Wednesday, December 17, 2008

SORMAG'S OPEN HOUSE - 12-17-08


SORMAG's OPEN HOUSE






Welcome to our OPEN HOUSE (9am - 6pm).

I’m excited that you took the time to stop by. I love a good party especially with good friends.

Pick a hot drink from our Chocolate Bar (Hot cocoa with whip cream and marshmallows with a cherry on top, or a Chocolate Carmel Latte)

Grab a few snacks from our breakfast bar in the morning (glaze donuts, and bagels with cream chesse) and in the afternoon from our dessert bar (Christmas Cookies, Homemade Caramel Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Split Lemon, Triple brownies )

Mingle with the other guests who drop by. Tell us how your holiday plans are going.

Listen to some music with us.

http://www.pandora.com/

Type in Christmas Song – Select Brian McKnight

Now you’re listening to the music at our open house - Enjoy

We have a wishlist room for authors to tell us about their books. Please make sure to leave your info there and not in the open house room. Cl
ick HERE to add your books to our wish list.

Come on in and have some fun.

LaShaunda
SORMAG’s Editor/Hostess

P.S. I have doorprizes every hour. You have to leave a comment to win.

DOOR PRIZE WINNERS - Send me your mailing address - sormag@yahoo.com

First Guest - Rebecca Myers - Mini Christmas stocking of bookmarks and a book thong from Simply Said

Wendi - $20.00 Gift Certificate (Barnes& Nobel or Amazon.com - your choice)

Sean Young - eBook from Red Rose Publishing

L Martin - Book by Bettye Griffith

Elaine Cantrell - $20.00 Gift Certificate (Barnes& Nobel or Amazon.com - your choice)

Shelia - Book By Bettye Griffith

Michelle Sutton - SORMAG Goody Bag

Patricia - A Preacher's Passion

Vanessa - $20.00 Gift Certificate (Barnes& Nobel or Amazon.com - your choice)

Claudia - Mother Eternal Ann Everlastin's Dead

Rhonda - Cruisin' On Desperation

51 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi to all,

It's a little early for anything other than a cup of hot chocolate, but I'm here for awhile, to tell all of you about my first published work. Caliente is available as an e-book at www.redrosepublishing.com. Here's a taste of what the book is about:

Who is the bait and who is the baited?

When Ava, a graduate student in Behavioral Psychology, settles on her thesis topic, male mating patterns, she gets the dangerous idea of using herself as bait and develops an alter ego to test her theories.

Zeroing in on handsome lawyer Will Tucker, a sexy, albeit unattainable dream man, she creates Ruby—a hot, sexy, Latin bombshell. Will has ignored her in her role as a RoadRunner delivery person, but he is enthralled by the persona she creates.

Ruby is his fantasy woman—someone he can only dream about but never have. Determined to get her man, Ruby embodies all that a man could want and more.

Can they find the love they’re looking for in this fantasy made for three?

Enjoy! I'll be here on and off during the day.
Rebecca

LaShaunda said...

Hi Rebecca,

Thanks for stopping by. You're our first guest. Send me your mailing address - sormag@yahoo.com

I always give a prize for the first visitor.

AUTHORS: Please remember to post your book info in the wish list and not here. THANKS!

Gwyneth Bolton said...

Hello Everyone! Happy holidays! I'm Gwyneth Bolton and I'm happy to be here because I can have all the cyber caramel cake and hot chocolate I want. Lactose intolerance doesn't exist in the blogesphere. LOL! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

much love and peace,

Gwyneth

Angelia Vernon Menchan said...

Hi everyone I am having the lemon cake and the caramel coffee...two of my favorites...my plan is to enjoy the true meaning of Christmas this year and in years to come!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE

angelia

LaShaunda said...

It’s cold here in St. Louis, so I’m having a hot cocoa with extra whip cream. I’m adding donuts and bagels to the menu since it is a little early for cake. So we’ll bring out the cake in the afternoon.

I’m listening to Pandora and Luther’s O Come All Ye faithful is playing.

This year has been a busy one. We’ve met a lot of new authors. Its amazing to me how many new writers there are. Yes we might be in a recession but the stories never stop.

I hope this year you are buying more books for presents. Keep your friends and family inside enjoying a book.

I have a few gifts to purchase, but nothing to stress out about.

I’m currently listening to Twilight on CD. I’m enjoying it. My books to read pile is super huge. I don’t think I’ll ever catch up, but that’s not stopping me from trying.

What are you reading this winter and have you completed your shopping.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

Never mind the door prizes - I want that red velvet cake! Or the caramel one. Really, almost any kind of cake would do right now.

LaShaunda said...

Happy Holidays Gwyneth and Angelia, thanks so much for stopping by. Please feel free to tell us about your current book in our WISH LIST room and try your hand at our trivia.

LaShaunda said...

Hey Lauren,

Thanks for stopping by. I have red velvet on the brain. I need a really good recipe so I can make one for the holidays.

Happy Holidays!

Simply Said Reading Accessories said...

Hello everybody!!
I'm checking in From Sunny Warm Florida !!! Tee Hee He!
Not rubbing it in. This is going to be fun, Wooo Hoo
Debra

L Martin Johnson Pratt said...

