Looking Forward, Looking Back, by Peggy Jaeger

 Hard to believe we are finally going to put a pin in 2021 in a few days. I mean...come on - this hasn't been the best year for the world, has it?

To put things in perspective, though, my little world did okay in 2021. No one in my immediate family got Covid or any of its variants because we were all hyper-vigilant: got vaccinated, got boostered, never stopped wearing masks in public, vigorous handwashing, and avoided crowds.

It can be done, kids. If more people would get with the program we'd be through this by now.

Enough soapbox.

2021 saw a surge in my writing and publication. 7 books done and out in the reading world; one new publisher; a couple contest wins and many new writing avenues opened for me.

Not too bad.

On a personal note ( well, a few of them!) my first grandchild was born. I've always heard that your first grandchild changes you. It did. It made me more concerned about the future of our planet, our democracy, my own health -because I want to be around to see him grow to adulthood and beyond - and my legacy for when I am gone.

To that end I've embarked on a road I should never have been out on: extreme weight loss. So far I've lost 20 pounds, which if you know anything about weight loss after 60, is amazing. I have another 30 to go and that's one of my looking forward goals. I want to maintain my health and physical mobility until I die and doing this is the best way to ensure that. Wish me luck.

As far as 2022 goes, I've got many things on the docket that look promising.

I've got a new publisher I'm thrilled to be working with.

I've got 8 books planned for release this year, two of them in multiple author packs.

We've got a family trip planned for July - our first in 3 years.

We've got one big family wedding planned for May.

I turn 62 in May, as well. That's a significant number because if I wanted to I could get social security now. Not going to, but just knowing I can is something.

I've got three major book signing events I'm traveling to in 2022. I haven't been to a major signing since 2019 and the last RWA I attended.

I hope, looking forward as well, we can get out of the grips of this virus. I don't want to see one more child have to wear a mask to school or one more person be unable to hug and visit with friends. 

I hope serious change will be made in how we take care of the poor, the mentally ill, our children, our environment, our planet. 

I hope we can finally - FINALLY - recognize that we are more alike than different and understand the differences don't make us bad people.

And I hope health, happiness, success, and a sense of peace is prevalent in my life, everyone I know, and the world as well.

Happy Holidays, everyone.

May joy, love, peace and happiness fill your days and warm your hearts

~ Peg

Sacred - Alice Rosewell

I have grappled for days with this month’s theme, continually disappearing down rabbit holes of gloom, and generating hundreds of preachy words. In large part this is because the dictionary defines sacred as ‘connected with God or a god, or dedicated to a religious purpose and so deserving of veneration.’

Some of us do not believe in any god, can we still have a religious purpose?

A dictionary definition again; religion- ‘the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.’

Photo  by NASA on Unsplash

So we hit another hurdle - must we believe in something superhuman to have a sense of the sacred? What does ‘sacred’ mean to people of no religious belief. What makes life meaningful if there is no superhuman entity to believe in?

The word sacred starts to make more sense if we stretch the definition of ‘a personal god’ to ‘that which gives our lives purpose and meaning’.

Photo by Islander Images on Unsplash

I’m not comfortable with changing the definition of words in general; it waters the currency of communication. However, you regularly hear people say things like ‘football is my religion’, or ‘cooking is my religion’, and we know what they mean, so I’m cutting myself a bit of slack here.

I’ve written about Maslow before but I often find myself returning to his hierarchy of needs when considering philosophical issues.

If we are lucky, we work our way up from the bottom of the pyramid as we grow up, get jobs, find love and achieve our potential. But are all these acquisitions and achievements the meaning of life?

Photo by Mosoianu Bogdan on Unsplash

We all have a duty to look after ourselves if we can, but when we think about all these needs in terms of others: individuals, communities, planet, that’s where real meaning begins. And that’s where the sacred reveals itself. Not in books, or buildings, or music, inspiring though they may be, but in the ability of human beings to transcend their own selfish natures, to reach out and say ‘I’m here. What can you teach me? What do you need from me?’

Perhaps every person can be suprahuman.

Photo by Pagie Page on Unsplash

My name is Alice Rosewell and I live in the city of Bristol in the South West of England (UK), the city where I was born.  I write in British English, so I hope that American readers will not be put off by British spelling of some words. 

This is my last post for this blog as I need to prioritise family matters for the foreseeable future. I’d like to thank Judith and Sarah for giving me this opportunity. I’ve learned a lot, and have enjoyed reading your posts and comments.

All good wishes to you for the holiday season and the year to come.

