Saturday, December 31, 2022

Friday, December 30, 2022

New Year and a New Series by Laura Scott

Are you ready to kick off the New Year? I hope and pray that 2023 will bring forth an abundance of blessings to you and your family. I was sick with Covid over Christmas (sigh) but am looking forward to the beginning of a new year.

I'm thrilled to announce the release of my new series, The Finnegan First Responders! There will be nine books in this series, the first story, Explosive Truth is available now on my website and will also be released on all sales platforms on January 3, 2023! This series features the nine Finnegan siblings as they walk the fine line between danger and love! 

For those of you who may have read my Callahan Confidential series, you may be happy to hear the Finnegans and Callahans discover they are cousins! And of course, the Callahans end up helping the Finnegans out of several tight spots, too. I've had so much fun getting reunited with the Callahan family, and you can be sure there will be a large family reunion at the end of the series.

I love writing books in a series and books centered around a family are my favorite. I hope you give the Finnegan family a try. You are sure to love them the way I do!

Explosive Truth by Laura Scott $3.99



Stalked by a bomber!

When Devon Thompson’s car explodes at the click of her key fob, she doesn’t want to believe she was targeted on purpose. But when the next bomb is found in her apartment, she can’t ignore the fact that someone wants her dead. Trusting Captain Rhyland Finnegan with the truth isn’t easy, but soon she realizes Rhy is an honorable man who will go above and beyond to keep her safe.

As the oldest of nine kids, Rhy has spent the ten years since his parents’ death keeping the Finnegan family together. His personal life has been on hold, until now. Keeping Devon alive is a priority, yet he can’t ignore the attraction between them. When the bomber succeeds in wiring Devon to a suicide bomb, there isn’t a second to lose. Rhy risks his life for hers, but if they manage to survive, Rhy knows his next job will be to convince Devon to join the Finnegan family . . . forever.

Amazon B&N Apple GooglePlay Kobo

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Chasing Dreams - Cheryl St.John

I planned this new release after Christmas while a lot of people are still home and enjoying their holiday and possibly their new eReaders. This is such a busy time of year, and in my family we have birthdays from November to January, multiplying the gift giving, the gatherings and the cakes.

 Working to be outside the norm, we celebrated my granddaughter's 13th birthday last evening with Buffalo Wild Wings and a cake created from donuts. (She's a Stranger Things fan, so that's why you might not recognize the decoration.) Tomorrow is my daughter's birthday, so I'll be whipping up her favorite angel food. We will do anything for family, won't we?

The same goes for my character, Shaine, who has lost her sister, but now believes her nephew is still alive. The things Shaine dreams come true--and she has been dreaming that little Jack is still alive. She searches out the only person who can help her--but he has made a life for himself that doesn't involve searching for missing people. She is determined to find her nephew, so what's a girl to do?


A tormented man driven to seclusion…

A relentless beauty who won’t take no for an answer…


Shaine Richards’ sister and nephew were in a car that went off a bridge into the river. Maggie’s body was the only one recovered. Searchers said Jack could have been snagged below or washed up anywhere. But when Shaine dreams of the toddler, he’s alive. Therapists advise her to let go.


She’s tried to let go. But the dreams won’t let her.


Shaine knows Jack is alive and something terrible is about to happen to him.


The only man who can help her doesn’t want to be found—or involved. Austin Allen is a man who knows and sees more than most people will in their entire lifetimes. His mountain sanctuary is key to self-preservation. His gift holds the answers she needs. She must convince the enigmatic man to help before it’s too late.


But there’s another dark and mystifying complication...

Shaine has dreamed of Austin as well.


Two more birthdays next week, and on to New Years. Hubby and I plan to stay home and chill. I'll read a book! How about you?


You can get a copy of Chasing Dreams at your favorite retailer.

CLICK HERE



Monday, December 26, 2022

Christmas isn't over yet! - by Susan Aylworth

So here we are on the day after, putting everything away until next year and suffering the post-Christmas letdown. Or not! No one says we have to let go of the sweetest season of the year. I wrote my Christmas Town series because I love the idea of a place that celebrates the season all year. Then, just when I finished Book 5, I found such a place. 