Hi Sormag i love what you do and keep doing it please in 09 :)

LaShaunda said...

Thanks Debra for stopping by. I know you're rubbing in all that sunshine. LOL

Can you send some up here?

Thanks for all you do :)

LaShaunda said...

Thanks for stopping by L Martin. I love what I do and hope to continue for many more years.

Happy Holidays.

Simply Said Reading Accessories said...

LaShaunda, I'm sending you all some Cyber Sunshine and 80 degrees LOL Put on your shorts and Tee's !!!

Red Rose Publishing said...

Happy Holidays to One and All,

Stopping by to say Hi, and to tell every one to have a great holiday, keep safe, and be thankful for all we have in life.

FYI- Gwen did you met Obama in Pittsburgh at RT as he was in the hotel staying and if you rode the service elevator you could catch him in there with the secret service.

It was a pleasure meeting you and now that I am snowed in, in upstate NY I am going back to loading books into Amazon.

Take care and have a happy holiday!

Wendi
www.redrosepublishing.com
Publishing with a touch of Class!

Melissa said...

Hi Sormag and everyone,

I'm joining you from sunny Florida as well but I love hot cocoa with marshmallows in any weather! I'm also munching on some Christmas cookies and caramel cake. Thank you for throwing this open house every year. I really enjoy it and the door prizes are great! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Blessings,
Melissa

http://melissaw.net
Come Fall In Love With Love

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

Here you go, LaShaunda, recipe plus picture!

http://www.joyofbaking.com/RedVelvetCake.html

LaShaunda said...

Thanks for the recipe Lauren. :)

Sean D. Young said...

Hey LaShaunda, (Sean waving)

I love cocoa. It doesn't love me back sometimes. So cyber cocoa is the bomb! LOL

Happy holidays to you and the SORMAG family. It will definitely be a white Christmas here in Northwest Indiana.

I just wanted to say that I think you are doing a great job with the magazine, keep on doing what you're doing.

I don't have a new book coming out yet, but I am in the final staging of completing my next Hart Sister book, FROM THIS MOMENT (Ivy Hart and Jonathan Damon). (Yeah)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

LaShaunda said...

Wendi and Melissa thanks so much for stopping by. Happy Holidays to you both.

LaShaunda said...

Sean,

I'm so glad to hear you're still writing and I'm looking forward to reading the next Hart book.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great holiday.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Sormag and visitors. Is your shopping done? Have you decked the halls? Do you have a holiday gathering to go to?

If you have to take something to your holiday gathering consider Chocolate Delight. Everybody loves it. I took it to a party at church, and now they all bug me to make it every time we get together.

Chocolate Delight

1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1 cup chopped nuts

Soften the butter and mix all ingredients. Bake at 300 for 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool.


1 8 oz cream cheese softened
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip

Mix together and set aside.


2 small instant chocolate pudding mix
3 cups milk

Mix.


Crumble the baked crust and layer the ingredients in a trifle bowl.

Hope you enjoy it!

Elaine Cantrell

Anonymous said...

Hi Y'all,

I'm chiming in from cold LA...I'm pouring myself a cup of Chocolate Carmel Latte now :) Deb, we need some of that warm weather this way. One of my friends in Florida sent me a text message rubbing it in.

Anonymous said...

Hi everyone, hope everyone is having a great Wednesday so far!! I will definitely make sure that I drop the wish list because I am always looking for a new author to read. Happy Holidays!!

Simply Said Reading Accessories said...

Hey,
I just invited more people to the party from My Space!!!

LaShaunda said...

Elaine,

That recipe sounds scrumptious. I will have to try it out.
Thanks and happy holidays.

LaShaunda said...

Shelia, Tiffany,

Welcome and thanks so much for stopping by.

Happy Holiday!

Vicki said...

LaShaunda,
I just stopped by to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I have been enjoying your work for several years now. I met you online when you were still mailing hard copies of your magazine. Believe it or not, I still have every copy that I received and read them periodically. I've always felt that what you do is important and much needed. You were in the game before all this technology came into play. I remember when you were doing interviews on Book Talk radio also. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate what you've done and accomplished over the years. I looked forward to working with you in the future. Again Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Robin Bayne said...

Just saying hello and thanks for the invitation to the open house! I am on my lunch break now and can't wait to read all the posts from today : )

LaShaunda said...

Vicki,

Thanks so much for stopping by. You just made my day. Those hard copies of SORMAG use to drive me crazy. Each month would be the last month I'd ever do them again. LOL. Its nice to know people appreciated them.

Thank you so much for your support.

Happy Holidays!

LaShaunda said...

Robin,

Thank you so much for stopping by. Happy Holidays.

Aubrey Leatherwood said...

Hi SORMAG!

I am bringing a piping hot chai to the party! Have some everyone. Maybe it's not your normal holiday fare, but it's still good.

I'm Aubrey Leatherwood and my most recent release is titled The People You Know; The Sex They Have. Despite the title, it's pure romance, matuer, respectful, and fun. It has been nominated for a 2008 Romantic Times Award. Stop by and check it out. Some of the content is adult, so please do not check it out if that is not of interest!

