MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas Greetings

It’s Christmas Eve, a magical time for me, and I hope for you.

I know most of you are extremely busy with last-minute shopping or parties, or family gatherings. Savor your time with family and friends. Hug them, tell them you appreciate them. The same for the furry members of your family. Hug your cats and dogs.

Take time for yourself. Relax, put your feet up, preferably before a roaring fire. Have some hot chocolate, a glass of wine, a hot toddy, whatever is your drink of choice. While you’re relaxing, read a romance to put you in a happy mood.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL!

PS-This is my last blog for RB4U. As of January 1, 2020, I will no longer be a member author. Personal circumstances have caused me to make changes in my writing life. I will still be a member of RB4U. I want to thank Marianne for all she's done in putting this great group together. She's left it in good hands with Nicole.

History of Tequila

Today, July 24, is National Tequila Day. Sounds fun, right? Back in the day, I drank my share of tequila, with salt and lemon. As a nod to my younger days, I thought I’d research the history of tequila.

Tequila is the name for a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, 40 miles northwest of Guadalajara, Mexico. The red volcanic soil in the surrounding region is particularly well-suited to the growing of the blue agave plant. (Wikipedia)

Mezcal wine, tequila’s grandparent, was first produced only a few decades after the Spaniards came to the New World in 1521. Agave played a much larger role than the source of an alcoholic drink. Its leaves were used for a hemp-like fiber to make mats, clothing, rope and paper. It was also the source of the nutrient and vitamin-rich brew, pulque. (Source: Los Cabos Magazine)

The distillation of pulque into something stronger may have originated by the Conquistadors as early as the 1520s. You’re familiar with Cuervo Tequila. Jose Antonio Cuervo was the first licensed manufacturer of tequila. In 1758, the King of Spain gave Cuervo the rights to cultivate a parcel of land in Mexico. Today, Cuervo is the largest manufacturer of tequila in the world. (Source: Los Cabos Magazine)

Mexican laws state that tequila can only be produced in the state of Jalisco and limited municipalities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Planting, tending, and harvesting the agave plant remains a manual effort, largely unchanged by modern farm machinery and relying on centuries-old know-how.

The men who harvest it, the jimadores [ximaˈðoɾes], have intimate knowledge of how the plants should be cultivated, passed down from generation to generation. (Wikipedia)

"Tequila worm" misconception

A young agave plant

THE WORM
Another interesting error is an urban legend related to a worm. The worm-in-the-bottle myth is old and tired. The truth has been broadcast and expounded for years by the cognoscenti of tequila, in newspapers, magazines and on the internet. Yes, it’s true, some American-bottled brands put one in their bottle to impress the gringos and boost sales, but it was a marketing ploy developed in the 1940s, not a Mexican tradition.

Sometimes however, there is a worm, properly a butterfly caterpillar, in some types of mezcal. You may also get a small bag of worm salt and chile powder tied to a mezcal bottle. There are two types of worms in mezcal: the red, gusano rojo—considered superior because it lives in the root and heart of the maguey—and the less-prized white or gold gusano de oro, which lives on the leaves. The red gusano turns pale in the mezcal, the gold turns ashen-gray. Both larvae are commonly eaten as food and are sold in Zapotec markets.

Yes, you’re supposed to eat the worm in mezcal. Don’t worry: it’s quite well pickled and free of pesticides (they’re often raised just for use in mezcal, cooked and pickled in alcohol for a year). But dispel any idea it has any magical or psychotropic properties, that it’s an aphrodisiac or the key to an "unseen world." It’s merely protein and alcohol—but it’s very rich in imagery. Note: Yuck.

In Mexico, the most traditional way to drink tequila is neat, without lime and salt. Outside Mexico, a single shot of tequila is often served with salt and a slice of lime. This is called tequila cruda and is sometimes referred to as "training wheels", "lick-sip-suck", or "lick-shoot-suck" (referring to the way in which the combination of ingredients is imbibed). The drinkers moisten the back of their hands below the index finger (usually by licking) and pour on the salt. Then the salt is licked off the hand, the tequila is drunk, and the fruit slice is quickly bitten. Groups of drinkers often do this simultaneously. (Wikipedia)

Note: I always thought you used lemon. That’s what we did in bars in the summer of 1971 at the Jersey Shore. Good times.

Now that you know all the important facts about tequila, go out and celebrate National Tequila Day.

While drinking your tequila, settle down with a sizzling, fun romance.

SALE!!

A Groom for Christmas (Love On a Dare Book 1)

Only 99 cents for a very limited time.

Fun holiday read.

A GROOM FOR CHRISTMAS is a new twist on the classic Hallmark Christmas movie full of family, humor, love, and a little bit of redemption.

