COME SHARE A NEW ENGLAND CHRISTMAS WITH ME! #DickensHoliday FREE COOKIE RECIPE BOOK!

 By Caroline Clemmons

Fall has finally arrived in North Central Texas. It’s true we don’t get the glorious changing colors of New England or the mountains. However, things are viewed from a personal perspective.

Hero and I grew up on the West Texas plains in a part of town that had once been cotton fields. Each house built in our area came with the five shrubs and one tree required by FHA. Having large oak trees in our yard and neighborhood now seems heavenly to us.

Although I’ve traveled more than I ever dreamed I’d be able to, I’ve never made it to New England. I’ve watched movies set there with careful observation. I’m certain I’d have fun touring the small towns.

We have a trio of water colors done by a New England artist, the mother of a former neighbor. Mrs. E. Van Liew regaled me with tales of the lovely changing seasons of her hometown in Vermont. I really wanted to visit there in fall. Sigh. 

My husband’s maternal ancestors helped settle Rhode Island and New England. The genealogist in me wanted to visit those places. We don’t travel far these days due to health concerns. I love traveling via books, though. We can each travel anywhere in a book, can’t we?

I’ll bet you see where I’m going with this, don’t you? Nine friends and I have a lovely anthology, CHRISTMAS COMES TO DICKENS, which is available for preorder now and will release on Monday, October 26 for only 99 cents. We’re proud of this group of entertaining novellas filled with the Christmas spirit!

Dickens is a quaint New England town bustling with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming Christmas holiday. There's the annual tree lighting in the town square, a snowman building contest, ice skating on the pond, caroling, horse drawn sleigh rides, and more. 

Dickens offers an abundance of heartfelt wishes, a few much needed miracles, and even a touch of magic. Families reunite, new friends are made, and old flames take a second chance at happiness. All while celebrating this most joyful time of the year.

Creating my story, HOLIDAY HEARTS, was such fun work. I usually write historical romance but enjoy the occasional venture into contemporary. I’ve never enjoyed writing anything contemporary as much as this novella. I was actually sorry when the story ended and I had to leave my friends, the characters. I hope readers love them as much as I do—oh, except for mean girl Celia, of course.

Here’s the Universal link https://books2read.com/DickensChristmas 

As a special treat, we have IT’S A DICKENS OF A COOKIE recipe book FREE and available NOW! The book includes 20 cookie recipes with a little about each author and her book. All of the recipes sound delicious! Here is the Universal link https://books2read.com/dickens-cookie

Wherever you live, I hope you’re enjoying Fall and looking forward to the upcoming holidays.

Be well. Be safe. Be happy.

Apple picking and more by #LucindaRace

Hello again,

Hubby and I went apple picking… it’s a tradition that started with my mom. On a bright sunny day Mom would take me and my brothers. We’d load the trunk of the car with over-flowing wooden half bushel crates. 

Standing in an orchard brings back so many sweet memories. I have to be honest, I didn’t take my girls very often to pick apples. Life was so hectic when they were young but we did go to the orchard, buy a bag and get an apple cider donut so that counts right?

I wanted to share with you my Grandmother's Apple Pudding recipe, another family favorite.

Apple Pudding - Oven 350 for 30 minutes
In a 4 quart bowl, lightly greased add:
4-5 thinly sliced apples,
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar and a dash of salt
Pour over 1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon of apple pie spice

Batter
1 cup flour
3 tea. baking powder
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tea. vanilla
Mix well and pour over apple mixture.
Bake until toothpick comes out clean from the cake.

Enjoy!

In other news, keep an eye open for my December newsletter. I’ll be sharing with you, my newsletter readers, the first chance to read Blends, the prequel to the Crescent Lake Winery series. This novella will not be available for sale so you’ll want to be sure to download it when it is released.

And again, the novella is completely FREE, my gift to you but only if your sign up.

Blush, Romance in the Finger Lakes, Book 1, Crescent Lake Winery will be released in January 2021 with the next 4 books spread over 2021.

Well I guess that keeps us humming through this month. Feel free to email me, post on FB or other social media platforms, oh and did you know I’m on Pinterest too?

Check out the Crescent Lake Winery Board
 

Follow me on social media- all links are below. 

