her uncle's best friend. It seemed like a good match for both of them, and the wedding was scheduled to take place on Valentine's Day.

Grant Stafford thought the young woman who got on the stagecoach at Buffalo Springs was the prettiest thing he had seen in a long time. She wasn't too friendly, mind you, but she was sure easy on the eyes. Not that Grant had time to worry much about such things. He was the shotgun guard on this run, but more than that, he was an undercover Texas Ranger on the trail of the vicious outlaw gang responsible for a string of stagecoach robberies.

Fate threw Julia Courtland and Grant Stafford together on a cold February day in West Texas, but it also threw deadly obstacles in their path. A runaway team, a terrible crash, and bullets flying through the air threaten to steal not only their lives but also any chance they have for happiness. If they're going to survive, they will have to learn to trust each other . . . and maybe steal their hearts back from fate.

EXCERPT:

The sharp crack of a rifle shot interrupted Grant. Beside him, Scalphunter grunted and rocked back against the seat. The old frontiersman struggled to hang on to the reins.

Grant searched for the source of the shot, but at the same time his worried gaze darted to Scalphunter. A red stain spread on the old man's shirtfront, blossoming like a crimson flower.

From the corner of his eye, Grant spotted a man standing on top of a boulder with a rifle. He lifted the shotgun and touched off one of the barrels just as the man fired a second shot. This bullet hit the brass rail running around the top of the coach and spanged off. As far as Grant could tell, his buckshot didn't hit anything.

More shots cracked. They had driven right into an ambush. A bullet creased one of the horses and made it let out a shrill whinny as it leaped ahead.

That was all it took for things to get even worse. The team bolted, leaving the road behind and taking off across the flats.

BUY LINKS                     B&N nook            SMASHWORDS

New Release -- FOUND HEARTS by Cheryl Pierson -- Giveaway!

Cheryl is giving away a ecopy of this romantic novella to one person chosen at random from the people who comment.

BLURB:
Southern belle Evie Fremont has lost everything—except hope. When she answers an advertisement for marriage to Alex Cameron who lives in the wilds of Indian Territory, she has few illusions that he could be a man she might fall in love with—especially as his secrets begin to unfold.

Ex-Confederate soldier Alex Cameron needs a mother for his two young half-Cherokee sons more than he needs a wife—or so he tells himself. But when his past threatens his future on his wedding day, he and Evie are both forced to acknowledge their new love has come to stay—along with their FOUND HEARTS.

EXCERPT:

Oh, Dear God! Evie tried to keep the shock from her expression. She had come all the way across the country to marry a man who operated a saloon—the very thing that had destroyed Trey’s life, and hers! With everything sold at auction but their clothing, Evie had secretly managed to hold on to two pieces of her mother’s jewelry. The ruby necklace, she would never part with. But the emerald bracelet had fetched enough money to buy a train ticket from South Carolina to her Aunt Felicia and Uncle Arthur’s home in Chicago. That’s where she’d seen Mr. Cameron’s advertisement.

Now, to find out he had misrepresented himself, was almost more than she could bear. A saloon owner! She wanted to laugh at the irony of her situation. She and Trey had parted bitterly over his drinking—and she was soon going to be married to a man who undoubtedly drank like a fish, but also promoted alcohol to others. Indeed, who made his living from the Devil’s brew.

BUY LINKS    B&N Nook          Smashwords

Christmas Dinner - Christmas Romance #westernromance @JacquieRogers

Website | Pickle Barrel Gazette | Amazon

Grandpa and the 6-year-old untangling the lights

I don't know about you, but our entire household is in the Christmas Preparation Frenzy.  The tree's up--oops, here comes the cat--the tree's down.  Baking all those goodies that settle right in the bohunkus is mandatory.  So is tasting them.  

What are you making this year?  We're making pies of course--custard, pumpkin, lemon meringue are requirements and we might have apple crisp and mince pie, too.  Then there's the fudge, both chocolate and peanut butter.  I cannot stay out of peanut butter fudge!  My son likes pumpkin bread but I'm not sure that'll get made this year.

