A special Christmas present: the Hallmark Channel #RomanceGems

There was my husband sitting on the sofa with a tear in his eye. We were watching a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie.

“I’m a softy,” he said.

Why do we waste time during the holidays watching these movies? They are so predictable! The writer in me analyzed their pre-requisites:

• A boy friend who’s not right for the heroine
• A handsome hero who is totally opposite from the heroine
• A well-meaning friend, angel, or relative who guides the heroine
• A heroine with a busy career, or she’s seeking a career, or she’s a single mom
• A visit to the Christmas tree lot and decorating the tree
• A baking cookies scene
• A belief that “it’s Christmas!” and that because it’s Christmas anything can happen

But you know the real reason we watch Hallmark Christmas movies? These movies make us feel happy. That’s why!

Janie Emaus explains why the movies make her feel happy in her Huffington Post blog 4 Reasons Hallmark Movies Saved My Holiday Spirit. Read it. She explains it very well.

I like one of her conclusions. Emaus says, “I’d like to think this can happen in real life. That we do give people a second chance.”

Second chances are important to me. I’ve had my second, or third, or fourth chance. I write about second chances. One of my favorite themes is the reunion story where hero and heroine get a second chance at love.

What about you? Do you believe in do-overs? Second chances?

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My Christmas Books

Santa's Kiss

A Groovy Christmas

Home for the Holidays

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Our December Rafflecopter has 5 Amazon Gift Cards as prizes. Be sure to enter often to improve your chances of winning, and, please, tell your friends about Romance Gems—our Authors, our books, our blog posts, and our Giveaway every month.

One More Cookie Recipe (Just in Case) by Nancy Fraser

Three days in a row! How lucky can I get to be able to share some more old-lady Gems wisdom with our readers? The extent of that wisdom may be a little questionable, so perhaps we'll stick to a another quick and easy recipe for that holiday baking. Just in case you were one cookie short of having too many!

The "Forgotten Cookie" ... or as my mother used to call them ... the "Poor Man's Divinity". The beauty of these cookies is that you put them in the oven and forget them ... something I often do with other cookies when I shouldn't. I like to make these "forgotten cookies" at night just before I go to bed and then leave them overnight.

Nothing beats waking up to a fresh cookie for breakfast!

Forgotten Cookies

Makes 30-50 cookies depending on size

Ingredients:

4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 - 1 cup mini chocolate chips (or any chip really, or nuts, or chopped candied fruit)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Add vanilla to egg whites and beat with electric hand mixer until just foamy.
3. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.
4. Slowly add in sugar while continuing to beat until all sugar is added and tall stiff peaks have formed. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
5. Portion out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (they don’t need to be spaced out much). A small cookie scoop works best.
6. Place all cookies into oven at once and immediately shut oven off.
7. Wake up to a delicious treat!

If you'd rather not make them before bed, you will need to leave them in the oven for at least four hours (or until the oven is cold again). Also, I've found they don't work well on high humidity days.

Yesterday, I gave away a copy of my 1920's holiday romance, Erin's Gift. I'm going to give away a second copy today. All you have to do to win is comment about your family's holiday cookie. Please also leave your email address so I can send you a copy if your name is drawn.

Here's another sneak peek at the book:

Prohibition Era, Chicago

Caught in a raid at an illegal speakeasy, good girl Erin O'Mara loses everything: her job, her home, and her reputation. Handsome and so out of her league attorney Seth Harrison, her best friend's brother, rescues her not once, but twice. He bails her out of jail and offers her a job as nanny for his son.

Seth has no intention of falling in love after the death of his wife. But despite his better judgment, he can't help being drawn to Erin's innocence. This Christmas, letting go of the past and embracing the future may be the greatest present of all.

Don't forget to enter our December Rafflecopter contest, "Candy Cane Kisses". You can find all the details about the contest on our Monthly Giveaway page. Or, you can go straight to the ENTRY FORM.

Peace out ...

Nancy

What's in a Holiday? by Nancy Fraser

While I love and respect friends and family who celebrate holidays and traditions different than mine, for me it's always been about Christmas!

I'm the freakishly tall one on the left!

