It's a Southern Thing---Christmas Traditions Of the American South By Connie Vines

 My blog topic may be premature...But I love Christmas and don't want to miss out on the festivities!

I've touched on my nomadic childhood before. While many people have family gatherings, shared traditions, and family stories to tell, my holidays were unstructured and included only immediate family members (minus one if my father was deployed).

While my father was a 5th-generation Texan, my mother's lineage was Czech, and my formative years were spent in the deep south.

🎄Fencing with wrapping tubes. After the gifts were wrapped and safely under the tree, we (the children) tried out our fencing moves (no smack downs allowed).

Neighbors sharing sweet tea or eggnog while swaying on a porch swing.

Charleston, South Carolina, is magical during the holiday season. The streets are lit up, shop windows are decorated, and there's a buzz of holiday cheer that blends into the historical past. A past filled with pirates, colonial history, the Civil War, delicious food...and hurricanes.  

My most vivid memory: the hurricane. Charleston, like many coastal cities, is below sea level. Winds were 150 mph, and we were required to evacuate. My parakeet died (due to a change in air pressure). Later, someone fed me a slice of pecan pie. 

Skiff's Creek, Virginia. I recall snow. Lots of snow. No natural disasters, just new additions to the household (younger brother and a cat). I was allergic to the cat (he was given a new home).

I was pleased that my brother was allowed to stay. 

I recall consuming too many peanuts (Boiled), vendors pushed a cart along the sidewalk like ice cream vendors do today. I consumed too many and was taken to the doctor.

Recipe: 

1.5 cups kosher salt divided, plus more to taste

 2 lbs. raw peanuts in the shell 

Place 2 gallons of water in a 10 - 12-quart stockpot. Add 1/2 cup of salt to the water and stir until dissolved. Add raw peanuts.

Use a large dinner plate to help submerge the floating peanuts. Soak peanuts 8 hours or overnight. (This step saves a little time boiling, but if you don't have the luxury of soaking time, you can skip it.)

Step 2

Drain peanuts, then add water and salt and bring to a boil. Then reduce to low. Simmer, covered, until the peanuts are soft (5 - 8 hours). Add additional water if needed. 

Test: Peanuts should NOT be crunchy. 

Allow to set in water for 1 hour.

Drain and allow to cool before eating. 

Store in the shell, in a sealed container. Refrigerate for 7 to 10 days, or freeze for several months. 

Orlando, Florida,  (not my favorite place). 

Alligators, bugs, humid, and swampy (there are 100 lakes). I've discovered pythons are now residing, too. I found it much more humid than Charleston.  

Foods? Key Lime Pie, Classic Cuban Sandwich, and fried alligator. While not a holiday standard, they are all delicious.

Let's zip forward to 2025.

My "gingerbread" kitchen table

The table is set, and tomorrow the decorations will be scattered about the living room. My little Christmas tree will be displayed on December 1st. And, yes, I'm baking and freezing holiday treats.

Pecan pie will be my Christmas dessert; the rest will be standard holiday fare.  Collard greens and black-eyed peas will be served for good luck on New Year's Eve.

Yes, Connie has several projects in the works...

And I'm working out the kinks and mishaps of my upgraded computer and the operating system.  (me relying on my back-up system).

Happy Reading,

Connie

Visit: Amazon

Barnesandnoble

Apple

or your favorite online vendor for my books

Lynx is available in audio!  audible

Making a Story Seem and Feel More Realistic to your Reader By Connie Vines #AudibleAudiobook #Rodeo Bull Rider, #Silver Buckle

 Making a Story Seem and Feel More Realistic to Your Reader.  

The challenge for every fiction writer or non-fiction writer creating a fictional story is to craft a believable one. This challenge is taken to new levels for writers of realistic fiction. These stories, which are woven around real events that have occurred, can be formed from memoirs, historical moments, and even horror stories if desired. Realistic fiction doesn't blend well with other genres of fiction. It must stand on its own.

That's why it's essential to know how to write realistic fiction in a way that can relate to the reader, be realistic, yet avoid including fantasy elements that may drive readers away. Here's how I keep it real for my readers.

