Megan's Year

Happy New Year!

This year has flown by--my son started middle school at a new school (in)conveniently located at the end of Coney Island in Brooklyn, I began a new job, my first time in an office in almost ten years, I have a wonderful agent who is working hard on our behalfs, I got to see friends at RWA National this past summer, plus had the delight of having Risky Carolyn visit (note to Carolyn: The Pop Tarts store closes down today for good. Sorry.).

And there was media of all sorts; as is usual, I buy in a timely manner, but I don't necessarily read in a timely manner. So on my TBR pile is The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook, The Black Prism by Brent Weeks (hardcover, no less!),and N.K. Jemisin's The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, to name but three of the highly anticipated (by me and others) books I own, but have not read.

So what did I read? I did read a lot, and some of the books actually did come out this year. I devoured Anne Stuart's House of Rohan series. While I don't think these are her best, they are still pretty awesome, and I love Stuart's heroes--usually beyond ruthless (also, Ruthless is one of the three titles in the series).

I read the first Cara Elliott, To Sin With A Scoundrel, and adored it. It's really lovely when your friends write books you love, even if you weren't friends with the author. I kept up with the J.R. Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and started her Fallen Angels series. Yes, there are massive flaws in the books, and no, I don't care. I love Ward.

Ilona Andrews Edge series began this year, and it's an entry in what I think is a new genre, rural fantasy. It's set out in the Louisiana swamps, and has lots of magic as well as gators and unpleasantly murky water.

Elizabeth Hoyt's Wicked Intentions was really good, I have been a Hoyt fan for awhile now, but this surpassed my expectations. Didn't hurt the hero was right up my particular alley.

Sarah MacLean's Nine Rules . . . and Ten Ways . . . were both fun and yet substantive, with really lively characters and a deliciousness imbued throughout the whole book.

Um . . . I'm realizing I read a lot, since I've barely skimmed the reading surface. I also devoured more of Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, started Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy, Eileen Wilks' Lupi series, Jo Nesbo, Larissa Ione, Carolyn Crane's Mind Games, and a whole bunch more.

In music, I fell in love with The XX, Nikki And Rich and Miike (sic) Snow.



This is the year I discovered actor Tadanobu Asano, with whom I am currently obsessed, and also the year I got to see Richard Armitage in MI-5. Le swoon.

I'm looking forward to more glorious fun in 2011. Happy New Year!

Megan

My 2010

Eek, the year is almost over and there's still so much to do ...

OK, stuff this year. I know I read lots of books but what were they?

It was something of a banner year for Jude Morgan fangirls since he had two books out, and like Amanda I loved his retelling of the Bronte story, A Taste of Sorrow (the UK title), and while I thought A Little Folly wasn't as strong as Indiscretion, it was intriguing if a little disappointing on the first reading. A second reading though left me feeling happier about it.

I dipped a toe or two into the Romance Waters and absolutely recommend my buddy Miranda Neville's latest, The Dangerous Viscount, which is funny, witty, and smart (and has a virgin hero if your socks are rocked by that sort of thing).

Another buddy, Lorelle Marinello, had her debut book out, Salting Roses, this fall. Now normally if I encounter the term southern women's fiction I run a mile. But this was my buddy's book and besides she mentioned me in the credits, and I bought it. I read it. I loved it. It's smart and mercifully free of cliches and beautifully written. Go get it right now!

I've just finished Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby, which is wonderful, about aging and families and rock n roll and sharks washing up on English seaside beaches in 1964 and all sorts of great stuff. I also have just read the first Sookie Stackhouse book after becoming very irritated with True Blood, and I loved it. It's one of those examples of a book that when it was translated to a visual medium lost the nuances and verve of the narration (and as cute as Anna Paquin is, I think her character is considerably watered down for TV). What a great voice!

Talking of TV, a couple of great UK imports arrived on BBCAmerica this year: The Choir, which is a series about conductor Gareth Malone going into unlikely places and getting people to sing, particularly those who can't/won't/don't, inspiring me to do it in my own town (I'm still looking for more men, btw). And also Law & Order UK which is fabulous--full of angst and moral ambiguity and cups of tea and starring Mrs. Fanny Dashwood (Harriet Walter) as the Gov.

This is the year in which I decided I didn't like Heyer much any more (sorry, Carolyn, though I'm keeping an open mind) but I became a great admirer of Stieg Larsson's Girl... series, and finally got to see the movie of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, riveting to me, confusing to my husband who hadn't read the book. Months after everyone else did I also saw Young Victoria. But the best film of the year for me (other than the last five minutes) was An Education, screenplay by Nick Hornby.

