History of New Year's ~ Happy New Year! 2017 #NewYearsEve

Happy New Year!  Although often bitterly cold here in the Northeast, I like January--it's my birthday month and my son's.  It can be a chance to relax and renew after the frenetic pace of the holidays.  Plus, there's the whole idea of a fresh start and making resolutions.  

Many of my most popular blog posts have discussed some of the history or mythology behind holiday traditions, for example, St. Nick, Finding Easter's date, and the Origin of Halloween. For the first week in January, I thought I'd list some facts about New Year's Day and the month of January itself.  (Also, my January birthday is on the 13th - see this post for reasons people fear that number).

New Year's Day is the first day of January according to both the Julian calendar (introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC) and the Gregorian calendar (named for Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in 1582). The difference in these two calendars is a .002% change in the length of the year.

The Roman god Janus,
looking both forward and back

The Julian calendar was based on the Roman Calendar, and the name of the month of January is generally attributed to the Roman god Janus, the god of beginnings and endings, who is depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions: into the past as well as the future.

Since the Gregorian calendar is now used, at least in practice, by most countries, New Year's Day is considered the world's most celebrated public holiday.

The ancient belief that the beginning of an event impacted the whole led people to offer good health and well wishes on this first day of a new year, as the long, dark days surrounding the Winter Solstice were being left behind.  A prosperous January first with plenty of food and drink would hopefully lead to the same for the entire month and year.

Of course, local traditions abound to mark this day, and a big one in the United States is the making of resolutions.  For many people, this involves a commitment to a healthier lifestyle--as a fitness instructor, I see my classes absolutely explode each January!  My own personal resolutions, since I'm also a writer, usually involve devoting more time each day to my craft.  This year, I'm about halfway through a new romantic suspense, and my goal is to finish by March.

If your resolutions include more reading (one of the best stress-reducers, by the way!) - check out my books.  Each one has a mix of steamy romance and spooky suspense--something for everyone.  My fourth novel, Haunted Souls, came out this past June, and was recently voted one of the Top 3 Books of 2016 at Read Freely.  And my debut novel, Silver Lake, is FREE on Kindle if you have Amazon Prime, as part of their new PrimeReading Program. 

 Best wishes, everyone, for a happy, healthy, and peaceful 2017. Happy New Year!

Ghosts + Romance for #ThanksgivingWeek - #Free #Kindle Book w/ Prime!

A good book, a glass of wine, and a cozy blanket -
my idea of bliss!

Getting ready for the holidays can be exhausting, whether you’re hosting or traveling.  For a lot of people, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a very hectic time of year.  Getting lost in a good book, even if just for a little while, is always my go-to prescription for relaxation.  Reading is a proven stress-reducer…it forces you to slow down and takes your mind off problems and pressures.  A book that really captures you will transport you for a little while, allowing you to experience emotions along with the characters.

If you’re an Amazon Prime member, there’s a new program you may not know about called Prime Reading.  It allows all Prime members to download selected books for FREE to your Kindle or Kindle App.  And I’m thrilled to say Amazon chose my debut novel, SILVER LAKE, as one of the offerings.  It’s been a #1 Kindle Bestseller on several occasions, and it’s got something for everyone…a mysterious disappearance, a spooky haunting, a reunion among former friends, and a second chance at first love.  Click on the link below to read the blurb and download your copy!  And if you enjoy the story, try some of my other romance/ghost mysteries…GULL HARBOR and HAUNTED SOULS. 

Silver Lake on Amazon

Happy Reading and Happy Thanksgiving!

A #1 #Kindle Bestseller - #Haunted Mystery + #Romance #PrimeReading #KU

I tend to do a lot of posting in October, since I’m a writer of ghost stories and other paranormal mysteries as well as a fan of all things spooky.  I have 3 library presentations coming up and two Halloween Blog Hops with lots of prizes, plus the start of a new Fiction Class and a post from a private tour I received of some haunted places in Barnstable Village, the setting of HAUNTED SOULS.  I need to finish up all those posts and get them out before the events.  But I had to share my exciting—and somewhat unexpected—news about my debut novel, SILVER LAKE.

Last year, Amazon’s traditional publishing house bought the electronic rights to Silver Lake from its original publisher.  Their Encore imprint acquires successful books that would do even better with additional promotion.  It was an exciting offer and one I embraced enthusiastically.  A few months after that, last fall, Amazon must have done a big promotion for the book, because it shot to #1 in its category.  It was thrilling to see an older book receive that many downloads.

This summer, a new program was in the works—PrimeReading, a promotion to benefit Amazon Prime members by offering some select Kindle books free.  Silver Lake was chosen, with an advance royalty offered to participate.  Again, I jumped at the chance…but I had no idea when the program would roll out.

Well, as I discovered when I saw my first book climbing up its category again, it appears to have launched the other day.  Silver Lake hit #1 in Ghost Fiction and I, of course, grabbed a screenshot of the shiny orange banner.  Then I suddenly realized *I’m* a Prime Member too, and I went into clicking mode.  A few of the books I’m looking forward to reading: My Sister’s Grave, Follow You Home, and Sleep Tight.  Did I mention I like spooky suspense?  Those titles say it all.

So if you’re a Prime Member (or enrolled in Kindle Unlimited), you can download Silver Lake for FREE!  I’m not privy to all the details, but my understanding is this is a limited time offer for these particular titles.  So go grab some new reads!  You’ll not only get spooky suspense (perfect for the Halloween season) from Silver Lake, but also a reunion romance.  Happy Haunted Reading!

SILVER LAKE on Amazon

All PrimeReading Offers

SILVER LAKE selected for #PrimeReading! #Free #Ghosts #Romance #Kindle

I woke up this morning to an exciting sight: one of my novels, SILVER LAKE, was climbing its way up in the Amazon rankings—which means a lot of readers were clicking and downloading copies of my first novel.  It took me a moment to figure it out, because I was only just sipping my first cup of coffee.  Then I realized it had to do with a fantastic offer I’d received—and signed off on—over the summer.  I knew Silver Lake was chosen for the PrimeReading promotion on Amazon, I just had no idea when it would launch.  Well, it looks like it launched today!

What this means is that if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can download hundreds of books for FREE as a benefit to your membership.  I can’t wait to check out the offerings, since I’m a member as well, and aside from writing, my absolute favorite pastime is reading.  So if you’re an Amazon Prime member, or have Kindle Unlimited, check out a perfect read for the Halloween season: a ghost mystery mixed with a second-chance romance.  A haunting, an old flame, and secrets from the past collide in this paranormal romantic suspense, which, at the time of this post, has hit the #1 ranking in Ghost Fiction and earned an orange banner for the second time!  Check out the links below to get your free reads—Happy Haunted Reading!

SILVER LAKE on Amazon

PRIME READING Bestsellers List