RT - Start the New Year off right

Carry her over the threshold, after you return from your new year's eve party.

Show her you still love her and would marry her all over again.

Tina

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Mating Rituals [Kindle Edition]

Tina Gayle (Author)

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Digital List Price:	$2.99 What's this?
Kindle Price:	$2.99 includes free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet

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Length: 239 pages (estimated)  Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.

Here are my books links.

Mating Rituals
http://www.amazon.com/Mating-Rituals-ebook/dp/B005Q0CGCO/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2


 Pregnancy Plan
http://www.amazon.com/Pregnancy-Plan-ebook/dp/B0067O1FBG/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Baby Decision
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Decision-ebook/dp/B005ZVLA62/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_1_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Youthful Temptation
http://www.amazon.com/Youthful-Temptations-ebook/dp/B005P03B4W/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_1_4?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2


Thanks,

Tina

Frugal Ways to Celebrate the New Year

Here are a few suggestions:

- Go out to eat for lunch on the 31st or the 1st.
- Stay up late watching old movies with friends or a loved one.
- Buy your favorite bottle of wine and toast each other before going to bed.
- Play games with your kids, friends or loved ones until midnight.
- have a fix and eat party - start the evening with everyone fixing their favorite treat and end the evening with everyone eating.

- want to be alone?
       - take a long hot bath with candles and scented bath soap.
       - reread one of your favorite books or maybe try a new one.
       - write - you don't have to be an author to want to capture what happened in the past year.
       - enjoy the quiet and stare at the beautiful sights right outside your window.

Whatever you decide to do - make it fun and something that you will remember. After all, this is the last day of year.

Tina

The New Year

Keeping an eye out for the new year.

2011 held a number of new challenges. With 2010 ending with the death of my father, I struggled at the beginning of the year to come to term with the lost of not only him, but adjusting to a new house, a new location and the lack of kids at home.

Both boys are now in college and loving it. With the boys gone, Mike and I have taken up the habit of playing golf more and taking long hikes. We have also discovered a few new places like the trip we took up to Big Bear and to some new wineries.

I'm looking forward to a new year and the fun of writing my new series.

Wishing you the best,

Tina

MMI - Christmas Cheer

Hope you got everything you wanted this holiday season.
And may your days be merry and bright and all your days joyful.

Have a great New Year,

Tina

Merry Christmas

Hope you have a wonderful day and a happy new year,

Tina

RT - Know a few of her Favorite Things

Find out and remember a few things that she/he likes.

Favorite color
Football team
Restaurant
Flower
Author

These answer can help you find him/her the perfect gift for any time of the year.

Have a wonderful holiday season,

Tina

History of Mistletoe

While out surfing the net I found this information about mistletoe on
http://www.merry-christmas.com/stories/mistletoe.htm

Thought it was interesting enough to share.

Mistletoe was often hung over the entrances to homes of the pagans in Scandinavian countries to keep out evil spirits. An old Scandinavian myth tells of the seemingly invulnerable god, Balder, who was struck down by a dart made from mistletoe. The tears of this mother, Frigga, became the white berries of the mistletoe, and it was decreed that the plant must never again be used as a weapon.

Frigga, who was the goddess of love, henceforth gave a kiss to anyone who passed under the mistletoe. It may be that our present custom of kissing under the mistletoe derives from this old legend.

Legend holds that the Druids, who were members of a pagan religious order in ancient Gaul, Briton and Ireland, held the mistletoe in such reverence that if enemies met under it in the forest, a truce was declared for the day. It was their belief that only happiness would enter a home when mistletoe hung over the door.

When the Yule season approached, the mistletoe was cut down from the sacred oaks by the Prince of the Druids who used a golden sickle. The mistletoe was distributed to the people who believed it possessed powers of the protection against sickness and evil. Later among Christians it came to symbolize the healing powers of Christ.


Hope you enjoy the holiday season and a cyber kiss of luck to all,

Tina

De-Stressing the Holidays

Remember to take some time for yourself with a long hot bath or to dig into a good book.

Get others involved - let the children be in charge of decorating the tree or let your husband hang the lights. Getting help from others will make the task more enjoyable and will create memories for years to come.

Plan ahead - this way you don't overburden yourself. Can you really make twelve dozen cookies in one day?

Tina

Other Stuff - Kitchen Fun

It's that time of year when we are spending lots of time in the kitchen.

Personally, I don't mind as long as I have people talking to me.

Luckily, my family likes to gather at the bar or help me fix the different treats which makes the chore a share experience that we all can enjoy.

Hope you are fun with family and friends.

Here's to a great new year,

Tina

Come Read My Article on Whipped Cream Blogspot

Come check out my post on
http://wcguest.blogspot.com/2011/12/stuff-your-stocking-blogfest-tina-gayle.html?spref=bl">
Whipped Cream Guests: Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Tina Gayle:
and leave a comment for a chance to win.