#1. Don't go crazy with your characters. Most people in real life don't have crazy names (though spelling names phonetically is the latest craze).  If a parent wishes his/her child to go through life spelling his/her name, that's their business.  However, I don't give my characters unusual names. Sometimes a guy named Joe, Jacob, or Chris is good enough for realistic fiction.

#2. Give your story a good structure. Realistic fiction requires characters to be fully developed and engaging. People like to see what happens to them because realistic fiction puts the reader into the character's shoes.

#3. Create a good introduction. You want your readers in realistic fiction to begin developing relationships with the characters immediately. This will help to draw them into the story. Let the first couple of pages be the setting where your readers develop a dialogue. Then let the events of your story begin to unfold for your characters. This will lure the reader in so they don't want to put the book down.

#4. Make sure your settings are realistic as well.

#5. Create conflicts that are integral to the character's dialogue. Even close friends will inevitably experience conflicts from time to time. In realistic fiction, these conflicts must also have a touch of realism.

#6. Build to a solid climax. The most common error seen in proposed realistic fiction is that the entire story builds up to a climax at the very end. Remember to include plot points, dark moments, and mini-resolutions in your subplots.

#7. Create a conclusion with a twist. Have you ever worked hard for something only to have something unexpected happen?  Sometimes the conclusion of a realistic story is predictable, and that's a wonderful thing. Readers love it when everything works out as it should. For some characters, life throws them a twist.

By keeping things real, you create stories that will help readers relate to your characters in a very personal way. There is no better method to create a story that people won't want to put down until they've finished it.

I don't wish to give too much away in my works-in-progress or my published stories.

But here are a few teasers and hints of what is to come in my novels:

Current (work in progress):

"Perfume Paradise" is a sweet romance...with a hint of mystery.

"Gumbo Ya Ya," an anthology for women who like Cajun romance, is a current release (4 stories).

Each story has a 'Cajun' main character.  And, of course, food is also part of the realistic slant of each story.

Read a sample:https://www.amazon.com/Gumbo-Ya-Connie-Vines-ebook/dp/B091D27R4Y 

https://www.amazon.com/Lynx-Rodeo-Romance-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00ATSATM2/ref=sr_

Everyone Loves a Cowboy...one reader wrote, "Some romances smolder. Others spark with grit, danger, and tenderness all at one...

Another reader wrote... "a cowboy worth falling for..."

"Keep a box of tissues close at hand..."

**Audio Release **

"Lynx" Rodeo Romance, Book 1, is now available in Audio!

(currently FREE for those who sign up) 

Lynx: Rodeo Romance, Book 1  Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

For readers of Romantic Suspense:

Rodeo Romance Book 2,

Happy Reading!

Or, listening to my audiobook

Connie

Where am I?

Website:https://connievines-author.com/

Blogger https://mizging.blogspot.com/

Amazon

GoodReads

BarnesandNoble

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Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Substack, Threads, and more!! 

A Christmas Gift to my BWL Readers (Free short story) "Rachel and Lynx--Rodeo Romance" By Connie Vines #A Cowboy For Christmas, #Lynx #Rodeo Bull Rider

 

canva book cover

Readers have emailed me and posted messages on my social media accounts over the years requesting a sequel to Lynx and Rachel's story...

I've always hesitated. This was my first published romance. And Lynx Maddox and Rachel Scott will forever hold a special place in my heart.

This month, I've been dreaming of thunder, lightning, and the freezing winds of Amarillo, Texas. The scent of rain drenching the Great Plains was a magical moment from my nomadic childhood.

So, during this time of Christmas and Hanukkah, I am giving my readers a long-awaited short story. 

©  2024 A Cowboy For Christmas  By Connie Vines

Rachel listened to the wind wrap itself around the ranch house. It shook the double-paned windows, and the icy cold penetrated the glass. Lynx had warned her that the Texas Panhandle had the harshest winds in the country. And the family ranch was miles from civilization.

Rachel said it didn't matter. 

She'd adapt. 

And so she had.

Until now.

Adjusting her fleece robe, Rachel leaned over the sofa to check on Mattie. Borrowed beneath a hill of blankets and quilts, her four-year-old daughter was toasty warm and blissfully asleep. Resisting the urge to stroke her daughter's soft auburn curls, she glanced back out the window.