We couldn't get a large turkey so we have a 15-pounder and a ham.  Along with that, we'll have roasted yams (not candied), green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, oyster sage dressing, and they might talk me into making some dinner rolls, which are called "buns" around our house.  And the other stuff--deviled eggs, olives, salad, cranberry jelly, and whatever else.  It'll be a grand meal!

Yes, I didn't get the star
in the picture. Hrmph.

This is the time of year when two ovens would be a godsend, but alas and alack, we only have one.  Sometimes I think it would be great to rent a hall with a commercial kitchen and have our gatherings there.  Of course, we're talking some big bucks there, and the meal already is enough to put us in the poorhouse.

The 23rd is National Clean Up the Kitchen Day.  We cleaned the refrigerator inside and out, cleaned the stove, rearranged and decluttered the cupboards.  It's amazing all the little bits of this and that that can accumulate to the point of where you're ready to throw out the whole works.

We're lucky, though.  We at least have one oven and it works well.  We have a dry, warm house, too.  Not everyone does.  There was a time when I didn't and I'll never forget it.  Blessings are all around us even though some  days we might not think so.

I'm also lucky to be part of the Prairie Rose Publications team.  The ladies here are awesome.  Special thanks to Livia Reasoner, Cheryl Pierson, and Kathleen Rice Adams.  You're gems, every one.

Here's a little excerpt from my story in PRP's latest anthology release, Wild Texas Christmas.  Our heroine, Winnie, and hero, Judd, have to negotiate a steep street in the icy snow, which the Texan doesn't appreciate at all.  To accommodate foot traffic, the townsmen have strung up ropes along the streets so people can pull themselves up.  No, I didn't make it up.  They really did do that in Silver City, Idaho Territory.

So let's see how our heroine and hero fare:

How the Texan Stole Christmas

a short story  by Jacquie Rogers in

Wild Texas Christmas

Excerpt

Winnie found the whole situation awkward. She had to hang on to the rope with one hand, the strap of the bag of toys with the other, and hold up her skirt, too. Only problem was, she didn’t have three hands. The men had heavier loads but then they didn’t have skirts to hold up.

Tucker darted back and forth, as dogs do, but even he slid and fell a few times. Winnie slipped a time or two before she figured out how to keep herself upright, hold the toys, and preserve some modicum of modesty. Judd grunted softly every once in awhile, especially when the steep street inclined even more, and Tucker dashed between them, nearly upending Judd, who shooed him away.

Lulu glanced over her shoulder at Winnie. “Isn’t this a beautiful day? It’s cold, but the sun is shining and the air is clear. Last night’s fireplace smoke has blown away. I love days like this.”

Winnie nodded. “Yes, it’s a very nice day—would be even better if I were bundled up by the stove reading the latest Clara Vance novel.”

“What about you, Mr. Shaw?” Lulu asked.

“Judd.”

“What?”

Web laughed. “He said he wants to be called by his first name. He just don’t use a lot of words sayin’ it.” Lulu slipped and Web caught her before she fell. Winnie stopped while the two ahead got set to rights, Judd beside her. She felt a lot warmer when he was near and since she’d been married before, she knew exactly why. To cover her embarrassment, she adjusted her pack.

In an instant, her feet went out from under her and she knocked Judd off balance, too. She landed on her back, the cold hard ice knocking the wind out of her. Judd fell on top of her with his face buried in her bosom. She couldn’t speak for lack of air and she couldn’t move because he pinned her down.

He lifted his head after a moment. “I’m, uh, sorry.”

Winnie wasn’t sorry at all. No man had had his face on her bosom for a long time, and if she had to choose one to be there, Judd’s would be it.

♥ ♥ ♥

Wild Texas Christmas

Kindle | BN.com | Smashwords | Print

Other Books by Jacquie Rogers

Hearts of Owyhee series

Much Ado About Marshals

Much Ado About Madams

Much Ado About Mavericks

Much Ado About Miners

Pickle Barrel Bar and Books (Facebook) | Pinterest | Twitter

Happy New Year

by Barbara Betts

Hello All

Christmas has come and gone. I hope you all enjoyed all the blessings and joy the holiday brought. In just a few days the year 2014 will come to an end and we will usher in a New Year, 2015 With the New Year comes new hopes and new dreams. But I am always a bit sad to see the old year end. It seems it’s a time to look back and remember those that may no longer be with us or promises made that were broken or dreams that didn’t come true. Perhaps that is why I love the old song Auld Lang Syne. The song brings to mind forgotten friends and days gone by.

