It's 2010 and the winner is . . .

Happy New Year!

I had my husband draw a name, and the winner of the autographed firefighter calendar, an adorable firetruck Christmas tree ornament, and some mouth-wateringly delicious Ghirardelli chocolate is . . . Ellen E!

Congratulations, Ellen! Please send me your mailing address via my website and I will mail your prize this week.

I've been on a bit of blogging hiatus but will be back on Monday with some fun stories about the holidays! Until then, I'm wishing you all the best for 2010!

xoxo
Lee

‘Tis the season . . .

I encountered this group of elementary school Christmas carollers, complete with Santa hats, while out shopping on Friday afternoon. Within minutes they attracted a crowd, and those lovely young soprano voices put me right in the spirit when they sang “Silent Night.”

"Silent Night" was grandmother’s favorite Christmas carol. When I was a little girl, I remember her telling me that she felt a bit homesick during her first Christmas in Canada. She had immigrated from Finland in 1923. When she heard “Silent Night” on the radio, she didn’t know the lyrics but she recognized the tune and felt more at home.

While I’m on the subject of Christmas and shopping, how about a stocking stuffer for the readers on your list?

With This Ring is available in three electronic formats (Adobe PDF eBook (requires Adobe Digital Editions), Microsoft eBook and Mobipocket eBook) from eHarlequin.com.

Or, if you or someone you know has a Kindle, With This Ring is available from Amazon.com. According to the website, you can “read your book on your Kindle within a minute of placing your order.”

How’s that for instant gratification?

And remember, you have a chance to kick off the new year as the winner of my December contest. In addition to an autographed firefighter calendar, the winner will also receive an adorable shiny red firetruck Christmas tree ornament, and more! Check here for contest details.

Until next time,
Lee

December Contest

To celebrate the upcoming (July 2010) release of my next book, Firefighter Daddy, I’m running a contest here on The Writer Side.

The prize? A copy of the 2010 Greater Victoria Firefighter Calendar, autographed by all twelve calendar guys. And I'll throw in some other goodies, too.

All calendar proceeds will be donated to charity, and the goal is to raise $50,000!

My calendar contest will run throughout the month of December. Every time you post a comment on one of this month’s posts, your name will be entered in the draw. To increase your chances, you’ll receive five bonus entries if you become a follower of my blog (click on the link in the sidebar) and ten bonus entries if you sign up for Lee McKenzie’s Very Occasional Newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, simply send an email to lee (at) lee mckenzie (dot) com. I know you know the drill—remove the spaces and insert the symbols.

The winner will be announced here on The Writer Side on January 1, and what a great way to kick off the new year!

Drop by often and help me celebrate the holidays!

Until next time,
Lee

This Week’s News

Busy couple of weeks, which has resulted in my having ignored the blog just a little. Happy to say the revised book has been submitted and I’m back to work on the sequel. Perfect timing because now I can focus on Christmas preparations. Those of you who know me will also know that this is my favorite time of the year.

Right now I’m dabbling with a new and super-easy holiday craft project and will be blogging about it with the Wet Noodle Posse next week—Thursday, December 10.

My office overhaul got stalled while I was working on revisions, but it’s now back in full swing. This week I’m back to work on the storage closet, which is currently storing way too much stuff.

Speaking of offices, I just discovered See Jane Work, a fabulous online store with loads of fun stuff for organizing and decorating the workspace. Here are a few of my favorites.

Round magnetic bulletin boards

Magnetic wall pocket organizer

Colorful labels

Can you tell I love polka dots?

I swear I will not buy any new storage or organizational items until my office has been complete decluttered, but a girl can dream!

This month I will be running a contest here on The Writer Side and the prize will be an autographed 2010 firefighter calendar. Details will posted here on Saturday, so stay tuned!

Until next time,
Lee

Tuesday News

Things I’m doing this week:

• revising Firefighter Daddy

• working on the next book

• attending a Susan Wiggs writing workshop

• clearing out my office

The progress on my office was slow this week, but I freed up more space on one bookshelf, gave a bag of writing books to a friend and a bundle of file folders and a stack of magazine files to another friend.

