Tag Archives: holiday season

Winter Visitors

Victoria and Kevinbm2012buttonI love Blissemas because it’s always an opportunity to share the best bits of winter and the holiday season with friends, new and old. Of cours there’s the excitement of giving and recieving gifts, and this year’s Blissemas gift is a biggie — a Kindle Fire! Follow the Blissemas link for the details.

Every year in early December, something wonderful happens in our back garden. The wagtails return! We’ve had a pair of pied wagtails over-wintering with us for the past four years now. I’d like to think they come because they’ve developed a warm spot in their little birdie hearts for us, but I know they really come for the shredded cheese.

Wagtails are insectivores, and these two lovelies, whether they are the original pair who first visited us on that dreadful winter four years ago or some of their descendants, have probably come down from Scandinavia to winter here in South England. They come here because there are certain kinds of insects that survive in the moss on the roofs of the houses and every time the temperature warms slightly, they come out briefly. It’s a day to day existence for the wagtails, and I can’t imagine how any of them actually survive, so I put out shredded cheese, which they love.Pied Wagtail on moss roofimages

I associate Christmas with a huge influx of birds in our back garden, and it’s a time when I feel closer them and am more sensitive to their needs. Though food is the obvious need – fat balls for the general population, mixed seeds and nuts for the tits and doves, currants for the blackbirds and of course shredded cheese for the wagtails (though the starlings and the magpies also love the cheese and currants) the big draw during the coldest days of winter is the birdbaths. People might not realise birds have no source of fresh water when everything is frozen. Imagine nothing to drink when the weather is cold, no place to bathe.

Every morning, as soon as it’s light enough to see, we go out and fill all the feeders, spread currants and cheese for the blackbird and the wagtails and then we tend to the two birdbaths, clearing out the ice with hot water. When that’s done we go in to have our own breakfast. Our dining table is in front of sliding glass doors that look out into the back garden, so every morning during the bleakest days of winter, we are rewarded with an feeding frenzy and a pool party.

BlackbirdisWe live in a wonderful symbiosis with our avian friends. We keep food and water available for them throughout the coldest darkest times and in turn we’re rewarded with a close-up and personal view of the natural world we wouldn’t otherwise get. The blackbird perches on the retaining wall and stares in the window at us if there are no currants for him. The wagtails show up out of nowhere when they hear us filling feeders. They’ve learned there’ll be cheese.

Through December, we’re all waiting for the daylight, waiting for the sun to return. We’re all waiting and longing for lightPied wagtail in snowimages and warmth and new beginnings. Through those darkest months, I marvel at how the birds survive the bleak harsh days when there seems to be nothing for them to eat, nothing for them to drink. I know that lots of them don’t survive. I know that when the temperature dips below zero, whether or not they survive the night can depend upon how much they’ve been able to forage the day before. The difference between survival and death is such a fine line. And every year I’m astounded and amazed by their tenacity, by their will to survive the dark days.

198In the spring, the wagtails go back to Scandinavia to breed and the bird population in our back garden changes, and the dynamic changes. We get fledgling starlings and blackbirds and the whole garden becomes a nursery for the next generation. But there’s something magical about those winter months, the dark cold days, the times when the closeness I feel is a deep admiration for the ebb and flow, for the push to hang on one more season, for the deep powerful urge to survive and bring forth the next generation. I watch the starlings fluttering in wild abandon in the birdbaths, the water freezing on the edges even as they bathe. I watch the wagtails and the blackbirds treading frozen ground, eating cheese and currants, their feathers fluffed to nearly twice their body size to keep warm, and I feel that somehow, I’ve become a part of something so much greater than myself and my little understanding of the world. This is the gift I receive every year in the dead of winter, and it’s a gift that I treasure long after the sun has returned and the Dawn Chorus has begun in earnest and the wagtails have flown north.

