In the immortal words ofDel Boy "What a plonker! " If you arewondering who I'm talking about wonder no longer, to quote Miss Piggy, "It's moi!". By the middle of last week I was feeling really despondant. I thought my idea of exploring the possibility of using the Google+ Community feature to create a generic template all others can use to do the same thing (a la G.H.Gaines)was one that some of you might find worth considering. Apparently not. While my good friend Eiry and Mickey Peluso both supported the idea they didn't actually join the Community. What hadI done wrong?

If you want people to come to your party you have to send them an invite right? For some reason my invites were not sent. I looked up Google+ Help, whichI find a bit techie to be truthful, and eventually arrived at this solution. It may be the way you want to go also.

I discovered that if you have a Google+ Page that Page can create its own Community.
If you haven't got a Google+ Page it's easy enough to create one. I decided to opt for my Kindle Authors Page as it encompassed writers in general and not one specific genre.

Next I created a Community - all the links for creating communities and pages are on the left hand side. It's a very simple process. Just make sure when you are creating your Community you select whether you want it to be available to everyone or just a select group as this cannot be changed afterwards.

At the last count the Billy and The Pit of Shadows Community has 13 members. I am starting to feel better already!

There is little point in establishing a community if you do not engage with your members and encourage them to engage with each other. Keeping in mind our primary purpose is to promote our book. How do we start?

IDENTIFY POINTS OF CONTACT - As Billy and The Pit of Shadows has a child as its central character there arepotentially many commonthemes we can explore from within the story.

• School Assemblies.
• School Trips
• Playground Games
• Bullying
• Schools and Teachers.
• Relatives I loved.
• Childhood Myths
• Subjects I Hated etc.
• FriendsI Remember

There is enough common ground there to hopefully inspire engagement and involvement. Although you are essentially promoting your book you are also helping to create a dynamic community that you will genuinely enjoy being part of for its own sake.

We have all suffered , endured or enjoyed school assemblies at one time or another. Chapter Two of Billy and The Pit of Shadows is entitled The Best Assembly Ever . This affords me the opportunity to showcase some of my work and get other members involved. First I post the chapter to the community andask them to post an account of a particular memorable school assembly for whatever reason.

Eiry, bless her , has already emailed an account of what must have been an excruciatingly embarassing experience for one child. Once she has joined the CommunityEiry can post it direct. Later I will also showcase some of the posts on this blog.

There are other ways we can engage and we shall consider and develop these over the coming weeks. So if you have not already joined Billy and The Pit of Shadows why not pop over to Kindle Authors and accept the invite? I look forward to welcoming you.

"Billy stooped down, picked up a handful of gravel and flung it at Nan's window. It clattered against the glass echoing down the narrow street. Billy half expected to see the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse come charging wildly out of the night just like the Visiting Speaker had told them in assembly. Lots of children complained of nightmares for weeks after. Mr Meredith didn't ask him back, which disappointed Billy. It had been much better than normal assemblies, especially when Kayleigh Williams started to cry."

From Chapter Two: The Best Assembly Ever

Thecomplete chapter is now available in the Billy and The Pit of Shadows Community.

Next Week we consider how we go about planning our novels.

I know I keep banging on about it like a drummer from a punk band but independent authors simply have to promote their own work. How, is the problem. There are so many ways a writer can dissipate his/her time for very little reward that could have beenspent on our primary function of writing. Some of the promotional activities can also be costly and largely ineffective. Time spent writing never is, as that is how we develop our craft.

Sadly, if you want to make a living and get yourself noticed you have to promote. Last week we took a look at teaser videos that don't have to be hi tech to be very effective. This week let's consider a new opportunity being afforded by Google+ that we can turn to our advantage - the Google+ Community. I believe this feature has enormous potential for the writer.

Ok, so what is a Google+ Community and what opportunities does it offer?

First let's look at Google's definition of a community:

"Google+ communities are places for people to get together and talk about the interests that they share."

Joining a communityis easy. Simply click on the community icon and a list of communities that have already been created will come up. I have already joined several that are of interest to me. I also wanted to see how others organise the communities they have created and what they did to engage with members. For authors wanting to build a readership the key wordis engagement.

If we can engage effectively with a potential readership while in the process of writing our book think how powerful a motivational force that can be. Dickens wrote his novels almost as 'soaps' with an engaged fan base just waiting for the next episode. He didn't simply sit down and decide to write a classic. So that's one possible way we have thought of already - what about offering our book to our community in instalments. First of course we have to create an engaged community!

