It’s no secret to anyone who knows me how much I dislike winter. I know we’re just in the middle of lovely autumn, but I can feel it looming in the gray skies that will eventually dump lake effect on us by the truckload. I hate the cold, the dry, the slippery and the never-ending white. I’ve grown up in it, and a few times I have tried to enjoy it (positive thinking and all) – doesn’t work. I love the colors and life of Spring, Summer, and Fall, the warm, sunny days and not being encumbered by layers of heavy clothing. All of those seasons exude their own kind of sexiness: the heat of a summer night, the rich spring blooming, or picking apples with your favorite someone on a fall day. However, it’s difficult to find much about winter that I enjoy.

So I ask myself (and you), what is sexy about winter?

Well, for one, there is Blaze. I am very psyched about my December Christmas book, I’LL BE YOURS FOR CHRISTMAS, (Romantic Times, 4.5). It’s the first book I have set here in Central New York, at a pair of wineries set on Cayuga Lake just above the city of Ithaca, and it is very sexy (RT called it “Naughty…” ). The wineries I write about are fictional, but there are many wineries in the area, and a glass of Finger Lakes Wine will really warm you up. This could be another sexy thing about winter if you are curled up with a Blaze or your honey.

I guess the other thing I enjoy in the cold months is being able to haul out my quilts. If I lived in a warm climate, I would never have use for them. Cuddling under a big quilt on a cold night is definitely a sexy part of winter.

I do like flannel shirts. I don’t know if mine are all that sexy, but I love a man in a flannel…. That’s it. I’m out of sexy winter things, so you will have to help me out.

So. . .what do you think is sexy about Winter? Share, and I’ll pick someone Sunday evening to win an early copy of I’LL BE YOURS FOR CHRISTMAS. I’ll also add in one of the bars of soap I have had made for the book and some bath items (since a nice hot bath with someone could be a very sexy thing to do in winter!).

We read a lot, and we talk a lot about books, but there’s another kind of guilty pleasure reading I enjoy: magazines. I love magazines, and don’t read them as often as I would like. I never read newspapers, to be honest, but I find sitting with a magazine very relaxing (except in the doctor’s office, which is never relaxing). My mother-in-law, however, is a dedicated newspaper reader. I do think the quality of the news in print is probably far better than what you find on TV or online, but I find newspapers take too long to get through, and they demand to be read immediately, or they aren’t relevant anymore. There isn’t always time on a daily basis to read them, which is probably why newspapers are struggling to survive, but hundreds of magazines still emerge every year, and many long-time publications still thrive.

Recently, while wandering around a B&N, I bought three: Clean Eating, Yoga Journal, and Quilting Arts, all new magazines to me. They did all have very attractive covers, and they were magazines that I felt would be fun to read, as well as offering new information on things I am already interested in. They are all quite dense with information, standing up to several days and evenings of reading, and I have enjoyed taking one to bed or leaving them on the dining room table where I page through them over lunch or someone else will sit and read through them as well.

While magazines are expensive at the newsstand, I find I enjoy them more when I just pick up an individual issue that looks good, rather than buying a subscription. I used to have subscriptions, but they have long since expired, and I plan to keep it that way. When magazines come monthly or so, they pile up, or become repetitive or an “obligation” to read. I like just picking up a few and getting to them when I can.

Magazines are also useful for reminding you to pursue various goals in life. Leaving a magazine about eating or cooking good food, exercise, sewing, on the table is a great way to remember to include these things in your everyday life. They are also convenient. When you don’t have a ton of time to read, you can still glance through an article or a recipe and get some benefit. They are also good for research. When I am writing a book, I will sometimes look to magazines for inspiration on certain topics.

Magazines are also just attractive. Some of the covers are just beautiful to look at. I enjoy how Yoga Journal has a section which explains how they created their cover. That is a very nice touch (maybe a good idea for books, as well).

Some previous magazines I have enjoyed reading are Harpers, The New Yorker, Martha Stewart, Newsweek, Time, Consumer Reports, Better Homes and Gardens (and their Quilting special issues), Writer’s Digest, Cooks Illustrated (great recipes that work), Cooking Light, Travel and Leisure, and several others. My husband enjoys issues of Make as well as several guitar and woodworking magazines. We also get a Humane Society magazine with our membership, and a surprisingly interesting little Subaru publication a few times a year. You can clearly see things about our lifestyle as well through magazine choices.

