Currently, I look like Morticia Adams. I couldn’t find time to go to the hairdresser to have my normal red streaks so I thought – 'bugger it – I’ll whack a packet colour through my hair until next month.' The colour I chose – copper brown. The colour result – dark-oh-my-god-what-the-hell-have-you-done-brown? Lovely. It will eventually fade of course but the looks I have been getting are priceless. I have the whole gothic deal going on at the moment. And, you know, the thing is this is probably the closest I have ever been to my natural colour – which I suspect – going by my eyebrows is dark brown. I say suspect because I can’t exactly remember as I have been dying my hair various colours since Billy was a pup (that’s a long time in Aussie speak).
The comments have been – "wow – those are nice earrings" (translation = what the hell has she done to her hair?) to “trying something new?” To which I like to look vague as if I don’t understand what they mean and then they become uncertain as to whether what they think has changed has really changed or not. One must have some fun in life. So, the moral of the story? Obvious – no matter how rushed you are do not believe the colour on the side of the box and if you wear black with dark hair then you will look more scary than normal – bonus.
Dear Friend, (PRIVATE/CONFIDENTIAL).I am Mr Peter Nouri bank manager of B.O.A Bank in Burkina faso.I would like you to indicate your interest to receive the transfer of 14,000,000 M Dollars. I will like you to stand as the next of kin to my late Descease customer Mr.Sheu Yuan-dong whose account is presently dormant for claim. urgent
The B.O.A Bank in Burkina Faso seems to be very, very busy at the moment. I get a lot of these and frankly I wasn’t aware I could be related to so many people. As far as I know, there no Shen’s in the Jones family. But we’re a dodgy lot. And is Mr Shen dead or just ill? And what’s an M dollar? Is it ‘M’ as in Monopoly dollars? Can I buy a couple of hotels in Mayfair and still have change to buy an electric company? And where the hell is Burkina Faso – yes - Africa but where? Have a burning desire to know? Click here. It states in this article they started out as hunter gatherers…seems nothing much as changed.
Contest – see wonky picture on blog below… The deal – very, very hard question…go to www.amarindajones.com and tell me the name of one the other Janet books listed there – then email me on amarinda_jones@yahoo.com.au. The first 2 correct answers drawn at random will win the prize. The contest closes Monday 16th March at midnight – cause it always sounds more dramatic – EST USA time. Go for it.
www.amarindajones.com
Go Ahead : Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?
Friday, 13 March 2009
Urban Goth…
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Pushing Fate
Pushing Fate - by moi
Ainslie Croft is a dreamer. The problem is her dreams aren’t pleasant. Ghosts haunt her asking for help. When she crashes into a dream where one man is running from her and another towards her, Ainslie knows her life is about to change forever. But can she overcome the emotional and physical scars to let anyone into her life?
Ramsay Balfour is a man on a mission. He has to find an evil necromancer and destroy his power. Ramsay also plans to seduce Ainslie back into the land of the living by teaching her how to love again.
I have a book released today – Pushing Fate at Cerridwen Press. Yes, you can click on the cover to buy. What’s that you say? You’re not Janet Davies. I am too. I am both Janet and Amarinda but people tend to know me more as Amarinda. We’re one and the same. There is no difference. One of us writes mainstream romance and the other erotica. If I am in trouble I blame one or the other. It’s very handy at times. It’s not me – it’s her – she’s the bad one. You’re never alone when you have a pen name…
So - Pushing Fate – we do it everyday by taking a chance, a risk – we tempt fate to take us on and do its worst. I wrote this book based on a dream – ah, dreams – useful things those. I was going to write it as a new age spiritual thing but I discovered I don’t have a spiritual bone in my body – just the usual jaded ones I’ve had for years so I went with what I knew.
There is a contest…and I took a photo – see below - sure it’s wonky but at 4am in the morning the world is wonky. Shut up and tell you what and how you could win? Sure.
The stuff – bought on my travels in Melbourne, Australia - 1 XL T-shirt, a pop up snow globe (I love these), a boxing kangaroo pen, a kangaroo road sign to confuse people especially if you aren’t an Aussie, an Amarinda cap, a pen set that has – wait for it - souvenir nail clippers – laughed my arse off when I saw those - and a packet of Tim Tams. Why? Because you need something delicious to eat when you read the e-book copy of Pushing Fate you may win.