We may be jumping ahead of ourselves a little. One of the communities I joined recentlywas Indie Readers and Writers . The trouble with these kind of communities and forums is thatthey can oftenbeoverwhelmedby people who use them simply to promote their own work and not to engage in any sort of meaningful way with other members. "But", you may ask, "isn't that what you said we must do, promote our work?" TRUE! Unfortunately blatant self-promotion can often be a complete turn off.

• 
  Being up front about your intentions

• 
  Forcing you to be more innovative in engaging your membership in a meaningful way.

• 
  Is more manageable and enables your community to grow as you write your book.

Creating a community is the easy part. Click on the communities icon and a page like this will appear giving you the opportunity to Join or Create a community.

You need to give some thought about how you will engage your community as this will be the key as to whether your community will thrive or shrivel.

Billy and The Pit of Shadows is a paranormal adventure for children of all ages set in the South Wales Valleys. The main character Billy is nine years old. One of the first things Ididwas identify points of contacts within the story that people might genuinely find interesting because they can relate to it themselves. You must genuinely seek and want interaction with your members .

For example one chapter is set around a school assembly. This affords me the opportunity to engage my community by asking if they can remember anyassemblies thatstand out in their memoriesfor whatever reason. The most embarrassing, boring, funniestetc. The point is I genuinely want to hear about them so I can feature them on my blog. HopefullyI will be able to provide more ideas as I wrestle with the task of creating a vibrant and involved community.

IMHO there is no point in seeking members if you do not have a plan of engagement mapped out. Once you have it is time to start inviting members to the community. Invite friends form Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and, wait for it. . . your blog. This is where YOU get the invite to join. If I am going to conduct a meaningful exercise in assessing the potential of Google+ communities as a promotional tool for authors I need your involvement.

What does this entail:

• 
  Join the community.

• 
  Interact and respond to initiatives. e.g the school assembly.

• 
  Give feedback and suggestions.

Together we can create a model that can become an effective promotional tool for everyone.

One word of warning. The only danger in creating a community around your book is that if it's not that well written or it doesn't grab the reader then the exercise will be counter productive. But it's probably better to discover that sooner rather than later!

" Jack stood in the sparsely populated supermarket cafeteria contemplating the best way to kill his mother. He eventually settled on a stake through the heart
swiftly followed by a generous sprinkling of holy water. Rose would happily
minister the water, holy or otherwise. "

It turned out Jack was a movie producer, semi-retired. We traded a few names. He thought hed met Hugo, probably at an awards evening. Adrienne had moved over to the glass wall, leaning against it, staring out into the colonnaded terrace. She turned, aware that I was watching her, catching my eye and smiling.
And Jimbo? Jack said. Jimbo Johnson? I shook my head.
I dont think so.
A legend, Jack said. You should look him up, tell him I sent you. He gestured at Adrienne and she refilled our glasses. Come to that, Ill be talking to him this week, I could ask him down, the two of you could meet.
Im going to fuck your wife, I said to Jack, breathing the words into the rim of my glass, the champagne effervescing under my nose like the onset of laughter.
chris keil 2013

When I read this I wanted to know what happened next. Then I wished I'd written it myself! I did ask Chris if I could use it the next time I went to my local pub. He graciously consented. I did explain I would have to substitute 'semi retired hobbler' for 'movie producer' and 'lager' for 'chamapagne' as well as make bloody sure the hobbler in question didn't hear me!

WE WAS BRUNG UP PROPER !!

"And we never had a whole Mars bar until 1993"!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE
1930-39 & 1940's to 1950's
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank sherry while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos...
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, bread and dripping, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.
Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds , KFC, Subway or Nandos.
Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on a Sunday, somehow we didn't starve to death!
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gobstoppers and Bubble Gum.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter,milk from the cow,and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O..K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo Wii , X-boxes, no video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY ,
no video/dvd films, or colour TV
no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no
Lawsuits from these accidents.

Only girls had pierced ears!

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time....

We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays,

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet because we didn't need to keep up with the Jones's!

Not everyone made the rugby/football/cricket/netball team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on
MERIT

Our teachers used to hit us with canes and gym shoes and throw the blackboard rubber at us if they thought we weren't concentrating ...
We can string sentences together and spell and have proper conversations because of a good, solid three R's education.
Our parents would tell us to ask a stranger to help us cross the road.
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law!

Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO
DEAL WITH IT ALL !


