A Spark of Fun!
The holiday season is coming up fast and decorating will begin! I thought I’d review a few pointers for electrical safety. Somewhat random, but super important!
Did you know that outdoor extension cords should never be used indoors? Say what? Yikes, guilty. Turns out outdoors cords are insulated against the cold and when used inside, they can easily overheat and start a fire. Also, extension cords used for more than 24 hours a day means that the cord never gets a chance to cool off. Who knew?
Cords shouldn’t be used if they are frayed or damaged. Neither should you string up extension cords with nails, walk on them, or pinch them in a doorway (no matter how tempting). If the wiring gets damaged, it can cause arcing which creates friction, heat, and fire. And if you’ve spent time reading owner’s manuals, you probably know that large appliances should always be plugged directly into a wall socket rather than using an extension cord. The large draw of power from a refrigerator, air conditioner, or a dehumidifier, for example, can quickly overheat an extension cord. And finally, don’t overload a circuit by plugging in more than it can hold – stay at or below the maximum wattage in a light fixture and don’t plug in lights, equipment, or computers together in an outlet not designed to handle the load. Let’s light up the night safely and have a wonderful holiday season!
I have two Christmas romances filled with love and laughter – Don’t Mess with Christmas is sweet and Perfectly Christmas is sexy. Each is part of a series, but they’re fun stand-alone stories and both are included in the Kindle Unlimited program.
In Perfectly Christmas, the small town is worried that the new surgeon, who is only planning on staying for 2 years, will fall in love with their beloved family doctor and will lure him away when she leaves. They set up a plan to keep the two doctors apart! Perfectly Christmas is part of the Perfectly Series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. It’s a fun, sexy, holiday romance – perfect if you need an escape!
On the first day of Christmas, his true love said to him, “Sorry, I have to work.”
That’s the life of a surgeon, and Dr. Madison Hayes wouldn’t have it any other way.
Dr. Quinn Malone has another priority. In the countdown to Christmas, he needs to convince his old flame that there’s more to life – and love – than the job itself.
This time, his heart is in it for the long haul. Really.
Romantic and . . . complicated – it’s Perfectly Christmas!
Enjoy an excerpt from Perfectly Christmas ~
Edna Alexander and Bea Mitchell stood at the window of the seniors’ center and watched the new surgeon drive out of the parking lot.
“She’s very young, Bea.”
“And very pretty,” Bea agreed with a frown. She adjusted the tortoise shell glasses perched on her nose. “Didn’t we specify we wanted someone old, someone frumpy?”
“There wasn’t a tick-off box for that.”
“Hmph. There should’ve been.”
They watched the car pull out onto the street and hit the curb as it turned.
“She drives like us.”
“True. And look at the bright side, Edna. If we need surgery, it’d probably be better to have a young whipper-snapper doin’ it rather than some old fart like us.”
“I’m more worried about losing Dr. Quinn.”
Bea pursed her lips. “I know. But what are the chances of that happening?”
Edna gave her a grim sideways glance. “I’d have said slim to none three weeks ago. But when Dr. Hoity-Toity Hecktare decided she’d had enough of us, and Dr. Quinn looked like he was going to go with her, I almost had a stroke. I would never have believed he’d abandon our beloved Strathaven for a girl.”
“Woman,” Bea corrected absently. “Do you think he truly loved her?”
Edna shook her head and her gray curls bounced. “No.” She bit her lip. “Yes. That’s what I’m worried about. What if he up and falls in love with this new surgeon and leaves us?”
“We’d have a town of five thousand with no doctor.”
“Exactly. We’d be right back where we were five years ago before Quinn returned home.”
“And we’d have to go through another round of recruitments for a new doctor. I rue the day when someone from the Underserviced Area program figures out that we’re the Mitchell Alexander who’s been filling out all those forms.”
“A problem for another day.” Edna sighed. “Maybe she’ll stay. Dr. Madison Hayes. She seemed very friendly. Very small-townish.”
Bea grunted. “Not likely. You read her application. I’ll bet my boots she’ll do her two years and move on.”
“And take Quinn with her.” Edna twisted the strap of her oversized purse. “We can’t control his heart.”
“No. But we can’t risk him falling in love, either.”
“So we’ll keep them apart.”
Bea’s eyebrows shot up and she paused, considering. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“Of course, it’d be easier if he wasn’t also the only anesthetist for miles around. They’re going to have to work together.”
“Sure, but they’re professionals. I can’t see them getting into any hanky-panky at work. We’ll just make sure they’re never alone together outside of the clinic.”
Edna grinned widely. “Excellent plan. I’ll get on the blower, and before she unpacks, we’ll have a network of chaperones in place.”
“Email me the list.”
“Send me an email, and I’ll reply.”
Bea looked at her pointedly. “Edna, you gotta learn how to send an email.”
“I know how,” Edna said. “You hit reply, then type, then send.”
Bea laughed and threw her arm around Edna’s shoulders. “I think I’ll get you a computer lesson for Christmas.”
Edna’s eyes lit up. “A private one? With that hotty Albert Sparkle?”
Bea stepped back and started buttoning her coat. “Albert’s one hundred and two. And I think the name is Spartan. Does he even own a computer?”
“Yes, and he’s rigged himself up the perfect cup holder with this little drawer thingy that slides out at the top of the computer engine.” Edna pulled a crocheted cap over her curls.
Bea frowned. “You mean the CD tray on the tower?”
Edna smiled. “Maybe. Isn’t that brilliant?”
Bea laughed. “You two were made for each other. C’mon, let’s go and start Operation Put Out the Fire.”
Perfectly Christmas buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYW5T7X
Don’t Mess with Christmas
Dr. Brogan Corkie is happily semi-retired from medicine and now has time for other hobbies. Her passion for food is second only to her skill at matchmaking!
Parker Roy grew up in the middle of four brothers and has lived with enough testosterone to last her a lifetime. She’s finally moved out and made a life of her own. Between putting the finishing touches on the set for Mapleton’s Christmas play, plowing snow, and transforming her hydroponic greenhouse into a Christmas wonderland, it’s ramping up to be a hectic season.
Dr. Julian Murphy, the only allergist in town, has his eye on the woman behind the set design of the holiday play. He’s volunteering backstage in the hope of getting to know her. There’s a bit of a snag when she’s referred to his clinic for a rash – doctors aren’t allowed to date their patients – but Dr. Brogan Corkie doesn’t see it as an insurmountable problem and steps in to give their romance a nudge. She’d better be right because, if not, it could seriously mess with Christmas.
The allergist or the rash– which itch will Parker scratch?
Enjoy an excerpt from Don’t Mess with Christmas ~
“Pleased to meet you, Julian Murphy.” His hand was warm around hers, and when he moved his thumb in a subtle caress, a shiver went down her spine. “Julian Murphy,” she murmured. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you a doctor?”
Julian nodded. “I am.”
“An allergist at Gateway General?”
“Guilty.”
Parker pulled her hand back and put her hands on her hips. “I tried to get a referral to see you. You refused.”
His lips twitched. “Yes, that’s true.”
“Why? Dr. Corkie said she’d never seen it in all the years she’s practiced medicine.”
Julian put his hands in his pockets. “Well, there’s a rule against doctors dating patients. It’s ill-advised and frowned upon by the College of Physicians of Ontario.”
Parker scoffed. “Well, good for you. What does that have to do with me?”
“Parker, would you like to have dinner with me?”
Buy Link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L1DHDMS