Celebrating the Seasons Reading Holiday Romances … Delsora Lowe

We celebrate many sacred holidays in December…among them Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Thanksgiving is over. And New Year’s Eve is ahead of us. I am sure I have missed many sacred celebrations. But since this is not what my blog is about this month, I’ll not give you a rundown.

Instead, I have given you another list of holiday books I have read this season, or plan to continue to read in December and into the new year. And this list doesn't include the holiday books on my WISH LIST! Yes, I do love holiday-themed books

As stated in last month’s list, the books mentioned below are not listed as recommendations, but as books I read, that are written by authors I know, new authors whom I wished to try, as well as covers and titles that caught my eye. Exploring holidays that I know little about has been a fun, learning experience, especially when seen through the lens of romance.

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday, no matter what or how you celebrate.

Feel free to leave your own suggestions, in the comments,
about holiday romance books
you enjoy at this time of the year!

THE LIST of BOOKS I READ

Thanksgiving (Oct 2009) – Janet Evanovich

A fun family romp over Thanksgiving, after two meet in a most unconventional way. Throw in a wool-eating rabbit, an “abandoned” baby, two cars destined for the junk yard, a self-absorbed fiancé who jilted the heroine, insecurities, lust, love, a pregnant horse, interfering moms, and the charm of Williamsburg and you have a recipe for a holiday Rom Com.

No Ordinary Christmas (Sept 2021) – Belle Calhoune

An unexpected, and not necessarily welcome, Christmas reunion. Old love, new sparks fanning the embers remaining from lost love, and a little help from the small-town busybodies. Will the spirit of the season bring the two back together?

Eight Nights of Apricot Cookies (Nov 2021) – Roni Denholtz

As Erica cleans out her grandmother's home, she searches for her favorite holiday apricot cookie recipe. With a little help from the neighbor, who also adored her grandmother and loved the same cookies, they start on a quest to find the recipe before the end of 8 days of Hanukkah. And a recipe at the end of the book!

From This Moment (Nov 2021) – Melody Grace

Friends to lovers on the rebound. Can a self-proclaimed bachelor and man-about-town allow himself to find true love? And will his best friend trust him enough to let him get close?

Red Velvet Crinkles and Christmas Sprinkles (Nov 2021) – Maria Imblazano

Fired and at a loss, Bella returns home only to find her parents need help in their shop over the holiday season. She's thrown together with her high school crush—the one who both betrayed her and motivated her as a teen—to help save the business, as she works to save her career. A fun journey through the world of retail during the holidays. And a recipe at the end of the book!

A Sailor’s Perfect Christmas (Nov 2021) – Dari Laroche

As Alex takes over his father's marine salvage business, he is tasked to plan a holiday company party. When he meets the perfect woman, whose job in education allows her time off during the holidays, she pitches in. Spending quality time together leads to a holiday romance.

If Snowflakes Were Forever: A MacLeod's Cove Novella (Dec 2021) – Luanna Stewart

A delightful and fun romp of a story about two characters, each in isolation, on a journey of discovery about their own lives. Until their worlds collide and they find the journey may be more interesting together.

Let It Snow (Oct 2019) – Nancy Thayer

A story of friendships, work buddies, and finding love, new friends, and forgiveness at Christmas, amidst the lovely scenery of island life on Nantucket.

Kwanzaa Angel (July 2012) – Shirley Hailstock

The nightmare from her high school years is back in town, and he keeps showing up at every town Kwanzaa celebration. The chemistry is hot. She’s a successful business woman looking to expand, but he betrays her a second time – this time through his own business dealings. Can they find a way to make their growing love work this time before he heads home after the week of Kwanzaa celebrations?

Christmas in the Duke’s Arms (Dec 2021) – Julie Johnstone

An unrequited love and a marriage of convenience merge into a lovely romance between two who are so different and wary of the other. But each brings out the best in the other and love wins out!

Yours ‘Til Midnight: A Kwanzaa Kisses Holiday (Book ONE of 9 books by different authors released individually during December 2021) – Jailaa West

A very spicey, Cinderella quick read, where the hero is left with no clues to follow in order to find the woman he falls in love with, at first sight.

Caught Up in Candy Cane Kisses (Dec 2021) – Shannon Robinson

A second chance at love with the help of a few matchmakers and a cookie baking / fundraiser contest. And a recipe at the end of the book!

Scoring Over the Holidays: A Holiday Sports Anthology (Dec 2021) – Sierra Hall, Alexia Chase, Alexis
Anne, Cathryn Fox, Daniela Romero, Kimberly Readnour, Lisa Lang Blakeney, Megan Ryder, Melissa Ivers, Mira Lyn Kelly

Holiday stories featuring sports stars. The stories run from hot to sweet.

