Auld Lang Syne….

Posted by Jeanne Adams Dec 31 2010, 5:10 am in Jeanne Adams, New Years Eve, party

by Jeanne Adams

First, on behalf of ALL the Romance Bandits, let me wish you a safe, happy New Year’s Eve!

If you’re traveling today or tonight, partying, playing, or just staying home with your honey to watch the live festivities on the TV, may it be fun, cozy, happy, sexy, loving, delicious and fabulous, all rolled into one ROCKIN’ New Year’s Eve!

So what ARE you planning tonight?

I’d like to say we’re planning some ritzy, party-filled evening here in DC, but alas, t’isn’t so. We’re going to pop over to a neighbor’s house for a pot luck which should be fun. And my eldest wants to stay up till midnight, but other than making popcorn for him, and making sure our scared-of-fireworks dog has her last outing BEFORE midnight, we’ll be homebodies, doin’ nuthin’ special. Grins.

I have to confess that one of these years, maybe when my boys are a bit older, I’ll plan something spectacular for New Years. I’m not big on crowds, so probably NOT Times Square, but, perhaps the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel, just me and the darling hubby. Get a suite, bottle of champagne, great view of the Capitol fireworks….

Yeaaaaaaah. I’d love that.

Or maybe one year we’ll take the boys and go skiing somewhere delicious, like Tahoe, or Aspen or up in British Columbia where the Olympics were this winter. (This would be predicated on a big contract, winning the lottery or some such, but hey, it’s my imagination and I can make it whatever I want, right?) We’d spend the day skiing, have a great dinner, then “retire” to the lodge bar for toddies and a view out the big glass windows of the fireworks over the slopes.

Another cool New Years Eve celebration to me, would be to be at a Disney Resort for New Years Eve. Again, not big on the crowds, but I think it would probably be an amazing show, all things considered. After seeing the “regular day” fireworks there this summer, when we were there for RWA National, I can only imagine how fabulous a special event set of fireworks would be. Wow…

The ski vacation notwithstanding, I usually like to be home on New Years Eve. So I guess another fantasy event would be to host a huge, fabulous, Bandita-filled New Year’s event at my house.

Since I’m fantasizing here that no one would have to work on New Years (Suz!) and everyone could travel here to DC, I’d get everyone in by plane, train or automobile, get some limos lined up, and just have one big “Throw down” for the whole crew.

Talk about a party! I’m not sure my neighbors could survive a Bandita Party in the ‘hood. I’d have to be sure and invite them all so they didn’t call the cops when the music got too loud, and the shield sledding started. (My hill isn’t quite what the hill behind the Lair is, but it’ll do nicely.)

Then there’s the Lair. Oh. My. Goodness.

Given the usual state of the Lair, post-party – especially launch parties – I’m thinking it would be dangerous, and ill-advised to turn Sven and the guys (not to mention The Goddess Sangria!) loose in the Lair for a party on New Years Eve. Ermingarde would probably want to have a flaming boulder drop instead of a ball-drop. Then again, a toga-and-trouser-drop at midnight might be on tap (so to speak!) if Sangria had anything to do with the festivities. *shaking head, glad it isn’t happening!*

We don’t have a lot of rules around The Lair, as most of you know. The Lair’s a pretty…flexible…environment. Grins. However, anything that might cause:

1.) Destruction of said Lair;
2) Discovery of said Lair as the den of iniquity it really is;
3) The Police to be Called (see #2);
4) Seriously annoy the dragon (see #5);
or 5) Thereby cause Fire, or Pestilence, or overall bleeding OR
6) Disruption of the Deadline-driven, Cave-dwelling Writers is HIGHLY frowned upon.

Hence, no New Years Eve celebration IN the Lair. Can you imagine it? Eeeek!

Just. Too. Dangerous. (Snork.)

Now, you’ve heard some of my ideas about where I’D like to spend a fabulous New Years, what about you?

Going out? Party? Planned or spontaneous?

Staying in? Party or going to bed before ten?

What’s the New Years Eve Dream Destination for you? The Bahamas? Turkey? London? New York? Brussels? Honolulu? Or your hometown, with the guy you crushed on in high school?

Hey, it’s your fantasy too…whatcha’ got? Sexy? Skiing? Fine wine and food? Bubbly? A boat ride, cruise, or other destination vacation?

And what’s the absolute BEST New Years you’ve ever had? Mine was the year I got married to the DH…the last New Years as “just a couple” rather than parents. Pretttty coooool. *wiggles eyebrows*

And the best movie with a New Years scene? For me, the New Year’s scene at the end of The Holiday (Jack Black, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet); and Queen Latifah in Last Holiday. That black evening suit, with the black bow in her hair, when she thinks she’s gonna die….perfect. LOVE that movie!