Frankenmuth, Michigan is roughly 90 miles north of Detroit, minutes south of Lake Huron. Founded in the late 1800s by German immigrants, it retains a European flavor and boasts the largest Christmas store in the United States (possibly in the world). It also has a famous German restaurant and bakery, a themed, mostly-indoor water park, and a number of other attractions that make it a tourist destination. Roger and I visited there as a post-Thanksgiving romp with our son, Paul, and his family. We couldn't resist having our picture taken at Bronner's Christmas Wonderland. 

I didn't know about Frankenmuth, or about Bronner's, when I created Bedford Falls, California, and put the Everything Christmas Wonderland on the corner of Main Street and Bedford Boulevard, but it was a bit like coming home to visit Bronner's and drive down the lighted and lovely Main Street of Frankenmuth. Christmas all year!

You're invited to visit Frankenmuth, but if you can't get there, you can visit Bedford Falls, California, also known as Christmas Town, from the comfort of your favorite chair.

The series begins with Book 1, A Joyful Eve in Christmas Town.
A new job brings Claire Reiser to Bedford Falls, California, a Sierra resort town that celebrates Christmas all year. She arrives just days before Christmas, expecting to be alone for the holiday. Ben Scarge is also new, whisked in to manage the estate of his late Uncle Simon, a curmudgeonly miser who puts Scrooge to shame. Like Claire, he anticipates a lonely holiday. Then a furry visitor delivers a gift neither Claire nor Ben will ever forget. Welcome to Christmas Town!

The five-book series covers the Christmas romances of several close friends. Each is a sweet holiday love story, each highlights a favorite furry friend, and each celebrates the Christmas spirit. Enjoy Books 1-4 as we build up for the release of Book 5, Holly and Hearts in Christmas Town, coming Feb. 8 in time for Valentine's Day. 

Book 2 features Claire's friend and neighbor, Kiley Ross, who is finally fulfilling her dream of going back to school. One of her required classes is a newswriting workshop led by graduate student Nick Santino, who looks very much like a famous Hollywood star. Speechless at first, Kiley soon finds herself giving spirited arguments to many of Nick's ideas. As the two strike sparks off one another--in both annoying and delightful ways, they begin an attraction that they must avoid: teacher-student relationships are strictly forbidden. But the term will come to an end, roughly around Christmas time, and who knows what may happen then? Read St. Nick Comes to Christmas Town

Kiley's buddy Amanda Velasquez gets her own story in Kisses and Kittens in Christmas Town, Book 3. Amanda's mother is a successful model who has groomed her daughter to do the same. But Amanda is built more like her dad, who played linebacker in the NFL. When Amanda meets Marco Fuentes in the ski resort's workout room, she's sure he's a physical trainer trying to recruit her as a client and steers a wide path.

Dr. Marco Fuentes works out during his off hours from the town's medical clinic. He's instantly attracted to the statuesque beauty and her efforts to improve her health. It takes a box of abandoned kittens to bring them together and a little Christmas magic to overcome the damage a well-meaning mom has done to her daughter's self-image.

In Book 4, Mischief and Mistletoe in Christmas Town, Amanda's friend and housemate, Emily Draper, prepares to serve as Amanda's maid of honor. That puts her in close touch with Marco's brother, Dr. Carl Fuentes, also his best man. The two spark instantly.

But Carl has opportunities for a career change that will take him far from Christmas Town, and Emily, who has suffered from a rare illness for much of her life, is now healthy enough to plan her own future. She has the chance to work with a Michelin star chef at the renowned Winter Magic Bakery in Bedford Falls. These two need a Christmas miracle. A cat named Mischief, a sweet but confused service dog, and a bundle of mistletoe may be up to the challenge.

Bethany Sheridan lives next door to Amanda and Emily with her disabled adult daughter, Gracie. When her neighbors tell Bethany of a strange man  peeking in her windows, she can't help jittery nerves. But when she meets the new director of Grace's respite care program and hears his explanation for why he was there, her heart softens and interest blooms.

