SCARY MOVIES 4 - The Ones Where We Rooted for the Monster! + A GIVEAWAY

These movies fall into two distinct categories. Either we felt the script was so bad or the characters so dumb that we wanted the creature to pleeease eat them all and put us out of our misery --- or we found ourselves sympathizing with the bad guy and wanting him to escape, win, or find love!
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MAUREEN – “Bram Stoker's Dracula. To me, It's a love story.” ~ Maureen Bonatch, maureenbonatch.com
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ANGELA – “As a horror movie fangirl, I would be remiss if I didn't throw things back to the classic Universal Monsters here. "Frankenstein" and "The Bride of Frankenstein" are brilliant works of art that make viewers ask, "Who really is the monster - us or him?" I would say we are. Boris Karloff is perfect in the role, and there are some iconic scenes from both movies most people recognize for a reason.

"By the end of the movie, I'm cheering for Frankenstein's monster to escape the angry pitchfork-carrying townspeople because, doggone it, he's not really the bad guy!" ~ Angela Campbell, www.angelacampbellonline.com
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LINDA - "GODZILLA!" ~ Linda Mooney, lindamooney.com
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JODY - "King Kong, of course! He’s everyone’s hero! I did watch King Kong - Skull Island with my kids since it had Loki, I mean Tom Hiddleston, in it, and they 'stan' Loki, and we all rooted for King Kong together." ~ Jody Wallace, jodywallace.com
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NICOLE - "For me, this would be Cabin in the Woods. Because Bradley Whitford's character was trying to save in the world even as what he was doing meant very bad things for the main characters. And I found the way he cheered for his personal favourite monster (the seashell) rather endearing. Maybe it's because I liked him so much as Josh on The West Wing... ~ Nicole Luiken, nicoleluiken.com 
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PG - "Creature From the Black Lagoon. Another of the movies I used to watch with my grandmother late at night. The monster was clearly the hero, as far as I was concerned. The poor thing." ~ PG Forte, pgforte.com
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Dani - "I think the best movie monsters make us feel empathy for them. Every version of King Kong ever made breaks my heart. I was so glad when the Skull Island movie finally allowed the great ape to survive and live free! 

"My family will tell you that I'm a lot less soft-hearted when it comes to the human characters in some horror movies. When you see this many things going horribly, dangerously wrong in your new house (eg. "The Amityville Horror" and "Poltergeist"), why would you STAY THERE? Worse, why make your KIDS stay there?

"Of course, if characters made only sensible decisions, it would be really tough to create a full-length movie, LOL." ~ Dani Harper, daniharper.com
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CINDY - "This to me is any horror film where the characters a) split up or b) run back into the damn house. As the old Eddie Murphy sketch lampooning Amityville Horror said, "Nice house. Too bad we can't stay." And OMG, Death Becomes Her. Stupid, stupid, stupid!" ~ Cindy Spencer Pape, www.cindyspencerpape.com
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SHAWNA - "There was a version of Dracula--I think it was the one that came out in 1979, because when I saw it it was on network television and I want to say it was maybe four or five years later. I was probably in my early teens, just starting to develop a strong appreciation for the opposite sex. 

"The Dracula in the movie was darkly romantic and seductive, and his Lucy seemed rather more willing than not. I remember rooting for them to escape together. That movie might well be responsible for my predilection for well-dressed, dark, and dangerous (at least in my fantasy life!" ~ Shawna Reppert, www.shawna-reppert.com
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UPDATE - The contest is over and we have winners! 

1. BEVERLY wins an ebook from Jody Wallace - Catalyst: Cat Ship (Obsidian Rim Book 8) 

2. LOUISE wins her choice of one ebook from Dani Harper

3. GLENDA wins a deluxe canvas tote bag from Dani Harper

4. SHERRY wins her choice of one ebook from Linda Mooney

5. MARTHA wins her choice of one Audiobook from Linda Mooney

6. ANNE wins the grand prize, a $35 Amazon Gift eCard from all the authors at HERE BE MAGIC

We have the contact information for everyone and winners will receive emails within a couple of days.

THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by our Scary Movie blogs. We had a lot of fun putting them together!

