Winter Blogfest: Suzanne Ferrell

December 22, 2020 By 6 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win one ebook of any of my books, their choice.

Nancy Drew

When I was eight years old, my grandparents sent me an intriguing Christmas gift. They lived in another state and always sent our presents early. This time, the box, while the same size as clothing, actually had something heavy in it that slid from one end to the other when you shook it. Trust me, I shook all the presents. 

So, of course, I slowly picked loose the tape on the wrapping paper a little at a time until finally, after a few days I managed to open one end of the package. Careful not to let anyone see me, I took the gift box out of that wrapping without ripping any of the paper. Inside, I found Nancy Drew’s The Secret of the Old Clock! So excited, it took all my willpower to put the book back in the box and rewrap the present.

The next night, after everyone had gone to bed, I went back down to the living room where we had our tree and got the book out of the box and read a few pages by flashlight. It took me the entire pre-Christmas time, about ten days, but I read that whole book by Christmas Eve. Then when I had to open it on Christmas morning, I acted so excited that I had a “new” story to read.

That night, my mom was sitting by me on the couch, and I was playing with some toy I’d gotten. She leaned over and said, “You opened that book before Christmas, didn’t you?”

Surprised she knew, I nodded. “How did you know?” I asked.

“Because if you hadn’t, your nose would be stuck in it and you’d be reading instead of sitting here not reading.” Then she whispered in my ear, “Was it worth spoiling your Christmas to look in the gift?”

She really didn’t want an answer. It was a learning experience. That was the last time I looked for or opened a gift before Christmas. I also learned that I loved mysteries and probably why I write Romantic Suspense.
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DRAINED

Who reports a homeless person missing? They’re already missing.

Three years ago, Brianna Matthews became a victim at the hand of powerful men and barely escaped with her life because her friend cared enough to search for her. From that moment on, she lived her life trying to pay the favor forward by working in a women’s shelter for abuse victims. When her coworker and a former resident in the shelter doesn’t show up for work, Brianna must find her. Enlisting the help of Homicide Detective Aaron Jeffers to go with her to check in on her friend, little does she know they would end up walking in the underworld of Cleveland’s homeless community.

They make the perfect target.

In finding Brianna’s coworker seriously ill, they promise to find her friend, a homeless man, only to discover his body in an abandoned building. Aaron, accustomed to seeing the dead, suspects this may be more than the natural passing of one Vietnam Vet living on the street.

The corpse is drained of blood.

Another body is found in a more public setting, this time with an attachment to the women’s shelter. Fearing Brianna might be in danger, Aaron keeps her with him as the investigation, along with their relationship, deepen. As the new Edgars Security and Investigations Group lends a hand, one of their own goes missing.
Can Aaron and Brianna find their friend before the killer claims another victim?

USA Today bestselling author, Suzanne Ferrell discovered romance novels in her aunt’s hidden stash one summer as a teenager. From that moment on she knew two things: she loved romance stories and someday she’d be writing her own. Her love for romances has only grown over the years. It took her a number of years and a secondary career as a nurse to finally start writing her own stories. Suzanne’s sexy stories, whether they are her on the edge of your seat romantic suspense or the heartwarming small-town stories or historical suspense books, will keep you thinking about her characters long after their Happy Ever After is achieved.

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Winter Blogfest: Randy Overbeck

December 22, 2020 By 3 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win copies of both award-winning books in the Haunted Shores Shores Series: Blood On The Chesapeake and Crimson At Cape May. The can even choose from an e-copy or autographed print version of the titles!.

In the True Christmas “Spirit”

When writers today pen their Christmas stories, they most likely populate them with a helpful angel or a mischievous elf, or maybe a reindeer or two or perhaps even a snowman. In fact, listening to the incessant stream of cheerful holiday songs, readers might think it was always so. Not true. Not so long ago, during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, young ones and adults would more likely have been told stories of a different kind of spirit. In England—the same country that gave us such holiday traditions as Christmas cards, eggnog and mistletoe—children and adults would have gathered around a fireplace on a wintry Christmas eve and been frightened into the Christmas “spirit” via a few creepy ghost stories.

