31 Days of Halloween

Best Time of the Year!

Oh, how I adore October. I usually celebrate the 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN by enjoying a horror movie extravaganza. However, this year I am diving into horror fiction. Here is a brief overview of some excellent stories I've read recently...

1. A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES by T. Kingfisher

Hilarious protagonist, laugh-out-loud humor, creepy storyline, very suspenseful, satisfying ending. Perfect Halloween read. Grade: A

2. THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT by Simone St. James

This is not a horror novel but it's still suspenseful, creepy, and filled with intriguing woo-woo biz. This paranormal historical mystery has an excellent combination of historical details, mysterious characters, a touch of romance, and a shocking twist at the end. Love this author! Grade: A

3. THE ONLY ONE LEFT by Riley Sager

Very well-written, compelling storyline. This is a "haunted house filled with secrets" horror novel at its best. The plot jumps back and forth between the past and current times, doling out just enough details to make you race through this book to find out what happens. I did not anticipate the big surprise at the end. Loved this book! Grade: A

4. WE SOLD OUR SOULS by Grady Hendrix

This is a heavy metal vs. evil story, and it does not shy away from gory, disturbing parts. Ack! Reader Beware! There were a few plot holes, but overall I enjoyed this one. If you're a metal head, you'll love it. Thumbs up. Grade: B+

Bonus Halloween Recipe: Baked Apple Cider Donuts

My family absolutely loved this recipe. It has apple cider, lots of warm spices, and instead of deep-frying, you bake them in the oven. They taste like professional donuts from a bakery. Highly recommend this recipe from Cake Whiz. 

Happy Autumn 🦉🕸🎃🦇🕷🧟‍♂️

Love, Penny 

Celebrate Christmas in July with the Klaus Brothers!

Are you melting from the summer heat? Do you need something light-hearted to cool you off? Award-winning, bestselling holiday fiction? A quirky series about the five sons of Santa Claus, a bunch of rambunctious elves in the North Pole, and plenty of romance?

THE KLAUS BROTHERS SERIES 

is now on sale for the month of July!

All books are available in print and digital formats, at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

Each book is now only 99 cents!

For more information about the books, plus purchase links, please check out the KLAUS PAGE.

For more information about the whole Penny Watson Collection, check out the BOOKSHELF.

Stay cool and safe,

Penny/Nina

Now Available for Purchase...A LUMBERJACKY CHRISTMAS!

I decided to try a little experiment. I'm using Draft-2-Digital for the first time with a new release.

I usually offer my books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo only.

D2D will allow me to sell via Apple (iBooks), as well as offer other library options.

This super short story--A LUMBERJACKY CHRISTMAS--was available as a download on my website a few years ago, but I'm not sure how many folks actually saw it/read it.

I decided to make it available for purchase so it would find a larger audience.

It's a very short story--only 4,000 words--but it definitely captures the sweetness and hopefulness of the holiday season.

Here's the blurb...(purchase links, too!)

Happy Holidays to all! xoxoxoxo

Love, Nina/Penny

❆❆❆

From award-winning author Penny Watson...

A super-schmaltzy, super-sweet, super-beardy, super-short snowbound-in-a-cabin holiday romance.

**Previously available on Penny Watson’s website**

Genre: Holiday Romance

Length: Super short story, 4000 words

Looking for a super-schmaltzy, super-sweet, super-beardy, super-short snowbound-in-a-cabin holiday romance?

You just found it.

David Green is an award-winning children’s author searching for inspiration. Hannah Morgan is an illustrator who is unlucky in love.

When they find themselves stranded in a cabin on Christmas Eve, can they possibly create their own special story...together?

Book includes 4,000-word quickie and an excerpt from National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award-winning A TASTE OF HEAVEN.

❆❆❆

Ebook only 99 cents!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Apple


Sending love and sweet treats to you!

Nina/Penny

10 Reasons To Read THE KLAUS BROTHERS SERIES

Okay, girls and boys!

