Gifting Books Giveaway Hop - Win an E-Book

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A Widow - A Stranger

A depression era farm - they both claim

A story of love and endurance - and a romance to take your breath away.

It's the Christmas season and what better time to have something like the Gifting Books Giveaway Hop?  Ready to take a break from shopping and endless Christmas parties - thinking of maybe settling down with a good book?  Then here's a good place to start.  Just follow the trail of blogs to books, books and more books.  

In the theme of this hop -  the special book I was gifted, and there's been so many in m life that I'd like to mention but one stands out.  It goes back to childhood.  As a child I wanted Heidi in the worst way but Heidi was a few years away from making a repackaged come back.  In fact, the book at that point was pretty much out of print in Canada - hard to believe now, when a multitude of variations and translations are available.  My mother found the book in a local second hand store - red-cloth bound with that dusty delicate feel of a very old book, the pages yellow and worn and tinted with a smell of mildew and dust.  I treasured that book.

So to celebrate the season, I'm giving away another book that's special to me.  One I wrote, an e-copy of my first book  "From the Dust" to one commenter over the course of the hop.  

Drop by and leave a note and I'll enter you for a chance to win.  What book did you receive that was special?

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Folllow the links below to more books.
Let's Hop!!

Underground Culture - Inspiration in the Shadows

It's interesting how changing what appears when you open your back door lifts a floodgate that might be masking your imagination.  My imagination needed a jump start and my backpack needed dusting off.  So if you've been paying attention to my spotty blogging, I took a trip and met a whole new culture and another group of people.  And while much is the same, a lot is different.  The weather for one.  It's averaged mid twenties here.  While at home it's wavering between single digits over zero and -20 - bear in mind that's all Celsius and no I'm not converting it for you, I'm having enough problems of my own with that.

Like - "Why the heck are you driving so fast?"  I believe I asked...before considering conversion possibilities.  "The speed limit is 35."  35 miles an hour that is, not kilometers.  But of course I have my neck cricked at an odd angle looking for the local sheriff anyway.  I've read about him and all his tough guy patrolling of borders (hey, I'm just reporting it as I read it) hunting for smuggling of all kinds.

And then there are the other kinds of stories, those not quite so serious and in some instances, just plain entertaining.  Stories of aliens from another planet and even alien burrows, lost gold and forgotten mines, Elvis sightings and...  Yes, the stories go on, urban legends, fodder for tourists and in some instances, real mysteries. 

Underground culture, the best feeding ground for a writer's imagination.  Don't get me wrong, every place has it, you're just more apt to look for it when you're new to a place.  That's one of the lures of travel - the newness of it all. 

So the notebook is out, the pen is out of ink and there's little time and more stories to be had. 

There's secrets in those shadows.

What makes your day?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Work is Interfering with my Golf Game

Is it golf or work that's the problem?  I don't know but a working vacation is really kind of a misnomer.  It worked real well in the beginning - that is the beginning when we'd recently arrived and the days stretched ahead unmapped, uncharted and seemingly never-ending.  Then, in the beginning that is,  I'd get up first thing in the morning, have a couple of hours to myself before a swim in the pool and starting the day.

Now the days are closing in - vacation is slipping away and talk of home is on the horizon.  I'm not sure if I'm ready for that.   The conversation filtering from outside is a discussion with the pool boy who obviously is a native of the warmer south.  He wants to know if anyone works outside in the winter. 

Roll that question back - I'm not sure if anyone stops working outside in the winter.  That's what polar fleece was made for and other scientific technologies that swear your nether parts won't freeze off.  

Too hot - too cold.  There are bragging rights on how hot or how cold a place can get.  Haven't you noticed that?  People love to brag about their temperature extremes.  Me, I'd rather just have a nice consistent high 20's Celsius or even a tad warmer and that would be perfect.

Perfect, that's here, right now - except for the prickles and brambles but that's another story.  Hmmm - best get in my golf games, laps and that shortened work day while there's still time. 

But, you know,  I'm kind of looking forward to my schedule especially with two projects on the go and a release in the immediate future (more on that and all the fun coming up). 

In the meantime - here's a view of Christmas down south.

Any weather getaways or a working vacation on your horizon?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com