Santa’s Treasure Hunt and Blog Hop

Welcome to Santa’s Treasure Hunt Blog Hop.

All you have to do, is follow Santa’s sleigh as he travels around the world.

Write down the Christmas word, given on each blog. Then click on the link to the next stop.

Please comment on the Christmas stories and poems that the writers have featured especially for you.

When you’ve finished the hop, email your list of Christmas words to kazzmoss@gmail.com.

Everyone with the correct list will be put in a draw to win all the eBooks in Santa’s sack and not only are there many books, but there’s also a huge range of fiction genres for you all to enjoy.

This blog is hosted by karenjmossman.com. If you get lost on your way.

Just pop over to my blog where I have all Santa’s stops linked up in order.

Meeting Nicholas

Snuggled under a blanket in her recliner, the fire roaring, Jayne sat reading a book from her favourite fantasy author while drinking eggnog. Closing her eyes, she smiled, wishing she could have a mythical adventure and a man visit from her dreams. If only romance like this actually happened in real life.
The characters—Robert and Pippa, were a lovely couple, playing in the snow while discovering their love.
Nerina—her cat, jumped up on her knee, curling up on her stomach, purring contentedly.
“Why do you always climb on me when I’m about to get up to do something,” she muttered, stroking her hand along Nerina’s black back, smiling as the purring rumbles got louder. “Such a cutie, aren’t you?”
Nerina rolled over, showing her furry stomach, batting Jayne’s hands, getting her to rub her tummy.
A faint knock made Jayne look up and frown. Head to one side, she listened for a moment. Not hearing anything, she went back to cuddling Nerina. When the knock happened again, louder this time, Jayne sat up, her cat dropping to the carpet with a hiss of annoyance.
Standing up, Jayne approached the bay window, looking out into the dark, cold night. Snow swirled in thick flurries past the window, landing on the already thick snow covering her lawn and gardens. Leaning forward, wiping a circle on the condensed window, she peered out. Squealing, she jumped back in fright. A face was at the window, large knuckles tapping on the glass.

Moving to the front door, leaving the chain on, she opened it, glancing out. Jayne found a tall man with black hair and green eyes bundled up in a coat, hat, scarf, and boots, holding a large box in his gloved hands.
“Hey,” he smiled. “Are you Jayne Brereton?”
“Who are you? What do you want?”
“Your Aunt Phoebe asked me to drop off your Christmas present,” he grinned. “Sorry if I scared you.”
Jayne took the chain off the door, opening it wider.
“You’d best come in.”
“Thanks,” he stepped over the threshold. The house shuddered around her for a moment, making her blink. Shutting the front door, Jayne accepted the parcel, placing it on the side table as the man unwound his rather long scarf.
“Would you like a hot drink? You must be frozen.”
“That would be lovely. Do you have any hot chocolate?”
“Here, let me take your coat, then you can follow me to the kitchen,” he shrugged out of his thick wool coat, letting her lay it over a chair with his scarf. Removing his boots, he padded after her towards the kitchen.
“Wow, this is amazing. Looks like a chef’s kitchen.”
“It could pass for one, though it’s a farmhouse kitchen. The cottage is about three hundred years old.”
“Lovely and warm in here.”
“Sit down. You never told me your name?”
“Nicholas Claus…”
“Welcome to my home, Nicholas. How do you know my aunt? I don’t remember her ever mentioning you before.”

Also Meet the Guys and Girls from my main book series

Author Bio

Claire is a Multi-genre author with over thirty books to her name, from picture books for young children to adult murder mystery series. Claire is British born and lives in New Zealand with her husband, adult children, two cats and a rabbit.

Social Media Links

claireplaisted@gmail.com 

http://myjourneyintowriting.blogspot.co.nz/ 
https://twitter.com/plaistedpublish
https://facebook.com/claireplaistedauthor
https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-plaisted-6054816a/
https://www.instagram.com/rotosis/
https://www.plaistedpublishinghouse.com
https://www.plaistedpublishinghouse.co.nz

RUDOLPH

Jump right over to Karina’s blog to collect the next word in the search

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Would You Like to Fly?