The most famous of these eerie Christmas tales is, of course, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with its four specters to scare straight Ebenezer Scrooge. But Dickens is hardly alone. Henry James’s most famous work, The Turn of the Screw, which also takes place on Christmas eve, is the tale of a governess who finds herself in charge of two recently orphaned children in a country house. While working, she sees the ghostly figures of a man and a woman. But are they in her mind or are they actually spooky specters? 

Another British James (M.R. James this time) contributed an intriguing short story in this tradition with “Oh, Whistle and I’ll Come to You, Lad.” In this eerie ghost story, which the author originally read to friends on Christmas eve, a snooty Cambridge professor is on his holidays by the seaside when he finds an old whistle with a mysterious and unreadable Latin inscription on its side. Without knowing that the message is in fact a warning, he blows the whistle. After that, he’s haunted by terrifying nightmares and images of dark mysterious figures.

Still in the British holiday convention, A.M. Burrage’s eerie short story “Smee” is about a group of young people messing about on Christmas Eve who decide to play a game of hide and seek in a spooky house in which a young girl died years before. During the story, as the anticipation builds, the group wonder, is there another person playing alongside them?

The tradition of sharing ghost stories on Christmas eve is thought to be a throw back to the pre-Christian celebration of the Winter Solstice, a time when light dies and the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest.  And many of these threads continue even into our time, with movie adaptations of these famous stories and magazines regularly featuring ghost stories in their Christmas issues. The BBC hosted its annual strand of “Ghost Stories for Christmas,” which spooked late night audiences through the 1970’s. Even Andy Williams joined the spooky train with his rendition of the holiday classic “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”                “They’ll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago.”
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So this year, after you finish Clement C. Moore’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” why not snuggle down next to a fire with a cup of eggnog and read a few pages of Dark Christmas by Jeanette Winterson, In the pages you’ll follow a woman and a few friends to a haunted Victorian Manor house to celebrate Christmas. What could go wrong?

Merry Christmas to all to all a good fright!

No matter how far you run, you can never really escape a haunted past.

Darrell Henshaw—teacher, coach, and paranormal sensitive—learned this lesson the hard way. Now, with his job gone and few options, he heads for Cape May to coach a summer football camp. The resort town, with gorgeous beaches, rich history and famous Victorian mansions, might just be the getaway he needs. Only, no one told him Cape May is the most haunted seaport on the East Coast.

When a resident ghost, the Haunted Bride, stalks Darrell, begging for his help, he can’t refuse, and joins forces with Cassie, another sensitive. As Darrell and the street-wise teen investigate the bride’s death, they uncover something far more sinister than a murder. Can Darrell and Cassie expose those behind the crimes before they end up being the next victims?

Dr. Randy Overbeck is a veteran educator who has served children as a teacher and school leader. For more than three decades, his educational experiences have included responsibilities ranging from coach and yearbook advisor to principal and superintendent and he’s lived the roles of many of the characters in his stories. An accomplished writer, he has been published in trade journals, professional texts and newspapers as well as in fiction, with his third published novel. As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences such as Sleuthfest, Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop. When he’s not writing or researching his next exciting novel or sharing his presentation “Things That Go Bump in the Night,” he’s spending time with his incredible family of wife, three children (and their spouses) and seven wonderful grandchildren.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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Winter Blogfest: Jennifer Wilck

December 22, 2020 By 8 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of my latest book, Whispers in Washington.

Hanukkah

In our house, we celebrate Hanukkah. Through the years, many things about our celebration have changed. When the kids were young, we of course made a big deal about the holiday. We’d play music, serve latkes (potato pancakes), play dreidel and on a few of the eight nights, give presents. As the kids have gotten older, our traditions have changed.

The entire family would get together one night to exchange gifts with the grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We all brought our menorahs—candelabras with room for nine candles—and we took big group photos of everyone lighting the candles. 

We got together with friends one night and our photos over the years show how much the kids have grown (and how willing or unwilling they are now to smile).

One of the eight nights is dedicated to giving back. Instead of presents for ourselves, we donate to a charity. Some years we’ve made blankets and quilts for our local animal shelter. Other years we’ve sent money to a charity we all agree on—a small miracle in and of itself, since we rarely all can agree on anything. Once when the kids were little, we went to the toy store, bought toys and games for kids who didn’t have any, and brought them to a local preschool.