I spent a lot of time this year reading about and researching Austen, and discovered Laurie Viera Riegler's wonderful Confessions of a Jane Austen addict, and I intend to buy the sequel, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict very soon.

I have a couple of Xmas presents to look forward to, At Home by Bill Bryson and the annotated Pride and Prejudice, both too big and heavy for the commute which is where I do most of my reading.

But the highlight of 2010 was that this was the year in which I reached out to old friends and although we have been dreadful about keeping in touch since, I know that great gaps will not take place again.

Happy new year, everyone, and may 2011 be filled with great books and great friends!

Carolyn's List O Risky Stuff (tm)

2010 is coming to a close, but not without some lists. Keep in mind that last week is ancient history . . . I have to really get the brain going to think back much farther than yesterday.

Standout Books of 2010

These are the books that stand out in my mind without even having to think about it. 2010 was the Year of Georgette Heyer for me. We had our first Risky Read-Along and I went on a Heyer tear after that.

1. The Iron Duke by Meljean Book
2. Venetia, by Georgette Heyer
3. Frederica, by Georgette Heyer
4. A Civil Contract, by Georgette Heyer (with some small reservations)
5. The Talisman Ring, by Georgette Heyer

Favorite Gadgets

1. iPad
2. iPhone 4
3. Virgin Mobile MyFi

Things I overdid

1. Eating cookies
2. Procrastinating

Things I did not Overdo

1. Spending more time in real life with friends, near and far, including fellow Risky Megan, and two people I met online and via twitter, @sonomalass and @redrobinreader who turned out, respectively, live within 15 miles of me.
2. Spending more time with writing friends who, as it happened, moved to my town.

Things I did not Do Enough

1. Sleep

Favorite Songs or Bands I Discovered This Year

1. Our December, Thriving Ivory
2. Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen, these versions:
1. Jeff Buckley
2. Rufus Wainright
3. John Cale
4. Leonard Cohen
5. kd lang
6. Susan Boyle
3. Bad Romance by Lady Gaga, hell, the entire Monster album
4. Orion, (James Hatfield of Metallica) by Rodrigo y Gabriela
5. Take Five (Paul Desmond) by Rodrigo y Gabriela
6. Goodbye, Sweet Youth, The Greycoats

Things that Amazed Me

1. The SF Giants winning the World Series!!!
2. Hearing my son speak politely to other people's parents
3. Just how badly the 49ers played

My 2011 Wish List

I am leaving out the obvious Peace on Earth stuff, OK? Assume all that as a given.
1. Agency Pricing goes away
2. I turn in my books on time
3. Someone gives me a free 13"MacBook Air
4. I get more sleep


So, what are a few things on your lists?

(Some Of) Amanda's Favorites Of The Year

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I ate too much (of course) and have already spent my gift cards, but I did get the Eiffel Tower Barbie on my list, as well as some Hello Kitty pajamas and Balenciaga Paris shower gel, so it was a happy time all around.

I also love reading the yearly favorites of the other Riskies, and of our visitors, to see what I missed and what I need to buy from the bookstore immediately! (If I had any bookstore gift cards left, that is...). I've already talked about a few of my own favorites this year, like Bill Bryson's At Home and Katie Whitaker's A Royal Passion, but there was also a lot I enjoyed as well! Here are just a few. Were any of them on your own list? (I tried to divide them into categories, and I'm sure there are a lot I forgot!)

Fiction
Romance
(I haven't had time to read nearly as much romance as I would like this year, but there were some fabulous ones!)

--Libertine's Kiss by Judith James: I got to interview Judith James here at the Riskies earlier this year about this book, and it still stays in my head now! My favorite historical romance in quite a while, it has a wonderful, vivid Restoration setting, a truly rakish hero, a spirited heroine, very richly drawn and sexy.

--Iron Duke by Meljean Brook: This book has quite rightly gotten an enormous amount of buzz online, and I heartily recommend it! I've been obsessed with reading steampunk lately, and this is the best of the genre I've found, highly imaginative, complex world-building, action-packed--plus a great hero and heroine. And just look at that cover--yum

--In For A Penny by Rose Lerner: a wonderful Regency romance! A typical Regency storyline--rakish lord, marriage of convenience, etc--turned on its head in a deceptively complex story. Great characters and a well-drawn authentic setting!