And elves.

And Yeti.

It's that time again.

That time when people start diving into their holiday reading!

If you have yet to discover the quirkiness of THE KLAUS BROTHERS SERIES by Penny Watson, here are some logical reasons to check out these books. 

Here we go...

10 REASONS TO READ THE KLAUS BROTHERS SERIES

1. The whole series is already complete. 5 brothers, 5 books. So you can binge-read the whole thing. Just like binging on Stranger Things. Only not Stranger Things. Stranger Things if it was about 5 brothers in the North Pole. 

2. The books are only 99 cents each. CHEAP DATE, BABY!

3. Also available in paperback if you prefer old-school.

4. As far as I know, this is the only holiday fantasy paranormal romance SERIES in existence. I could be wrong. But pretty sure I'm right.

5. Do you like elves? There are elves.

6. Do you like Yeti? Yeah, we got Yeti.

7. Do you like quirky twists on holiday legends? Santa is a marathon-runner.

8. Do you love stories with uplifting themes of generosity, family, kindness, redemption, love? THE KLAUS BROTHERS SERIES has got that covered.

9. Do you like sexy? This series is sexy. If you do NOT like sexy, you can skim those parts. Or cover your eyes and sing "LA LA LA LA LA" and skip that chapter.

10. Do you need a big heaping dose of happy endings? Pretty sure everyone needs that right now. This is an award-winning, bestselling, massively huge dose of happy.

You're welcome!

For more information about THE KLAUS BROTHERS SERIES, here is my bookshelf with blurbs, links, and quotes.

For even more information about the series, here is the series link.

What's the best way to get prepared for the upcoming holiday season?

Hang out with Nicholas, Sven, Wolfgang, Gregor, and Oskar Klaus.

THE KLAUS BROTHERS!

"Truly wonderful...full of magic, love, 

sacrifice, friendship, and family."

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UNREAD

Summer Hygge

When I was searching for the meaning of life (*mid-life crisis...cough cough*) I came across the term "Hygge" and was instantly smitten. It's a Danish word that embodies a feeling of coziness and contentment. It essentially evolved as a way of surviving brutal winters without going stark-raving mad. In other words, if you have many months of darkness and cold, you need to figure out a way to embrace that weather and find the good and beauty there. 

Winter Hygge practices may involve snuggling under a cozy blanket, sipping hot coffee in front of a fire, and playing outside in the snow.

But Hygge is more than a season. It's a feeling...a way to live in the moment and find happiness.

Summer is actually the perfect time to practice Hygge, especially if you love nature and being outside.

Here are ten of my favorite ways to slow down and savor the moment during the summer season...

1. Walk outside and enjoy nature. This is probably my favorite outdoor experience. I love the wind on my face, checking out flora and fauna, and the silence and perspective I get away from civilization.

I recommend walking in a forest where it's shady and cool. Or, if you don't mind people (hee hee)...walking near the beach so you get a lovely summer breeze. One of the best summer spots is Sachuest Point in Middletown, Rhode Island. You can bird-watch, walk along the cliffs, and then grab a Del's lemonade on the way home. Bliss!

2. Make sun-tea. This is such a satisfying old-fashioned ritual. Take a clear pitcher, add 6 tea bags (I like Decaf Ginger Peach from The Republic of Tea), add water, and then place in the sunshine. Once the tea has steeped, you can remove the tea bags and add fresh herbs (lemon balm, lemon verbena, mint), or even slices of fresh fruit. Serve over ice. Refreshing!

3. Swim outside. There's a big difference between swimming in an indoor chlorinated pool packed with kids and swimming in a fresh water lake. Swimming all alone. Just you, a view of the mountains, and maybe a couple of fish near your feet.

My favorite and most invigorating swim was at the Basin Harbor in Vergennes, Vermont. The water (Lake Champlain) was freezing cold. Makes you feel alive! Fabulous experience.