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SCARY MOVIES 3 - The Ones We Wish We Hadn't Seen! + A GIVEAWAY

Some are dumb. Some are frightening. And some are disturbing enough to leave a mark...

DANI - "So much for being an adult --- I slept with the light on for three nights in a row after watching "28 DAYS LATER" in 2003!" 
~ Dani Harper, daniharper.com
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ANGELA – “I love horror movies, so this is hard for me -- I even get enjoyment out of the bad ones! I mentioned last week that John Carpenter's “HALLOWEEN” (1978) is one of my all-time favorite movies and that I have only been able to watch the Rob Zombie remakes once, so I am picking the Rob Zombie "HALLOWEEN" and "HALLOWEEN 2" as movies I wish I had never seen. 

"They tried too hard to take the mystery out of why Michael Myers was a psycho, and plus, they really honed in a "white trash" stereotype that was no fun to watch. I know those versions have their fans, but I think half of the fear that came from the original film was the not knowing why Michael Myers ran around killing people. Know what I mean?" 
~ Angela Campbell, www.angelacampbellonline.com
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LINDA - "Oh, there are several. At the head of the list is “THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE”, followed closely by “THE EXORCIST”." 
~ Linda Mooney, lindamooney.com
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JODY - "I could have lived without seeing "I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE" as well as "FACES OF DEATH" (more hijinks at my fancy neighbor’s house who had cable TV!) "FACES OF DEATH" wasn’t a movie, per se, so much as a collection of blood and death real-life videos in the 80s before YouTube existed. "I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE", of course, is more horrific violence against women, and I don’t care if she gets even, I just don’t ever need to SEE that." 
~ Jody Wallace, jodywallace.com
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MAUREEN – “NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. I live on Elm Street- Enough said. I slept with the light on for at least a week after this. Also "PARANORMAL ACTIVITY". I watched until the end to make sure that it was a movie and not real, lol!” 
~ Maureen Bonatch, maureenbonatch.com
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PG - "Oh, there's no contest. I didn't even actually see this one, but Clockwork Orange is my go-to for movies (and books) that are too disturbing to sit through." 
~ PG Forte, pgforte.com
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SHAWNA - "I didn't even have to see the movie. . .the trailer was enough. It came out when I was about 10. I think it was called Silent Screams. There was something about a thing--demon, ghost, I have no idea--coming out of a mirror at night if you looked into it, or got too close. As you can tell, I'm a bit fuzzy on the details after all these years. Still, to this day I never look directly into a dark mirror if I can help it." ~ Shawna Reppert, www.shawna-reppert.com
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CINDY - "Anything involving snakes. It's a ridiculous phobia for someone who studied herpetology in grad school, but the friend sitting next to me for Raiders of the Lost Ark went home with bruises on his arm. Even the trailers for Snakes on a Plane were too much." ~ Cindy Spencer Paper, www.cindyspencerpape.com
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UPDATE - The contest is over and we have winners! 

1. BEVERLY wins an ebook from Jody Wallace - Catalyst: Cat Ship (Obsidian Rim Book 8) 

2. LOUISE wins her choice of one ebook from Dani Harper

3. GLENDA wins a deluxe canvas tote bag from Dani Harper

4. SHERRY wins her choice of one ebook from Linda Mooney

5. MARTHA wins her choice of one Audiobook from Linda Mooney

6. ANNE wins the grand prize, a $35 Amazon Gift eCard from all the authors at HERE BE MAGIC

We have the contact information for everyone and winners will receive emails within a couple of days.

THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by our Scary Movie blogs. We had a lot of fun putting them together!

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SCARY MOVIES 2 - The Ones We Love to Watch Again and Again! + A GIVEAWAY

We might have seen them a dozen times or more. We might even own our own copy. But when these flicks appear on the TV, resistance is futile...
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JODY - "The only scary movie I’ve watched more than once is TREMORS and I will watch Kevin Bacon in all of his 6 graboid degrees any time that movie is on! It’s one of my favorite movies of all time, especially the acting role Reba McIntyre, yes that Reba, has in the movie. I haven’t shown my kids yet because they do NOT like scary movies, but now I’m feeling the urge for a re-watch." 
~ Jody Wallace, jodywallace.com
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LINDA - "Is it wrong to love a zombie Christmas movie? My fave is “Anna and the Apocalypse”. And it’s a musical!" 
~ Linda Mooney, lindamooney.com
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DANI - "When my kids were teenagers, Halloween was a whole season at our house! Punctuated by every Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode ever made, there was a looong list of movies to be watched, including famous franchises like Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. 

