Merry Christmas With Straight No Chaser - By Susan Sheehey

I'm a total sucker for Christmas carols, especially ones that make me laugh my face off. I found Straight No Chaser several years ago from my husband who found their YouTube videos. Seeing them live is even better. They are my favorite A Capella group, and I run their Christmas album on loop all December.

Here's one of my all-time favorites, their version of 12 Days of Christmas.
I promise, you will not be able to stop laughing.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, or whatever you celebrate. Peace be with you.

Can't get enough? Here's another one I adore, the Christmas Can-Can.

From Susan Sheehey

Susan Sheehey writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance. Her latest series, Knights of Texas, a contemporary luxury male escort novella series, was released in October 2017, with more on the way. Her romantic suspense series, Royals of Solana, will have a boxset released with a new novella early next year, as well. Susan is a strong advocate for Autism awareness and acceptance, and includes the healing element of water in all her stories. She lives and laughs in Texas with her husband and two boys. Follow Susan on Facebook, BookBub, Pinterest, Twitter, and SusanSheehey.com.

White Noise and My Writing Process

I have this 'thing'... called Tinnitus

Tinnitus (TIN-ih-tus) is the perception of noise or ringing in the ears. A common problem, tinnitus affects about 1 in 5 people. Tinnitus isn't a condition itself — it's a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, ear injury or a circulatory system disorder.

It started when I had Bells' Palsy about two years ago. The right side of my face went numb the day after Thanksgiving and for weeks I had to deal with a mumbling and taping my eye shut at night and all kinds of other fun things, but it left me with an inner ear injury that affects my balance and gives me this high frequency humming in my ears.

So in my house writing time is anything but quiet. I can't have it silence because that 'sound' in my ears makes me a little crazy, like a cricket who won't stop 'cricking,' or a dog down the street that won't stop barking.

So when I write, I need background noise. I all it White Noise, although I'm likely misusing the term.

How do I work with it? It's a bit of a balancing act. I need enough noise to stop the irritation, but not 'too much' that I can't think. Or something that won't draw my attention from my writing. It doesn't always work. It's a process in process.

When I'm writing a new story or drafting some kind of idea for a story, I like to have on the 'oldies.' This means either movies or television shows that I know, really well. So well that I'm likely to know what's about to happen before it happens. That (for the most part) keeps my focus on the writing.

Sometimes, I can't help myself. I have to look for 'that scene' or stop to recite 'that line.'  And it's not that the show has to match the Romance Sub Genre that I'm writing in. It probably helps when it isn't, so I'm not using the mood of the show.

I used to try to listen to music like a sound track, but for some reason it doesn't work for me anymore.  Go figure, right?
But I guess you can see the images that I'm posting and know that those are a few of my favorites to write to (have it on a separate screen connected to my computer).

Then, when the first draft is done and the comments from my beta readers added in, it's time to edit.
And then the fun really starts.
I've always said I'm a bit of a masochist. I mean, what dancer isn't. Bleeding blisters and aching muscles aren't for the weak of heart, right? So it shouldn't be surprising that my editing self is a bit like the monks from 'Search for the Holy Grail' who whack themselves on the head with boards.
I know, it's a little extreme, but it's me to a T.
So what show is my go to background noise for editing?
Well, I'm so glad you asked!

That's right. Hell's Kitchen. Nothing evens out my editing anxiety more than Gordon Ramsey losing his sh... temper. Bland food? No! Unsanitary Walk-in? You don't say! Raw food? Well, it's RAAAAAAW!

Hearing the dulcet tones of Gordon Ramsey reaming one of his contestants or a wayward restaurant owner... well, maybe it feels like I'm not alone in the trenches.

And don't forget Kitchen Nightmares! Some have commented on the 'curse' of the show that a number of the restaurants that he tries to save go under anyway. I think I know why... because editing can HURT. It doesn't have to, but that's kind of up to the writer. If I turn a blind eye to the issues, let them ramble on or wallow in themselves, then it makes it so much harder to get a finished project that I get excited to share with others.
The best thing to do is 'listen.'

Listen to your betas, your review partners, etc. You don't have to accept everything, but you have to listen. Sticking my fingers in my ears and saying blah-blah-blah, I can't hear you... isn't going to help me, or the story.
So I guess I'm looking for some fellow 'sufferers' to share the pain with... so I visit Hell and Nightmares for those moments of editing.

Crazy? Odd?
"Why yes, thank you!"

So, tell me... what kinds of 'white noise' do you use when you're creating?

Survival Month ..Whew! By Carolyn Hector

I'm a Survivor!

Here are the things I survived this month.
1-NaNoWriMo
2-Thanksgiving
3- Gray Thursday
4- Black Friday
5- 3 Birthdays
6- Car ride to Atlanta/Atlanta Traffic
7- Completed a manuscript
8- Edits




Let's start with the NaNoWriMo. I didn't write EVERY DAY... but I did manage to make my goal by 4 in the afternoon on November 30th when the contest ended. So.. yay.. beep beep!