4. Cook outside. Summer cooking is simple, easy, and so delicious. The farm stand is filled with fabulous fresh veggies and herbs. Who wants to turn on the oven when it's hot? No one! Time to fire up the grill.

Here's one of my favorite simple summer meals... a grilled veggie salad. Slice up zucchini, red onion, and orange/yellow peppers, grill until they have a nice char, toss with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve over greens and sprinkle with a bit of feta or goat cheese.

5. Garden daily. Another necessity in my life. It combines beauty, science, and creativity. Not only does it feed my soul, but it feeds my family. Gardening is calming and life-affirming, as well as practical (tomatoes for lunch!). BEST HOBBY EVER! 

Every day I do a bit of weeding and check out the new developments--what has bloomed, what fruits are ripe and ready to be picked, what herbs are sprouting. I also snip a fresh bouquet to place on my kitchen window sill. I usually add fragrant herbs for a nice scent in the house. I'm especially partial to lemon, so I like to trim lemon verbena, lemon balm, lemon basil, etc.

6. Socialize outside! One year I put white Christmas lights on my deck during the winter, and then after the holidays, I left them there. (No, I wasn't being lazy. I totally meant to do that!) Unexpected discovery: my deck was transformed into a whimsical spot for the summer. Add some bouquets of fresh flowers on the table, a few candles, and voilà! You now have the perfect spot to entertain. Make some summer cocktails, hang out under the stars. You can even create a summer cocktail bar with various fresh herbs from your garden. Party time!

7. Read outside. Kindle, print book. Doesn't matter. Reading is more relaxing when you are hiding in a shady spot with a gentle breeze ruffling your gorgeous silver hair. *wink* Personally, I like to hide under the big umbrella on my deck with a glass of sun-tea and my latest favorite Harlequin Presents. As one does.

8. Plan a local road trip. My only rule about travel...try to make it simple and stress-free. Otherwise, you need a vacation after your vacation. 

My family drove up to Maine recently. It's an easy drive, and we stopped for lobster rolls, to see the lighthouse at Cape Elizabeth, and had an incredible visit to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, which is nothing short of stellar. Confession from a Botany Geek: I was so taken with this gorgeous and inspiring spot, I cried. Twice. This garden is a hidden gem of the best kind. If you get a chance to visit, take it! 

9. Open your windows! I'm a fresh air nut. You know how some people love A/C and some love fresh air? I want the air. Even if it's filled with pollen, I still want the air.

After a long tough New England winter, I love getting a summer breeze in the house. I also love the view of my window boxes spilling over with flowers and herbs. It's a nice way to enjoy the weather.

10. Visit a farmer's market. Some shopping I hate: CLOTHES! Ugh. And some shopping I love: antiques, plants, and FARM STANDS. The best! There is something that is quintessentially summer about meandering through an outdoor market.

I just had a lovely time with my mother and sister at the farmer's market in Sewickley, PA. It had herbs and baked goods and pottery and wine and gorgeous plants and food stalls. One of the nicest markets I've seen.

I'm also partial to the farmer's market in Norwich, Vermont, where I used to get salad mixes with greens and flowers and herbs. So charming!

✺ ✺ ✺

So, there you have it. Ten of my favorite ways to enjoy the moment during the summer months. There's no reason you can't enjoy that cozy, happy Hygge feeling even if the weather is hot and sunny.

Just take a step outside and slow down your pace.

Hoping all of you have a wonderful summer,

Penny/Nina

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope all of you have a wonderful day. I just bought myself some chocolate. 

Some 2018 updates...I have workshops coming up!

See my 2018 Calendar.

April: Southwest Florida Romance Writers Workshop

Title: THE CARE AND FEEDING OF A 

ONE-OF-A-KIND WRITING CAREER

*

May: Cambridge School of Weston

Title: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A ROMANCE WRITER

*

June: Three Rivers Romance Writers Workshop

Title: TIPS FOR SIMPLE LIVING

*

September: Toronto Romance Writers 

Northern Hearts Conference

Title: TIPS FOR SIMPLE LIVING: HOW TO FIND YOUR HAPPY

For more info about workshops, see this link.