The Christmas season is fast approaching and I found some great things at a craft fair on the weekend:

• homemade antipasto

• pickled beets

• red pepper jelly

• two catnip cat toys

• an adorable candle lamp made from a wine glass, a tealight and a paper lampshade

If you missed my Sunday Fun post about the shirtless firefighters and my December contest, please scroll down and check it out!

Until next time,
Lee

Sunday Fun—What Would You Do...?

If you were at the mall and encountered a group of firefighters signing calendars, what would you do?

I stopped to buy a couple of calendars and have the guys autograph them.

Then, if you were a romance author who had a blog, what would you do?

After having the calendars signed, I decided to take a couple of photographs to post here on The Writer Side.

So I got my husband to hold my bag of calendars, found a good vantage point for taking photos, and before I could snap even one picture...they took off their shirts.

Seriously.

Well, I’m sure you would have done the same thing I did.

I snapped these.






The last one's a little out of focus. I guess my hands were getting shaky.

My husband was having a good laugh by the time I rejoined him, and I was congratulating myself for having such impeccable timing.

The calendar is great, by the way...you can take a sneak peek here...and all proceeds go to charity.

So...to celebrate the July 2010 release of my next Harlequin American Romance—Firefighter Daddy—I’ll be running a contest throughout December here on The Writer Side of Life. Contest details will be posted here on December 5 and the lucky winner will be announced on December 31.

What would you do for a chance to win an autographed 2010 firefighter calendar?

I hope you’ll enter my contest!

Until next time,
Lee

Winners of the Mad Writer's Tea Party Giveaways!

Thank you all for making yesterday's tea party so much fun! And congratulations to the winners of the random drawing for giveaways. Click here to see the list of prizes, complete with photographs.

If Teapots Could Talk
Diane St. Jacques

polka dot mug & Murchie’s tea
Sara

mini tin of Angelwater
Theresa Ragan

mini tin of Philospher’s Brew
Estella

mini tin of Casablanca
Jane

Dragon Tears (shaped tea)
Terry Odell

Sacred Ember (shaped tea)
Gillian Layne

And as an added bonus, I'm tossing in a copy of my second book.
With This Ring (ebook format).
The winner is Cheryl S.

Congratulatons to all of you!

Winners, please send your name and mailing address in an email to lee-at-leemckenzie-dot-com and I'll send your prize to you.

Enjoy!

Until next time,
Lee

Tuesday News

Winter Peck, an aspiring Christian romantic suspense author, is holding a book giveaway on her blog, and I am thrilled that one of her prizes is a copy of The Man for Maggie!

For a chance to win one of the ten wonderful books she’s giving away, drop by her blog and post a comment. Then check back on February 14 when she announces the winners!

Happy reading!

Until next time,
Lee

Tuesday News—The Man for Maggie

I’m totally thrilled! The Man for Maggie placed second in the More Than Magic Contest’s first book category and third in the sweet contemporary category!

Congrats also to Lisa Childs, Cindy Procter-King, Janice Lynn and Terry McLaughlin for their successes in this contest! It’s an honor to be in your company!

Beluga Update:
The Vancouver Aquarium’s baby beluga is one week old today! You can check out the latest photos here.

Talk you soon!
Lee

Guest Blogger - Max Is Back!

Hi, everyone. Max here. So did you read With This Ring? Didya? Huh? Huh? Didya? Okay, sorry, but I’m still kind of excited. This is the first time anyone’s ever written a book about yours truly. Now do you see what I mean? I do have a way with the ladies.

And Leslie, she’s definitely a lady. Nothing against the other women Brent’s had over, but there’s something different about her. In a good way. I mean, she fed me even though it wasn’t dinnertime. And she smells good. Expensive good, if you know what I mean, and clean.

The only other woman who’s spent the night in our spare room was Brent’s mother. She stayed one night last winter when her furnace broke down. She’s nice enough—even brought me a big old ham bone. She doesn’t smell like Leslie though. She smells clean, too, but like laundry detergent. Leslie smells more like the park after it rains, but even nicer.

And Brent ended up doing a lot of work while Leslie was here, don’t you think? Not that I’m saying she’s high maintenance. No way. If anybody can take of herself, she sure can. But the plumbing was another matter. What was up with that?

Right now it’s time for a dog to take a nap. I’ll be back next Thursday, and I’ll have a confession to make about a certain pair of shoes.

