Well, here it is. My brand new release. The Reluctant Rancher is the second in the BADLANDS series. I love the covers and I hope you do too. Both novels are set in the Texas Panhandle. Miles and miles of nothin' but miles and miles. Oh, there are lots of cattle and some very sexy cowboys. Here is an excerpt from The Reluctant Rancher. Please leave a comment. I'm giving away a download of both The Doctor's Choice and The Reluctant Rancher to one lucky commenter. Please leave your email so I can contact the winner.  

EXCERPT:
He climbed the stairs with dread in his chest. Not the usual state for a man planning to bed a woman. He tapped on his bedroom door, heard her laugh and cursed himself for being a fool.

He opened the door and stood in the doorway, unable to move. The most beautiful and desirable woman he had ever known was lying in the middle of his bed, apparently naked with the covers pulled up around her shoulders.

“Why, if it isn't E.J. Kincaid.” Her Texas drawl caressed each word, gave him wood from across the room. “What can I do for you this evening, Mr. Kincaid?” Her pretty, dimpled smile invited him to step inside.

He couldn’t help but grin in response. “I’m sure I’ll think of something.” He kicked the door closed behind him. “Uh, Jenna…honey…”

She crooked her finger at him. “Well, you’re wearing entirely too many clothes. Come over here and I’ll help you out.”

He took a couple of steps nearer.

“Be careful. If you trip right now, you might pole vault out the window.”

He laughed and stepped to the side of the bed. “Not my fault. You seem to have this effect on me.”

She flashed another killer grin. “That’s nice. I like that.” She held out her arms and he leaned down to embrace her, letting his fingers slide over the smooth skin on her back. She pulled him toward her and lifted her chin.

He emitted a groan as he gave in to the lure of her lips. He sat beside her on the bed, kissing the full, sweet lips and holding her in his arms.

She unbuttoned his shirt and stroked his chest with her fingers. Spirals of desire emanated from her fingertips. Her short nails scratched softly against the hair on his chest. The desire swirled lower grabbing him by the testosterone, made him shrug out of the shirt.

He just wanted to feel her flesh against his. Wanted to experience the rush to his loins when her breasts melted against his chest. He sucked in a breath.

“Jenna, there’s something I wanted to tell you.”

She flicked open his belt and found the zipper on his jeans. “Yes,” she said pleasantly.

Her touch caused him to momentarily forget anything he might have wanted to say.

A soft chuckle close to his ear brought another wave of lust with it. “Are you going to wear those boots to bed, cowboy?”

“Um, I guess not.” He pulled off his boots and socks, slinging them under the bed. Aw, hell! His pants were fitting way too snug now anyway, so he stripped those off too and sat back on the edge of the bed. “Jenna, there’s something…”

“I can’t hear you,” she whispered, drawing him closer. Her lips grazed his cheek and then the side of his neck as she wound her arms around his shoulders.

He leaned over her, found her mouth again and sank onto the bed beside her. When she opened the covers to display her lovely body, he scrambled close, unable to resist the desire to hold her.

His pulses pounded in his head as he trailed kisses down the side of her throat, to her breast. Oh, yes! She arched toward him. Oh, no! He pulled back. “Honey, I have to tell you something,” he blurted out in a rush.

“Now?”

He nodded. “It’s important.”

She ran her tongue along his neck, tracing his pulse.

“Oh, Jenna! You’re killing me. Seriously now, I've got to tell you the truth.”

She jerked back in surprise. “You’re married! So help me, E.J. Kincaid, if you tell me you have a wife back in Dallas, I will kill you dead.”

He grinned. “Nothing like that.” He exhaled a long breath. “You’re the only woman...the only woman in my life.”

She huffed out a breath too. “Okay then. Tell me. I can take anything else.”

“Damn, I hope so.” He struggled for words, then blurted out, “I lied to you about us. I—we never had sex.” He watched a wide range of emotions play out across her face.

“Then how did I wake up naked in your arms?”

“I got your boots off and you did the rest. I swear.”

“You’re telling me that you pulled off my boots and I stripped naked?” Her voice rose a whole octave in timbre.

“That’s about it. You passed out right after that.”