Happy Holidays, everyone! May all the gifts you give and receive be gifts that touch the heart.01_THE_GIFT

 

And my Gift to you all is a free Kindle download of THE GIFT, Part one of the Trilogy version of The Pet Shop.

Follow this link in the UK: The Gift

Follow this link in the US: The Gift

Bah! Humbug! It’s Too Early For Easter Candy!

Elizabeth Black ushers in the holidays with rum balls, rubber bunnies and hot bisexual werewolves! Welcome Elizabeth!

Wow, it’s not even Christmas yet and Easter candy is already for sale at Kroger and Safeway! The Chia pets are barely warming the shelves and they’re already stocking up the chocolate bunnies! I remember when the only time you could get rubber bunnies was the week or two before Easter and at 75% off the couple of days after Easter. I call marshmallow peeps “rubber bunnies”. No explanation necessary. Now, you can get rubber pumpkins and ghosts for Halloween and rubber Christmas-themed candies. That’s just wrong! I even found chocolate mousse-flavored and colored rubber black cats for Halloween.

They tasted weird.

Christmas is the time for homemade candy canes. Colorful hard candy ribbons. Chocolate advent calendars. Brachs candies, Ferro Rocher chocolates and boxes of Godiva morsels. Wassail, spiked cider, and hot buttered rum. Cookies take over my house. Pfeffernusse. Anise pizzelles. Sugar cookies with red and green sugar on them. Gingerbread men. Gingerbread houses. Nuts are popular too. So are Harry and David’s fruit baskets. Whether you want one or not.

It’s also the time of year for another tasty dish.

When I was a kid my mother used to cart me and my sister around to her friend’s houses. I was bored out of my skull so I’d scarf down all the Christmas cookies and cakes everyone had out on their tables. When I was ten we were at another one of my mother’s friends and I had already started on the ginger snaps. I found what looked like chocolate and confectioner’s sugar donut holes and I ate about twenty of them within two minutes.

Then I began to feel sick. Dizzy too.

I told my mother I wasn’t feeling well and I wanted to go home. I told her the donut holes made me sick. Her friend, shocked at what she realized I had done, asked me how many I had eaten. I said about twenty.

She said, “Oh my God, those aren’t donut holes. They’re rum balls!”

Here I was, ten years old, and I was already a lush for Christmas. I must admit once I calmed down the dizziness and giddiness felt rather good. LOL

So here is a recipe for that holiday classic, rum balls. Just don’t let a ten year old mistake them for donut holes. Hilarity will ensue.

Rum Balls By Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 cup dark rum

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers

1 cup finely chopped, toasted walnuts

Directions:

Into a large bowl, sift together 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, the cocoa powder and allspice. Stir in the rum and corn syrup. Stir in the vanilla wafers and walnuts, and mix well. Place in the refrigerator to firm up slightly, about 30 minutes. (The mixture may appear crumbly and dry; this is O.K.)

Place the remaining 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl or dish.

Using a tablespoon, scoop out portions of the chocolate mixture and press into 1-inch balls. Using your hands, roll the balls in the confectioners’ sugar, coating evenly.

Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, placing waxed paper between the layers to prevent sticking.

 

Have you read my novella Feral Heat, which is about the lives and antics of Sam Hightower and Grant Newsome, two bisexual werewolves? Those two work as lighting technicians for stage plays. That book has always been my best seller. Since many people have written to me telling me how much they like Sam and Grant I’ve decided to write more stories that include those two characters. The first story appears in the book Explicit Encounters published by Romance Divine. It’s called Fluff the Master, and it’s a FREE READ! Yes, you read that right. FREE! So pick up your copy today. You may find it at AllRomanceeBooks. You may also e-mail me at trishcwilson AT comcast DOT net and I will give you a PDF copy of the book.

AllRomanceeBooks – Explicit Encounters – Contains Fluff the Master.

Here’s my Feral Heat page on my web site. It has everything you need: buy links, excerpt, blurb, reviews, and cover.