Mystery

--Her Highness's First Murder by Peg Herring: It's 1546, and a serial killer stalks London. Who better to solve the mystery than the young Princess Elizabeth, especially after one of her own ladies is killed? She joins forces with her physician's son to track down the killer! Very suspenseful and clever, with another well-drawn setting and fascinating characters. I imagine a young Elizabeth I would be quite a bit like the one in this book...

--Bellfield Hall by Anna Dean: the first Regency-set Dido Kent mystery, and I'm already looking forward to the next! Dido is a spinster in 1805, who has to investigate when her niece's fiance mysteriously disappears during their betrothal ball...

--The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley: Possibly my very favorite work of fiction of the year! I can't recommend it enough, it was sort of like a more witty Nancy Drew story (with better secondary characters). It's the 1950s and 11-year-old Flavia de Luce, a budding chemist with a special interest in poisons, has to solve the death of a man in her family's garden. She is definitely one of the most resourceful characters I have seen! (And the second Flavia book is out soon, yay!)

Historical Fiction

--Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin: an engrossing look at the life of the "real Alice in Wonderland" Alice Liddell (who I did not know had a royal romance with Queen Victoria's son Prince Leopold as a young lady!)

--Charlotte and Emily by Jude Morgan: Like Janet, I'm a huge fan of Jude Morgan's book, and this was no exception. I read it straight through--definitely the best Bronte historical fiction I have come across. It's so beautifully written and feels very "real"

Non-Fiction

--Eiffel's Tower by Jill Jonnes: An account of the building of the Tower and the 1889 Exposition, and all the colorful characters involved in this enormous undertaking (Eiffel himself, of course, as well as Edison, Annie Oakley, an Indian maharajh, Balinese dancers, etc etc). It reminded me of Brunelleschi's Dome, another account of the times and characters surrounding a phenomenal architectural undertaking

--And along those same lines, Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris by Graham Robb: a collection of stories about famous and not-so-famous Parisians in various historical periods. I never knew what I would find when I turned the page, and I loved that! I find books like this to be enormous inspiration when coming up with my own plots and characters

--Mrs. Adams in Winter: A Journey in the Last Days of Napoleon by Michael O'Brien: An account of a journey undertaken by Louisa Adams from St. Petersburg to Paris in the middle of winter in 1815, across war-torn Europe just as Napoleon arrives back from Elba. A wonderful portrait of a strong and fascinating woman (usually overshadowed by her in-laws), her difficult marriage, and the culture of the times against the backdrop of an extraordinary voyage

--Fifth Avenue, 5 AM: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson: I was recently reading a film blog about the best movie scenes of the year that mentioned Howard Hawks' old dictum that a film only needs 3 or 4 scenes to be a good film. In the case of one of my favorite movies ever, Breakfast at Tiffany's, it really only takes one scene to make me ignore the film's (many) flaws and love it. Well, really there are several bits I love, but the ending is gorgeous. It's Audrey Hepburn in a trench coat! She can't find the cat! And it's raining! And "Moon River" plays and they kiss--okay, now I'm crying. But this book is a great "behind the scenes" look at the making of the movie, and how revolutionary it really was
--Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff: An attempt to strip away the myths and encrusted conceptions of Cleopatra (Elizabeth Taylor, etc) and find the real woman, who wielded unprecedented power in a brutal world

--Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans: A tremendous undertaking, a history of nothing less than ballet. Of course I loved it! A must-have for anyone who loves the art, it traces the evolution of technique, choreography, and performance. Very beautifully written, and engrossing.

--Wait For Me! by Deborah Mitford, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire: A memoir by the 90-year-old duchess (and last surviving Mitford sister), it was funny and charming, though some parts were definitely more interesting than others! (All the Jeeves-and-Woosterish nicknames were hilarious, though I thought she was little too hard on her sister Nancy and too easy on her Nazi-sympathizing sisters Diana and Unity...). I found some of her earlier books very helpful in researching my "duchess" books, Duchess of Sin and The Shy Duchess, and this one was no different.

My favorite "comfort read," especially when holiday craziness gets to be too much, is Harlequin Presents! This Christmas I read two I especially devoured:

The Twelve Nights of Christmas by Sarah Morgan

And Caught on Camera With the CEO by Natalie Anderson (who is fast becoming my favorite Presents author!)


They saved my sanity this December! But now I'd like to know--where are all these Italian tycoons and Argentinian polo players who are young and gorgeous and like "ordinary" women??? Send them my way asap...