My specialty for Hanukkah is making fried Oreos. The holiday celebrates the miracle of the oil lasting for eight nights, so our traditional foods are those made with lots of oil, like donuts. Several years ago, my husband and I went to a county fair in the summer and had fried Oreos. We loved them, and since they are deep fried, they fit the holiday perfectly. I found a recipe online to make them and ever since then, family and friends have demanded them every year. 

During COVID, however, all of that will change. The four of us will celebrate together. Presents will still be exchanged and charity given. But the family and friend celebrations won’t occur. Instead, we’ll include others via FaceTime, or maybe do a quick outdoor visit, delivering latkes and Oreos, depending on the weather. There’s less light in the world right now, but the warmth remains. And the sacrifices we make now will ensure a brighter tomorrow. Or at least I hope so. 
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However we end up celebrating, we’ll be thankful that we are together, and we’ll plan for bigger, more inclusive celebrations in the future. So whatever you celebrate, and however you do so, I wish you and your family safe, happy, and healthy times together!

Benjamin Cohen, widowed father of six-year-old Jessie, is doing his best to hold it together through order and routine. The last thing he needs is his matchmaker mother to set him up with her next door neighbor, no matter how attractive she is.

Rachel Schaecter’s dream of becoming a foster mother is right within her grasp, until her meddlesome neighbor tries to set her up with her handsome son. What's worse? He’s the father of her favorite kindergarten student! She can’t afford to let anything come between her and her dream, no matter how gorgeous he may be.

Can these two determined people trust in the miracle of Hanukkah to let love and light into their lives?

Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. Pretty soon, her head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Even as an adult, she thinks about the characters and stories at night before she falls asleep or walking the dog. Eventually, she started writing them down. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong and slightly vulnerable heroes; and her stories always end with happily ever after.

In the real world, she’s the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men she knows. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate.

She writes contemporary romance, many of which feature Jewish characters in non-religious settings (#ownvoices). She’s published with The Wild Rose Press and all her books are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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Winter Blogfest: Joanne Guidoccio

December 22, 2020 By 7 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a free ebook of No More Secrets..

Embracing Winter

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, as well as the official start of winter. While winter can be a challenging season—especially for those of us living in northern climes—there can be moments of beauty and majesty during those months.

Prepare yourself for winter by reading these inspiring quotes:

“While I relish our warm months, winter forms our character and brings out our best.” — Tom Allen

“Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.” — Pietro Aretino

“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” — William Blake

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, ‘Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.’” — Lewis Carroll

“People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.”
— Anton Chekhov

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“A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky, unbidden, and seems like a thing of wonder.” — Susan Orlean

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for a home.”
— Edith Sitwell

“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.” — Paul Theroux

“The winter solstice has always been special to me as a barren darkness that gives birth to a verdant future beyond imagination, a time of pain and withdrawal that produces something joyfully inconceivable, like a monarch butterfly masterfully extracting itself from the confines of its cocoon, bursting forth into unexpected glory.” — Gary Zukav

Angelica Delfino takes a special interest in the lives of her three nieces, whom she affectionately calls the daughters of her heart. Sensing that each woman is harboring a troubling, possibly even toxic secret, Angelica decides to share her secrets—secrets she had planned to take to the grave. Spellbound, the nieces listen as Angelica travels back six decades to reveal an incredulous tale of forbidden love, tragic loss, and reinvention. It is the classic immigrant story upended: an Italian widow’s transformative journey amid the most unlikely of circumstances.

Inspired by Angelica’s example, the younger women share their “First World” problems and, in the process, set themselves free.

But one heartbreaking secret remains untold…

A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Joanne Guidoccio writes cozy mysteries, paranormal romances, and inspirational literature.

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Winter Blogfest: Susan Saxx

December 21, 2020 By 9 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of A Real Man – the first book in the Real Man Series! Let me know, below. what your favorite winter romance trope is, for a chance to win it. 

My First Starbucks Crème Brûlée Latte

It may not seem like a big deal to most people. You’ve probably had dozens of these over the years. But because of various health regimes or diets, I haven’t. Yesterday though, one of my besties treated me to Starbucks. I went, all steeled in my gut, to STAY ON THE DIET.