“And you’re telling me you didn't molest me while I was out cold?”

“I swear. I did not.”

She slapped him, her open palm making a resounding noise against his cheek.

He sucked in a deep breath and let it out all at once. “Okay, I deserved that.” His cheek stung from the slap. “I just held you all night long, and if it’s any comfort, I didn't get much sleep.”

“What the heck was the big idea?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. It was dumb. I realize that now. You were giving me a pretty hard time the day before and I figured you’d have a fit when you woke up in my bed.” He shrugged. “But you woke up all soft and pretty and I...I started falling in love with you.” He grazed her shoulder with his lips. “I couldn’t help myself.”

She blinked a couple of times and stared up at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound emerged.

“Jenna, please don’t be mad at me. I care about you so much.”

She made a strangling sound deep in her throat. “Why did you tell me now?”

He rested his forehead against hers. “Because I didn't want the lie to go on. I didn’t want you to think our first time had been some drunken hook up.”

She swallowed; blinked again. “So, this is our first time?”

It felt like a giant hand was squeezing his heart. “If you want it to be.” He nuzzled her neck, felt her pulses throbbing under his lips.

She pulled back and gazed at him thoughtfully, then traced her finger down his jaw line. “Yes,” she whispered. “I want it to be.”

~*~

Please be sure to visit all the awesome authors on the Hot Summer Nights Blog Hop so you'll have lots of opportunities to win great prizes. 