As for movies--it hasn't been the best of movie years, but I have found some I really loved! (But there are still a few I haven't seen yet that I am really looking forward to, like The King's Speech, The Tempest, All Good Things, and Somewhere). A few I enjoyed are: the crazy-over-the-top Black Swan; the gorgeous, operatic I Am Love (I'm amazed Tilda Swinton is not getting more awards buzz for this!); the "the way we live now" The Social Network; the hilarious but also strangely sad Get Him To The Greek; and The Kids Are All Right.

Over at my own blog, I have a look at some of my favorite fashion looks of the year as well! I can't believe 2010 is almost over.

What did you enjoy this year--and what are you looking forward to in 2011???

Alix Rickloff's Earl of Darkness Winner

Alix Rickloff's winner of a signed copy of EARL OF DARKNESS is..........Louisa Cornell!

Louisa, we have your address. Expect a book soon!

The Riskies

Diane's Best Reads of 2010

This is the week the Riskies traditionally talk about our favorites of the year, books, movies, maybe even TV shows. I'm the world's worst read Riskie, but this year I do have a few favorites to discuss. Self-Help books!

I'm fond of self-help books, any kind of self-help books from diet to motivational to inspirational. This past year I've been on a happiness kick and the book world has been kind enough to indulge me.

I'm a great believer in happiness. I think we can choose to be happy by choosing the way we think and the way we act. These three books just reinforced my belief and offered me some new surprises as well.

Happy For No Reason by Marci Shimoff presents a series of interviews of happy people. Each illustrates an important aspect of achieving happiness. The lessons are practical, but it was the stories themselves that I found inspirational and sometimes downright moving. For example, she tells of a young, blue eyed, blonde-haired woman stranded by a flash flood while on a bus traveling through Bangladesh. All of a sudden she was in the midst of nearby villagers dying of starvation and dysentery. Inspired by a "Smiling man" for hours she wound up moving through the crowd, singing to the dying people, comforting them, and stroking their foreheads, offering some comfort and peace as they died. Afterwards she never forgot the power of a smile.



59 Seconds: Think a Little Change a Lot by Richard Wiseman is not confined to discussing happiness, but achievement of happiness is a part of the book. What I love about this book is that it is research based. The research behind every "technique" Wiseman discusses is explained before he goes into its practical application. Again, for me the research is the fascinating part, not the "how-to." For example, in a debunking of positive thinking Wiseman described research in which one group was asked to write down and focus on a description of an ideal future and the other group was asked to write down and focus on the happiest experience of their lives. The happiest experience group wound up significantly happier with their lives three months later.


What Happy People Know by Dan Baker, Ph.D. Baker is a psychologist who has used the science of happiness in his clinical practice. He avoids the "disease model" of psychiatric problems and shows through a series of examples how having patients discuss and dwell on their unhappiness actually impedes their improvement. Instead he builds on their successes and their strengths. He tells of working on a anorexia unit and realizing that he could not change his patient's self-hatred. Instead he focused on what she loved most-her dog. By focusing on her love and her strengths, she lost her self-hatred and worked on eating normally again. I loved this approach to psychotherapy (possibly due to my past life as a psychotherapist) and I loved reading his "case histories."

Do you read self-help or motivational books? Do you have any favorites? Any recommendations? I received $150 in Amazon cards for Christmas and they are burning a hole in my pocket. If I could buy only one book, self-help or not, what would you recommend I buy?

Interview with Alix Rickloff

Fresh from the hectic holiday, our guest today is my friend Alix Rickloff. Actually, Alix is a return guest. We interviewed her for her debut book, Lost In You. Now Alix has a new series with the first book, EARL OF DARKNESS to be released Dec 28.

Top Pick from RT!
Romantic Times calls the book "a tangled tale of good and evil, magic and mystery, passion and desire — one that won’t be easily forgotten."

Top Pick - “This book is magic personified.”
—Night Owl Reviews

"Secret societies, baffling documents, monstrous stalkers--Rickloff has studied the textbook thoroughly, then added more sex."
—Publishers Weekly

“Get ready to curl up on the sofa and lose yourself in this fabulous Regency with a wicked twist of paranormal.”
—Award-winning author Melissa Mayhue

Alix will give away a signed copy of Earl of Darkness to one lucky commenter today.

Welcome back to the Riskies, Alix. You have an exciting new series to announce. Tell us about the first book, EARL OF DARKNESS.