Rrrrooowf!

Max

Lee’s note: remember that Max and I are running a contest this week, and the prize is a DVD of The Shaggy Dog. Every time you post a comment, you’re eligible to win. The winner will be announced on Tuesday.

Tuesday News

Lots to tell you about today, starting with the news that today is the official release of my newest Harlequin American Romance, With This Ring!

To celebrate, Max and I are running a contest. Everyone who posts a comment here on the blog between now and next Monday will be eligible to win the DVD version of Disney’s 1959 classic, The Shaggy Dog. Yes, the one that features Fred MacMurray and Annette Funicello!

This is “the wild and woolly edition” that includes both the original B&W and the color version. It’ll make a great holiday gift for yourself or someone on your list. Max and I will announce the winner on Tuesday, December 11, so be sure to check back then.

I’m thrilled to tell you that With This Ring received a wonderful 4-star review from Cataromance:

“. . . Lee McKenzie gifts readers with a Christmas story that showcases a rich princess and a blue collar Prince Charming. Brent and Leslie will surely win a place in reader’s hearts. With This Ring is a lovely holiday story to emphasize the notion that love comes from all walks of life and all you have to do is reach out and grasp it.”

I’ll be signing copies of With This Ring and The Man for Maggie this weekend at Chapters in Victoria. Please drop by if you’re in the area.

Tomorrow I’ll be guest blogging at with Trish Milburn at Reading, Writing & More, Oh My!

And remember, Max the Old English Sheepdog will be back on Thursday with the inside scoop on Brent's visitor.

Lee

Guest Blogger—Max

Hi. My name’s Max. Not short for anything like Maxwell or Maximilian. Just Max.

My owner’s name is Brent. He’s a laid-back dude and all-round nice guy. He buys my favorite dog chow, lets me sit on the furniture, and doesn’t freak when I come in the house with muddy paws. As owners go, they don’t come any cooler.

Life wasn’t so good before I moved in here, but me and Brent, we don’t talk about that. We met at this place called the SPCA. If you’re a dog, you don’t want to end up there. If you’re a human like Brent, it’s a very excellent place to go and get yourself a dog. Like me, for example.

I’m an Old English Sheepdog, by the way. Not old as in old, but old as in not a New English Sheepdog.

Most of the time I think Brent’s glad to have me around. Especially when we go to the park to play frisbee. Not to brag or anything, but I do have a way with the ladies. Seriously. You can even ask Brent. A lot, and I mean A LOT of women stop to admire me. Then they end up talking to him, and sometimes he even gets their number. All thanks to me.

And just between you ‘n’ me, the guy needs all the help he can get. Once in a while a woman comes to visit but it never seems to work out. I, on the other hand, am not so picky.

He says we have a nice little house but I hafta tell you, it’s not that little. There’s plenty of room for more. Like a pretty little girl sheepdog for me and a fine-looking woman for Brent, if you catch my drift. And since Brent goes to work everyday and leaves me here on my own, I’d kind of appreciate the company.

Today is one of those days. I’m pretty sure it’s the weekend but Brent still got up early, put on his work clothes and left the house. There’s a serious rainstorm going on, so he put me in the porch at the back of the house. What can I say? The rain makes a mess of my fur, especially when I lie on my back and roll around in the muck. If you knew how good it felt to roll around on your back in the rain, you’d understand why I do it.

Wait. Was that a truck door? I know that sound! It’s the middle of the day and Brent’s home. Maybe he didn’t go to work after all.

And now here he is, letting me into the house. “Hey boy, glad to see me? Come on. Yeah, good boy. Come on. Somebody wants to meet you.”

Cool. Visitors mean LOTS of attention for yours truly.

Want to find out who Brent brought home? Be sure to pick up a copy of With This Ring (Harlequin American Romance) by Lee McKenzie. It’ll be in stores on Tuesday, December 4.

I’ll be blogging again next Thursday, and I’ll have a thing or two to say about plumbing. And about Brent’s visitor.

Rrrrooowf!

Max

Lee's Note:
To celebrate the release of With This Ring next week, Max and I will be running a contest. For details, please check back on Tuesday!

Photo by Ray Salmon of Sheepie Hollow. Thanks!