The second story is called Filthy Leuker, and it released yesterday. Look for it at AllRomanceEbooks, Barnes and Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and other locations. Filthy Leuker continues the story of Sam Hightower and Grant Newsome, my bisexual werewolves from my novella Feral Heat. You may also find Sam and Grant in the free read Fluff the Master, published by Romance Divine in its Explicit Encounters anthology.

Here are a blurb and an excerpt from Filthy Leuker to whet your appetite. Treat yourself to some fantastic Christmas gifts by getting Feral Heat, Fluff the Master, and Filthy Leuker at the same time!

BLURB:

Erotic author Elizabeth Black is back. And she brings with her those lusty, bisexual werewolves/stagehands from her hot and sexy Feral Heat. This time Grant and Sam have their eyes on the show’s luscious male dancer: Leuker. To keep it all interesting, the lithesome ladies, Lina and Charlotte, are also along. It’s a paranormal, erotic, anything goes FIVE-some. Blame it all on…Filthy Leuker.

EXCERPT:

“I don’t think we’ll be getting much rest tonight. I’m feeling adventurous!” Charlotte dipped her finger in her Tuaca and rubbed it around her mouth, pursing her lips with the promise of much more. She pulled a pair of dice out of her back pocket of her jeans and rolled them in her palm. “What do you say we play with my Sex Dice?”

“What are Sex Dice?” Luke looked so open and naïve Sam wanted to hug him.

“He’s adorable,” Charlotte brushed her fingers against Luke’s arm, making Luke double-take at her bold gesture. A pang of jealousy washed over Sam, but he immediately shoved the feeling away. They’d share each other’s bodies soon enough. Charlotte continued: “Sex Dice are a game. We shake the dice and do whatever they tell us to do. One die says what to do and the other die says to whom to do it.”

Luke reached for the dice in Charlotte’s hand but Lina slapped him away. She likes slapping. I could get into a little swat. The pain would do me good.

“No!” Lina commanded. “I’d rather see your reaction the moment you have to remove your shirt or French kiss the person to your right.”

“Good thing we’re bi or that could be awkward.” Mirth filled Grant’s voice.

“Or enticing,” Charlotte nibbled brie from an apple slice. Melting cheese dripped from the corner of her mouth, and the tip of her tongue snatched it up before it could get away, making Sam’s cock twitched with delight. “Have you ever seen two straight women kiss? It’s very exciting. All the giggling and petting. They love it. They just don’t admit it.”

“Enough talk! Let’s play. Everyone on the floor in a circle.” Sam took the dice from Charlotte as the five of them sat on the floor with Sam against the couch and to his right Grant, then Lina, Luke, and Charlotte.

“I’ll go first,” He took a long swallow of his Tuaca and tossed the dice on the rug.

Buy links for Filthy Leuker:

Rainbow Ebooks

Amazon Kindle

AllRomanceEBooks

Bookstrand

B&N Nook

Kobo: Coming soon

Romance Divine: Coming Soon

About The Author:

Elizabeth Black writes erotica, erotic romance, dark fiction, horror, and mystery from her cozy home by the ocean in Massachusetts. She is surrounded by her husband, son, and four cats. The cats are her muses. She also works for several sex toys companies as both a copywriter and a sex toys reviewer. When she isn’t writing or reviewing, she reads, bakes (including rum balls), and watches bad horror movies. The worse the better. If there isn’t a decapitation within the first fifteen minutes, she’s bored. And she writes romance!

Where To Find Elizabeth On The Web:

Elizabeth Black – Blog and Web Site

Elizabeth Black – Facebook

Elizabeth Black – Amazon Author Page

Elizabeth Black – Yahoo Group

Elizabeth Black – Twitter

Lizzie’s Sexy Newsletter

 

The Holidays with Hearts and Diamonds from Nichelle Gregory

As the holiday season approaches, I’d like to welcome Nichelle Gregory to Hopeful Romantic with a teaser from her latest, Hearts and Diamonds, guaranteed to keep the season extra warm.