Set in Regency Ireland, EARL OF DARKNESS features Aidan Douglas, the eldest son and heir to the title earl of Kilronan. He believes clues to his father’s murder and his brother’s disappearance lie in the pages of his father’s diary. Unfortunately, the only person he’s found who can decipher the language it’s written in is Cat O’Connell, the beautiful thief he catches trying to steal it. Together, lord and thief race to understand the dark secrets contained within the book even as they struggle against a passion that both know can only end in disaster.

Tell us about the Heirs of Kilronan series.

EARL OF DARKNESS is the first book in this new series which follows the children of the old Earl of Kilronan as they struggle against the fallout from the evil their father unleashed before his death.

The second book, LORD OF SHADOWS is due to be released in July 2011 with the third and final book, whose title is still under consideration, coming out in January 2012.

We’re all about taking risks here. What is risky about EARL OF DARKNESS or the series or both?

The risk, as always, lies in the balance. This series is my latest attempt at blending Regency historical and sword-and-sorcery fantasy as I return to the world of the Other, a race of humans bearing the blood and magic of the Fey. And to spice things up, I’ve added my own take on the Arthurian legends.

Attracting historical readers who may not normally pick up a paranormal while giving paranormal readers the in depth world-building they’re looking for is a constant juggle. Happily, the blending of these two sub-genres has grown in popularity over the last few years so, hopefully, I’ll be able to keep doing it for a long time to come.

Your story is set in Ireland in 1815. Did you come across any interesting research?

The rampant epidemic of heiress abductions in Ireland during the eighteenth-early nineteenth century. These poor women were being snatched all over the place. Of course, the idea begged to be included in a story.

I understand you have joined the Blame It On The Muse blog. Tell us about the blog. Who participates and what is your focus?

Blame It On The Muse was started in the spring of this year by a group of published and unpublished authors with one common interest—a love of words. We offer a blend of features for both readers and writers; author, agent, and editor interviews, book giveaways, musings on the writing life along with lots of chatty fun.

What’s next for you?

LORD OF SHADOWS is coming out July 2011, and Book 3 of the Heirs of Kilronan series is due out January 2012.

I’m currently working on an Heirs of Kilronan spin-off series set in 1816 London, though my characters will be making visits to Scotland and Cornwall with perhaps a brief return to Ireland.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to stop by the Riskies for a chat. I’ve had a great time.



To celebrate my visit as well the release of EARL OF DARKNESS, I’ll be giving away a free copy to one lucky commenter.


Okay, everyone let's start the chat. Comments and questions please! Alix has generously agreed to seclude herself from her busy family and sit in a quiet room just so she can respond to you!

Happy Christmas from the Riskies!

“May your Christmas abound in the gaieties which that Season generally brings.”

– Jane Austen

Merry Christmas, Baby!

This is one of the prettiest versions of this song I've heard yet.

I hope everyone has the happiest, riskiest of holidays!

I was hoping to find a picture of a cute guy wearing a Santa hat, but all the pix I found were . . . sleazy. So, rats. Oh, wait, another fun Christmas song, this one brand new this year, depicting Santa as a bit of a rake:



See you all next week!


Megan

My Christmas elf

There is a Christmas elf in my life that is not a good elf.

First, it stole the tea I bought yesterday.

I had to go out to buy more tea and also realized that I'd have to buy the stuff we need for xmas dinner. So horrified was I to find the elf had bought all the loose green beans--we have no shortage of labor to top and tail--leaving only the expensive bagged ones, that the elf made me forget the tea. I then went to another store to buy the tea and when I came home the elf had cunningly replaced the original tea, but while I was rejoicing, stole the gift wrap, bought under great duress at the dollar store, that I knew I had brought into the house.

And so it goes. The elf is also in charge of programming on our local NPR classical affiliate--WETA, 90.9 FM, I'm talking to you--and playing hour after hour of appalling Christmas dreck, preciously overorchestrated carols. I only hope the announcers are under instructions to throw each CD on the floor after playing, grind their heels on them, rendering them useless, and thus making future Decembers safe for people who actually like music.

The elf is in charge of gas prices. The elf instructs people to wander round stores, talking on their cell phones, and lures cashiers away. The elf has hidden my favorite knitted winter hat. The elf has...

Well, I think you get the idea. Santa or whoever, please send over a bunch of nice, helpful elves who will find the things I've lost, clean the house, finish the book, and make me enjoy this alleged most wonderful time of the year.

Happy holidays everyone. Are your elves behaving?

The winners of the Austen birthday blog tour from December 16 will be announced officially here today, but Sofia, who I've just emailed, is my winner. Congrats!

Let it snow or, you know, not. Plus doorknobs

First off, Happy Holidays from Risky Carolyn!

