Tag: Thanksgiving

Essays

Why shopping local this season matters more than ever #BlackFriday #SmallBusinessSaturday

Mandy Webster

There’s something grounding about wandering through a local market this time of year — the scents of handmade candles and soaps, the sound of live music, and the tables stacked with handmade goods and books you won’t find in chain stores. It’s a reminder that real people, not algorithms, make and sell the things we love.

Crowds, chaos, and checkout lines—Black Friday madness is in full swing. This holiday season, consider the impact of where you shop.

As prices rise and global supply chains feel the strain of new tariffs, it’s worth thinking about where your money goes. Local artisans, authors, and small-business owners may have inventory they stocked before costs increased, meaning your purchases support both your community and your own budget. I stocked up my pop-up book and gift shop earlier this year and haven’t had to raise my prices yet — a small act of foresight that’s keeping things affordable for my local shoppers.

Continue reading “Why shopping local this season matters more than ever #BlackFriday #SmallBusinessSaturday” →
Essays

Thankful for stories: how books anchor us during the holidays

Mandy Webster

As the holidays approach, our lives often feel packed with family obligations, travel, and the endless bustle of preparation. It’s easy to get swept up in the chaos, but there’s a quiet refuge I return to every year: stories. Books have a way of anchoring us, even during the busiest, most stressful times, offering both comfort and connection.

Some of my favorite stories are those I’ve heard around the dinner table with family and friends!

I’m grateful for the ways reading bridges generations—like the book you lent your sister, or the series your grandma read to you as a child, which she also read to your father and that you eventually shared with your own kids. Stories create shared experiences across time, connecting us in ways that linger long after the last page is turned.

Continue reading “Thankful for stories: how books anchor us during the holidays” →
Find Your Next Read

Books to curl up with this late fall: cozy, reflective reads for Thanksgiving break

Mandy Webster

As the days grow shorter and the first hints of winter settle in, it’s the perfect time to slow down and curl up with a book that invites reflection, connection, and comfort. Late November in the northern hemisphere carries a special energy—between the flurry of holiday preparations and the quiet of bare trees and crisp evenings, readers often crave stories that soothe, inspire, and remind us of the bonds that matter most. This year, I’ve rounded up four titles that capture the spirit of the season, each in its own way offering moments of introspection, warmth, and hope.

It’s that cozy time of year—curl up with a good book, a warm cup of tea, and watch the world turn golden outside your window.

Valley of the Bees by Amanda L Webster (oh hey, that’s me!)

Set in a world where honeybees are nearly extinct, Valley of the Bees follows Valley as she navigates family, friendships, and self-discovery in a rural community. Her life changes dramatically on her sixteenth birthday, when she must balance tradition, duty, and personal choice amidst a backdrop of plague and village intrigue. At its heart, this novel is about family bonds, connection to the land, and the courage to chart your own path—perfect for readers looking for reflection and emotional richness as the season turns.

The black and yellow cover of the novel, Valley of the Bees featuring the title in bold print with a bee underneath.
Continue reading “Books to curl up with this late fall: cozy, reflective reads for Thanksgiving break” →
NaNoWriMo, Novel Writing, Romance

2014 NaNoWriMo Trashy Romance Challenge: In case you’re using your time off work to write instead of shop today

Mandy Webster

To celebrate Black Friday, write the “black moment” in your novel. This is that “all hope is lost” moment where it appears that your hero and heroine are just not meant to be. Maybe they will even go so far as to tell one another goodbye forever. (Or at least they think they are saying goodbye forever.)


Embed from Getty Images

OR, you could write a scene where your heroine drags her hero out shopping on Black Friday. Now, there’s a test for even the greatest of relationships! Continue reading “2014 NaNoWriMo Trashy Romance Challenge: In case you’re using your time off work to write instead of shop today” →

NaNoWriMo, Novel Writing

Happy Turkey Day!

Mandy Webster

The Turkey Is Done
I hope our turkey looks this good. It probably won’t, but one can always dream! | The Turkey Is Done (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

I’m not here today because I have scheduled this post to run while I am out doing sadistic things to my family.

Wait. No. That was my characters last week. I’m sure I’m enjoying my family today and hope you are enjoying yours as well.

Continue reading “Happy Turkey Day!” →

NaNoWriMo, Novel Writing, Romance

2014 NaNoWriMo Trashy Romance Challenge: Act 3/When it hits the fan

Mandy Webster

600x750mm sign intended to match the specifica...
How many words per day are you averaging during NaNoWriMo? | 600x750mm sign intended to match the specifications for sign W13-5 (Advisory Curve Speed) in the 2004 version of the SHS manual. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Just when you thought your story might draw to a sweet conclusion a little too early, it’s time to throw a wrench in it and drag it out for one more act.

Act Three. It is time to be mean to your characters.

Maybe one of them has been keeping a secret that comes to light, making the other one question his or her feelings.

Maybe your vampire is kidnapped by terrorists. Continue reading “2014 NaNoWriMo Trashy Romance Challenge: Act 3/When it hits the fan” →

Random Rants

Just say no to holiday madness

Mandy Webster

A Christmas tree inside a home.
Image via Wikipedia

It’s that time of year. Once again, Tom Turkey is eclipsed by that one word that seems to be on the lips of everyone I know: Christmas. If you read any current online or print media at all, I’m sure you’ve already noticed the usual holiday how-to headlines this year: “How to keep from gaining weight over the holidays,” “How to avoid stressing out this holiday season.” But if you ask me, the answer to these questions boils down to one, simple, little, teeny-tiny, two-letter word: NO.

First of all, if you really want to avoid the holiday madness, your first assignment is to just say no to the Black Friday-starting-at-midnight craze. This is one of the worst ideas that have ever ripped through retail. I always thought Black Friday (the other two words on everyone’s lips) was stupid anyway, but the past few years, this trend has gotten completely out of hand.

How would you feel if you had to sleep through most of your Thanksgiving Day because you have to be at work by midnight that night to work a 12-hour shift? Would this stress you out? I don’t know about you, but I would be thoroughly pissed.

In case you haven’t already figured this out, Black Friday is manned by an army of thoroughly stressed and pissed off, not to mention underpaid, workers who probably couldn’t afford to take advantage of the so-good-I’d-totally-step-on-your-head-if-you-fell-down-in-front-of-me deals their employers are offering even if they did have the day off. Continue reading “Just say no to holiday madness” →