"But I have some personal favorites of my own that I never get tired of. One of my top favs is CONSTANTINE featuring Keanu Reeves as the demon hunter, John Constantine." 
~ Dani Harper, daniharper.com
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ANGELA - "John Carpenter's “Halloween” (1978) is one of my all-time favorite movies, so of course, I have to watch it every October (although I watch it other times of the year too if I'm in the mood). I even binge the sequels, including the ones that are terrible, although I have only been able to watch the Rob Zombie remakes once. Same with the 2018 film. I just did not like those. The original, though, is one my entire family used to watch every Halloween (yeah, we were weird). 

"For me, it’s part nostalgia to watch it, but also, it still manages to give me the creeps a little bit. And Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode is the perfect Final Girl role model -- you know, in case you ever come face to face with a maniac serial killer." 
~ Angela Campbell, www.angelacampbellonline.com
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PG - "I'm not sure this counts as a "scary" movie, but it's weird, bloody and violent and yet I've watched it several times--although not anytime recently. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is just...strange. It's almost comedic. I'm not sure if it's a genuinely bad movie, or if it's "badness" is a work of genius." 
~ PG Forte, pgforte.com
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MAUREEN – “I can't pass up The Shining, Constantine or The Silence of the Lambs and other oldies-but-goodies if I see that they're on.” 
~ Maureen Bonatch, maureenbonatch.com
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SHAWNA - "I rarely have time to re-watch movies, but I've seen Crimson Peak three times and plan to watch it again this Halloween. Not only does it boast Tom Hiddleston in period clothing (though this would be reason enough) but it is a beautiful example of the gothic horror genre, with just the slightest hint of steampunk." ~ Shawna Reppert, www.shawna-reppert.com

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CINDY - "I'm actually not a big fan of horror, though I love suspense and paranormal. My favorite has to be Rocky Horror Picture Show just for the sheer cult classicism of it all. Oh--and I almost forgot Nightmare before Christmas." ~ Cindy Spencer Paper, www.cindyspencerpape.com 
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UPDATE - The contest is over and we have winners! 

1. BEVERLY wins an ebook from Jody Wallace - Catalyst: Cat Ship (Obsidian Rim Book 8) 

2. LOUISE wins her choice of one ebook from Dani Harper

3. GLENDA wins a deluxe canvas tote bag from Dani Harper

4. SHERRY wins her choice of one ebook from Linda Mooney

5. MARTHA wins her choice of one Audiobook from Linda Mooney

6. ANNE wins the grand prize, a $35 Amazon Gift eCard from all the authors at HERE BE MAGIC

We have the contact information for everyone and winners will receive emails within a couple of days.

THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by our Scary Movie blogs. We had a lot of fun putting them together!

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SCARY MOVIES 1 - The Ones That Terrified Us as Kids! + A GIVEAWAY

With Halloween on the way, the Here Be Magic gang got talking about horror movies - both the fun and the frightening. Of course we had to share, so we've come up with a four-part "Scary Movies" series for October. Welcome to our first installment!

And since it's not Halloween without treats, be sure to enter our month-long giveaway at the end of this post!

LINDA - "I didn’t get to watch scary movies at home when I was young, but when my family would go to my grandparents’ house, on Saturday afternoons, a local TV station would show those old-timey black and white movies from the 50s. My first horror movie was “Dracula” with Bela Lugosi, and it terrified me. I even remember it to this day, especially the scene where the camera moved into a close-up of his mesmerizing eyes." 

~ Linda Mooney, lindamooney.com

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DANI - "When you're little, a movie doesn't have to be from the horror genre to scare the bejeebers out of you. My husband was traumatized by the Wicked Witch in "The Wizard of Oz" when he was three! 

