Raine Miller is here on the blog for Chrismukkah Night 5. Raine is giving away the first two books in The Blackstone Affair Series and some swag!
Brynne Bennett is living the good life. An American art student at the University of London and part-time photographic model, she’s putting her life back on track with school and lots of hard work. When ultra successful London businessman, Ethan Blackstone, buys her nude portrait, he isn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer. He wants Brynne in his bed and makes plans to keep her there no matter what. His dominant nature captivates and ensnares despite the demons she carries inside her. But there are secrets in this relationship. Huge ones. Can Ethan free Brynne from the past that has marked her? Will Brynne let him or will the specters tormenting her resurface to destroy them both… See my 5 star review here.
Ethan Blackstone has problems. He’s broken the trust of the woman he loves and she’s left him because of it. Ethan isn’t giving up though–he’s determined to get his girl back. Their passion together was explosive, but their secrets are even darker and more frightening. With political threats directed at Brynne, Ethan has no choice but to fight for her, to win her love, and to protect her from the very dangers that could take her away from him forever. He’s willing to risk everything to have Brynne and to keep her safe. He’ll go all in… See my review here. This book is told from Ethan’s POV, making it a very unique book!
Christmas Crackers! …Circa 1900
Sitting here addressing holiday cards made me think about where they came from. We can thank those Victorians from England for them. Since I write Victorian Noir and all my stories seem to end up in that time I can appreciate their contribution to a tradition in full force today.
Sir Henry Cole (a civil servant with a very nice British name) commissioned the first Christmas card in London in 1843 because he had too many holiday wishes to write out and didn’t want to pen each and every one. Sound familiar? So Sir Henry asked English painter J.C. Horsley to design one and history was made. About 2,050 cards were printed and sold that year for a shilling (equivalent of about a nickel) each.
Early English cards rarely showed winter or religious themes, instead favoring flowers, fairies and other fanciful designs that reminded the recipient of the approach of spring. My favorites are the holiday themed images that came later. In 1875 Louis Prang (recognize the name of Prang for the paints and chalks still sold today) became the first printer to offer cards in America.
These people were shrewd businessmen I tell you. I sure hope they made some money for their idea, because I am shelling out loads of cash now over 100 years later. Cards, stamps, labels, printer ink…and it adds up. But still, I do enjoy getting them in the mail so I imagine I’ll still continue to send them out. *as I moisten the last envelope with a wet sponge* Lick the envelopes? Heck no!!! George’s fiance died that way!~
Raine is kind enough to donate BOTH Naked and All In AND some swag!
Related Posts:
- Review: Naked (The Blackstone Affair 1) by Raine Miller
- Review: All In (The Blackstone Affair 2) by Raine Miller
- The Blackstone Affair Series reading order
- Top Picks: Books with Hot Sex and Great Stories
- Top Picks Books from September-October 2012
- What to Read After Fifty Shades of Grey
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I own a custom stationery and gift shop so always do my own holiday cards
I do send Christmas cards, every years different depending on how much time I have for them. I always display the cards I get, now that snail mail is so rare I find holiday cards even more special than they used to be.
It depends on how lazy, err, busy I am…I have like 70 to send out, so its a chore. And yes, I display mine – I hang them all up in the kitchen. My favs are picture cards
I do send holiday cards. I usually send some type of photo card. I display my holiday cards until after the new year.
I’ve gotten really lazy when it comes to sending xmas cards since my kids have gotten older. I did it religiously when they were little because the photo cards were so cute. Not that they aren’t now:)
My mother always used to tape old xmas cards to a door that we kept open in our dining room and it always made the room look festive. So that’s my tradition. Instead of throwing away all those cards, we tape them to doorway inside our home. It looks really nice and it eliminates waste.
I don’t send any I do put up all the ones i recieve on the mantel. THe best ones i have gotten are from a friend who loves to travel and then puts all the place her and husband go and tell us alittle bit about their adventures!
I send out cards every year but I tend to send them at the last minute.
I usually do cards with pics of the kids and get pics of everyone with their kids and we put them up usually but this year i havent yet. lol
I send out Christmas cards every year to friends and family. I receive a few from my friends and family that send them out and we put them on the top of the mantle where the stockings are. =)
I send out cards but I have reduced my list over the years. I display the cards I receive on the mantle or wherever I can fit them in.
Thanks for yet another great giveaway
kitcat76(at)hotmail.com
I still send out cards. I’ve always liked to since I was a kid. Sadly, I don’t get as many as I used to.
I dont’ usually send Christmas cards because I’m often shy to do that. Well, by now, it depends on my mood.
I send out photo cards and proudly display all the Christmas cards we receive each year. I love to get the mail during Christmas to see what cards come.
I dont’ usually send Christmas cards because I’m often shy to do that. I sent a hand made christmas card to them
. Well, by now, it depends on my mood. 