One Christmas Wish (Oct 2021) – Brenda Jackson

Two people, both heartbroken for different reasons, find someone who listens and shares. But both are off-limits for different reasons. Heartwarming tale of loss and finding second chances through trust and love.

It’s Christmas Cowboy (The Sons of Chance) (Nov 2021) – Vicki Lewis Thompson

A quick read of second chances and unrequited love that brings two together to celebrate Christmas Eve after being stranded in a cozy cabin during a blizzard.

Kisses and Lemon Snowflake Cookies (Christmas Cookies) (Dec 2021) - N. Jade Gray

A self-conscious out-of-towner, helps her aunt in her bakery and meets the Mr. July fireman of the fundraiser calendar fame, who also doesn’t have much confidence when it comes to women, in the cute holiday match-maker story. It helps that said fireman loves lemon snowflake cookies. And a recipe at the end of the book!

Sleigh Bells Ring (Oct 2021) – RaeAnne Thayne

Childhood friends reconnect to find true love, as one family is ready to move on from the ranch owned by
their recently deceased grandfather, while the other is invested in a property she has no hold on. Against all odds, can they make true love work?

Kwanzaa ‘Pon a Time (Nov 2021) – Marcia King-Gamble

Meeting her brother’s best friend, from their service in Afghanistan, pushes every button the heroine thought true. But stuck together over the Christmas holiday, as maid of honor and best man for her brother’s Kwanzaa wedding, she soon finds the truth and true love.

The Christmas Escape (Oct 2021) – Sarah Morgan

A multi-layered journey about relationships: childhood best friends, marriage, career choices, all in the spectacular settings of London, the British countryside, and the remote Lapland in Scandinavia.

TOO MANY BOOKS, TOO LITTLE TIME: BOOKS I PLAN to READ

A Cowboy’s Christmas (The McGavin Brothers, Book 6) (Nov 2017) – Vicki Lewis Thompson

Duke the Halls (Nov 2021) – anthology with Christi Caldwell, Jennifer Ashley, Anna Bradley, Grace Burrowes, Kerrigan Byrne. Tanya Anne Crosby. (Six historical stories about love during the holidays.)

A Sweetwater Canyon Holiday Trio (Dec 2017) – Maggie Lynch

Christmas Holiday House (Oct 2020) – RaeAnne Thayne

Candleglow and Mistletoe (Oct 2016) – Josie Riviera

Tis The Season for Romance (Nov 2021) - Diana Dawn, Susan Horsnell, Josie Johnston, Mary Morano, J. F. Lowe, A. M. Olenick, Andra Dill, Jakki Frances

The Christmas Boutique (Oct 2019) – Jennifer Chiaverini

One More Christmas (Dec 2020) – Sarah Morgan 

Mischief Under the Mistletoe (Oct 2021) – Stephanie Rowe

Christmas on Peachtree Lane (Nov 2020) – Jules Bennett

New Year’s Miracle: A Sweet Stonewater Novella - Book 4 (Nov 2021) – Ginny Frost

There’s Only One Holiday at Christmas (Collection 2018, 2019, 2020) – Jackie Lau

Dear Santa, I Really Tried: A Holiday Anthology from Naughty to Nice (Nov 2021) – Kathryn Shay, Lisa Mondello, Patricia McLinn, Barbara McMahon, Chantel Rondeau, KT Pec, Day LeClaire

A Cowboy’s Christmas (The McGavin Brothers, Book 6) (Nov 2017) – Vicki Lewis Thompson

The Doctor's Instant Family (Oct 2018) – Mindy Neff

Gifts of Love (two stories) (Oct 2009) – Lisa Kleypas and Kay Hooper 

 Come Dance With Me

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Come-Dance-Me-Serenity-Starlight-ebook/dp/B074N95RGK/

Books2Read

books2read.com/u/bMrQva

ALSO – check out Woman’s World 5-minute Romance Holiday – a digest of 40 holiday shorts – I have a Thanksgiving story and a Valentine’s Day story (on stands until Feb 7, 2022)

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy romances and contemporary westerns from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine.

Author of the Starlight Grille series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short romances for Woman’s World magazine. Her novella, The Love Left Behind, released in October, 2020. She is currently editing her own holiday book, The Inn on Gooseneck Lane.

Social Media Links:
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe
Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/

Photo Credits:
Book covers from Amazon