Winter Blogfest: Mariah Lynne

December 29, 2021 By 10 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win an e-book copy of SHADOWS ACROSS TIME.

A Bird in the Hand

Sam was the best dog anyone could ever want.  He was playful, got into harmless but often comical mischief, and was loyal beyond belief. We adopted him from the local shelter when he was just over a year old. The shelter rescued him after his former owners left him abandoned and tied to a fence on their farm. Big, he weighed ninety-six pounds and was part German shepherd, which gave him his smarts, and part Golden Lab, which gave him his charm.

At the time of this adventure, we lived up North on a beautiful crystal clear lake surrounded by homes with long grassy yards that sloped into that large lake. It was perfect for a dog like Sam who needed the extra open space to run. In the summer, Sam loved to jump into the lake while I fed the ducks bread. He would try to gulp down the wet soggy bread as fast as he could to prevent the ducks from getting any. No ducks were harmed in this process, but it always amazed me he didn’t fall over on his side when all that heavy wet bread finally settled in his stomach.

I’m sure that’s how he acquired his love for birds. During the winter months, Sam would stay on his runner in the snow near our back door and watch the frozen lake for skaters, other dogs, and the species of birds that did not head south. One day about a week before Christmas, it had just snowed a beautiful clean white snow. Our large kitchen window faced the lake and had just been cleaned. It was so clean, one had to look twice to make sure a window was there at all. A small bird, which must have spotted me inside, flew and circled around near the window. I guess he wanted a break from the cold because he flew full speed ahead and slammed himself head first into thatwindow. Eyes closed, he appeared to be unconscious as he felland landed flat on the ground near Sam. Sam who was outside on his runner witnessed the entire incident. His ears stoodstraight up as he walked over to the small bird and began to slurp his head, well really his entire body. Sam’s tongue was bigger than the little guy. He kept slurping which lifted the bird off the ground each time until the bird opened his eyes. When he saw my big Sam, his eyes opened extra wide. He chirped before he flew out of there and away from Sam as fast as he could. Sam was so sweet he just wagged his tail happy he could save that bird. That was just like my Sam. In my holiday contemporary romance, “Paws for Christmas,” the dog in the book also named Sam is based on my real life Sam. I hope everyone has a happy healthy holiday season!

It’s the Holidays and Jessica Munroe seems destined for misery. Nonetheless she is trying to make the best of it. Her fiancé Jake, an emergency room doctor, dumped her for his nurse and just two weeks prior, she had to put her dog, her best friend, Mazy to sleep.

The pain of losing both the man she loved and her best friend has taken her to a new low. Jessica, determined not to stay down, is now hard at work trying to push through the holiday season by doubling up on Christmas lights and decorations she’s putting up outside her residence.
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As Jessica works, a big brown scruffy dog appears in her yard and refuses to leave when she tries to shoo him away. He’s filthy, looks hungry, and seems like he needs help. A dog lover, Jessica takes him to her vet who discovers a metal bone shaped tag buried in his matted fur. The tag reveals his name, Sam, and a phone number to call if he is lost or injured.

Sam’s owner Trey Musgrove is in the hospital the victim of a head-on collision. Now Jessica’s life is about to change forever thanks to Sam, this big brown scruffy lovable dog.

Side effects of reading PAWS FOR CHRISTMAS are a happy heart, an uplifted spirit, new confidence in the future, and a smile on your face!

Mariah Lynne is a Florida Gulf Coast resident who loves where she lives. The Southwest Florida Gulf Coast is a featured backdrop for all of her stories while her heroines are fearless, strong-willed, independent women whose memorable tales are sure to entertain. Mariah’s books include PAWS for CHRISTMAS (2020- 5 stars), THE DUCHESS’ NECKLACE (2017- 5 five stars from The Paranormal Authors Guild)), SHADOWS ACROSS TIME (2014), and THE LOVE GYPSY (2012) also available as an audio book. CLAWS FOR JUSTICE (2021) is a one hour mystery e-book. Her first book SEABLISS will be re-released as an e-book this December.

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Winter Blogfest: AT Lander

December 29, 2021 By 3 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a free digital copy of The Forest God’s Favor, book 1 in the Of Gods and Men series. 

Happy Holidays, or As the Romans Would Say, “io Saturnalia!”

Imagine waking up to the sound of that cry, the rush of excitement in your heart. Today is the first day of Saturn’s sacred festival, a week of feasting and revelry for the harvest god.

