Friday Fireworks Blog Hunt

UPDATE: The Friday Fireworks is still going on! But, my individual winner is: HC Harju! You won a copy of Infatuation and the dog tags. Please email me at Contact@melissaschroeder.net! Be sure to get your answers into Heather for the Firework Hunt!

Hey, everyone. Today is the day of the Friday Fireworks blog hop!!! I am so excited that Heather allowed me to be a member of such a great group of authors. Look at this list:

Participating Authors - Blog Links:
Heather Long
Virginia Nelson
Saranna DeWylde - post not live, okay to skip
Delilah Devlin
Lissa Matthews
Jenn LeBlanc
Wendi Zwaduk
Kris Cook
Missy Jane 

SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!

This time of year is big in the Schroeder household, and it was growing up. Being a military brat, this was the beginning of a few events that shaped my summers. Memorial Day of course started it all off, and my Dad always had a 4th of July party at the house. Where my folks lived in Texas was in perfect viewing spot to see the base fireworks. So, it worked out without the fuss. But the one thing I always loved was Open House. I am not sure if it happened in the summer all the time, but I remember Open House at Sheppard as one of the best times. At that time, there weren't vendors brought in. Instead, they had every squadron working their own booth and allowing them to have their own choice food. We always had Italian food, yeah surprise there, but I loved wandering the food booth area trying all the different types of food. I grew up in an international community as an Air Force brat, much like my heroine in Possession: A Little Harmless Military Romance, Samantha, and my next heroine, Amanada, also grew up as a brat in the Army.

I think growing up that way gives you a different sense of the world. It can be tough and let's be honest, it sucks sometimes, but there is a particular privilege to it also. After I realized that Amanda was also a military brat, it made think about how much I had in common with both women. Completely different personalities for both of them, and neither are really like me. Still, the three of us have that connection of a childhood that only those of us who grew up in it understand.
But I am I digressing as usual, lol.

So, back to the chubby girl's dream of trying all the different foods. I think that it was one of the best memories of a base coming together. You had an area with a lot of more traditional ethnic (at the time, remember, this was the 70's and 80's, and in the middle of nowhere TX where Pizza Hut was ethnic for some people) like Italian and TexMex, but then you also had a corner where a lot of the Asian spouses cooked up the best food. It was was where I had my first taste of lumpia and seaweed (before it was fashionable in the rest of the US).

Oh, and there were planes and crap there, lol. Yeah, I did mention I was chubby, right? Ha! Anyway, I did love it, and every time I think of it, I get warm fuzzies. Not just because of the food, but it was the true meaning of military community. Different cultures, religions, ethnic backgrounds, but we all sort of make up a family. One I am proud of to this day.

Okay, so I have rules for the blog hop, AND I have rules for a prize I am giving away.  Let's do the blog hop rules because that is the big SHINY FIRE.
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Rules:
10 Authors. 10 Questions. 10 Easy Answers.
You will go from blog to blog gathering questions about each author. There will be a
hint and a link that will lead you to the answer.

In order to be entered to win the big prize, a Kindle Fire, you will need to send your
answers to Brandy at bray829@gmail.com SUBJECT: Friday Fireworks

You must include all 10 questions with answers.

Winner of the big prize will be drawn and announced on Heather Long's blog. Any
prizes offered individually on the author's page will be taken care of by that author.

And here is my question:


Melissa Schroeder: What is the name of Delilah's fan driven on going free read?
(Hint: Check out her 'extras' at delilahdevlin.com )
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And now for my prize. A SIGNED print copy of Infatuation and the coveted dog tags for Infatuation, Possession AND Surrender! Just answer this easy question in the comments:
What is your favorite summertime memory?  I will pull a name SUNDAY at 8 pm EASTERN US TIME!!! So get your answers in. That is on THIS blog, but make sure you hop around and get your name in the pot for that FIRE. I LOVE MINE.