Surprise Saturday!

It’s a Surprise Saturday blog because I was so busy yesterday with an assortment of things that I didn’t get to do the Fun Friday blog. Had to take my daughter to her job at 2 a.m. because she was working on Black Friday. Then headed to the shore to start filming a Director’s Cut I am doing for you so that you can see some more Behind the Scenes of SINS OF THE FLESH.

Then back to the outlets to pick up my daughter, visit family and then return to the shore for some Black Friday shopping. My daughter and I got almost all of our Christmas shopping done which is great! Now I can focus on getting ready for the holidays and also some revisions I have to do on ARDOR CALLS, the next book in THE CALLING Vampire Series.

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving! Mine was wonderful. Good food and family times. I’ll have some photos for you next week.

Before I take off for the rest of the weekend, here’s some happenings for you!

Visit me today at the Borders True Romance blog for a chance to win one of 5 copiesof SINS OF THE FLESH. Just visit this link: http://bordersblog.com/trueromance/

Don’t forget to get 25 extra entries into the contest at Bitten by Books on December 1. You can get the extra entries by RSVPing for the event. Just use this link: http://bit.ly/4TCKcE

Only two days left in the SINFUL THINGS CONTEST. Just tweet the info below or post it to your Facebook profile for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate.

    Celebrate Release of Caridad Pineiro’s SINS OF THE FLESH! RT for a chance 2 win a $50 Gift Certificate. http://bit.ly/2AZWlC

Thanksgiving Thoughts and a Giveaway

I hope all of you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! Through the wonders of technology, I am able to share these Thanksgiving Thoughts and a giveaway while I am probably busy whipping up a batch of Cranberry Maple Muffins to take to my sister’s house for the holiday celebration.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I’ve got a new blogging gig over at PowerfulLatinas.com and this month’s theme at Powerful Latinas is sisters – La Hermana. It only seems right to broaden that discussion to families in general.

Families often play a role in what we read and write and so this week’s blog at Powerful Latinas is about incorporating family into our writing. In preparing the article, I had the opportunity to chat with my dear friend and fellow author Julia Amanta – EVENINGS AT THE ARGENTINE CLUB. Julia offered up her thoughts on why family is important in our writing and also graciously offered a copy of her book as a giveaway.

So please take a moment to stop by and visit with me there to learn about sisters and family in our writing. Just click here to visit and remember to leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway for a copy of EVENINGS AT THE ARGENTINE CLUB.

Things for Which I am Thankful

I know it’s Wicked Wednesday, which usually means an excerpt, but I wanted to get a headstart on the Thanksgiving holiday and share those things for which I am thankful. I hope you’ll forgive me this indulgence. Here are those things for which I am thankful:

  • My Family: To my hubby who always makes me laugh and my beautiful daughter who is the light of my heart, I am thankful. I am also thankful for my sister, brother, in-laws and all my nieces, nephews and cousins who bring such joy into my life.
  • Our Military and their families: Thank you for the sacrifices you make so that we can continue to be safe and enjoy the many freedoms which we enjoy.
  • My Friends: Where would you be without friends? I want to thank all of them for always being supportive and I want to thank all of you, my cyber friends, for always visiting and writing.
  • The Liberty States Fiction Writers: After a year of darkness, a bright light emerged. You are that bright light, filled with optimism, good will, diversity and innovation. I thank you for our first wonderful year together and give a big WOO HOO that we’ve reached 150 members in our inaugural year.

Last, but never ever least . . .

  • The United States of America: You opened your doors to me and provided me the opportunity to live the American Dream. You gave me Liberty and allowed me to pursue through hard work those things that have made me happy and which I hope have contributed to the overall good of this Nation. I am forever indebted and thankful.

What about you? What are the things for which you are thankful this Thanksgiving season?

Romance in the Back Seat Fun!

Since today is Fun Friday and we’re having downright balmy weather in the sixties here in NYC, I’d thought I give you a little blast from this summer past!

