Taking a day to destress, be irresponsible… and laugh! Join me!
Wacky Wednesday!
Shenanigans
Emmanuelle de Maupassant is thrilled to announce the launch of her saucy 1920s romance romp: ‘Highland Pursuits’ #Sale
Emmanuelle de Maupassant is thrilled to announce the launch of her saucy 1920s romance romp: ‘Highland Pursuits’.
In celebration, Emmanuelle is not only offering three signed paperback copies, via Goodreads here, but has her entire catalogue on sale for 99c/99p from March 1st-8th: Baby Love, Scarlet, Cautionary Tales and Gentlemen’s Club (as recommended by Stylist Magazine)
1920s debutante Lady Ophelia Finchingfield is banished to wildest Scotland to come to her senses, having refused a proposal from the Earl of Woldershire. In the care of her eccentric grandmother, Ophelia is soon caught between rugged widower Hamish and the villainous Comte de Montefiore.
She’s ready to play with fire, but will she burn more than her fingers?
What readers are saying
I can’t tell you how much I love this book. It was a true delight to read. The author has captured 1920s Britain wonderfully, and her detail is exquisite. – Rachel De Vine
As a comedy of manners, this is exceptionally well done. – Fionna Guillaume
Highland Pursuits is a wry, clever, incredibly sexy romp… a completely engrossing, utterly enjoyable read. I can’t recommend it highly enough…fabulously fun – Malin James
The scene was set beautifully… I felt like I went back in time to high society Scotland – Christine of Sweet and Spicy Reads
Find ‘Highland Pursuits’ on Goodreads and for sale on Amazon
Emmanuelle sends enormous thanks to her editor, Adrea Kore, for her help in bringing ‘Highland Pursuits’ into the world. She says: ‘Adrea is an incredibly talented writer, and a wonderful friend. Her editing skills helped bring the words alive. She is a marvel and I’m so glad that one day, forever ago, we found each other.’
‘Highland Pursuits’ draws inspiration from a short story of the same title Emmanuelle wrote originally for the charity fundraising anthology Because Beards: all proceeds have been given to the Movember Foundation.
This longer, novella, length offers more scope to explore the wonderful characters’ eye-popping shenanigans. Hamish and Ophelia were in Emmanuelle’s dreams for many weeks, as she wrote this story.
Pssst… if you enjoy Highland Pursuits, don’t forget to leave a review. Reviews make books more visible online, bringing new eyes. If you’re on Twitter or Facebook, tag Emmanuelle in your review post and she’ll say hello.
Social Media Links
Explore Emmanuelle’s website here
Find her on Twitter here
and on Facebook here
sign up for Emmanuelle’s newsletter here
It’s March 1st!
I tend to lose control before/on/during/after my birthday, but not worry. I promise to calm down soon…er, sometime…in the next thirty days or so! 😉
Fun…Arizona-style!
Do we know how to have fun in Arizona…or WHAT?
Please take note of the tiny flame touting “Selling fast!”
Don’t ever try to threaten us with a good time!
I can just feel the envy oozing over this page…or is that mocking laughter?
(And they really are “selling fast” – in the time it took me to ready this post, the count went from 30 to 70! Help us…please!)
Image and ad from Groupon.com
National Squirrel Appreciation Day
Founded by Christy Hargrove in 2001, Squirrel Appreciation Day is observed annually on January 21. Hargrove is a wildlife rehabilitator in North Carolina and is affiliated with the Western North Carolina Nature Center. According to Christy, “Celebration of the event itself is up to the individual or group — anything from putting out extra food for the squirrels to learning something new about the species.”
Red, grey or even black, what’s your favourite colour of squirrel? Squirrel Appreciation Day reminds us to enjoy these nut-burying, scampering animals respectfully and with consideration. Why not visit your local park and spot some squirrels?
10 Nutty Facts to Make You Appreciate Squirrels from the National Wildlife Federation
1. SQUIRRELS CAN FIND FOOD BURIED BENEATH A FOOT OF SNOW.
2. A SQUIRREL’S FRONT TEETH NEVER STOP GROWING.
3. SQUIRRELS MAY LOSE 25% OF THEIR BURIED FOOD TO THIEVES.
4. THEY ZIGZAG TO ESCAPE PREDATORS.
5. SQUIRRELS MAY PRETEND TO BURY A NUT TO THROW OFF POTENTIAL THIEVES.
6. A NEWBORN SQUIRREL IS ABOUT AN INCH LONG.
7. HUMANS INTRODUCED SQUIRRELS TO MOST OF OUR MAJOR CITY PARKS.
8. SQUIRRELS ARE ACROBATIC, INTELLIGENT AND ADAPTABLE.
9. THEY GET BULKY TO STAY WARM DURING THE WINTER.
10. SQUIRRELS DON’T DIG UP ALL OF THEIR BURIED NUTS, WHICH RESULTS IN MORE TREES!
HOW TO OBSERVE
Use #SquirrelAppreciationDay to post on social media.
And…since it’s also National Hugging Day and National Granola Bar Day – give a squirrel a hug…and a granola bar!
National Rubber Ducky Day!
(I’m absolutely devastated this post got stuck in my queue and didn’t post yesterday – probably because it was Friday, the 13th! Grrr! Welp! I ain’t afraid of no ghosts…or any other supernatural entity…simply to tired to scream, run, or care…so this post is still a ‘Go!’ Enjoy…and sing along!)
How is this even a holiday? Where did the rubber ducky come from? Who made the first rubber duck? (BTW, both spellings – ducky and duckie – are acceptable!)
The earliest patent for a rubber duck toy was in 1928 by Landon Smart Lawrence. His design was for a bath toy which was weighted and when tipped would return to its upright position. The sketch included with the patent was that of a duck.
Russian Sculptor Peter Ganine sculpted many animal figures. One, a duck, he later designed and patented in the 1940s, and reproduced it as a floating toy, of which over 50,000,000 were sold. Jim Henson popularized rubber ducks in 1969, performing the song “Rubber Duckie” as Ernie, a popular Muppet from Sesame Street.
Sales of the iconic yellow rubber ducky we’ve come to know today soared in Britain in 2001. Why? A British Tabloid, The Sun, reported Queen Elizabeth II had a rubber duck in her bathroom that wore an inflatable crown.
The rubber ducky became a Toy Hall of Fame inductee in 2013. Founded in 1998, the Hall of Fame has only inducted 52 other toys.
So who created Rubber Ducky? No one can say for sure. But I’m fond of Sesame Street, and according to a 1973 Sesame Street calendar, Rubber Duckie’s Birthday is January 13. A friend of Ernie and Big Bird, Duckie made his debut in a February 1970 episode. Plus, they had the cool song – so I’ll stick with them!
Rubber Duckie you’re the one
You make bath time lots of fun
Rubber Duckie I’m awfully fond of you
Rubber Duckie joy of joys
When I squeeze you, you make noise
Rubber Duckie you’re my very best friend it’s true
I find a little fellow who’s cute and yellow and chubby
Rub a dub dubby
Rubber Duckie you’re so fine and I’m lucky that you’re mine
Rubber Duckie I’d like a whole pond of you
Rubber Duckie I’m awfully fond of you
(Songwriter -JEFFREY A MOSS Published By Lyrics © T.S.E.C.)
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