You put on a colorful, casual robe, regardless of your social status, as everyone is equal for these seven days. There are gifts for everyone in your household, clay figurines for the adults and little toys for the children. Dice are rolled and wine is poured, every goblet raised to Saturn.

Then you hear it, the parade passing by your house. Perhaps you join the cheering crowd or maybe you hang back to watch from your window, but you can see the great statue of Saturn paraded through the streets to a great square. There’s tables there and yet more wine, a feast where the rich and poor sit side by side.

You eat a hearty meal there, your cup never empty and your heart full as friends stop by to exchange gifts. It goes on and on, until the stars shine overheadand the streets of Rome are lined with expensive wax candles. Perhaps it’s time for bed?

Or perhaps not. Dark eyes catch yours across the square, a smile that goes straight through you. You blush—is it the wine, or something else? No, it’s not the wine that makes you walk towards this handsome stranger, lean in to taste the honey on his lips.

——

If that tickles your fancy, go back a few more centuries and spend your holiday in Ancient Greece with “The Forest God’s Favor”. Step out of the cold winter and into a tale of love, magic, and sensuality—guaranteed to warm your heart (and other parts) this December!

Can the love of a man heal the heart of a god?

Fertility god Anthos, a shy and gentle three-hundred-year-old virgin, has grown up in the shadow of his brutal older brother Dryas and spent his life hiding from mortals, no matter how much his nature draws him to them.

Cleon, a humble farmer who always has room in his heart and his bed, knows that Lord Dryas is angry. The crops aren’t growing, and his family is going to starve if he doesn’t give the god a worthy sacrifice—his own body. But when he reaches the shrine, he finds a very different god, the sweet, untouched Anthos.

Eager to satisfy Anthos’ curiosity, Cleon shows him what sex is…and what a relationship between them could be, with their instant attraction blooming into love. But when Dryas returns with a vengeance and Cleon’s life hangs in the balance, Anthos is forced to make a choice.

Will he bow once more before his brother’s rage, or take a stand for the only man who has ever had faith in him?

AT Lander has loved stories, both the reading and the telling, since she was a child. Born in upstate New York to an English professor and a former librarian, she now lives in the queerest part of Massachusetts. She never leaves home without a knitting project or a pencil, and she’s never met a cat she doesn’t like.

She has worked as an history museum guide, a professional storyteller, and an actress, sharing tales of what was, what could have been, and what can only be imagined. World mythology is her driving passion, as what better way to understand a people than through the tales they tell?

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Winter Blogfest: Wendi Zwaduk

December 29, 2021 By 3 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a prize pack featuring a necklace made by the author. .

The Holidays Mean…the Book Sale?

When I think of the start of the holidays, I think of the Book Sale. I do. Our local Friends of the Library group holds our annual book sale the weekend before Thanksgiving, so that’s my wind-up to the holidays. It makes the coming holiday of Thanksgiving seem like, boom, it’s there. Really.

What does it take to have a book sale? Lots of patience and set up time. You need the books, sure, but you need a lot of help to set up and places to put the books, plus patience to get everything done. This year our group has 30,000 items to put on the tables. Really.

There’s the coordination to get the books to the gym to sell them, setting them all out, putting the tables out, getting the signs up…it can get a little manic and very overwhelming.

But all this chaos also means the week we tear down is Thanksgiving. There’s no fretting time. This is why planning is key. We have a Thanksgiving dinner for our family, but I don’t have time to get the stuff around the week of the event. Nope. I have to make sure I’ve rounded up the various ingredients at least two weeks before or I won’t have time/remember to get anything. Trust me, I’ve forgotten a lot.

There was the year I bought not one, but two cans of sweetened condensed milk, knowing full well I needed to get evaporated. I know it sounds like a silly problem, but pumpkin pie just doesn’t work with the wrong milk.

So it’s that time of year again. The book sale is set up, we’re waiting on the first sale day, my Thanksgiving dinner items are all tucked away in the pantry or fridge and I can sort of breathe. Sort of. I’ll be happy when the sale is over and I can relax.

What about you? What are some of your traditions or lead-ups to the holidays? Do you do anything that’s not quite on the beaten path?

Are second chances possible? They can be in North Bend.