The contest – very, very hard question…go to www.amarindajones.com and tell me the name of one of the other Janet books listed there – then email me on amarinda_jones@yahoo.com.au. The first 2 correct answers drawn at random will win the prize. The contest closes Monday 16th March at midnight – cause it always sounds more dramatic – EST USA time. Go for it.
www.amarindajones.com
Go Ahead : Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
The writing thing....
So, I’ve been writing about vampires. Due to the great response from Shades of Gray and Marlow’s Curse, I am in the midst of another vamp book – adding the characters from those 2 books as secondary guests who wander into the latest chaos I have inflicted on my home town of Brisbane. Of course the thing is with books you can write ‘em but there is absolutely no promises that they will ever get published regardless how your last books went. It’s not like the saying of build it and they will come. It’s more like write it and hope someone does not think it sucks. I think writers forget that. I think we become complacent and make assumptions and - shock horror – start to believe our own publicity. No, of course I don't mean you or me....probably I mean everyone else....
To me writing is a job. It’s about creating a book that is entertaining and allows someone to drop their life for a couple of hours and wander into another world. There are heaps of writers around with stacks of books to choose from. Most of us are unknown and will probably always be. That’s okay. Just to take a dive into the shallow end of the writing pond is good. That someone wants to put money behind your book to publish is amazing. That a reader will put hard earned money down to take a chance on you is gobsmacking. And I think there are times that writers forget that as we all compete with one another for the market. 
latest work to bring you back to earth and remind you you’re not that good. And this could all fall apart tomorrow. Or it could get even better. It may stay the same. The thing is whatever you do in life we all know you have to remain grounded and be ever ready to pull your head in. Saturday, 23 August 2008
Quel surprise...
Swift of Heart – Book one – Men of Heart
When Stephanie Hart opens her front door to find long-lost love Mackinley Swift on her doorstep, thoughts of anger, love and an overwhelming urge to slap him and then eat a chocolate bar rush through her mind. Here is the man who taught her to love, to want and to need—then he walked out on her without a word. Now Mac's back telling her he's been away fighting a war in another dimension. Yeah, right, whatever. Stephanie is simply not that stupid.
Mac knows he has the fight of his life on his hands to convince the woman he loves that he had no choice. He did not want to go. Duty to his country called him home but love has brought him back. How hard could it be to convince her that they are meant to be together?
An old enemy is watching the lovers' reunion. He hates Mackinley Swift for killing his brother. He has every intention of making him suffer. The woman Swift loves is the means to do it. Hurt the woman, hurt the man.
I got a nice surprise this morning – well I would have got it a week ago if I had not been a slack arse and checked the other email address I have but I didn’t – anyway I’m in print…well a book is. Amazing Grace. It made me laugh. Yes, that’s right laugh. Why? Because it seems so bizarre to have a book out in print now that I have gotten used to the whole e-book thing. E-books are not big in Australia. But they will be. Anyway…what’s it called? Men of Heart. Why? Long frigging story – I’ll give you the condensed version that does not have me banging my head on the desk trying to think up a title until I had a headache and wondering how did I ever come up with other titles without all the angst. Maybe because those books were planned. This one wasn’t. 'Sort of like the immaculate conception of books if you like.
Men of Heart is a duet book comprising of Swift of Heart and Last Man Standing. I got word that it and another two Ellora’s Cave books – Shades of Gray and Marlow’s Curse (Vampire) would go into print and can I think up a name to call the books? Oh hard…so after much agonizing – which included badgering other people for titles – as a last minute thing I came up with Men of Heart based on the fact that the two stories within were about Stephanie Hart and Amy Hart and well - men. Yes, rocket scientist logic in use there. I had not seen the cover until today so I am pleased as always with what the cover gods at Cerridwen Press created. The title for the vampire one? Yeah, I have given one that has been accepted but until it goes into print, I’ll be schtumm (quiet) on that one.
Reading this blog for the first time and totally confused? I do that to a lot of people. I write under two names – Janet Davies and Amarinda Jones. Janet is mainstream romance and Amarinda is erotica. So two names, two genres – one confusing person and yet I like me…who ever I am. And yes, you can click on the covers to buy.
Last Man Standing – Book 2 Men of Heart
Six months ago, when battle-scarred warrior Alex Navarro jumped into Amy Hart's car, he said he was doing it to save her life. He said a madman from another dimension was after her. But how exactly is trying to seduce her saving her life? Shouldn't Alex be after the bad guy? And why on earth did she give her heart to a man who only wants her for the moment?
