Eva Pasco's Blog - Posts Tagged "holiday"

… To make merry by marketing our books in earnest from Cyber Monday until December 25th. God rest ye not merry gentlemen and women, let nothing you dismay until all selling endeavors wind down on Christmas Day. O tidings of comfort and joy!

For the task at hand, I happened to come across 20 book ad slogans, some of which, through the stretch of a writer’s imagination, could be incorporated in a Christmas-theme FACEBOOK AD post. Honestly, they strike me as persuasive sentences for third graders concluding their oral book report.

Escape into a book.

Reading shapes you.

The right book will always keep you company.

Books let you live a double life.

Become someone else.

http://ebookfriendly.com/ads-for-book...

Aside from engaging in creative holiday exploitation because ‘tis the Indie author’s season, and Christmas actually abounds in my Contemporary Women’s Fiction novel, AN ENLIGHTENING QUICHE--my book is listed alongside 100 other book deals for the month at eBookSoda from November 21 – December 21:

http://www.ebooksoda.com/ebook-deals/

In front of the largest number of potential readers in a targeted audience interested in Women’s Fiction, it remains to be seen if I’ll sell one book for my monetary effort as my eBook is the most expensive in the bunch, retailing for $3.95!

http://www.ebooksoda.com/ebook-deals/...

By holly, my last-ditch efforts to generate book sales by Christmas include:

Author, Kay MacLeod’s Indie Advent calendar promo event from the 1st - 24th of December for which I submitted information about myself as an author and my book with buy links.

https://www.facebook.com/KayMacLeodFa...

On Cyber Monday, I am one of twelve authors participating in the “Book Bargains: Christmas Stick with Authors from Around the World,” a 24-hour event extravaganza created to acquaint potential readers with our bargain books which make great gifts.

https://www.facebook.com/events/22458...

Last, but not least, I’ve signed up for an author takeover event from December 17th – 18th, organized by the administrator of “The Indie Writers’ Cooperative. Maybe last-minute shoppers will feel the pinch of time and buy Indie books.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Indie...

It’s all over when Scrooge sends a prize turkey to the Cratchit home for Christmas dinner.

All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas

Whether or not we lost face in a book selling disgrace.

O tidings of comfort and joy.

And, “literally”—what have I done before this year is over to benefit the surplus population of the Indie community?

In my capacity as a reader, I completed the 2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge: 4 books ahead of schedule, and surpassed my goal to read 25 books:
https://www.goodreads.com/user_challe...

I’ve reviewed every one of these books, and posted my reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Authors Den, Google+, Facebook, and BookBub.

In my capacity as an Indie author, I’m participating in two holiday events on social media. In the spirit of the holiday season, I’ve pledged to donate copies of my books:

Indie Advent Calendar Event:

December 23rd – Eva Pasco, featuring 'An Enlightening Quiche' (Contemporary):

*For a chance to win a selection of eBooks every day from December 1st – 25th, you can enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway Contest by answering questions posted on the event page—starting on the 1st, and not before!

https://www.facebook.com/IndieAdventC...

Or:

https://www.facebook.com/IndieAdventC...

FYI: Nearly 400 books, and over 35 paperbacks, along with bookmarks, prints, pins, and postcards will be given away. I’ve pledged eBook copies of An Enlightening Quiche.

12 Days of Christmas Book Buying Event (December 13th – 24th):

Readers will buy one Indie book per day for 12 days.
Readers only will post. Authors can list their books in the comments. Each reader will list what type of book(s) they are interested in buying, as well as a preferred price range. One can participate as a reader, author, or both.

https://www.facebook.com/events/27815...

For prize giveaways, I’ve pledged to donate eBook copies of 'An Enlightening Quiche' and '100 Wild Mushrooms: Memoirs of the ‘60s,' along with a print copy of 'An EQ' within the USA.

*Books are ideal holiday gifts for everyone on your shopping list—they’re inexpensive and their stories last a lifetime.

*Books have potential to add light and make the holiday season bright.

Have a holly, jolly Christmas
And in case you didn't hear
Oh by golly have a holly jolly Christmas
This year

(Lyrics from “A Holly Jolly Christmas” written by Johnny Marks in 1962)

Is the sugar-spun notion of a “holly jolly” Christmas unrealistic?

Before his redemption, Ebenezer Scrooge thought so: “If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart!”

An Indie author who aspires to the assertion, “art imitates life”—I’m inclined to agree.

