Giving Thanks

Everyone should be just about ready for Thanksgiving by now. This month's themes at the Blood-Red Pencil are "Thanks" or "Promote a Favorite Author." I'm staring at them, wondering how to narrow either of them down to a 500-word blog post. Should I be thankful for books by favorite authors? Of course I am—I can't imagine a life without reading. Should I be thankful for the emails I get from readers telling me they love my books and want more? Of course I am, but that's a personal thing.

I can't choose a favorite author, just as I can't choose my favorite child. So, I'll leave that part of the month's theme up to you. Any authors you want to introduce readers to? (Or, since this is a blog where the editing police might show up, maybe it should be, "Any authors to whom you want to introduce readers?") With Black Friday right around the corner, let others know what books you think they should be looking for.

As for the "Thanks" part—there are so many things, big and little that I'm thankful for. I'm thankful for our new home, for the wildlife that provides so much enjoyment. For Feebie, our new dog, that we rescued from a shelter. Is she thankful for us, I wonder?

Then there are the big things. Up here, we were impacted, but not endangered, by two major wild fires. I'm thankful we were spared. Likewise, I managed to get out of New York on one of the last planes before they shut things down for Hurricane Sandy. I'm thankful for that.

But being thankful for being spared makes one think about those who weren't so lucky. My cousin, who lives in Westchester County, had branches from a huge oak tree land on her husband's car. (Side note—the insurance covers the damage to the car, but not the expense of having the tree removed). She was without power for 10 days. She and neighbors kept saying, "at least it's not snowing." And then the nor'easter blew through, and then they were without power in frigid temperatures. Yet their home is intact, where others lost theirs. The same for the fires. In the grand scheme of things, very few homes were lost, but that doesn't mean we can't feel for those who lost theirs. What are those people thankful for? For being alive, I'm sure. Things can be replaced.

We're thankful for our loved ones. But what about those who have lost theirs?

Should I be thankful that all these life experiences offer fodder for my writing? That seems terribly selfish.

So, enjoy your holiday, give thanks for whatever you think is important. And if you'll share what you're thankful for, I'll give thanks by giving one commenter a download of any one of my e-books. I'll choose a winner on Friday.

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Terry Odell is the author of numerous romantic suspense novels, as well as contemporary romance short stories. Most of her books are available in both print and digital formats. She’s the author of the Blackthorne, Inc. series, steamy romantic suspense novels featuring a team of covert ops specialists. To see all her books, visit her Web site. You can also find her at her blog, Terry's Place, as well as follow her on Twitter, or visit her Facebook page.