Six months later Amy Hart is pregnant, and the father-to-be publicly denies paternity. That's just fine with Amy. She hates Alex Navarro with a passion anyway. And there is no way she is going to change her mind. As for Alex, his deliberate plan for Amy to hate him is backfiring. And that's not his only problem. The threat of an old prophecy hangs over his head. He loves Amy but he will not endanger her. But what choice does he have? Can Alex win back the love of his life and beat the curse that has haunted him for years? Or will greed and jealously win?
Wow what a lot of question marks huh?
The step man cometh back tomorrow. The plan had been to have the front steps finished on Friday but like all good plans that fell to crap so he is here tomorrow morning… at 8am…on a Sunday…when I am traditionally still in my pj’s looking feral. Yes, I will change into something more sedate so as not to tempt the man in wild, lustful temptation with my glamorous pink flannelette bedecked self….it’s the least I can do.
May your Saturday be pleasant and peaceful. For all the latest in romance book news go check out the authors listed in the link below.
www.amarindajones.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmarindaJonesNewsletter/
Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?
Saturday, 9 August 2008
Peace...
“The more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed during war.” --Chinese proverb
Do you think peace is possible? I’m not just talking on a world scale. I am very sceptical that will ever happen anyway. Why? Because there are too many people who think their race, colour, religion and beliefs are better then anyone else’s. I personally don’t care if you are black, white or brindle, who you love or who you worship. You do your thing and I’ll do mine. However cross the line and attack me and mine and I’m not peaceful. But I think most people are like that. When you look at that on a world scale – with so many personalities - then that’s why I am dubious about world peace.
“If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace.” –John Lennon
So, what is peace to you? To me, it’s being free to do as you want without interference by nitwits - because let’s face it, if you are allowed to do your own thing you are happy and generally calm. Peace is being able to come home, shut the door and soak in the quiet of your real life. In my eyes, work is not real life. It is a means to an end. Peace is turning off your email to concentrate on what you are writing. Peace is having a laugh with an old friend because you know each other and you have stopped thinking about trying to change the other years ago. Peace is sitting on my back stairs and having lunch – yes how glamorous – and looking at the trees and the garden and seeing lizards scoot across the grass. Peace is about kicking back and reading a good book. Peace is about walking away from those who annoy the crap out of you – I’m still working on that one.
“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it” --unknown
Peace comes through many forms…
Upheaval…Last Man Standing by Janet Davies
In the year 2008, two months after of the birth of the son of the scarred warrior, when evil has been thwarted and much blood is shed, the lands of Carronas and Melotia will unite as one. They will become one nation under one name, with one aim—peace.
After great personal upheaval, the brother warriors will lead the way to prosperity and harmony between all. Their children will carry on their legacy. The scarred warrior will never again doubt his way or question his destiny for there is no way it can be stopped. Pain and hatred will be the catalyst for greatness.
His woman will know no peace and there will be nowhere to hide.
The Prophecy of Llewellyn, Seer and Councilor, the Melotian Chronicles 1912
Reality….Kama Sutra Lovers by Anny Cook
Rubbing his forehead, the Chairman muttered, “I thought we left terrorism behind on Earth.”
“Terrorism is a by-product of humans. As long as we have humans around, there will eventually be terrorism, murder, war, violence, or some other type of mayhem. We’re not a very peaceful species,” Lee pointed out. “If we were, I wouldn’t have a job.”
War….Beltaine Bargain by Cindy Spencer Pape
He sighed. He was exhausted. They’d risen well before dawn to be on their way, Huw, in a rush to show off his new spurs to his family, and Rhodri who just ached to be home and at peace. Without the robbers, they would have been in Wales in a day or two, then home to Llyan in just a couple more. Who knew, now, how long it would be before Rhodri felt the comfort of his own castle walls?
Soul….Tempting Tess by Regina Carlysle
Everything she’d done for the past twenty-five years had been careful. Precise. She’d been everything to everyone. Nurturer, lover, supermom. Now it was just her and at forty-five it was time to ponder the great question of her personal universe.
What more was left?
Renting this rustic cabin in the mountains of Ruidoso, New Mexico, was a starting point for what Tess Garrity considered the beginning of her new life. She leaned against the window frame and stared out at nature laid out in all its glory.
