December 27, 2009

Cast Your Vote for Best Cover

Two of my books have been nominated for Best Cover. Since my daughter is on A Bride in the Bargain, I voted for it, but I love both of these and there are some other great covers as well. This is a Readers' Choice award, so click here to cast your vote! Then, come back and let us know how you voted!

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We've picked last week's winner. When we've heard back from her, we'll let you know. 

If you would like a chance to WIN a free advance copy of my new romantic suspense, BEGUILED, leave a comment here on my blog between now (December 27) and Saturday (January 2).  We will pick a winner at that time, then start all over again on Sunday.

For more opportunities to win, click on the "Dee's Circle of Friends" tab at the top and join in on the fun!

Hope you have a great New Year!

posted by Deeanne on 12/27/2009 - 38 comments - Post a Comment    RSS FEED

December 21, 2009

Merry Christmas

 From our house to yours ...

Have a blessed and wonderful Christmas!

(These are our four children and our precious daughter-in-law.)

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We've picked last week's winner. When we've heard back from her, we'll let you know. 

If you would like a chance to WIN a free advance copy of my new romantic suspense, BEGUILED, leave a comment here on my blog between now (December 21) and Saturday (December 26).  We will pick a winner at that time, then start all over again on Sunday.

For more opportunities to win, click on the "Dee's Circle of Friends" tab at the top and join in on the fun!

posted by Deeanne on 12/21/2009 - 28 comments - Post a Comment    RSS FEED

December 14, 2009

Christmas Traditions

Way back when the kids were small, I was at a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting and the speaker was giving ideas on how to take the "me" out of Christmas for your child. One of the things he suggested was a Christmas tradition that my family embraced and that--twenty years later--we are still doing today.

He called it Christmas Dates. First, Greg & I and each child made a Christmas list and we put the items in the order in which we wanted them. Then, Greg and I went on a "date" with each child. Each date included:

1. Going to a restaurant of his or her choosing
2. Shopping for their sibling and the parent they weren't with
3. Going to get a dessert of the child's choosing
4. Going home & wrapping the presents right then
5. Putting the presents under the tree right then

During dinner, we'd give the child a budget and look over the lists of the family members we were shopping for, then decide IN ADVANCE what we were going to buy them. This way, we knew EXACTLY what stores we were going to and what we were going to buy them. (No browsing stores. Just in and out!) For the rest of the dinner we'd just visit.

Because we had four kids (in four years), this was the ONLY one-on-one time Greg and I had with that child the entire year. And boy, did we cherish that time.

After dinner, we'd do our shopping. When we got to the checkout counter, we'd give the child the cash so that they could make the actual purchase. (Sometimes they had to do this while standing up in the shopping cart because they couldn't reach the cashier!) We also found that withholding dessert until the end kept the chid on-task during the shopping and made for a very pleasant way to end the evening!

Greg and I also made a pact that we would not do ANY shopping other than what the child was doing--even if what we needed was in the same store. We wanted to keep the focus on what the child was giving and not wear them out with extra errands or diminish what they were buying by purchasing something else ourselves.

The first year we did it, I wrapped white shelf paper onto four big, open-ended cardboard boxes. At the end of each box I put--in big block letters--FROM: CHILD'S NAME. They became known as our "from" boxes.

I then set the kids on the kitchen table with glue and markers and felt, etc. They spent hours decorating their "from" boxes. On Christmas Eve, we got the boxes out and they would each find the gifts under the tree that they were GIVING to their family member and put it in their "from" box.

On Christmas morning they took turns--as everyone watched--GIVING a present to each family member. We'd all watch what that family member received and then take a photo of the two. With the kids in their twenties now, I keep expecting to leave the "from" boxes in the attic. But every Christmas eve, they still go up there and bring them out and fill them with the gifts they brought.

And we still go on our dates. Though they've often already done their own shopping, it is a wonderful one-on-one time as we take each of them out to a restaurant of their choice. (And I have to say, their palates have matured and McDonald's is no longer their restaurant of choice. Ha!)

One of the other things that has matured is their Christmas lists. They now include not only the item, but the cost, the store in which it can be found (or the web link), a thumbnail picture and its rank (8 out of 10 stars, 4 out of 10 stars, etc.) The store clerks are very impressed when we come in and point to the item and say, "We'd like one of these." :) It is a fun time and a very special tradition and one that, I suspect, our children will do with their children.

What's a tradition that you do that is particularly special to you?

***

We heard back from three winners! Diane from Massachusetts, Brittany from Tennessee and Tiphy! Congrats, girls!! 

If you would like a chance to WIN a free advance copy of my new romantic suspense, BEGUILED, leave a comment here on my blog between now (December 14) and Saturday (December 19).  We will pick a winner at that time, then start all over again on Sunday.

For more opportunities to win, click on the "Dee's Circle of Friends" tab at the top and join in on the fun!

posted by Deeanne on 12/14/2009 - 30 comments - Post a Comment    RSS FEED

December 06, 2009

Cover Model Interview With Dee's Daughter

We've redesigned the website! In celebration, we have uploaded the long awaited interview with my daughter who was the cover model for my latest release, A BRIDE IN THE BARGAIN. To see the interview in its entirety, click on the "Dee's Circle of Friends" tab above, sign in and then click on the video play button!

Here is a clip from the interview:

To see the rest of the interview, go to "Dee's Circle of Friends" and join in on the fun!

Our Advanced Copy Giveaway Contest for BEGUILED that we started on Sunday (in the previous post) will continue on here. So, if you would like a chance to WIN a free advance copy of BEGUILED, the new romantic suspense I co-authored with J. Mark Bertrand, leave a comment anywhere on my blog between now and Saturday (December 12).  We will pick a winner at the close of that day, then start our contest all over again on Sunday.

For more chances to win, join my "Circle of Friends" and click on the trophy.

P.S. Let me know what you think of the redesign and the new "Circle of Friends" section of the website!

posted by Deeanne on 12/06/2009 - 31 comments - Post a Comment    RSS FEED

December 06, 2009

Radio Interviews

A couple of radio interviews have been posted where I talk about A BRIDE IN THE BARGAIN.  This one was conducted by the crime fiction novelist I co-authored BEGUILED with, J. Mark Bertrand--so that was lots of fun.  Tune in HERE to listen.

The next one was done by the Kingdom Highlights Show. Go to their website, kingdomhighlights.org and click on the "LISTEN TO OUR GUESTS" button, then scroll to the second page and click on my picture.

Come back and let me know what you think! :)

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Aveina from Texas was last week's winner! Congrat's Aveina! We are still waiting to hear from the winner from the week before last. We'll let you know who it is as soon as we hear from her.

Meanwhile, if you would like a chance to WIN a free advance copy of BEGUILED, the new romantic suspense I co-authored with J. Mark Bertrand, leave a comment here on my blog between now (December 6) and Saturday (December 12).  We will pick a winner at that time, then start all over again on Sunday.

posted by Deeanne on 12/06/2009 - 20 comments - Post a Comment    RSS FEED

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