As for me, I had nightmares for years from the disembodied face in the magic mirror in Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". To this day, I have an aversion to masks. 

When I was eight or nine, TV airings of old movies like Invaders from Mars (1953) and Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) scared me silly!" 

~ Dani Harper, daniharper.com

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MAUREEN - “I can't remember anything about the movie but "This House Possessed" always comes up in my memory as one that scared me. That, and the move, "Magic". I used to want a ventriloquist doll until that - now I'm freaked out by them!” 

~ Maureen Bonatch, www.maureenbonatch.com 

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ANGELA – “I was the youngest child with three older brothers, so I received an early education in horror movies at a ridiculously young age. The brother I was closest to was 18 years older than me, and he had his own place. Some weekends, I would spend the night with him, and we would rent and watch movies. He loved zombie movies, but they terrified me. The original “Dawn of the Dead” traumatized me to no end. 

"There was one movie called “Mortuary” (1983) that I could not finish.  I started crying, made him turn it off, and begged him to let me sleep on the floor of his room. All I remember is a creepy dude in a black robe with a zombie-like white face kept popping out of the dark and killing people in horrifying ways. 

"While I’ve gotten over my fear of zombie movies, my brother still teases me about that one movie that terrified me. “What was it called?” he always asks. “Mortuary,” I grumble. While I’m sure if I watched it today I would probably laugh at how utterly cheesy it is, but that terrified 10-year-old girl who still lives inside me won’t allow me to watch it. Nope. Not gonna happen.” 

~ Angela Campbell, www.angelacampbellonline.com

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JODY - "I don’t remember many scary movies from when I was small but I remember as a young teenager SOMEHOW stumbling across a movie called INCUBUS – probably thanks to one of my fancy friends who had cable TV. It horrified me! Was pretty much sexual violence against women from beginning to end with this sort of sick perverse overlay of horror and one of those creepy open endings. DO NOT RECOMMEND." 

~ Jody Wallace, jodywallace.com 

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CINDY - "The song Pink Elephants on Parade from Dumbo scared the crap out of me as a little kid!" 

~ Cindy Spencer Pape, www.cindyspencerpape.com

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NICOLE - "Okay, this was a TV show, not a movie. The science fiction show Space 1999 used to scare me as a kid. If something really tense was happening, I couldn't bear to watch so I'd run down the hallway. But then I had to find out what happened so I'd run back. 

"The funny thing is, one of my kids does a similar thing. If she reaches a tense part of a book, she gets up to pace." 

~ Nicole Luiken, nicoleluiken.com 

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SHAWNA - "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the Gene Wilder version) thoroughly freaked me out when I was about 5. My aunt who was babysitting had to turn it off after the little girl blew up like a blueberry balloon and floated off, so I never did see all the kids getting restored at the end. 

"I was 21 before my then-husband got me to sit down and watch it through, and at that point I thoroughly enjoyed it." 

~ Shawna Reppert, www.shawna-reppert.com

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UPDATE - The contest is over and we have WINNERS! 

1. BEVERLY wins an ebook from Jody Wallace - Catalyst: Cat Ship (Obsidian Rim Book 8) 

2. LOUISE wins her choice of one ebook from Dani Harper

3. GLENDA wins a deluxe canvas tote bag from Dani Harper

4. SHERRY wins her choice of one ebook from Linda Mooney

5. MARTHA wins her choice of one Audiobook from Linda Mooney

6. ANNE wins the grand prize, a $35 Amazon Gift eCard from all the authors at HERE BE MAGIC

We have the contact information for everyone and winners will receive emails within the first week of November.

THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by our Scary Movie blogs. We had a lot of fun putting them together!

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WHAT WE'RE READING THIS SUMMER - by the Here Be Magic Authors

We associate a lot of happy things with summer - watermelon, camping, lemonade, gardening, barbecues, sunny weather and beaches. Many of us would add BOOKS to that list! 

Writers are readers too, so some of the Here Be Magic gang have revealed what they've been enjoying this season. We'd love to know what YOU'RE reading and welcome your comments.

……………………..