 Growing up in the 1950s, my holiday memories revolve around garish silver Christmas trees and large family gatherings. Relatives from both near and far made their way to my grandmother's house and though it was only a two-bedroom duplex there always seemed to be room.

I was an only child but I had more cousins than I could count on both hands and feet ... a testament to the strong beliefs of the Catholic side of the family!

One of my favorite December activities was my annual trip to see Santa Claus. Because my mother worked retail on the weekends, the task of taking me always fell to my Aunt Sybil (Sissie to us kids) and she never failed to do her auntly duty! The day began with a ride on the big city bus to downtown Detroit where we took the crickity old operator-driven elevator to the 24th floor of J.L. Hudsons. The elevator door opened and ... there it was ... Santa's Village in all its replendant glory!

There was always a picture taken, followed by lunch in the department store's restaurant. My meal consisted of my favored hot dog, french fries, and chocolate milk. Topped off with a Mickey Mouse Sundae ... a scoop of chocolate ice cream, two chocolate wafer cookies for ears, and a nose made of a half a marachino cherry. Not gourmet fare by any stretch of the imagination but, to a kid, a banquet to enjoy!

My aunt would entertain me on the bus ride home with a story about the young Virginia and her quest for the truth. It went something like this:

In 1897, Virginia O'Hanlon asked a plain question of the New York Sun's editor: 'Is there a Santa Claus?' 

'Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus', came the terse reply. The answer, though, was not a patent fib designed to placate a youngster, but an exposition on belief itself. 'Virginia, your little friends are wrong', the editor wrote. 'They have been affected by the scepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except they see'. Without Santa, he argued, there would he no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence ... Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

At the ripe old age of six I didn't need someone to tell me what I knew to be true ... of course there was a Santa. After all, I'd just had my picture taken with him.

I'm all grown up now, but I still revel in the joy of the holidays through my grandchildren's eyes. And, even though there's only one who still believes, there will always be gifts from "Santa" under the tree!

In the spirit of the holiday season, I'm sharing some of my favorite family recipes over on my website. If you need some additional inspiration, you can find it at Nancy's Holiday Treats.

Given that we're approaching a new "Roaring Twenties", I thought I'd give away a copy of my 1920's holiday romance, Erin's Gift. All you have to do to win is comment about one of your family's holiday traditions (the holiday doesn't matter). Please also leave your email address so I can send you a copy if your name is drawn.

Here's a peek at the book:

Prohibition Era, Chicago

Caught in a raid at an illegal speakeasy, good girl Erin O'Mara loses everything: her job, her home, and her reputation. Handsome and so out of her league attorney Seth Harrison, her best friend's brother, rescues her not once, but twice. He bails her out of jail and offers her a job as nanny for his son.

Seth has no intention of falling in love after the death of his wife. But despite his better judgment, he can't help being drawn to Erin's innocence. This Christmas, letting go of the past and embracing the future may be the greatest present of all.

Don't forget to enter our December Rafflecopter contest, "Candy Cane Kisses". You can find all the details about the contest on our Monthly Giveaway page. Or, you can go straight to the ENTRY FORM.

If I don't get back to the blog again before the holidays, have a great one!

Peace out ...

Nancy

November Contest Winners and December News by Nancy Fraser

This year has flown by. I can't believe we're less than a month from the new Roaring Twenties!

Our November Rafflecopter drawing was a huge success with 2,832 entries!

First Place: $25 Amazon Gift Card - Nicole Martin
Second Place: $20 Amazon Gift Card - Rebecca Booth
Third Place: $15 Amazon Gift Card - Rob Hestar
Fourth Place: $10 Amazon Gift Card - Christy Meyer
Fifth Place: $ 5 Amazon Gift Card - Courtney Y

Congratulations to all the lucky winners!

Our theme of "Life Lessons" was well received and generated a number of great blog comments, as well as some awesome author giveaways.

It's time now to move on to December.

Our December Rafflecopter has 5 Amazon Gift Cards as prizes. Be sure to enter often to improve your chances of winning, and, please, tell your friends about Romance Gems—our Authors, our books, our blog posts, and our Giveaway every month.

