Another year is over! Can you believe it? Well we authors, readers, and bloggers sure can’t. And to celebrate the New Year with bang, we’re going crazy and sending out so many prizes, fun parties, experiences, and other goodies, that it’s a bit scary. Each author has a favorite New Year memory, book, idea, or way to party and we’re going to show you! Can’t wait to see you January 1st – 6th!
And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 200 giveaways, each hosted by that Author or Blogger.
But that’s not all….
We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!
Now what are those prizes?
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $300 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
I’ll be giving away two $5 gift cards to Amazon or All Romance eBooks – winner’s choice! Just answer my question and leave your e-mail address for entries to my contest and for chances at the Grand Prizes! All prizes except the swag pack are International! 🙂
Happy New Year!
The holidays are a time to get together with family and friends, to celebrate the ties that bind us all together. I don’t have a large family, and we’re spread out far and wide, but the branch I’ve always identified with the most has an origin story, so I thought I’d share some of it with you.
My grandmother’s grandmother was born in Quebec in the mid-nineteenth century, and to protect the guilty (me) I’ll call her Marie. For reasons I doubt anyone really knows (although many have speculated), Marie didn’t want to stay in Quebec. So, strong French Canadian woman that she was, she walked away from it. Literally. She ended up in village in Upstate New York, where some of her descendants still live (which is the only reason I’m not naming it—to spare them the knowledge that another of her descendants is a shameless smut-pusher ;)). She ended up working for a Mohawk family—which, if she was anything at all like me, amused her greatly—and married one of the sons.
By the time my Grammie was raising my mom and her siblings, speaking French in this village meant you were from the wrong side of the tracks. Since she’d descended from Marie, Grammie’s only choices were to keep her children from learning French or personally smack down everyone who called them trash. Even though I’m sure she could’ve managed it quite well (as a few Catholic school nuns could attest) she just didn’t have the time, so they were only allowed to speak English.
One of the main characters in my novella Comfort and Joy, Sam, is part Mohawk, but he and much of his family actually look it. I’m pretty sure the only place I show any of my Mohawk blood is on my face—my nose to be precise—so I didn’t write much about Sam’s family for a long time, except through the eyes of his blond and blue-eyed mother. But the older I get the less I care whether someone thinks I have the right to tell a particular story. It also took me many years to accept my Mohawk nose but now I dig it, partly because my Grammie had one just like it but also because it ties me to Marie. I love my badass ancestor—she could’ve stayed where she was and made the best of whatever situation she found herself in, but she made her own way. And so, with ever-changing levels of success, am I.
That’s my origin story, what’s yours?
This isn’t Sam’s origin story, but it’s shorter and much sexier.
Comfort and Joy by Charley Descoteaux
How much love does it take to heal the wounds of hate?
Sam and Charlie have been together over a decade, and their commitment to each other has only grown stronger through the years. But love isn’t always easy, and eighteen months after a violent assault, their fairy-tale relationship is still struggling. Charlie can’t shake the lingering fear of attracting more violence by displaying affection, and he’s angry at himself for not getting past it. Sam would do anything to help Charlie feel better—if only he knew what that was.
The century-old farmhouse in Northwest Oregon is the perfect place to spend the holidays with Sam’s family, but it was their refuge after the attack, and it still holds painful memories of those difficult first months. Christmas should be a joyful time, but even being surrounded by people who love him isn’t enough to make Charlie feel safe. He could try to keep to himself, but even if Sam agreed to give him the space he needs, Sam’s warm and loving family might not. And even though they agreed not to exchange gifts, Sam has a surprise up his sleeve that he hopes will make everything merry and bright. But he may end up more surprised than Charlie before the week is out…
Thanks for stopping by! Be sure and comment for a chance at all the fabulous prizes and the click the pic below to keep hopping! #2013Hop
Happy New Year!
Charley Descoteaux 
Happy New Year, wish you a fantastic new year
mrsqueentutt@gmail.com
My origin story? I was a wee child born to fairies in Ireland…yeah no. I’m just a girl from Baltimore. 🙂 Happy Holidays!
Sue
sue_holston@hotmail.com
Happy New Year! My family has come from all different countries such as Germany, Ireland, Holland, Denmark.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com
Thanks so much for being part of this blog hop. Happy New Year!!
rmwyer at shaw dot ca
Happy New Year!
My resolution is to spend more time on myself. I spread myself to thin. Maybe getting a cloning machine up and running would help!
