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Wishing you a peace-filled and blessed holiday wherever you are in the world. This is a festive season like no other, so stay healthy and safe.

This is a clootie/wishing tree on the beach here. It’s always there, decorated for the season. If you could use some magic tonight, say a wish and here’s hoping it comes true.

Merry Christmas!

It’s Christmas as I type these words and I just opened a gift package from a long-time reader. She sent me a beautiful cat seal and sealing wax, her present tucked into a cute Christmas tree pouch…

I love the sealing wax colors, and the seal itself is the prettiest bloom. A rose that will look so nice when used. It reminds me a bit of the Tudor roses, which, in turn, bring back fond memories of long-ago visits to Hampton Court Palace in England.

Likewise, the rose brings back mind-and-heart images of my own much-loved garden in Germany. I had the most beautiful roses and so enjoyed looking after them. Now, when I see the seal-rose, I will recall my own roses ‘back in the day’ and feel a heart squeeze.

This new rose promises to bloom beautifully again and again.

Take a look…

Of course, the star is the little silver cat who ‘holds the rose.’ He has diamond eyes and is wearing a bow-tie. Diamonds also grace his bow-tie. I’ll have to think of a name for him.

Something to suit the season, I’m thinking.

By any name, though, he’ll have pride of place on my desk and I’m viewing him as a good luck bringer. (something very welcome these days, especially)

Here he is…

As you can see, he’s very handsome and dapper. His pouch is also lovely and will keep him warm. Something he’ll appreciate if he’s anything like Snuggles, my cold-weather-hating cat who runs around in elf-and-‘Little Pudding’ English pudding jumpers these days.

So my Christmas just turned a shade brighter.

And that brings me to the title of this post. Writer in the Ink.

I’ve always said ‘know the books, know the author.’ If you read someone’s stories, you pretty much know that writer. That’s because any creative person’s ‘essence’ flows into their work. Doesn’t matter if they’re a writer, artist, musician, whatever.

Words are colored by the writer’s soul. Everything flows into the ink. Likes and dislikes, life experiences, every joy and tragedy. The things important to us, and the things we aren’t interested in. For instance, my readers surely know how much I love animals. Likewise, they are probably aware that I don’t give a flying fig about shoes.

They’ll know I’m especially fond of cats.

So, as the long-time reader who sent me this adorable seal-cat knows me so well from my stories, she knew just what I’d cherish.

And that’s pretty much my deep thoughts this Christmas Day.

Question: If you know an author, do you see them in their work? Could you read a passage and guess the author without seeing the author’s name?

I’m betting lots of you could.

Hello, Friends!

Travel isn’t a great option these days. But there is a fun way to explore distant places, and for free. Jetting around the globe for nothing is cool even in the best of times. Just now such an escape is a real treat.

Here’s your ticket…

Radio Garden lets you roam the world. Sort of, anyway. You scroll around the globe and can listen to live radio stations.

Just go to a dot and – ta da! – you can be anywhere…

I have this free app on my desk computer and on my phone. It’s fun to nip in and out of faraway places, catching some unknown-to-me radio host talk about the weather, local happenings, or just hear the kind of music popular on the far side of the world.

Those of you who yearn for Scotland can pop by Inverness, Aberdeen, Skye, Glasgow, or wherever, and hear the soft, oh-so-adored Scottish accents.

As a winter lover, I really enjoy visiting Nova Scotia, Iceland, and Greenland.

I might be snug on the sofa here in Florida, but by scrolling to one little green dot, I’m here…

In my mind, anyway.

It’s a neat getaway right before sleep. Just open the app and ‘drop in’ to some far-flung corner of the planet for a minute to two. Listening in as if dear old Devorgilla wriggled a red plaid shoelace your way, sending you just there where your heart desires.

And now, with reality not so great, a free way to ‘travel’ is fun.

I hope you’ll enjoy zipping about the globe this way. Next time you’re frustrated, weary, or just longing to be somewhere else, you can be.

Sort of, anyway!