***

Have a wonderful Valentine holiday.

Love, Nina/Penny

A Force Of Nature: Marie Force and Penny Watson present the INDIE AUTHOR SYMPOSIUM

Once upon a time, there was a publishing totem pole.

With publishers, editors, agents, publicists, bookstores, and reviewers.

At the very bottom, nestled in a big old mud puddle, were the authors.

When I started writing, I was confused by this. Why were the folks who had the talent to create the stories at the bottom of the totem pole? We had no control over what we wrote, who bought it, how much money we made, who read it, what they said about it, what our covers looked like, the date of publication, and whether or not we were promoted.

And then...something happened.

Something really cool and really extraordinary happened.

The authors made up their own totem pole.

And we're at the top.

We're also in the middle and the bottom.

We're the whole damned totem pole.

We decide what we write about, where to sell it, how much money we'll make per book sale, how to promote it and reach our target readers, what our covers will look like, when to release our books, and who will edit/format our books.

I gotta say, I'm totally digging this totem pole.

And now for the announcement...Marie Force (as another author recently pointed out, she is a force of nature and an incredible success story in the world of self-publishing and publishing in general) and Penny Watson (that's me, I don't like it when folks tell me I can't do something) are hosting the INDEPENDENT AUTHOR SYMPOSIUM.


What is it?

A 2-day self-publishing symposium open to writers of all topics and genres.


Where is it?

Warwick, Rhode Island at the Crowne Plaza.


When is it?

Nov 1-2, 2013


Who is hosting it?

Marie Force: New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling hybrid author, who has found enormous success as both a self-publishing romance author and with her traditional releases through Berkley and Harlequin.

Penny Watson: Reviewer/Blogger at Penelope's Romance Reviews, author of contemporary and fantasy romance as Penny Watson and children's fiction as Nina Clark, and promo consultant/speaker who specializes in social media etiquette.


Tell me more!

On Friday evening, from 6-8 pm, there will be a networking reception (with cocktails, of course). And on Saturday there will be eight educational sessions, covering such topics as formatting, cover design, distribution, promotion, pricing, and more. The conference will wrap up with a question and answer session.

For detailed information about workshops, registration links, etc. please check out our website here.

✴✴✴

I asked this question of self-published authors recently: WHAT IS THE MOST EXCITING THING ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING?

Here are some of their answers...

"...make decisions on my own without anyone else telling me how it should be done...total input on what my cover should look like" -- KT Grant

"Options!...NY isn't deciding what readers should read. Readers are." -- Tiffinie Helmer

"Having control...I do both traditional and self [pubbing] and love it" -- TD Jones

"Total control!" -- Liberty Blake

"...ability to know what you are doing has an effect on your readers in a direct way...the ability to change things, if you choose to, is a very powerful thing...unmarketable books that will find readers because they aren't relegated to the slush pile" -- Jenn LeBlanc

"...discovering the amazing community of Indie authors and bloggers" -- Daisy Prescott

"Indie-published ebooks never go out of print" -- Judith Arnold

"Having someone actually read my book" -- Lex Callahan

"Someone will read it, someone will love it, someone will be happy that you put your whole soul out there" -- Christine Major DePetrillo

And finally, I asked Marie Force the same question. Here is what she said...

"I love having full control over every aspect of publication--from writing to editing to publication schedules and everything in between. I love the freedom to decide where I want to go with a series or characters and not have anyone tell me that's a bad idea or it won't work. It's fun to take some risks and not have to worry about the opinions of anyone but my readers." -- Marie Force

✴✴✴

Are you ready to join the revolution? Try your hand at self-publishing, take control of your career, have creative freedom? I hope to see many of you at our conference. 

For more information about the Independent Author Symposium, hosted by Marie Force and Penny Watson, please check out our website.

Carpe Diem!

Penelope