HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Care to play a Christmas game? Clicking on some of the images below will take you to other places on the world wide net. Others are strictly eye candy. But which are which? Click away to find out.

Featured in this post are a new children's book reading by yours truly - and a world premier music video by the wonderful band VEIL featuring my darling daughter (the lil drummer girl) on skins.

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@mudhousebooks

VEIL

♬ original sound - Roy 📚📚📚

                                                                                       

                                                           

HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE - #GreatGiftIdeas

If waiting on long lines and fighting through germy crowds to save a few dollars buying the same stuff from giant chain stores that everybody else gets is your thing - enjoy the holidaze.

But if you're a tad more adventurous, in search of presents for others or yourself not to be found in every manic mall, clicking on any of the images below will take you to what IMHO are #GreatGiftIdeas for whatever occasions you choose to celebrate. 



This full color illustrated middle grade chapter book makes a great gift for the kids in your circle (especially ages 6 - 10).

Miniature framed prints make great tree ornaments

Custom Watercolor Silhouette of your child

Whimsical and lively custom 8x10 ink & watercolor illustration of your home

Or perhaps a more traditional style portrait of your beloved home

Designs by eringopaint at Spoonflower

Any Etsy fans out there?

Erin Go Paint: Etsy Shop

Pralines and Pixies

Erin Rogers Pickering at FINE ART AMERICA

Erin Rogers Pickering at PIXELS

GLUTEN FREE (GF) ILLUSTRATOR

Books always have been and always will be the ultimate stocking stuffer

Available at Amazon:

Pick your preference - Print or download to Kindle or audio book

                                     *****

Whether it's Black Friday, #BlackOnBlackFridays, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Cider Monday, Hump Day or any other day of the week - HAPPY SHOPPING!

@mudhousebooks VEIL makes #ChristmasMusic ♬ original sound - Roy 📚📚📚

My Christmas Gift To You

Earlier this year I made the Kindle edition of Patches of Grey available to be borrowed from the Lending Library at Amazon.com by members of their Prime program. And now, for two days (not just any old two but Christmas Eve and Christmas Day), anyone and everyone who owns a Kindle or uses the Kindle App can download my novel FREE OF CHARGE. I hope plenty of you take advantage of this opportunity. Once you're done reading I'd love to hear what you thought of it at Amazon, GoodReads, Shelfari, or wherever else you may happen to post views on the books you've read. Tis the season of generosity, better to give than to receive, so I'm offering the best I had in me when writing my debut novel. I hope you enjoy Patches of Grey, that it joins many wonderful books to be found on your reading list, and that you have a most joyous holiday season.

p.s. - If you're always on the look out for eBook giveaways I recommend regularly consulting this calendar maintained by eBook Blitz

p.p.s. - I know what some of you are thinking. The world is coming to an end on December 21st. The Mayans told us plain as day. So what good is giving away free books 3 or 4 days after we've all been wiped off the planet? All I can tell you is that I'm an optimistic Doubting Thomas. I'm looking forward to Christmas, to the New Year, and to countless opportunities to ignore whatever resolutions I make for it. Planning ahead never hurt anyone, even when told that there will be no ahead.

Final Note: My heart cries for the lost children of Sandy Hook Elementary. Makes much of what we plan for and worry about seem so meaningless. In the end Christmas is not about gifts, sales, giveaways or any of the sound and fury that often occupies the bulk of our attention. It's about love.

Watch More News Videos at ABC | 2012 Presidential Election | Entertainment & Celebrity News

Eat, Drink, Read and Be Merry

I hope this posting finds everyone who sees it with a great deal to be grateful for. Downs are unavoidable, but with any luck you've had your fair share of Ups to counter them with this year. I certainly have. Hopefully a great feast awaits you on Thanksgiving day. I'm especially blessed because there's nothing quite like my mom's home cooking, although my wife (see up top for a sample of her artwork that can be found on Etsy) is no culinary slouch either. I can't wait to be at the dining table of the house I grew up in, surrounded by family and love, fully prepared to get my grub on.

As the season of thankfulness and giving arrives, my goal each year is to be more generous than I was the year before. I'm not volunteering at a soup kitchen or anything similarly noble for the holidays, but I thought it would be nice to do a little something about the hits on wallets during these economically challenging times. After all, Thanksgiving is not only about expressing gratitude but also the starter pistol for Christmas shopping frenzy. So I've decided to roll Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday all into one, plus I'm adding GREY SUNDAY to the mix. This means that autographed copies of the print edition of Patches of Grey purchased directly from me via PayPal (see details at RoyPickering.net) will be on sale 11/25 - 11/28 for only $8.99, saving you a few bucks from the cost at Amazon or elsewhere. If you read off an electronic device rather than paper, I will not be discounting the Nook or Kindle edition price. Considering that the latter is only 99 cents, I trust paying full price for it won't be a hardship. Nothing aids digestion better than a good book (with a glass of ginger ale), so be sure to eat, drink, read and be merry.

p.s. - When you have a minute or two, perhaps between main course and dessert, please check out my 5-question interview with Joey Pinkney.

I WISH YOU A

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