Lynx was due back from San Angelo yesterday. He reminded her that a Texan always kept his promises. 

"You had better keep that promise, cowboy." 

Minutes passed. Rachel continued to pace across the room, holding back tears.

  

The crackling fire from the brick fireplace warmed the room. 

Rachel felt the baby kick, and she placed her palm protectively against her stomach. "Everything will be alright," she whispered.

Winters in the Bittterroot Valley of Montana were different. She lived in a small town, and her neighbors were nearby. 

She considered herself strong and self-reliant.  

After she married Lynx, she changed. They shared life's burdens and joys, and she felt safe. 

Until now.

She was on a ranch. Located in the coldest county in Texas. It was snowing. She had a three-year-old daughter and a baby who was due to be born in nine days. 

 "Lynx Maddox, you'd better not leave me alone with two..."

There was a loud thumping sound at the door.

Mattie jumped from the sofa before Rachel could process the sound and headed to the door. "Daddy. Daddy!"

Lynx stepped inside the room, followed by a guest of wind and snow.

He closed the door while their daughter scampered around him in delight.

Rachel stared at him. She was angry, frightened, and unable to speak.

Lynx walked over and gently kissed her tears away. "How often must I remind you to lock the door?" 

Rachel laughed, and a deep, rumbling chuckle erupted from Lynx's throat. 

"Welcome home, Wild Cat," she whispered.

The End (for now)

I hope you've enjoyed "A Cowboy For Christmas."

This is the story of Rachel and Lynx.

Award of Excellence, HOLT Medallion, The Orange Rose, and Colorado Gold Award.

 

Smashwords:https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/887552

BWL site:https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

All Of my BWL ebooks:

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/vinesbwl

May 2025 bring you love, joy, and many, many ebooks!

XOXO

Connie Vines

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Writing a Novel Like Planting a Garden By Connie Vines

Writing a novel is a lot like landscaping. 

You start with an empty lot. You see the potential. You also see the weeds, uneven ground, and iffy soil. (With a novel, this is when you tell yourself the options are without limits.)

With a garden, you must decide where there is direct sunlight and evaluate the soil. (outline, research.). Then comes planting many seeds-- more than is needed for a healthy garden.

Step one: Preparation

Only some of the seeds I plant will take root. Some will be healthy, others weak. It takes 4 - 6 weeks for the seeds to grow. (This is the character development and information-gathering time in a novel.) and aside from watering and daily soil monitoring, I must walk away.

Tomato plants: one may be removed 😞

When I return, the plants have taken root, and the leaves are visible. Now begins the thinning process--removing sickly plants, moving sturdy plants, and supporting weak plants. This will occur several times, allowing an interval between each pruning/thinning (editing). Some will need to be more robust (fleshing out characters). Others will appear strong and healthy, but my harbor issues that could undermine the entire crop (story).

Rose Garden #1

I can't play favorites when it comes to gardening. I may love one plant more than another. However, it must be removed if it's not meant for this world (my novel). A hard decision, but it's necessary for the best harvest.

The Fragrance 😘👼

I also keep a notebook titled: My Story Garden.

In this garden, I grow seeds of a story. Some of them are lines of dialogue, while others are scenes. I plant them in my garden when they first come to me, and they stay until I decide it's right for a particular story. Pet peeves, fears, goals, and dreams.

Connie's Story Garden 

Thank you for stopping by 😀,

Connie

Click here for my author page and my social media, and buy

 links!

How Cowboys say "I Love You" By Connie Vines #How Cowboys say I Love You, #Cowboy Romance, #Sexy Cowboys

For some, it's the cowboy hat and boots, a sexy smile, or how they look in tight jeans. Romance novels often portray them as mysterious and confident with a bad-boy streak. In movies, they are rugged, hard-working heroes who ride off into the sunset at the end of the day.

Who hasn’t done a little dream walking about the cowboys of yesteryear driving cattle across the plains, a lawman with a silver star pinned to his shirt, or today's rodeo cowboy, or the cattle rancher down the road and sighed? There’s something about a man in boots, denim, and a cowboy hat that makes a woman’s heart increase speed and her mouth dry, isn't there?