Complete information on the contest can be found on our Monthly Giveaway page.

Watch our December Promotion Video, Candy Cane Kisses, and share the celebration with our authors. You'll also find this video and many others on our Movie Theater page. You can also watch our videos on YouTube.

That's all for me right now but I'll be back tomorrow with my regular monthly post. For those of you in the path of an early winter storm, stay warm and stay safe!

Nancy

Holiday Distractions by Karen Whiddon

It's that time of the year again.  My favorite time.  It starts off with my wedding anniversary (32 years this year) which always falls around Thanksgiving. (Sometimes even ON Thanksgiving!)   We always go out to eat and have a wonderful meal celebrating our years together.

Then it's the big meal, the get-together with loved ones and feasting while giving thanks.

And after that, it's our tradition that we put up our tree and decorate the house inside and out for Christmas.

It's a busy, fun time.

I've also been working.  I have a synopsis due tomorrow for the last book in my Harlequin Romantic Suspense contract and a book due 12-15.  So I've also been working.

In addition, it's a book birthday for me.  Colton's Rescue Mission is out now from Harlequin Romantic Suspense.

You can buy it here on Amazon HERE


Fun times all around!

Finally, here at Romance Gems, we've made a video with holiday pics of all of us.  You can view that here  Our Video

Our December contest has 5 Amazon gift cards as prizes.  Be sure to enter often to improve your chances of winning.  Please tell your friends about Romance Gems - our authors, our books, and our contest giveaways! 


Enter here:  Rafflecopter

Spend The Holidays in Chance by @ElsaKurt #RomanceGems

Happy second day of December! In my corner of the universe (New England) the month came in with a snow & ice storm. Luckily for me, I got to stay in my jammies and all day yesterday and only step outside to let the dogs out. (#sorrynotsorry)

Today, so far, looks to be a repeat which is great news for my Welcome To Chance series. Book five is well underway & I can't wait to see where it goes! Even though it seems strange that I don't know what will happen in my stories, I love the element of surprise. Tomorrow's new release, book four, is no different from the first three in that department...

Each book tells the stories of a community (think: Gilmore Girls, Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, and This Is Us) but with one pair taking "center stage." They each caught me off guard in the direction they took. In book one, Mae's Cafe, I'd envisioned William Grant as a Mr. Rogers type guy and definitely not the love interest for Mae. He had other ideas though, and I'm thrilled he did. Mae and William may be my favorite couple (don't tell the others).

In Rosabelle's Way, I intended for them to get married, but fate had a different plan for these two. I also had no idea that the normally irritating, chauvinistic, and self-absorbed Miles Hannaford would become an endearing (in his own way) guy.

My original plan for Charles and Georgie Brightsider had nothing to do with Chance! They, along with Feather Anne, were going to be their own stand-alone book... or so I thought. Once again, the characters had their own plans, so I followed their lead. I'm so glad they ended up in Chance, because their epic romance is a favorite of mine.

Ah, at last. My guy, Bruce, finally gets his turn. I adore this big lug. He's the back home boy every girl had a crush on, and every guy wanted to be like him. Football star, all-around good guy, brooding, handsome... and not over his one unrequited love. He's a man with a lot of layers and I can't wait for you to read his story.

Right now, books one through three are only .99 on Amazon & I'm offering signed books at a holiday discount on my website. In celebration of tomorrow's official release of Grady's Promise, I'd love to give one reader the first three books in the series FREE! Simply comment below & include your email address (written out as dotcom) if you'd like to be entered to win.

Last but not least! I'd love if you'd subscribe to my newsletter for all the latest news, giveaways, & more! Sign up HERE

What's New on Romance Gems?

I'm glad you asked. Come on in and check out our decorations!

Home Page Cover Art Gallery — That's the beautiful 3D Cover images you see on the right sidebar of the home page. If you see something you like, just click the image and you'll be taken to the Amazon page to learn more and/or to buy.

Holiday Book Fair, a special page created just for you, our faithful readers. Our Holiday Book Fair is filled with dozens of Holiday Romance Novels. They're sure to thrill you, and they're priced low—some are even free! Visit our Holiday Book Fair which will be here until the end of December and check out all the bargains. Great stocking stuffers for your friends who read!