Richard Hale's instant attraction to beautiful Bethany only underscores his admiration for her bright and lovely daughter. He wants to spend more time with them both. But he has problems of his own: a traumatic brain injury has left him with a severe stutter. 

A box of fostered puppies, a sweet but confused golden retriever, and a wheelchair-bound Cupid with surprises of her own may be needed to bring this pair together. Read Holly and Hearts in Christmas Town, coming Feb. 8. 

Leave Christmas behind us? Why should we? Frankenmuth and Bedford Falls have both found ways to celebrate all year long. I like their spirit. 

Susan Aylworth is the author of 25 published novels including four books in the Christmas Town series. Watch for Book 5 coming in time for Valentine's Day. She  also has small-town sweet romance series set in and near the Navajo Nation and in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Susan lives in northern California with Roger, her writer husband of 52 years. Contact her at her website: susanaylworthauthor.com, @SusanAylworth, or via susan.aylworth.author@gmail.com. Susan loves travel, music, her large and scattered family, and perfect raspberry jam. She also loves hearing from readers, especially if you'd like to have your name in a future book. Beware: You may be the plucky sidekick or jealous rival!









 






Sunday, December 25, 2022


CHASING DREAMS

Cheryl St. John


A tormented man driven to seclusion…
A relentless beauty who won’t take no for an answer…


Shaine Richards’ sister and nephew were in a car that went off a bridge into the river. Maggie’s body was the only one recovered. Searchers said Jack could have been snagged below or washed up anywhere. But when Shaine dreams of the toddler, he’s alive. Therapists advise her to let go.
She’s tried to let go. But the dreams won’t let her. 

Shaine knows Jack is alive and something terrible is about to happen to him. The only man who can help her doesn’t want to be found—or involved. Austin Allen is a man who knows and sees more than most people will in their entire lifetimes. His mountain sanctuary is key to self-preservation. His gift holds the answers she needs. She must convince the enigmatic man to help before it’s too late.
But there’s another dark and mystifying complication...
Shaine has dreamed of Austin as well.

Amazon
Apple 
B&N
Kobo
https://books2read.com/u/bpqJQW



FOUND AN ALMOST PERFECT CHRISTMAS
Kimberly Rose Johnson

When a young boy’s life is threatened, his dad will do anything to keep him safe, including eliciting the help of his single and beautiful school teacher.

One of Hope Creek, Montana’s most desired single men has his hands full this Christmas with a new puppy litter, work, and a rambunctious young son. Now, someone has threatened to harm his son if he doesn’t reveal the location of a mystery woman.

Second-grade teacher, Bethany Evans, loves her job, but she wants more. Could Toby and his dad hold the key to making this Christmas extra special, or will the trouble they are facing not only ruin Christmas but destroy their lives in the process?

From Selah award-winning author, a Christian romance novella with a touch of mystery and suspense.

Amazon



WINTER WONDERLAND AT THE INN
Merri Maywether

Come visit the Winter Wonderland Inn and get wrapped up in the holiday season.

This will be Noelle’s first Christmas alone with her younger sister Adrianna. When the manager of the Winter Wonderland Inn says she can bring her sister to work for the season, she knows it will be a holiday that will heal her sister's tender heart.

Kristopher, with a K, wants to sneeze every time he hears the jingle of holiday bells. The self-proclaimed grinch would prefer to stay in the comfort of his home and eat prepared meals until people settle down from the holiday madness. The only thing that can pull him out of his house is a phone call from an ailing uncle.

Kristopher's grumpy heart doesn't stand a chance when he joins forces with Noelle to make it a Christmas worth remembering. She's hoping the small-town holiday season will bring him a gift he'll cherish long after the calendar page is turned.



For unto us a child is bornunto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Must Have Christmas Decorations by Pat Simmons

Happy Christmas Eve! What are some of your must-have decorations for the holidays? The Simmons family doesn't do the "Chevy Chase Christmas Decor." Lol 

Outside, simple can be elegant, right? 

