Keeping Track of All the Books You Read By Connie Vines #WritingTips, #BWLAuthorBlog, #Tips for Readers

 If you are like me, you read so many books/ebooks during the year.

Fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, craft books, and in my case, manuals and instructional materials.

I struggle to recall what print books are shelved in bookcases and what paperback novels I have scattered around the house. 

How difficult can it be, you scoff.

The closet in my office is a bookcase. Floor-to-ceiling, which takes up one entire wall of the room. Plus, the 4 additional standing bookcases in numerous other rooms.

And then there are the eBooks. I own a Kindle, a Nook, and an Apple tablet, which house the works of my favorite fiction authors, and sample reads.

You can see where this is leading....how many times have I re-purchased a book?

I'll give you an example. There is a western novelist (who shall remain nameless); books have always been must-reads for me.

There was one novel (I can't recall the title, which was part of the problem 😉). I purchased the original hardbound via a book club, then a paperback version. A few years later, the book was republished with an updated cover (paperback and hardbound). 

Yep. I bought them all. (remember, this is only one case in point.) since the books were new, my father received a hardbound copy on his birthday, and several paperbacks were given prizes at the local library fund-raiser event.

Lists, log books, etc., were a real pain and never foolproof. 

📚

It was quite by accident that I located a free app. Book Buddy.

The reviews were glowing, so I decided to give it a try.

I paid a small fee for additional storage because I was uploading so books.  

Why do I love this app?

I can track who I've loaned a book to, my reading status on each book, my next read,

Favorites, Series Titles, books I've donated (my personal tracking addition),

You simply scan the ISBN, and all the info uploads. 

If it's without the current 13-digit ISBN, you snap a picture of the cover and add some information.

It's also available on my phone. This will be a great help when I'm Christmas shopping this year!

Remember to check out all of BWL's November and December new releases! Get those stocking stuffers early--there are only 26 shopping days...📅 🎅🎄

BWL has a BIG sale on Smashwords: Connie Vines.

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Connie's BWL Author Page: https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

Happy Reading!

Connie

Connie Vines's Blog and links

Knott's Berry Farm and Other Great Winter Adventures by Connie Vines

Today is National: French Toast Day. 

There are only 33 days remaining in 2020.  

Where I reside in southern California, we have spent a great deal of time (since mid-March) at home/working from home due to the Pandemic, Wild Fires,  Forest Fires, Air Quality, and Power Outages. 

While my eldest son is able to work from home, my youngest son is an essential worker and has little down time.

The day before Thanksgiving my youngest son, his family (which includes me) drove to Knott's Berry (Merry) Farm, in Buena Park, California for a day's outing.

Of course, we practiced social-distancing, wore a mask, and were able to travel/sit together (family bubble is the term) throughout the day.

I wanted to share a few 'happy and up-lifting' photos and little snippets of my Knott's Berry Farm Adventure to give you something to smile about.

The shops were open for purchases (thank goodness), and the park was decorated with holiday displays and lights.  We each were given a lanyard with a two-sided tasting selection list (I wore my around my neck because, after all, it was a field trip).

As everyone knows, I'm a die-hard lover of gingerbread!

And, yay, two restaurants listed gingerbread with frosting on the menu.

Turkey, of course, was in many creations: sandwiches, in soup, over tater-tots with gravy,  Fried and breaded meatballs to dip into gravy, cranberry sauce, biscuits and Knott's famous jam, etc. were also crowd-pleasers.

Eggnog, large sugar cookies peppered with Knott's candied-berries and vanilla ice-cream sandwiched between.  Well, the list goes on and on. Coffee, hot coco (with or without candy canes), and tea.

Five tastings per adult and 3 per child.  I only spent 4 (I sliced my gingerbread in 5 sections to share and my turkey sandwich in quarters).  The other 2 tastings? Knott's famous chicken noodle soup. It was so cold I had a cup when I arrived and a cup at the ice skating rink. 

No one left the park hungry :-).

All of my other grands are older, but Logan is still at the age where he enjoys "Peanuts/Snoopy", "Disneyland", and other gentle adventures. 

Logan wearing his new gloves 'cos it's cold and windy.

 

Logan and I (excuse my hoodie-hair) leaning over the fence to see the gingerbread house display.

Logan and the famous Knott's Berry Factory Truck  (Though I doubt it was berry-purple in the 1900s).

The outdoor ice-skating rink held live-entertainment and display past 'Snoopy on Ice' videos on a large screen. The Peanuts Theme blasting through the speakers while fog-machines filled the area with cold damp air!

