Our winner is Annette E!
Welcome to
We're a group of authors and readers who love a good howl.
Check out one of our 99¢ box sets.
Then scroll down to enter our giveaway.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
21 Christmas Gift Ideas for Mom, Dad, Grandparents, Teachers etc...
Christmas is just weeks away and if you are stumped on the perfect gift for the adults in your life, I have some ideas.
Because I am thinking about Christmas hard core today. I'm in the holiday mood early this year. So I made you a list of the best local, handmade and homemade gifts I can find.
1.Gift certificates to your local hair salon or barber. I would love this because a cut and color is expensive and I am always putting it off to save money.
2.Car washes and auto detailing. Small detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.
3.Yard work. Pay for your loved one’s lawn to be mowed for the summer, or their driveway plowed all winter.
4.Golf games at the local golf course or bowling gift certificates or laser tag or other activities in your town.
5.Restaurant meals. Give gift certificates to local owner-operated non-chain restaurants. I live in an area with a thriving local food scene so this is my go-to gift for my parents. I try to find a new restaurant for them to try every year.
6.Oil change for a car, truck or motorcycle, at a locally run shop. My husband does our oil changes BUT he hates doing them in the winter. A gift certificate for an oil change would be a real treat for him.
7.Gift the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.
8.Local crafts. I love to go to craft shows this time of year and pick up homemade items to give as gifts.
9.Tickets to a play or ballet or concert at a hometown theater. Also tickets to a sporting event.
10. A jar of local honey and bee pollen. Honey is really expensive these days and makes a lovely gift for anyone who likes to cook or drink tea. Bee pollen is a great pick-me-up for the winter months. I know I would be thrilled to receive this as a gift...the last jar of honey I bought was $25 so Santa can hit me with free honey all day long. lol
11. Massage. I would especially love love LOVE to open up a gift certificate for a hot stone massage. First, it's wonderfully cozy in cold weather and second, it is deeply relaxing.
12.These candles from AI Root are awesome. I buy them all the time. Having asthma, I can't burn just any candle and these never bother my lungs.The Entice scent is perfect for Christmas with clove and orange notes. Enlighten has a refreshing lemony note and Seduce has a rich patchouli scent. I am giving these to all my siblings and cousins this year.
13. Smuckers jams make great gifts too. I like to get food gifts for my grandfather as he has everything he needs. This blueberry jam in particular is divine and made with the old-fashioned way, with all natural ingredients. Look at the label, there are four ingredients total. No chemicals! Seriously, this jam is amazing (and inexpensive). I have to hide it or else it's gone in ten minutes flat. It's that good.
The price on Amazon is a bit high so look for it in the grocery store. And of course, Smuckers has a ton of other flavors to choose from as well. I'll be pairing jam with a loaf of raisin bread from a local baker for my grandfather. This would also make a good hostess gift or coworker gift for a cost of about $5-7.
14.For teachers, I like to give lip balm and some nice chocolate truffles. It's inexpensive, yummy and useful. Burt's Bees has fantastic lip balms that are made in the US. You can get a 4 pack for a little over $8 (in this case Amazon appears to have the best price. It's $10 at the Target by me.). I then have my kiddo decorate some plain gift bags (which are super cheap) to hold everything, split up the 4 pack to cover 4 teachers and add in some good chocolate--either something from the local chocolate shoppe or Lindt Truffles (they have a factory here in the USA). Total cost is around $5 per teacher.
15. Custom magnets for the year's highlights. My brother got married this year and I'm going to use Zazzle to make some photo fridge magnets of his big day. (Zazzle is a US company although I can't tell if they manufacture in the US or not.)
16. Pay for a class. If someone is taking yoga, find out where their studio is and pay for a month of classes. Have someone who loves food? Find a cooking class.
17. Books from your favorite indie authors. Send them out on Xmas day for ebooks and have the lucky recipient check their email. Or get a signed print copy. Indie audiobooks are also great, too.
18. I love this hand painted pottery from Poland. It's gorgeous and useful. A coffee mug with organic, fair trade tea is an awesome gift for any tea lovers. If you have some newlyweds in your family the butter dish, gravy boat and serving platters will make for a family heirloom.
19. Foodies will love this sampler of Hawaiian salts. I recently discovered flavored salts and I LOVE them. They are an amazing way to add awesome flavor to food.
20.This gift idea looks forward to the future, but giving seeds to grow a butterfly garden is a wonderful gift that saves money, results in gorgeous flowers and helps bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.
We've been growing a butterfly garden for the last 4 years at our house. It is SUPER easy and just stunning to look at it. Even better, it doesn't need to be weeded, these flowers actually grow like weeds. Maybe once a summer we pull out a weed that finally got too big.
My go-to flowers are: Cosmos and Zinnias. (Or you can buy an actual butterfly garden kit.) I sow them directly into the dirt. I don't bother to germinate them inside. Once the last frost is done, I just put 'em right into the dirt. Easy, peasy.
The Cosmos grow super tall so they should go at the back. Zinnias come in various heights and I buy all of them tall,medium and short so there's color at every level. $20 in seeds is enough to grow a full butterfly garden. You could also pair it with a hummingbird feeder or a decorative garden ornament (I love the solar light ones although they are mass produced) to round it out.
21. Don't forget things like Califorina wines, California olive oil, cherry jams and sauces from Michigan and other regional foods.
Still need gift ideas? See my list of gifts for kids and families.
Because I am thinking about Christmas hard core today. I'm in the holiday mood early this year. So I made you a list of the best local, handmade and homemade gifts I can find.
1.Gift certificates to your local hair salon or barber. I would love this because a cut and color is expensive and I am always putting it off to save money.
2.Car washes and auto detailing. Small detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.
3.Yard work. Pay for your loved one’s lawn to be mowed for the summer, or their driveway plowed all winter.
4.Golf games at the local golf course or bowling gift certificates or laser tag or other activities in your town.
5.Restaurant meals. Give gift certificates to local owner-operated non-chain restaurants. I live in an area with a thriving local food scene so this is my go-to gift for my parents. I try to find a new restaurant for them to try every year.
6.Oil change for a car, truck or motorcycle, at a locally run shop. My husband does our oil changes BUT he hates doing them in the winter. A gift certificate for an oil change would be a real treat for him.
7.Gift the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.
8.Local crafts. I love to go to craft shows this time of year and pick up homemade items to give as gifts.
9.Tickets to a play or ballet or concert at a hometown theater. Also tickets to a sporting event.
10. A jar of local honey and bee pollen. Honey is really expensive these days and makes a lovely gift for anyone who likes to cook or drink tea. Bee pollen is a great pick-me-up for the winter months. I know I would be thrilled to receive this as a gift...the last jar of honey I bought was $25 so Santa can hit me with free honey all day long. lol
11. Massage. I would especially love love LOVE to open up a gift certificate for a hot stone massage. First, it's wonderfully cozy in cold weather and second, it is deeply relaxing.
12.These candles from AI Root are awesome. I buy them all the time. Having asthma, I can't burn just any candle and these never bother my lungs.The Entice scent is perfect for Christmas with clove and orange notes. Enlighten has a refreshing lemony note and Seduce has a rich patchouli scent. I am giving these to all my siblings and cousins this year.
13. Smuckers jams make great gifts too. I like to get food gifts for my grandfather as he has everything he needs. This blueberry jam in particular is divine and made with the old-fashioned way, with all natural ingredients. Look at the label, there are four ingredients total. No chemicals! Seriously, this jam is amazing (and inexpensive). I have to hide it or else it's gone in ten minutes flat. It's that good.
The price on Amazon is a bit high so look for it in the grocery store. And of course, Smuckers has a ton of other flavors to choose from as well. I'll be pairing jam with a loaf of raisin bread from a local baker for my grandfather. This would also make a good hostess gift or coworker gift for a cost of about $5-7.
