Black Friday Giveaway Winner

Congratulations Brandy M! You are the winner of my Black Friday Blog Hop Giveaway.

I just sent an email to your yahoo account about claiming your prize.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Thanksgiving weekend. I'm already in Christmas mode, tree is up and house decorated.

Black Friday Prizes

I’ve always wondered about “the type” of person who would rush out before dawn to stand in line for hours or jostle other customers for door buster deals. I’m an online kind of shopper and never saw the need. Then I heard about the 20% off on your total purchase at Bed, Bath and Beyond in-store only of course during Black Friday Madness.

Insanity struck hard! I actually considered dragging my 5 month old infant out at 0600 to stand in line (my hubby is deployed so no choice) and jostle other customers (strapping son in Baby Bjorn naturally).  As I write this, I’m still thinking about it, but the love for my son and need to maintain his schedule is stronger than the my desire to save a few bucks.

Dang it, I’d save almost $100 now that I add up everything I want. Hmmm…

Here are three fast Black Friday facts:

1. The day's name originated in Philadelphia. The Police Department coined the phrase to describe the massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks that occurred on the day after Thanksgiving. 

2. Around 1975, the term “Black Friday” was used to refer to the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or are "in the black", changing the connotation to something positive.

3. Retailers traditionally opened at 6:00 a.m., but in the late 2000's the time steadily moved earlier until 2011 when several big stores opened at midnight for the first time. This year, Walmart, Sears, Toys R Us and a few other stores announced they would open at 8:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

When will the madness end?

Enter on Rafflecopter to win PRIZE:

A $30 Amazon or B&N Gift Card, an exclusive excerpt booklet of my paranormal romance KINDRED OF THE FALLEN, and a chance to NAME A CHARACTER in the third book of the series!

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner will be announced Saturday before noon.

Please leave a comment with your email address to be entered for the grand prize.

Three Grand Prizes (winners will be commenters from all participating blogs chosen by Carrie Ann):

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $75 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
 

 

To return to the list of participating blogs, click HERE:

Thank you Carrie Ann for hosting this blog hop!

 

I MISS YOU BLOGFEST

The "I Miss You" Blogfest is hosted by Andrew Leon, Matthew MacNish, and Alex J. Cavanaugh. Thanks guys!

The bloggers we really miss… and the ones we would really miss!

I joined Twitter last year August. The first person who befriended me had also joined the same day, Regected Riter. He was clever and hilarious and super nice. I used to look forward to his blog, sort of like my secret indulgence.

His blog always guaranteed a laugh and I rooted for him every day. So here goes, Regected Riter I miss you!

The ones I would really miss. Hmmm...

Of course I'd miss Ninja Capt Alex, but I'm officially NOT listing him because I think a ton of other bloggers will give him proper kudos.

Last year my life took a crazy turn when I got preggers and moved across the Atlantic. I had to take a hiatus from blogging to stay sane and focused on writing. One person sent me an email to see if all was well in my world. When I received the message, I was blown away and touched.

Thank you Brinda Berry for having such a big heart. You're also one virtual friend I would LOVE to meet in person and I'm grateful for your friendship. Not to mention your blog rocks with helpful information, cool tidbits, and fun interviews.
Another blog I visit religiously is Pubrants. Literary Agent Kristin Nelson gives readers and more importantly, writers, essential insider information. I'm astounded such a rock star agent would make the time to blog, but I'm uber grateful and pray she continues to make the time to do so.

To see the list of other participating blogs, click on one of the hosts up above.


 

Feed Your Soul

Today my good friend who also happens to be an amazing person, Diana Cosby, is swinging by to spread the word about an important cause. When I heard about her food drive challenge, I thought feeding others was a good way to feed the soul.

Diana, my blog is all yours today!

3^rd International Food Bank Challenge

 

It's the holidays again, an emotion-filled time where it seems there are not enough hours in each day to fit everything in, not to mention dealing with the struggling economy.  But, in this time of financial challenges, I ask each of you to please consider one more stop on your crazy to do list, that of making a donation to a local food bank.  Your donation can be a dollar, a can of corn, whatever you can give.  Anything you can offer to those with nothing is a gift they didn't have.