I had a fun time recording these videos with the wonderful website Romance in the Backseat! Just a word of warning – my boobs are really not that big. They just look that big on account of the camera angle. Seriously. LOL!

Enjoy the videos and keep an eye out for some of the great Jersey Shore highlights in the background. We actually filmed these videos in Bradley Beach, where SINS OF THE FLESH is set, as well as in nearby Avon-by-the-Sea.

If you can’t see the videos below, you can also follow these links to the videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ssr7eld3sU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF3Hoxga3pM

Hope you all have a fun and fabulous weekend!


Thoughtful Thanksgivings!

ThanksgivingWe were having a wonderful discussion on the Dangerous Women Loop (you can click here to join!) about our Thanksgiving traditions and I thought I’d share mine with you and invite you to share yours.

Every Thanksgiving we go to my sister’s house for a wonderful gathering of friends and family. This photo is one I took a few years ago of the beautiful table my sister, Carmen, sets for Thanksgiving. We have a very traditional American meal of turkey with assorted stuffings and side dishes. Actually, two turkeys for this large crowd – one roasted and one fried.

Sis is an amazing cook and we spend the day chatting, sometimes playing board games, going for a walk after dinner if the weather permits and generally just enjoying being together and eating some amazing food. I usually prepare the breads, muffins and some side dishes. You can check the Cook’s Treat section for some of the recipes for that day. My sis’s favorites are the cranberry maple muffins and I always make a double-batch of those!

But Thanksgiving doesn’t end that day! The next day we visit my in-laws where we get to share good talk and good food with the Italian side of the family. My sister-in-law has taken over the reins of preparing the Black Friday meal and she always does a great job. We usually bring some pastries, wine or other goodies to add to the mix.

Through it all, we take the time to be thankful for those things we have in our lives. It’s important to remember that and appreciate how lucky we are to have homes, food, family and friends and the good health and Liberty to share all those things.

How about you? What are your traditions for Thanksgiving.

Mix-It-Up Friday Contest!

mixWe’re having a spontaneous contest today! Leave your mixed up version of an old adage here by midnight EST on Saturday, November 14, for a chance to win a copy of FURY CALLS and a SINS OF THE FLESH T-shirt!

So how does this mix-it-up Friday contest work – here’s a sample:

    Old adage: A good man is hard to find.
    Mix-it-up Version: A hard man is good to find.

Also, don’t forget there are only two more weeks to the SINFUL THINGS contest. For a chance to win, or increase your chances of winning, please do the following by midnight EST November 30:

On Twitter please Tweet/Retweet (please be sure to include the bit.ly link):

Celebrate the Release of Caridad Pineiro’s SINS OF THE FLESH! RT for a chance 2 win a $50 Gift Certificate. http://bit.ly/2AZWlC

On Facebook please post to your profile (please be sure to include the bit.ly link):

Celebrate the Release of Caridad Pineiro’s SINS OF THE FLESH! Post this link to your profile for a chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate. http://bit.ly/2AZWlC

Thoughtful Thursday – Sisters

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I’ve got a new blogging gig over at PowerfulLatinas.com and this month’s theme at Powerful Latinas is sisters – La Hermana.

We’ve got blood sisters and soul sisters, but as women, sisters play a powerful role in our lives. Take a moment to stop by Powerful Latinas and also visit me there for more on the importance of sisters in our lives. Drop by on November 26th to hear more about sisters, family and a wonderful novel by my friend and fellow author Julia Amanta – EVENINGS AT THE ARGENTINE CLUB. Julia has graciously offered a copy of her book as a giveaway, but remember, that’s on November 26th (and continuing through the Thanksgiving weekend).

Here is a photo of my little sister and me! It was taken in Nicaragua after we had left Cuba and were trying to meet up with my parents in the United States. My poor grandparents were hauling us all around Latin America for quite some time thanks to Castro. My mom had to leave us when my little sister was only six months old. I don’t know how she had the courage to do it. I’m not sure I could have.

sisters

This is a picture of my sis and me now (I think she caught up to heightwise, don’t you think? LOL!)

sisters2