NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

We find our genre delightfully, dangerously, and deliciously exciting - join us here, if you do too!

NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.


Julie Moffet . Cathy Perkins . Jean Harrington . Daryl Anderson . Nico Rosso . Maureen A Miller . Sandy Parks . Lisa Q Mathews . Sharon Calvin . Lynne Connolly . Janis Patterson . Vanessa Keir . Tonya Kappes . Julie Rowe . Joni M Fisher . Leslie Langtry

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Our favourite things

IT'S MISTLETOE MONDAY -  The Not Your Usual Suspects authors share their personal Holiday season decorations and delights with you.

Tell us about your favourite decorations and traditions at this time of year - we'd love to hear them!

**Comment on any post this month & be entered to win FREE BOOKS!**
***Countdown today: EIGHT BOOKS under the Christmas tree, see below***




We love to decorate! Here are some of the beautiful displays on view by our authors:


Rita says: I grew up in Florida. Christmas never included snow. We made our own wreaths from cedar boughs or magnolia leaves, decorated with holly and humongous pinecones. Garlands were made of the same material all of which we gathered ourselves. Table decorations could be palm fronds, magnolia leaves, holly and citrus fruit punctured with cloves. It was the job of the cousins to decorate the citrus with whole cloves. I associate the smell of cedar, drying citrus and cloves with Christmas. Our big family tradition was to celebrate Christmas Eve at my aunt’s century old home. Many times all the doors and windows were open because it was so warm. There were a few times we had a fire in the fireplace. But I remember the room as being so toasty we didn't spend much time in there. I’ve spent Christmas in many places from Hawaii to the Midwest and back to Florida. I loved being immersed in the local traditions wherever I was and decorated accordingly. Back in Florida now my decorations reflect where I live, the beach. My Santas are in floral print shirts and/or shorts. I love decorating the palm trees with lights. My wreaths have shells and holly. My tree has a giant starfish at the top, mermaids, flamingo and starfish lights while my neighbors, who are all from the North, still decorate the way they did up there. Don't tell anyone but, I think I like my decorations a lot more.

Rita Henuber


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Carol says: 
Left: my family called this ornament "Big Red", and it's well over 50 years old. Every year I continue the tradition of picking a special spot on the tree to showcase 'Red'.
Middle: my office held a Xmas wreath competition, and I created a Shih Tzu wreath, including rawhide candy canes. I didn't win, but I love putting it out every year.
Right: My Shih Tzu Maddie as she's my most treasured Xmas decoration.

Carol Stephenson
Escape to Compelling, Heart-Racing Stories
Website; Facebook; Twitter; Not Your Usual Suspects

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Julie says: This is a picture of my Christmas tree. The other is of a favorite ornament (a girl cheerleading that looks a bit like me!) that I got shortly after high school. I went to school in Okinawa, Japan and our team colors were red and white.

 

Julie Moffett




                              


Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

EIGHT BOOKS TO DATE!






Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London
Dead Silent - Shirley Wells
Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson
Under Fire by Rita Henuber
The Shoeless Kid - Marcelle Dube
No One to Trust - Julie Moffett
Icescapade - Josh Lanyon
Choice of backlist - Shelley Munro

16 comments:

Stevie Carroll said...

My travelling tedy bear now has a Santa hat and scarf, thanks to the community project volunteers I went with out for drinks and a meal on Saturday night.

Avery Flynn said...

Love the rawhide wreath. I'd love to try it out on my dogs, but I don't think they would be as gracious. :) My favorite decoration is the angel on top of our tree. Who gets to put it up is a hotly debated, cage-match inducing argument every year with the kids but it's still my favorite.

Anne Marie Becker said...

Love seeing all the decorations. It's helping get me in the holiday spirit. My favorite traditions are baking/decorating (and eating!) cookies with the kids and unpacking the sentimental ornaments we pick out each year. Each one is a reminder of something important that happened that year.

Stevie - A traveling teddy bear? I love that idea... kind of like the roaming gnome? :)

Maureen A. Miller said...

These all get me so sentimental and they're not even mine. hahaha I'm such a sap!

The rawhide wreath is adorable!

Marcelle Dubé said...

I love seeing everyone's decorations -- thanks for sharing!

Anne said...

I don't decorate for the holidays any more. It's safer for me and my cats. (Don;t have kids, must have decorations if you have kids.)

Toni Anderson said...

I love seeing the decorations. Gorgeous :)

Elise Warner said...

The decorations are lovely. Love the puppy.

Jane said...

I love shopping for decorations and ornaments and hope to find some nice ones during the after Christmas sale.

Rita said...

Where ever we traveled during the summer the kids would bring home some knickknack they could hang on the Christmas tree. I have an attic full of Christmas decorations. Some boxes haven't been unpacked in more than 10 years. Between my husband and me we inherited Christmas decorations from our respective families that went back to the 30s and 40s. The old bubble lights that didn't work anymore I use them as an ornament. I probably have enough stuff to decorate five trees. I really need to get up there and sort it all out but ewww who wants to do that.

Kathy Ivan said...

I have way more decorations than could possibly fit on 1 tree! I don't know that I have a particualr favorite one, but all the ones that are handmade or handcrafted hold a special place in my heart.

Loved the photos.

Shanon Grey said...

Cute post. My favorite ornament was my daughter's Christmas taco. Something created at school that weighed in at 2 pound and was the size of a small newspaper. But every year it was "carefully" placed on the tree. She now has it with her and I find I actually miss it.

Karen C said...

I love seeing everyone's decorations. I don't decorate too much anymore because the cats tend to ruin everything. What I do put out is metal - they don't seem to chew on that! :O)

Unknown said...

Aw, I'm enjoying all these amazing decorations. I've come over all festive. :)

I love Carol's most treasured decoration. Maddie is adorable.

Fedora said...

Aww... how darling, Julie! Hmm.. hard to choose a favorite decoration--I do love the little paper-plate angel my youngest made, the more elaborate beaded-pipe-cleaner JOY my middle one made, and the grinning photo of my eldest glued onto an old CD... :D

Carol Stephenson said...

Shirley, thank you from Maddie & me! Happy Holidays, everyone!

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