Any of you already know about Radio Garden? If not…

Here again is your ticket. To get going, just click here.

Happy travels!

Hello, Friends!

Sins of a Highland Devil (Highland Warriors book 1) is FREE thru Dec. 25th!

“A magical tale of redemption, love, and loyalty in glorious mid-fourteenth-century Scotland.” ~ Booklist

If you’re a Scotland-lover and haven’t yet read this one, grab it fast. The price returns to $3.99 after Christmas. You can get your copy by clicking here.

Highland Warriors is a 4-book series and includes a 99c holiday novella, Once Upon a Highland Christmas. I love this series hope you’ll enjoy Sins of a Highland Devil if it’s a new read for you. This year has been rough on so many levels and I wanted to give my readers a ‘holiday escape.’ Hence the freebie. This is a story sure to whisk you away to another time and place, letting you forget the madness of 2020 and lose yourself in a world where passion, adventure, and true love sizzle on the page.

Here’s a mini-blurb…

Romantic Times Top Pick & K.I.S.S Hero Award

Sins of a Highland Warrior

 Highland Warriors Book 1

When the Scottish King commands three feuding clans to resolve their dispute with a trial by combat, proud Highland warrior James Cameron ‘The Devil’ soon learns that he’s fighting for much more than his beloved glen and that his greatest triumph will be winning the love of beautiful Catriona MacDonald, his enemy’s headstrong sister.

~*~

Stand-Alone Read … Full-length Novel … HEA … No Cliffhangers

Please note: I’m not sure if the free book is available worldwide. If it isn’t free in your country, my sincerest apologies.

~*~

Other news…

My holiday newsletter went out last night. It mentions the free book and my reasons for gifting it this year. Likewise I touch on why I started this blog.

If you’d like to read the newsletter, click here.

If you’d like to sign up for my newsletter, click here.

Thanks for reading!

Happy Winter Solstice!

I’m so glad you’re here. This is my new blog. And I want to welcome you with all my heart. At Winter Solstice, we face the longest night of winter dark, but the promise of ever-strengthening light arrives with the rising sun. For that reason, the shimmer of hope and brightness, I think launching now is a good time.

Also because I love winter, but that’s a topic for another day.

For now, I’ll just say that I wanted a place to share my thoughts and interests. Obviously, that includes my books. If you’re a reader, long-time or new, I hope you’ll enjoy having somewhere to hear about new releases, sales, and other exciting happenings.

If you’re not a reader, that’s fine, too. Perhaps you’re a fellow animal-and-nature lover. (extra-points for cat lovers) Maybe you share my fascination with history? Or the paranormal? Who doesn’t enjoy a good ghost story? Or the possibilities of time-slips and whatnot? I’m sure many of you love Scotland and Highlanders. Vikings, and Regency rakes. London, anyone?

And then there’s…

Books, reading, and writing. The writing life with all its rollercoaster highs and lows. And because this is my blog, whimsy and magic. The little things that crop up and deserve a blether.

If you followed my old blog, Tartan Ink, I’ll admit I’m recalling the good times enjoyed there. It’s been years since then, but the fond memories remain. Here, as in Tartan Ink’s infamous Tea Room, the only taboo topics will be politics and religion.

Likewise mirroring Tartan Ink, I hope to do author interviews and share reviews of books I enjoy. There might be an occasional rant. Some little thing that irks me. But even then, you won’t find any profanity. Just a grumble or two.

Unlike Tartan Ink, I won’t be doing daily posts. Instead, I’ll post when I have something to say and/or book news to share.

The blog’s name is a nod to my stewardess years. Back then, the phrase Coffee, Tea, or Me was a thing. Nowadays, I still love coffee and tea. I still brew and serve both, though in my home, not at 37,000 feet. And books? Well, they were a constant in my life then, paperback romance novels always tucked in my crew luggage. Books remain a great love.

So when I needed a blog name, Coffee, Tea, or Books seemed appropriate.

I’ll leave you now. Thanks again for being here. I hope you’ll become a regular visitor.

Till next time…

Happy Yule!