MAUREEN – “As an author, sometimes it seems that there's never enough time to read. This summer I decided I was going to make time. 

"Some books that I read this summer include: Year One and Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts, The Bird and the Sword, The Queen and the Cure, and What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon, The Witch's Daughter and The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston. 

“Then I decided to go 'old school' and back to one of my favorite writers and read Joyland by Stephen King and am currently reading The Outsider.” ~ Maureen Bonatch www.maureenbonatch.com 
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LINDA – “On a lark, I bought Nora Roberts’ Morrigan’s Cross (Circle Trilogy Bk. 1).  I didn’t know she wrote fantasy/paranormal, so this is a first for me.” ~ Linda Mooney  www.lindamooney.com 


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JODY – “In fiction, I’ve been relaxing with Gravity by Maggie Lynch and Rock Rift by Elsa Jade; Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston; Herb-Witch by Elizabeth McCoy.

“In nonfiction, it’s been Fight Write: How to Write Believable Fight Scenes, travel guides about Puerto Rico and a crochet book about motifs.” ~ Jody Wallace www.jodywallace.com 


……………………..

DANI – “With hub’s health issues this summer, I’ve spent a lot of time in waiting rooms. SO grateful for my Kindle that puts a library at my fingertips! I’m a fan of Devon Monk and started her Ordinary Magic series. I’m one of those readers who always have several books on the go, so I’m also reading The Cage by Megan Shepherd and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. 

“Having adopted a plant-based diet, I’ve been trying out a lot of vegan recipes from The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook for Your Instant Pot and The Easy Vegan Cookbook, both by Kathy Hester. I’ve created some spectacular failures but also discovered some great food that even my carnivorous family will eat!” ~ Dani Harper www.daniharper.com 

……………………..

PG - "While I wait impatiently for Jenny Schwartz' new book Space Rodeo and Josh Lanyon's Mainly by Moonlight to drop, I've been tackling my TBR pile this summer and getting caught up on favorite series I'd been neglecting--like Dani Harper's Changeling series and RL Naquin's Djinn Haven series. 

"This summer I also enjoyed reading Jordan L Hawk's latest book in her SPECTR series, Stalker of Shadows." ~ PG Forte www.PGForte.com

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What are YOU reading this summer? 
Leave us a comment!

HOW TO GIVE YOURSELF A VALENTINE - by the Authors at Here Be Magic

We associate Valentine's Day with couples, but the holiday isn't just for lovers. It's a great time to show yourself a little kindness too. After all, how many of us are genuinely nice to ourselves? 

And whether you have a significant other or not, Valentine's Day can be a great opportunity to do a little something for a neighbor, a friend, a family member, or even a stranger. 

The Here Be Magic gang has gotten together to share ideas, treats, and memories from the holiday devoted to love.

PLUS we have some Valentine goodies for YOU at the end of this post!

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LINDA - "Treat yourself to something you haven’t had or been able to do in a long, long time. Whether it’s that decadent dessert you’ve been eyeing but denying, a short trip to a location you’ve been wanting to revisit, or it could be something as simple as calling up an old friend you haven’t heard from in a while and letting them know you were thinking of them.

"After all, bringing a little happiness to someone else will always lift your spirit too." ~ Linda Mooney

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CINDY - "My freshman year at university was mostly an exciting time, but it was also a big adjustment. I wasn't homesick in the beginning, but by mid-winter, it had been creeping in. My roommates were friendly, but not real friends, and the guy I'd been dancing around dating had recently decided he was still in love with his girlfriend back home. Valentine's Day was going to seriously suck...

"That's when the card from my parents showed up. It was the first time they had actually written me, other than sending money, since I'd gone away. It was such a little thing--a Valentine from my folks. But it changed the entire tenor of the holiday, because it made me feel special and loved." ~ Cindy Spencer Pape

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JODY - "Self-care: What makes ME feel the best that I can do for myself? For me, I like to FINISH. I like to write THE END. And since I can’t guarantee I’ll be finishing a book or project around the fourteenth of February, I can instead guarantee I’ll be finishing something on my TO-DO LIST.  :)

"What I plan to do for myself on Commercialized Candy Day is clean out some clutter and donate it. I’ll feel better because I completed a task I’ve probably been putting off for a long time, and donating to the right types of charities is good for society." ~ Jody Wallace

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RUTH - "What do I do to feel special...