I snapped.Starbucks creme brulle latte in festive cup

First of all, it’s Christmas. At least, we’re tobogganing quickly down that  snow-covered,  bumpy hill, toward it. Only so many days…

Secondly? There isn’t really a good secondly, or a thirdly. The drinks looked pretty, the cups were festive, and we were there to reconnect, all masked up. We haven’t seen each other in aeons. Everyone was social distancing, and I’ve been starved for human companionship—possibly you can relate to that too.

I ordered the crème brûlée latte.

Even saying that makes me tingle down to my toes. Ours was a modified one. Carolyn ordered one that only had 2 pumps. The coffee was blond, and there were words mumbled about Misto. Then, apparently due to the masks, they misunderstood what she further said, and they gave it to us with an oat base. We got the whipping cream on top.

It was freakin’ heavenly.

Now I want it again, today. For breakfast, right? I looked up a copy cat recipe. There’s one here. Here’s one, too, for homemade caramel sauce. Maybe I can make it?

However, it was such a treat. I have a new celebration place to go to now. And it just goes to show that it’s wonderful to celebrate with friends, and mostly, that it’s good to be able to count on things. To know what you’re going to get, at least, sometimes. It may be a little thing, but it makes me feel good to know I can depend on the enjoyment factor of a Starbucks crème brûlée latte with a close friend, or here at home.

It’s the same with books, stories and story worlds. I love being able to count on what I’m going to get.

Skipping Christmas, one of my favorite, full-length, sexy and humourous novels is set in Terrence Point,  British Columbia, in a snowy mountain,  in a cabin. Both characters have strong expectations as to what the other one will be like as they reconnect, because they’ve got a history.

Dante Knight is a famous hockey player, celebrated around the world, with tons of women hanging off him. Only he’s had an injury that he’s reeling from, that the public doesn’t know about. It’s ended his brilliant, in-process career. 

He’s decided he’s going back to Terrence Point.

He realizes now what he had, when he lived in that small mountain community and Kelley Dunham was his biggest supporter. He could always count on her, and it was no secret she was crazy in love with him. Kinda like a puppy. Only now he knows what he had, and appreciates it, even though he didn’t back then. He’s going back to claim her. Picture-perfect Christmas, right?

Um….not so much.

Kelley Dunham has CHANGED. Huge. In addition, she was a Christmas fanatic, and now? She’s dumped it. Out in the woodpile, behind her absentee grandparent’s cabin. She says she’s never going back.

Then, they get snowed in together…

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But if you’d like to count on a fun, entertaining, sexy yet sweet-hearted Christmas story with a community I think you’ll love, pop over here to check it out, and if you’re so inclined, grab it to read and get in the seasonal mood.

With your Starbucks crème brûlée latte.  🙂 

Let the games begin.

He’s adored by women–and men–all over the world. The raw, gritty, star NHL forward, Dante Knight.

But life changed abruptly, a year ago. Now Dante’s no longer interested in the limelight, or in the panties strewn on the ice. With the same focus he applied to his stunning NHL career, he’s now interested in only one woman…

Kelley Dunham. The girl who loved him back when he was nobody.

It’ll be easy, though, to go back to their little mountain community, and claim her. She’s crazy for him, right?

***
Puppy love for the moody Dante consumed Kelly Dunham’s formative years. But she unravelled when the NHL hopeful abruptly left their tiny Canadian mountain town, after their first—and only—night together. She moved on, soul flaming from the shock. Worse, everyone knew.

Time for a change.

After a series of disappointments, she’s done. Now she’s ready for the playgirl life. Stupid Dante had the right idea, way back, and she’s going to adopt his credo. Sex for nothin’ and her men for free.

But when Dante reappears in a blizzard and they’re snowed in, and he’s finally ready to be the man she always knew he could be…

She stands firm. Nothing’s changing her new-found mission.

Let the games begin.

Susan loves romance, and believes it’s a staple ingredient in life. She uses this love to create sexy, heart-warming stories where friendship and passion–along with breath-taking risk– intertwine to create a love that is timeless.

Focusing on contemporary small town romance and m/m romance, she also unabashedly loves the various holidays, especially Christmas.

Cheerfully addicted to homemade green smoothies (and the rewarding prospect of grossing out certain close friends who shall remain nameless), she also plays second fiddle to the feline masters in her life.