And YOU are one of them!
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.
And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

PS -The big type is because your eyes are not too good at your age anymore

In schools up and down the country there is a hive of activity underway. Stress levels are high and artistic tempraments strained to thebreaking pointas rehearsals for Christmas nativity plays and productions hit full swing. Headteachers and Prinicpals everywhere lock the office door, take refuge in darkened stockrooms or tinker with the photocopier as they vainly attempt to avoid harrassed staff and the inevitable post-production confrontations.

Every year , whether as a headteacher, parent or now grandparent, I never cease to marvel at the energy, talent and dedication displayed by teachers as they juggle their top heavy workloads and still manage to produce something special.

Inevitably there will be hiccups. As when the innkeeper magnanimously proclaimed there was plenty of room in the inn. Or the occasion when one of the shepherds drop-kicked the lamb into the audience and completely stole the show. One of my very favourite moments was when the three kings got lost in one of the adjacent classrooms and a search party had to be despatched while the angels waited impatiently in the wings.

So, particularly at this time of year, lets hear it for the teachers!

Teaching has to be the most influential profession of all. For most of the year we entrust the most treasured possession we have into their care. We trust them with the future of our nation expecting them to be role models, mentors and inspirational guides.

Often maligned and subjected to the dictates of politicians with their own personal agendas they persevere to do their best for the children in their charge. I have to smile when those in power pontificate that schools and teachers should have high aspirations for children and ensure they instill a 'can do' attitude. I agree they are absolute prerequisites for success but they seem to ignore their own advice when their favoured method of dealing with the teaching profession is to berate and set up structures that enable schools and children to be laboured as failures.

What has all this to do with writing? It is good to know that many teachers from diverse backgrounds are also authors or bloggers. Not only do they provide a very positive role model but they are also invariably inspirational individuals we hope our children are fortunate tocome intocontact with.

Below are just some of the teachers who have turned their hand to writing in various capacities. Some are retired, some have become full time authors and all come from very different backgrounds and write in a variety of genres. One thing they have in common is they deserve our warm appreciation so please click on their image and get to know the writer behind the teacher. You will not be disappointed!

Let's Hear It For The Teachers . . .

Carol Ekster	Shane Paceli	Robin Woods	Susan Breen
Andrew Cowley	Caroline Russell	Rhys Chamberlain	Patrick Egan
Kimbo	J Thomas Ross	Claire Evans	Megan Hands
Daniel Kenyon	C L Davies	Greg Gagliardi	Stephanie Thomas
Stephen Ames Berry	Barry Cooper	Jules Carey	Jane Freeman
Cathy Czepiel	James Vernon	David Fleming	Dicy McCullough
	The featured image is borrowed from http://www.toybox.org.uk When you buy Toybox Christmas cards you are helping street children in Latin America, and honouring the homeless child at the heart of the Christmas story

Over the next few weeks I am going to be very busy painting backdrops for nativity plays, standing in for Santa in several local schools and attending my grandson's various concerts. I have also been invited to New York as a guest of The City Bar Entertainments Committee who are sponsoring a concert reading of 'A Christmas Carol Revisited' for charity. Unfortunately I doubt if I will have the time (or money) to be able to attend. I will try and get another couple of posts out before Christmas but it will be difficult and I make no promises.

If you have any nativity stories please post them to me at phil@helpyourchildsucceed.com and I will feature them. THANKS

Christmas is traditionally a time for sitting around a log fire and telling ghost stories. These days central heating has mostlyreplaced the log fire but what about theseasonal ghost story? Is that also going the same way? From my list of 3,763 Mutual Twitter Followers I could only find a handful prepared to tag their work as 'ghost stories'. Is this because the ghost story is seen as old hat or has this particular sub-genre been immersed in the ever growing Paranormal and Fantasy genre? I'd be interested to know what you think.
Ibelieve a well written ghost story can send shivers down the spine like nothing else. The imagination is probably the brain'smost powerful attribute.The images that can be conjured in our mind by a creaking door or a flickering candle far surpass the most graphic description that can flow from a writers pen. That's why I find it so sad that when we think of great ghosts stories we invariable have to delve into the past.
M.R.James is one who immediately springs to mind as a master of the craft. As evidence of my claim you may wish to view Robert Powell's reading of 'The Mezzotint' .