At the end of the evening, the "lighting of the Christmas Tree" claimed everyone's attention.

It seemed strange not the hear the clickety-clack of the amusement rides tracks and the shouts of the people when they rounded a curve or entered a tunnel.

The Christmas music and the chatter of families filled the void and we had a clear view of the planet Jupiter in the dark night sky.

It was a wonderful way to spend the day; to remember past good-times- and to look forward to the future!

Speaking of the future...

I retired from education over the summer and I'm looking forward to writing full-time. 

My Snoopy-with-a-typewriter pencil cup sat on my desk and attracted more notice than I realized. Because every gift I received during my tenure in education was a "Snoopy" gift.

So, now my media/craft room displays about 50% of those collectables.

The jade green loveseat is covered by a fabric-protector and small quilt.

Note: Chanel is camera shy tonight and Gavin decided to crawl in bed early.

The room isn't that kindergarten yellow that the photo displays.  It is only a very light color.

I'll closed today's blog post with a long-awaited slice of gingerbread cake. 

Served with a cup of steaming hot coffee, of course!

I hope you and all of your loved ones are having a blessed holiday season.

A season filled with warm gingerbread and a wonderful and bright 2021! 

Connie

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Available in 2021:

February 2021

August 2021

Is it Too Soon for Eggnog Latte? by Connie Vines

Visit Connie's BWL Author page for book information and buy links

Is it too soon for Eggnog Latte? I asked myself while driving to the gym, the Hallmark station jingling joyful Christmas songs via Sirius Radio.

I recalled a tweet and chuckled.  “The eggnog latte was the only thing keeping me from beating people during the holidays. Please bring it back!” tweeted GeekyLady. In 2014.

While I am not now, nor have I ever been so inclined—even when I was a fragrance consultant (think: test PH levels and find perfect signature fragrances; not the spray unsuspecting clients upon entrance to the shop). Not when the shop stayed open until 12:30 am and staff custom wrapped each gift with hand-fashioned bows and designer gift paper in a back room about the size of a side-by-side refrigerator.

However, I love my eggnog latte and gingerbread latte (no whip on both) from Starbucks and Christmas music.

So, when do our readers like to snuggle under a quilt, or here in SoCal, or under a light-weight throw and read a holiday romance?

Is November too soon? 

Is January too late?

Writers, when plotting your holiday romance novel, to you begin in the middle of summer with the a/c blasting or do you wait until Fall?

I write my holiday novels during the season.  Yep, Christmas novels now.

I bake. I shop. I indulge in assorted crafts.  And yes, I drive to Starbucks—but not daily, for heaven sake.  I am thrifty-- I’m saving for Christmas gifts after all; and must watch the calories too.

Confession:  I have been known to fake my Eggnog latte.  I purchase the low-fat eggnog and add it warmed up a bit into my home brewed coffee.  My copy-cat gingerbread latte includes gingerbread seasoning and a trickle or two of molasses and creamer into my coffee.

Obviously, I have a great deal of distractions 😊. 

To get me started I will often journal with a few writing prompts (yes, pen to paper because it activates a part of the brain where creativity resides).

·         Pretend you have been given a baby reindeer to raise. Write about what you will do to take care of it. What challenges will you have to overcome?

• Write about the perfect Christmas Day. Include plenty of details.
• Character A vows to do something nice for a stranger during the Christmas time. Character B is that stranger.

Since I write n multiple genres and cross-genres, my stories will often include a holiday without the holiday being the primary theme of the story.

Both “Brede” and “Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow” include the Christmas season without holiday being the theme of the entire storyline.

What is your favorite holiday setting?  What is there about a holiday romance that makes it special for you?

Share your favorite holiday memory with me.  Or your favorite holiday cookie recipe.

If you have young children/grandchildren you might like to share a joke or two.

Here are a few of my holiday favorites  🎅  🎄

Q: What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
A: Frostbite. 

Q: What do snowmen like to eat for breakfast?

A: Frosted Flakes!

Q: What did the gingerbread man put on his bed?

A:  A cookie sheet.   

If you are looking for a few new holiday recipes to bake and share, you may wish to visit my Pinterest account:  novelsbyconniev . I have a wonderful recipe for eggnog Bundt cake and gingerbread recipes galore!

Visit my website: www.novelsbyconnievines.com  for links, book trailers, and more.  Don’t forget to enter the contests and giveaways here at the BWL website!

Wishing you a joyous Holiday Season filled with BWL ebooks!

Connie

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