Southernism of the Week: “She’s dancing in the hog trough.” That sounds rather playful, but it means she’s argumentative/mad. We hope you won't have anyone dancing in hog troughs this holiday season! 🐷💃

Kris’s voice-recognition mistake of the day: “What do I know” became “what a wino.” 🍷😬

Kris had a table at a craft fair in San Antonio (NM). She sold quite a few books, because books make great gifts! Kris writes for children as Chris Eboch. Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure used in many schools; and The Genie’s Gift, a middle eastern fantasy. Or if you have a young teen interested in science, check out Get the Dirt on Geology for lots of fun projects along with information about our Earth!

Learn more at chriseboch.com or her Amazon page, or visit the Books Make Great Gifts collection of 30 titles for children and teens.

And if you know someone who has been thinking about writing a book, they might like You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers, or Advanced Plotting.

Doug celebrated his birthday recently! My, how time flies.

Southern Treat of the Week: Jambalaya and Shrimp Cocktail for Christmas dinner? Sure! Plus Gumbo, Red Velvet Cake, and more! Check out a menu with links to recipes from Deep South Dish.

Books on our radar

The Double R, by Teresa van Bryce: "This prequel to the Double R Series, set on an Alberta horse ranch, is a story of how one encounter can alter the course of a life, and how loss, no matter how profound, can be overcome." This 130-page novella is free with newsletter signup and gives insight into characters in Cottonwood Wind.

Venus Rising, by Tammy D. Walker: "Recent divorcee Amy Morrison gets her dream job as librarian aboard the world's most expensive luxury cruise liner. She's tasked with hosting the debut of a celebrated painting hidden for nearly sixty years. But the artist claims the painting isn't hers—and then the artist goes missing. With the help of a retired academic couple, a dashing IT manager, and a housekeeping staff with a love of literature, Amy tries to solve the art fraud and kidnapping while rediscovering the adventurous side of herself." A cozy mystery set on a cruise ship!

Wild Country Hearts, by Constance Ruth Clark: “Men have done nothing good for Kristina, and she's happy with her horses. When Peter crashes into her fence during a blizzard claiming to be the lead singer of a famous Country band, she's sure he's delusional, but he's willing to help with the never-ending farm chores. Her indifference only makes Peter crave her more—and she's in danger from a killer, so he drops everything to protect her." This is a well-reviewed "suspenseful and steamy romance."

Have a cozy winter, hopefully with lots of naps and snuggling, like Bear Bear the ferret!

Thanks for reading, - You're receiving this because you chose to sign up for our newsletter. If you want to unsubscribe, no problem – that link is below. If you only want New Release Alerts, you can follow Doug on Amazon and/or follow Kris on Amazon or BookBub.

If you haven’t collected your free copy of Felony Melanie Destroys the Moonshiner’s Cabin get it here. Get the preview chapters of Totally Rad Wormhole here. You can also check out Kris’s freebies here! They include a free Accidental Detective mystery story, a cat café sweet romance novel, and the “Recipes from the Cat Café” brochure.