Thanksgiving Traditions

Traditions. This time of year we have so very many of them to contend with. Some we like. Some we endure. Some we actually enjoy! Traditions are a big part of the Thanksgiving holiday, and every American has their own way of celebrating--from stuffing the turkey to taking in a football game. I wanted to try to figure out what it is we all do on Thanksgiving Day…here’s what I came up with as the five most popular traditions.

1. Turkey and Stuffing
From the first Thanksgiving to today's turkey burgers, turkeys are an American tradition dating back centuries. According to the National Turkey Federation, 95 percent of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving. Regional twists offer variations on the traditional roasted bird, including coffee rubbed turkey from Hawaii, salt encrusted turkey from New England, and deep-fried turkey from the South.

2. Time out for the Pigskin
Throughout the United States, football on Thanksgiving Day is as big a part of the celebration as turkey and pumpkin pie. Dating back to the first intercollegiate football championship held on Thanksgiving Day in 1876, traditional holiday football rivalries have become so popular that a reporter once called Thanksgiving "a holiday granted by the State and the Nation to see a game of football."

3.Parading Around
The first American Thanksgiving Day parade was held in 1920, organized by Gimbel's Department Store in Philadelphia, not Macy's as most people believe. The NYC Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade tradition actually began in 1924, and has grown into an annual event of balloons, bands, and floats, enjoyed by more than 46 million people each year in person and on TV.

4. Making a Wish
Does your family fight over the wishbone from the Thanksgiving turkey? Known as a "lucky break" the tradition of tugging on either end of a fowl's bone to win the larger piece and its accompanying "wish" dates back to the Etruscans of 322 B.C. The Romans brought the tradition with them when they conquered England and the English colonists carried the tradition on to America.

5. Giving Thanks
Last, but certainly not least, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for the people and blessings of the past year. From pre-meal prayers to providing holiday meals to the homeless, the holiday is truly a celebration of praise and thanksgiving.

There are two traditions I look forward to every year, on top of those listed here. My husband and I watch the movie, Home for the Holidays, a few days before everyone comes over for the Thanksgiving Day feast. The movie always makes me feel like nothing that happens with my family could ever be as bad as all that! Perspective is everything at holiday time!
The other tradition I must embrace is Pumpkin Pie. Love it! But don’t love all the calories that go along with it. So here’s a recipe I created and use every year that makes the pie indulgence a little more of a guilty pleasure instead of something I regret.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie
1 15-oz can pumpkin
3/4 cup egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup Splenda or sugar, whichever you prefer
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsps pumpkin pie spice
1 can evaporated non-fat milk

Mix together pumpkin, egg substitute and vanilla. Combine Splenda or sugar, spice and salt, then add to pumpkin mixture alternately with milk, starting and ending with milk. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Top with whipped cream if desired.

Serves 6

What are your family traditions on Thanksgiving?

"Chance" Story

from Emily Bryan

Well, I've been NaNoWriMo-ing for a little while now and I'm ready to throw in the quill.

For those of you who aren't familiar with National Novel Writing Month, the goal is to produce a 50K word novel by November 30th. Quality of writing is not the main focus. Output is the sole metric by which success is measured. The whole point is to pop your creative cork, silence your internal editor and let the story flow.

Judging from what I've produced, I need my internal editor.

Badly.

The story flowing out of me is a disjointed mess. I have two guys in my ramblings, either of whom might be the hero, but neither of them seem to be stepping up to don the hero's mantle. My POV is spotty, my sense of place ambiguous. The only thing that seems to be working is the dialogue, which is freakin' hilarious.

Unfortunately, that was not my intent.

When I studied music, I learned about John Cage, an avant garde musician so devoted to the philosophy of randomness his most famous piece is called 4'33' (Four minutes and 33 seconds during which not a single note is played on the theory that some ambient noise might intrude in the concert hall and create "chance music.")

What I've produced doing NaNo is a "chance story." It's literary random noise.

I don't mean this as a slam against anyone for whom the NaNo method is working. If you're happy with your results, God bless you. I'm happy for you. Truly.

But we're all wired differently and I'm done chasing my tail. I've invited my internal editor back out to play so we can make some sense of this mess. I've learned something of value here. I need structure. I need an overarching plan when I write. I need to do all my pre-work instead of charging blithely into word spewing. It doesn't work for me. Like Edison learning thousands of ways not to make a lightbulb, I've learned a way for me not to write a novel.

How about you? Are you doing NaNo? What do you like about it? What's your experience with this method been like?

PS. I'm also at House of Muse today, talking about my real life brush with sexual harrassment. (Don't worry. Like all my stories, this one has a happy ending! And commenters are entered in the drawing for a copy of A CHRISTMAS BALL!) And if you need a giggle, please pop over to www.emilybryan.com . I've heard of fan fiction, but this is the first example of "fan photoshop." It's hysterical, I promise!

MERRY CHRISTMAS BALL CONTEST!

Enter for a chance to win $100 gift card on December 1st!

Several Tidbits

The big announcement this week is that Harlequin is launching a new e-pub-only publishing house, which will be run separately from it's main HQ/Sil lines (different acquisitions, different pay system, etc.)

The new press is Carina Press, which will be a no-advance e-pub house (similar to EC and Samhain), but no definite word yet on royalty rate. (EC and Samhain pay anywhere from 35-40%, so I'd hold out for that, writers.) Angela James, formerly of Samhain, is on board.