🤠  🐴

Is it their manners, sense of justice, or the fact they take off their hats and say, “Thank you, Ma’am”? 

Or is it the swagger of the rodeo cowboy after he picks himself up off the ground?  The easy way a rancher leans over the corral fence taking stock of his herd, with one foot resting on a rail.

There’s something about cowboys.

A cowboy doffs his hat and opens a door. They respect women. 

When I lived in the Texas panhandle, I often heard the old saying: "Texas is hell on women and horses."

Fathers still teach their sons the way of the old West and remind them there was a time when women were few and far between.  And it's still a privilege to have a female to cater to and cherish. 

🥰💕

So, how does a woman know if a Cowboy is in love?

• An invitation to a Barn Dance.
• He Cooks dinner.
• Buys you a pair of cowgirl boots. 
•  A gift of  Turquoise jewelry.
•  Or the old-fashioned way.  He gets down on one keen and proposes.

Why not snuggle under the covers with one of my Cowboys?

Lynx Maddox

Brede Kristsensen

With a dangerous reputation for taking chances and tempting fate, Lynx Maddox has one goal in life -- to win the coveted Sliver Buckle Rodeo Championship. 

But when he sets eyes on lovely Rachel Scott, he becomes determined to capture her heart as well.

"A worthy addition to anyone's book collection"  Under the Covers Book 

 

"A rare find. A must-read!" Book Museum

"Instant Action/Sizzling Attraction!  This book kept pages turning, and a box of tissues close at hand."

Trouble is something hard-edged rancher, Brede Kristensen, knows all about.  A widower with a rambunctious young daughter,  a ranch to run, and an ornery cook who has just run off. Yet, amid a violent storm, he finds an injured woman. 

A woman who can't recall her name or her past. But Brede vows to protect her from harm. 

What he hadn't bargained for was her laughter and gentleness finding a way into the lonely corners of his heart.

https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

LYNX

Brede

MY Website and social links

My Blog

Wishing you a holiday season filled with warmth,  joy, and gingerbread kisses!

(Remember, BWL ebooks are still on sale)

Connie

Writing During Vampire Hours -- Secrets Writers Keep By Connie Vines #Writing Tips, #NightOwls, #Cowboys, #Western Romance, #Fantasy

⏰🦇🌙 

Vampire Hours?

According to the Urban Dictionary:

When someone keeps vampire hours, they are awake all night and sleep all day. They are unreachable by phone, text, or social media during daylight hours when the rest of their friends are up.

While I do not sleep all day...  

"I don't 'rise' from my bed at sunrise, either.  😎. 

🌞 vs. 🧛

The conventional wisdom is that morning people are high achievers and go-getters, while late risers are lazy. But what if going to bed in the wee hours is actually an advantage?

🕯  On the school site before 7:00 a.m. was my day job (my-oh-my was that torture.) until I recently retired.

The Wonder Years

Staggering into the kitchen, adjusting the curtains so that I was not blinded by the sunrise. And wondering how I was going to get through the day on 4 or maybe 5 hours of sleep.

Wondering: Would I wake up if I spent my lunch break in the car and fell asleep?  

Wondering why I could only write at night? Life would be simpler if I could write during my lunchtime. Le Sigh.

Admissions

While I don't broadcast to the world, I write until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning; nothing goes unnoticed when you live in the burbs. 😎 

Everyone is up at sunrise going to work or working in his/her front yard. 

I wear sunglasses at 10 a.m. when I check the mail. No one 'sees me' until an hour or two before sunset when I sit on my front patio with a cup of coffee. 

They all seem to go to bed (all lights out between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m.) not long after sunset.

My sweet neighbor across the street said, "Whenever I get up at night, your lights are still on..."

"I know..." 😉

🦇 Writing should never be a race to the finish. It should be an extended immersion in a hot tub or a relaxing meditation. Good writers write at night because it's devoid of distraction, there's nothing else left to do in the day, and there's no one else to hurry to.