Welcome to Texas! and to the Cowboys & Lawmen Blog Hop...Yee-Haw!!! Please visit all the great authors participating in this hop. 
My name is J.D. Faver and I write contemporary romantic suspense and romantic thrillers, mostly based in Texas. BADLANDS, my western romantic suspense, takes place in the Texas Panhandle. The sequel to BADLANDS, The Reluctant Rancher, will be released this month. I was encouraged to write it by enthusiastic readers who wanted another hero, E.J. Kincaid, to have his story told. And boy howdy! Does he ever have his own story! E.J. is the son of the land and cattle baron, Eldon Kincaid and he doesn't want to be in the flat Texas countryside. He spent his youth in Dallas, having gone to private schools. But, once he graduated with a MBA, his dad demanded his presence. Now, he's in charge of the whole shebang and none too happy about it. He keeps butting heads with the local veterinarian, Jenna Lewis, who had dubbed him a 'jackass'. Here is an excerpt from The Reluctant Rancher, which will be released later this month. After a run-in with E.J. earlier, Jenna has gone to a dance at the Eagle's Hall. She has been dancing and just returned to the bar. Leave a comment, with your e-mail address to be entered in a drawing for your own free download of The Reluctant Rancher and a Bad Girls Need Love Too...tee shirt. 

~~~~~~~~~~~Excerpt~~~~~~~~~~~
She turned back to her beer and jostled the tall man standing beside her. He spilled his shot of whatever he was drinking. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said and reached for a stack of napkins. She turned to the man and began mopping at his sleeve.

“Thanks a lot, Jenna. That’s a nice thing to do for a jackass.”

She gazed up into the smirking face of the biggest jackass in her entire frame of reference. E.J. Kincaid. Her napkin-wielding hand froze in mid-air. “Sorry,” she muttered and wadded the wet napkins into a ball. She lobbed it over the bar and into a trash can on the opposite wall.

“Three points.” E.J. toasted her with what was left of his drink and tossed it down. “You must have been a star of the girls’ basketball team.”

She huffed out a disgruntled sound. “As a matter of fact, I was.” She looked him over. Too freakin’ perfect. “I don’t suppose you dirtied your lily-white hands to play sports, did you?”

He chortled and signaled the bartender for another drink. “As a matter of fact, I did.”

“Okay, I’ll bite. Did you go out for theater arts or floral design?”

“Soccer, rugby, la crosse, field hockey, tennis, equestrian and, yes…I did play basketball.”

“Well, consider me impressed.” She didn’t tell him what she thought of all those fancy, private school so-called sports. Soccer? Hadn’t he heard of good old American football? “Let me pay for your drink, since I spilled it all over you.”

“That would be nice, but I can’t let you do that,” he said. “We jackasses always pay our own way.”

She sucked in a breath and took another sip of her beer. He’s not going to let that one go anytime soon.

The bartender poured a shot of Patron in the empty glass and E.J. motioned for him to leave the bottle.

“I must say, Jenna. You look amazingly attractive tonight.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Amazingly?”

“I should say, I have never seen you look as pretty as you do this evening.” He lifted the glass and let the tequila roll down his throat.

“You’re not feeling any pain, are you?”

He snorted. “You think I’d have to be drunk to compliment you?”

“Well, it sure doesn't hurt.”

“Nooo,” he drawled out. “I always thought you were pretty. Just didn't think you knew how to be a woman.”

“Wha-a-a?” She drew herself to her full height and stared up at him with her mouth open. “I’ll have you know I’m more woman than you could ever handle.”

“You’re probably right,” he grunted and finished off his drink. “Come on. Let’s dance. Then you can say you've danced with a jackass.”

He grabbed her hand and led her to the middle of the dance floor. Just as he twirled her into his arms the band finished the fast song they had been playing and changed to a slow one.

She found herself staring up into impossibly blue eyes and pressed against a chest as hard as concrete. She knew for a fact that this guy didn't work at much of anything. Maybe he got those pecs by lifting his hairdryer.

He pulled her closer and began moving to the music. He was easy to follow and led her around the dance floor without running into anyone. That was a plus. And when the next song started up, he slid right into a two-step without any hesitation.

Okay, he can dance…and he’s got a great body, I’ll give him that. And he’s gorgeous to look at, but he’s still an arrogant jackass.

When the song was over, he tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and escorted her back to the bar. “Do you want to sit down?” he asked.

“Yeah, I guess so.” She wondered what the regulars were thinking of her dancing with Eldon Kincaid’s fancy-pants son, but when she looked around, no one was paying any particular attention.

“Bartender, another glass.” E.J. motioned to the bartender who brought him a second shot glass. He picked up the bottle and both glasses and directed her to a table on the far side of the dance floor.

She nodded and led the way, conscious of every head that turned her way. Well, now they’re checking us out. Great!