Let's say why I didn't write every single day....
              #1 rule in the house.. no rough-housing. ... how do they get around this? They go off and decide to play the slapsy-game. I have no idea what it is but in my mind I'm imagining it goes a lot like this


So one comes home Thanksgiving Eve and is sore.. but doesn't say HOW he got hurt. So here I am babying him... and come to find out it's because they were playing he slap game....

This brings me to .. How I Survived Gray Thursday. You know how they say never shop when hungry.... never go Christmas present shopping when you're pissed off with your kids. We were back so quickly. Usually we're home the next day.... Not this time. Oh.. and while were out the boys managed to devour a whole pan of mac-n-cheese.


Another reason it has been hard meeting my NaNoWriMo because I swear I am constantly getting up to wash clothes. . I would let them wash their own clothes but that is also my "stockade" for snacks and they would just raid it.

Either way... I completed my NaNoWriMo.. and a short time later ...Baby #32 was born.





Now in between finishing NaNoWriMo I got my edits back for my June 2018 book.
 ain't she gorgeous!?!

So got the edits back.. and had to take a road trip....to ATLANTA y'all! My beautiful niece's son celebrated his 1st birthday .. I just call him my nephew because great-nephew makes me feel like I'm old...and I promise you I'm 30 ...okay-okay okay so I'm not THAT young lol We drove to Atlanta.. and by WE I mean my daughter drove and I acted like the folks on a Slingshot Ride



When I returned..I really had to buckle down and work on my edits which were due on the 5th.


I promise.. I'm not going to make the same mistake. My next deadline is the 15th. I am going to look it over before submitting it... Carly--if you're reading this... I promise I've stopped writing TOWARDS. 


I can now concentrate on Stranger Things and all the Christmas movies on my DVR. 
And read this...


I have been waiting a very long time for this book by Maureen Smith. I suggest you get it too... but start with



So what does one eat to survive this
  


While the boys made their own sandwiches. Hey! I made them have a salad with them!




My favorite scents have been.....



And my playlist has been made up with

 and







So now... I am going to take a nap... 

Get refreshed and start all over 

'cause this mama has deadlines!







XOXO
Carolyn

MR. AND MRS. ROSSI - Wild Rose Press, March 2015

THE MAGIC OF MISTLETOE - Harlequin Kimani Romance, November 2015

THE BACHELOR AND THE BEAUTY QUEEN- Harlequin Kimani Romance, March 2016

HIS SOUTHERN SWEETHEART - Harlequin Kimani Romance, October 2016

THE BEAUTY AND THE CEO - Harlequin Kimani, June 2017

A TIARA UNDER THE TREE - Harlequin Kimani, November 2017

TEMPTING THE BEAUTY QUEEN - Harlequin Kimani, June 2018

Writing During the Holidays #amwriting @JacquieRogers

Writing During the Holidays:
An Adventure
by Jacquie Rogers

I made it through Halloween, a month-long trip to Texas, and Thanksgiving.   Can't say that many words made it onto the page, though.  I'm writing Hearts of Owyhee #6: Much Ado About Mail-Order Brides.  I'm at 20,000 words.  Only 60,000 to go and I'm done.  Piece of cake, right?

More like pie, cheesecake, and sweet potato custard (yum).  And maybe about ten pounds on my backside.  Yeah, right, that's all I needed.  We actually had two Thanksgivings--one at my brother's house on the actual T-Day, and one at my house the following Sunday.  All in all, I made over a dozen pies, four loaves of persimmon bread, and I can't even tell you how many cookies.

Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bars, white chocolate chip,
and under all that, a few dozen chocolate chip peanut butter cookies.
Sugar coma!

Of course, Thanksgiving is all about appreciating our blessings and one of my most precious blessings is having such a wonderful family and awesome friends.  I'm a very lucky gal.

My son, me, and my nephew.
I'm trying to get my nephew photographed for The Muleskinners series.

Also, I have a new release out--one book of four in a boxed set, Mail-Order Brides for Sale: The Remington Sisters.  It's a series of four sisters who're forced through circumstances to flee their home and the most convenient way to do that was to become mail-order brides.  I'm excited about my story, Belle, but love all the stories in this set and I hope you do, too.  It's only 99¢ for the four-book series And it's also on Kindle Unlimited, so if you're a subscriber, you can read it for FREE.  Want a taste?  Read the free prologue!

So... um... not much time for writing.  And anyway, the last scene just didn't work.  Seemed good, and I may use it later, but I finally copied the whole scene into my scrap folder and started over.  No, I'm not one to revise.  If something doesn't work, I toss it and start over.  For me, revision always throws off the rhythm of the story.  I know some authors rewrite, revise, rewrite, but I don't.  What you get in a published book is my first draft that has been edited and proofread.  Not revised.

Meantime, I'm buying Christmas presents (mostly done) and my brain is buzzing with the possibilities for Honey Beaulieu - Man Hunter #4: Crack Shot in Whiskey Gap (tentative title).  So onward and forward.

If you're on Snapchat, friend me!  My handle is jacquierogers.  You can get videos of Sassy's latest updates there.  And goofy pictures of her scribe.

Keep up with Jacquie Rogers' latest news at the

Pickle Barrel Gazette!
Honey Beaulieu - Man Hunter series

Hearts of Owyhee series

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