🦇Bursts of inspiration like this at night frequently within the creative community. Writers, artists, and inventors throughout history have all said they've been most inspired during night-time— think of Tennesee Williams. He spent so much of the night writing he would be found asleep in his bed the next morning, still wearing the same clothes as the day before (source: Williams' notebooks). (Connie doesn't do this.)  

📖📱💻

Do you have a favorite time you like to read?

Please visit my website/blog. Remember my books are on sale at Smashwords, too.

Happy Reading, everyone.

Connie Vines

XOXO

Website: https://connievines-author.com/

Blog: http://mizging.blogspot.com/

https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

https://books2read.com/Gumbo-Ya-Ya

https://books2read.com/Lynx

https://books2read.com/Brede

https://books2read.com/Tanayia

https://books2read.com/Here-Today-Zombie-Tomorrow

It's National Chocolate Candy Day! Celebrate by Leaving Sticky Hand Prints Everywhere! By Connie Vines

 NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CANDY DAY is today. 

 For Chocolate Devotes, this is a Jackpot day, second only to Valentine's Day!

December 28th!

National Chocolate Candy Day offers an opportunity for us to polish off the last of the specialty candies we received as gifts. Celebrated on December 28th, the day points us to the truffles and chocolate oranges tucked into stockings. 

Remember to check those boxes of candy that may or may not have guides to help us choose cream-filled or ganache.  

The word “chocolate” comes from the word “xocoatl” or “chocolatl.” Mayan “school” means hot or bitter, and the Aztec “atl” means water. Chocolate comes from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia and grows in Mexico, Central America, and Northern South America. The earliest known documentation of using cacao seeds is from around 1100 BC.

But before it was ever made into a sweet candy, it was ground into a beverage. In ruling class society, the beverage was used for medical purposes. 

In 1828, Dutch inventor and chemist, Coenraad Van Houten, developed a way to produce chocolate in solid form. His hydraulic press made it possible to remove the cocoa butter from the cacao. His invention leads to producing a powder opening the way for the first chocolate confections. It’s thanks to Van Houten we can enjoy the variety of chocolates we do today. 

Chocolate Facts

Whitman’s produced their first box of chocolate in 1842.

In 1847, British chocolate company J.S. Fry & Sons combined cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and sugar producing the first edible chocolate bar.

The invention of the conching machine by Rodolphe Lindt in 1879 ushered in mass production of the creamy treat.

The first chocolate Easter egg was made sometime in the early 19th century. In 1875 John Cadbury introduced his first chocolate egg.

When Allied troops stormed the beach of Normandy on D-Day, part of emergency rations and in soldiers’ packs included the D ration bar designed by Hershey Chocolate company for the U.S. Army.

Americans consume 12 pounds of chocolate each year (5.4kg per person). 

Australians consume 32kg of chocolate person person per year.

The British consume an average of 11kg per person per year (3 bars a week).

Canadians eat an average of 6.4 kilos of chocolate a year, which, based on an average bar size, is at least 160 chocolate bars per year, per person.

The Swiss were the top consumers per capita, with each person eating an average of almost 12 kilos a year. That is 26 pounds! Wow!! 

When someone says 'chocolate' this is what my mind locks onto:

Who doesn't remember, and still love, this classic "I Love Lucy" episode filmed at See's Candy? 

If you love chocolate, you may wish to join in on the celebration.

HOW TO OBSERVE #ChocolateCandyDay

There are so many different kinds of chocolate candy. 

What’s your favorite? 

Do you enjoy a piece or two or three? 

Do you have leftovers? 

How do you plant on celebrating National Chocolate Candy Day this year?

Are you hosting a family/ Social Distancing chocolate candy party? This is the perfect way to taste and sample all the varieties. A way to discover new favorites. 

Or how about a Zoom tasting event--that's one way to gauge the effects of a 'sugar rush' on your family, friends, and co-workers.

Here's a little known candy fact.  

Did you know the center of a Butterfinger Candy Bar contains melted Candy Corn, peanut butter, and finely chopped salted peanuts?  Yep.  I always ignore the Candy Corn during Autumn , 'cos I don't like/or eat candy corn (or so I thought) Butterfinger Candy Bars happen to be one of my faves!