 

 I volunteer for Habitat For Humanity, and something amazing happens when you allow a person a flicker of hope, that somehow, incredibly, even a stranger understands that at times life shoves us on a road we never asked for.

 

In 2010 in addition to my personal donation to my local food bank, I decided to start a Food Bank Challenge.  Except, it wonderfully got out of hand.  Once I posted The Food Bank Challenge on my Facebook page and my Facebook fan page, people from across the U.S. began donating to their local food banks.  Then, my Facebook pages received posts of donations from Canada — the Food Bank Challenge went international!  In 2011, donations for the International Food Bank Food Challenge were made in the USA, Canada, Australia, & Indonesia.  And you know what, this is truly a blessing.  In this venture, we all win.  Gifts from the heart do that, they fill you, remind you there is good in the world, and that you can make a positive as profound difference in others lives.

 

How it works:  Starting on the 1^st of November, when you donate to a local food bank, post on my Facebook page or Facebook Fan page, (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diana-Cosby-Romance-Author/150109024636?ref=ts), beneath the daily International Food Bank Challenge post, add your donation along with your name and contact information.  On December 5^th I will use www.random.org to draw from all of the names of people who donated that I received. The winner will receive an autographed set of the MacGruder brother series to date; His Captive, His Woman, His Conquest, and His Destiny.  Also, a copy of the Born To Bite, a Highland vampire anthology featuring Hannah Howell, Erica Ridley, and myself.   I will sign the set, and then send them priority to whoever you want to make a personal holiday present.

 

If you post on this blog that you donated to a local food bank and contact info, you’ll be entered in the drawing.

 

2012 International Food Bank Challenge – Goal:  1000 donations.

 

            I wish each of you a wonderful holiday season.  May your every dream come true!

 

Diana Cosby, AGC(AW), USN Ret.

International Best-Selling Author of the MacGruder Brothers series

Highland vampire anthology

 

 

A retired Navy Chief, Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense.  Her award-winning MacGruder Brother books are available in five languages.  Diana has appeared at Lady Jane’s Salon, in NYC, and in Woman’s Day, on USA Today’s romance blog, “Happily Ever After,” MSN.com, and in Texoma Living Magazine. 

After retiring as a Navy Chief, AGC(AW), Diana dove into her passion – writing romance novels. With 34 moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world.   Diana is currently working on the sixth book in the award-winning MacGruder brother’s series, and in August released her story in the anthology, “Born To Bite,” with Hannah Howell and Erica Ridley.  Diana looks forward to the years of writing ahead and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey. www.dianacosby.com

DEMON MONKEY

My apologies for such a late post.

Normally, I try to keep my Insecure Writers Support Group posts positive, but the demon monkey riding my back has gotten the best of me. Temporarily anyway.

Last week Monday I heard a hissing sound near the door leading to the garage of my house. I tracked the sound to an electrical panel. When I opened it, I smelled burnt wires and realized the sound was sizzling! First thought, an electrical fire in the middle of the night. Did I mention I have an infant and two dogs and my husband is deployed?

The earliest an electrician could come out was the next day. So I shut off all the power in my house, beseeched a neighbor to save what she could of my food, put my dogs in a kennel and went to a hotel. When you have an infant, you need hot water, refrigeration and the ability to pump breast milk.  

All of the shuttling around was not as simple as I hoped due to my baby’s recent aversion to the car seat. I know most infants just fall asleep during a ride. Mine only wants to scream and cry lately. Every time I get him in the car I pray this phase will not last much longer.

Diagnosis from the electrician, an entire upgrade was required, which entailed a butt load of things. Bottom line, $$$. The work would be done in a day, but couldn’t be started until Thursday.

My son’s first Halloween was nothing as I’d envisioned. No jack-o-lantern, no trick-or-treaters at my door, but at least I had electricity in the hotel.

A one day project is STILL ongoing. It’s a four man job, but the company only sent one guy. The work done so far has enabled me to return home, thankfully, but I have no idea when it’s going to be finished.

Since this demon monkey has been on my back I haven’t met any of my writing goals.  I’m doing my best to stay afloat with the lineup of promotion for my upcoming release. Other than that an endless slew of “stuff” keeps popping up and quite frankly I’m exhausted.