Food, Food, and More Food   The holiday is the season of cookies, cakes, candies, and special treats.   I've tried in the past to avoid them...
Tina

MMI - Will Roger's Quote

http://www.cmgww.com/historic/rogers/index.html

Saw a movie about Will Roger this weekend so thought I'd share one of his quotes and his website.

"Everyone is ignorant, only in different subjects."

"Nothing you can't spell will ever work."

"People are getting smarter nowadays; they are letting lawyers, instead of their conscience, be their guide."

"No man is great if he thinks he is."

"I guess truth can hurt you worse in an election than about anything that can happen to you."

Have a great week,

Tina

RT - Try a New Type of Food

If you enjoy eating out, why not try a new place?

Greek, mexican, irish, seafood... find a new restuarant and give it a go.

Who knows, it might become your favorite place to eat.

Mainly, just have fun.

Tina

The Beauty of a Rose

One of the really nice things about living in So. Cal.is that flowers bloom all year round.

Tina

WW - Golfing Adventure

With the morning's cooler, we decided to head out to the golf course in the afternoon. There are a lot more shadows and we didn't get in the whole 18, but we did get outside and had fun.

Hope you are having fun wherever you are,

Tina

New Recipe for Egg Nog

Found this new recipe. Plan on trying it out today. Will let you know how it went.

FESTIVE CREME EGGNOGG
1 c. milk
1 (7 oz.) jar Kraft Marshmallow Creme
6 eggs
1/4 c. rum
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (8 oz.) container (3 cups)
Cool Whip non-dairy
whipped topping, thawed
Ground nutmeg
Gradually add milk to marshmallow creme, mixing with electric mixer or wire whisk until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in rum and vanilla; fold in whipped topping. Chill. Mix well. Top with additional whipped topping and sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired. Approximately 10 (1/2 cup) servings. Preparation time: 15 minutes plus chilling. Variation: Substitute 1 teaspoon rum extract for rum.


Enjoy,

Tina

Monday Morning Inspiration - Courage

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain

Here's to exploring new possibilites,

Tina

Fun Christmas Facts

Christmas wasn't a holiday in early America—in fact Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the country's first Christmas under the new constitution.

Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870.

The first eggnog made in the United States was consumed in Captain John Smith's 1607 Jamestown settlement.

Check out more fun facts on http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=57112&display_order=7&mini_id=1290

Have a great holiday season,

Tina

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

Got this recipe from one of my myspace friends.

Thanks Cindy for the great recipe.




Prep Time:
15 min
Inactive Prep Time:
2 hr 0 min
Cook Time:
12 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
2 dozen cookies

1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Have a wonderful day,

Tina

The What and How of Murder Mysteries

Tom Mach wrote two successful historical novels, Sissy! and All Parts Together, both of which have won rave reviews and were listed among the 150 best Kansas books in 2011.Sissy! won the J. Donald Coffin Memorial Book Award while All Parts Together was a viable entrant for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Award. He also wrote a collection of short stories entitled Stories To Enjoy which received positive reviews. Tom’s other novels include: An Innocent Murdered, Advent, and Homer the Roamer.

His poetry collection, The Uni Verse, won the Nelson Poetry Book Award. In addition to several awards for his poetry, Writer’s Digest awarded him ninth place in a field of 3,000 entrants. His website is: www.TomMach.com He also has a popular blog for writers of both prose and verse at http://tommach.tumblr.com


Now let's read about the what and how of Murder Mysteries

I’ve never thought about the question as to what attracted me to murder mysteries and especially in writing one called An Innocent Murdered. But now, after giving it some thought, I do have an answer.

My professional background is a combination of writing (having been a magazine editor and an ad copywriting instructor) and a market research analyst (where I have to dig deep to get answers as to why consumers behave as they do.) Then, of course, is the fact that I enjoy reading certain mysteries. Ever since Wilkie Collins wrote the first detective novel called The Woman in White, mysteries have been popular with people.

Authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Ellery Queen may have influenced me, but not as much as TV detectives such as Columbo and Monk because they are such unique characters. I loved writing a short story called “The Crossword Puzzle Murders”--one of a series of my shorter works in Stories to Enjoy where a female detective uncovers the identity of a mass murderer only minutes before she finds herself a possible victim.

 I deliberately made it tough for readers to find out the identity of the murderer of a priest in An Innocent Murdered, by tossing in some red herrings while making it seem as if the case against prime suspect is open and shut.

As to how I do my research, I have to start with a murder victim and a strong motive as to why anyone would kill him. But in An Innocent Murdered, I wanted the reader to also know more about the victim before he is murdered. I wanted readers to have invested a personal interest in him.

