DIANA COSBY'S GIFT OF THANKS

Diana Cosby

Please welcome my friend, Diana Cosby, author of historical romances set in Scotland. Diana is an amazing person who gives back in both time and money, and in large ways and small. She does everything from taking a neighbor a pie to organizing people for a Habitat For Humanity site. Last year, she originated a Food Bank Drive. This year, her goal is to make this an Annual International Food Drive. And her books are selling like crazy. HIS WOMAN and HIS CONQUEST are listed in the, ‘Best Historical Romance Novels,” on Best Romance Novels Today! HIS CONQUEST remained on Amazon's Bestsellers in Historical Romances list for 145 days strait! Diana appeared in the April 17th issue of Woman's Day Magazine in a story about "Achieving Your Dreams Over 40!" She was honored by the United States division of the Scottish National Trust for her donations to that organization. Now, she's looking forward to her 2012 booksigning at a Scottish castle. Well, you get the idea that she's a terrific writer as well as a terrific person. Here’s Diana to explain her philosophy, a recipe, and information about the food drive.


                  A GIFT OF THANKS
              THIS HOLIDAY SEASON


Gifts come in many shapes and sizes, but I believe the most precious ones are those delivered from the heart. It's so easy to get caught up in the mayhem of life, particularly during the hustle and bustle of the Holidays, but every day, there are people amidst the chaos who help you, who take time out of their busy lives to make a difference in yours. This year, why not return that gift?

Diana, 3rd from left with five
Texas writers she recruited for
Habitat for Humanity last year

This holiday season, as wrapped gifts exchange hands, I ask you to pause, reflect on those who’ve truly made a difference in your life, and if possible, find a special way to say thank you. This can be a simple gesture—something as simple as a greeting card, a bouquet of flowers, or a heartfelt poem. Maybe you bake someone their favorite cookies? Or, you present them a coupon book filled with everyday chores they can tear out and give you to do on those trying days when they really need a helping hand. The absolute best gift you can offer another person is one given from the heart; and when special-delivered, without any strings attached, it touches their own.


This Christmas, I’m making gift baskets filled with my favorite things, most homemade, a few being macadamia-butterscotch chip cookies, shortbread, Vermont maple syrup, orange-lemon-maple syrup marmalade and more. With each one, I'm sharing a part of myself with the other person.


My gift to you is one of my favorite recipes, Peppermint Ice-Cream Pie!

          Peppermint Pie



Oreo pie shell
½ gallon peppermint ice cream
Coolwhip
Chocolate fudge ice-cream topping
Small candy canes crushed [*Three crushed per pie]
Place 1 quart of softened peppermint ice cream [1/2 tub] into Oreo pie shell and smooth out flat. Place a ½ inch or slightly more thick layer of cool whip. Pour on a layer of chocolate fudge ice cream topping. Sprinkle top of fudge with crushed candy canes. Put plastic top on and freeze.


*I usually make this a couple of days in advance and leave it on a flat shelf in the freezer.

**This takes less than 5 minutes to make. Amazingly, each of the ingredients balances the other. It’s wonderful. (And I’m not even a peppermint lover. :)

Let me share a couple of reviews for my latest release, HIS DESTINY, before I tell you about the Annual International Food Bank Drive:

Latest Release

5 STAR REVIEW
"Every once in a while a story comes along that makes me run the full gamut of emotions. HIS DESTINY by Diana Cosby is one of them. This amazing story is the fourth in the MacGruder series and yes I will say it, my favorite. It is a story of danger, deception and redemption all wound into one turbulent ride." - Kimberly, Book Obsessed Chicks
-For the complete review:
http://book-obsessed-chicks.blogspot.com/2011/10/his-destiny-by-diana-cosby.html?spref=fb


4 1/2 BOOK REVIEW
"HIS DESTINY is a journey back in time that enchants with an awesome love story of two wounded hearts and souls that find redemption and love together. Good reading!" - Camellia, Long And Short Reviews
-For the complete review:
http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2011/10/his-destiny-by-diana-cosby.html


And now, to the main purpose for appearing on Caroline's blog today and a way you can give an easy, inexpensive gift of thanks on your own:

  INTERNATIONAL FOOD BANK DRIVEThe holidays are an emotion-filled time where it seems there are not enough hours in each day to fit everything in, not to mention dealing with the struggling economy. But, in this time of financial challenges, I ask each of you to please consider one more stop on your crazy to do list, that of making a donation to a local food bank. Your donation can be a dollar, a can of corn, whatever you can give. Anything you offer to those with nothing is a gift they didn't have.

Donate to your
local food bank

Last year, in addition to my personal donation to my local food bank, I decided to start a Food Bank Challenge. Except, it kind of wonderfully got out of hand. Amazingly, once I posted The Food Bank Challenge on my Facebook page and my Facebook fan page, people from across the U.S. began donating to their local food banks. Then, I read posts of donations from Canada. Holy cow, the Food Bank Challenge went international! And you know what, this is truly a blessing. In this venture, we all win. Gifts from the heart do that, they fill you, remind you there is good in the world, and that you can make a positive and profound difference in others' lives.


How it works: When you donate to a local food bank, post on my Facebook page or Facebook Fan page, (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diana-Cosby-Romance-Author/150109024636?ref=ts), beneath the daily International Food Bank Challenge post or, for this blog only, your donation along with your name and contact information as a comment, then I'll add your name in a drawing. On 6 December I will use www.random.org to draw from all of the names received. The winner will receive an autographed set of the MacGruder brother series to date; HIS CAPTIVE, HIS WOMAN, HIS CONQUEST, and HIS DESTINY. I will sign the set, and then send them priority to you or whoever you want to make them a personal holiday present!


2nd Annual International Food Bank Food Drive schedule:


November:
-11th Blog: Making A Positive Difference In Others’ Lives
http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com/

-15th: Interview at USA Today's Romance Blog, Happy Ever After.
http://books.usatoday.com/happyeverafter/index


-21st: FIRST for women's magazine interview about how I started the Annual International Food Bank Food Drive. The article is scheduled to hit newsstands on 11/21/11 and run until 12/12/11.

December:
-6th: The winner’s name is drawn using www.random.org, and they are notified.


*If you haven’t signed up for my Facebook Fan page, please sign up today!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diana-Cosby-Romance-Author/150109024636?ref=ts


2012 International Food Bank Challenge – Goal: 1000 donations.

I sincerely wish everyone health, friendship and happiness this holiday season. As I mentioned above, this is a time when the best gift of all is the gift of yourself—that one-of-kind present that can make a difference in the life of another. And I wish each of you a wonderful holiday season filled with friends as laughter. May your every dream come true!

What ideas can you think of to share thanks with others? Remember—the more original and inventive, the more fun! :) I can't wait to hear your ideas!
 Diana Cosby, AGC(AW), USN Ret.

International Best-Selling Author of the MacGruder Brothers series set in Scotland
Highland vampire anthology: Title/Release date TBA
http://www.dianacosby.com/
 

Diana, I'm thankful you're with us this weekend and motivating us to share something of ourselves to those less fortunate.