14.For teachers, I like to give lip balm and some nice chocolate truffles. It's inexpensive, yummy and useful. Burt's Bees has fantastic lip balms that are made in the US. You can get a 4 pack for a little over $8 (in this case Amazon appears to have the best price. It's $10 at the Target by me.). I then have my kiddo decorate some plain gift bags (which are super cheap) to hold everything, split up the 4 pack to cover 4 teachers and add in some good chocolate--either something from the local chocolate shoppe or Lindt Truffles (they have a factory here in the USA). Total cost is around $5 per teacher.
15. Custom magnets for the year's highlights. My brother got married this year and I'm going to use Zazzle to make some photo fridge magnets of his big day. (Zazzle is a US company although I can't tell if they manufacture in the US or not.)
16. Pay for a class. If someone is taking yoga, find out where their studio is and pay for a month of classes. Have someone who loves food? Find a cooking class.
17. Books from your favorite indie authors. Send them out on Xmas day for ebooks and have the lucky recipient check their email. Or get a signed print copy. Indie audiobooks are also great, too.
18. I love this hand painted pottery from Poland. It's gorgeous and useful. A coffee mug with organic, fair trade tea is an awesome gift for any tea lovers. If you have some newlyweds in your family the butter dish, gravy boat and serving platters will make for a family heirloom.
19. Foodies will love this sampler of Hawaiian salts. I recently discovered flavored salts and I LOVE them. They are an amazing way to add awesome flavor to food.
20.This gift idea looks forward to the future, but giving seeds to grow a butterfly garden is a wonderful gift that saves money, results in gorgeous flowers and helps bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.
We've been growing a butterfly garden for the last 4 years at our house. It is SUPER easy and just stunning to look at it. Even better, it doesn't need to be weeded, these flowers actually grow like weeds. Maybe once a summer we pull out a weed that finally got too big.
My go-to flowers are: Cosmos and Zinnias. (Or you can buy an actual butterfly garden kit.) I sow them directly into the dirt. I don't bother to germinate them inside. Once the last frost is done, I just put 'em right into the dirt. Easy, peasy.
The Cosmos grow super tall so they should go at the back. Zinnias come in various heights and I buy all of them tall,medium and short so there's color at every level. $20 in seeds is enough to grow a full butterfly garden. You could also pair it with a hummingbird feeder or a decorative garden ornament (I love the solar light ones although they are mass produced) to round it out.
21. Don't forget things like Califorina wines, California olive oil, cherry jams and sauces from Michigan and other regional foods.
Still need gift ideas? See my list of gifts for kids and families.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Snarkology Halloween Hop! What's YOUR ghost story?
Happy Halloween everybody! This is one of my favorite times of year. I love the weather, the beautiful fall colors, the cozy rainy days perfect for soup or the first hot cocoa of the season and the excitement of my kiddos as they pick out their costumes and dream about all the free candy (that, let's be honest, I'm going to eat!).
That's why I put together the Midnight's Call boxed set. Full of NEW stories about ghosts, vampires, demons, witches and shifters, it's sure to make your Halloween week feel complete. AND it's only 99c (free in KU) right now.
My story in this set is about ghosts and ghost hunting (with a side of romance) so my question to YOU is...what's your ghost story? I'll pick one person from the comments who will win a $10 Amazon gift card.
My ghost story is...I went ghost hunting in Salem Mass. and some really strange stuff showed up in my photos from the old prison. A flaming cross appeared in one, as if someone (who was DEAD) was crossing themselves. It inspired to me to write Ghosts of Desire, which is my contribution to Midnight's Call. What would cause a ghost to stick around in a prison? What's worth holding on to and never letting go?
Once you've shared your ghost story, be sure to visit the other stops in the hop. There are prizes at every stop and a grand prize giveaway as well.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, October 24, 2016
Wolf Pack Trick-or-Treat Newsletter Hop! Oct 26 - 31 2016 - Winners Posted!
WINNERS ARE BEING POSTED!
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE IF YOU WON A TREAT!
* Winners are listed in RED text.