Understanding …My Last Dark Day by Barbara Huffert
“Just wanted to prove that I am more than capable of keeping you coming hard for as long as it takes you add someone to your life who understands like we do and knows how to take care of you.” He cupped my cheek gently. “Got it?” I nodded, fighting back my tears. “Aw honey.” He kissed me lightly. “No reason to cry. Not anymore. You’re ours now and all you have to do is remember to come here to us, okay?”
“I will,” I promised without hesitation, stating the truth as it would be for many no-longer-dark days to come.
Yes – by all means click on the covers to buy these bloody good reads.
www.amarindajones.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmarindaJonesNewsletter/
Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?
Sunday, 11 May 2008
Sunday stuff...
Every Sunday the Brisbane radio station I favour, 4KQ, has Sunday Morning Sixties on it. On the whole the songs from the sixties are different and original. I often wonder how easy it is to write a new, unique song now. Hasn’t every concept to do with love, hate, passion and power been sung and written about in a song? What about new chords and rhythms? But then I suppose that’s the same with writing a romance. You have to work hard to make it different – sometimes it works – sometimes it doesn’t…anyway, my point is some of these 60’s songs irritate the hell out of me. I have already mentioned, on the blog, “What’s new Pussycat” and the ‘pussycat nose’ thing – please – what woman has a pussycat nose? Or is he referring to whiskers and her need to wax her upper lip? Either way – it annoys me. Of course when they were written in the 60’s women were still very much under the thumb and it was before women’s lib etc and women were classified as potential girlfriend, wife and mother etc. The first song this morning stuck in my mind and irritated the hell out of me. It’s called "Take a Letter Maria." For anyone who does not know it you can listen to it on the internet. Why does it irritate me? Here are some of the lyrics…
You've been many things, but most of all
A good secretary to me
And it's times like this I feel you've
Always been close to me
Was I wrong to work nights to try to build a good life
It seems that all work and no play has just
Cost me a wife
When a man loves a woman
The way it's hard to understand
That she would find more pleasure in the arms of another man
I never really noticed how sweet you are to me
It just so happens I'm free tonight
Would you like to have dinner with me
(c) Copyright 1969 by Four Star Television Co., Inc.
Okay, first up – why he can’t write his own damn break-up with the wife letter I don’t know. Is he looking for sympathy? Next, if I was Maria I would be backing away from this guy at 100 miles an hour. He is a workaholic whose wife cheated on him because he admits he spent too much time at work. I would also be questioning was he really working and why is he now cracking onto his secretary all of a sudden? Always been ‘close’ to him? Is this a suck up move? Hmmm? And why would Maria want someone so suddenly on the rebound like this? He’s suddenly noticed she’s ‘sweet’ to him? It’s her job to work in an office and take letters to get paid. What’s she going to say? Rack off, I’m not in the mood to deal with you today. I personally hope Maria said no to dinner with him but I bet she didn’t. Yes – it is just a song written in the 60’s but life really hasn’t changed that much has it? People will still do dumb things in their quest for love. 
Every mother’s day the boy scouts set up a flower stall on Appleby Road. Every mother’s day I wander down and buy flowers. I normally buy them every week for myself anyway and I like to support this bunch of scouts as they work very hard for the extra $$. Anyway, I drove down and stopped at the stall. I said I would take 3 bunches of flowers. This kid, in Scout uniform, who could not have been more than 8 years old looked me up and down in disbelief and said, “Do you know how much that will cost you?” I responded I did. He said “Are you sure? It’s a lot of money.” The little smart arse was credit assessing me. I do that in my everyday job. I could use a kid with attitude on the job. I picked out the bunches I wanted and handed them to him. “Its $18,” he informed me with suspicion as he held back the flowers from me. I suspect I looked like a bad credit risk in my trackie daks, flanno shirt and scraped up, uncombed hair. I was tempted to offer him a check but refrained. I handed over the money and he looked relieved. No one’s going to put anything over that kid. As I walked away he yelled to the others scouts – “I sold three more, so there.” Yeah, a smart arse but also a tycoon in the making that one. 
I read in the Sunday newspaper this morning that corsets are coming back. I am in two minds about this and I’m usually not a fence sitter. Corsets were and are torturous bloody things that made women feel they had to conform to a certain body type and I am against conformity in general. I say be yourself – but then what if being yourself means you need to feel better about yourself and your self esteem improves by having your gut and stomach sucked it by elastic and boning? It’s a conundrum to me. To elasticate or not to elasticate, that is the question. Is it nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune with your tummy sticking out or let the arrows bounce off a trim, taut carefully controlled stomach? ‘Bet Hamlet never had that problem.
