This has to be one of the cutest pictures that was ever taken with our camera.  This is our daughter Abbi, who you've seen before, reading to one of our twin nephews, Calob.  The best part of being a family that loves reading and writing is seeing our kids take on the same love for books.

Even better, is when one of our very own is passing down the tradition with "Twas the Night Before Christmas."  She has been reading the book, a few times a day, for the past few months and probably could tell the entire story without the book at this point.  She just decided that day, that her baby cousin needed to hear it.

I hope everyone has a blessed holiday and because we won't be posting tomorrow; MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

M. The Holiday Season

I am sure that all of you have heard the song called, THE HOLIDAY SEASON.  It goes like this:

It's the holiday season, so whoop-De-do and dickery dock....and don't forget to hang up your sock!

So have you ever heard it?  Well it has become our motto this year, at least the Whoop-De-do part.  Amy and I walk around the house, the store, and just about anywhere.  If one of us starts the song with: It's the holiday season, the other says So Whoop-De-Do!

Not that we both don't love the holiday season, it's just that this year sucks compared to what we are used to.  We have been doing our best to get into the XMAS spirit, but this year is a little harder then most.  The good thing is that this song has become therapeutic.

You would think that every time we say it, it would remind us of how much we aren't in the spirit, but the opposite effect is taking place.  Every time one of us says the Whoop-De-do, we get a smile on our face and feel somewhat better.  Kind of like a personal protest to letting it get to us.

I think in years to come, when life is going great and we are busy overdoing it during the holiday season, the song will come on and remind us.  Not of how bad this year was, but to appreciate what we have.  Because, even though life isn't what we want it to be right now, we have what's important; each other, our children, and our health.  The rest will follow.

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

Here is a holiday song and message from our kids, Cameron and Abbi, to you.  Enjoy... hope it helps with the holiday spirit.

P.S. Filmed with Amy's birthday present!

M. Happy Birthday.... To Amy!!!!!

Good morning writing friends,

I just wanted to take a moment and wish the love of my life a happy birthday!  That's right, today is Amy's birthday and she is 31 (Finally caught up to me).  I hope that I can make her day a great one and really hope she enjoys her gifts.

Stop in and wish her a happy day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY!!!

How would you like a chance to win a copy of our newest release?

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Missing

by M.A. Leslie

Giveaway ends December 24, 2011.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

M. A Weed or a Flower?

The other night, my wife and I had to take our daughter, Abbi, to a class for her first holy communion.  It was more of a meeting – dinner included – and a presentation.   To say the least, the evening didn’t start off well and we will leave that for another story.

What struck us as important was, during the presentation, a Priest that neither of us has ever heard spoke.  Now for anyone that has ever been to church or a church function, you say, “Of course he spoke, they always speak.”  The difference was that this time I really listened.

It was more relevant to our situation than anything else we have heard lately that it made me wonder if there really is someone listening.  The main point that he brought was, “You have to embrace the bad times in life to be able to cherish the good ones.”

In a nutshell he was telling us all to take the good with the bad.  Not every moment in your life is going to be great; otherwise you would never recognize a great moment.

So what right?

In the past few years, life has been on a bit of a downward trend.  I became ill in March of 2010, got better for some time, got ill again, changed careers (Thinking I would have a job even when I was ill), lost my job, Amy and Cameron having surgery, and all of the insane life changes and moments that have been happening.

I sometimes feel that my life has been riddled with dandelions.  But, if you really think about it, what is a dandelion, other then a flower.  It’s bright, yellow, and gentle – some may call it a weed, but I am beginning to think that is what he was talking about.  Look at all of the weeds of life and see them as nothing more then a plant or a flower.

If I was to think of it that way, I would see, I became ill, but started writing with the love of my life, I was able to spend time with her unlike before.  I am able to see more of my children – play with them, read to them, do homework with them, see them, go to school plays, sporting events – because I am not stuck at work.

Even more so, I know that I have been ill, but lately I have felt much better.  I haven’t had any symptoms lately and feel and pray that this may have passed.

So, I have some beautiful flowers in my life right now and will take the time to enjoy how they look.  Yeah to the next guy, they may be the weeds of life, but to me they just make the lawn look prettier.

M. Cookie Day Again

For those of you that were with us last year, you know just how important Cookie Day is to me.  To all of our new readers, "IT IS COOKIE DAY!"  Get excited - it just puts us one step closer to Christmas (a very important step)!

Every year, Amy and her sister Tammy get together and do absolutely nothing, except for make Xmas cookies.  It's a family tradition that has been in place for longer then we have been married and one of my favorites.

I don't necessarily get involved in too much of the cooking making, I do in the cookie consumption.  But who can blame me, there are so many to choose from.  I am more of a pinch hitter that sits back and is only called in when needed.  My son and daughter, however, are both going to get their hands in the dough more this year than any other year.  They are both to an age where some of the work involved is going to fall on them to get their piece of the tradition.

The good news is that even though we are experiencing a tight year this year, unemployment, slow book sales, and bills that never desist - we are keeping our tradition alive.  I know that something great is going to happen in our lives soon, so why spend the rough times miserable.  Instead we are revealing in the fact that we have more time together then most people get.

I hope all of you have a great Sunday and holiday season.  Is there a family or personal tradition that is a must do for you during the holiday season?

REINDEER COOKIES!



SOMEWHERE UNDER THERE IS OUR DINING ROOM TABLE.

M. School Visit

Today we are going to the Wildwood Middle School to talk to the kids about reading and writing.  You never know what to expect at one of these events, but we are excited.

One of the teachers has been trying to get us into the school for about a year and just recently, she told us it worked.  So, here we go.  I'm not really sure what we are going to talk about, aside from the obvious and hopefully it isn't seen as a boring rambling session.

I guess we will give an introduction and let the kids field some questions.  Should be fun, especially because I coach some of the kids in football and they have no idea that we wrote books.  I think it will be an interesting surprise.

Wish us luck and know, I still get butterflies in my stomach when going to middle school, probably more now.

The Winner

Thank you everyone that has helped us with the release of THE MISSING.  So far it has been fairly successful and if anything, quite a bit of fun.

But,  with all contests there has to be a winner and that person has been chosen.

To let you know, we left the choice up to our 9-year-old son, he was given the numbers 1-2-3-4.  Once he had all of the choices, it was up to him to pick.

His choice was 3 - which translated to Suzanne Finnegan from The Supernaturally Blog.

Again, thank you everyone that helped us on Twitter, Facebook, and their Blogs.  We appreciate all of your help and look forward to everyone enjoying the book!