Here's something I didn't know, Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas.

Transcript
Report sent to S[i]r Hen[ry] Mildmay
The Councell haveing received severall Informations that there was avery wilfull & strict observation of the day com[m]only called Christmasse day throughout the Cittyes of London & Westm[inster] by agenerall keeping of their shops shut up and that there were Contemptuous speeches used by some in favour thereof, which the Councell conceiveing to be upon the old grounds of superstition and malignancy and tending to the avowing of the same and Contempt of the present Lawes and governm[en]t have thought fit that the Parlam[en]t be moved to take the same into Consideration for such further provisions and penaltyes for the abolishing & punishing of those old superstitions observations and meeting w[i]th such malicious contradiction of offenders in that behalfe as their wisedomes shall iudge fit, They have likewise received informations of frequent resort unto and exerciseing of the idolatrous masse in severall places to the great dishono[u]r of Almightie God, notorious breach of the lawes and scandal of the governm[en]t wherein according to notice given they have already taken some Course and desire the parlam[en]t will be pleased to take that matter alsoe into their Consideration for further remedies & suppression of that Idolatrie in such way as to them shall seeme meet.

That it be likewise reported to the Parl[amen]t that the Councell is informed that there are still remaining the Armes and pictures of the late King in severall Churches Halls, upon the Gates and in other publique places of the Citty of London

That the parl[amen]t bee moved to appoint whom they shall thinke fitt to see the same armes & pictures taken downe and defaced and to give an Account of their executing the same w[i]thin such tyme as they shall thinke fit to allow for that purpose

And S[i]r Henry Mildmay is desired to make this report

Celebrate as you see fit. Christmas, I heard the other day, is celebrated by 80% of Americans regardless of any religious beliefs about God or men in red suits. In other words, a number of us are celebrating a very pagan Christmas. To me, that's a fine meaning of Christmas. Buying presents for people you love, doing nice things, saying Happy Holidays! or Merry Christmas! and meaning it. And eating cookies and other goodies.

Doorknob News

In doorknob news, the Doorknob man did email me back and he pointed me in the direction of some astonishingly fantastic resources, including dates and pictures.

Doorknobs as we know them (the turning kind) did NOT exist in the Regency. A latch type door, which was the most common sort, could (and often did!) have what looked pretty much exactly like a doorknob. Only it was push/pull to open/close the door, not a knob that turned.

This means my hero and heroine can, indeed, have a door hardware malfunction. Is that awesome or what?

Traditions

Speaking of Christmas and traditions that Oliver Cromwell failed to stamp out, we have a fairly recent tradition in our family, which is the gift exchange involving EVERYONE and is in addition to any other gifting that may go on, in which everyone buys a gift for no more than $15, and then we do that gift stealing round robin thing. It's much fun and involves a great deal of plotting and trading and backroom deals, as well as a great deal of thought about what gift to bring. The gifts are anonymous, of course.

Afterward there is often spirited trading.

Do you have a family tradition? Share in the comments.

All I Want For Christmas

I can't believe Christmas is only a few days away! I still have to finish some shopping and buy ingredients for holiday cupcakes, but the dance recital is behind me (aside from one child's eating-confetti incident, all went well and the little sugarplums were all adorable!) and writing work is waiting for me. It's time to make a few Christmas lists.

I already bought some of my own presents, like a Kindle 3, a cute new purple bike (to encourage myself to exercise more in the new year--now that I've said it here I have to do it), and a ballgown that I guess will have to wait for RWA next summer since I can't really wear it to Target or the dog park. I have a few things on my wish list I am pretty sure I won't be getting. Like a villa in Provence:


Or Ian Somerhalder:
Or a tiara to go with my new dress:




But I do have a few things that are a little more feasible! And if you have another TV watching history geek on your list, they might like one of these too...



Big Ben and Eiffel Tower Barbies!


This Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire doll from Madame Alexander! (They also have a fab Anne Boleyn doll...)

The Mad Men box set



Anything Hello Kitty (of course!)



This ring from Tartx (or any numbers of things from there, they have so many gorgeous items...)



Balenciaga Paris shower gel (this has become my new perfume obsession this year!)

And books, CDs, and DVDs of costume dramas are always welcome under my tree! :) (Books and movies are waiting to be wrapped for everyone on my own list--but shh! Don't tell them)




Have a wonderful holiday, and thanks so much to all our readers for visiting the Riskies and making this so much fun for me! What is on your wish list this Christmas?? What have you bought for everyone else?