E.J. set the bottle down and pulled out a chair for her and then seated himself. At least his manners are impeccable. Maybe if he just doesn’t talk.

He filled both glasses and offered her one.

Oh, what the heck! She picked up the glass and clinked it against his before throwing the fiery liquid down her throat. She sucked in a breath of air and it seemed that her entire gullet and esophagus were inflamed.

After the next round of dancing, E.J. refilled her glass and it didn't seem quite so scorching this time.

She was surprised that he could actually carry on an intelligent conversation. At least he could make her laugh. Well, she was on her home turf. All her friends were here, although they seemed to be keeping their distance. Probably intimidated by the big, rich E.J. Kincaid. But, she wasn't afraid of him. What could happen?
~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~

Love a tortured hero! One of my Romantic Thrillers is free on Thursday, April 25th at this link. 
BAD KARMA free download.  
I'm sharing a peek, wherein the ever-cool firefighter, Javi, is being tortured by the young brainy geek he's falling for. Grab a download of BAD KARMA and read the following for a sample. Leave a comment with your email address to be entered in a drawing for a free BAD GIRLS NEED LOVE TOO...tee shirt in the size of your choice from Sm to XL. *hugs*

Excerpt:
Javier's hand shook when he tried to get his key in the ignition. He sucked in a breath of air between his clenched teeth and tried again, this time successfully. He turned the key and listened to the sound of the truck's motor roaring to life.

"Yeah, baby. Let me get outta here before I do something really stupid." He shoved it into gear and drove out of the church parking lot. Only then did he glance into his rear view mirror to see her standing outside the church, staring after him.

A squeezing sensation in his stomach reached up to his chest, stifling his ability to breathe or for that matter, to think rationally. All he wanted to do was roar back to the church and carry her away with him.

He had to force himself to drive in a straight line and not hook a uey in the middle of the street. He drove a few blocks without consciously choosing a direction, then passed by the fire station and finally drove across the Queen Isabella Causeway. He needed to put a little distance between himself and those pouty baby lips, those crystal blue eyes...He let out a loud snort. That smart-assed mouth of hers.

He opened the windows and let the tangy Gulf air ruffle his hair, cleanse his spirit.

What's happening to me? I'm not that guy...Not some stupid idiot obsessed with a young, hot female. Not bowing down to her every whim. Not making an ass out of myself...Not jumping through hoops for her.

He recalled how soft her mouth felt when he'd captured it. Her kiss was sweet, almost naive. Surely a girl that hot had been kissed a thousand times.

He reached the island side of the causeway and turned toward the jetties.

Yet, there was that look that came over her face when he'd first kissed her. She appeared to be almost stunned.

He pulled up to the jetty and threw the truck into park. He let it idle for a few minutes before turning off the motor. The sound of the waves breaking over the jetties calmed him, brought him a sense of peace, cooled the passions raging within him.

Javi stared through the windshield at the clear blue sky, so near the color of her eyes. He felt he was being pulled in opposite directions. If he turned his back on the beautiful little girl-child he might be able to retain some semblance of his sanity and keep his macho reputation. He sat up a little straighter; considered the local women who constantly pursued him. He reached out a finger and traced a giant C on his windshield where the salt spray had misted it. "Cassie, baby...I'm coming after you."
~*~     ~*~     ~*~     ~*~     ~*~     ~*~
I hope you enjoyed this scene and take the opportunity to read BAD KARMA, second in the Romantic Thriller series, The Edge of Texas.
The order of the series:
1) BAD MEDICINE
2) BAD KARMA
3) BAD VIBES
4) BAD DREAMS (Coming soon)

Cream of Broccoli Soup

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 clover garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cups steamed broccoli
3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth 
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk  
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, garlic, carrot, and broccoli. Pour broth over vegetables and increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth or you can use a blender. Add milk and simmer 1 minute to heat through. Puree again. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

I hope you enjoy this comforting spring-time soup recipe. Be sure to visit every author on the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop (< click this link) and leave a comment with your email so we can notify the winners. For my prize, I'm giving a gorgeous Bad Girls Need Love Too...tee shirt and a download of your choice. Check my Amazon author page for all my titles or browse through the titles on this website. Here is my question for each of you: Please tell me your favorite go-to genre to read. Good luck everyone. 

It’s the Lucky in Love Blog Hop and it begins on the Ides of March, which wasn’t so lucky for Cesar, but it can be lucky for one lucky commenter. Please leave a comment below and be entered in a drawing to win a Bad Girls Need Love Too…tee shirt.