Susan loves to hear from readers. You can contact her at susansaxx@gmail.com, and sign up for her main newsletter here: www.smarturl.it/SusanSaxxNewsletter, and for her m/m romance newsletter here: Susan Saxx M/N Newsletter. (The link is: https://susansaxx.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=f161713dad49609e6e5923b65&id=6bdd0ef900 )

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Winter Blogfest: Melora Johnson

December 21, 2020 By 6 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a bound copy of the recipes I’ve been creating this past year. I’m happy to ship anywhere in the world, it just may take a while to get there.

Cooking for Christmas

delicious eggnog cocktail on round wooden boards near spruce branches and cinnamon sticks on blue textured background

One of the things the main characters, Ally and Matt, seem to enjoy in my paranormal romance Earthbound is cooking together. They make pumpkin pancakes and thick grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. I guess it’s no surprise that I love to cook and it makes its way into my writing and into my blog. I’m half Polish and some of my favorite memories from the Christmas season are the amazing foods that come with it. Christmas cookies like pecan Kolaczki and the rich prune Lekvar Cake my aunt taught my mother to make were favorites in our house. Christmas morning always featured the giant nut roll, Buchta and homemade eggnog. It was as important to me as any presents under the tree.

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It’s kind of amazing no one ever seemed to get sick from salmonella even though we were using raw eggs. However, after a bout of salmonella this summer when I made an ice cream recipe that called for raw eggs, I started thinking about how one could pasteurize a homemade eggnog recipe. I realized that the recipes for eggnog and vanilla ice cream were very similar so why not heat it the same way? A new recipe was born. I made it recently for the first time and my daughter tried it. “This is delicious!” she exclaimed, as if she were surprised. I’ll definitely be making it for Christmas morning this year, along with the Buchta.

I share a lot of my recipes on my blog, and I’ll send one lucky person a bound copy of the recipes I’ve been creating this past year. Reading and trying new recipes, it’s the perfect way to spend a long winter.

Ally Reynolds is a raptor veterinarian who has a “spark” for healing with her hands, a gift she’s kept secret. But she’s lonely and longs for someone to share her life with. Ornithologist Matthew Blake suspects Ally’s healing powers could benefit him and thinks they’d make a great team. Matthew has some secrets of his own. Can Ally trust him or is he just using her?

Melora Johnson grew up in a small town in Upstate New York, and still lives in the state with her husband, daughter, a black cat, and quite a few chickens. She writes poetry, horror, science-fiction & fantasy but also dabbles in other genres. She daylights as a librarian because that is where she hears the best stories. Melora also runs a thriving writers group. Of course, into every life a little rain must fall, as well as the occasional tornado, but you’ll find that amply covered in her writing.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter 

Buy the book at Tirgearr Publishing.

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Winter Blogfest: Janet Fogg

December 21, 2020 By 7 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Soliloquy–winner’s choice as far as digital or trade paperback!.

The Smile of an Angel

I have never, ever, been a good sleeper. Even when young I slept very lightly and would awaken in the silent, early morning hours, my mind busy with my own version of instant replay. Sometimes I’d tiptoe out of the bedroom I shared with my sister to curl up on the couch and enjoy a few rare hours of privacy and quiet. If it was close to Christmas I would plug in the tree lights and that gentle, multicolored glow illuminated my thoughts.

When I was nine or ten years old I was awake but warm in bed when I heard a scrape and muffled thud. I slipped out from beneath the blanket and met my mom in the hallway. Together, we peeked into the living room. The Christmas tree had tipped over and ornaments now decorated the carpet. The two of us quietly pushed the tree straight, tightened the screws that pressed into the tree trunk to hold it upright, and used a couple of dishtowels to sop up the water that had spilled from the stand. My dad, three brothers, and sister slept on.

The silver angel atop the tree tilted drunkenly to one side as she supervised our efforts. She’d been pulled sideways by the fall and the weight of her power cord. Mom carefully straightened our cherished tree topper as I scampered behind the tree to plug in the cord. Haloed now by faint blue, the angel smiled down at us, her heart glowing.
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That angel is with us still though a hole now pierces her bodice, the heat from the bulb having melted through the old plastic decades ago. So the angel has retired. Each year she briefly supervises my sister’s Christmas decorating efforts when fragile old ornaments are unwrapped and admired, reminding us of our youth and of our mother taken from us, too young. The angel’s smile is as sweet as I remember, yet it was long ago that she plummeted to the carpet and long ago that my mom died. My tears, though, are as fresh as the day we lost her and the hole in my heart is as real as the angel’s. It shall never mend.