Alex West left North Bend behind and became the famous author RR Taylor. He’s happy with his jet-setting lifestyle, until a book signing brings him to North Bend. Surrounded by the beauty of the small town and the closeness of the community, he starts to rethink his reasons for leaving. Seeing his high-school flame, Molly Adams, brings all the old feelings back into focus. He wants to make her Christmas bright and win her heart, too.

Can he convince her to believe in the magic of Christmas and their second chance, or is the blossoming romance destined to melt with the holiday snow?

Wendi Zwaduk is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to BDSM and LGBTQ themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com and the former AllRomance Ebooks. She also writes under the name of Megan Slayer.

When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice.

You can find out more about Wendi on her website or on her blog. You can also find her on Instagram, Bookbub and Amazon.

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Winter Blogfest: Judy Ann Davis

December 28, 2021 By 5 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of “JANE – The Pianist” via Amazon to the winner along with a $10.00 Amazon gift card.

Wreaths –  The Circle of Life

During the Christmas season, I enjoy looking at the many different wreaths hanging on the doors of homes and businesses. They are colorful, artistic and varied, and are often constructed with evergreens or holly and adorned with pine cones, ribbons, bells, berries, and bows. But where did the tradition of hanging a wreath on a door for Christmas originate? Although there are many theories, it’s believed the wreath came with the Irish when they immigrated to the United States.

The wreath itself can be traced back to ancient Rome when people used decorative wreaths as a sign of victory and celebration. The custom of hanging a Christmas wreath on the front door of the home probably came from this practice. They are also used in ceremonial events in many cultures around the world.

In English-speaking countries, wreaths are now used typically as household ornaments, mainly as an Advent and Christmas decoration. Wreaths have much history and symbolism associated with them. They are usually made from evergreens found in the local area and which symbolize the strength of life overcoming the forces of winter—since evergreens last even throughout the harshest elements. Bay laurel is also be used, and these wreaths are known as laurel wreaths.

I was raised on a dairy farm in northeastern Pennsylvania where crow’s feet ground cover was abundant in the wooded areas of our land. Before the holidays, we would gather a basket of it and tie it onto a wire coat hanger fashioned into a circle. Adorned with a red ribbon and hung on the front door, it was a warm holiday way to greet visitors.

The shape of a wreath is a circle which has no beginning and no ending. It is thought that this may represent the eternal nature of God’s love or the circle of life.

Do you hang a wreath on your door? If not, how do you decorate for the holiday season?

A sweet Christmas novella to warm your heart!

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Single parent and contractor, Leo Ciaffonni, enjoys restoring old buildings, and the A# Sharp Music Shop with its pretty new owner is no exception. When he’s injured, June finds herself caring for Leo and helping his little daughter bake cookies for her class.

As the holidays close in and the shop’s renovations continue, the problems June tries hard to solve only seem to become more chaotic. The music shop is broken into. A harvest recital for her new students requires multifaceted planning. And the perpetrator and the lost musical score have not been found.

Will she be able to find peace and order in her new life this Christmas—and the love she’s always dreamed of?

Multi-Award-Winning Author Judy Ann Davis began her career in writing as a copy and continuity writer for radio and television in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She holds a degree in Journalism and Communications and has written for industry and education throughout her career.

Over a dozen of her short stories have appeared in various literary and small magazines and anthologies, and have received numerous awards. Her contemporary romantic suspense and comedy, “Four White Roses,” was a finalist in the Book Excellence Awards, the Georgia Romance Writers’ Maggie Awards, and the American Fiction Awards. Her latest novel, “Willie, My Love,” was a finalist in the American Fiction Awards as well.

She writes both contemporary and historical fiction and is best known for “writing romance with a touch of mystery.” When Judy Ann is not behind a computer, you can find her looking for anything humorous to make her laugh or swinging a golf club where the chuckles are few.

She is a member of Pennwriters, Inc. and Romance Writers of America. She divides her time between Central Pennsylvania and New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

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Winter Blogfest: M.C. Roth

December 28, 2021 By 3 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win one free ebook of The Drumbeat of His Heart as well as the sequel A Song for His Heart.

A Fondue Mishap

Every year on Christmas eve, my family gathers for fondue. Unlike cheese or chocolate, we use little pots of hot peanut oil that stay warm over an open flame. With our special forks, wedip our meat of choice into the oil and cook it to greasy perfection.

We never miss a single year, and I’ve dragged myself to that table even on years when I had the flu. We load up our meat, or in my case battered mushrooms, and feast until we can’t eat another bite. Once comatose from calorie overload, we pass out in front of the fireplace.