What magazines do you enjoy? Do you have subscriptions you can’t go without? Do you read newspapers, as well?

(Note: this blog updated and revised based on an earlier version from my blog at http://samanthahunter.wordpress.com/)

In lines like Blaze, you might expect to find glamorous models and rich playboys who have nothing to do but party all night and spend all day in bed, but one of my favorite things about our line is the vast expanse of professions and work that our characters do for a living. You find everything here, from characters who work to start their own retail shops, to those who run corporations. I have written dog trainers, lawyers, computer experts and hackers, shop owners, restaurant reviewers, Texas Rangers (and a host of other law enforcement officials), and when I pick up a Blaze, one of the first things I look for is what the characters do for a living. For me, that is part of the fun of the book, and it all serves to make our characters more real.

In my books this year, I have had a tabloid reporter, a heroine who runs a bakery and her hero who is a professor and scientific consultant, and upcoming in my Christmas book, the hero is a race car driver, and the heroine runs a vineyard (here in Central New York, actually — my first locally set book). After that, I have a soap shop owner and a bodyguard (June 2011), and a line up of other interesting heroes and heroines with their unique ways of making a living.

Part of the fun for me is choosing my character’s profession, and in many cases, researching it, as I am not a professional in all of these areas, obviously. I do research in a number of ways, both on the internet, reading, and contacting people who can answer questions or explain to me the finer points of what they do.

For instance, I have never been to a professional car race, so I had to do a lot of research there, reading a lot on the internet, but also asking friends, family, and a lot of folks on FaceBook and Twitter specific questions. Television can even help (Dirty Jobs had a great episode on Coopers, barrel-makers, that was very helpful in my Christmas book.)

I learn a lot! A year ago, I had no idea even what the difference was between NASCAR and F1, but now I know enough that I was able to hold a conversation about it on vacation with someone we met at our inn. For my soap shop heroine, I employed the expertise of a woman who makes her own soaps and lotions here in CNY, and she has been so helpful in sharing her love for her work, which really helped me show how much my heroine loves what she does, as well. I have to admit, I enjoy writing and researching law enforcement officers; any excuse to talk to them is a rush for me.

In general, I have always found people to be very generous when asked to share their expertise so that I can make my characters’ worlds as real as possible. For that, I am very thankful.

What are some professions we don’t see in Blaze, or other romances? Are some more preferred than others? Why, do you think? What are some of your favorites?

Happy Fourth of July weekend, everyone! So, this is the weekend we celebrate our country’s Independence, the brave men and women who stand up and defend it, and the traditions are usually parades, fireworks and of course, food! I love the Fourth of July, as one of those holidays, like Halloween and Thanksgiving, that comes with very little pressure and expectation, and just a chance to get together with folks and have fun.

I have a love/hate relationship with fireworks. As a kid, I loved sparklers the best, especially the large or multi-colored ones, and those little weird tablets you could set a match to on the sidewalk, and it would explode into a long black snaky-thing. Too much fun. I never get tired of a big fireworks display, either, and try to see one each year, though we’re lucky enough to be able to see one of them from our house, so we can just peep out the window on years we don’t want to fight crowds and traffic. What I don’t like is when the neighborhoods are alive with the sound of firecrackers at 3am, or for several days, especially as it can spook pets. To that end, if you haven’t read it, check out this link to the Humane Society for how to keep your pets safe and comfortable this weekend.

I am not much of a parade fan, either, I have to say. I don’t go to them, but I do love the cookouts. We’ll have one with the family, but also, I have bought groceries with a mind to cooking out all weekend. Bring on the macaroni salad, the sausage sandwiches, and the lemonade! To that end, I want to share one really good dessert recipe we have made for years. I am not a Jell-O fan — it’s never been my favorite, but I love this particular dessert, so I’ll be making it this weekend. If you don’t like strawberries, you can use raspberries, too, and add in blueberries for a red, white, and blue theme! Enjoy!

Jell-O and Pretzel Dessert

Ingredients:
2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tub (9 ounce size) Cool Whip
1 cup sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
2 packages (3 ounce size) strawberry Jello gelatin
1 package (16 ounce size) frozen sweetened strawberries
1 cup boiling water

Bottom Layer: Combine pretzels, butter and 1/4 cup sugar. Press into 9 x 13 baking dish and bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Middle Layer: Cream together cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over pretzel crust.
Top Layer: Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in frozen strawberries, Chill until partially set, about 1 hour and spread over white layer. Chill until set and serve.