Here's wishing you the Merriest of Christmases and the Bestest of Holidays!

--Aubrey
http://www.aubreyleatherwood.com

Robin Bayne said...

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to you all as well : )

Anonymous said...

Hi Sormag,
I am crazy busy at work right now but wanted to quickly jump in and say Hi from cold and wet southern California (who said it never rain in southern California?) :-)
Anyway, I'm sipping on McDonald's coffee..it's become my favorite...even better than Starbucks to me.
I'll try to pop in later!

Joan

Edgy Inspirational Author said...

Hey, this is kinda cool. I think I'll go brew me some chai tea and eat some of those pretend goodies you have listed. :)

Vanessa A. Johnson said...

Hello everyone. Just stopping by to share a quick cup with friends. Happy Holidays everyone.

Love & Peace,
VeeJay

Vanessa A. Johnson said...

Hey Elaine,
Thanks for sharing that recipe of Chocolate Delight...I'm putting this dessert on the Christmas menu.

Love & Peace,
VeeJay

Anonymous said...

Hi Ladies, here's a recipe that I hope you enjoy. It's one of my favorite---for Honey Bun Cake.

1 package Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake
mix
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 container (8 ounces) sour cream (1 cup)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla


1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease rectangular pan,
13×9x2 inches, with shortening; lightly flour.2. Beat dry cake mix, oil, eggs and sour cream in
large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 2
minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Spread half of
the batter in pan. Stir together brown sugar, pecans
and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter in pan. Carefully
spread remaining batter evenly over pecan
mixture.
3. Bake about 47 minutes or until deep golden
brown. Stir powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until thin
enough to spread. Prick surface of warm cake several
times with fork. Spread powdered sugar mixture over
cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Store covered.

PatriciaW said...

Hey LaShaunda and all!

Yes, it's 80 deg down here in FL but I'm inside and it's freezing. I'm actually wearing a jacket. So I'll take a cup of that hot chocolate. Staying away from all the yummy desserts though. No calories in cyberspace but cybertreats result in wicked, real-world thoughts.

Another great year for SORMAG. Thanks for all you do, LaShaunda.

Anonymous said...

Patricia, the honey bun cake will be so good, you won't be thinking about the calories...LOL

Simply Said Reading Accessories said...

Ouchhhhhhhhhhh
My Cyber-Tummy is hurting !!!
I just had to try everything.

Anonymous said...

Hello from the snow blanketed Motor City! Long live the Big Three!

This is lovely, LaShaunda! Thanks for the invite.

Today I'm excited because I just found out my novel Wounded: A Love Story, made The Library Journal's Best of 2008 list for Christian fiction:

Burney, Claudia Mair. Wounded. David C. Cook. ISBN 978-1-4347-9938-8. pap. $14.99.

African American single mother Gina Merritt, who suffers great physical pain, prays for a cure in church and receives a vision of Jesus, who kisses her hands and leaves a stigmata of roses. This gritty, unusual, and thought-provoking novel presents some very colorful characters of a type not usually found in this genre. (LJ 9/1/08)

An honor, indeed. Thanks for letting me share, and your chocolate bar rocks!

LaShaunda said...

Welcome Aubrey, Joan, Michelle, Vee-Jay, Patricia and Claudia.

Go off to lunch and get all kinds of visitors.

Happy Holidays to you ladies.

Congrats Claudia, your books rock.

rhonda mcknight said...

Hi LaShaunda and everybody,

I've been on the road all day, so I'm just getting to my puter to say hello. sorry I missed all the fun.

Merry Christmas to all!

Rhonda McKnight
www.urbanchristianfictiontoday.com

rhonda mcknight said...

Congratulations to you Claudia. What exciting news. You are the best and you sooooooo deserve the accolade.

Anonymous said...

Congrats Ragamuffin Diva, here's a cyber toast coming your way.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I shared a nice recipe with you, now I want to share some holiday eating tips with you. Please read them carefully. They're very important.


1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can and quickly. You can’t find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy!!! Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

3.If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4.Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello???

5.Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a ten pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

6.If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

7.Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

8.One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table you haven’t been paying attention. Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body. But rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, “WOO-HOO what a ride!”

Have a Merry Christmas everybody.

Elaine Cantrell

Kammie said...

Stopping in to say hello and catch up on messages! Just got home from a long, long day of work.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness...all these great recipes. I'll have to copy and paste them later.

Claudia, congrats on your accomplishment. That's awesome. I have yet to read Wounded or anything besides Murder, Mayhem...(which was GREAT), but I plan to read more of your work next year.

Happy holidays to everyone!
And pass the brownies :-)
Cheers,
Joan

Simply Said Reading Accessories said...

I totally agree with Elaine Cantrell, ENJOY!!!!

Simply Said Reading Accessories said...

It was fun, thank you for the open house. May you all have a wonderful stress free holiday. Hug someone you love, and appreciate the small things because they add up to big things. Simply Said

Anonymous said...

It was fun dropping by the open house. Happy Holidays everyone!!

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