Movie Theater — Watch our new December video and the other new ones from our Authors. They'll put you in the holiday mood.

Check out our Monthly Giveaway page featuring our December promotion, CANDY CANE KISSES. This month we have bigger prizes and more prizes.

Thanks for visiting with me today.  Our December Rafflecopter entry is HERE. Happy Holidays!

First to Say Seasons Greetings by @JoanReeves #RomanceGems

Want THIS Santa? Read a Romance Novel!

Seasons Greetings! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanakkah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Holidays!

I'm happy to be the first to say all of those. I'm also happy to be the first to give away a Holiday Romance!

I'm giving away a Kindle edition of Nobody's Cinderella.

To be entered in my Random Drawing Giveaway, simply leave a comment with your email addy written out. My Giveaway closes at 6pm Dec. 6.

About Nobody's Cinderella

Darcy is in love with her boss, but she's not even a blip on his radar.

Until her BFF decides to give her a makeover. Then Chase notices. Oh, boy. Does he!

All it took was some makeup, some clothes, and a couple of little lies. Okay, maybe they weren't so little, but it was all for a good cause.

Or was it Darcy's wish on a Christmas star that changed everything? Maybe she should have been careful what she wished for!

Nobody's Cinderella is a Kindle Unlimited Free Read, or buy it and keep it forever.

10 Things I Love About Christmas

1. Christmas songs playing in the stores. (Don't hate me, but I'm one of those who actually likes that and hums along.)

Listen to me sing JINGLE BELLS on YouTube

2. Christmas parties are great fun and an excuse to dress up in glitzy clothes and wear sparklies and high heels which I like to do.

3. I love decorating my house and yard with Christmas music playing in the background.

4. I love driving through the neighborhoods and looking at all the colored lights and decorations. (I'm trolling for future decorating ideas too.)

5. I love shopping for presents and finding the perfect ones for those I love.

6. I love eating the special foods that are cooked only during the holidays. (Pralines, Texas Trash, Fresh Orange and Cranberry Relish, Chocolate Bon Bons, and, unfortunately, much more!)

7. I love going to church for candlelight services on Christmas Eve.

8. I love gathering the family and friends together.

9. I love Hallmark Christmas movies!

10. I love Holiday Romance Novels.

What's New With Me?

I have a new Christmas short story that will publish in a couple of days. I think the cover is sassy and sexy and will catch the readers' eyes. What do you think of it?

Stuck on the Naughty List is only 99cents. Here's a little blurb.

A year ago, Cassie left Ben, the man she loved, so he could have the life he’d been groomed for since birth.

When she returns to Capitola, Texas, her small home town, for Christmas, she’s arrested on a trumped-up charge and taken downtown.

Could the new Chief of Police be the perfect man to mend her broken heart?

What's New on Romance Gems?

I'm glad you asked. Come on in and check out our decorations! We've used words and pictures of the season to adorn our blog home. Most of the pages have been updated, but I want to call attention to some of the blog's features.

Home Page Cover Art Gallery — That's the beautiful 3D Cover images you see on the right sidebar of the home page. If you see something you like, just click the image and you'll be taken to the Amazon page to learn more and/or to buy.

Holiday Book Fair, a special page created just for you, our faithful readers. Our Holiday Book Fair is filled with dozens of Holiday Romance Novels. They're sure to thrill you, and they're priced low—some are even free! Visit our Holiday Book Fair which will be here until the end of December and check out all the bargains. Great stocking stuffers for your friends who read!

Movie Theater — Watch our new December video and the other new ones from our Authors. They'll put you in the holiday mood.

Give special attention to our Monthly Giveaway page featuring our December promotion, CANDY CANE KISSES. This month we have bigger prizes and more prizes.

Thanks for visiting with me today. Be sure and leave a comment with your email to be entered in the giveaway for a Kindle copy of Nobody's Cinderella. Our December Rafflecopter entry is below. Happy Holidays!


Click to enter our December Rafflecopter, CANDY CANE KISSES!