But to kick off the blog hop, everyone wins, because BAD VIBES, the third novel in my romantic thriller series is FREE the entire day of March 15th, so please help yourself to a copy using this link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009LYM3ZQ

To give you an idea of the series, its set in on the lower coast of Texas, very close to the Mexican border. Unable to escape her past, Chloe returns to the Texas coast for her murdered father’s funeral and to face Rafael, the man she left behind. Rafael never gave up her. Rafael’s passion breaks down her emotional barriers, but her impetuous nature draws her into a cruel vortex where she runs afoul of old and new enemies. 
Previous rivalries emerge, pitting Rafael against the heir-apparent to a crime dynasty. With the body count rising, Rafael and Chloe battle an infatuated but vicious drug lord, kidnappers, and a twisted curandero (Mexican healer). Will they survive the violence and be able to forge a life together?
Excerpt
                              ~*~
“You’re too stupid to live, Rafael Solis!”

Chloe Palmer’s words still echoed in Rafael’s memory. The last words she said before she shot him and left town.

Now she was back, if only for the short haul. She was prettier than ever and she still had that ‘go to hell’ attitude.

Rafael’s fingers gripped the back of the pew in front of him. He wished he could turn back time and undo every wrong that had been done to her because she’d chosen to love him.

He stared at her profile throughout the funeral service. Head held high, she’d made eye contact with no one, though she had to know he’d be there, still in love with her after seven long years.

Chloe filed outside the church with the rest of the mourners and stood apart, her back to the assemblage. She turned when he neared, wary, assessing him.

“I’m sorry about your dad, Chloe.”

“Yeah, well...” She paused, avoiding his eyes. “It’s not like he didn’t have it coming.”

She was more beautiful than he remembered, in spite of the haunted look on her face. “You’re looking good.” Rafael cleared his throat, prepared to ask the question, not certain he could bear the answer. “Are you married now?”

She shot him a sharp glance under heavily mascaraed eyelashes. “What’s it to you?”

“Nothing...Nothing at all. I just wondered if you had someone here with you. That’s all.”

“Yeah, I got someone here with me.” She jerked her head toward her mother, standing in a small circle of friends outside the church.

“Your mother, of course.” Rafael remembered how hard it had always been to talk to Chloe when she was in a mood. Like she resented every word she gave out in conversation. Her prickly defenses had protected her soft, vulnerable core...from everyone but him.

“Not my mom.” Her tone let him know she still thought he was an idiot. “That’s my daughter with her.”

Daughter? Pain stabbed his chest, roiled his stomach, demolished his hopes. Rafael turned again and saw the small child holding Mrs. Palmer’s hand. The little girl looked like Chloe when she was young. An aureole of soft blonde curls wreathed her head. Her face cherubic, she gazed up at her grandmother with wide-set blue eyes.

Rafael swallowed hard. He should have known she’d have a husband. The small particle of hope he’d kept alive for all these years disintegrated, the hope that she would return to him, forgive him; that they could once more be together.

“What’s her name?” His voice broke.

Another sharp glance from her incredible dark blue eyes. “Lacy. Her name is Lacy Palmer and she’s almost three.”

Palmer. Rafael met her defiant gaze.

“You’re right. Port Isabel’s resident bad girl had a child out of wedlock. Isn’t that what you’d expect of me?”

Rafael stared at her somberly, refusing to allow her to push him away.

“You don’t have to be so angry all the time, Chloe.”

She blinked, glanced down at the ground, pressed her lips together.

Her artfully straightened hair fell over her face, forming a protective veil.

Reaching out, Rafael took a strand between two fingers, relished the memory of her hair against his skin. He brushed it back from her face. “Lacy is beautiful. She looks like you.”

“Thanks.” Her voice was husky. She met his gaze and then looked away, her eyes flicking over her child.

“So, ah...Are you going to stick around for a little while?” Stay with me. Stay.

She shrugged. “Probably not. I don’t have much to hold me here.”

“I’m sure your mother would like to get to know Lacy.” He managed a smile as he tried to appear offhand. “And you could spend time with old friends.”

Her chin came up, challenging his words. “Yeah, I could do that,” she said. “If I had any.”

The lump in his throat made it hard to sound casual.  “I’m still your friend, Chloe,” he whispered.
                               ~*~

Order of THE EDGE OF TEXAS Series:
• Book 1-BAD MEDICINE
• Book 2-BAD KARMA
• Book 3-BAD VIBES
• Book 4-BAD DREAMS (coming soon)

Please check out all the authors and prizes on the blog hop: 
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Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you're staying warm. Here in south Texas the winter has been mild, but so many of my friends are shoveling snow from their walkways and chipping ice off windshields.
