Shannon Lawrence & Happy Ghoulidays!

 Shannon's latest book is out and about on November 20th!!

In celebration we're talking about our favourite cold-weather holidays.

I live in Northern Ontario in Canada so we have a lot of these! My favourite is definitely Christmas. We almost always have a white Christmas. I actually only remember one year having a green Christmas. That was so weird for us!!

Growing up we had a small in our back yard so we often spent Christmas afternoon taking our new toboggans or magic carpets down the hill. I'm sure our parents were thrilled to have us outside for most of the day!

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The holidays can be a stressful time, as we all know, but I'm hoping to lighten up this winter season with a little holiday horror.

Maybe "lighten up" isn't the right term.

The first story begins the winter holidays with Thanksgiving, with stories representing Christmas, Hanukah, Hogmanay (the New Year), Yule, Groundhog Day, and, finally, Valentine's Day. From serious horror to tongue-in-cheek. Read them all at once or save them for their holidays. Or both! 

Release day is November 20, which also happens to be my birthday! Just in time for Thanksgiving week. You can pre-order the Kindle version, with other versions, including paperback, available on release day.

Blurb: Family time can lead to murder and mayhem, especially during the holidays. A turkey with a tale to tell, elves under attack, sorority sisters putting on a killer party, a woman's desperation to save her family, and a stranger ringing in the New Year. These and other tales of woe await you beneath the mistletoe.

Be careful who you offer a kiss. It may be your last.

About the Author: A fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes in her dungeon when her minions allow, often accompanied by her familiars. She writes primarily horror and fantasy. Her stories can be found in several anthologies and magazines, and her collections, Blue Sludge Blues & Other Abominations and Bruised Souls & Other Torments, are available in stores. You can also find her as a co-host of the podcast “Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem.” When she's not writing, she's hiking through the wilds of Colorado and photographing her magnificent surroundings. Though she often misses the Oregon coast, the majestic and rugged Rockies are a sight she could never part with. Besides, in Colorado there's always a place to hide a body or birth a monster. What more could she ask for? 

Release date: November 20

Pre-order link:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MDZR9K5

Website: www.thewarriormuse.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewarriormuse

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewarriormuse

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13836289.Shannon_Lawrence

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewarriormuse/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Shannon-Lawrence/e/B00TDKPOAO

How about you? Are you ready for the Ghoulidays? Do you have any favorite cold-weather holidays or memories?

Dribs and Drabs

It's been a busy week  - lots of goodies going on.

Shannon McMahon has an anonymous critique going on her blog Somewhere Between Fact and Fiction. It's a great idea and I know she'd be thrilled if some new friends popped on over to help out with some insights. Check it out!

Talli Roland's blogsplash was a huge success! The Hating Game reached #24 on Amazon in the UK and #460 on Amazon in the US. Those are incredible numbers!! Congratulations Talli!


In other news, we were hit by almost a foot of snow last night - and we're expecting another 6 inches or more tonight. It all came in a few hours, so the plows weren't able to keep up. The roads were a mess, but we all made it to school and work! Winter is definitely here!

Janet Summer Johnson awarded me the Creative Blogger Award way back. Thanks Janet! Life has been nutbar crazy & that's my excuse for not thanking you before this! If you haven't visited Janet yet, check out the link - you won't regret it!!

Jessica Ann Hill awarded me the Magical Blog Award more recently! She's a terrific new friend! I love the photo on the award - la Tour Eiffel lit up is gorgeous! Check out her blog for lots of fun. :) Thanks Jessica!

So, have you been hit by snow yet? I know my Aussie and Kiwi friends are in the midst of summer and I'm more than a little jealous after all that shoveling!!

Setbacks

Well, we got slammed back into winter today. About 6 inches of snow. Wet snow. Slushy, wet, blowy, stinging snow.


Sigh.

My just-coming-up tulips and daffodils are probably toast.

On the plus side, we know it won't stay long! Right? Right. It's just a setback. (I had to Google whether this was 1 or 2 words, or if it had a hyphen. FYI if it's a noun, it's 1 word, the verb gets 2 words, no hyphen. Who knew?)

Setbacks may not be fun in real life, but they can be so much fun to throw at our characters. I feel a little guilty when I giggle as I throw them curve ball after curve ball. Is it fun because I know they're going to be all right by the end of the book? Or do I have an evil, dark side? Hmmm.

I think one of the more interesting setbacks in one ms involves a dead, mutilated rat. Another ms has a setback involving a very cool gun that fires fun & deadly blue light. :)

Do you enjoy throwing setbacks at your characters? What's the best curve ball you've thrown at them? You don't have to give away any secrets - just a snippet!