It’s a very ritualistic thing for us, fireplace included.

The most memorable fondue happened when I was about twelve. As my father moved the pot of hot oil from the stove to the holder on the table, the handle gave way, sending the entire thing splashing my way.

The lit fuel from the burner spread across the table with the help of the oil, sending the whole thing up in flames, decorative tablecloth and all. Of course, I was the only one already sitting at the table because I was starving. I lost my pants to a grease stain, but avoided bursting into flames myself.

A good fire extinguisher saved the day, although the cookies did taste a bit funny with the extra bit of frosting.

I can imagine Trent and Ian starting a Christmas tradition like this of their own, and guaranteed, it would go up in flames.

A brush with death delivers Ian into Trent’s life, but there’s more to Ian than he shares—a hidden life, a hidden career and secrets that may tear them apart.

When Trent is almost hit by a swerving Corvette, he has no idea that the driver will change his life forever.

Freezing cold and soaked, Trent pulls the strikingly attractive Ian from the wreckage. Ian is everything Trent has been looking for in a man—beautiful, sexy—and he needs a place to stay for the weekend.

Trent is out and proud, and he prays he can keep his hands to himself with the gorgeous man under his roof. But Ian is the one who follows Trent into the shower, shows him things that Trent never imagined and takes the final thread of Trent’s virginity.

After a weekend of passion, Trent finds himself falling for Ian, even though they live a country apart. But there is more to Ian than what he says. A hidden life, a hidden career and more lies than Trent can imagine.

Ian’s secrets may tear their hearts to pieces—or transform their desires into something more.

M.C. Roth lives in Canada and loves every season, even the dreaded Canadian winter. She graduated with honours from the Associate Diploma Program in Veterinary Technology at the University of Guelph before choosing a different career path.

Between caring for her young son, spending time with her husband, and feeding treats to her menagerie of animals, she still spends every spare second devoted to her passion for writing.

She loves growing peppers that are hot enough to make grown men cry, but she doesn’t like spicy food herself. Her favourite thing, other than writing of course, is to find a quiet place in the wilderness and listen to the birds while dreaming about the gorgeous men in her head.

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Winter Blogfest: M Pepper Langlinais

December 28, 2021 By 3 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a signed copy of my YA novel THE GHOSTS OF MARSHLEY PARK (written under the pen name Amanda Innes). Shipping to US and Canada only.

Hum for the Holidays

 

A question for you, dear readers: When do you begin listening to holiday music?

I ask because I recently noticed, based on past blog posts and Facebook memories, that I almost always start in mid-November. It’s like I can’t quite wait until after Thanksgiving, but I still need that bit of padding between Halloween and winter holidays.

Maybe it’s because there’s no real “Thanksgiving” music to fill that space? I find myself starting to hum “Sleigh Ride” and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” (two of my favorites), and then I realize I want to hear them, so I start adding Andy Williams and Bing Crosby to my Spotify.

Yes, I’m pretty old-fashioned in my holiday music choices, too. I don’t mind mixing in some of the pop covers of classic holiday hits, but I don’t much go in for the newer stuff. Though that Mariah Carey one is catchy.

We never used to start so early when I was a kid, so it’s not a tradition for me. When I was young, we would wait until after Thanksgiving—even if only the day after—to put up the decorations, and while we did that, we’d put on the Christmas albums. That was always the first time we’d listen to Christmas music for the year. Now that I have a family of my own, we do still wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate. But the music has crept forward in time, much to my oldest son’s chagrin, as his birthday almost always lands during the week of Thanksgiving, and he never wants Christmas music to happen before his birthday.
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Which leads me to the next question: When do you stop listening to holiday music? Right after Christmas? After New Year’s? I’m willing to tolerate it for just a wee bit past Christmas, but come January, I feel like it’s time to start fresh, which means being pretty much done with holiday music. But I’ll leave the lights up a little longer, enjoying the cozy glow through the dark days of winter.

 

In summary, my holiday music “season” seems to run mid-November to the end of December, while my holiday decorations run from early December through, oh, late January. What do your holiday seasons look—and sound—like?

Duncan Oliver was in every respect an unremarkable gentleman.