Read A Ghost Story This Christmas
Mardi Orlandi A Secret Society An Abandoned Church And a Shadow Brought together by their mysterious gifts, seven teenagers have been stranded in no-time by their Secret Society. In an abandoned church they find a gathering of ghosted orphans, trapped for over one hundred years. To free these ghosts they will need to discover each of their identities, and to do that, this group of misfits will need to face the secrets that have haunted their own lives. It is the only way they will survive. And time is running out. A haunting fantasy, Secrets of Ghosts will intrigue those of us who like to seek amongst the shadows.
Peter Shapiro Peter David Shapiro was born in Montreal, Canada, and emigrated to the US after completing graduate school at Stanford. Before writing his debut suspense novel, Ghosts on the Red Line, he toiled as a management consultant serving clients around the world. Harry West, his protagonist in Ghosts on the Red Line is by amazing coincidence also a consultant. Harry West also plays the leading role in The Trail of Money, the prequel to Ghosts on the Red Line, a suspense novel about money laundering and murder in Hong Kong that was released in October 2012.
Suzy Turner Adopted sisters Lana Beth and Emma Jane are polar opposites, but when the same strange 'tattoo' suddenly appears and winds its way up their bodies within days of each other, they soon realize there's more to their relationship than they could ever have imagined.Sent off to London for two weeks of 'work experience', the Morgan Sisters soon find themselves being initiated into the ancient Praxos Foundation, one that protects the innocent while fighting evil, both human and supernatural. At the same time, Lana Beth and Emma Jane must also investigate why the sweet but sometimes pesky ghost of Josiah Grimshaw just won't leave them alone.
Douglas R Cobb Join the world's best-known and most beloved terrier/pterodactyl, Lily, her fourteen-year-old "owner," Celeste Quince, and the rest of PAWS (Private Army of Warrior Sleuths), Fuzzy Wally MacGee (a Chinese Crested/rhino), Lucy armoset Higgins (a Great Dane/orangutan), and Prince Alphonse Saed (a miniature dachsund/Mountain Lion) as they attempt to foil the latest plans of the scarlet Macaw Frankie Sinister and the Scarlet SNURFLES. The claim they want to develop an alternative energy source, but when the ghosts of Arkansas start disappearing from their favorite haunts, it looks like it's a case for Lily, Celeste, and PAWS. How can they say "No," when the request comes from the "Bandit Queen," the ghost of Belle Starr? Read about their exciting and often humorous sleuthing adventures as they travel throughout Arkansas encountering ghosts (both good and diabolically evil) ! Also, be sure to read the first book in the exciting new series, Lily, Unleashed!
William Meikle Between 1878 and 1879 the small town of Amherst in Nova Scotia sees of one of the strangest cases of poltergeist activity in history.A local girl, Esther Cox becomes the focus of night terrors, rappings, unexplained fires and more. What is the cause of this outbreak of psychic disturbances? No one knows. But Esther has a secret. And that secret might just destroy her.
Dr Ann Nyland Am y Stuart is a journalist and blogger for a paranormal magazine.She doesn't wear black leather; she can't kick butt; she doesn't have supernatural powers.But she does have one skill: while wearing shapewear and with her reading glasses perched on her nose, she can out-research the best of them, especially when her caffeine levels are high.When sent to England to write articles on Sir Francis Dashwood's Hellfire Club, Amy uncovers a link between the alchemist Nicholas Flamel, the nineteenth century occultists and the Hellfire Caves which endangers her own life. Can her research skills save the world from at least one dastardly killer? The Dashwood Haunting is the first book in the Amy Stuart Occult Mystery series.
Ann Swann What do you do when a phantom needs your help?A small plane crashes into Jase's backyard, and before long, he realizes the ghost of the pilot is haunting him. Jase needs help to rid himself of this supernatural visitor. When he sees his friend, Stevie, entering the town's legendary haunted house, he's certain she's the one who will have the answer to his problem. But will she help him? Would you?
Phil Rowlands For media mogul Clinton Ebenezer Scrooge III this Christmas Eve will be unlike any other. He is about to embark on the most terrifying journey of his life. It is a journey in which he must confront a painful past before he can begin to right terrible wrongs, before he can know redemption. A journey that leads to a place he left long ago, a place where hope abandoned a lost child forever. Tonight Scrooge will discover that the past cannot be erased by power but is he prepared to pay the price demanded for his salvation?
Manhattan Plays Host to Contemporary Urban Adaption of Dickenss A Christmas Carol. Adapted and published by Welsh writer, Philip Rowlands, A Christmas Carol: Revisited is set to make its debut concert reading in New York this December. Thrusting Ebenezer Scrooge into modern day Manhattan, could Rowlands adaption open a new chapter for this timeless classic? Tonypandy, Wales Like all good things in life, the passage of times bring a need for change. Nobody believes this more than Welsh author Philip Rowlands, whose contemporary adaption of Charles Dickenss A Christmas Carol is taking the literary world by storm. In fact, the story has been so popular that it is about to make its debut concert reading in New York City. A Christmas Carol Revisited takes Dickenss original story and drops it into to modern-day Manhattan. Ironically, the storys concert reading will take place in the same city, being performed at The House of the Bar on December 19 th However, before making its impressive trip across the Atlantic, Rowlands adaptation enjoyed an abundance of home-grown success. The book was featured on BBC Radio Wales last November, being awarded a positive critique by radio host Roy Noble. As Rowlands explains, the positive feedback generated an urge to spread the word Earlier this year I decided to email the secretaries of Charles Dickens Societies around the world. The most exciting of all the responses was the one received from The Entertainment Committee of the New York City Bar Association. They requested permission to sponsor a Concert Reading of my book, which has now been planned for this December, he says. The performance is taking place on a one-off, non-commercial basis, with attendees being asked to voluntarily contribute something in a '5' denomination for a children's charity. Rowlands is delighted that his book is getting the attention and acclaim many feel it deserves, something he hopes Dickens himself would approve of. I tried to consider what issues Dickens would have written about today, hence my decision to set the story in New York and not London. America has long since assumed the mantle once worn by the British Empire and has been at the heart of most of the major global events of the 21st Century, he adds. Attention has even been garnered by noted figures in the literary world, including writer Nigel Crowle. He commented, I thought it was very, very, good indeed. Phil put a new twist to it. It was great. .He's got some great imagery. . .fantastic. . . I loved it. The Concert Reading of A Christmas Carol: Revisited will take place at The House of the Bar on December 19 th , Manhattan, New York City, between 18:00 20:00. To mark the event and in support of the children's charities involved FREE copies of A Christmas CarolRevisited will be availableon AMAZON this December. PRESS RELEASE

