THANKSGIVING BEST

My absolute favorite part of the Thanksgiving weekend is putting up the Christmas tree.  Every year, I get hit with the tingly anticipation of what's soon to come as I decorate the interior of the ol' Schindler abode. 

...Of course, there are no presents quite yet under our tree, but I feel it's safe to say that will be remedied soon enough...

 

Anybody else have their tree up?  I'd love to see pics!  Put your links in the comment box below.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT

I can't help it...I'm already in the holiday spirit.  It's infecting me earlier and earlier each year.  Which means I've already decorated the outside of the house, and I spent most of the day on Sunday driving across town to grab a present for my brother.

Another thing that's making my holiday spirit explode is discovering lovely posts online about my already-released books.  They're honestly like little pre-Christmas gifts.

 

 

For example, I keep bumping into a quote from A BLUE SO DARK...It's the most-lifted quote from the entire book.  Just yesterday, I discovered it yet again in a post on Facebook:

"Sanity is a sonnet with a strict meter and rhyme scheme—and my mind is free verse."

I also found a lovely new review of PLAYING HURT, courtesy of Forever 17 Books. 

...I'm firmly convinced that having incredible readers is the best Christmas present a gal could ever ask for.  Thanks for making my pre-Christmas the best, guys!

SUBTLE

Without a doubt, fall in the Ozarks can be strikingly beautiful.  Some autumns, the colors are so vibrant, it seems an absolute sin to spend any time indoors at all.

This autumn?  The colors aren't quite so bright.  Muted is more like it.  Subtle.  Earthy.  Instead of bright reds and oranges, we've got mustards.  Rusts.  Lingering greens mixed in. 

But as I was out and about, filming these clips, I was struck by how really beautiful subtlety can be...



What does your fall look like?

'WEEN SCENES

Scenes from this year's Halloween:

Jake went as a "cowdog," and I piled on the green...

...But the real creepiness settled in after dark...