Everyone who enters the writing challenges are winners.
Seriously.
It is hard to enter contests. I still get all nervous and rethink my entries and so on. It is easy to publish a story, you know your fans will let you know what they think. And I cheat by giving my Facebook group teasers to see what they think of any new ideas I have.
But to submit a piece of work anonymously and see what strangers really think of it?
That is brave.
So, congrats to the ones who entered the Christmas Challenge. It was close, I had to look a couple of times to make sure I had the right person since the numbers were only a couple off from each other.
However, as is usual, I have a 1st place and 2nd place. Congrats to GeezerWench who is our 1st place winner with her awesome Gifts & Wishes.
The other entries are as follows:
Authors, you are now allowed to answer to any reviews. If you want your Banners altered for your preference of an actor, let me know. And if you need them for other formats, (i.e. Fanfiction, Better for Texas or so on) let me know. Also, let me know if you want your story to be linked back to your site, or you are continuing elsewhere. Unless you contact me, I think it is all hunky dory. I’m forgetful so even if I follow your story, it might be from my iPad and I forget to link them when I get back to my computer.
As for the next contest, it will be a random one, since all the others are going to be one of two popular challenges from the past. The Angels in the Fire, and the Fairy Tales. The Christmas one is an annual one so it will be done closer to time. But for the first quarter, I will probably do a picture inspiration.
I’ll see you guys later for an update on what is going on.
I am staying off of social media except for the Kittyinaz’s Group for the time being. I am also going to be working on my dream story, which may not be very long, but we will see. Mostly I am trying to end the year with minimal stress, and hopefully the excitement of owning a house here in the next couple of days.
Right now, I am just too overwhelmed with all the things happening in the world, that I think we all need some breaks. Once I get this story out of my head, I will be editing some chapters so that 2017 will have some chapters to go for you guys in January.
I am also going to warn you that the first couple of weeks is a lot of looking through the site and seeing what needs to be done for 2017. Adding banner contests and so on, seeing where we are funds wise, and so on.
So while I don’t have anything for you now, I have plans. Manageable plans. Hopefully, the Muse will work with me.
I am hoping you are all having a wonderful season of holidays!!!
I’ve been busy on my own, a lot with Christmas. At this moment in time, I am done with everything, but Friday I will be baking a Banana Bread for my nephew who asked for it. I am on the wall about making my pumpkin roll since I don’t have enough pumpkin for that and 2 pies.
But I have been busy over at the Food Blog, I made sure all the recipes I used were live, and then came back to tell the ladies that the Eggnog Fudge is freaking awesome. I am still getting rave reviews from people on it. I don’t even like fudge much, I end up nibbling on it for weeks since to me it is too sweet. This is nowhere as bad, and the eggnog flavor explodes in your mouth.
I did spend Saturday making a mountain of cookies. see?
That isn’t even all of them. I made Snickerdoodles, peanut butter cookies, no bakes, peanut butter rice crispies. cap’n crunch bars (don’t knock them until you try them, everyone ends up eating them!), Soft gingersnaps, butter (oatmeal and coconut cookies), Chocolate covered Pretzels and the eggnog fudge. Then on Monday I made: Pumpkin Cupcakes (it’s a 2 ingredient recipe that freaking rocks!) and my brownies that people love for some unknown reason.
Needless to say, I was tired. I slept mostly Sunday, then back to work. My presents are wrapped, I have a couple cards to give to the boys with their main gifts in them.
The house buying is coming along, it looks like we will be homeowners for the new year. I am already excited, as we talk about the changes we will be making to the house. Just to clarify, this is the same house we have been living in, we are buying it so that we can own it. It’s an old house and has issues, but we are thrilled to have it since we are getting a huge freaking deal on it. We will be here for a long time, if not forever. It is big enough to satisfy our needs, as well as once we are done renovating it, won’t be too big for us to keep up.
The dogs are being…well dogs. Murphy got to experience opening presents as he removed each of the presents under the tree that were sent to us by people in AZ to the back yard and opened them. He didn’t chew up the presents, just opened them, and any boxes they were in. We ended up calling to make sure we had them all, but it is now funny. Yesterday, not so much.
The cats have mostly left the tree alone. We have it spinning and the only things that have been bothered is a ribbon wrapped around the tree, and I fixed that, and one ornament. Now the tree skirt? That thing has all the animals BUT Connor in love with it. It has stayed under the tree for 2 days so far. A true record!!! The longest before this streak was 2 hours. They all want to sleep on it, so fight over it.
I have started something, that has been lurking in the back of my mind. I am not publishing it since I have no idea where the story is going. But that is how most of your favorites have started. But the prologue is a story all by itself. The general consensus over at Facebook is that for me to write it out, and when I am done, look back at the prologue to see if it should be a story on it’s own. If you want to know about it, join us over at the Facebook Group.
I know it is late, but please do remember to use my Amazon Link to shop, and you can use it all year long. Using my link costs you nothing since it is me referring you to the site. It helps waylay the price of Grammarly, Photoshop, and The Google Drive. It also goes toward my virus protections and so on, since I need to keep them up to the highest level with me on the site so much. Plus I research a lot, so I end up all over the internet, especially the Wiki sites for fanfiction. All this you help me pay for by using my link to shop at Amazon.