~*Drea*~
dreabecraft(@)aol.com
I was born in the Philippines and I have relatives that I don’t know about. Just found out recently I have cousins in Canada.
bituin76 at hotmail dot com
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE! I’m going to lose 25 # and read 52 + books this year.
Judy
strawberryrose@earthlink.net
Happy New Year!!
bacchus76 at myself dot com
My roots are in Scandinavian countries and Poland. I`m Latvian myself, as is my family.
Thanks!
dita(dot)skarste(at)gmail(dot)com
great grandparents are french canadian, that’s all i know of my origin – regnod(at)yahoo(d0t)com
One grandmother was Italian and the other was French. Don’t know much about either grandfather.
wildnmild4u at yahoo dot com
Happy New Year & Big Hugs
Missie Jones
missie25524 (at) netzero (dot) com
Happy New Year! My New Years traditions are easy, I spend time with my family and friends. I can’t think of a better way to ring in the new year. My resolutions this year is as always to loose a few pounds and spend a little more time with my family.
Ifightforlove36@gmail.com
Nothing exciting in my origins. Thx for the hop stop.
blinkysthebest at aol dot com
no real interesting origin story that I know, just basic blue-collar irish catholic background. 🙂 happy new year
gamistress66(at)aol(dot)com
Watch the ball drop and get a midnight kiss.
r.d1@myfairpoint.net
I am a Krautmick. I love being German Irish. From what I understand we even had a castle at one time. Don’t know much about it. But still cool.
Happy New Year.
Mel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com
The largest portion of my origin is from Denmark. When I was a child I thought my great-grandmother wasn’t too bright, all she did was smile and nod. Oh but could that woman cook, yum. When I finally grew up I realized she just didn’t speak or understand much English. Shame on me for thinking bad things.
ocanana@gmail.com
Nothing interesting that I know of.
Thanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
Both my parents’ families settled in the South when they came to this country but moved around somewhat over the years, ending up with both my parents in the same city (and school) in their mid-teens. My background is mostly English, Scottish and Irish, with a little German thrown in.
jmcgaugh (at) semo (dot) edu
Hi! Happy New Years! Im a mut. Really. I mostly have german and indian in me. My grandma, my mom’s mom, said her mother walked in the trail of tears. I dont really know much. My family isnt close and no one really likes to talk about the dead. I do know we’re mostly german and indian with a bit of everything else thrown in. lol Thanks for the awesome hop and all the giveaways! This is so fun! I love these hops! I always meet new authors, reconnect with old ones and my TBR list grows by leaps and bounds! Thank you!! Have a great day! Best wishes and many blessings to you!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
direct decedent of Nathan Hale
Entering for Grand Prizes.
Thanks for the contest.
slehan at juno dot com
Happy New Year to you!
verusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com
Where do I start? The strongest bloodlines in my family are Norwegian, German, and Irish, with a bit of Scottish, Cornish, Welsh, and Dutch thrown in on the European side (and French and English if you go back far enough). I have some Oneida and Onondaga for my Native American blood (mostly from my dad’s side), and their just *might* be some Dakota in there, too. That said, I can reliably trace my family tree back at least a thousand years…on certain lines, at least. My great-grandma was of Norwegian-American and German-American heritage, and her husband was Irish-Canadian–I run into dead ends with both those lines pretty quick (but at least I know the Irish line was from Ulster and that they moved to North America in the 18th century, long before the famine).
tp DOT quixotic AT gmail DOT com
Happy New Year
staceyprice(at)gmail(dot)com
thanks for the hop
myboo63@hotmail.com
My family originates from England, Ireland, and Wales. But most of my family lives no farther than 2hrs away.
bones_mcp(at)yahoo(dot)com
My family comes from Japan, France, and Italy. Thank you for your giveaway!
annettekz2 AT yahoo DOT com
Hmmm, my orgin story, i was born in the forest full of werewolves. o-0 yeah far fetch even for me haha!
Have a Happy new years!!!
red_tigergirl2(at)hotmail(dot)com
I am a mut mixed with so many European countries its not funnyhappy new years thank you. angel0319@hotmail.com
Well, i don’t have an exciting origin. Born in a small town in Illinois with German and Irish descents! Thanks for the chance to win, I love amazon!
kacidesigns AT yahoo DOT com
Thanks for the giveaway! My resolution/goal is to get a new job.
amnell(dot)khalan(at)gmail(dot)com