Can you be someone you’re not? It’s no secret that I am Janet Davies and Amarinda Jones and yet I am one and the same person. I write two different genres for two different audiences – hence the two names. I have never tried to hide it as I fear no backlash from people thinking less of me for what I do. I write and speak as I am and I make no apologies for this. I understand that other people fear repercussions in their normal lives hence the use of a pen name yet I often wonder how hard it would be to write exclusively using a pen name and acting out a part. Can you do it without coming across as a fake? Is it exhausting being yourself and an imaginary person at the same time? How far do you go in your efforts not to be yourself? Do you ever get caught out? It fascinates me the lengths to which some writers will go – fake lives, speech and beliefs. And no, I think no less of writers if that’s what they feel they need to do. So tell me – those who want to – how hard is it being your pen name or are you so used to it that it no longer seems like a pen name to you? I am intrigued. Do you ever feel like you just want to be yourself and to hell with what others think?
On that note – back to work for me tomorrow...yip-frigging-pee.
To all the mothers out there – Happy Mothers Day…to the non Mothers out there – Happy You Day.
www.freewebs.com/amarindajones/
Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?
Saturday, 22 December 2007
Saturday Christmas ramblings…
Ghosts…
G –I am the ghost of Christmas future, Amarinda Jones.
A – Uh huh…
G – You aren’t alarmed by my presence?
A – Its 4am in the frigging morning. Maybe after I have three cups of coffee I’ll have a go at being shocked, okay?
G – I have come to show you the future, Amarinda.
A – You know, all things considered I would rather just wing the future. Whatever happens, happens.
G – But aren’t you interested to know how your present affects your future?
A – Only so far in knowing if Ethel, Katie and I win the lotto super draw next Saturday
G – What about the past?
A – Ach! Too many mistakes - but they’re over and done with and I have moved on
G - Well, I gotta tell you this is disappointing.
A – Are you sure you have the right house? Maybe you were supposed to lob into a house with someone who worries about that kind of stuff
G – No, your name is on the list under ‘incorrigible - must mend her ways’. So, the whole Christmas-another-year-is-nearly-over-what-have-I-done-with-my-life-thing doesn’t bother you?
A – Nah, can’t sweat over the stuff I have done or what I will do in the future
G – This is embarrassing. I am supposed to scare the crap out of you and make you a better human being. How am I going to explain this at head office?
A- Hey, you can’t be scary all the time. It’s too much pressure on you. Let it go. I’ll tell you what ghost boy, if anyone asks I’ll say you were ultra scary and I’m mending my ways. Want a Tim Tam?
Ghosts…demons… past mistakes, current mistakes…move on…don’t let ‘em scare you
It makes you think….
As many people do, I sponsor a child overseas. M is now 14 and lives in Bangladesh. We write letters back and forward. Every time I sit down to write a letter I stop and think – what to write? This is a young woman who lives a completely different life to what I do. She does not have the advantages I have. She is just happy to go to school, have access to books and be with her family. It makes me stop and think every time. As much as I love mod cons and all the amenities and possibilities I have access to, M makes me think about how lucky I am. I think we need constant reality checks like this to realize our lives are pretty good and the petty trivialities we whine over are nothing. So what does a western, erotic romance writer write to a young woman in the third world? Simple things – stuff that is just about life and living in Australia. It’s simple and nice and I like to take the time to be just plain old Amarinda stripped of gloss and down to the bare bones of being a person. Thanks M.
...it’s bloody hot mate. Despite the heat, some people still follow the traditional Christmas dinner of roasted turkey or pork and plum puddings. Not this little red duck. The Jones family will barbeque on the patio in the shade with a glass or seven of something cold and fermented. We will throw prawns(shrimp) on the barbie and basically relax. We’re not fancy people. We are as you find us. We do not eat ourselves into a food coma as that is just sad and wasteful. Other Aussies will head to the beach or the bush. It’s a time for sunscreen, sundresses and shorts. Lifeguards will warn people to swim between the flags on the beaches as they watch for sharks in the sea. The police will be on the roads catching those people stupid enough to drive drunk or drugged. Kids will play cricket in the park or ride brand new bikes around the neighbourhood. Christmas in Oz is simple and casual. Australia – I love it.
