Wasn’t it only yesterday when the grass was still green and the trees were full? No, of course it wasn’t, but it sure feels like it, doesn’t it?  Once again the last few weeks have flown by, Thanksgiving is over, and the Holidays are here with gusto.  In all honesty, I wouldn’t mind a little snow, just a flurry or two, or a light dusting, would be nice to help induce that holiday spirit. As it is, it’s chilly but not cold, the leaves are still falling, and my hubby and I just ordered a four foot outdoor wreath to hang on the house. It’ll be nice once we set up the daddy, mommy, and baby light up deer…they’re white with crystal-like white lights, add candles to the windows, and put up the wreath on the door.  But it just seems a little weird that it’s not officially December yet and I’m already plotting the next few weeks.

Basically, the plot is simple. Week 1, shopping, look for some new decorations, get ready for parent’s night out hosted by my daughter’s school, more shopping.  Week 2- decide on which Christmas cookies to make, buy tins for cookies. Week 3-last minute shopping. Week 4-hopefully all shopping is done and I can enjoy some quiet time with my family, maybe watch a Christmas special.  Have I mentioned that I’m not overly fond of shopping, even when it’s not the Holidays?  I’m not sure why, but I tend to feel uncomfortable when I’m amongst a lot of busy people who seem anxious to be elsewhere. Not to mention that going shopping is time away from writing. I love to write and I get cranky when I can’t take a few moments to work on my next book or edit something that’s finished.

Fortunately, there is a way to write, even when we’re busy. You can journal or blog, brainstorm ideas for new stories, take time off from the ‘rush’ and sit down at the computer and start working, or you can pencil down thoughts in a notebook or a nifty laptop when you’re sitting at a Starbucks drinking a Gingerbread latte.  

In upcoming blog entries, especially considering that approach of a New Year, I’d like to see if readers and writers would share some of their ’favorites’ for 2007. I’ll post more on that in a few days, but start thinking about your favorite movies of 07, favorite books, favorite foods, favorite memories, that sort of thing, and maybe that can help keep the creative spark flowing, even when it gets busy and the weeks are rushing by.

Also, please feel free to visit me at http://www.myspace.com/francesstockton and take a look at my blog entries. I’m trying to keep up with both, I admit and I have enjoyed creating the Myspace page. It’s been fun and there are some amazing authors on the page. Hope you’ll take a look and check out their books, whether they are ebooks or paper, they are sure to be fabulous and keep you entertained.

Until next time, write well and read often,

Frances Stockton

And joined Myspace! LOL, I’m laughing because if you knew how computer challenged I can be at times, I think I did a pretty good job with my page. Just by following the directions, I was able to download a really cool background for my profile page, which includes, can you guess? A black leopard, the perfect compliment to my website, book video, and my Panthera Abcynians.  I love big cats, and the black leopard is absolutely fascinating to me.

If you’re on myspace, please stop by and visit, friend me. You can check it all out at http://www.myspace.com/francesstockton and I hope you’ll read the short blog posts that I’ve been running, as well as commenting if you feel so inclined. Also, I am honored to include Jason Varitek from the Boston Red Sox among my friends list. I’m waiting on a few other notable personalities to agree to be my friend and hopefully I can add them. They’re all fascinating in their own right.

In addition to being part of Myspace, I’m also among Cerridwen Press authors in a Myspace group. There are plenty of CP authors there, but we’d love to have readers join the Myspace group. There are blogs, comments, plenty of cover art, and many talented authors to read about. Feel free to check out Cerridwen Press and add us to the list of groups you may already be part of.  The url for the group is http://groups.myspace.com/cerridwenpress.  We’d love to have you!

Also, please be patient over the next week or so as I learn the fine art of navigating Myspace. I’m really a newbie, but some great friends have been helping me along and I’ll tweak and add changes as I learn.

Until next time, write well and read often,

Frances 

Hello and welcome!  Please forgive me for being so lax in writing, but between taking care of my daughter, who was sick for a week with a bad sinus infection, doing president stuff for my local RWA chapter, and attending a conference in October, time just flew by!

Whew, I can’t tell you how busy life has been. But more importantly, I wanted to announce that I have accepted another publishing contract with Ellora’s Cave Publishing for Cerridwen Press!  Yup, I am happy and over the moon with excitement. Like Seductive Persuasion, the second book features my Panthera Abcynians and takes place during one of my favorite times in history, the Italian Renaissance!

Rhiannon’s Pride features a woman who has lost her past and her memories after a horrific head injury as a child. While she gradually becomes aware that she is related to a mythical race of were-panthers, she must escape marriage to a ruthless earl.  She escapes as far as Florence, where she meets master painter Dante Luciano.  Dante is a panthera leo Abcynian and he discovers Rhiannon is his mate. He will do whatever it takes to assure that Rhiannon is safe and help her rediscover her past and her long lost pride.

Stay tuned for more details, including release dates for both Seductive Persuasion and Rhiannon’s Pride.  I hope to have more information to share, and I cannot wait to tell you about the Panthera.  You can find out a little more about Rhiannon’s Pride in the paranormal books section of my website. I’d love to know what you think.

In the meantime, as Thanksgiving approaches, it’s only a week away…that’s hard to believe, please have a safe, happy, and joyful holiday with your family and friends, read when you can, and eat lots and lots of turkey.  Coincidentally, thought I’d share that over the weekend, my husband and I woke to an entire flock of wild turkeys in our back yard, front yard, and side yard. Ashburn, our Golden Retreiver, went completely nuts, but they were huge and I think there were about 20 of them!  What a way to wake up…they must have been hiding! LOL.

Until next time, write well and read often,

Frances Stockton