Family pressure just might make her do something crazy...

When a young woman hires her hometown’s former bad boy to be her pretend fiancé for the holidays, she finds she can’t wrap up her feelings as easily as a Christmas gift.

New York jewelry designer Graceann Palmer has two days to find a fiancé to bring home to Pennsylvania for the holidays so her matchmaking mama will quit fixing her up with jerks. The Falcon, a motorcycle-riding, leather-clad former high school crush, helped her out once before. Maybe he'll do it again.

Jake Falco, man of many mysteries, is back in town on a mission—one the people of Spirit Lake most likely won't appreciate. When Graceann presents him with her crazy scheme, it gives him something he's always wanted—a chance to get to know Graceann. It also gives him the perfect opportunity to add fuel to his project of revenge. 

But as Jake and Graceann grow closer, their engagement-of-convenience begins to feel like the real deal—until Jake’s secrets are revealed. 

Can a relationship that began with lies and secrets bloom like a rare Christmas rose into happily-ever-after?

2013 Snow Globes Award Contest Finalist
Winner! 2014 New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award
2014 Readers' Choice Nominee, Best Couple, Love Romances Cafe
2014 RomCon Awards Finalist

There’s no tequila in A Groom for Christmas, but the sequel, Wedded on a Dare (Love On a Dare Book 2) is out, and I have scene where the heroine and hero are drinking tequila. Let’s hear it for tequila!

Here’s what some Amazon reviewers have said about A Groom for Christmas.

…“The story grabbed me in the beginning and kept me interested to the end. I urge you to read Jake and Graceann's story.”

…”A fun warm sweet romance that will have you laugh and see that you can't judge a person by who they were for you may miss something wonderful.”

https://books2read.com/u/4AwNnq

A trip to Vegas...
A gorgeous man...
A beautiful woman...
What could go wrong?

When a struggling actress takes a role as the glamorous temporary wife of a wealthy playboy, she finds love doesn’t always come on cue.

http://books2read.com/u/47xQ9R

Tattoos On Men--Love Them? Hate Them? Indifferent?

Tattoos are very popular now, with men and women, young and old. How do you feel about tattoos on men? On anyone, for that matter?

Several years ago I decided I wanted a small, classy tattoo on my ankle. Many of my female co-workers had them. When I announced this to my family, my father-in-law blew a gasket. I was shocked at how angry and appalled he was for a woman to get a tattoo. He was close to ninety then, a generation to whom tattoos were reserved for sailors and lowlifes.

I certainly wouldn’t let my father-in-law’s attitude stop me. To see if I’d like having a tattoo, I got a temporary one on my ankle and wore it for about a week. I hated it, absolutely hated having that “thing” on my ankle. My feelings surprised me. Needless to say, I didn’t get my tattoo.

I like most tattoos on others, but tasteful ones, strategically placed. I don’t like seeing them all over a person’s body. Lady Gaga has several, but the one that gives me pause is on the underside of her upper arm. Does she have any idea what that tattoo will look like when she’s older and has upper arm flab that flaps in the breeze? Tattoos should be placed on those body parts that don’t turn to fat, like ankles or forearms.

A well-placed and creative tattoo on a man can be very sexy. You’ll see from these pictures here just how sexy. I like giving tattoos to my romance heroes, but only if the artwork has meaning for them. In my short story Love Potion, my hero Jonathan has a tattoo of a snake on his arm. That snake is to remind him to be careful who he trusts because two people he loved betrayed him in the past.

In my novel, A Groom for Christmas, Love On a Dare Book 1, Jake has a tattoo of a falcon on his arm. In high school his nickname was The Falcon. He has the tattoo to remind him of how shabbily the close-minded townsfolk treated his family. He’s back to exact his revenge, only things don’t go as he planned.

My latest hero sporting a tattoo is Josh Tanner, hero of Josh’s Salvation, Redemption Book 4. Josh is a badass undercover agent working to bring down a California drug king. I hadn’t planned on giving him a tattoo, but a reader suggested I do his story and give him a tattoo.

How about you? In general, how do you feel about men having tattoos? Do you like romance heroes with tattoos?

Buy Links: 

Love Potion

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Potion-Cara-Marsi-ebook/dp/B01M7W2YUK/?tag=carmaraut-20

A Groom for Christmas (Love On a Dare Book 1)

https://books2read.com/u/4AwNnq

Josh's Salvation (Redemption Book 4)

https://books2read.com/u/47Z0o8

 

CLICHES I HAVE KNOWN AND LOVED

Here’s an oldie, but a goodie. Enjoy!