I went shopping for sundry bathroom items this morning – toothpaste, dental floss, toilet paper and hair conditioner. I got to the check out and the check out chick said “It’s great they make it to fit the Christmas theme.” I looked at her blankly as I had no idea what she meant. She continued, “I like to match my toilet paper to fit the occasion.” I looked down at the pack I had grabbed off the shelf without thinking. I guess it looked Christmassy but to tell you the truth I don’t agonize of what pattern is on my dunny paper. But it was important to this woman. Fair enough. If it makes her happy – what the hell.
The comp…
The competition is closed. The winners will be announced soon. It has been a very interesting and enjoyable experience thanks to all those people who entered. We greatly enjoyed and appreciated your comments. We look forward to bringing another similar competition in 2008.
A Rose Perfect moment…“Woo hoo!” Rosanna howled at the moon as she staggered around the backyard pool with a glass of champagne in one hand and a ridiculous shiny green party hat perched jauntily on her head. No one at the crowded party noticed her specifically. Everyone else was in varying shades of alcoholic happiness and having just as good a time at the party. It was the second one she and her best friend Prue had attended that night. They would go home soon and collapse. But for the moment Rosanna felt invincible, broken toe and all. She laughed out loud as Prue echoed her call.
Rosanna heard beeping and reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out her mobile phone. She squinted down at the display. “I have a message.” She announced out loud just because she could. Prue cheered drunkenly. Rosanna smiled as she accessed her message with uncoordinated fingers. “Archer? Who the hell is Archer?”
“William Tell was an archer.” Prue informed her in a drunken slur as she barely missed stumbling into the pool she was drunkenly trying to navigate her way around.
“William Tell left me a message?”
“Actually, I think he’s dead.”
Rosanna looked at Prue. “Why would a dead man send me a message?”
“Maybe he’s lonely.” Prue laughed out loud at her own inane comment.
“You’re drunk.”
“As a skunk.” Prue slumped down on a nearby deck chair.
Rosanna giggled and shook her head. She squinted down at the display again. “I’ll meet you 1st January 2006—caller Archer time 11:58pm date 31/12/2048” 31/12/2048? What? Someone was calling her from the year 2048? Ah huh. Either her mobile was on the fritz or she needed to stop drinking now. Preferring to think her mobile was the problem she slipped it back into her the pocket of her jeans and staggered over to follow Prue. The effects of the alcohol and the pain of her toe were finally starting to register. Okay, maybe there was something to be said for not mixing pain medication with alcohol. She slumped beside her friend on a neighboring chair.
Hmmm…what happens next?
Anny – www.annycook.blogspot.com and Kelly – www.kkirch.blospot.com are on the road traveling to loved ones at the moment. So keep checking their blogs as I am sure they will have some riveting insights about Christmas. As always the blogs to the left provide a great look at real people and the stuff that happens to them.
May your toilet paper always match your mood
www.freewebs.com/amarindajones/
Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?
Monday, 17 December 2007
Free the elves…
Five Fantastic Reasons to buy an e-book this Christmas….
1. You are saving the environment because fewer trees are being cut down.
2. You are proactively looking after your health. How? You’re not lugging a pile of heavy books around because you can have zillions of e-books all loaded onto a reader or a laptop.
3. They make excellent Christmas presents that don’t need to be wrapped. Just buy on line and sent to the person’s email.
4. They are psychologically good for you. What the? Last minute Christmas present buying can be stressful so you log onto to…say… for instance Ellora’s Cave, Cerridwen Press, Total-E-Bound or The Wild Rose Press and with a few simple clicks you have a selection of books for the hard to buy gin-tippling Cousin Polly.
5. You deserve to relax with a good book and forget about whether you can sit crazy Uncle Al beside starched-knickered Auntie Maud at Christmas lunch. Let ‘em work it out themselves while you read and relax with a glass of plonk 
And because e-books are so good for you, here are some great books to buy this Christmas because…
It’s a warm and funny Christmas romance. “The Cowboy’s Christmas Bride” – Cindy Spencer Pape
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=277&zenid=
80060d1da8ddfcbbfca5f4c122de68b1
Because the man has a tattoo and nipple ring. “Last Man Standing” – Janet Davies
http://www.cerridwenpress.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=9781419910753
Who doesn’t like to be naughty in the library? "Scandalous Profession" – Elaine Lowe
http://www.ellorascave.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=9781419911521
A great book to buy this Christmas because…shifters, vampires and psychics make this book a compelling holiday page turner - "Beneath A Christmas Moon" - Ariana Dupre
http://www.cerridwenpress.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=9781419913280
If you have ever loved a Marine - husband, brother, father, lover . . . this book is a must read. "North Atlantic Nights" - Emmie Graham.