And now, with the holiday season upon us, I thought I would share that long-ago adventure I shared with my mom. In a few days I’ll visit my darling sister. We’ll hug and weep a little and our love will take flight as we cherish the memory of our mother’s gentle smile, now the smile of an angel.

A tale of passion–of heroes, hope, and the consequences of creating extraordinary music amidst the dark nights of war. Swept back in time to Nazi-held France, concert pianist and composer Erin Meyer protects members of the Resistance by ghost-writing music for an influential German officer. She’s now performing for her life. Caught in a maze of betrayal and death, Erin rescues a downed British pilot and helps him evade capture. It seems impossible, but she recognizes Arick from her own life and time. Erin’s attraction to Arick could prove deadly as the German officer who holds the key to Erin’s return demands more than she is willing to give. For Erin, time is running out.

My focus on writing began in the 1990s while CFO for the coolest architectural firm in Boulder. Fifteen writing awards later I resigned from OZ to follow the yellow brick road, and ten months after that signed a contract for my first published novel, Soliloquy, a HOLT Medallion Award of Merit winner. Since then I've enjoyed co-authoring three WWII military histories, a romantic suspense–A Serenade to Die For–and also the Misfortune Annie series. I'm honored to have been recognized as Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers 2018 Honored Guiding Member.

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Winter Blogfest: Donna Kunkel

December 21, 2020 By 5 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card.

Shopping Downtown

The first week of our school’s Christmas break my dad would take a day off and our family of four would go to downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. The cold wind would gust and blow through the canyons created by the towering skyscrapers. When we’d round a corner the frigid wind would smack us in the face and push our kid sized bodies back. Unfortunately it rarely snowed. I only remember once having a few flakes blowing around as we scurried from building to building. We’d shop for a few items that you couldn’t find in our small town.

There was one department store famous for its window displays. These windows were filled with animated, magical, tiny elves hard at work making toys or decorating trees. We would visit every window and watch spellbound. Then we’d go to the forest wonderland to see a reindeer and visit Santa.

For lunch we’d go to the best Jewish deli in the city for corned beef sandwiches. The booths were warm and cozy. No one ever had to wait long to place an order or get your food. The waitresses bustled around the busy lunch time crowd making sure everyone was taken care of, trying to keep the waiting line from getting too long.

After lunch, we’d head back to the department stores. In our town, a store would take up a slot in the downtown building and have at most only an escalator to a basement level. In Cincinnati a store would occupy the entire city block and extend up for at least six floors. There wasn’t anything more exciting than getting to ride an elevator or stopping on the mezzanine level. We rarely got the chance to shop downtown so when we did it was a major event. I still smile as I recall these happy family outings and the time we spent all together.
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Sick and tired of magical men and mayhem, Alex a city witch, pledges to give magic a rest. Her vow is put to the test when she finds herself snowbound with a hunky mortal. She attempts life without magic even when faced with a demonic hen, a cow that acts like a dog, and a dog that acts human. But when all magic breaks loose and a unicorn shows up, it's the last straw. How will she keep her magic a secret?

Steve, a reclusive prospector, lives alone in a remote Colorado valley because he doesn't trust himself around humans, especially those of the female persuasion. Once he meets the feisty Alex, breaking self-imposed rules is just the beginning. But how can he keep her safe from what lives inside him?

Their connection grows, but the secrets they hide keep them from confessing their feelings. Will they be able to accept and control who and what they are in time to give their love a chance?

Donna Kunkel is a paranormal romance author. Within the pages of her tales you can visit with witches, wizards, shape-shifters, and other fantasy creatures. Figurines of the magic realm surround her computer for inspiration. She lives at the edge of the Colorado mountains with her husband of many years and her two dogs. When not writing, you can find her browsing the fabric shops for her next quilt, stitching Japanese embroidery, or curled up with a good book. She enjoys spending time in the mountains, at Lake Tahoe, or relaxing on a beach in Hawaii.