Great poets and authors have always pushed the boundaries of what may be considered good taste.

The following poet is no exception. Many of you may find his poem morally offensive and therefore I would like to make the following observations:

1. 'Glyn Scott' is NOT my pen name. He is much older and uglier than me. Pictorial evidence is provided below.

2. No penises were harmed or compromised in the making of this poem.

3. If you are easily offended (or female) please DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT.

4. No money exchanged hands in the promotion of this poem (yet).

PICTORIAL EVIDENCE in support of my previous observations.

PLEASE DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED.

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

HERE GOES. . .

The Counter Revolution.

We march like ancient warriors
along the rugged track,
To another field of battle
There is no looking back.

Our hearts are strong and wilful
Our hopes continue on
We are the veterans rugby team
Whose muscles have all gone.

The game begins and in no time,
we are praying for a rest
No violent scrums we settle in
like hens upon a nest.

The referee has abandoned hope
of controlling this debacle,
Our collective aim is to a man
avoid having to tackle.

Spectators few in number
There for memories sake
Stand and issue platitudes
Like mourners at a wake.

Our wives abandon us to chance
Of ever coming back
They see the pain that has no gain
and give us constant flack.

They say we men are obsolete
Mars usurped by Venus
Our worth is measured only
by the short length of our penis.

They demean us daily
saying boys they will be boys,
then replace us in the marital sack
with a range of sexual toys.

Yet we will fight on valiantly
sod our feminine side
We owe it to our brave young sons
To avoid the manhood slide.

So hardy veterans every where
Play on, theres no game finer.
Against the ever growing threat
The march of the vagina.

So get up off your knees, man
Support your local club.
If she says be home by six
her demanding you must snub.

Give her both barrels, my son
Reduce her to a pallor
and you and I will one day share
a brew in old Valhalla

Glyn Scott
The Ruptured Bard.

P.S. I f by some remote chance some of you enjoyed this poem let me know and I'll buy Glyn a pint next Monday when we meet for lunch.

If, as I strongly suspect, you find the tone of this poem morally reprehensible please forward me your comments on a blank 20 note and I will ensure the poet is made aware of how much he has offended your sensibilties.

I canhowever personally vouch for the fact that he was severely ruptured while researching this poem. Great poets must be prepared to suffer for their art.

I knew Christmas was just around the corner when the headmaster of the school my grandson attends called me into his office last week. Whatcould Isay but yes? I supposeI've grown into the role over the years! What a joy to be able to ask your grandchild whathe wants for Christmas. If the answer is too expensive I always have the option of explaining the elves are in dispute with the management so he might have to settle for another football! Last year was easy - he was onlyfive - but this year I know I'm going to come under more intensescrutiny. Let's just hope he doesn't start peeping under my beard. I'll have to change my deodorant though as last yearhe commented that"Father Christmas smelt just like you Bampa!"