When mild-mannered Duncan Oliver is abducted by the Milne brothers and taken to their legendary home of Faebourne, his unexciting life becomes much more interesting. Adelia Milne has been cursed, and Duncan is her chosen champion to break the spell. Duncan may not be a hero, but he is a gentleman, and he refuses to leave a lady in distress. He becomes determined to take on the quest on Miss Milne’s behalf.

Meanwhile, an unlikely rescue team forms in the pairing of Duncan’s best friend George and valet Davies. As they set out for Faebourne–and also perchance to learn more about Davies’ obscured family history–what begins as an unequal partnership quickly blooms into friendship… and possibly something more.

M Pepper Langlinais is an award-winning screenwriter, produced playwright, and published author. She holds a Master of Arts in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College and a Bachelor of Science in Radio-Television-Film Communication from the University of Texas at Austin. M has interned on major Hollywood film sets and worked for Houghton Mifflin and Pearson before deciding to focus on her own writing. She lives in Livermore, California.

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Winter Blogfest: Antonia Church

December 28, 2021 By 4 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a signed physical copy mailed to continental US address .

Come Together for the Holidays

Can we all come together for the holidays?

It’s the time of year when I believe in magic more than ever. Now, I’m a magic kinda girl all year round, but the evidence is more prevalent in the yuletide than say…Arbor Day. Not that I don’t love my palm trees, but you can’t really hang lights and top it with a star. Sometimes you need a good old-fashioned evergreen. It’s the season where everyone can gather around even the saddest little tree and Charlie Brown sing out our hearts in harmony. Where Pig Pens and Schroeders can join hands and the world maybe dials down the crazy for a little while.

I come from the great white north and transplanted in sunny central Florida, but the season isn’t besmirched by the lack of fluffy stuff on the ground. It’s been a different sort of Christmas these last few years where sand has repelled snow for my holiday staple. Hot chocolate swapped for sweet tea. Roasted chestnuts replaced by chilled pineapple. Snow boots and scarfs—no longer in my closet. Traded long ago for flip flops and beach towels.

But for a few weeks at the end of every year, my heart still beats with the sound of “pa rum pum pum pum”. The reason for the season is coming together and finding joy and peace within this big human family. We can all gather and sing and laugh and eat and build a snowman (or a sandcastle, if you’re me.) The gift we give each other doesn’t have to be wrapped in pretty foil or topped with a velvet bow, but rather something given in earnest from one to another—peace, love, and respect.

Because life is better when we all come together.

Kane Cambridge is a descendent of the secret royal family of the United States. She is the American Princess.

Kane Cambridge does not lead a fairy-tale life. She works in an office, her boyfriend just broke up with her and her future looks mundane and unexceptional. Where is the rom-com ending that she’s watched in a hundred different movies?

Kane is visited by a mysterious benefactor who reveals that he is the grandfather she never knew. He arrives with a lesson in American history. The original framers of the Constitution wrote a clause that created a ceremonial position for American royalty. Kane’s ancestor was a secret queen of the United States, and now Kane is the American Princess.

American Royalty is the story of an average woman who discovers her own independence and grows to accept her position as a princess. Among her potential suitors are a sexy sultan, a prominent British prince and a brave commoner who is her soldier in shining armor. Will she choose the traditional path or make her crown an American version—all rock ’n’ roll and a little risqué?

Antonia Church Is a romance author, traveler of the continental US, beachcomber, free spirit.

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Winter Blogfest: Barbara Baldwin

December 28, 2021 By 7 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a signed, print copy of “Christmas Quilt Anthology”, a book of ten original holiday short stories by author Barbara Baldwin. This needs to be mailed so is for US only.

Holiday Happenings

Ah, the holidays are here and even with all the craziness in the world, I hope you have the chance to enjoy the season. I recently wrote a holiday card for friends about the season and thought I would share a few parts with you. I’m sure you can relate to what I have experienced over the years.

DECORATING: We found the box of lights at the bottom of everything because we had moved last summer and when we got them out, they were all tangled up and half of them didn’t even work. After buying new lights and a new ladder because ours was run over by the moving truck, we strung the lights along the house, around the shrubs, in the trees and down the driveway.  Only to realize we needed five extension cords just to reach the closest outlet.

SHOPPING: I drove around for over fifteen minutes trying to find a parking place at the mall and when I finally spied one, a little red Beetle whipped into it before I could round the corner. After taking a whole day off to go Christmas shopping, things that were on the sale flyer weren’t in the store and what I had put on layaway three months ago was now on sale for half price.