Otherwise, there is no emotional attachment to the victim and the victim is a mere object in the story itself In addition, I have also to research methods for this murder, Should it be a stabbing, shooting, hanging, or poisoning? I wanted to show how this person was murdered at the beginning. Many other authors start with a dead body and eventually uncover evidence to show how he was murdered.

I had to plant my clues carefully so they wouldn’t be immediately obvious to the reader and so the reader might say at the end of the story--“Aha, so that’s why he/she committed the murder.”

Finally, I had to research police procedural techniques, including interviewing methods and the process for uncovering evidence. A lot of work goes into researching a murder mystery, but the time invested in doing so is well worth it.

Book Blurb:


Father O'Fallon has been murdered, and police officer Jacinta Perez is arrested and charged. Detective Matt Gunnison, however, is not convinced and with the help of Susan, an ex-nun, he discovers a fascinating link between the priest's death and the death of a child 25 years ago.

Will Matt be able to solve both murders?
See video: http://t.co/H1siZOg


Excerpt:

“No, I understand. Do you think Matt and I can have access to the former rectory? We’d like to look around.”

“Well, I guess not, but why in the world would you want to look around over there?”

Matt showed him his badge. “It’s part of an investigation we’re doing on the murder of that child.”

“By all means, check it out.” He opened a desk drawer and took out a key attached to a plastic tag. “Here, take this.”

Matt pocketed the key and was about to leave when the man stopped him.

“That place is haunted, you know,” the old man said.

“Haunted?”


Thank you, Tom, for stopping by. Your book sounds amazing.

Don't forget everyone to leave a comment for a $50 amazon gift certificate. Tom will choice the best comment at the end of his tour and the winner will be notified.

Best of luck,

Tina

CRANBERRY ALMOND BISCOTTI

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon almond or vanilla extract
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Sweetened Dried Cranberries, any flavor
3/4 cup sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together eggs, egg whites and almond or vanilla extract in a separate mixing bowl. Add to dry ingredients, mixing just until moist, using an electric mixer on medium speed. Add sweetened dried cranberries and almonds; mix thoroughly.

On a floured surface, divide batter in half and pat each half into a log approximately 14-inches long and 1 1/2-inches wide. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 300ºF. Cut biscotti into 1/2-inch slices. Stand upright on cookie sheet and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Let cool and store in a loosely covered container. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

PER SERVING (1 cookie): Cal 100 (5%DV), Fat Cal. 15, Total Fat 2grams(2.5%DV), Chol. 14mg(5%DV), Sodium 38mg(2%DV), Pot. 35mg(1%DV), Carb. 19grams(6%DV), Fiber <1gram(3%DV), Protein 2grams(4%DV), Vit. A 21IU(0%DV), Vit. C <1mg(0%DV), Calcium 18mg(2%DV), Iron <1mg(3%DV), Dietary Exchange: Fruit 1, Fat 0.5

http://www.oceanspray.com/recipes/Cranberry_Almond_Biscotti.aspx?id=266&nid=9

Have an awesome day,

Tina

MMI - Face that which you fear with the belief there is nothing to fear.


Today, write fearlessly.

Thanks Cheryl for the inspiration and stop by Cheryl's blog for pictures of everyone's christmas trees.

http://cherylstjohn.blogspot.com/

Check Out My Visitor on 12/6

Tom is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card to the commenter that he feels leaves the best comment. At the end of his tour blog, the winner will be notify.


Follow his tour
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/10/virtual-book-tour-innocent-murdered.html.

Recipe Hop - Strawberry Ham Sauce

2 (10oz) pkg. frozen strawberries (thawed) have used fresh too but add a little water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup ginger ale or 7-up

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup corn syrup

Combine everything in a pot and cook until thick and clear. Takes about 10 to 20 minutes.

This recipe is part of the Holiday Blog Hop

From the Heart...Cheryl St.John: Cheryl, I love your Christmas tree tour! Here is ...

From the Heart...Cheryl St.John: Cheryl, I love your Christmas tree tour!
Here is ...: Cheryl, I love your Christmas tree tour! Here is the picture I took of what we did this year. After moving more times th...


Stop by and visit with me today.
Tina

RT - A Rub

A back rub is never a bad idea.

It shows you care and helps work out some of the knots from a hard week at work.

http://youtu.be/4zEfAjOaT4Q

A video to help, but I'll warn you it's not a fun video. Very clinical.

Tina

MY - President Hoover's Front Yard

This is his boyhood home.

A very interesting man, we visited his library a few years back and now, I'm hoping to visit Stanford to learn even more about the amazing man.

If you're ever in Iowa, stop by and visit. You'll find a president that really cared about people.

Tina