I love a good cliché. As soon as you hear one you know exactly what the writer or person is saying. So easy. Such an economy of words. As a writer it’s verboten to use clichés.

Here’s an ode to that which I must not use.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Life’s not so bad, when you consider the alternative.

All’s fair in love and war.

There are plenty more fish in the sea. (Not so much anymore).

It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. (Is it?).

Beauty is only skin deep. (Tell that to the guys lusting after supermodels).

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. (See above note).

You can’t tell a book by its cover. (Maybe not, but a good cover is essential).

I’m not ugly; I’m visually challenging. (Okay. I never heard this one but I like it).

It’s what’s on the inside that really matters. (See above re supermodels and lust).

If you can’t beat them, join them.

Nobody is perfect.

I’m only human.

The devil made me do it.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Tomorrow, no one will remember (Ya think?)

Avoid clichés like the plague. (There are many things you need to avoid like the plague).

There is truth in every cliché. (This is why I love them).

Clichés sound better in a foreign language. (Ah, that’s how I can get away with using them in my writing).

There is nothing to fear but fear itself. (Good one, but overused).

Life sucks and then you die.

When God gives you lemons, make lemonade (I prefer to wallow in self-pity).

Life is a bitch. (Ain’t that the truth). Also, Karma is a bitch.

When it rains, it pours.

No pain, no gain.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

I did it my way. (Or at least Sinatra did).

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Have a nice life.

Live and learn.

To be or not to be.

Live and let live.

Shit happens.

Laughter is the best medicine.

Same shit, different day.

Carpe diem. (See clichés, foreign language above)

What goes around comes around.

Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.

Life is messy.

Que sera, sera. (Ditto clichés and foreign languages)

Time will tell.

No news is good news.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Haste makes waste.

Cleanliness is next to godliness.

Do it right the first time. (Easy to say, hard to do)

There, I’ve done it. I’ve gotten my need for clichés out of my system. I will never again write one in a book. I promise. If you believe that one, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

Feel free to add your favorites.

Here’s something I hope is cliché-free. My newest release, available for pre-order for only 99 cents! Release date is April 1. (It’s not an April Fool’s joke).

WEDDED ON A DARE (LOVE ON A DARE BOOK 2)

 For all those who wanted Kate and Zach’s story, from A Groom for Christmas, this is for you!

When a struggling actress takes a role as the glamorous temporary wife of a wealthy playboy, she finds love doesn’t always come on cue.

Struggling actress Kate Carluccio showed up for her wedding but her groom bowed out without warning. He absconded not only with her heart, but also her parents’ life savings. Her confidence shaken, Kate’s determined to find a way to restore her parents’ money. Then she’s offered the role of a lifetime: step out of her colorful high-top sneakers and into the glammed-up role of socialite wife to a shallow, annoying playboy. If only Kate wasn’t also secretly attracted to him, the one-and-a-half million dollars he offers with his proposal of a marriage-of-convenience might be easier to accept.

Breathtakingly handsome, super rich, and sophisticated with a bad boy vibe, Zach Lyon is a tabloid favorite. He may be a vice-president at his father’s company, but up until now he’s just played a supporting role. But when he discovers two executives are conspiring to force his dad out and take over the company, Zach decides it’s time to step into the spotlight. What better way than to take a glamorous new wife to Las Vegas to spend the Christmas holiday at the home of one of the conspiring executives?

As the curtain rises on the eclectic house party, Kate and Zach play their roles against the backdrop of schemers and snobs, while hiding deep secrets of their own. Can Kate pretend to love Zach without revealing the true depth of her attraction? Can Zach prove to his father he has the stability to go from understudy to leading man? They may have wedded on a dare, but with the stage set for romance, their marriage-of-convenience might just turn into a marriage-to-last-a-lifetime.

Universal link:

http://books2read.com/u/47xQ9R

And, for your convenience, both A Groom for Christmas and Wedded On a Dare are together in a box set, Love On a Dare Duet!

 https://www.amazon.com/Love-Dare-Duet-Cara-Marsi-ebook/dp/B07P76BLRH/

Give Thanks for the Simple (sometimes silly) Pleasures

Thanksgiving just passed. I hope you all had a great holiday with friends and family. This time of year, we like to reflect on those things we’re most thankful for. I give thanks for my husband and son, and that we’re all healthy. I’m thankful we have enough food to eat and a roof over our heads. I’m thankful for the road trip to the National Parks out West my husband, son, and I took a few months ago.

However, I thought it would be fun to list other more simple, even silly, things I’m thankful for, those things that give me pleasure, no matter how small. Here’s my list, not in any particular order.