And I couldn’t find the right size or the right color or something that matched the rest of what I had bought and if I couldn’t buy five of the same thing then I might as well not buy any because everyone had to have one or there would be crying.

COOKIE MAKING: It was time to bake and my daughter made the frosting and decided that army green was an appropriate Christmas color, so Santa, the reindeer and all the snowmen joined the service that year. I wanted to make trays for work and my husband’s office and for our friends so I had to bake for several days, hiding everything on the shelf in the office closet because no one ever goes in there. But they did.

SNOW: All the family was here to celebrate and just in time because it started to snow and the roads were closed. The kids all wanted to go sledding and build snowmen. We finally got everyone bundled up in snowsuits and boots and mittens and caps and then the littlest one said he had to go potty and so we had to undo the caps and mittens and boots and snowsuits.

Much later, the cold, red noses were wiped and the hands warmed and cocoa drank and cookies eaten. All the cousins played downstairs and nobody worried when they argued because all we had to say was, “If you’re not good, Santa won’t come and leave you any presents.”

CHRISTMAS EVE: The carolers are singing and we go out and join them before going to midnight service to hear the wonderful story about the birth of Christ. And when we come home, all the presents are wrapped and under the tree and the stockings are hung and the kids are too excited to go to sleep, but all we have to say is, “If you don’t go to sleep, Santa won’t come and leave you any presents.”

​Quiet descends and we sit and watch the lights wink on the tree and hope that on Christmas Day all the toys make noise and all the baby dolls bawl; that the bike and trike bells ring and the train whistle blows and the race cars speed around the track just like the instructions said they would.

onlyhave three hundred sixty-four shopping days until we get to do it all over again.

Welcome to Cherrywood — a small town where we celebrate the magic of Christmas all month long. Come enjoy holiday lights, dances and music; ice skating and snow sculptures; fellowship and generosity of spirit and above all – romance and family.

Erin Thomas, confidential investigator, uploads her latest case files to the Hartford DA and happily shuts down her computer, promising herself she won’t open it again until the New Year. Even though it’s December, she is ready for vacation and looks forward to visiting the small town of Cherrywood. She wants no more than to sleep late, wander the Christmas markets and catch up on reading the latest romance novel from her favorite author.

Remington Matthews enjoys his life in Cherrywood and his job as part time sheriff is enough to keep him busy but also allows him time to pursue other interests. He’s happy to help people he’s known all his life and even allows his quirky twin sister to pull him into her antics during the month long Winter Festival. Perhaps the only down side to the small town is the lack of romance, but that changes the day he meets Erin.

Erin’s encounter with Remington takes her by surprise. She certainly doesn’t intend to fall for his cover model smile and engaging personality. Yet because Cherrywood is a very small town, she keeps running into him and before long he completely occupies her time and her dreams. He pulls her into holiday activities she never took time to enjoy; introduces her to family and captivates her with fiery kisses and romantic adventures. In Cherrywood, it’s easy to believe in the magic of the holiday. For Erin, that magic and this particular man might change her life forever.

 

Barbara resides in the Midwest United States but she loves to travel and explore new places, which usually means each of her novels is set in a different locale. She has been published in formats from poetry and short stories to full-length fiction and was writer and co-producer for a documentary on state history that won state and national awards. She really loves writing romance, whether it is contemporary, historical or time travel. She has an MA in Communication and has taught every grade from Kindergarten to college. When not writing, she enjoys other creative activities such as making pottery, fused glass, quilts and basket weaving.

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Winter Blogfest: Dakota Issacs

December 27, 2021 By 6 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card, and five copies of Werewolves Prefer Shortbread .

Doing Less and Loving It

The older I get, the more my Christmas celebrations are getting smaller, and I love it.  My husband and I have developed tiny traditions that are ours alone.  They are tiny things, but they bring me a surprising amount of joy.

So, this Christmas season is going to be full of quiet moments.  Spiked hot chocolate with my friends.  Check.  Bumper cars on the ice at Bryant Park.  Double check.  (Don’t knock it till you try it!)  Long walks through the city we love.  Gifting some hats and coats and a hot meal to people who can use them, and then on Christmas day the tradition we started last year and loved.  Sleeping in followed by a pancake breakfast.  Then in the late afternoon we will take a walk through the brisk streets to our favorite restaurant in Chinatown.  The one where the waiters have known my husband since he was a boy.  We will walk down the stairs, with their peeling paint down to the restaurant hidden in the alley.  We will impressively over order, walk the steaming cartons back to our apartment, and then turn on Love Actually.  A quiet day, and one most people won’t get.  But it suits us.  And there is something about that.  Finding the things that suit you even if the rest of the world doesn’t understand.  Owning what makes you happy, finding what brings you joy and not what you think should bring you joy.