If you have any traditions, recipes, or favorite fireworks, please do share! And have a safe and wonderful weekend,

Sam

Six years ago when we moved into this house, we went from the closing meeting to the house and immediately started ripping things down, completely redoing each room in our own style. So we thought. It took six years of living in the place to realize what we really liked, what worked with lighting, our habits, etc and while nothing we did then was bad, a new plasma TV purchase (NCIS on the large screen — YES!) and some other new purchases provided the excuse to completely repaint and reorganize the downstairs. We moved furniture, changed around rooms, and that was just the start of it.

We’ve spent the week in a painting marathon — you know how it is — you buy one new piece of furniture, reorganize some of the rest, and now you have to completely repaint three rooms. I had my latest book in for edits (I’ll Be Yours For Christmas, Blaze, out December ’10!) and finished my proposals for 2011 books, so the idea was to spend a week repainting and getting gardens in shape before we left on vacation (leaving tomorrow morning!) so that when we come home, it’s all done and we can enjoy summer (or at least we can come back to work without thinking about the other 20 things that need to be done).

But even in the process of doing of it, we had to make changes. As I started repainting my kitchen on Wed, I didn’t like the color once I got it on one wall, and so I was off to Home Depot for more paint — a whole new set of colors — which worked perfectly. Saturday, as we were repainting our two-tone living room (upper and lower halves separated by a chair rail) the new cinnamon color on the bottom half worked perfectly — love it! But then we started the upper color, didn’t like it, and realized the original gold we had there worked so well with the warm cinnamon, that we wanted that. Luckily, a local paint store can work magic — we took a chip from the wall and they made paint exactly the same color! It’s gorgeous.

Then, we had two area rugs that we loved — until we moved them to get them out of the way for painting, with the intention of sending them out for cleaning. When they were gone, we realized how much we love the bare wood floors. So one rug will perhaps go upstairs, and the other, a Persian, we’ll probably trade in at a local rug dealer to get a smaller Persian throw. We thought we’d be painting the trim in all of the rooms, but when we saw how nice the natural wood looked next to the cinnamon paint color, we decided to leave that, too.

It’s very much like when I write — you have a plan going in, but you have to be open to changes because you might find something better as you go along.

So…I’m under no illusions that this is the last batch of changes we’ll make to this house. Change seems to be the way of things in life, whether it’s with writing or anything else (speaking of which, I will have revisions/edits waiting for me when I get home from vacation, too, so it’s a good thing the painting is done!). Everything is subject to revisions, our paint colors, gardens, hair color, personal styles, reading habits, etc. What have you revised lately?

Is there anyone who doesn’t love cookies, or who doesn’t have a special cookie in their life? Maybe one your mom made, or one your family loves? Or decadent ones at the store that you only let yourself buy for a special treat?

In my spankin’ new release, MAKE YOUR MOVE, Jodie Patterson owns a Chicago bakery, and the frosting on her special “Passionate Hearts” cookies is very popular. With the help of a special formula created by her best friend and business partner, Dan, a scientific genius, the frosting provides a little erotic kick to female pheromones, helping women who eat them get any man they desire.

Now, I have never had a cookie that did that, exactly, but a few that come close. One family recipe for a cookie we often make is my husband’s favorite, and when I make them, he certainly gets a spark in his eye — a rich cookie wrapped around a mix of fudge and nuts, dusted with powdered sugar. I brought some to the Toronto Harlequin offices on my last visit, and I don’t know if they sparked any libidos, but I did get notes from people who seemed to like them just as much as my friends and family do. My own personal favorite is a simple but delicate sugar cookie I make (and I do shape them into hearts and frost them) and they really melt in your mouth. I grew up making cookies, especially all kinds of ethnic, Italian and Ukrainian recipes that I learned from my mom and her friends, and they are a regular fixture at Christmas and holidays.

However, I love store cookies, too. Pepperidge Farms make the most sinful ones, I think, especially their Amaretto Milanos, though Brussels are my absolutely favorites. On a more everyday level, I won’t pass up an Oreo, and love Nutter-Butter cookies, too! I will say one cookie I never did enjoy was a Fig Newton, but I know several people who love them.

So what is your favorite cookie? Does your family have special cookie recipes you always use, or that everyone loves? Share, and one commenter will win a copy of MAKE YOUR MOVE along with these gorgeous Harry and David cookies (US shipping only), and two others will win signed copies of MAKE YOUR MOVE (all eligible).

