Dee Armstrong Author News | November 2023
Dear Book-Loving Friend,
Welcome to my November Author News and my writing world. This month, I have some big, BIG, BIG family news to share with you. I will SPILL on some of our most cherished and fabulously fun holiday traditions that make this time of year unique.
I will share with you one of my yummiest Thanksgiving week meal ideas that will please not only the kids but make your hubby wish he’d worn pants with an elastic waistband. Plus, I’ll share some cute and fun Thanksgiving activities to bring your family together.
Let's talk books!
But first, let’s talk about writing and books. November is a crazy time for everyone. Writers are no exception. Have you heard of NaNoWriMo? Someone, somewhere, decided to make November National Novel Writing Month. Where you write a book, or 50,000 words in thirty short days.
Last year, I rocked NaNoWriMo. This year, I’m focusing on finishing the edits of my new book, JD & the Broken Promise. My editor expects it in her mailbox in April, and I want it in your hands in June.
School is never out for the pro. I’ve finished my online training with International Thriller Writers. Every Tuesday afternoon for ten weeks, I learned from some of the best and most recognized thriller writers worldwide, from JD Barker to Gabino Iglesias to Lisa Unger. They shared their tips and tricks for writing page-turning mysteries and thrillers.
I didn’t forget about my own reading and zoomed through Kimberly Belle’s book, The Personal Assistant. She twisted my little old reader’s heart into knots. The book was that good. Buy it here, and let me know if you were shocked.
Tell me, what are you currently reading? What stories have captured your heart recently? Do you shift your reading preferences to cozy mysteries or romances during the holidays? I do. Share your thoughts and comments; I’d love to hear from you.
Welcome Atlas
More Littles on the Way
Ryan deployed and will hopefully return before the baby comes in May. No worries, I have a laptop and will travel. Ready or not, Lindsey, here I come to keep you company.
Lindsey and Ryan’s first child will put our Little’s (Our grandchildren) count up to eight: Lilly, Laurence III, Gideon, Abbi, Tommy, Ellie, Atlas, and soon-to-be-named. If you have any baby name suggestions, send them my way, I’ll pass them along.
Here’s a pic of two of my Littles. You might recognize Tommy from old newsletters.
Ellie selecting her pumpkin.
Tommy enjoying the cool weather.
One of the Lucky Years
I’ve moved my office into my bedroom so that I have enough room for everyone to sleep. It will be a crazy time with family. If I can write from 4 AM to 8 AM while they are here, then I can tell myself, “Well done, Brave Writer.” And enjoy my family without feeling guilty about not getting my words in for the day.
This is exactly how a Brave Writer's hair looks while writing at 4 am.
Tea Time
At family gatherings, I welcome everyone with tea or hot cocoa and yummy bites on the porch. You’ve never had hot tea until you’ve sipped it on the porch with me.
I keep a selection of teas caffeinated and not. Sweetener? I’ve got you. Your choice of sugar, Splenda, honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar. I prefer a mixture of milk and half and half for my creamer, but I have heavy cream and sweet cream available.
My signature addition is a swirl of Reddi Whip and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Try it. You will never drink regular tea again. Then, we settle in to sip and enjoy the changing of the leaves under electric blankets with dogs and a cat or two snuggled beside us.
Activities
During Thanksgiving, I’ve learned not to schedule so many activities that I wear everyone out. Instead, I have a few scheduled activities and a list of Anytime Activities people can choose from. Some are super simple, but all of them are fun.
After everyone has settled their luggage into their rooms, the board games, checkers, and wooden puzzles come out. Puzzles are a big deal for the holidays at our house. I’ve collected a variety of wooden puzzles with unique whimsy-shaped pieces like a turkey or a tree or Santa’s hat.
Abbi getting ready to ride with Pop.
I plan other silly things, like “Hey” rides where Pop drives the Littles around the block on his motorcycle to say hey to everyone they meet.
I cut apples for the Littles to give to the “Neigh”bors. (The horses that live around the corner from us.) This year, my son, Larry, is teaching everyone about welding. After Thanksgiving, I plan a Turkey Waddle, where we enjoy a leisurely walk and burn off some calories.
The Thankful Tree
One of our favorite traditions is the decorating of our Thankful Tree. We pause and collect our thoughts on what we are thankful for. We write our thoughts and blessings on a paper leaf and hang the leaf on our tree. After years of thankfulness, our tree is quite full.