WEBSITE | NEWSLETTER | FACEBOOK| GOODREADS
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | PINTEREST | BOOKBUB

Until next time,
Lucinda

St. Augustine Spooktacular! by @karilemor #RomanceGems

 

From October to May, I’m like the migratory birds and fly south for the winter. Only in the past two years have I called St. Augustine, Florida home. The first time we visited, we instantly fell in love with the historic “Oldest City” and its beautiful and varied architecture and scenery.

Even though it has a few million tourists pass through every year, St. A still has a small-town feel. No building can be over four stories high  (though a few older ones have been grandfathered in) and most of the buildings, especially in the downtown area, are built with a historic flare.

I’m lucky enough to live in the Historic District in a hundred and twenty-year-old building that was previously the National Guard Hospital. Word from our upstairs neighbors is a woman in a white dress has been seen around the building. The little boy on the second floor apparently talks to her often and calls her Kiki. The dogs in the back apartment have a tendency to bark at the same corner of the room often. And we’re right next to the National Cemetery, which makes it even more colorful.

Around the corner from us is ‘The Oldest House’, for St. Augustine, that is. It’s only had four families live in it and is now used for tours. The bottom floor has been stripped to the original walls and decorated sparsely as it would have been a few hundred years ago. I’ve heard there’s a spirit that wanders this place at times.

Head downtown where the gates of the original city still stand and walk down St. George Street. You’ll be greeted by shops and restaurants housing a variety of goods and food. But a few streets over are both the Huguenot Cemetery and the Tolomato Cemetery.  If you take the Ghost Tour that spirits you around the city, you’ll hear tales of spine-chilling spirits who still roam the grounds. A bride in her white gown and a little boy who likes to climb the trees that overshadow the graves.

I’ve even been in the old Jail. I didn’t see any ghosts but was surprised at the gusts of chilly air that roamed in spots. I figured I was walking past an A/C vent. Um, but I was told there isn’t any A/C inside the building. Hmm, where was the cold air coming from on a steamy, warm night?

From my back yard on the Matanzas River, I can see across to the St. Augustine Lighthouse. It’s said to be one of the most haunted places in this part of the country. I love watching the light as it makes it circular route around, warning boats of land.

When the craziness of the world finally dwindles, and you feel the need to travel, I’d highly suggest St. Augustine if you love hearing about history and the people who founded this country. Maybe if you’re lucky (or not) you’ll even get a chance to talk to one of them.

 

 

In my book, ELUSIVE DREAMS, Erik and Tessa take a little time while snuggling to discuss what the kids will be for Halloween. This is the first book in the Storms of New England series and is a marriage of convenience so Erik can adopt two children he rescued from a bombing in Kandahar.

 This book is currently on sale for only 99c!!  (So is Book 2 so scoop them up now!)

~~

  “Your mom called today.”

He paused but only for half a second. “Everything okay? You didn’t mention it at supper.”

“Sorry, I forgot. The kids keep my mind busy. Nothing major. She wants to make Halloween costumes for Matty and Kiki and was looking for suggestions.”

“What’d you tell her?” The kissing hadn’t stopped, and she had to remember what they’d been talking about.

“I asked Matty what he wanted to be. The kids have been talking about it at preschool. He said a pirate so he could sail on the ship in his room.”

Pushing aside some of her hair that had fallen over her shoulder, he caressed her cheek. Taking his hand in hers, she kissed the palm. It had been a few weeks and the deep cut had healed, though it was still pink and tender. Thankfully, he’d never let the injury or the bandages get in the way of exploring each night.

“Sounds good. And Kiki? Did she tell you what she wanted to be?”

His hands ran up her torso and cupped her breasts. She sucked in a deep breath and adjusted so he could fully touch her. This was such a sensitive area for her and it made her head swim when his fingers roamed and kneaded her flesh.

“Well, I’m still trying to interpret the gurgles, but I figured if Matty was going with the theme of his room, then Kiki should too. She’ll be a fairy.”

Make sure to check out my Storms of New England series. Three of the books are at 99c each so you can get all FIVE of them for under $11. That’s a bargain!! 

https://www.karilemor.com/storms-of-new-england

Hope you enjoy lots of candy and spookiness this October. Stay safe and happy reading!

Kari

 

 

 

All In The Family @ConstanceBretes #RomanceGems

Some of us authors talk about characters in our books like they are real. We imagine them, what they look like, their personalities, and the stories they want to tell. Sometimes the characters keep us awake at night. Become demanding, and sometimes, they even clam up once the focus comes onto them.