Christmas is also an opportunity for writers to relaunch any books with a Christmas related theme. Goodreads has listed its top 20 favourite fictional Christmas Books. Click on the image below to view it for yourself but before you do, try and guess which book you think would be top of the list. My guess was that perennial favourite, and my personal number one, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. I was astonished to find I was wrong. See if you fare any better.

The first of our authors with a Christmas theme is Carol DeVaney.

Her novel is entitled 'A Smoky Mountain Christmas' .
Tina Cole has one goal: to take back control of her life. Falling in love isn't
part of the bargain. On the rebound from a fizzled relationship, she lands on
writer Hank Gordon's doorstep and finds that everything she thought she wanted
out of life means nothing without love.
Recently divorced and disillusioned
by love, Hank Gordon has sworn off women. He isn't in the mood to entertain a
woman with an attitude who frustrates him more than any woman hes ever met.
Hanks novel deadline is twenty-four hours away and he's cut off from the world
with no phone or email service, and a beautiful, aggravating crazy woman to
distract him. If Hank thinks his life couldn't get any worse, he's wrong. Not
only is he baby-sitting a sassy Southern princess who has no idea what a kitchen
is for, but two escaped convicts turn up at the cabin, while Hanks horse is
about to foal.
A Smoky Mountain Christmas is available on Amazon Kindle. Click the image to access the book.

The next author is the exotically named 'PY Lab' .

Her Christmas offering is 'A Chinese Christmas Carol' .
After giving birth to her daughter, Joies world begins to fall apart as she becomes a whole different person. She is not the happy person that she once was. One evening, she meets a woman, and from then onwards, she finds herself re-living specific moments of her painful childhood past.

Our third author is Christopher Lord and his book is entitled The Christmas Carol Murders .

Its the holiday season in Dickens Junction, Oregon. Local bookstore owner Simon Alastair is getting ready for the communitys annual celebration of Charles Dickenss well-known story. But when a mysterious stranger shows up in the Junction and is murdered hours later, Simon begins to suspect that his little community has been targeted for destruction by a shadowy organization. And why is everyone suddenly reading Ayn Rand?

[ The Christmas Carol Murders ] is full of love for books...readers will
eat it up. Full of homespun characters and curious goings-on, Lord's mystery is
a love letter to both Dickens and to the small town amateur detectives who've
kept the peace in hamlets from River Heights to Cabot Cove.

- Chelsea
Cain , New York Times best-selling thriller writer

A delicious romp
through the world of Dickens wonderfully imagined in the 21st century by
Christopher Lord. The Christmas Carol Murders has it all: mystery,
eccentric characters galore and a touch of frivolity. You don't have to be a
Dickens fan to fall in love...

- Margaret Coel , New York Times
bestselling author of Buffalo Bill's Dead

"...a different, yet
delightful, type of cozy mystery...coupling old fashioned values with au
courant perspectives and literary interests... The Christmas Carol
Murders is one treat you won't need to beg for! Just go out and get it or
gift wrap it up for a friend!

- Audrey Lawrence , Fresh Fiction
(tinyurl.com/9ocubkf)

Lord [brings] this story to life in an old
fashioned kind of way with a modern day twist...The murders were tastefully
done...[Lord] had me guessing to the very end...Mr. Lord writes with passion,
pulling you into the story, not letting you go until the end, leaving you
wanting more. I say he has a hit on his hands.

- Robin ,
Romancing the Book

NOW: One to look out for:

Kelly S Gamble
Her darkly humorous Christmasnovel They Call Me Crazy is due for release this December.
Roland Adams was just a good ol' boy from Deacon, Kansas. When his wife, Cass, is found trying to dump his body in the Spring River, the town can only come to one conclusion: She's crazy. Certifiable. Always has been.

While Cass' big city lawyer fights for her freedom, Cass' life unfolds, as do her odd relationships with her worm-farming brother-in-law, her psychic grandmother, her gold-digging sister, and her estranged best friend ... her only friend, a promiscuous fifth grade teacher. What binds them together has also torn them apart, and their secrets may be the key to Cass' deliverance.

But Roland is the only one who has all of the answers. And he's not talking.

They Call Me Crazy is due to hit the shelves this December.
Good Luck Kelly

NEXT WEEK: Ghost Stories For Christmas