Okay, ladies and gents, let’s DISH about YOUR New Years Eve!!! (Reality optional)

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Glitz and Glamour

Posted by Jo Robertson Dec 30 2010, 5:01 am in Academy winning movies, Jo Robertson

by Jo RobertsonDuring the holidays many of us squeeze in a little extra time to go to the movies. Maybe take the kiddies or have an afternoon matinee date with our significant others or friends. As you know I love movies. Any kind, any time, any place, I’m raring to go. The Eighty-third Academy Awards aren’t scheduled until February, but I thought it would be fun to play a movie trivia game. One of the interesting things about the Academy Awards is to look in retrospect at the list of films that were nominated, but DIDN’T win, so I’ve added
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Togetherness

Posted by Susan Sey Dec 29 2010, 5:36 am in Uncategorized

by Susan Sey Ah, the holidays. That hallowed week between Christmas and the New Year. Vacation. Now I’m a stay at home mom, so when I say “vacation” I’m actually talking about my husband. Because while he’s taken the week off from work, my job is a 7 year old and a 4 year old, & even if we travel for the holidays (which we are this year–hello, Grandma & Grandpa!) I sort of have to take them with me. My experience of this time of year is so far from vacation it’s laughable. You could say this is actually
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Winner of Salting Roses

Posted by Trish Milburn Dec 29 2010, 2:30 am in prize winner

The winner of yesterday’s drawing for a copy of Salting Roses by Lorelle Marinello is…Laney4! Congratulations! Please contact me through my website at www.trishmilburn.com with your full name and address.

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Old And New

Posted by Suzanne Ferrell Dec 28 2010, 5:22 am in old and new, relections, Suzanne Ferrell

by Suzanne At this time of the year I tend to reflect on the past as much as look forward to the future. This past year has been an exciting one for me. My parents just celebrated their sixtiethth, (yes 6-0) wedding anniversary. Not many people can say that. Mom says, “there comes a point where you can’t imagine your life without him in it.” When I was home this past spring I noticed how much they touched each other. Just little pats on the shoulder, a touch of the hand to the cheek as they passed each other. This is
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Bandita Booty

Posted by Donna MacMeans Dec 28 2010, 4:45 am in 12 Bandita Days of Christmas, prize winner

Bandita Booty!!!! Congratulations MsHellion – You won the 12 Days of Christmas prize for the December 23rd blog. Please send your contact information to either www.DonnaMacMeans.com or Romancebandits@gmail.com. Congratulations and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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Lorelle Marinello Debuts with a Tale Steeped in the South

Posted by Trish Milburn Dec 27 2010, 5:01 am in guest blogger

I’ve known Lorelle Marinello since 2003, our first year of being Golden Heart finalists. So I’m excited to host her today to talk about her debut novel, Salting Roses. Tell us a bit about Salting Roses. SALTING ROSES tells the story of Gracie Lynne Calloway, an Alabama girl who discovers on her twenty-fifth birthday that she is the kidnapped daughter of a late New England financier and heiress to an enormous fortune. Gracie has grown up under the notion that she was the abandoned love-child of her Uncle Ben’s runaway niece. She suffered mightily for her questionable ancestry over the
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Plumb Tuckered

Posted by Nancy Northcott Dec 26 2010, 5:20 am in Boxing Day, reflections, vernacular, year's end

by Nancy My maternal grandfather was a country boy, born on a farm in the Carolina Piedmont when the Civil War was a vivid and comparatively recent memory. He went to college, moved to various cities and towns, and became a certified public accountant. When we cleaned out my folks’ house, we found his certificate–#29 for the State of North Carolina. He also became treasurer and business manager of a college. Among other things, he got the money donated to build the college’s second library (The first, which was much smaller, was endowed by Andrew Carnegie). Despite all that polish,
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MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Posted by Guest Dec 25 2010, 4:24 pm in Uncategorized

The winner of yesterday’s prize is BJ!!! BJ, please drop me a line at kimberleyhowe@gmail.com and we’ll make sure you get your stuff. Warmest regards to everyone for a magical holiday!

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A Joyous Christmas to All!!!

Posted by Kate Carlisle Dec 25 2010, 5:04 am in Bandit Booty, Christmas, Kate Carlisle

By Kate What do the holidays mean to you? To me, the holidays mean wonderful scents, beautiful colors, happy times with family and friends. It means rushing here and there to find the perfect something for my perfect someone. It means squeezing my eyes shut and wishing for … good health and happiness for friends and loved ones … peace and understanding among countries and people … and – let’s get right down to it! – gifts and goodies under the tree! That’s right! If it’s Christmas time in the Lair, it must be Bandita Gift-Giving Time! So today, one
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