Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you are all safe and healthy and enjoying time with your families. In all honesty, this autumn has been a little difficult for my family. After an elective surgery, my mother collapsed and ended up in the ICU for a week; and just a few weeks ago, my grandmother passed away, days away from her 93rd birthday.

Circa 1984 - My grandmother holding my brother Nick,
my brother Ryan in front of her, ME with horrible hair and pink stripes,
my mom beside me, with my sister Jill in front (equally bad hair),
and my grandfather on the far right.

I live on the East Coast with my son, but the rest of my family is out West. So I have traveled back home twice in the last couple months. And while I wish the circumstances for my travels had been different, I realized during both of these trips how much I miss my family and being so far away from them.

Don't get me wrong. I talk to my mother almost every day, and I do text my sister and brothers fairly regularly. It's almost like I'm there... except I'm not. Getting the opportunity to see my adorable nephews, getting the chance to play board games with my siblings, being able to have dinner with my family as a whole... I really have missed that.

I have one sister and two brothers. And you can look long and hard for the rest of your life and you'd be hard pressed to find four more different people on the planet than the four of us. There have been a number of times over the years where I'm not quite sure how any of us are related to the each other.

From our world views to our religious beliefs, none of us are alike. And when we *do* get together, we may be older, but those old sibling rivalries come blazing right back without missing a beat.

Believe it or not, my sister and I are still having the same argument we've been having for the last 35 years. It involves whether or not I told her to "do something" to herself (which ended in her lodging a holly berry up her nose and having to go the emergency room) or whether I told her to "wait in the waiting room" as we were playing doctor's office with my friend Tricia. Specifically, we were playing dentist's office, which I remember clearly as I was concocting fluoride treatment out of Lawry's seasoning salt and water. (Yes, it is disgusting... but as we were playing dentist, there would be no reason for me to tell her to stick a holly berry up her nose, but I digress.) As crazy as that sounds, there's a comfort in that old bickering, a familiarity that can never be experienced with anyone else.

I know their strengths and weaknesses and they know mine. I know which buttons to push to send one of them into orbit and they know the fastest way to make me lose my temper. They know all my childhood secrets and I know theirs. And I love the three of them with all my heart.

So, if you are fortunate enough to see those crazy people who are your siblings this holiday season, give 'em extra tight squeeze. I wish I could be with mine, but no matter how far away I am, I know I'm forever in their hearts and they are forever in mine.

And if you're an only child (which I was for five glorious years until the rest of those people came along) you will not have to argue over who gets the wishbone this week, or why it's not your turn to sit at the kiddie table, or that you did NOT tell your sister to stick a holly berry up her nose for the three millionth time.

No matter how or who you're celebrating Thanksgiving with, I hope it is a most joyous occasion!

With Christmas right around the corner, I am offering an audiobook copy of LADY PATIENCE'S CHRISTMAS KITTEN to be drawn randomly. As Lady Patience knows a thing or two about siblings (she's a triplet with two older half-brothers) I thought her story would make a most appropriate giveaway.

To be eligible for the drawing, tell me about your siblings, if you have them. And if you're an only child (who never had to argue over bathroom time or whose turn it was to put the dishes away) tell me about your favorite Thanksgiving memory!

And if you'd like to subscribe to my newsletter, please click HERE! An additional audiobook will be giveaway to one lucky *new* newsletter subscriber.

*Remember all comments on all of the Turkey Trot Blog Hop blogs will be counted for the grand prize giveaway. The more blogs you visit, and the more comments you make, the better your chances are for winning.

ALL TURKEY TROT BLOG HOP LINKS

It's Read-a-Romance Month!

First of all, let me say thank you to Bobbi Dumas, and the always amazing Sabrina Jeffries for including me in this wonderful event. It's so much fun to be here!

I’m Ava Stone and I’m addicted to romance. In fact, I find great joy in all things romance – writing romance, reading romance, watching romance.