Ahhh! The holidays are right around the corner! It’s that time of year when diets go to hell and the drinks and desserts warm you from the inside out! If you can’t tell, I love this season! The decorations, the lights, the music…I adore it all. For me, the holidays are chance to really cherish and enjoy the people in your life that make your world brighter. Yes, we should do this every single day, but it’s easy to forget in the hustle and bustle of the daily grind.

I love spending time decorating my home with my kids, baking sweet treats and sipping pumpkin martinis with my husband when we’re finally alone for the night! These moments are pure magic and I look forward to each one every year.

Hearts & Diamonds, my latest contemporary erotic romance, takes place around the holidays and has plenty of magical moments and sizzling heat to spice up your holiday reading fare! I had a blast interweaving the festive, suspenseful and sexy elements in this tale!Here’s a sneak peek inside Hearts & Diamonds:

Blurb:

Passion sparks the moment Nia Sanders unknowingly meets federal agent Quin Rios.

Nia Sanders knows diamonds. She appreciates and envies the heart-felt emotions of her customers buying them. When federal agent, Quin Rios saves her life in the middle of a violent jewel heist, she finds herself attracted to the sensual possibilities beneath his uber professional, self-contained persona.

Determined to keep her safe as he solves the case, Quin can’t let his attraction to Nia distract him. The heat of their fiery passion consumes them as they both struggle to control their emotions…neither are prepared to lose their heart.

Excerpt:

“I knew you weren’t involved with this mess, the moment I looked into your eyes.”

He hadn’t moved any closer, but Nia felt as if he had touched her.

“Your eyes tell me everything I need to know.” This time he did step closer to her, his gaze riveted on hers. He touched the side of her face with the back of his hand and she closed her eyes.

Her body still thrummed with desire despite the shocking phone call from Tess. She wanted him to wrap his arms back around her and make her stop thinking about the diamonds and mounting fear.

“I should go.”

“No.” Her eyes snapped open and she grabbed his hand. “I don’t want to be here alone.” Wow, she really was going to play the damsel in distress card.

“You won’t be alone. There’s a squad car keeping tabs on your house.”

Nia lifted her chin and looked at him. “I want you to stay with me.” If he could read her eyes as well as he said, then her meaning was clear as crystal. She felt his hand tighten around hers and waited for him to refuse her request.

“Well, we haven’t finished dinner yet.” His lips curved in a teasing, slow smile Nia would’ve gladly given up all the diamonds in the world to see again.

“I’ll warm it up.”

“No need,” Quin said, settling back at the table.

No need, indeed. Her body was heating up on the inside as he dug into her food. She admired the slant of his nose as he talked and the motion of his strong jaw as he chewed. The cadence of his sexy voice, deepening with his subtle accent heightened her arousal like a fine wine. She could simply listen to him talk all day long. Didn’t matter what he talked ab—

“Nia?”

She blinked, heat flooding her cheeks. “What were you saying?”

He gave her the briefest of smiles. Like he knew exactly what she was thinking about.

“I asked you what you wanted Santa to bring you this Christmas.”

A tall, gorgeously bronzed, muscles-for-days, federal agent.
* * * *
Hearts & Diamonds is available now with Total E-Bound!

Buy Link:  http://www.total-e-bound.com/authordetail.asp?A_ID=147

Bio:

Nichelle Gregory has been in love with books and writing since middle school. A lover of the arts, she enjoys anything that embraces the creative nature within us all. Bringing believable characters to life that thrill and excite her readers is a challenge that continues to push Nichelle. She loves creating stories involving super sexy alpha heroes with divine heroines in magical, exotic, and fantastic scenarios. So, gone on . . . Indulge your senses with one of her simply sexy stories!

Visit her website www.simplysexystories.com and blog http://www.simplysexystories.blogspot.com