• get a manicure and pedicure
• tuck myself into the comfy chair in the living room and read a book - from cover to cover
• take my daughters out for coffee without the grandchildren - a girls thing (sometimes I take them for a mani/pedi)" ~ Ruth A. Casie

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MAUREEN - "If I want to show myself a little love I buy myself something that I don't really need, but something I've wanted. A little indulgence like new books, soft pajamas, or another item that has been in the 'save for later' basket online because it wasn't really necessary. Or else I forget about the endless chores waiting and settle in to watch a favorite movie with a beverage of choice, even if it's the middle of the day.

"Since my girls were little, my hubby has always gotten them flowers and chocolate on Valentine's Day. I didn't want them to ever think they had to wait for a boy to make them feel special, because they always have their first valentine, their dad." ~ Maureen Bonatch

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JENNY - "The perfect Valentine's Day treat is a walk along the beach. Depending on where you live, you might think I'm crazy (hello, blizzard outside), but here in Australia it's summer. Perfect beach weather. Splashing in the shallows and collecting shells is a little bit of joy and a whole lot of peace. Happy Valentine's Day!" ~ Jenny Schwartz

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DANI - "Playing Easter bunny to my daughters was always one of my favorite things. So it was natural for me to play VALENTINE bunny too! After they'd gone to bed, I'd tiptoe around and leave chocolate treats, cards and heart-shaped goodies of the season on their nightstands or beside their beds. When the girls got to be older teenagers, though, I had to change my method - they were awake a lot longer than I could possibly stay up. (Soooo not an night owl!) However, I WAS an early riser, so the Valentine bunny started making her rounds at 6 a.m. It was a sure thing that no teens would be conscious at that time of day!" ~ Dani Harper

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SHAWNA - "I’ve been divorced now for quite a while, and my ex was never one for flowers and chocolates anyway, so Valentine’s Day and I have had a bit of a spotty relationship over the years. Lately, I’ve learned to warm up to the holiday again, and for that I credit my friends. 

"There was the male co-worker who wished me a happy Valentine’s Day (in an entirely platonic and non-creepy way), probably because he knew I was single and didn’t have anyone at home who would say it to me. A colleague from the evening shift came in extra-early one year so she wouldn’t miss me with her Dove chocolate bounty. A friend of mine who loves my Ravensblood series gave me a handmade ‘un-Valentine’s Day card with a raven on the front. Inside it said I’m raven’ about your writing. 

"What really caused a paradigm shift was a card my friend Andrea sent out to all the lucky people on her ‘card list’. She makes lovely cards for each holiday, and the one year in particular she sent cards that listed, without naming names, all the particular, unique things she loved about each of her friends. 


"I got all sniffly, and realized that Valentine’s Day isn’t about choosing the perfect gift for your spouse or lover. It doesn’t have to be about romantic love at all. It can be a day to remember and celebrate the many people in your life that you celebrate in many different ways. So, Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you." ~ Shawna Reppert

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VALENTINES FOR OUR READERS!

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Linda Mooney is offering up a free ebook of her humorous and erotic novella, SPANK MY VALENTINE  (Tales of the Blakeney Sisters, Book 3).

If you'd like a copy, email her through her website at http://www.lindamooney.com/ and let her know what format you need.



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From Jody Wallace - 

"In February, I will be offering the first volume of my science fiction romance choose your own adventure spoof for free:  
EARTHBOUND PASSION." 

http://jodywallace.com/books/earthbound-passion/ 

"If you want to indulge in the self-care of raunchy, dirty jokes, mockery of tropes, terrible snark, and laughter, this is a very inexpensive way to do it! (Beats sorting through unmated socks, anyway.)"

.................................................................................................................

Shawna Reppert has a free full-length novel for you!