Love, as they say, is the universal language. Something everyone can experience in any era, in any country, in every…galaxy! I mean I think the first couple I think I ever saw fall in love was Han Solo and Princess Leia when I was very young in the 70s (not to date myself).  Then I followed that up with Rhett Butler and Scarlet O’Hara, and then Rick Blaine and Isla Lund, in Gone With the Wind and Casablanca, respectively. Watching romance on the big (or small screen) has always captured my heart and my imagination. I was even writing screenplays before I turned my attention to novels.

Some of my absolute favorite romances to watch are:

1 – Pride & Prejudice (the Colin Firth version)

2 – It Happened One Night

3 – Casablanca

4 – Love Actually

5 – Bringing Up Baby

6 – Rebecca

7 – When Harry Met Sally

8 – The Princess Bride

9 – 10 Things I Hate About You

10 – Say Anything

You’ll note a lot of those are pretty old, black and white movies; but romance is timeless. I do spend a good part of my time in the 19^th Century England when I’m not immersed in my New Adult world of the 21^st Century. But no matter what era or country I’m in, I thrive on helping young couples fall desperately in love and…Well, and a good part of my time making them suffer twists, turns and various roadblocks to that final and joyful happy ever after.

Since film has been such a big part of my life, I am curious what movies everyone else finds to be the most romantic. Maybe there’s a really good one I missed!

Also for a limited time, I’m offering A SCANDALOUS WIFE, the first in my Scandalous Series for free. You’re welcome to download the book from the following vendors, in the format of your choice:

Amazon  | iBooks  |  Kobo  |  Smashwords

And now for the question & answer segment:

1 - Tell us about a moment in your life when you experienced sheer joy.

It might sound silly, but as a brand new author, the first time I held a copy of my first book in my hands was complete and utter joy. After all the writing and editing, laughing and crying, self-doubt and perseverance, to be able to hold a tangible book in my hand that embodied that accomplishment was sheer joy.

2 - Tell us about a place that brings you joy, or is attached to a memory of joy.

I am a big traveler and always have been. I absolutely love traveling via cruise ship. I love sitting on my balcony and seeing the ocean as far as my eyes can see. It’s peace and joy all rolled into one.

3 - Tell us about a sound that brings you joy (or a memory attached to sound — music, laughter, wind chimes… ?)

I’m probably strange here, but – honestly – silence makes me so happy, or the lack of sound. Everything in my life is so busy and so loud sometimes…that when I’m sitting at home, no TV, everyone else sleeping and my kitty cat curled up beside me while I write…there is nothing in the world like a quiet morning.

4 - What recent book have you read that brought you joy. (Or a book you read in your life that brought you so much joy you’ve never forgotten it.) Why?

Hmm…there are so many to choose from. Can I cheat and say a play instead? I have read Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest so many times. If I ever need a pick-me-up that is my go-to. So funny, so charming and it never fails to make me happy.

5 - And for fun, the joy of choice ~

Pick your Chris! Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pine, Chris Pratt, Chris Rock, Chris Evans or Christopher Plummer (circ. 1964 aka Capt. Von Trapp?) - trying for a little diversity!

Ack! You made this so hard. BUT as honesty is kind of my “thing” I kind of have to go with Captain America – I mean Chris Evans – because that character is the epitome of honesty and wholesomeness.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I spend a lot of my time in Regency England and I absolutely love Jerrica Knight-Catania’s whimsical heroines, Jane Charles’s sweeping Tenacious Trents, the intrigue of Julie Johnstone’s A Whisper of Scandal Series, and the light-hearted banter of Samantha Grace.

BIO:

Ava Stone is a USA Today bestselling author of Regency historical romance and college age New Adult romance. Whether in the 19th Century or the 21st, her books explore deep themes but with a light touch. A single mother, Ava lives outside Raleigh NC, but she travels extensively, always looking for inspiration for new stories and characters in the various locales she visits.