·       The Zombie Apocalypse hasn’t happened yet

·       That first sip of coffee in the morning

·       That first sip of wine with my evening meal

·       Happy Hour at my favorite watering holes

·       Weight Watchers cream cheese slathered on a Thomas’ bagel thin (only 5 WW Smartpoints)

·       Williams-Sonoma Pecan Pumpkin Butter

·       Anything pumpkin

·       Netflix

·       Dark chocolate with rich, red wine

·       Romance novel heroes with their sculpted bodies and lovemaking skills, but most of all their kindness toward others and their willingness to sacrifice for those they love

·       Hallmark Christmas movies

·       Christmas songs

·       Scoring a Kate Spade handbag at a deep, deep discount

·       Scoring anything at a discount

·       Any day the sun shines

·       Girlfriends

·       Books, mine and others I love

·       My cats

·       Mani-pedis

·       Sandals

·       Homemade soup

·       Amazon Prime (although I spend way too much there)

I could go on and on but then I’d never finish this blog. What are your favorite simple pleasures?

Take time from your busy holiday schedules to read a romance. If you like holiday romances, here are a few I think you’ll enjoy.

Like Hallmark movies with sizzle?

A Groom for Christmas (Love On a Dare Book 1)

Fun holiday read.

A GROOM FOR CHRISTMAS is a new twist on the classic Hallmark Christmas movie full of family, humor, love, and a little bit of redemption.

Family pressure just might make her do something crazy...

When a young woman hires her hometown’s former bad boy to be her pretend fiancé for the holidays, she finds she can’t wrap up her feelings as easily as a Christmas gift.

New York jewelry designer Graceann Palmer has two days to find a fiancé to bring home to Pennsylvania for the holidays so her matchmaking mama will quit fixing her up with jerks. The Falcon, a motorcycle-riding, leather-clad former high school crush, helped her out once before. Maybe he'll do it again.

Jake Falco, man of many mysteries, is back in town on a mission—one the people of Spirit Lake most likely won't appreciate. When Graceann presents him with her crazy scheme, it gives him something he's always wanted—a chance to get to know Graceann. It also gives him the perfect opportunity to add fuel to his project of revenge. 

But as Jake and Graceann grow closer, their engagement-of-convenience begins to feel like the real deal—until Jake’s secrets are revealed. 

Can a relationship that began with lies and secrets bloom like a rare Christmas rose into happily-ever-after?

2013 Snow Globes Award Contest Finalist
Winner! 2014 New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award
2014 Readers' Choice Nominee, Best Couple, Love Romances Cafe
2014 RomCon Awards Finalist

Wedded On a Dare, Love On a Dare Book 2, coming Spring 2019

Universal link:

https://books2read.com/u/4AwNnq

Like a few new twists on classic fairy tales?

A Cinderella Christmas

Short. Sweet. Fantasy.

Jessica Gallo no longer believed in fairytales or happy endings. And she certainly didn’t believe she’d find her Prince Charming at Saks Fifth Avenue. Her Fairy Godmother thought differently.

2014 EPIC Award Finalist, Best Short Romance

http://www.amazon.com/A-Cinderella-Christmas-ebook/dp/B00ARSJN12/?tag=carmaraut-20

Her Snow White Christmas (Snow Globe Magic Book 1)

WINNER 2016 EPPIE Award for Best Short Work.

A Christmas snow globe from a mysterious stranger swirls holiday magic for a sophisticated New York woman with a broken heart and a handsome Iraq War vet with a secret.

As a child, Avery Coleman loved Snow White and dreamed of Prince Charming. The adult Avery no longer believes in fairy tales. She’d settle for a handsome prince as ambitious for success as she is. Then an eccentric woman gives Avery a Christmas snow globe, advising her that princes come in many disguises. But when family obligations call Avery from Manhattan back to her small hometown in Vermont, she finds there aren’t many princes to be found in the forest of her family’s Christmas tree lot. At least it’s a vacation from her wicked witch of a boss.

Iraq War veteran Josh Huntsman always did what was expected of him. Believing there had to be more to life than chasing money and prestige, he’d left the corporate world for life in the Army. But his stint in the military cost him more than expected. Back from Iraq, Josh hides his past, volunteering at the homeless shelter and working at a Christmas tree lot. He isn’t ready to rejoin the rat race, and definitely has no use for a bright-lights-big-city girl like the ambitious fiancée who dumped him.

Leaving New York to spend the holidays selling Christmas trees in Vermont might sound magical to some, but for Avery, it’s a return to the place she worked hard to escape. But it’s Christmas and magic swirls in the air like glitter in a snow globe. And a single kiss might awaken a lifetime of happily ever after.

Universal link:

https://books2read.com/u/38g1O6