Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm off today, celebrating Thanksgiving week in beautiful Nicaragua, but on behalf of all of us at MB4, I didn't want to miss the chance to wish you and your loved ones a blessed Thanksgiving.

 

Thanksgiving then and now

I was going over my list of things I am thankful for, and one of the top most often prayed over is this site. I love this site and am so thankful for it and the great friendships it has brought. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all those things that you received from the hands of others, and all the ways life has been a blessing to you. As you ponder, don't forget the Cyber Pals you have gained.

When I chose Thursdays as my day to post, I never anticipated being the "turkey" for this time of the year. But there ya have it. I get the Thanksgiving post.

I have celebrated a lot of stuff over the years, like this post (click to read) Thanksgiving 2008 and it has been like a kickoff to the year to come.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Soon, I will be bringing you a new book, (Click for more info) Loran Rudder and the Secret Key is on its final round, and over the last few days has even gotten a cover. (no, I am not revealing yet!) -- so that is something to look forward to in the weeks to come.

I will do this time as I did back in 2008- and bring you tidbits and tasties about the making of the book over the next few weeks. SO don't eat too much this holiday--save room for dessert!

God bless you and keep you.

Happy Thanksgiving -Murderers!

Happy Thanksgiving, America!

I have thought all month long (on FB) of things I am thankful for. We call it the 30 Days of Thanksgiving or #30DOT for those following on Twitter. There are a lot of things to be thankful for! Some days I have found it difficult to post a "thankful for" post.

Now I want to post about what I am MOST thankful for. This is a toughie, and should be something special. But you, dear Murderers, know me. You know I am a simple woman. I write simple books, I am not complicated in any way.

So, what am I most thankful for?

Family.

Yes, it is so simple, but so true. I have been blessed with a great group of people to walk this earth with. My parents were not perfect. No parent is. But they did their best to raise four kids. I wasn't denied much.

My siblings have taught me life's greatest lessons. How to love. How to give thanks. Yes, my siblings!

My life has been graced with two husbands. One gave me my children, the other gave me my adult life. They taught me how to really appreciate things.

My kids are the greatest people on earth. They work hard, they love harder, and they are making a definite difference in the world. Without these two people, my life would be far different and much less rich.

I hope you will take time out today to tell those who are in your family how much you love them. Tell them today, Murderers. We are not guaranteed tomorrows.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!!!

Counting My Blessings

© Marta Stephens 2010 all rights reserved

“If we all threw our problems into a pile and saw everyone else’s,

we’d grab ours back.”

 (author unknown)

I’ve been thinking about writing this article for over a week and started more drafts of it than I can count, but no matter what, it all boils down to family, home, and feeling grateful for the many blessings and opportunities that have come our way.

Living in a state where unemployment is at 9.5%, I’m grateful that when my husband lost his job, he had options—retirement. I’m counting my blessings.

Two years ago, our governor instructed all state universities to cut back. Our budgets were drastically cut back along with raises, but the following year we had an increase. Thankfully, no one lost their job in the process. I’m counting my blessings.

I’m grateful for the life lessons our son and daughter have recently endured. No matter how good or bad things are, they will change and it’s those changes that force us to reflect, learn, and grow. I’m counting my blessings.

I finished writing another book this past summer and have been trying to find an agent. A frustrating experience to say the least, and although my manuscript is being considered by an agent at the moment, this experience gave me pause to evaluate my purpose and future direction. Crazy or not, I’ve decided to pursue a masters degree in creative writing in the fall of 2011. If by chance I’m able to secure representation for my novel, great! In the meantime, I’m grateful I don’t have to depend on book sales to pay the bills. I’m counting my blessings.

I’ve recently gotten hooked on the TV show, House Hunters/House Hunters International. Last night I watched in awe at a group of young buyers who thought having $2,000 plus monthly mortgage payments on 1,100 square-foot (or sometimes less) homes were bargains. Yup, I’m definitely counting my blessings!

Over the years, I’ve seen countless friends and co-workers pass too early in life—it’s disheartening. At times, I mindlessly complain about my aches and pains, but in truth, they remind me I’m still alive and make me constantly grateful for the otherwise good health I’m enjoying. I’m counting my blessings.

The bottom line is, no one ever said life would be fair or that the road would be flawless. Still, I’m a true believer in the old saying that for every door that closes, a new one opens. Often the path leads me in a completely different direction I hadn't expect and in the end, it’s not the bumps in the road that will matter five years from now, but what I do with them now.

I’m looking forward to having family and friends sitting around our dining room table tomorrow. I’ll be thinking of all my cyber friends as well. Many blessings to all and best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving!

About the author:
Marta Stephens writes crime mystery/suspense. Her books are available online at familiar shops such as all the Amazons, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-a-Million, and Powells. Other locations include, but are not limited to those listed on her website.


THE DEVIL CAN WAIT (2008), Bronze Medal Finalist, 2009 IPPY Awards, Top Ten, 2008 Preditors and Editors Reader Poll (mystery).
ISBN: 978-1-905202-886-7
Tradebook: $15.99
E-book: $9.00 from Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/7821  


SILENCED CRY (2007) Honorable Mention, 2008 New York Book Festival, Top Ten, 2007 Preditors and Editors Reader Poll (mystery).
ISBN: 798-1-905202-72-0
Tradebook: $15.50
E-book: $9.00 from Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/7812

Personal site: www.martastephens-author.com
Personal blog: http://mstephens-musings.blogspot.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

November is the month where we all count our blessings. According to Wikipedia, :
“Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. It is a holiday celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.
The date and location of the first Thanksgiving celebration is a topic of modest contention. Though the earliest attested Thanksgiving celebration was on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida[1][2], the traditional "first Thanksgiving" is venerated as having occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621. The Plymouth celebration occurred early in the history in one of the original thirteen colonies that became the United States, and this celebration became an important part of the American myth by the 1800s.
Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members and friends.
Well, I don’t know about all that, but I know it’s my favorite holiday, and I am always thankful to be in America, in the South, and in my family on that most honored day.

I love my country, and I really love my region (especially the food at Thanksgiving!) but being in my family is the best of it all. My kids are pretty well grown now with the youngest about to depart college with an undergrad degree, the eldest about to deliver a new baby, and the two in-betweens surprising us with their very-grown-up lives.

I also thank the Pilgrims. If it weren’t for them, I would never have taken up writing. Yes, it is true, my first story was about the Pilgrims in Plymouth and how they celebrated Thanksgiving. My mother, God rest her soul, saved the whole thing and gave it to me years later when I was an adult expressing the desire to write, with the advice to remember my humble beginnings.

Boy, do I remember them! And I am very thankful as well, that my humble beginnings were about something like Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone has a great holiday!

Kim Smith is the author of the zany mystery series featuring Shannon Wallace. She has penned several contemporary romances including the recent release Love Waltzes In. You can download her work at http:///www.redrosepublishing.com