Electric Eclectic's Blog

Ka, half raptor and half man, must undertake three tests to become a member of the elite Icarian Squadron, flyers who dedicate themselves to the destruction of Summia and to an alliance with Imperiana. In order for him to succeed, he must first overcome his own fears, but in the process he discovers how Imperiana has manipulated the trials and Ka’s own emotional needs. Captain Harriman, under Imperial command, is ordered to make sure the fledgling flyers bow to Imperiana’s control. Will Ka be able to survive the trials and become an Icarian as his father was in the first war between Imperiana and Summia, or will his failure lead to disgrace and exile from the Rookery?

At 113 pages, this is a great book to kick back and relax with.

I loved it. Very imaginative. Who among us wouldn’t love to be able to fly in more than our…

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Don’t Drive By Without Stopping

Electric Eclectic's Blog

A Short Hot Romantic Read

Description

Cara had been writing romance since before the break-up of her relationship at college. Although only fairly successful, a chance encounter on her way home from a Book Signing was just what she needed.

Ewan had seen the blond beauty in her red Jaguar F-Type as he drove home from what had turned out to be a career changing day. He could still scarcely believe that he was the Super Bike World Champion but all that fled from his mind when he spotted her. He tried to forget her as they parted ways on the road, but it didn’t work and he had turned around hoping to chase her down. Seeing her parked in a lay-by was just the opportunity he needed to take the plunge.

However, both Cara and Ewan left their lay-by liaison only knowing each other’s first name. The next morning…

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How to Structure Stories With Multiple Main Characters? – by K.M. Weiland…

I use multi characters to get an end result in a story… Thought I’d share this so readers can understand how it works. Enjoy the read from K M Weiland.

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

on Helping Writers become Authors:

One of the most common questions I’m asked is how to structure stories with multiple main characters.

If you have two (or more) characters who are equally important to the story and receive equal POV time, how should you balance them when structuring your novel?

Continue reading HERE

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How Bad Marketing Can Destroy Your Author Brand, Lose Friends, and Influence Nobody – by Anne R Allen…

Always wise to research what you are looking for, before you take the plunge…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

Bad marketing is worse than none. And I’ve seen some breathtakingly bad marketing strategies recently. I assume authors are hiring cut-rate online marketers who have more experience selling real estate in Mumbai and knock-off designer sunglasses than books.

Do I need to say this is a bad idea? Being annoying may sell faux Viagra and Bitcoin scams, but it will not make people think an author has anything entertaining or wise to say. In fact, it may drive away your existing readers.

In publishing, your name is your brand. Once you’ve hired somebody who behaves badly in your name, it will be difficult to rebuild that brand.

Just an aside here, but speaking of bad marketing — American political marketers have quite a hustle going. Every day, they send us annoying placemat-sized “Postcards” that go straight into recycling, and hire robocallers to harass us in their candidate’s name. Then they…

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WRITING BOOK BLURBS

Writing Book Blurbs… Something I’m not overly good at…

Story Empire

Hi SEers! Denise here to talk about writing a book blurb. I’m in the final stages of editing my current book, and my thoughts are turning to create the dreaded blurb. It can almost be harder to write than the book.

Instead of writing my blurb, I wondered where the term originated. Here’s what I found: “The wordblurbwas coined in 1907 by American humoristGelett Burgess(1866–1951).[2]His short 1906 bookAre You a Bromide?was presented in a limited edition to an annual trade association dinner.”— Wikipedia

With that out of the way, I refreshed my skills by researching what makes a good blurb.

Length

I stay between 100 and 200 words. I’ve seen plenty of shorter and longer ones. Shorter blurbs might not pull the reader in, while longer ones might give too much information.

Content

When approaching writing a blurb, I do it from…

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The best time to release your new book

A good read. Thanks Paul.

Ramblings from a Writer's Mind

Yesterday I completed another book, making it ready for publication.