Although Christmas is an integral part of my Contemporary, 'An Enlightening Quiche,' realism jingles all the way from the perspective of my protagonist, Augusta Bergeron:

A vision of myself as a ghoul from Christmases Yet to Come appeared in the guise of a long-in-the-tooth trollop flicking fried-dyed hair and wearing age-inappropriate, skintight attire tautly stretched over my butt of a joke. A comparable image satirized every night by Cohen at closing time inside the chamber of Chuggers put the fear of God in me.

‘Tis the season to indulge in a reprieve from the doldrums and humdrum. Against my better judgement, I indulge a Hallmark movie from time to time, in willing suspension of disbelief.

Oh, by gosh, by golly…

It’s about that time for mistletoe and holly. The Christmas “rush” is on—both the hustle and bustle of anticipation, and the intense—if only, short-lived—absolute joy.

The Hallmark movie channels have already begun their sleigh ride through winter’s wonderland in the pure-driven snow. Stated in their guidelines for author submissions:

We tend to avoid stories with very sad or distressing elements, including but not limited to terminal illness, abuse, addiction, early stages of grief, and children or animals in peril.

An Indie author already behind their closed door of not accepting unsolicited manuscripts, I’d never be willing to suspend my disbelief to write a story fitting even more of their strict guidelines. Because, I like to expose what goes on behind closed doors.

My novels in the genre of Contemporary embrace realism. They portray women over forty who grapple with, confront, and overcome their personal dilemmas to become empowered in making profound life changes for the better. In so doing, my novels are descriptive, introspective, and explore the gamut of inner conflicts: convention vs. rebellion; fate vs. free will; loyalty vs. betrayal; unbridled love vs. sacrifice; death—inevitable or tragic?

For art imitating life—sensitive topics are broached rather than omitted.

More power to those authors whose novels have been adapted to a Hallmark flick. Or, aspire to. A winter wonderland with busy sidewalks dressed in holiday style offers a rush to counteract any holiday doldrums.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

"A triumph my dear, another triumph!" (Bob Cratchit, from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)

Not the least bit mechanically inclined, self-isolating during a pandemic has shown me a side of myself, hitherto unseen, due to my ineptitude for fixing what’s broken. While grateful for the preoccupation of writing—still, there’s no place to go, nor people to see—except during my weekly trip to the supermarket.

This week, on the same designated grocery shopping day, I ventured to Job Lot, a discount retailer with stores scattered about throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Hard-pressed to find certain odds and ends in the supermarket aisles, or finding them too expensive, I ventured off the beaten path.

Out of all the needful items tossed into my shopping cart, Super Glue was one of them: a package of three .3g tubes for $1.00!

Today, I “pressed my luck” repairing two things I couldn’t toss out or patch with duct tape:

A knob on a bureau drawer, which a screwdriver couldn’t tighten, had come loose to the point of falling off every time I opened the drawer.

Press-toh! A triumph!

From old age, a knob on one of the cupboards at the bottom of my antique hutch snapped off. The pressure was on, so to speak, in getting metal-on-metal to adhere.

Press-toh! Another triumph!

In my capacity as a writer, you might say I glued my thoughts together to finish drafting chapter 61 in Part 3 of my Contemporary Work in Progress. As I conduct a read-through for proofing and editing, my eyes will be glued to the text, peering through a new pair of green-framed readers acquired at Job Lot for $2.99.

*May each of us triumph over adversity by carrying on those cherished seasonal traditions that are the glue for holding our holidays together.

My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

A parody inspired by the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein show tune, “A Few of My Favorite Things” (The Sound of Music):

When I'm feeling panademically anxious
I simply summon my favorite things
And then I don't feel so jittery

1. Pounding the keys, pressing thoughts into words drafting chapter 62 of my Contemporary work in progress, I listen to ambient Christmas music on You Tube. One such illustrative channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiW7C...

2. During the remains of the day, I find it comforting to watch a Christmas movie of yore, true to life. One of my recent favorites, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGwoo...

3. Surrounding myself with the mellow ambience of scented jar candles and battery-operated taper candles.

4. Indulging in one of my favorite freezer finds at the supermarket, Friendly’s Jubilee Ice Cream Roll. Consisting of chocolate ice cream and surrounded by a layer of chocolate chip ice cream, it’s topped with fudge, chocolate almonds, and a pink ice cream with candy chips.

Despite life’s dog bites and bee stings, may each of us take hold of the reins this holiday season by indulging in our favorite pastimes and pleasures.

*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

Those who celebrate Thanksgiving are either homeward bound, or homebound in preparation for hosting a holiday dinner. For many, Thanksgiving affords us a rare opportunity to rub elbows with those we hardly see during the year. It also might not be a bad idea to reconcile differences if we have any.