I have lots of goodies to share with you. First, my novel BAD VIBES, a romantic thriller and third in the Edge of Texas Series , is free on the 8th and 9th through Amazon. Here's the link so you can download a free copy:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009LYM3ZQ
My second goodie to share with you is a Bad Girls Need Love Too...tee shirt in the size of your choice from small to XL, to one lucky commenter. You can take a peek at the tee on the photos page. Just leave a comment telling me what kind of hero you love to read about: Mr. Perfection, Offbeat and Quirky, Bad Boy, Flawed Hero, or whatever else strikes your fancy. In return, your e-mail address will be tossed in a random drawing for the absolutely adorable tee. Good luck!
And the third goodie for you is a scene snippet from BAD KARMA, the second romantic thriller in the Edge of Texas Series. At this point, Javier, a firefighter, is determined to find something in common with Cassie, the totally outrageous young woman who has just moved to the island and doesn't seem to be adequately impressed with him.                                ~*~
They jogged silently for some time and eventually Cassie slowed to a walk as Javier loped ahead.

Javi slowed and jogged back to her. “Did I wear you out already?”

“I’m pacing myself,” she said. “I haven’t jogged in a long time.”

Dark eyes cruised up and down her body. “You appear to be in great shape,” he said. “Especially since you offered to kick my ass, what was it? Oh yes, it was, all over the beach.”

Cassie grinned up at him. “Sorry. I’m not used to having strange men put their hands on me. I may have over-reacted.”

“Not so. I was impressed.”

Cassie laughed. She swung her arms to loosen up and continued walking back the way they’d come. “Why did you come looking for me today?”

Javi drew a deep breath and blew it out. “I don’t know, but I had to.”

“You’re not my type.”

Javier looked at her and exploded with laughter. “I’m not your type! And what type is that?”

“Don’t get me wrong,” she said. “You’re a very attractive guy, and, according to your friend at the fire station, you have plenty of female admirers. But, I don’t think you should use steroids. They mess with your head and make you angry all the time.”

He looked astonished. “You think I would use steroids?” He pressed his hand to his truly excellent pectoral muscles, as though that would validate his indignation.

Cassie made a scoffing noise in the back of her throat. “I don’t think you built that shrine to muscledom on your mama’s fried chicken.”

Javi hooted. “I can’t believe you think I’m using illegal substances to bulk up.”

“Seriously, Javi, That stuff makes your dick shrivel up to nothing.”

He gave her a look. “And you would know this, how?”

“I read it somewhere.”

“Hah! I assure you that I’m not now, nor have I ever used steroids or any other illegal drug.”

“Right.”

“I would be happy to show you my unshriveled dick.”

“No, thank you.”

“Cassidy...”

“My friends call me Cassie.”

“Look, don’t give me a hard time here. I’m trying to tell you that I like you.”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “You do? Why?”

He grinned and made a snorting noise. "Beats the hell out of me.”

Cassie laughed. “Stumped you, huh?”

Javi shook his head, suddenly serious. “No, I could tell you why you appeal to me, but you wouldn’t listen. You have me pegged as a womanizing steroid junkie and nothing I can say will change your stubborn little mind.”

She shrugged. “Prove me wrong.”

“I was going to ask you to go out on a date with me. I want to get to know you. I thought you might let me take you to dinner.”

She slanted a grin in his direction. “That sounds nice, but I’m not going out right now.”

A strange look passed over Javier’s face. His eyes were so dark she could barely see his pupils, even in the bright sunlight. “Are you involved with someone else?”

“No, its my...my roommate.”

He frowned, drawing his brows close together. “Your roommate?”

“My roommate is going through a hard time right now. I don’t want to leave her alone.”

He heaved a sigh and grinned. “At least your roommate is a girl. I was afraid it was going to be a guy.”

“Not a guy,” she said softly.

“Good.” The look he gave her could best be described as scorching.

~*~

Check out BAD KARMA on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0081SGPZW

Please visit all the authors who are participating in this blog hop and register for the grand prizes as well as individual prizes. Good luck!
http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/p/heartbreaker-hop.html

I hope this new year will be filled with health, abundance and love. Salud, dinero y amor!
Your first bit of good luck is that one lucky commenter will both of my humorous contemporary romances, A TWIST OF FATE and ART OF DECEPTION. Check out these spicy reads. I hope they give you a few chuckles and a sexy tingle to start off 2013. Just tell me about your New Years customs below. *hugs*
I'm celebrating the first day of the new year in the way we have done for so many years. . .with food.