Inside....well, I have to display my black angel tree toppers. No Christmas tree is needed for these beauties.

The nativity scene is a must for me. It's on the second shelf. Although I don't remove my crystal figurines from my curio after the holidays, I do enjoy getting them cleaned up so they can shine for Christmas like the Star that shined brightly on the night Christ was born. 

Christ's birth is so magnificent that I'm in awe when I admire my figurines.  Even the angels and animals bowed to their Creator. They aren't fooled by their God in a human form. In humility, Jesus came to save us from the craziness of this world and from the sins we've committed against Christ.

Christmas Eve is my time to celebrate Jesus' birth and His purpose. I hope all will take a moment to celebrate the best gift of all--Jesus, our Savior, not a baby, but a King!



Merry Christmas, everyone. If you're looking for more Christian inspirational stories for Christmas and the holidays, please check these out at https://www.patsimmons.net/holiday-titles


Oh, if you didn't download our #Puppies4Christmas stories, it's not to late to fall in love with those adorable pets:


______


Pat Simmons is a multi-published Christian romance author of forty-plus titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She is a five-time recipient of the RSJ Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance and recipient of the 2022 Leslie Esdaile Trailblazer Award. Christmas Dinner was also an Emma Award winner for Book of the Year. Christmas Dinner and Here for You were featured in Woman’s World Magazine.

As a Christian, Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as a life-altering experience. She has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, and GPS-guided chauffeur. They have a son and a daughter. Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and has worked in radio, television, and print media for more than twenty years. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net.


Thursday, December 22, 2022

Sad Mac beanie by Camy Tang

My husband’s office at work is colder than Aunty Aikiko’s heart, and he wanted a unique beanie to wear. He chose the “sad Mac” icon that appears when your Mac has given up the ghost.

So I knit him this:


If you want to see the specs, you can check them out on Ravelry: http://ravel.me/camytang/smb. Non-knitters would probably be bored by my description of how I made it, so I posted it there.

What do you think??? I think my husband’s coworkers will get a kick out of it.

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Holiday Traditions by Janice Lynn

I recently gave a few family members a Board & Brush experience as their Christmas gift. We had a great time. While we were there my sister commented that she hoped we made the event an annual holiday tradition. Her comment really stuck with me. Partially because we did decide that we were going to make it an annual event, but also because it got me to thinking about our family holiday traditions and others' traditions and how they get started. 

I have friends who do big Christmas cookie parties each year and I always look at their photos and think, "How fun!" I've even thought about hostessing one, but knowing how many of them I'd eat myself has held me back a bit. For others, having the entire family get together to decorate the tree, going to view Christmas lights, or having a huge Christmas morning breakfast are things that are their 'norm' holiday routine.

Do you have holiday traditions that carry forth year after year? Any new things you've done this year that you hope become family/holiday traditions?




Janice's Wrapped Up in Christmas books from Hallmark Publishing are available, also!

Buy Your Copy HERE

USA Today, Wall Street Journal, & Publishers Weekly Bestselling author JANICE LYNN lives in Tennessee with her Prince Charming and their princes and princesses, her vivid imagination, an adorable Maltese named Halo who's the true royalty of the house, and bunches of unnamed dust bunnies that moved in after Janice started her writing career. In addition to writing romance, Janice is a nurse practitioner, a quilter, an exercise queen, a military mama, and an avid supporter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Just kidding on the exercise queen. www.janicelynn.com  The WRAPPED UP IN CHRISTMAS books are available at AMAZON Barnes & Noble WALMART & many other place where you buy books. WRAPPED UP IN CHRISTMAS LOVE is coming Christmas 2023.

Monday, December 19, 2022

Sneak Peek at Winter Wonderland Inn by Merri Maywether


Tomorrow my Christmas story, The Winter Wonderland Inn,  launches. 


Kristopher and Noelle are childhood friends who reconnect as adults. Noelle is raising her younger sister, Adrianna. Kristopher has returned home after learning his Uncle Clark might not make it until the next holiday. Both team up to make the holiday season special. 

He's an unapologetic grump, and she sees rainbows in every storm. If they're not careful, they might fall in love. 


 I was so caught up in writing this story, I haven't shared much. So here is a little scene. 

🎁  🎁  🎁

Kristopher said, “It aggravates me that people have opportunities to be kind all year round, and they choose the last month of the year to do it. But if doing all these activities will make his holidays brighter, I’ll do everything: decorate ornaments and cookies and trees.”

His admission was like someone had squeezed the air out of a balloon. It squeaked at a pitch that made anyone with good hearing cringe. “You don’t like Christmas?” 

Noelle was shocked at being right. Kristopher-Ebenezer-Baldwin needed her help finding joy in the holiday season. 

Kristopher shook his head. 

She was stunned. “You do realize that people are nice year round? Most don’t notice it until December.” 

“How did you hurt your foot?”

He was trying to use her strategy. It wasn’t going to work. “You’re changing the subject.” 

He turned to Adrianna. “How did Noelle hurt her foot?”

Adrianna plopped some silver sprinkles on the trim of her gingerbread person. “Laurel took me to see Santa. Uncle Nick took her to the doctor. When I got home, she had a special shoe. She has to wear it all the time, and she can’t go skiing.” 

“Going to a kid who won’t lie. That’s not cool.” Noelle almost regretted talking to him.

He replied, “It was pure self-preservation. You were going to point out that I’m here because it’s December.”

“I was going to call you a Scrooge.” 

Clark kept his focus on decorating his cookie. “You two should just get it over with and go out already.” 

“He’s cranky.”

“She’s clumsy.”

Clark and Adrianna shared a moment where they spoke without saying a word. They were not impressed.

🎁 🎁 🎁

Winter Wonderland Inn is available on Amazon as a Kindle Unlimited book.

🎁   🎁  🎁


Merri Maywether lives with her husband in rural Montana. You can find her in the town's only coffee house listening to three generations of Montanans share their stories. Otherwise, she's in the classroom or the school library, inspiring the next generation's writers.








Friday, December 16, 2022

A New Christmas Book Release from Kimberly Rose Johnson

 


The very first book I ever had contracted with a publisher was a Christmas book. That was back in 2012 and it released in 2013. I've had a Christmas book release every year since. It has become a tradition that I really enjoy.

Do you enjoy Christmas books?

Found: An Almost Perfect Christmas is a romantic suspense set in rural Montana. My new home state was the inspiration for the setting. Ironically, after I wrote this story, I ended up taking a job at the local school. This school is very small. There are no more than 80 students in pre-K through 8th grade. 

Here's the back cover blurb for the book. 

When a young boy’s life is threatened, his dad will do anything to keep him safe, including eliciting the help of his single and beautiful school teacher.

One of Hope Creek, Montana’s most desired single men has his hands full this Christmas with a new puppy litter, work, and a rambunctious young son. Now, someone has threatened to harm his son if he doesn’t reveal the location of a mystery woman.

Second grade teacher, Bethany Evans, loves her job, but she wants more. Could Toby and his dad hold the key to making this Christmas extra special, or will the trouble they are facing not only ruin Christmas but destroy their lives in the process?

From Selah award winning author, a Christian romance novella with a touch of mystery and suspense.

For the month of December you can pick up this book for 99¢. The price will go up in January. It is also available to read free with Kindle Unlimited.


Merry Christmas and Happy Reading!

Award winning author Kimberly Rose Johnson married her college sweetheart and lives in the Pacific Northwest USA. From a young child Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing. She especially loves romance and writes contemporary romance and romantic mystery and suspense with a heart.

Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

You can sign up for Kimberly's newsletter via her website.


Thursday, December 15, 2022

Bargain books for a limited time


From Camy:




Free on Kindle only until December 18! Book 1 in my Christian Regency Romantic Suspense series, Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer!

A Christian Historical Adventure set in Regency England with romance and a supernatural twist
Part one in an epic-length serial novel

She met him again by shooting him.

After four seasons and unmarried because she is taller than most of her dance partners, Miss Phoebe Sauber receives the shocking news that she is being callously banished from her father’s estate because he is remarrying. Feeling betrayed by her father and by God, and wanting to escape her family’s presence, she attends an archery tournament with her friends.

But her perfect aim fails her, and her arrow hits a piece of paper held by Mr. Michael Coulton-Jones, whom she hasn’t seen much in society in several years. But strangely, her arrow tears a section of the paper with a partial symbol that looks eerily familiar to her.

He met her again while searching for a killer.

Michael had quit his work as a spy for the Foreign Office when his brother was poisoned. His search for the murderer leads him to Apothecary Jack, a criminal underworld leader with a penchant for poisons, who is gathering a powerful army through an alchemical potion that can give men supernatural strength.

But his path unexpectedly crosses again with Miss Sauber, who saves him from a trap laid by Jack. She and her Aunt Laura, Lady Wynwood, have found a vital connection to Apothecary Jack and the mysterious group he works for.

Now Michael, who had vowed to never again allow civilians to come to harm, must work with a nobleman keeping dangerous secrets, a human lie detector, a chemist, a fellow former spy, and the one woman he’s never allowed himself to get close to.

And it is only this ragtag group that stands against a traitorous organization that could enable Napoleon to conquer the world.

PLEASE NOTE: Like the novels published in Jane Austen’s time, this is a novel in multiple parts. Each volume has a completed story arc, but this is NOT a stand-alone novel and ends on a cliffhanger.


From Josie:





I have a 99 cent Kindle Countdown sale December 14-19 (US only), for my sweet holiday romance, A Chocolate-Box Christmas Wish:

★★ Fall in love with cozy small-town romance filled with delightful characters and brimming with holiday joy.★★

He’s been all over the world. She’s a home-town girl. Can a holiday wish bridge the gap?
In Cora Carpenter’s small California hometown, Christmas is tailor-made for couples. Unfortunately, Cora is a party of one, thanks to a con man who stole her heart, then bilked her out of thousands of dollars.

What’s on her Christmas wish list this year? Nothing whimsical. She’ll take a new vacuum cleaner, thanks—and no dating for the foreseeable future. But when she meets a stranger with a broken-down car, his warm smile and perilously blue eyes almost make her want to tweak that list. If only she could get over the pain and humiliation of her past.

A double whammy of betrayal and a broken heart sent anchorman Patrick Gervez thousands of miles west looking for a fresh start. But the pretty child care provider’s unforgettable amber eyes and deft hand with a set of jumper cables does funny things to his heart—and makes him wonder if she’s a forgotten dream come true.

Except she’s as skittish as a piece of tinsel in a windstorm. And the only way to help her forget her heartbreak, is to convince her to forgive. Especially herself.

This heartwarming, sweet and wholesome contemporary holiday romance will rekindle your belief in love, Christmas, and Happily-Ever-After.

Perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber, RaeAnne Thayne, and Susan Mallery.

This story celebrates the joy, blessings, and true meaning of Christmas.

Readers are saying: “Cora's story is sweet and touching,” and “Whether you're short on time or not, this wholesome, inspirational holiday story is sure to lighten your heart and put a smile in your soul, so don't miss it."

A Chocolate-Box Christmas Wish is the perfect gift to yourself.

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Puppies for Christmas Are Still a Bargain


 If you haven't grabbed all the Puppies for Christmas novellas, you can still get them. They are all still 99 cents each. You don't want to miss these wonderful Christmas reads. They will put you in the Christmas spirit.

Use this link to learn more about each novella. 
 
If you like books with dogs, you will certainly enjoy the last book in my Kellersburg series, HOMETOWN HERO
 

Do you like stories that involve pets? Why or why not?
 
Merrillee Whren is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award presented by Romance Writers of American. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of forty-plus years, and has two grown daughters. Connect with her on her Facebook page and sign up for her newsletter.