It’s time to vote in a new Hunk of the Month, this time for February.  And since February is Valentine’s Month…well, let’s see who Mistress Heidi can shake out of her hottie-filled cages…

(I :heart you)

(Roses Are Red)

(I’ve got a heart-on for you)

(Waiting for you)

Yes, I’m still on Christmas.  Deal with it. :whip

I got a few lovely surprises for Christmas this year, too.

First was a package from our very own Darling Hollie.  Completely unexpected, & so much fun to open!

Darling Hollie sent me a treasure chest of booty that totally made my holiday.  The picture is sucky, but I shall esplain:

Hand-crocheted treats covering birthday to Christmas—an adorable cupcake with candle centerpiece … a  pumpkin pie magnet … & a Santa ornament.  Adorable!

A box of Nutcracker Sweet Christmas tea, because she apparently knows about my wee small addiction.  (Six gallons a day is not excessive!  And I can quit any time I want! :drinkup )

Very cool & spooky melting Halloween candles … a bag of Gummy Vampires (I didn’t even know they made those!) … & a pair of fabulous bat earrings (really wish you could see those better in the pic; they’re gorgeous & I love them!) … & a bottle of marshmallow-scented Zombie antibacterial gel.  Because she also knows how much I love…er, hate zombies, & that when the Zombie Apocalypse comes, we’re really going to need antibacterial gel!   And also, marshmallows are yummy.

And finally, my Darling Dwayne‘s autobiography & two The Rock t-shirts.  Ah, yes.  Now when I say I’m going to bed with The Rock, no one can doubt me!  No one! :muahaha

Then, just after New Year’s, I received another package from our won Darling Cindy.  She made me this gorgeous hand-knit scarf that I was so excited matches one of my coats!  (It’s a little hard to tell from the picture, but the coat is royal purple & the scarf has a lot of that in it.  It matches perfectly!)

Thank you so much, my Darlings!  It was such a treat to fine these wonderful surprises in my mailbox—you totally made my holidays!

I also have to share the fun presents a close friend gave me when we exchanged gifts (also after Christmas…which is great because it makes the anticipation & excitement last longer *g*):

She knows me so well, because first she gave me toys for The Kittehs.  (She also happens to pet sit for me when I have to be away, so she knows them pretty well, too. :winkwink   And they love their Auntie Shannon! :kitty )  There was also a bag of snackies, but they made pretty short work of that. LOL

And for me, she had a great stainless steel Kleen Kanteen personalized with a kitty & inscription:

Awwwwww!  I love this thing & know I’ll use it all the time because A.)  it holds both cold & hot, & B.)  it has a large enough opening at the top that it can be easily cleaned.   More like a thermos than a water bottle.  A lot of the water bottles I’ve looked at before now had such small spouts, I knew I’d never be able to get a brush in there, therefore I’d never really be able to get them clean.  This one—no problem! :thumbsup

Thank you so much, everyone, for my wonderful Christmas gifts!  I lurv, lurv, lurv them all & it was beyond sweet of you to think of me over the holidays!  And if you haven’t yet received your individual, handwritten thank-you notes, they are totally on their way!  :jumping

This is so exciting…& I owe a huge thank-you to to Carly Phillips, who alerted me to this bit of good fortune, otherwise I would have been completely clueless. :Huh

But apparently, TANGLED UP IN LOVE is highlighted in the February issue of Allure magazine as part of their what’s-hot-now “Beauty and the Beat” feature:

From the magazine:  Under the Covers…  Not everyone’s fantasy involves Fabio in shining armor.  These days, romance authors are exploring every conceivable setting for material—and you might be surprised to learn where they find it.

And my humorous contemporary novel, TANGLED UP IN LOVE (“Chicks with Sticks” – Book 1) is highlighted for its knitting-turned-sexy plotline! :jumping

Here’s the (awesome, if I do say so myself) close-up:

Thank you so much to Allure & the article’s author, Alexandra Owens for the terrific shout-out! I couldn’t be more delighted! :blowkiss