The official website and blog is: http://carinapress.com// They plan to publish romance plus many other genres (mystery, fantasy, etc), and launch in Spring or Summer of 2010.

Lots of people chatting about this all over the net.

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Another neat thing: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie is now available in hardback from Rhapsody and Doubleday (and I think Book-of-the-Month as well).

At Rhapsody: http://www.rhapsodybookclub.com/pages/nm/product/productDetail.jsp?skuId=1049535682

If you've been looking for it in hardback, or know someone who has, here it is, in time for Christmas.

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I keep reading about this new FCC regulation (or proposed regulation) that requires bloggers who do product reviews (including books) to add a statement as to whether they've been paid to endorse (e.g., getting books free to be reviewed/raved about.) So here's mine:

Hey, I buy all these books myself. I pay for them. I read them. If I really like one, I do a mini review and say why I liked it and recommend it to others. It costs me my own time and my own money. So I can say what I want, OK?? However if anyone wants to give me loads of chocolate for these reviews or just because you want to send me chocolate--You Go For It!

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My recommendation for this week is Must Love Hellhounds. In brief, strong paranormal stories from strong authors. The stories lean more to the fantasy side than the romance--there is romance in them, but it's not emphasized as much as the plot and fantasy elements. The romance is there (integral part of the stories), but these aren't "relationship" stories.

Very enjoyable short reads for dull days. Plus great taste of authors' styles/stories/series if you haven't read them before.

Veteran's Day 2009

I'd like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all vets and their families, especially ones who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Special prayers to the families and friend of the soldiers recently fallen at Ft. Hood.

Joy

Congrats and a celebration!

We have a winner! Congrats to Anthea! Anthea email your snailmail to cindyholby@aol.com. I'll pass it on to Elizabeth and she will send you your prize, an autographed copy of To Desire A Devil

Congrats to our own C.L. Wilson for hitting the New York Times best seller list with her latest release Queen Of Song and Souls. She came in at #12. Woot! And coming in right behind Cheryl at number 13 is my dear friend Elizabeth Hoyt with her book To Desire A Devil. Elizabeth is guest blogging here today and will give away a copy of Devil to a lucky poster.

After seven years in hellish captivity, Reynaud St. Aubyn bursts into his ancestral home half mad with fever, demanding his due. Can this wild
man truly be the last earl’s son, thought murdered by Indians?

NOTHING IS MORE INTOXICATING
Beatrice Corning is the niece of the present earl and a proper English miss. Yet she has a secret: No real man has ever excited her more than the handsome youth in a certain portrait. Now, suddenly, he’s here, in the flesh—and luring her into his bed.

THAN SURRENDERING TO A DEVIL.

Only Beatrice can see past Reynaud’s savage ways to the noble man inside. And Reynaud is drawn to this lovely lady, even as her loyalty to her uncle raises his suspicions. But can she tame a man who will stop at nothing to regain his title—even if it means sacrificing her innocence?

To Desire A Devil is the fourth and last book in a series. Each book, To Taste Temptation, To Seduce A Sinner and To Beguile A Beast has its own story, but through out all four books is the mystery of who betrayed the four soldiers who are featured in each story. I have to admit I was blown away when I read the teaser chapter about To Desire A Devil and can't wait to read it and find out the answer to the mystery, plus see how Reynauld survived his death by fire. So here's a little insight to how Elizabeth plots her stories. And one lucky poster will win an autographed copy of To Desire A Devil.


DRIVING THROUGH THE BUSHES

So recently I had to turn in a synopsis to my editor for approval on a
contracted book?the second in a series. There was a slight internet
pause after I sent the thing in, and then my editor pointed out
(correctly) that there was no plot in my synopsis.

Sigh.

You know, I used to take a month to plot out each of my books. A
month! I?d outline every scene, I?d have black moments and turning
points. I?d have arcs and timelines. And invariably about a third of
the way into the book, I?d go off the road and start driving through
the bushes. The last book I plotted out entirely was?wait for it!?To
Desire a Devil (out this month!) In that book I went into the bushes
on the very first page. There I was writing my first scene?a dramatic
scene in which the hero burst into a party, back from the dead!?and I
realized the heroine didn?t have anyone to talk to. So I gave her a
friend?Lottie?which led to a secondary plot?and a month?s plotting
work down the drain. And y?know, I think the book turned out pretty
good, after all that.

Really, why bother?

My next book?WICKED INTENTIONS (not out until Aug. 2010!) I plotted
the first third of the book, hit a few high notes for the rest, looked
at it, said, what the heck? and began writing. And y?know, I think
it?s a pretty good book.

I?m the kind of person who spends months planning the family
vacation?down to the pit stops on the way?so letting go of the
detailed plotting is a big step for me. But guess what? One of our
most fun family get-aways was a weekend when we just took off in the
car. We got lost in the hills of southern Illinois (I know! I had no
idea there were hills in Illinois either) and had a ball. And some of
the best scenes in my books are big wonking drives through the bushes.
The scene with Kind George in To Beguile a Beast wasn?t plotted. The
scene in the inn in To Seduce a Sinner came out of the blue. And
Lottie (her dog Pan) were completely seat-of-the-pants in To Desire a
Devil.

So maybe what I need to do is quite worrying about the pit stops and
enjoy the scenery.

Yours Most Sincerely,

Elizabeth Hoyt

PS: Discussion question! What are your favorite off-the-main-road
memories? And if you?re a writer, what detours have you taken in your
work?