Merry Christmas from Clan Dantonville

Merry Christmas and all the blessings of the season

I wish all my lovely readers a very merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a safe and prosperous new year.

In my last newsletter I said that the next time you all hear from me will be from my brand spanking new Wordpress website. Alas, life too often has other ideas and interferes with the best laid plans.

Anyone who knows me well, laughs when using my name and technology in the same sentence. So sadly, my Wordpress website is taking a little longer to set up then I anticipated. But, it is coming together and my Home page is done. Here's the link if anyone would like to check it out and tell me what you think of it http://www.timamarialacoba.com 

And if anyone knows how to add a slider to my Book page header, please let me know. I'd be most grateful.

Until then, I'm posting from my old blogger site.

NEWS ABOUT BLOODWISH AND TERENS

I'm thrilled to announce that BloodWish will be released in time for Valentine's Day - Feb 14th 2018. I can't wait to share this final book in Laura and Alec's story. But, that's not the end. I've listened to my readers who've asked for books on the other guys in the Dantonville Can. So, the next book in the series will be on Terens, which is scheduled for Christmas 2018.

And does he have a story to tell! Let me just say that there's more to "Sexy Terry" than what you've read so far.

I hope you'll enjoy reading it.

Since Christmas is practically upon us, I've been baking. My family is originally from the Czech Republic, and the traditional seasonal cookies, cakes, buns and breads are to die for. They're also waistline killers!

But what the heck, it's only once a year, right?

Unfortunately, here in Australia, Christmas is in summer and the temperature can soar way past the hundred degree mark. Without the good old air-conditioning blasting away, there's no way anyone could have a hot oven going. And what's Christmas without turkey, pudding and cookies?

And being the sharing girl that I am (*wink*) here's a plate of my Czech Christmas cookies.

Most countries, and even individuals, celebrate Christmas with a range of traditions. One of the most famous is kissing under the mistletoe. That one's fun.

While writing BloodPledge, the second book in my Dantonville Legacy Series, I needed a particularly gruesome tradition for Terens and Sam, the once former Roman soldiers. So, it couldn't be anything soft, and being vampires, of course, there had to be some blood involved. It also had to be unique and based on something practical.

I had a ball writing it.

Here's the scene: 

‘Don’t you think it’s ironic. Nobody speaks Latin anymore, yet Frisian’s everywhere—in modern English? Maybe it’s just as well I didn’t waste my time learning to speak yours.’

Cal guffawed, reached for the decanter and poured himself another glass of wine. ‘How you gonna counter that one, Terens?’

‘Only one way I know.’ Terens rose from his seat and flexed his right arm. ‘Brand new model.’

‘By all means, test it out.’ Sam’s chair scrapped across the floor as he too, rose and began flexing his right arm. ‘Ready to lose some fingers?’ The two stood facing each other, grinning.

Kari rolled her eyes. ‘Oh no, not this stupid game.’

Alec leaned toward me and whispered, ‘Maybe we should go for a stroll around the deck.’

‘Why?’ I asked. ‘What are they going to do?’

‘Their version of an arm wrestle.’ Alec looked uncomfortable. ‘They do it every Christmas.’

‘It’s gross, Laura.’ Kari grimaced. ‘The loser must chop off a finger and hand it over. The one with the biggest collection wins.’

‘You’re kidding! At Christmas?’

‘It’s the only time they can do it—good way to test the strength of the Ingenii blood. Any lost appendage regenerates in an instant,’ Alec said.

‘Sorry boys, you know I can’t stay to watch,’ Judy said. ‘If anyone wants me I’ll be in my room.’ She wished us goodnight and kissed Luc and Marcus on the cheek. The men rose and bowed as she left the room.

‘Think I’ll do the same,’ I said when I saw Terens move one of the candelabras aside and pull a blade from beneath his trouser leg. ‘No way am I going to watch them cut off fingers, even if it is some weird Christmas tradition.’

‘Allez, ma petite, this is not for a lady’s eyes.’
‘I agree,’ Kari said, and skipped to my side of the table. ‘Let’s join Judy.’

I still had Alec’s Christmas present. This was a good time to slip away and give it to him.

‘Meet you there, Kari. There’s something I need to do.’ I mouthed the words, 'Present for Alec'.

She nodded, and gave me a knowing smile as she left.
I turned to Alec. ‘I accept your offer of a stroll around the deck.’
With his arm around my waist, Alec led me from the dining room just as Sam and Terens took up their position, elbows on the table, hands clasped, steely gazes locked. Two long, menacing-looking knives lay in the centre of the table.

I shuddered and turned away. 

Did I succeed in making your squirm? If you'd like to read the rest, assuming you haven't read BloodPledge yet, read it here: 

Amazon US   Amazon CA   Amazon AU   Amazon UK 

All books are also available on Kindle Unlimited.

Until next time, have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

Christmas in Australia is Hot - Must Be Sung To the Tune Of, "Winter In America Is Cold…"

I love this time of the year, and not only because it means I'll be on summer holidays (I live in Australia), but it's Christmas, and that brings its own delights no matter what the temperature.

It means the sweet scent of pine in the house - unless you have an artificial tree. Here in Sydney, that's often preferred as the heat affects the cut trees and they wither faster - you get the smell of rotting pine in the house instead. One year my mum came up with the brilliant idea of keeping our tree in a bucket filled with water, then spray it with pine scent. Unfortunately, that December we had a series of heat waves and not only did the tree rot faster (in spite of the air-conditioning) but the pine spray we used was for bathroom use. We now had a wet rotting tree that smelled like a toilet!

Heat or no heat, festive season is not the same in my house without Christmas cookies. And our traditional Czechoslovakian ones (my family's originally from Prague) are to die for. One year I thought I'd try my hand at making a gingerbread house. I bought all the ingredients, cut out the template from a recipe book and got to work. It all went well until I began pasting the walls and roof together. Australian summer heat and syrupy icing sugar are about as compatible as an ice block on a hot pavement. Nothing I did would make it stick together - roof and walls kept sliding apart. My fairytale gingerbread house was turning into a renovator's delight!
In the end I gave up, cut them into various shapes, stuck the lollies on top and served them up to the kids. They were gobbled down in minutes!
Eh! Who needs a gingerbread house!

Every year I make my own Christmas cards. Each one is different, and is designed for the person it's intended for. My dining room table gets littered with coloured and textured card, glue, glitter, stamps, snippets of ribbon, lace, buttons and even old Christmas cards. I cut them up and recycle some of the prettiest images - bells, angels, scrolls, stars… etc.
But, beware of metallic parts - they go "beep" in the post office and set off another type of bell!
I found this out one year when I had used a decorative, star-shaped metal clip to attach the folded message sheet inside the card.
Who would've thought!

This Christmas my family is coming over to my house to celebrate.
My artificial tree is up and glitters beautifully when all the lights are off; the cookies are being baked - small, horseshoe-shaped ones that don't melt in the heat; and my Christmas cards are lining the mantelpiece ready to be posted - the message sheet is glued in!

Merry Christmas everyone.

Please leave a comment and let me know how you celebrate this-best-of-all-seasons.