If you are curious on the finances of the site, please click here. I will let Robin know that it is done so that she can put it where you can find it normally. If you look at it all, there is a lot of times that we pay out of pocket, Robin more than me. Luckily last year a snafu happened on my side and McAfee accidently charged me the wrong amount so I got this as a free year. This year I will be paying the $70+ out of the Amazon funds. We truly do NOT make any money on your donations or you using our link for Amazon.
Lastly, don’t forget the Christmas Carol Writing Challenge! After this year, I am going to do the contests once a quarter. I will be bringing back the Fairy Tale contest, as well as Angels through the Fire Series. Seems you guys REALLY liked those. One will the Annual Christmas contest, so I will be using the last as whatever I come up with.
I am off to see what I can do while doing the chores. I think tonight I will be in here for awhile. For those not in Texas, we are having whiplash weather. 2 weeks ago, it was flooding. Enough to make us glad we have the home we have since we are a pier beam house. While we are not as high up as this shows, we are the lower blocks…
I figured those not on the coast will not know what that means, but it means that the house is up on blocks. They are NOT the stilt houses but are perfect for our area that floods often. We had a moat around the house 2 weeks ago and thankfully we didn’t have to worry about anything but getting out of the house. Then we had a week of 75+ temps. To only have us drop into the 40’s this past weekend. By Christmas, we are supposed to be up to the 70’s again, with another snap of cold weather to be coming our way.
For me, it is perfect. But a lot of people are getting sick, and everyone is going to bed early in my house with the cold weather. Today we are beating the 50’s by getting into the 60’s.
Man, do I miss my tea maker!!!!!! And of course, when I got it, I gave away to everyone the other tea stuff I used. Hopefully, Santa brings me one?
Ah well. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! I hope to touch base with you guys after Christmas when things will be slightly calmer. Well, slightly. We have the house signing soon to do.
For the Banners are made, the poll is ready for you to vote for your favorite story.
Yes, the Christmas Carols are ready for you to read! There are some really long ones in this batch, that took me longer than normal to read. That with the holiday season and the purchasing of our first home took more out of me than I expected.
Sorry.
But please read these submissions, leave a comment behind for the authors to read. You have until the 30th (since I am busy, I am thinking others are also!!).
So settle down with a comfy blanket, some snacks and a beverage of your choice. Pull up your reading device and read some awesome stories.
Authors, grab the participation banner and let your readers know that you participated!!!! You just can’t give any hints away!!!!
And also, if you are looking for more Christmas Stories, The Fangbangers Anonymous is doing their Advent Calender, The awesome miss Carol E Stweart has a Christmas story for you to read with Eric. And I have my story from last year called Carolized… Click on the banners below to be taken to each of these awesome event(s)/Story(ies).
If I don’t see you before then, please have a wonderful holiday(s) that you celebrate…
I know, I said I would remind you guys,but I managed to wipe myself out from Thanksgiving. The food was awesome, per everyone, and my taste buds!!! But I went to bed last night at 7pm and didn’t wake up until 10am today. Then I still had to take a nap.
I managed to pull something in my right shoulder, so yeah.
So, I will push the entries to be in my the 30th of this month. End of the month.
I still need to get the house all Christmasy, as well as switch out the summer clothes for the winter stuff. Seems it likes to be cool for the nights, so I may as well get the stuff out since I save t-shirts since I like to layer clothing. With this in mind, Tomorrow is the last day M is working for the holidays. I will be asking for help to get the Christmas stuff and clothing down so I can let my shoulder rest.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving for those that celebrate it, as well as getting ready for the slew of holidays that are coming up for the world. I say Happy Holidays not because it is politically correct, but because I truly hope that everyone I say it to DOES have a happy holiday. Plus, for the clerks and so on, who knows if I will see them in the next year? LOL!
I have received three entries so far…
They are:
I’ll Be Home
Once Upon a December: Winter Memories
Letting Go
If you have sent in your entry and it is not here, let us know.
Hope to see more entries when I can sit down and work on them, I am so looking forward to listening to the Christmas music and doing these! (I have my Friday list on with the Christmas Songs, but I think I will need to go through and purge some of the songs…)
It truly is amazing the stuff you can find on the internet. I searched Alexander Skarsgard leprechaun and the picture above is what popped up. I think it is fitting for today. Sorry I missed posting last week, but Daylight Savings in the USA screwed me up. Losing one hour completely wrecked my week. I…
Can someone please explain to me why I am seeing more snow in March than I did in the entire months of December and January???? I should be getting ready for spring, not worrying about shoveling 8 inches of snow. The only way snow in March is acceptable is if it this is part of…
Hello lovelies. I cannot guarantee I will be back to publishing weekly, but I will try. My dear beta, kleannhouse, is in high demand trying to juggle the stories of three writers. She is amazing and she makes me laugh with all of her comments on my stories. This one especially. I started this story…
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