I had this happen to me with a family. It started with Jake Ackerson, the hero in Love Songs and Jennifer Summers, the heroine. While I was writing this story, another secondary character kept popping up.

To introduce the secondary character, let me introduce the hero in Love Songs. Jake is CEO of Apache White Eagle Casino and the leader/drummer of White Sands, a rock band he formed while a teenager. He fell in love with Jennifer while a teenager, but Jennifer went on to become a famous singer. Years later, Jake and Jennifer were reunited.

EXCERPT: Separated by fame, reunited through music.

When Jennifer Summers returns to the U.S. after spending two years in Africa, she has some decisions to make. Should she resume her singing career or continue to live a secluded life out of the spotlight in the hopes that her stalker won't be able to locate her?

Years ago Jake Ackerson let Jennifer go so she could pursue her dreams. When she suddenly returns to their hometown he's determined to rekindle his relationship with the woman he never stopped loving.

Jake's band is temporarily without a singer, and Jennifer agrees to take the position, but in doing so she is once again pushed into the limelight, and she knows it's only a matter of time before danger strikes.

Will Jake be able to protect her, and can he convince her to put past hurts aside and give their relationship another shot?

While telling Jake and Jennifer’s story, Vincent Carter, Jake’s best friend and bass player in the band, kept nudging in, telling me how lonely he was. Wondering if I could help ease his loneliness. So I started thinking about what kind of woman he needed in his life. Quite unexpectedly, a beautiful redhead real estate agent entered his life and the next story, Jarillo Sunset, started. At first, it was hard to get Vincent to open up. He had some secrets he kept close to his heart. In Jarillo Sunset, we learn more about the rest of Vincent’s family. As Vincent evolve in the story, I find out that he is actually the glue that kept the family of five, three brothers and two sisters, together. While writing the story, we get another very elusive secondary character. One who was peeking but disappeared when pressed to reveal himself. We learn that he is Patrick Carter. Sheriff deputy and elusive brother to Vincent.

EXCERPT: When two strangers meet on a lonely road is it mere coincidence or fate?

Real estate agent Char Johnson is on her way to meet a client when she gets a flat tire. It's a meeting she can't afford to miss since she's just been told she may be out of a job if she doesn't beat out a co-worker in sales over the next few months. When Vincent Carter stops and helps her, she's grateful beyond words and is determined to pay him back for his kindness, which is how she ends up agreeing to be his date to a wedding.

Ever since his divorce Vincent has been on a hiatus from relationships, and he's perfectly happy with that. He's not looking to get involved with anyone, but he does need a date for a wedding.

Although the two discover they enjoy each other's company, and there is definitely an attraction, with their schedules it would be difficult to find time to pursue anything. Vincent works two jobs, and Char is working extra hours to save her own job. Then there's the conniving ex who seems determined to win Vincent back, a whole slew of family drama for both of them, and the list goes on. The obstacles in their way seem to grow by the minute.

And even if they could overcome those, Char may not be able to overcome her own insecurities, not to mention her intense dislike for Vincent's profession. Her father's gambling addiction destroyed their family, so for her to now get involved with someone who works at a casino…

Will Char be destined to be alone forever? Or can the handsome Native American she met by chance break through her walls and ease the loneliness in her life?

After Jarillo Sunset was release, Patrick kept peeking around the corner, caring, but keeping his distance from his family. He was a sheriff deputy, but recently got promoted to police chief in another town, where he moved to so he could escape the family clutches. In Jade’s redemption, we see Vincent reaching out to his brother and in this story, we see Patrick slowly opening up to tell his side and the evolving relationship between him and Jade, a scared, former police officer who helps him to solve a crime. Patrick was both demanding and yet, stubborn. I had to really poke him, to get him to open up.

EXCERPT: He's an overworked police chief, and she's a disgraced cop. Can he rescue her from her own depths of hell without losing his heart to her in the process?

Someone is kidnapping newborn infants and selling them to the highest bidder. Police Chief Patrick Carter has his hands full investigating the case. To complicate matters, he's short on staff.

Jade Harlowe has secrets, ones that she vowed no one would ever know. She used to be a police officer, but when a tragedy occurred—one that everyone held her responsible for—she resigned and moved to another state to start over, accepting a job as a dispatcher for the police, fire, and ambulance departments.