Over the previous three days, I have titivated with the internal layout, put the final finickity touches to my tome, trying to ensure I have no orphaned sentences, that the images, I have several throughout the book, are set as I wish and then, once again a run-through for any grammatical, punctuation or other errors such messing about can create.

For the two days before, I worked on finalising the cover.

The book Is now filed away awaiting the right window for publication. (I’m thinking sometime around May.)

The reason, I believe this will be the BEST time for me to release this book.

But is there a best time for you to release a book?

---

Let’s look at how this publishing game pans out over the year, and what else might influence when you make your book…

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The Adventures of a Wayward Author

Not sure if the fairies have landed yet, never mind the muses. Will they ever come back and let me write a decent story again or is my life situation still a bit much for them. They sure as hell don’t like Covid. No idea where they’ve locked themselves up. Maybe it’s not me who’s wayward, more likely it’s the darn muses having a laugh at my expense.

“Hey look at her trying to write,” one nudges the other.
   “I know, right. Can’t do it without us,” they giggle.

I’ll show them. I already published a story, ‘Soul Man,’ though it’s an old one so doesn’t really count. This story was released in parts in Ghostly Rites Anthologies by Plaisted Publishing. I decided it was time the full story stood on it’s own.

Description

The moon shone down eerily on the green-grey waves, glancing on the body guiding it to the shore. Gently, the waves propelled him towards the sandy beach. His body rolling over as it hit the sands; his empty eyes staring blankly up towards the wan moon as his body finally settled on the sand. His long black hair swirled in the seawater, each time the waves rushed over his body leaving seaweed and sand on his semi naked body.

I need new material and do I have heaps of that after my life since 2017. Oh. My. God. No wonder the muses won’t come home. Not sure I would either if I had a choice, except New Zealand is amazing compared to where I was. This is where my heart is and my adorable man.

Anyway…

I have an idea for a new type of romance. At the moment I’m calling it ‘The Book of Love.’ It’s a sexy hot tale of a frustrated woman who want’s what those erotic author write about… in her life. Sadly she is invisible to most people around her, including her family who ignore her.
   What can she do to set her life in the direction she wants? Reading erotic books and a vibrator is all she has right now. Breda want’s something real. A gentleman, a romantic and some glorious orgasms to make her scream. Instead of her dull shabby life she had.

Will her dreams come true? How will she find her man. She adores Snyden from her latest book. He’s gorgeous, muscular and knows how to make a woman scream, after all he makes Lisa, his girlfriend in the book, scream all the time.
   Unbeknown to Breda, the characters noticed Breda’s sad, lonely life and decided to do something for her. Hang on, they’re characters in a book Breda’s reading! How could they help, they weren’t real people! The decision belonged to Snyden and Lisa. Would they pull Breda into the book and give her a good time, or would they escape the pages and turn up in her real life.

Oh the possibilities… This is why I love fiction. Be warned, this story is for adults only!! 

Historical Research for Writers

A wonderful informative post on research. I love history and have over 20 years of family history research to work with. I can find most things I look for, though this information is great reminder on what is out there. Enjoy the read.

A Writer's Path

Researching is, believe it or not, a skill that not everyone has. If you do have it you should definitely put it on your C.V.; good research is often the thing you do not see, but the want of it is blindingly obvious, especially when you write historic fiction, or you’re writing about cultures and people you don’t know anything about.

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Beware Misguided Writing Advice

Brilliant Advice … Enjoy the read.

Nicholas C. Rossis

Author Anne R. Allen published yesterday a great post titled, 10 Dangerous Critiques: Beware Misguided Writing Advice. In it, she explains how trying to please everybody who beta-reads or critiques your WIP can turn a novel into a kind of jackalope of unrelated parts.

Sources of the Most Dangerous Critiques

1. The Realism Brigade

These are the folks who want to know when your characters go to the bathroom and point out that it really isn’t all that romantic to have your first kiss in front of everybody at work, the window of a department store, or the middle of a snowstorm.They’ll tell you that gun has too much of a kick for a young woman to handle or that nobody could run that fast in high heels.

The truth is that most fiction is not realistic and is not meant to be.

2. The Detailers

These are…

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