Being a daughter of the south...well, southwest, we always have black-eyed peas for good luck and greens for money in the days to come. But when I moved to the most southern part of Texas, I added the tradition of eating tamales on New Years Day for good luck. This year I bought tamales at the good old Kroger store. I asked the young Hispanic man who was stocking shelves where I would find tamales. He directed me to an aisle with canned goods. I returned to him and said, "Not canned tamales <ugh!>. I want real tamales." He then directed me to the frozen section and the deli. Well, the frozen tamales were pretty slim pickins. I saw a package of black bean tamales and threw those in my cart for when the vegans come to visit. I proceeded to the deli where I found fresh, not frozen or canned, tamales. Yay! The tradition continues. And then when checking out, the young Hispanic man who bagged and carried out my groceries wanted to talk about my tamales. Apparently, he found it interesting that a blue-eyed, blonde woman was loading up on tamales for New Year's. We had a lively discussion about tamales and agreed that pork was the very best filling. Now, here it is, New Year's day and I'm heading for the kitchen. What traditions do you observe to ensure good fortune for the coming year?  Be sure to visit all the stops on the New Year's Blog Hop this year

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel! Feliz Navidad! Buon Natale! Mele Kalekemaka, Frohe Weihnachten, God Jul, С Рождеством,  
Veselé vánoce and メリークリスマス. 
I hope I covered all the bases. As a December celebration I offer a free download and two full-length contemporary romance novels at a greatly reduced price. ART OF DECEPTION and A TWIST OF FATE are both reduced to only $.99 for the month of December only and will return to their regular price of $2.99 in 2013. They are both sexy,  contemporary and humorous romances. Please download them if you need a break from all the hustle and bustle of the season. Just chill out, curl up and read two amusing love stories. I hope they bring you a smile. ((hugs))

While you're at it, download a free copy of one of my cookbooks: A TEXAN IN THE KITCHEN~AUTUMN RECIPES. It's free Friday and Saturday. Just click on the title to download your copy, 

Whether or not you believe the world will end on December 21st, it's always good to be prepared. With that in mind, and as a healthcare professional, here is what I would have on hand to cover many emergencies:
1) For anyone who is on routine medication, be sure you have a supply of your medications socked away for...oh, however long you plan to live, in case the neighborhood pharmacy is overrun by zombies and your doctor is hiding in his bunker.
2) Stock up on the basics: Aspirin, baby aspirin, acetaminophen and other pain relievers. (note: these pain relievers do not contain the same ingredients, so in case of extreme pain it's better to take two different pain relievers since they don't over-dose each other).This also goes for fevers. To get a fever down fast, try two different fever reducing meds and bathe the person down with wet cool cloths, but best to bathe the rest of the body and not just the face. There have been times when I climbed into a bath tub of coolish water with a fevered child. Also have some sterile water and hydrogen peroxide to clean wounds and isopropyl alcohol for sterilizing. 
3. In case of bleeding-If it's an extremity, elevate the extremity (arm or leg) higher than the heart and apply pressure. This can be with a clean cloth, but one of the easiest things to have on hand is a few big, fat sanitary napkins. Unwrap, apply directly to the wound and apply pressure. Call 911, of course, unless it's the end of the world, in which case the response might not be timely. For nosebleeds the small tampons work well. (Are you laughing? If you were bleeding, you would be grateful if I shoved a tampon up your nose, wouldn't you?) 
4. Splinting a broken extremity: two things~ First, pad the splint with old tee shirts or a towel between the splint and the skin. Second, use an elastic bandage, duct tape or torn tee shirt to attach the extremity to the splint. A splint may be fashioned from dowels, wooden spoons from the kitchen, sticks or an appropriate-size board. 
5. Suturing an open wound. Yes, you can do this. The best kind of needle to use is one of the curved upholstery needles. Be sure to sterilize the needle and the thread. If the wound continues to bleed and it appears to be deep, you need to find out where the blood is coming from. Not good to just stitch up the skin and leave a blood vessel or organ in an active bleed untreated. This sounds pretty icky, but if this was someone you loved, you would gut up and do the deed.   
6. Finally, fill your first-aid kit with some OTCs to treat most anything else you can imagine. Triple-antibiotic ointment is a must. Something for itching, such as a cortisone cream and an antifungal ointment. Also throw in the requisite cough syrup and anti mucus pills. Benedryl for allergies and bug stings. A bottle of the pink bismuth stuff for the tummy ailments. 
I do have a very complete first-aid kit and I'm the person that my friends want to have on hand in case of an emergency. Yeah, I'm the woman who gave CPR to an Australian Shepherd after reaching down his throat to retrieve a bone. How was it, you ask me? This mouth to muzzle experience? Well, the dog was revived. And my elderly neighbor cried and hugged me. And I've kissed worse. ;-)
I'm not planning on the world ending anytime soon. I know this because I decorated the Christmas tree and spent time and money on presents. I'm planning on feeding the family and having leftovers on into the year 2013.       
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