I'm not a fan of marshmallows but this recipe is delicious. I pour it into a large Thermos and it will stay hot all day!  Perfect for an chilly outdoor adventure or sitting in front of a blazing fireplace.

I love to share jokes with my grands.

I've listed my favorites: 

1. What kind of candy is never on time?

ChocoLATE

2. What do you call Chewbacca when he has chocolate stuck in his hair?

Chocolate Chip Wookiee.

3. Why did the donut visit the dentist?

He needed a chocolate filling

4. I heard a joke about chocolate bars and it wasn’t that funny. So I just snickered…

5. What do you call stolen cocoa?

Hot chocolate

6. What is an astronaut’s favorite chocolate?

A Mars bar

 I hope your New Year is filled with blessings, joy, and a Reader chocked full of BWL novels!

Happy Reading and Happy National Chocolate  Day,

Connie

MY BWL Author Page

LYNX Buy link

BREDE Buy link

Tanayia Buy link

Here-Today-Zombie-Tomorrow

Watch for my new 2021 releases:

Life Keeps Getting More Complicated--Why I don't Like Puzzles by Connie Vines

memebase.com

While we are all hunkered down during the Pandemic, everyone is discovering hidden strengths, honing new-skills, discovering new hobbies, or in my case--discovering tasks they really, really dislike.

Adulting is difficult and tiring, even in the best of times.
Now, we--well, me anyway, are entering a new dimension--frustration.

When I leave my home, masked, gloved, and careful to observe social distancing--I can't decide if I'm slightly agoraphobic, feral, or simply confused because I'm in the great out-doors.

Did I lock the door?

Did I turn off the oven?  Since I wasn't cooking this morning, odds are the answer is, yes.

I'm concerned about others during these uncertain times.  I worry about family, friends, and those with pre-existing medical conditions.  I also recall, in a time before vaccines were perfected for measles, whooping cough, mumps, and chickenpox.  My parents spoke of  families self-quarantined when a loved one contracted the deadly virus, polio.

Somehow, we are emerged from those difficult times and I trust we will again.

So, I'm blogging, writing, baking, and visiting with my youngest grandson, a second-grader, who is being home-schooled.

Of course, I wish to be supportive.  I listen as he pencils Mandarin characters and explains what he's learned.  At his age, I was fascinated with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs so we 'share' information.  He also loves puzzles.  I have no problem looking at puzzles online, finding the puzzles he wants--those with zillions and zillions of pieces.  Mount Rushmore--with 4-presidents faces carved in the granite, The San Francisco Bridge over the blue bay and fog-engulfed sky, and other challenges.  Which I happily give to him with a joyous heart.

Sweetie that he is, my grandson is worried that I'm sad, "Grammie, I don't have a puzzle".

Well, I didn't have the heart to tell him that I really, really don't like puzzles.  Oh, I understand the concept.  Find the corners, then fill in the boarders, separate by color then by 'what you think it is: nose, eye, snowman's hat'--whatever.

Perhaps, because I'm the eldest of five-siblings, I'm unfamiliar with the concept of 'personal space'.
My Barbie dream-house couch was stepped and broken by brother number 1, about two-seconds after I pulled it from the box.  My sister (at the age of 4), would systematically pull out every Oreo cookie from the package, eat the frosting and skillfully reassemble the cookie before placing it back in the package. Brother number 2 and brother number 3 would race to the door whenever the doorbell rang.

Please note: A trajectory is the path that an object with mass in motion follows through space as a function of time. Hence, a complete trajectory is defined by position and momentum, simultaneously.

Which means:  Connie, walking the the door to greet her date, was in the trajectory path.

And to add to the daily chaos: 

We had two dogs residing in the household.  My sister's well-behaved Lab/Shepard mix.

And my AKC champion purebred miniature poodle. Smart, trainable, loving, and master of Covert-Ops.

Jacques, ate marbles, crayons, and snagged biscuits to hide under couch cushions..

I hope I've brightened you day with my blog post :-).

I'm thrilled to share my "cover-reveal" for my next BWL release:

an anthology for women who like romance Cajun style

BWL LINK  Visit BWL site for my releases and much more!

my website and all social links


.