Merry Christmas

I'm about to log out for the night and it occurs to me I should share some good wishes.

So, here's hoping your Christmas is happy and safe.

And to 2013.  I hope it is filled with all the wonders, excitement and great opportunities that you look forward to.

Imogene

Christmas Hopping Winner

Congratulations to Khloe Wren.  You just got a $10 Amazon gift certificate!  Thanks for entering!

5 Things Winner Announcement

Congratulations to BLHmistress.  I can see Starline coming your way later today!

5 Things...

So here I am trying to quantify what are the top 5 things I'm grateful for.

Have you ever tried that? My list is almost endless...

• Family & husband 
• The freedom I enjoy 
• My sight (could you imagine not being able to read?) 
• Chocolate and wine... (food of the Gods...) 
• The ability to travel (imagine having to spend your life in one place... urgh!) 

So many of the things we enjoy and take for granted are not available to others, within this world. I keep thinking of the young Pakistani girl, Malala, who was shot by the Taliban because she not only wanted to learn to read, but campaigned for the rights of other girls.

To be honest, it then leaves me thinking about whether I am grateful for the opportunity to

• Vote and stand for office,
• Go to school and learn to read. 
• For a lifestyle that lets me stay at home to write full time (which is why by May 2013 I will have a total of 7 releases... and working on more!) 

We live in such enlightened times, that my daughters will have the chance to choose for themselves who they want to marry (if they marry) and at what age.







We can communicate with others, world wide at the touch of a button.
People are looking to find ways to colonise the stars.

When I think of all these, great gifts, I am very grateful.

Not necessarily in order, my top must be:

To be born here in Australia
In my century with all it's technological inventions
With the gift of sight and hearing
To have my husband & daughters 
To have the opportunity and time to write, particularly Starline, my first book.

So, here I pose a question to my readers, what are you grateful for? 

One lucky commenter will win an SCP gift certificate to spend on any Imogene Nix title, they would like to read.

So, to be in the running with a VALID entry:

Add your top 5 list of things to be grateful for.
Tell me which of my titles you would like to read
Leave your email address within your comment - remember to leave spaces though.

I will draw this on the 23rd December (my youngest daughters birthday) and will name the winner here on my blog.

Now that you have checked out and taken part in mine, why not pop along to the Secret Cravings Blog and see what the authors of Secret Cravings have chosen to be thankful for

Imogene

Christmas Hopping

Welcome to my Blog Hop entry :)

I decided to focus on my Queensland Christmas adventures, just to give you a taste of what we usually enjoy here in Summer :)

Because I live in Australia, it seems odd to hear so many of the followers talking about White Christmas, plummeting temps and staying warm.  Our problem is quite the opposite with the hum of air conditions cooling the rooms :)  Where I live, the temps can and regularly are in the mid to late 30's  or even 40 degrees (between 95 & 104F)

The madness begins the day before, when I clean like a demon.  Every window and screen is scrubbed, the floors are swept and mopped.  Not a dust bunny is to be found in our house on Christmas Day.  Every piece of dirty clothing is washed, folded and put away...  Then I do the tables after lunch on Christmas Eve.  (Dinner on Christmas eve is something either takeaway or cold, so that it involves no cooking and throw away plates... leading to no washing up.)  The table is decorated differently each year... with snowy white cloths, gold or blue tasseled runners and the best silverware and china.  The middle either has a tree or something special...

We are traditionalists, so it is still bacon and eggs with mushrooms and croissants for breakfast, real coffee and juice, before we head into the cool lounge (aircon humming away) and set up the recording equipment.  Because we have always lived so far from family, we video proceedings and send them to family).  So we settle in with Santa Sacks to begin with... then comes the presents from family and friends.

Hubs cooks on Christmas Day (Well... I do breakfast...) So downstairs he goes with Duck, Pork and vegetables (all lovingly prepared) and they cook away merrily for hours.  Meanwhile we lounge around, enjoying your new goodies, talking (and in some cases) snoozing the day away.

Them main meal usually takes place around 2pm, piping hot and enjoyed under fan in the middle of the house... We have crackers (bonbons) glasses of good champagne and sparkling non-alcoholic for the kids) as we tuck in.  Afterwards, we wash up and wait until around 7pm before eating either pudding, trifle or fruit salad, depending on whether we are hungry or not (so far, not has outweighed hungry 95% of the time)

Then we do something family like... a joint movie, game etc.

I do know families that go to the coast, each prawns (shrimp) and have summery Christmas fare, but for us, we still enjoy the hot fare and family time.

But all in all, the best part about Christmas is being together.  Just the four of us.

Giveway Time

So now that I have told you about our Christmas, tell me what you and your family enjoy most about your Christmas Day.

Prize:  $10 Amazon Gift Card

To Enter:  Leave your comment, your email address in the comment (remember to leave spaces) and sign up for my blog.  Simple :)

Imogene

Middle of December Blues

Well, here it is the middle of December, and I bet you thought I'd forgotten all about my blog?  Yes?

Well, I haven't.  In fact this weekend kicks off 2 more blog hops I'm participating in!  Yes, I know, most would think one would be enough.  But no, I went and signed up to 2.

Between that, writing a very short 3K manuscript and trying to finish another novel, which I am so totally enjoying.  But its keeping me on my toes.

So why do I say blues?  Well the present shopping is nearly complete, the cake is made.  However, the pudding isn't and neither is the trifle base.  It's hot and sweaty weather and I'm trying to finish this manuscript by Christmas with 2 girls at home.  That's my blues.  *sigh*

My 2 girls and each working part time, I'm finding time is at a premium.  However, having said that, you will find I am still doing my challenges with the Hotter Than Hades blog.  :)  And there are some great stories going live this month.

Okay, apart from that, I will probably be offline for the next couple of weeks.  Hesparia's Tears, my new SciFi is moving well and with Christmas and two teenage daughter birthdays in December, I'm planning on being very very busy.

So... Let me wish all my lovely readers the very best of the holiday season.  I hope Santa visits in his big red sleigh and fills your stockings with cheer, great books and the goodies you are hoping for.

Take care.  I look forward to chatting with you all next year.

Merry Christmas!
Imogene