WHERE LIGHT MEETS SHADOW is an M/M fantasy romance 

The Scathlan elf Kieran journeys through mortal lands in search of new songs and tales to renew his people’s dying culture. His most cherished, most impossible hope is to rediscover the powers of bards from legend in order to wake the queen, in a stupor since the end of the war between his own people and the Leas elves...

Ebook is FREE on Amazon for Valentine's Day at 

https://www.amazon.com/Where-Light-Shadow-Shawna-Reppert-ebook/dp/B011DOUS6W/

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Ruth A. Casie has a brand new release:  

The Pirate's Jewel 
(part of the Pirates of Britannia World series)

Free with Kindle Unlimited, 
otherwise a swashbuckling gift at just 99¢!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M81Y7HM


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HOLIDAY MEMORIES from the authors at Here Be Magic

Taste, smell, sound, sight, touch –

these are the elements that make up memories. Years later, encountering any one of them can magically transport us back in time...

The Here Be Magic gang are sharing some of their favorite memories of holidays past, and invite you to share yours in the comments!

Plus, we've followed up with a list of holiday-themed stories written by some of our fantasy authors. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JENNY - "I grew up in a small semi-rural community in Australia where everyone knew everyone and the primary school (elementary school) was the heart of it with about 100 students. In Australia the school year ends just before Christmas, releasing wildly excited kids to summer break.

"At our school, we'd have a Parents' Night first, and EVERYONE attended. There'd be awards and plays - ambitiously we attempted musicals like Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0175790/).

"And there'd be Christmas carols. Singing with your friends, family and community is pure joy - even if it was mosquito repellent rather than snow that fell on us!" ~ Jenny Schwartz  

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MAUREEN - "As a child, trying to sleep Christmas Eve was almost impossible. One year my mother caught my sister and I sitting by the tree in the middle of the night. She told us we could open one gift and then to go back to bed. 

"After opening the gift I realized that presents weren't what excited me about Christmas. It was the magic of the night, and the season. A night where anything was possible." ~ Maureen L Bonatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DANI - "One of my best memories is putting up our big white Christmas tree with my daughters. It was all I could do to hold the girls back until mid-November! We'd spend the whole day decorating it, while eating way too many treats, and playing classic holiday movies in the background (hey, it's not Christmas until you've watched Chevy Chase gradually lose his mind in Christmas Vacation, and root for Ralphie in his quest to get a Red Rider BB rifle in A Christmas Story.) 

"Many of the ornaments have memories of their own. The girls and I used to prowl yard sales all year long to glean vintage decorations, including a lot of wonderful old glass ones. Plus my girls frequently gifted me with everything from the Abominable Snowman to tiny Starbucks coffee cups to hang on the tree! 

The gang's grown up and left home but I still have all the decorations and lovingly put up the whole kit and kaboodle every year. But I admit, I wait until December now." ~ Dani Harper

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LINDA - "When I was young, I used to creep into the living room in the middle of the night where the tree was located, and feel about for the toys. I hoped to find and recognize what Santa had brought me. Although I could feel something, I never knew what it was until the next morning. I did this for years. It only added to the mystic of Christmas." ~ Linda Mooney

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JODY - "Sometimes in your life, you realize when it’s happening that new memories and family traditions are in the act of being set. This Christmas when we put up our nice, artificial tree, our two new kittens basically proved to us why we aren’t going to be having a traditional tree in the future.

"My husband has been in the garage for a week, putting together a cat-safe holiday decoration, and nobody in our family will ever forget the day the kittens took out a whole tree!" ~ Jody Wallace

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CINDY - "One of my favorite Christmas presents came from my mother-in-law, back when my kids were little.

"One autumn, my husband and his father were both attending the same professional conference, so my mother-in-law and I went along, taking my two young boys to play in the pool, visit nearby museums, etc. In the hotel itself were a few small shops, including a gorgeous estate jewelry store. I fell in love with a vintage amber necklace, but at $100, it was out of the budget of two grad students with two young kids.

"Realizing how very much I loved the necklace, my husband juggled his budget and snuck down to the shop to buy the necklace. It was gone. Instead, he bought a jade pendant--much cheaper--that I had also liked. I loved the jade piece and was so touched that he'd even tried. I set the idea of an amber necklace aside for "some day".