Wolf Pack - $25 Gift Card - Sam
Tmonique Stephens - 1 ebook + $10 Gift Card - Jennifer G
Solease M Barner - $15 Amazon Gift Card - Michelle W
Skye Jones - 2 ebooks + $10 Gift Card - Heather N, Linda W & Ashley H
Sedona Venez - 1 ebook + candy + $5 Amazon Gift Card - Gena
Rosalie Redd - 1 signed book + bookmark + keychain + $10 Amazon Gift Card - Andrea P
Olivia Arran - $20 gift card - Virgen C
Nancy Corrigan - $10 iBooks Gift Card + signed paperbacks - Michelle C
Michelle Fox - $25 Gift Card - Elvira
Katalina Leon - 3 ebooks + 1 signed book - Tina G, Paula H & Susan B
K.C. Stewart - 3 book bundle + swag + candy - Misty
Jami Brumfield - 1 signed paperback + $5 Amazon Gift Card - Hillary
Debbie Herbert - $5 Amazon Gift Card + 1 Kindle ebook - gracioushoneybee
Crystal Dawn - $5 Gift Card - O. M
Cecilia Dominic - 1 paperback - drsagercowan
Beth Caudill - $10 Gift Card + 1 ebook - Sandy E
Annie Nicholas - 3 ebooks - Jenny
Angelica Dawson - 1 box set ebook + 1 ebook + a pair of edible candy cuffs - Shelly H
A K Michaels - Surprise Swag Pack + 1 Signed Book - Vicki B
Join the Wolf Pack Facebook group --
it's the place to be for readers who like a good howl:
it's the place to be for readers who like a good howl:
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Spooktacular Giveaway Hop 2016 - Winner Announced!
Our winner is Suzi. Congratulation!
Welcome to
We're a group of authors and readers who love a good howl.
Check out one of our 99¢ box sets.
Then scroll down to enter our giveaway.
9 paranormal romances will teach you how to love a dragon...
without getting burned!
AmazonUS AmazonUK AmazonCA AmazonAU
Nook iBooks Kobo GooglePlay
Enter our giveaway: CLICK HERE
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
What I've Learned About Wattpad...
I've recently been uploading stories or parts of stories to Wattpad in an effort to build a presence in that market. Here are some things I've learned/noticed...
1. The interface is glitchy. I title each part of the story and it often reverts back to the default 'Untitled.' I've even had one story grab another story's cover and replace the existing one...meaning I had two books with the same cover! It's so weird when data goes sideways like that! Fortunately, once I re-uploaded the correct cover, it was fine. The reverting back to Untitled thing keeps happening though, no matter how often I fix it.
2.You can message your followers. Whether they read it is another story, but given how often my newsletter ends up in spam, I like the idea of being able to send updates to followers that they might actually see!
3. Complete stories do better than unfinished ones. I have waaaay more reads on my complete novel than any samples or novels that I haven't finished uploading. So make a splash by posting a full, complete work to start. (And be sure to mark it as complete in WP's interface!)
4. Wattpad readers don't appear to like short stories. Works with just 1 or 2 parts will not see a ton of reads. This is not a market for short story lengths.
5. The preferred cover style on Wattpad can be different than what we see on ebook retailers. Be sure you look at the top read books in your genre and take note of the general cover aesthetic. You may need WP specific covers to attract readers.
6. Ask for votes and comments at the end of each part. I also will include promo for my other WP titles. Keep it short, but don't waste the opportunity to connect either. Oh and don't forget to say thank you!
7.You can upload video and graphics. Each story has a header bar that will support multimedia.
8. WP integrates with your social media accounts making it easy to let people know you have a new work or new chapter up.
9. Know what people are reading in your genres. While there are all sorts of books on WP and all different styles of story telling can do well, I did notice a good amount of first person Twilight style stories in my genre (which I happen to enjoy so not doggin' it at all!). Your easiest 'in' is to write to the WP market. If you see a lot of books with a certain style, your best bet is to post something similar.
(Note: My sense is WP is in a state of transition as with the royalty sharing program (authors get paid!) they'll attract a whole new writer and reader base. So things may change markedly in the next 6 months in terms of reader tastes.)