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Free Author Promo Opportunity – Our Winter Blogfest

November 14, 2020 By 3 Comments

Free Winter / Holiday Promo from Long and Short Reviews!

Join our Winter Blogfest, running December 21, 2020 – January 1, 2021!

We need authors who want to guest blog around the holidays! It doesn’t cost you anything but a prize (any prize you choose) – what could be better than free promo on a really busy site? NOTE: This promotion is limited to the first 50 authors who sign up (one post per author, please). Last day to submit your post will be December 11, 2020.

It’s easy to participate. Simply complete this form https://form.jotform.com/50622657191960 — but be prepared…the form requires a 250 – 500 word blog post that is holiday or winter themed (can be winter, Christmas, Solstice, Hanukkah, New Year’s, etc) and NOT pure promo (no posts that are only excerpts, for example.). They can be about family traditions, memories, a recipe, etc. Be creative! You’ll also be including a cover, blurb, author bio and links.
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The posts will go up on our guest blog pages sometime between December 21 – January 1 (we’ll tell you your date when we schedule you) and each author will be responsible for doing a drawing for their prize on January 3, 2021 from the comments on their post and then posting the winner in the comments as well as contacting them.

Questions? Email us at lasreviews@gmail.com!

Marianne and Judy

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Winter Blogfest: Wendi Zwaduk

January 3, 2020 By 5 Comments


This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a necklace made by the author, along with an autographed swag pack..

Tinsel or Garland… (Or How I Learned the Difference Between the Two)

When I was a kid and we set up the Christmas tree, first, my mother would always plug the little arms into the slots on the tree and grumble about how the tree looked fake. You should know, you’re supposed to fluff the branches of those fake trees, but she’d leave them flat like they were in the box. Our tree had a sort of shelf look. It was always odd, but I never thought it was until I got older and saw other trees. 

Okay, so what does that have to do with tinsel or garland? When I was a kid, we heard the horrors of tinsel. Not the garland, but the stringy stuff that’s sort of draped on the tree. It doesn’t have a cord to hold it together. But my parents referred to that tinsel as the horrible drapey stuff. I know. It’s a technical term. The garland my mother insisted needed to be on the tree was called tinsel. So I thought that’s what it was. 

Fast-forward to when I met DH. His parents put the stringy drapey stuff on the tree AND they used garland. I said, oh, you’ve put on tinsel. They looked at me like I’d stepped off a space ship. Tinsel is the stuff that is thrown on the tree and garland is the stuff on the cord. (Ours never looked as flashy as the one in the photo, but I can’t find a photo of our last Christmas tree.)

Now, I’ve heard the horrors of using tinsel—the drapey stuff. I have cats and dogs and both like to try to eat the tinsel. It doesn’t go low on the tree and sometimes doesn’t go on it at all. Garland seems to be preferred because it’s on the cord. Guess what? The dogs and cats still try to eat it. (And yes, I know the perils of them eating any of it.) 

So I ask you, what’s your preference? I like the look of tinsel, but also garland. I’m rather fond of garland made of pearls. What’s your preference? 
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The last person she expected to fall for her just might be the one she’s been looking for all along.

Bliss McMahon isn’t looking for love. She’s got a degree to complete and a life she wants to live. Besides, love isn’t looking for her. The last and only time she’d tried dating, the whole situation had ended in disaster. Being twenty-one and never going beyond second base doesn’t exactly endear her to the guys, but the one guy she never expected to notice her has. Will she give him a shot or run the other way?

Evan Phillips has a way with the ladies. He can charm them just as easily as he hits homeruns, but this ballplayer has a problem. He won’t be able to pass art history without help. Enter Bliss. Sure, he’s dated her roommate, and yes, Bliss can’t stand him, but he’s not about to back down from the challenge of getting her help. She’s spunky, out of his league and just who he wants. Can the ballplayer convince Bliss he’s up for more than one inning or will she forfeit before the game begins?

He’s ready to steal home in order to win the woman of his dreams.

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 LGBTQ and BDSM 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 author, best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com.
When she’s not writing, Megan 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. She’s an active member of the Friends of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library. Find out more about Megan and Wendi at: http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm

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