It's that time of year --

My wish to my readers and followers -- enjoy the holidays and be safe out there!  

Warm regards,

Claire H.  

Free Romance!

In preparation for my new release coming out in mid-October, I wanted to run this sale so that readers could meet some of my favorite characters from my Merry Widow series who appear in the new series, The School for Sophistication!  

Here's the link to the various vendors for the free ebook:  https://books2read.com/u/3J0ewe

Unfortunately, Amazon does not allow freebies

unless they're in the Select/Unlimited program -- so sorry! 

The first novel is The Viscount and the Virgin and I'm so excited for my hero and heroine -- Commodore Gabriel Montford and Miss Abigail Prescott.  I'll post more information very soon, including the cover reveal and a brief excerpt.

Happy Reading!

Claire H. 

Peace and Joy to You!

Enjoy a safe and comfy 

Holiday!   Claire

Scents of the Season

Fill your home with the 

scents of the Season!

Peace & Joy

to you --  Claire H.

An easy-peasy gift to give

How many times are we suddenly invited to join a friend during the holiday season and feel that we should have a little giftie for them?  I love making these bookmarks and they're perfect for a friend or co-worker who loves to read!

Here's what you need:

ready-made shipping tags (these are usually pre-punched and come in packs at any craft or office supply store) or heavy cardstock paper

scrapbooking papers 

stamps

inkpads  (a vintage dark brown is good for "aging" the edges)

variety of ribbons and fancy yarns

heavy-duty glue stick

hole punch (if you use cardstock rather than shipping tags)


Process:

Embellish the fancy paper with stamps and any other embellishments you want to apply; then ink the edges if you want a "vintage-y" look;

Trim to fit the shipping tag or cardstock paper;  apply glue stick to the back of the stamped piece and secure to the base tag / cardstock;

Gather up several strands of fancy yarns and ribbons and slip through the hole, securing in the back with a lark knot -- or just a plain knot;  trim to the length you want.

Just to be sure, I usually weigh down the bookmark with something heavy for a few hours to ensure that the glue is set.

Depending on the occasion, I sometimes write a note on the back of the bookmark. 

And that's it!  Bookmarks are the little gifts that keep on giving . . . ;-)  

  

Sunday Afternoon De-Stresser

Vintage Tea and Text (digitally embellished by C. Hadleigh)

What do I do when in between writing my stories, especially in the midst of the Christmas season madness?  Easy -- I take out some lush yarns and brew a cup of tea; make sure to use a lovely vintage tea cup, put on the fire, the music and kick back. Works like a charm!

I'm not even sure what I'm knitting -- could be a hot pad for the table, a simple cowl, a pillow . . . ? It's just the simple, steady clicking of the needles, the feel of the soft yarn slipping through my fingers, the heady aroma of a good Darjeeling and a scrumptious candle burning on the mantel that eases the shoulders, the cramped neck, the frayed nerves (many of us writers have other jobs as well).

Before I know it, visions of words and scenes begin to drift through my mind. As I gaze into the fire or into the tea, words miraculously appear. I'm far, far away, in another place, another time. So despite wanting to put aside the writing and clear my mind, my mind decides to bypass my intent and dwell in the land of words. 

Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places

where other people see nothing. 

Camille Pissarro

Mood Boards to Write:

Sometimes the writer hits that brick wall where nothing seems to inspire, the words don't come as easily -- or not at all.

Scary stuff. What does one do?

Give up? Never -- or at least, maybe for a while. I'll be the first to admit it. If the blank screen or white page is staring me in the face with that "go ahead, I dare you" attitude, I throw up my hands and walk away.

Walking is good. It clears the head of all the extraneous crap, allowing fresh ideas and thoughts to emerge. Creating something with your hands or digitally helps also. I like to fiddle with Photoshop and Paintshop, altering images, enhancing, embellishing until something unique evolves.

These are my two mood boards to help me get past the "great swampy middle," as Joe Butcher phrased it. I'm mired in revising and editing, and everything seems stale at this point. I realize what it is, but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with.

So today was a "play" day for me. No writing except for this blog. This first mood board symbolizes my heroine, Meredith Lambert, a young woman just returned to Regency England after a long hiatus in southern France with her mother and step-father. She is elegant, beautiful, smart and terribly in love with the hero, her old childhood friend, William Burnham, now the Marquis of Huntington. After almost ten years, they meet for the first time only to end up arguing like they were children again.

And this board is for William Burnham, the Marquis -- a confirmed bachelor, self-centered, experienced in war, a financial wizard. Tall, dark and handsome, of course.There are secondary characters as well -- all widows and still young enough to want more out of life, especially fun and passion during the holiday season -- much to Burnham's chagrin.

Well, let's hope this dead-in-the-water phase dissipates soon. My deadline for release is December 1st, so I'd better get cracking!  I think I'll start with a fresh scene -- the love scene between Meredith and William. That usually gets the blood stirring -- hmmmm!

Here's a sneak peak at the ebook cover -- I hope it intrigues you!  If I can move onto the final revisions soon, I'll post an excerpt for you to read.