Commencement Blog Tour: Guest Post "Its November, That Means CHRISTMAS?!?!?!?!!? WTF? by Paige Cuccaro

Guest Post by Paide Cuccaro

Its November, that means CHRISTMAS?!?!?! WTF? 

WTF is right! Christmas in November & even edging into October used to seriously bug me! When my kiddies were just ankle bitters, and each holiday was a HUGE deal, I felt rushed by the marketing push. Time bolts by so fast when you have children and you want to make every moment count. Seeing the Christmas decorations bully out the Halloween candy and costumes even before Halloween was over, made it feel like these stores were stealing tiny bits of my children’s lives. Dumb, I know, but that’s how it felt. 

Plus there was all the added pressure of being a parent (most of which was self imposed), wanting to make the holidays special for your kids when money is tight and childish expectations run high. I resented the stores for heaping even more pressure on. Every year though, my little girls went trick-or-treating, then stuffed their tummies at Thanksgiving and finally raced to tear open their presents on Christmas day…all at exactly the right time. They were thrilled by the family time, never worrying for a minute how fast it came or went, ever confident that it would all roll through again at the same wondrous pace next year. 

Now that my girls are older, time still zings by at supersonic pace, but I think I’ve learned to roll with it like those little ankle bitters of mine used to. I try not to worry about each coming holiday until I’m completely done with the last, making sure I enjoy every minute of it. The stores can pack their shelves and decorate their store however they want. But the only way they can rush me—and steal my time with family and friends—is if I let them. 

And I steadfastly refuse. 

Commencement

by Paige Cuccaro 

Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn for frat guys…

Emma Jane Hellsbane knows something evil is worming its way through her college campus—she can feel it. Literally. Her freakish ability to feel other people’s emotions as though they were her own has always been monumentally awkward, and it’s easier for her to just pretend it doesn’t exist. But this time her paranormal ability just might help her save lives. 

Emma Jane’s fairly certain that whatever the hateful, egomaniacal, Godlike thing is, it’s set up shop inside her boyfriend, the frat boy/soccer star Justin. And if she doesn’t figure a way to get it out of him soon, Justin’s soul will be the appetizer to the main course—the whole student body. Problem is, the big baddy is granting sinister wishes, and with each one the risks grow higher and the phrase Be careful what you wish for becomes a real-life dire warning. Of course for Emma, what feels like it could be the end is in fact just the beginning…

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About Paige

Writing was never a foregone conclusion for me. I once had dreams of being a psychologist, a pediatrician, a school teacher, a photojournalist, a bartender, and/or an EMT. And then I met my husband and my world came into focus. Being wife and mother are my highest priorities and greatest joy. But escaping to the fanciful, sexy worlds twirling through my mind is an absolute necessity. Putting those worlds, and the cornucopia of characters that people them, on paper is just plain fun. 

Paige lives in Ohio, with her husband, three daughters, three dogs, three cats, a parakeet and a bearded dragon named Rexy, in an ever shrinking house. When she’s not writing she can be found doing the mom thing with a book in one hand and a notepad and pen in the other. Ideas come without warning and the best way to stimulate your imagination is to enjoy the imagination of someone else. 

Where to find Paige: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads