Lyn Cote Invites you...

  

If you read ebooks...here’s the deal! I'm sharing a week of free Christmas books, mine and my friends', starting today!!

FREE Holiday Romance Alert! 

Cozy up with SEVEN (7) sweet Christmas romances—absolutely FREE December 1-7!

From snowy small towns to second-chance love stories, these heartwarming reads are the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.

 

Here’s the line up of our own SWEET ROMANCE READS authors:  (click the titles to see more.)

December 1st Lyn Cote-Winter’s Secret

2nd Josie Riviera-Holly’s Gift

3rd Merri Maywether- Meet Me By the Christmas Tree

4^th Pat Simmons-Baby for Christmas

5th Roxanne Rustand- Dangerous December

6th Camille Elliot-The Spinster’s Christmas (Regency Romance-)

7th Jean C. Gordon-His Christmas Star

In my Winter’s Secret, I can't wait for you to fall in love with Wendy's story of suspense, hope, healing, and unexpected romance. Click here for more info.

SO MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Grab them all while they're free—your holiday TBR pile just got a whole lot merrier!

Wait -there's more!

Believe it or not—One more SPECIAL deal! 

My boxed set The Preacher's Daughters Complete Series 1-4, normally $9.99 will be on sale Nov 30^th-Dec 6^th for 99c. An early Christmas gift for you.

The scoop

The time has come for a family secret to be revealed~

Hannah, Abby and Lucy, the preacher’s daughters, band together to seek the truth their much loved mother needs but refuses to face. And ultimately they will all be blessed in ways they don’t foresee, especially a forever love.”The feeling of family support was skillfully woven through the stories of these sisters.” Click here for more info.

Why not forward this to a friend who might enjoy these special Christmas deals!? Or post it on your Facebook page? Merry Christmas!—Lyn 

Christmas in Hawaii 🌺 … with ex-crushes and contraband.

Hi everyone! This is Camy Tang.

My latest contemporary romantic suspense, The Lone Rice Ball, just released on Amazon a few weeks ago!

I really loved writing about the heroine, Mimi, because way back in Sushi for One, she—

A hand slams down on my computer keyboard. Mimi is standing there, glaring at me.

“You are not going to repeat that old story from your first novel!” she yells at me.

“But you were so clueless and your sense of timing was impeccable—”

“That was—” She hesitates. “—years ago! And my sense of timing wasn’t my fault—Lex always had to open her big fat mouth right when she really should be shutting up.”

“She’s gotten better. I mean, it was six—”

Mimi slaps both hands over my mouth. “You don’t know when to shut your big fat mouth, either!”

She’s so short that I just have to stand up to get out of the range of her attempts to muzzle me. “I thought you were okay with your age,” I say.

“Sure, I’m okay with it, but it still doesn’t mean I’m okay with it.”

I blink at her. “I have no idea what you’re saying.”

“Forget my age. And all those terrible stories of my misspent youth. Focus on the fact the book has romance! And beaches! And undercover investigators! And second chance romance!”

“I get the feeling you’re really excited about the romance,” I say dryly.

“Wouldn’t you? It’s a Christmas love story in Hawaii. What’s not to like?”

I can’t argue with her.

Well, if you like romance and suspense, you’ll enjoy The Lone Rice Ball and Mimi’s travails with dating at her ag—mmmph!

“This is Mimi. Just buy the book! Or read on Kindle Unlimited! You won’t regret it!”

Buy The Lone Rice Ball on Amazon

Wrapped Up in Christmas Faith by Janice Lynn

What a great month it's been! So much to be thankful for and one of those things is that I have a new book that came out on November 13th. Yay! Wrapped Up in Christmas Faith is the latest story in my Wrapped Up in Christmas series. Each book is stand alone, but best read in order. I absolutely love writing this series because it embodies so many things that I adore--small town, falling in love, veterans, humor, Christmas. Sigh. Just saying those things makes me smile. In Wrapped Up in Christmas Faith, Maggie is a veteran who has been knocked off her feet, but is ready to not just get back up, but to run toward the life she wants back. If that means she has to go to a Halloween party dressed as a fairy tale princess when she's more comfortable in a military uniform, then she'll don those borrowed glass slippers. Little did she know that she'd meet her Prince Charming and have her life take off in a completely unexpected direction that she'd ever envisioned or thought she wanted.

Here's a short snippet:

"I need to see your foot, Princess."

Maggie had moved from the porch to the yard, taking up residence on a garden bench with a view of the back side of the house where most were gathered to watch the partygoers. Sitting in her gown hadn't been easy. After making sure the bench was clean, she'd tucked the full, gauzy skirt to the side. 

Even before her gaze collided with golden brown honey that twinkled with merriment that couldn't be missed even in the dim light, she knew who had sought her out. She'd always had good awareness of what was around her. Never quite to this level, though, because she'd felt him coming toward her. She wasn't surprised he had. There had been something in the way he'd looked at her that she'd known their paths would cross before the night ended. 

She'd even played over what she'd say to him when it happened. The cad.

So, the story does have a Halloween party early on, but it is a CHRISTMAS story, I promise. :) Just having Maggie and Walker meet while dressed in borrowed matchings costumes made for such a great cute meet because being dressed that way was so out of Maggie's comfort zone. 

Do you like holiday books that cover enough of a timespan that it incorporates snippets of more than one holiday? Or do you prefer your holiday stories to focus on just one special occasion during a short time frame

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, a military mama, and an avid supporter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation. www.janicelynn.com  

Wrapped Up in Christmas https://amzn.to/4gvI1wP

Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy https://amzn.to/47wB8qW

Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope https://amzn.to/3Twuye

WRAPPED UP IN CHRISTMAS LOVE Amazon Barnes & Noble

Wrapped Up in Christmas Faith https://amzn.to/3K7n009

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The Joy of Sending (and Receiving) a Little Note by Merri Maywether

In the age of emails and social media, a letter or a note is a rare treasure.

When I was teaching, my students gave me little pictures that now decorate my walls. On days when I'm feeling blue or frustrated, or wondering about the state of the world, those pictures and notes remind me that there is good in it.

Some of my students joined the military after graduation, and then it became my turn to reciprocate. During basic training, I'd send them a note or two or three—small reminders that someone back home was thinking of them.

I've also been on the receiving end of those meaningful military notes. When my son was deployed, he sent me letters. It was the hug my mother's heart needed. In a couple of words, he let me know that he was okay. 

Then, once after a different assignment, his major wrote to me. The Air Force reassigned him, and our time to reconnect was spent on what they required of him. The major thanked me for my son's service and said kind things that softened the ache of not being able to see him.

These experiences became the heart of Tis the Season for Falling in Love. Reese is deployed several times, and Maya, his best friend's younger sister, writes him notes—those rare treasures that bridge distance and remind us we're not alone. 

Letters have a way of doing that, don’t they? They hold moments still—capturing thoughts we might be too shy to say aloud. They give us space to think, to feel, and to connect.

Maybe that’s why I love them so much. In a world where words disappear as fast as we type them, a handwritten note lingers.

So, here’s my small challenge for you this season: Send one note—to a friend, a loved one, or even someone who simply made your day a little brighter. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just honest.

Because the smallest words, written with heart, can become someone’s favorite keepsake.

I'll close this month's blog wishing you a season full of kind words, warm connections, and love that lingers—just like a letter.

Fall Reflections by Merrillee Whren

 

Fall is a colorful time of year in many regions of the country. Here in southern Arizona, nothing much changes in the landscape unless you go to a higher elevation. The most noticeable thing in fall is cooler weather. I took the above photo last fall on our cruise into Canada. The photos I took don’t come close to showing the spectacular colors we got to see.

 

Setting is important to the books I write. Sometimes setting sets the mood for the character and the character’s thoughts. Out of the nearly thirty books I have written, only three start in the fall. Although these three books start in the fall, the stories end near the Christmas holidays. Here is the opening from A Family to Call Ours, the fourth book in my Front Porch Promises series.

 

The sideways rain drenched Caleb Fitzpatrick as he slogged down Main Street. He dodged puddles and wielded his umbrella like a shield against the precipitation coming from the dark-gray clouds, but his attempt to stay dry proved unsuccessful. Why had he traded a sunny beach in Florida for the dreary early October weather in Hawthorne, Massachusetts?

Family. The family business. The family legacy. He was the only child who had chosen to walk in his parents’ footsteps. He wanted to protect everything they had built and step into their shoes when they retired. A warm, sunny climate couldn’t lure him away from this all-important obligation.

That was the most important reason. He’d gone to Florida to do a job for his family’s accounting firm. That job was over, and despite the temptation to stay in the warm Florida sun, he had come home. His parents needed his help even if they didn’t think they wanted or required it.

 

My other two books set in the fall are Second Chance Gift and Kirsten’s Mission. You can find an excerpt and buy links by clicking or tapping on the book titles.

 

 

 

I know many people love fall. It isn’t my favorite season because it means winter is coming, and winter is definitely my least favorite season. What is your favorite thing about fall? What is your least favorite thing? 

 

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.

November Gratitude and Thank You Gifts by Josie Riviera

Well, we made it back from our anniversary cruise! What an adventure that was. I'm still recovering from the brutal flight home from Australia. Whoever invented jet lag clearly didn't think it through. But seeing Tahiti and Australia and experiencing Hawaii for the first time? Absolutely worth every exhausted moment.

Now that I'm home and November is here, I'm in full gratitude mode, and I'm still pinching myself over this incredible trip. I also think about how blessed I am. Fifty years of marriage, the chance to write stories I love, and readers like you who make it all worthwhile.

There's something about coming home from a big trip that makes you appreciate the simple things—your own bed, a familiar routine, and yes, even doing laundry in your own washer. 

I have a thank-you gift for you! My sweet holiday romance, Cocoa's Christmas Love is free right now as my way of saying thanks for being amazing readers. It's about a florist whose Christmas magic starts healing a disillusioned photographer's heart, plus they rescue an adorable puppy together. Perfect for getting into the holiday spirit!

And I'm so excited to give you a sneak peek of my newest sweet inspirational romantasy release coming soon - A Canvas of Light. I can't reveal too much yet, but it is set in a New England town in the 1920s. The heroine is a photographer, and the hero is a keeper of a lighthouse. I love the cover and hope you love it, too.

What are you most grateful for this November? Please leave your comments below.

Josie Riviera is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, historical, and inspirational romances that read like Hallmark movies. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully supportive husband. They share their home with an adorable Shih Tzu, who constantly needs grooming, and live in an old house forever needing renovation.

Sign up for her newsletter and get a FREE ebook on her website: josieriviera.com

Putting a Hobby to Good Use ~ Jean C. Gordon

No book retrospective this month. Instead, I'm sharing that I'm putting my recent crochet revival to use this month to crochet for cancer.  I'm hoping to finish a blanket I'm making for my younger brother for Christmas.

So in memory of my baby brother and all the other family members and friends who battled cancer or are battling cancer, I've taken the American Cancer Challenge to Knit Every Day (crocheting is fine, too). This is a meaningful cause for me. 

The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.

Please consider making a donation because every little bit helps. Thank you for your support!

You can follow my progress and donate HERE on Facebook. 

In this holiday season, what charities are close to your heart?