10. Be active in the community. Add books to your reading list. Comment on stories--there are a lot of new writers just starting out who would love some positive feedback. Do your best to connect with others.
11. Get your book featured on Wattpad. This will grow your reader base on the platform and can help you qualify for their royalty sharing program (where you get paid!). Once your book is complete, hustle for some reads and then submit it for review.
1. The interface is glitchy. I title each part of the story and it often reverts back to the default 'Untitled.' I've even had one story grab another story's cover and replace the existing one...meaning I had two books with the same cover! It's so weird when data goes sideways like that! Fortunately, once I re-uploaded the correct cover, it was fine. The reverting back to Untitled thing keeps happening though, no matter how often I fix it.
2.You can message your followers. Whether they read it is another story, but given how often my newsletter ends up in spam, I like the idea of being able to send updates to followers that they might actually see!
3. Complete stories do better than unfinished ones. I have waaaay more reads on my complete novel than any samples or novels that I haven't finished uploading. So make a splash by posting a full, complete work to start. (And be sure to mark it as complete in WP's interface!)
4. Wattpad readers don't appear to like short stories. Works with just 1 or 2 parts will not see a ton of reads. This is not a market for short story lengths.
5. The preferred cover style on Wattpad can be different than what we see on ebook retailers. Be sure you look at the top read books in your genre and take note of the general cover aesthetic. You may need WP specific covers to attract readers.
6. Ask for votes and comments at the end of each part. I also will include promo for my other WP titles. Keep it short, but don't waste the opportunity to connect either. Oh and don't forget to say thank you!
7.You can upload video and graphics. Each story has a header bar that will support multimedia.
8. WP integrates with your social media accounts making it easy to let people know you have a new work or new chapter up.
9. Know what people are reading in your genres. While there are all sorts of books on WP and all different styles of story telling can do well, I did notice a good amount of first person Twilight style stories in my genre (which I happen to enjoy so not doggin' it at all!). Your easiest 'in' is to write to the WP market. If you see a lot of books with a certain style, your best bet is to post something similar.
(Note: My sense is WP is in a state of transition as with the royalty sharing program (authors get paid!) they'll attract a whole new writer and reader base. So things may change markedly in the next 6 months in terms of reader tastes.)
10. Be active in the community. Add books to your reading list. Comment on stories--there are a lot of new writers just starting out who would love some positive feedback. Do your best to connect with others.
11. Get your book featured on Wattpad. This will grow your reader base on the platform and can help you qualify for their royalty sharing program (where you get paid!). Once your book is complete, hustle for some reads and then submit it for review.
Wolf Pack 99 Cent Sale & Giveaway! Oct 12 - 14 2016
The Wolf Pack authors have cooked up a batch of 99¢ (or f*r*e*e) reads!
Scroll to the bottom of this page for a special giveaway!
Sale ends Friday!
REMEMBER: Check prices before you buy. They can change without notice.
If you see a book that isn't 99¢ or fr*ee, please check back later as price changes may be delayed.
Once you've been bitten, there's no going back...
She's been sold to a vampire to be used, so why won't he touch her?
A sizzling anthology jam-packed with alpha males, paranormal hotties, vampires, werewolves, shifters, Greek Gods & More.
An Irish castle, griffin-shifters, vampires, werewolves and ghosts that go hump in the night...
An alpha needs a mate, but Declan's comes with a secret.
He’ll go through Hell to love her.
A crazy goddess is threatening to turn Wayrian's whole dragon shifter clan human if she doesn't mate with a human cowboy. But that's a deal breaker for her grandfather, who wants her to impress the new dragon prince...
Vengeance and justice aren’t all that collide when a vigilante werewolf meets a beautiful detective.
Raised to become the bride of a shifter, Avelyn is determined to regain her freedom, even when her destined husband is hot, hunky Alpha wolf Max Blackmane.
She was a girl without an identity. Until he gave her one...
Trapped by a mutual enemy, they have no choice but to work together.
Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a chance
to win 1 of FOUR $100 gift cards!
Join The Wolf Pack Facebook group!
It's the place to be for readers who like a good howl:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)