http://www.cerridwenpress.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=9781419909122
His trembling fingers rested on the keyboard as he leaned toward the monitor, an uncontrollable twitch running through his misshapen body as he devoured the article with the greedy need of a child offered chocolate. Boji Stones – Sandra Cox http://www.cerridwenpress.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=9781419910647
Click on the titles or links above and buy the book. Go on, you know you want to…be daring…. See how easy it is to shop on the Amarinda Blog?
Santa’s elves – exploited or what?
Okay, so we know Santa is the big draw card at Christmas but I have to ask you what does he really do? Oh sure, he walks around being merry and doing the ‘ho,ho, ho’ thing but is that it? I suspect he really takes all the glory off the faceless masses of the North Pole – the elves – who have been working their arses off all year so he can stand in the limelight and look like a swell guy. What about them? Let’s just stop a moment and think the people with the pointy ears churning out presents for everyone. Santa gets all the kudos but what gratitude do they get?
I caught up with one of the elves, who preferred to remain anonymous, but they wanted to dish the dirt on the Santa deal
A- Thanks for meeting me
E - I can’t take it anymore. That man has to be stopped!
A – I see…so tell us a little about the conditions at the North Pole. How much do you get paid?
E – Pay! Ha! We get nothing but these tatty, unfashionable green suits that no one would be seen dead in. It’s an embarrassment to look like this.
A – Green not your colour?
E – Nope and those pointed shoes just kill my feet.
A – Let’s talk about Health and safety. Lugging around all those toys must be hard. What sort of compo do you receive if you get injured?
E – None – we either work or starve. The Claus’ have the monopoly on jobs at the Pole.
A – That’s an evil look you have on your face.
E – Let’s just say we have plans to break that monopoly very soon.
A – Right, on the creepy note, let’s change the subject…we always hear of Christmas treats being left out for Santa -cookies and milk etc. What do the elves get?
E – Diddly frigging squat! We have to wait until the fat guy’s asleep to nick his food.
A – Wow, that’s terrible. How do you keep up morale?
E – We have a still. We make Elf wine and we stick pins into our Santa effigy.
A – Uh huh, but what about Mrs Claus? She seems like the nice caring sort.
E – That bitch – she works us harder than Santa. I can’t stand her. Sweet one moment and back stabbing cow the next. She’s fucking treacherous.
A – But you must get some perks on this job. Do you get to take home some of the toys you make for your own family?
E – You are frisked on the way out of the factory. You don’t want to know what happens if you get caught but it involves sleigh bells tied to certain parts of your anatomy.
A – So sum up Elf life at the North Pole in one sentence.
E – Fucking horrible – but come the revolution that will all change.
A – Thanks for speaking to me today
E – Spread the word Toots. The elves will rise up.
So this Christmas think of those less fortunate.
Tomorrow Mrs Claus - who is she exactly? Darling or Diva?
Kelly has the blog serial on www.kkirch.blogspot.com. Anny is all about Christmas on www.annycook.blogspot.com
I am clueless today…but the days are running out on our competition so I have to tell you what my true love give me sometime in the next two days…stayed tuned…same Amarinda channel…same Amarinda time..
Collect all twelve answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with 12 days of Romance in the subject line to win some great books. There will be three lucky winners. The prizes –1st prize--6 books2nd prize--4 books3rd prize--2 booksAll books and prize winners will be drawn randomly
Anny Cook Winter Hearts
Sandra Cox Boji Stones
Bronwyn Green Ronan's Grail
Heather Hiestand Cards Never Lie
Barbara Huffert Deal of a Lifetime
Amarinda Jones Mad About Mirabelle
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Cindy Spencer Pape Cowboy's Christmas Bride
Brynn Paulin Fallen
Jacquéline Roth Access Denied
KZ Snow Mrs. Claws
Lacey Thorn Earth Moves
All answers must be received no later than the stroke of midnight 21st December (Northern hemisphere time)
www.freewebs.com/amarindajones/
Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?
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