The First Thanksgiving in 1621 was basically a three-day celebration of a successful harvest. This year, in 2021, with all the hype about a turkey shortage, and price hikes for stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and just about anything else that’s edible, we’d do well to focus on giving thanks for the food on our table. And, home, wherever that may be. So many do not have the luxury of a roof over their head.

Essentially, home is where the heart is—our happy place where love and warmth reside.

As the passage of time brings about changes in the dynamics at the dinner table, my heart has become home for hosting Thanksgiving memories of yesteryear.

I’m grateful for the wisdom that comes with aging. It has empowered me to overlook minor inconveniences, seek new adventures, and delight in fresh discoveries.

*As we reflect on things to be grateful for, may health and happiness abound within the comfort of home sweet home.

My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

In the midst of staging my home for the holiday with Santa dolls, reindeer, wreath, and miniature trees that glisten, the critical eye of a writer took stock of my surroundings.

Similar to the lyrics of The Beach Boys’ “Little Saint Nick”—She don’t miss nothin’!

In the blink of an eye and a twist of my head, I looked upon the faded glory of my heirloom Queen Anne fluted, wingback armchair with dread. Reupholstered in gold brocade many years ago, it has borne the brunt of the sun’s living daylights from squatting kiddie-cornered between a picture window and wall. No matter where I’ve lived, she’s always been “cornered”. To me, that is her rightful reign for bringing me comfort and joy.

While entertaining my own vision of sugarplums dancing in my head, picturing the chair restored to its former glory, I gave pause for consideration the way I do when proofreading and editing a newly written paragraph. In a matter of time Queen Anne’s glory will fade again for all of my efforts. I can live with her this way a while longer.

Her timeworn essence is no different from treasured pieces of distressed furniture. No different from time-warped memories hung onto and revisited. No different from the patina of aging which glorifies our survival.

On the writing front of my new Contemporary WIP, I’ve completed the Prologue and Chapter 1. I’m wending my way through Chapter 2, resuming from 602 words.

*During the holiday season, may each of us view things in a more favorable light.

My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

Aspiring to the creed of “moderation in all things,” I’ve made exceptions when it comes to collecting gnomes and sea glass. And, although I consider myself a moderate aficionado of all things Christmas, I admit gravitating toward over-the-top renditions. They serve a purpose for bypassing the doldrums stirred by world events and the cerebral circumstances we find ourselves in at any given time.

One of those renditions—getting a daily dose of over-the-top holiday music played around the clock on my local radio channel.
Specifically, Andy Williams’ version of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”. While this particular song has always smacked me as the epitome of holiday hocus pocus at warp speed—“the hap-happiest season of all”—it serves its purpose in keeping away life’s bee stings and dog bites which are felt more acutely during this time of year.

For a gal who prefers reading and writing lit with grit, there’s also something to be said for Hallmark’s over-the-top holiday movies. That is, unless they’re too much of a far-fetched stretch for my suspension of disbelief.

Of course, the essence of Christmas is brought home in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol through the gist of: the true meaning of Christmas is to give up one’s very self, to think of others, and bring happiness.

Nevertheless, may each of us cultivate the holiday spirit in a meaningful way because we all need a little Christmas.

My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

During my bygone teaching days in the third-grade trenches, approximately 20 prospective apple pomanders were individually wrapped inside a handkerchief, tied with twine, and suspended from hooks on a drying rack in the classroom. The scent of cinnamon and cloves perfumed the air we breathed. Heavenly!

Curing in place since our return from Thanksgiving break, they’d be just about ready to prep with a red bow and placed in a brown bag for their holiday homecoming.

One of our major social studies units was that of the Pilgrims. Since Colonial women made pomander balls which they placed in a basket or cupboard to hide cooking odors, we revived the craft in our classroom. It was a joy to see the patience each student devoted to their ornament.

A pushover for the warm, seasonal scent of cinnamon and cloves, I’m contemplating making an apple pomander to add to my display on top of my antique chest in the foyer.

If you or your children/grandchildren are game, these are the materials you’ll need:

An unblemished apple

At least two tins of cloves because you want to pack ‘em in tightly

Cinnamon (optional)

Cheesecloth or handkerchief

Ribbon

Directions:

Press cloves into apple, packing them tightly for aesthetics and to preserve the life of your pomander. This would be the time to roll the apple in cinnamon if you choose this option.

Wrap the apple in cheesecloth or a handkerchief. Hang in a dry place to cure for 2 - 3 weeks.

Embellish your pomander with ribbon. I intend to use straight pins to secure the ribbon and bow.

Voila!

*May peace, joy, and love embellish your holiday.

My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w