That’s what I want more of.  This year and in the years to come.

Here is hoping you find your joys too.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season.

Dakota

Callum McAllister is not a bad guy. Not really. He doesn’t want to evict the nice old lady who lived on his property for the last forty years. But he has to. Trust me. He can’t explain his reasons because they involve things like Werewolves. And now everyone in town seems to hate him. Especially the beautiful young baker, who under any other circumstances, would be his kind of girl. Except now that’s never gonna happen because that ‘nice old lady’ he’s evicting…that’s her Grandma. He knows he’s not welcome but he’s finding it awfully hard to stay out of her kitchen.
The last thing Lily Harris wants for Christmas is a man who cares more about things than he does about people. But Santa has other ideas and Lily’s about to wind up with one very handsome, Scottish Werewolf under her tree. If she’s willing to risk her heart she may wind up with the best Christmas gift in the world: true love.

Dakota Issacs can be found wandering the streets of Manhattan, where she drinks too much coffee, browses record, and bookstores, and reads everything she can get her hands on.

Website

Buy the book at Amazon.

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Winter Blogfest: Bailey Thomas

December 27, 2021 By 14 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a $25.00 Amazon egift card. You must provide your email address for delivery.

Holiday Traditions

I love the holiday season, starting with Halloween right through the New Year festivities. The smiles on people’s faces, the decorations, homemade treats, and you can feel the energy and excitement. It’s magical and contagious.

One of my favorite family Christmas traditions, and it’s one that I miss the most now, is togetherness. Family meals, playing games, singing carols, reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and waking up on Christmas morning to see what Santa had delivered. There are only two words that come to mind to describe those times: laughter and love.

One appetizer that always reminds me of Thanksgiving or Christmas is my grandmother’s blue cheese stuffed celery sticks. Nothing fancy, but holy smokes, are they delicious! All you need is a brick of cream cheese (softened), blue cheese (whatever brand makes you smile), then crumble the blue cheese and combine it with the cream cheese. If you need a touch of liquid, add a splash of milk until it’s a creamy mixture. You want it thick enough to spread it on the celery. Wash and cut the celery into the sizes you want (we do 1.5-inch pieces) and spread the goodness. Arrange on a plate, cover, and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Yummy!!!!!!

My husband and I also look forward to New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day because it’s full of celebrations, parades, football, and puzzles. Of course, no holiday celebration would be complete without having our fur babies by our sides. Spoiled is an accurate description, but we wouldn’t have it any other way! (Wet noses, tail wags, and purrs)

This year was bittersweet for me, I lost my father, but I also had a dream come true by publishing my first book. If you find yourself looking for a new author and romantic suspense series to try, please consider Trent’s Redemption.

Find an adventure that makes you smile. I wish you and your family all the best during this holiday season.

Trent Jacobs had everything he wanted in life until the flash of a muzzle ripped his world apart. Now he only has guilt. Permanently removed from fieldwork due to questionable events, Trent retires from the FBI. He retreats to the small town of Mill Creek, Idaho, to become the town sheriff.

Margaret King knows what it’s like to be alone and isolated. Losing her parents as a child was impossible, but the death of her brother damn near killed her. When a strange van appears on her street and her apartment is broken into, she turns to Trent, the only man she knows she can trust.

After Maggie shows up terrified and haunted, Trent’s guilt explodes. She makes him want things he doesn’t deserve, including her. As their past collides with the present, Trent is forced to face his demons to protect her. Or risk losing her.

Bailey Thomas lives in the beautiful, but hot southwest with her husband and their adorable four-legged children. An only child, Bailey’s active imagination and adventurous nature always kept her busy. Now, she channels those creative powers into storytelling.

Her wonderful husband encouraged her to chase her dream of becoming an author and continues to be her greatest champion. Being able to write these stories has been a thrilling experience that is truly special to her.

When she’s not behind a computer working on her next deadline, she’s reading her favorite authors, playing with her fur-babies, and spending time with her husband. They love to watch movies, sports and play all types of games.

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Buy the book at Amazon.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: , ,
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