"At Christmas, I had a small, flat box from my in-laws. Now presents with them were often very random--awesome one year, not so much the next. This one was awesome. My mother-in-law had bought me the amber necklace. It's still one of my very favorite pieces of jewelry." ~ Cindy Spencer Pape

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NICOLE - "My dad's sister was also my mom's best friend and her kids were close in age to me and my siblings so at Christmas we alternated between her house and ours. 

"My favourite Christmas memory is singing carols together in a big group, especially The Twelve Days of Christmas. Everybody would be assigned one line to sing in turn. I liked to take Four Calling Birds so that I could sing more times." ~ Nicole Luiken

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PG - "One of my favorite Christmas memories has to do with cookies. My mother used to make several different types of cookies every Christmas, mostly I just remember the spritz cookies because those were my favorite. But one year, for some reason, she went into a baking frenzy and made a lot of cookies, all different types. It seemed like every day, my siblings and I would come home from school to find dozens of new cookies cooling on racks in the kitchen. 

"Some of the cookies she made that year were ones we'd never had before—including coconut meringues, AKA the Best. Cookie. Ever. I took one bite and I swear the heavens opened up and I heard angels singing. They were that good. I didn’t care if I didn’t get any of the other cookies, but I wanted all the meringues.

"Not exactly a Christmasy attitude, I realize, and I think I’d have been happy to share them with anyone who was equally smitten, but no one else seemed to share my passion.  And I really resented the fact that they didn’t care, but they still ate them. I mean, it wasn’t like there weren’t hundreds of other cookies for them to enjoy!

"I waited all year for another shot at those cookies, but my mother never made them again. Like I said, I was the only one who really liked them. Also, they take hours to bake. But, oh, they’re so worth it!" ~ PG Forte

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HOLIDAY TITLES from the fantasy authors at Here Be Magic

JINGLE STARS 
by Jenny Schwartz
Book 4 of 5 in Shamans & Shifters Space Opera
A starship plays Santa in this heartwarming holiday novella.


Ebook FREE till Dec 17 on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076PVMB3L/

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THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT 
A Yuletide Paranormal Romance
by Dani Harper 
Book 1 of the Haunted Holiday Series

"Absolutely one of the most memorable stories I've read."
"One of my top ten holiday romances ever."

Ebook or paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/HOLIDAY-SPIRIT-Haunted-Holiday-Book-ebook/dp/B013Z0F31M
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New Release!
THE 13th GIFT OF CHRISTMAS 
by Linda Mooney

The greatest joy is giving joy to others... Is Nika part of the Christmas magic, or a Christmas miracle?


Excerpt and Buy Links here:
http://lindamooney.com/13thGift.htm


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HOLIDAY ON ICE 
by Jody Wallace
Tallwood Tall Tales Book 2


Travel Queen Survival Tip #23: 
If you get stuck in an ice storm, find a hot guy to melt it!

Excerpt and Buy Links here:
http://jodywallace.com/books/holiday-on-ice/

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THIS WINTER HEART
by PG Forte

“a very unique tale with well-drawn characters and a fascinating world.”
"This Winter Heart was a unique and compelling story about the power of love and the miracle of life.”

Excerpt, Buy Links, and FREE short story here:
http://www.pgforte.com/WinterHearts.htm

Also available as part of the steampunk anthology, A Clockwork Christmas: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DJLQ9VQ

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WHISPERS OF MAGIC
A Mistletoe Magic Story
by Cindy Spencer Pape

Hot! Hot! Hot! Whispers of Magic is an erotic romance, helped along by a trio of naughty elves. 

Available on Kindle at: https://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Magic-Mistletoe-Story-ebook/dp/B01N9FUDB3/

PS - If you're looking for more steamy cowboys, you can find Cindy's first published book, THE COWBOY'S CHRISTMAS BRIDE (Love at the Crazy H Series) still available at The Wild Rose Press. Contemporary with just a hint of paranormal... https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/1891-the-cowboy-s-christmas-bride-love-at-the-crazy-h-series.html )  

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YOUR TURN:   We'd love to hear your memories too! Leave us a comment with one of your favorites.