I don’t do holiday cards, but probably will once we have children?? I dunno. We’ll see. I will also probably do them electronically saving on postage, as well as, better for the environment. I like the mini year recap idea that I saw on Pinterest. It included: names, ages, and something significant about that year for each person (i.e. current interest, award won, best moment, etc)
I usually don’t send any because I always forget about them til the last minute.
When I was before kids, I would spend time and make the cards. Then the kids came along and I would take a picture and send it out to everyone. Now are the kids are older and into so many different things, I have sadly not sent any cards out. I miss handcrafting the cards and sending them out.
I buy those 20 packs of christmas cards and basically write the same thing in all of them
I send holiday cards every year with pictures of my kids. Because we celebrate both Hanukkah & Christmas, I usually keep it generic with a “Happy Holiday” greeting, but this year I found an adorable card that said “Peace, Love, & Latkes” so I just added “Happy Holidays” to it. In addition to being an avid reader, I’m also an avid scrapbooker so I save all the picture cards that I receive & make a special holiday pocket page to store all the cards in & that’s always the last page of my yearly album.
I do Christmas cards but only to my co workers.
I do christmas cards every other year. I have a huge family so i get them done professionally so I know they wont get thrown away.
I annoy people because I ALWAYS mail my Christmas cards on black Friday! Our received cards get displayed on the front door.
modularmates(at)comcast(dot)net
I do my own custom photo cards online. I save them and put them in a xmas card photo book that i keep. I display every card that i receive on the fireplace each year
I LOVE the holidays!
I love to get cards with pictures or even a form letter letting me know what they have been up to all year. It might not seem personal but since everyone is so busy it helps to keep up with what is going on in their lives.
We just Email cards!
we send them and when I get them I place them all over the livingroom so they can be seen by all who visit…..:)
I used to send Christmas Cards every year. Just of the Kids. The last few years I have gotten really lazy. But I love looking at the “Akwards Christmas Cards”. Those crack me up.
I like to receive cards from far away relatives that keep me posted on what has happened over the year.
Sad to say I dont send out Holiday Cards. I guess you can say I am slacker.
I send photo holiday cards of the family and keep them in a memory box for myself. This year my photos are being held by the photographers expensive price tag. I think I am resorting to desperate measures and getting one to use for 2013 photo calendars vs. the holiday cards!! That way they can be out all year and a more constant reminder of us.
I send holiday cards every year. I do picture cards with either a family picture or pic’s of my kids
I love to send and receive Christmas cards, but it seems to be a fading tradition. I exchange cards with my family and some old friends, but the list has slowly dwindled after years of not hearing back from many people.
I do send out Christmas cards to family and a few close friends. I hand make all of my Christmas cards and I do display the one I receive.
Thanks for the chance to win.
i always send holiday cards, and i also keep them. I normally send them to friends that live away. Last year thanks to a groupon i used simply image and did a family picture, it turned out AMAZING and i still have it up
I have 3 kids, so I go the picture card route since we have family in a few different states that don’t get to see the kids.
Thanks for another awesome giveaway!!!
I think the best are the picture cards by far. I love looking at how my family has changed year to year and save them.
I send holiday cards every year and keep all the ones I receive.
this year we sent out photo christmas cards with all 5 members of the family in our 5 different NFL teams. lets just say sundays are dangerous in our house
I don’t generally send a lot of Christmas cards anymore. Mainly just to close family. My favorites tend to be the Christmas photos of the children.
Each year I send out either a photo card and a card with a updated photo of my family. I display the cards we receive until Little Christmas.
I love the shit out of this series. DG as Ethan Blackstone. O O O….he’s delicious..
Yes! I purchase holiday cards from the local animal shelter to help with fund raising and I send these cards to friends and relatives. I also display all the cards I receive by using blutack to stick them up on the wall where the Christmas tree is displayed. Thanks again for all the amazing giveaways
I do holiday cards every other year. I get pictures professionally done, so i will know they wont get thrown away. thanks for the giving away.
We do christmas picture cards with a family pic and one of each kid and on of my husband and i.
i do not send x-mas cards. I stick to text and emails
I don’t send Christmas cards, and I never have. I want to start and make it a tradition for our family. May be next year.
We always send Christmas cards to our friends and the kids’ friends, usually from the family vacation we took that year. We do our X-mas greetings with a postcard theme.
Yes I send out cards and display them around the house. I save the photo cards but not the others.
I send Christmas cards..I always have our family pics taken around this time of year and do photo cards. When I receive Christmas cards from ppl I hang them up and display them until after Christmas.
I usually do a Christmas card, with a picture of our son. I only mail them to a handful of friends or family. Co-workers, neighbors and such, we usually just get generic 20 pack.
yes, I do holiday cards every year, we do the photo ones. It’s always only of my son and the past two years my son and dog together. I put up the cards/photo cards that I receive, as soon as I get them in the mail. They tend to stay on our wall all year, until I need to take them down for the next Christmas, lol.
I usually find just a simple pretty card and send them to out of state family and friends. For the ones we receive, I display them on my card tree! Thanks!