Watching Survivor the other night, and kibitzing with my husband over our favorites, he said “this is going to be a divisive Survivor season for us, isn’t it?” LOL (I like Boston Rob, and hubby admires Russell’s game). We are competitive people, and we can be very competitive with each other, though over the years we’ve found how to make that more of a plus than a negative. Competition is good and healthy — it sparks you to push yourself a little harder, to do a little better. It can add a little spice to life, and emphasize the things you care about. And let’s face it, it’s fun to win, or to be on the winning side. It’s also nice to see someone deserving win, and to see someone take loss gracefully. But things can get heated in the spirit of competition, and it’s sometimes hard to maintain that cool.

I remember when my in-laws visited, and we all played Cribbage. In Cribbage, you can “muggins” someone and take their points if they are not paying attention. In-laws would politely point out to each other when they had not been paying attention and were horrified at dh and I gleefully muggins-ing each other. We were horrified they would point out the lack of attention and give up the points. Because if you are going to win, you should earn it. This is how we played games with our kids, and I don’t come from a family where you let someone win. I know this makes raising kids difficult, too. I have mixed feelings about the “everyone wins” philosophy when it comes to kids — I know we don’t want kids feeling bad or left out, but really, does it set the right example? If everyone always wins, do they ever get a chance to learn how to lose well, and to know that is okay? (thinking about last week’s Desperate Housewives, which took this up in an really great way).

The only time I find myself angry about a loss is when it seems unfair — like Rob getting voted off because Coach is a weenie…(okay, I’ll stop…). But seriously, Rob is a solid competitor who deserved to be there. Similarly, on shows like the Amazing Race, you have fantastic teams who lose because they get a bad cabbie in the last leg. Total luck of the draw. I guess the appeal of these shows is much like sports, for those of us who enjoy the competition, watching the challenges, and rooting for our favorites, but those things we can’t control that throw everything sideways are so hard to watch.

And of course, we all have the stories of how/when it can get out of hand, especially in the arena of sports (kids sports, in particular). Respect has to be part of healthy competition — the only way a win is worth it is if you are up against a worthy opponent, and while you can dislike losing, you can simultaneously be happy for the other person’s win. I really dislike when players (and fans) treat each other badly. As a Red Sox fan, I don’t root for the Yankees, but I have to respect the team and the fans. They give us worthy opponents, and great games to watch. Being a Red Sox fan wouldn’t be half the fun without the Yankees, after all.

Anyway, this was just something that popped up into my mind to blog about as the baseball season starts, and Survivor hits it’s critical point. Have you ever felt really bad about your team or player losing? I’ll admit it, I was sulky about Rob being voted out, but it’s how the game goes. I don’t know why it bothers me so much, but competition can be a very visceral thing. We’re probably acting out all kinds of archetypal dramas.

It’s 80+ degrees in Syracuse today, so I am probably outside doing yard work with dh — I wonder who will outchop, outclear, outmulch? I will stop by, and if you pop in to share a thought on competition, and it’s part in your life, personality, or reading/writing (or TV watching), I’ll pick someone to receive a copy of my May Blaze, Make Your Move, by the end of the day (just a little contest in the spirit of competition!)

I’m thrilled to announce my March release, the second part of Blazing Bedtime Stories, Vol IV, a novella titled “I Wish He Might…”

The back cover copy sums it up nicely: Nina Larson has a personal genie…seductive, sexy Alec! Her every wish is his command…and does she ever have some X-rated wishes! Each desire he fulfills propels her into another, even hotter one. But Nina holds the key to Alec’s freedom. Problem is, she’s not sure she can surrender the most fantastic sex of her life.

I’ve always been a fan of I Dream of Jeannie and Aladdin and The Arabian Nights. When asked to write a bedtime story, it took me about two seconds to exactly what I story I wanted to write. In “I Wish He Might…,” I build on some of the familiar ideas we have about genies, and create a new world for them, which can be as dangerous as it is sexy.

Nina, the heroine, is granted three wishes, of course, and it got me thinking a lot about wishing. How many times in a day do we unconsciously say “I wish. . . ” What if there was a genie over our shoulder, making those wishes come true? When we’re kids (and even adults) we love wishbones in turkeys, wishing wells, and making wishes on falling stars. Our lives are full of wishes, it seems.

If a sexy genie appeared in your life, what would you wish for? What would you worry about (after all, there is the old saw, watch what you wish for!)