An unexpected jewel of this tradition is reading the thankful notes left behind by our loved ones who have passed. This is a perfect time for my husband and I to give thanks for those who came before us: the generations of Youngs, Armstrongs, Hobbs, Wilsons, and Killoughs. We pass on cherished memories and stories about past generations, including their struggles and victories. It opens up story-time discussions about them and their lives and keeps their memories alive for future generations.
On the front of my leaf, I give thanks to God for my family and friends. I give thanks for allowing my heart to keep on ticking and allowing me to see my family grow and expand. I always give thanks for future generations: my children and my littles. Nothing is more important than our children. Within their eyes, I see past generations. I see hope for the future.
On the back of my leaf, I add my wishes and dreams. I wish that I might finally lose and keep off the pounds that snuck up and latched on to me. I dream for words on the page and lots of new books. I wish for important things like the health, safety, and prosperity of my family and yours. I dream for our country and world to unite and live in peace. That’s a lot to be thankful for and ask for on one little leaf.
Let the Magic of Christmas Begin
Friday morning, the Littles wake up to Christmas magic. Fall decorations have come down and the elves have redecorated the kitchen and living room in the Christmas spirit.
We start with cookie baking. Later in the day, the leaves are gathered off the tree and saved for next year. My children drag out the ornament box and place their childhood ornaments on the tree. More memories are passed with each ornament hung.
When it gets dark, we sit on the deck with hot cocoa or a hot toddy and count down for the Tree Lighting Ceremony. The Littles ooh and aah over the lighting of our thirty-foot Christmas tree. (Putting a shout-out to my daughter, Katrina, who put the lights on this year.)
We sit on the deck for Star Gazing and Spot Reindeer Training, where we gaze towards the stars and try to catch a glimpse of Santa training his reindeer for the big night. When it gets cold or the Littles start falling asleep, whichever comes first, we call it a night.
Let's Talk Food!
Even though I grew up in the mountains of Colorado and the plains of Wyoming, I’m a southern hostess at heart. I like to feed people and strive to create memories during Thanksgiving that they will carry with them long after the mashed potatoes go cold.
This year, our first meal together will be Fireside Pilgrim Packets. This is one of my family’s favorite meals for the night before Thanksgiving.
We gather around the fire pit in lawn chairs or sit on logs. We fill 8 x 12 sheets of heavy aluminum foil with our favorite meats (chicken, steak, hamburger), cut-up vegetables, cubed potatoes, a tab of butter, or three tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper, or your favorite seasonings. Wrap them up and throw them on the fire to cook for about 20 – 25 minutes. Don’t forget to flip them halfway through. Originally, this was something my son and hubby would do camping, but I’ve found it to be a fun food that I only have to prep the fixin’s, and everyone cooks their own.
Pair this with a s’mores dessert, and you’ll have a hit. For s’mores, we like to have not only Hershey’s milk chocolate but Hershey’s Cookies and Creme, York Peppermint Patties, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. We roast marshmallows over the fire. Sometimes, I like mine a little crunchy and burned, and sometimes golden brown. You can smash your chocolate and marshmallow between two graham cracker halves or two cookies. There are so many ways to jazz up this fireside treat.
The day everyone leaves starts with food, as it should. (Now, you understand how those pounds have snuck up on me.) I cook a country breakfast of biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage and hash browns. My mother made the BEST biscuits and gravy. Someday, my gravy will match the memories of my mother’s. After breakfast, we say our goodbyes.
Tell me about your traditions
Our traditions might sound goofy to some, but my Littles love Thanksgiving at Lolli and Pop’s house, and I love seeing excitement glow in their eyes and on their chubby cheeks. I see these activities as creating lasting memories for my Littles and making positive deposits into their hearts.
What traditions do you celebrate in November? Please take a moment to share your traditions with me in the comments below. I love learning and hearing from you.
I'm Thankful for You.
This November and always, let me emphatically say that I’m thankful for you!
Why?
Because you are a kindred spirit. Someone with whom I can share my love of reading. Someone who understands that books are more than paper and ink or a screen with words; books are vessels that take us on new adventures and allow us to experience different people and places, lives and dreams.
Without you turning the pages and reading onward, hearts would not mend, lovers would not reunite, and heroes would not win. Without you, books will never truly live. They’d die unopened and forgotten.
Because of you, books take on new meanings, new worlds open, and new book chats begin. Because of you, anything is possible, and adventure knows no bounds. These are a few of the reasons why I’m thankful for you—my book-loving friend.
Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with an abundance of fun, food and family.
Until we talk again, happy reading.
Hugs!
❤️ Dee
Dee Armstrong, Romance and Suspense Author
Leaving a fingerprint on your heart.
