Tag: holiday

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Giftmas 2018: The Thrilling Conclusion!

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In case you missed my previous post, this month a lot of authors are participating in the Giftmas 2018 blog tour to raise money for the Edmonton Food Bank. Our readers have been great; you can check our final stats over here.

Each day of the tour, an author has posted a free story to support the effort. But it’s possible that you didn’t get to them all, or that you hate reading on a blog instead of in your favorite ereader or on traditional wood pulp.

Well, Merry Christmas! Because today we have an anthology for you.

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Giftmas 2018: Out of Cocoa

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2018 GiftmasBlog Tour

It’s become something of a tradition to join editor and author Rhonda Parrish in her Giftmas blog tour to benefit the Edmonton Food Bank, and now we’re back again! I’m picking up the blog baton from author E.C. Bell. And this year we have something new and cool for you!

Every stop along the tour, starting December 1, will have a story or poem for you. It’s free — a gift, you might say. So you’ll have 24 free stories just for coming along with us.

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Charitable: Donate with Me, 2018 edition

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We’ve just finished Thanksgiving here, complete with turkey and Beef Wellington and dinosaurs.

dinosaurs and Beef Wellington
dinosaurs and Beef Wellington

Thanksgiving is fundamentally about both gratitude and sharing. Frequently at the end of the year, I list some of my charities and invite readers to donate with me. We don’t talk amounts, there are no special prizes, it’s just me sharing some causes and the organizations I trust to do something about them. None of these links are connected to me, I get no kickback or prize for referrals or anything. This is just part of me thanking all of you for helping me to support these groups, who offer help to all in need regardless of identity, creed or worldview, etc.

So, in no particular order:

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A Short Story for the End of 2017 — For Charity

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I have a new short story out for charity. Here’ s how it happened: I was driving along Tuesday night, musing that I wished I’d released one more thing this year — even though it’s been a good writing year for me — just so I could say I’d done twelve releases in twelve months. For the sheer symmetry of it. I also thought I should have planned ahead to do a charity fundraiser again.

And then I realized that I could put those two desires together.

So I pulled out a short story with a Christmas theme, whipped up a quick cover, and we’re ready to go. Continue reading

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Sharing A Light: Giftmas Blog Tour

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Giftmas 2017 fundraising blog tour

Today I’m joining Rhonda Parrish’s Giftmas blog tour! (You remember Rhonda? Editor of Fae, Scarecrow, Corvidae, Equus, Mrs. Claus, the alphabet anthologies, and more?) For ten days or so, fourteen writers will share seasonal thoughts to raise money for the Edmonton (Alberta) Food Bank.

Oh, and prizes. We’ll also share prizes. Because giving is a part of Giftmas.

Last year we raised over $500, so please, join us this year? All donations go directly to charity, nothing passes through grubby writer hands — and Americans get extra value, since donations are in Canadian dollars! ;-) Continue reading

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Swag Sale! Gifts for that dinosaur or kitsune lover and reader.

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shirts of various sizes and colors folded on wooden table

sorting remaining inventory for shirts

We all have problems. I need space to store new cool things, and you need gifts for that tricky person on your list.

Here’s a deal that will win for everyone.

I’m running a holiday sale on my kitsune shirts and Cupcake the Dinosaur swag, along with signed paperbacks of your favorite titles for gift-giving. Best of all, I’m a ninja at packing flat-rate boxes — challenge me! — so it’s flat-rate shipping for you. Go ahead and buy an extra shirt or book for yourself, guilt-free. Continue reading

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Wrap-up for #Inktober 2017

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Today is October 31st! That means two things:

  1. At midnight tonight, #NaNoWriMo starts.
  2. At midnight tonight, #Inktober ends.

This is the first year I’ve done Inktober, and I’m happy with the experiment. I had fun, I made some skill progress, I pushed myself, and apparently I pushed a few other people too, in a good way, as a couple of people have told me privately that they were inspired to try something new because of my Inktober posts — and I think that’s fantastic. Being authentic and trying to improve a non-existent skill was the original goal. Continue reading

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Cover Reveal: Mrs. Claus

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From the iconic 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street to Clement Moore’s immortal poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” to Rise of the Guardians (with a great burly Santa) to Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (too awful even for my schlock-loving B-movie taste), Saint Nick has gotten a lot of attention. But there’s another figure who has been consistently overlooked, and it’s time she gets her due.

I mean Mrs. Claus, of course.

And so I am pleased to announce a new anthology of stories all about the lady behind the jolly old elf. Continue reading

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The Mysterious Magi: Who Were They?

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Roman mosaic in Ravenna, showing Magi in Parthian dress
6th century Roman mosaic in Ravenna, showing Magi in Parthian dress

Today’s post is a lot of historical background, much of it research for my book So To Honor Him, put together to explain a story you’ve probably heard. If you’re into history and mystery-solving, come along with me. (Stay close; we’re going to go through a lot of material.)

We’re going to talk about the Magi, or the Wise Men, spoken of in the Biblical book of Matthew.

First off, despite your annual inundation of Christmas cards and nativity scenes, let’s admit that most of what the common man on the street will remember in reference to the Magi is sketchy at best and is not found anywhere in the Bible.

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