Share, and I’ll pick a winner at the end of the day to win one of these lovely bars of handmade soap, aptly named “Wishing,” (though not inspired by this book, it still fits!). These soaps are made right here in Central York, and are lovely. I will also add in a few fun bath items and a copy of Blazing Bedtime Stories, Vol. IV. Let’s chat about wishing!

Today is mine! I love birthdays — how can anyone not? Gifts, cake. . .and more cake. And sharing it with you all on the blog is just more added fun. I had my birthday party last Saturday, and dear hubby outdid himself — a home made spaghetti and meatballs dinner with bread and a cake, all made from scratch. I received some lovely gifts from family and friends, and a Wii Fit ahead of time from hubby (much fun, after you get past the trauma of the chubby Mii, LOL), who also says he has some extra surprises in store. But as much as I enjoy the goodies, I am just so thankful for all the wonderful people and things in my life as I enter this new year. Those are the real gifts.

Anyhoo, I was doing some research on birthday lore for a book a while ago, and found out some really interesting things about our own personal holidays. Such as that ancient people used to celebrate death days more than birthdays, as your death signified your return to God. (I’m really glad we turned this one around!) Birthdays as we know them are pagan in origin, as are so many of our holidays and traditions. (And as everyone knows, pagans know how to par-tay).Greek celebrations, specifically, were tributes to Artemis. The Greeks would make honey cakes for her each month, lighting them with candles to make them look like the moon. Traditionally only men were celebrated on their birthdays, until in Germany they started doing so for children, and the tradition grew. In many countries, birthdays are still considered mainly a religious ceremony. Hindus don’t celebrate their birthdays until they are sixteen years old, but on their first birthdays, however, Hindu babies have their heads shaved to rid them of any evil spirits, which is also the idea behind singing, spanking, or making of loud noises. Wishing someone Happy Birthday is a wish for bad luck to stay away from them in the year coming.

So, that’s a little folklore lesson on b’days. Kind of neat, I think.

As a gift to YOU, if you will tell a b’day story or share a tradition or go out and find a piece of birthday folklore and share it in the comments, I will choose a winner at the end of the day to receive a copy of my March Blazing Bedtime Stories w/Kimberly Raye (mine is “I Wish He Might” a story about a tabloid reporter who meets a sexy genie), AND a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate (US Residents Only). Three other winners (everyone eligible) will receive signed copies of the Bedtime Stories book.

I hope a lot of you will come by to celebrate my special day with me. I may be out and about, but I will pop in to comment as I can…

Sam

We’re heading out to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie this weekend. While I didn’t think I wanted to see it when I first saw the previews, it hits me as the best of the Christmas/New Years offerings, and I am a horrible movie person. Hubby wanted to see Avatar, and I was so thankful when he changed his mind after reading several reviews.

I don’t know why — it must be some kind of entertainment ADD — but I can sit and watch 3-4 hours of TV (I am a complete TV addict, but I think it’s a mixture of the variety, something new every 60 minutes or less, and I can get up and take breaks), but making a 2 hour movie can be a stretch, and ones that are longer than that seriously challenge my ability to sit still. It was torture for me to go through the LOTR series with my husband, who loves it… when he rewatches them at home, at least we can get up, take breaks, walk around — but sitting through them in the theater was my version of movie hell.

Though at least the stories were good — one thing that put me off of Avatar is that people only talk about the special effects. I could care less. Give me a great story with no special effects, please — the story is what carries me through and makes me forget I am sitting in one place for 2+ hours. If the characters are compelling and the story makes me want to see what’s going to happen, it’s worth the money. I stay clear of movies where people’s recommendations hinge on “but the cinematography was amazing” or “you have to see the special effects.” No thanks. Of course, most movies have some kind of effects, but I think the point is more that the effects shouldn’t be the point of the movie — they can enhance it, but a movie should still be about the story and the characters.

That’s what’s so nice about books (and TV, when you think about it — the special effects in Buffy were often rough and hokey, but look how much we love it). They can’t rely on special effects, it has to be all about the story. If the story fails, you’re toast, and I’m thankful for that.

Are flashy effects enough for you when you spend at least $11 (usually more) on a movie ticket? Or do you want to be carried away by compelling characters (Jason Bourne, for example — few special effects, amazing movies, all) and great plots? Have you been to see any movies over the holiday, and what did you think? I’ll share my opinion of Sherlock Holmes after we get back, and I’ll look forward to hearing yours.

Happy 2010!
Sam