Countdown to the Holidays and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Countdown to the Holidays

Tis the season for so many religious holidays.  December is the month that many celebrate the holidays, and not just Christmas.  Here’s a list of just some of the cultural and religious holidays celebrated during the month of December:

• Saint Nicholas Day (Christian) December 6
• Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexican)  December 12
• St. Lucia Day (Swedish)  December 13
• Hanukkah (Jewish) December 24 to January 1
• Christmas Day (Christian)  December 25
• Three Kings Day/Epiphany (Christian)  January 6, 2017
• Boxing Day (Australian, Canadian, English, Irish) – December 26
• Kwanzaa (African American)  December 26 to January 1
• Omisoka (Japanese) December 29 to December 30
• Yule (Pagan) December 21  to January 1
• Saturnalia (Pagan)  December 17 to December 23

 As the countdown to the holidays continues, the race is on as the pace picks up.  Whether its to finish up all our chores at work or at home or both to get ready for the holidays, to get our shopping done, or the baking, the menus updated, or our traveling arrangements completed, all is in a whirr and a blur.  Even the weather is getting into the act.  The news is filled full of arctic forecasts, snow, ice and freezing  temperatures across the nation and countries elsewhere.

What are you rushing to get done?  Or are you already finished your list for the holidays?  Can you settle in with some books, ready to listen or read on your device or turn a page or two?   If so, check out all our new release day reviews and holiday reviews this week.  There are plenty of stories to add to your TBR pile or ones that maybe you just might want to gift to a friend with a gift card.    But before we get to our schedule this week, we have some announcements for you.

~Announcements~

✒︎As some of you may have noticed or read our blog post, Eric Arvin passed away December 12 after a long illness and being left paralyzed after an operation for his brain tumors. A GoFundMe has been set up to help with funeral and other expenses. If you can donate, please do.

https://www.gofundme.com/um-a-mothers…

✒︎Winner of Heidi Cullinan’s Santa Baby ebook is Purple Reader.  They have been notified. Thank you to everyone who participated.

✒︎We are looking for some new reviewers here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words, specifically those interested in reviewing YA or NA stories, and those interested in reviewing lesbian fiction for us.  If you are interested or know of  someone who is, please ask them to contact us at scatteredthoughtsandroguewords@gmail.com.

✒︎You Can Still Vote and Win!

We also have our on-going vote for our wonderful favorite flash fiction.  A random reader who leaves a comment after voting will be chosen to receive a $10 gift card from Dreamspinner Press.  Here again are the stories and their links:

STRW Flash Fiction Stories and Authors

Master’s Work by Tod Heil  

What Is Left Out By R. R. Angell

Consequences by Andrea Speed

THE SMIRK’S UP By Jenny Tate

Christopher by Ross Common

Magpie King by Leslie Plank

What Weighs Us Down by K.S. Trenten

Sad and Silly Humans by K.S. Trenten

[The authors retain the copyrights to their stories.  Stories may not be reprinted or copied without the express permission of the authors.]

♡Now here’s our poll.

For all the wonderful stories (there’s one extra), visit our Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Flash Fiction 2016 Page.  For the readers who vote: We will gift a $10 DSP gift card to a reader (randomly chosen) who has voted. so readers please leave a comment once you have voted so we can pick someone as well as a email address.  Vote ends on the Winter Solstice, 12/21 at midnight. The author will get the $25 Amazon gift card.

You can only vote for one story, then press vote.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

☃Sunday, December 18:

• Countdown to the Holidays and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
• Book Blitz for A Christmas for Oscar by Alex Whitehall
• An Alisa Review: A Christmas for Oscar by Alex Whitehall
• A MelanieM Advent Calendar Review Day 18: Title Surprise

☃Monday, December 19:

• Blog Tour and Giveaway – Jingle Spell by Chris Ethan
• Release Blitz & Giveaway Tour: Bond Of Truth – KC Wells
• DSP GUEST POST Robert Winter
• A Free Dreamer Review A Bond of Three & A Bond of Truth by KC Wells
• A Melanie Release Day Review: The 12 Days of Hipster by Raine O’Tierney
• A Melanie Release Day Review: Catch and Release by BA Tortuga
• A Stella Advent Calendar Review Day 19: Title Surprise

☃Tuesday, December 20:

• Book Blitz for Interlude: First Noel by Tal Bauer
• Riptide Tour and Giveaway: No Small Parts by Ally Blue
• George Seaton on Writing and Whispers of Old Winds
• A VVivacious Review: Connections Matter by Nicole Dennis
• An Alisa Advent Calendar Review Day 20: Title Surprise
• An Alisa Review: Hangin’ with My Window Man by Carolina Valdez
• An Ali Audiobook Review: Power Play (Scoring Chances #3) by Avon Gale and Scott R. Smith (Narrator)

☃Wednesday, December 21:

• Book Blitz for Hearts Alight by Elliot Cooper
• DSP GUEST POST J.R. Loveless
• Release Review Tour – Snow In Montana – RJ Scott
• A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Disarming Donner by Charlie Cochet
• A MelanieM Advent Calendar Review Day 21: Title Surprise
• A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review:  Holiday House Swap by Sarah Madison
• An Alisa Release Day Review: Love and Snowball Fights by J.R. Loveless

☃Thursday, December 22:

• Release Blitz  – The Road To Frosty Hollow – RJ Scott & Meredith Russell
• DSP GUEST POST Tray Ellis on the Love Wins Anthology
• DSP GUEST POST Sean Michael
• A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Jesse’s Christmas by RJ Scott
• A Lila Audiobook Review: Good Boy (Theta Alpha Gamma #4) by Anne Tenino and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)
• An Alisa Advent Calendar Review Day 22: Title Surprise
• An Alisa Review: One Too Many by Bailey Bradford

☃Friday, December 23:

• DSP GUEST POST Kris T. Bethke on “His Needs”
• DSP GUEST POST Lou Sylvre
• A MelanieM Release Day Review: Acting Up by John Inman
• A Lila Review: Galaxy’s Heart by Shawn Lane
• An Alisa Review: Unlikely Companions by Harold Mason
• A MelanieM Advent Calendar Review Day 23: Title Surprise

☃Saturday, December 24:

• Release Blitz – Jacob Cheyenne’s  Hanukkah Gifts
• A MelanieM Review:Hanukka Gifts by Jacob Cheyenne
• A Stella Advent Calendar Review Day 24: Title Surprise