The song is an old Scottish song. It was first published as a poem by Robert Burns in 1796. He heard a Scotsman singing the words one night and decided to make it into a song. So after making a few changes and putting it to music it became the song we listen to today.

It was Guy Lombardo who first made the song popular. He and his band played it for the first time on New Year’s Eve at the Roosevelt Hotel in 1929. After that it was played every New Year’s Eve at the Waldorf Astoria from 1930-1976.

Who would have guessed back in 1796 that a song written back then would become a tradition to be sung across the land to welcome in the New Year?

I did a bit of research on traditions from other countries. This is something that has always intrigued me.

Many New Year customs that we take for granted actually date from ancient times. This year, ring out the old and ring in the new with a New Year tradition—or two!

Make Some Noise

• In ancient Thailand, guns were fired to frighten off demons.
• In China, firecrackers routed the forces of darkness.
• In the early American colonies, the sounds of pistol shots rang through the air.
• Today, Italians let their church bells peal, the Swiss beat drums, and the North Americans sound sirens and party horns to bid the old year farewell.
  Eat Lucky Food
  Many New Year's traditions surround food. Here are a few:

• In the southern US, black-eyed peas and pork foretell good fortune.
• Eating any ring-shaped treat (such as a donut) symbolize "coming full circle" and leads to good fortune. In Dutch homes, fritters called olie bollen are served.
• The Irish enjoy pastries called bannocks.
• The tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight comes from Spain.
• In India and Pakistan, rice promises prosperity.
   
   
• Apples dipped in honey are a Rosh Hashanah tradition.
• In Swiss homes, dollops of whipped cream, symbolizing the richness of the year to come, are dropped on the floors (and allowed to remain there!)
  Drink a Beverage
  Although the pop of a champagne cork signals the arrival of the New Year around the world, some countries have their own traditions.

• Wassail, the Gaelic term for "good health" is served in some parts of England.
• Spiced "hot pot" is the Scottish version of Wassail. It's customary to drink a glass or two at home before sharing with neighbors.
• In Holland, toasts are made with hot, spiced wine.
   
  Give a Gift
  New Year's Day was once the time to swap presents.

• Gifts of gilded nuts or coins marked the start of the new year in Rome.
• Eggs, the symbol of fertility, were exchanged by the Persians.
• Early Egyptians traded earthenware flasks.
• In Scotland, coal, shortbread and silverware are exchanged for good luck.
  Put Your Best Foot Forward
  In Scotland, the custom of first-footing is an important part of the celebration of Hogmanay, or New Year's Eve Day.This practice holds that the first foot to cross a threshold after midnight will predict the next year's fortune. Although the tradition varies, those deemed especially fortunate as "first footers" are new brides, new mothers, those who are tall and dark (and handsome?) or anyone born on January 1. 
  Turn Over a New Leaf
  The dawn of a new year is an opportune time to take stock of your life. 

• Jews who observe Rosh Hashanah make time for personal introspection and prayer, as well as visiting graves.
• Christian churches hold "watch-night" services, a custom that began in 1770 at Old St. Georges Methodist Church in Philadelphia.
• The practice of making New Year's resolutions, said to have begun with the Babylonians as early as 2600 B.C., is another way to reflect on the past and plan ahead.
  New Year's Folklore
  Some customs and beliefs are simply passed down through the ages. Here are some of our favorite age-old sayings and proverbs.
  On New Year's Eve, kiss the person you hope to keep kissing.
  If New Year's Eve night wind blow south, It betokeneth warmth and growth.
  For abundance in the new year, fill your pockets and cupboards today.
  If the old year goes out like a lion, the new year will come in like a lamb.
  Begin the new year square with every man. (i.e., pay your debts!) –Robert B. Thomas, founder of The Old Farmer's Almanac
  So, whether we resolve to return borrowed farm equipment (as did the Babylonians) or drop a few pounds, we're tapping into an ancient and powerful longing for a fresh start!