Did you ever have one of those days when you should have stayed in bed? Today could have been one of those days.

I planned to be in the office by 6 a.m. this morning so that I could be home in time to pick my daughter up from play practice at 4 p.m. We had an ice storm during the night, and when I went out to warm up my car, I took one step onto the driveway and ended up flat on my back with the wind knocked out of me. And I wrenched my shoulder trying to grab onto the doorframe to stop my fall.

Are you all still keeping your resolutions? For me it’s so far, so good. I usually manage to last at least three days. On a good year, it could be five or six. I think this will be a good year because I've set myself up for embarrassment if it's not.

So, what are your New Years Resolutions? :)

I don't usually make them, not really, since I think in general people just make resolutions that ask too much and are just bound for failure, but I decided instead that the real secret is just keep them simple and doable.

Hey everyone, happy after-holidays (almost)! We're here at the cusp of the New Year, one of my favorite times. I love the feeling of the fresh slate of a new year, full of new possibilities and opportunities. Twelve whole months ahead to experience, enjoy, and start fresh. :)

As you all may or may not know, LIAEC was actually started in December 2006, so this month marks our second successful year. It's amazing to me to look back through the archives and see the long list of guests we've had, the wonderful conversations, the variety of topics, and now we're all heading into our third year together!

In that time, I can also look back through those blogs and see how we've had some wonderful friends and bloggers come and go, and this turn of the year is no different. I am blogging now to tell everyone of the changes in our roster. While it's always sad to see friends leave, it's exciting to welcome new members on board, so here we go!

Christa and Susan! Congratulations! Please send your mailing addresses to me at karenefoley@comcast.net, and I'll pop a copy of Able-Bodied into the mail for you. Thanks again for visiting!

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Merry Day-After-Christmas! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and to keep the Christmas spirit alive, I'm giving away two advance copies of my February book, Able-Bodied. This book just received a four and a half star review from Romantic Times Book Reviews. You can read the full review below...

My cat, Nora, never bothers the Christmas tree. Ever. She's much too busy elsewhere....

Well, folks, this is it. My last "official" post here at the Love is an Exploding Cigar blog! It's also moving on toward the end of the year. Things are getting wrapped and wrapped up!

In the spirit of the season, I'm going to have one more giveaway day. I should be receiving the author copies of my new book, A Cowboy’s Redemption within the next week or two, so I thought I would give away an advanced copy today. I know everyone is very busy, perhaps even a wee bit stressed, so all I want to know is what are you looking forward to over the holidays?

I should probably start with World Peace--and I really do want that. The Trekkie in me rather liked the peacefulness--but honestly, this is a different kind of post.

Home For Christmas

Anybody who’s read my bio knows I’m one of eleven children and that there are 63 people in my “immediate” family. My mother’s house is so crowded at Christmas that you cannot get a seat. There is literally wrapping paper a foot deep in the living room from all the presents. Food is served buffet style. No one serves anyone. LOL. If you want it, you get it.