When Patrick discovers Jade's past police experience he offers her a job on the force. He needs help working the kidnapping cases, and Jade previously solved a similar case, so she could be a valuable asset. But will they be able to fight the attraction that's sizzling between them? Something that could be very distracting if they can't control it.

The clock is ticking. They have to find those babies and prevent more from being taken. But a very nosy news reporter may compromise everything if she digs deep enough to uncover Jade's past.

Neither Patrick nor Jade thought they had room for each other in their lives, but working so closely together makes it impossible to deny the chemistry. Can Patrick break through the wall Jade has built up around her, or will her past finally catch up with her and she loses everything once again?

This is as far as I got in this family and after Patrick, things appeared to quiet down for a while. Lately, however, I’ve been thinking about the oldest member of the family, William. But each time I look through the crack in the door, he slams it shut. I am coasting him though, and he has a woman, slowly reaching out to him. The two sisters in the Carter family are hoping to be in a place someday, where they can tell their story.

Will I continue to share the secrets of the rest of the Carter family? If I can get William to open up a bit. He invaded my dreams at night, but not revealing too much about himself. He’s actually more stubborn than Vincent and Patrick put together. So, we’ll see.


Each story is a standalone, with its own HEA.

Here are the universal links to all books that will take you to the retailer you use to purchase your books!

Love Songs:  http://books2read.com/u/mvj5V6

Jarillo Sunset:  http://books2read.com/u/mqpvke

Jade's Redemption:  http://books2read.com/u/boYvk0

Growing Older. Still Writing. @MaddieJames #RomanceGems

Hi. This is me at age 13 or 14 or so. I found this picture yesterday and I am dubbing it the "first selfie known to man."

Today is my birthday.

Not a book birthday but my real birthday. I was always one to say that age didn't really matter to me and I didn't mind having a birthday. Actually, I like that I'm having one. So many of my classmates from school are not so fortunate.

I will admit, however, that I'm often feeling the effects of 64 years on the planet. You know, achy knees, fighting the menopause gut, adjusting to taking new meds. Social Security started this year for me, and next year, Medicare!

How did this happen? I mean, in my heart and head, I'm still that girl in the picture up there.

Yesterday, while cleaning the garage, I came upon a box that I've been moving from house to house for years. It was marked, "Kim's school stuff." (Kim is my legal name.) I decided to open it and see what was inside. It was an interesting collection: 

• my 7th grade music folder;
• my marching band flute music holder;
• my Camp Fire Girl's loom;
• a Cincinnati Reds pennant;
• more school notebooks (anyone need Earth Science notes from 1972?);
• piano sheet music from the 60s/70s (all groovy);
• a half-empty scrapbook;
• two hymnals (I don't know why I saved these);
• a new testament Bible (one of those little red ones);
• a photo album of pictures I took with my first camera--a Polaroid;
• and my human hair fall. 

Yeah. That last one is interesting. For those young whippersnappers who might not know what a fall is, it's just a long hair wig, sort of. I remember when I got it -- 8th grade. I'd cut my long hair short and hated it. My mom took a snip of my hair and gave it to my grandmother, who was a beautician, and she sent it off to have the fall made to match my hair. It finally came and I couldn't wait to try it on. You had to pin it to your head and wear a head band around it to not only hold it on, but not show where your real hair left off and the fake (human) hair started. I remember wearing that awkward thing to school more than once.

Can I just say, here and now, that I'm totally fine with my old, graying hair and that I'm really glad I don't feel like I need to wear a fall any longer? And, was my hair ever really that red? I guess dead human hair doesn't turn gray--this thing is nearly 50 years old! And the other question is this--what does one do with a 50-year-old, human-hair, well-preserved fall? 

But back to the birthday thing. The walk down memory lane yesterday made me smile at times, and brought some tears too. This picture of my parents in our old kitchen, made me both smile and cry. I miss my mom, and I miss my more youthful dad. They look so darned young in this picture and at the time, I'm sure I thought they were old fuddy-duddies. 

My mother hated her birthdays. You didn't mention it. At all. She especially didn't like turning 80, and she passed a few weeks after her birthday. I remember vividly the day she turned 30, and it was not a pretty day.

I'll take 64 and run with it--achy knees and all--hopefully to 80 and beyond. Hopefully healthy and still writing. After all, writing is the legacy we writers leave behind. Right?  

I like this Bon Jovi quote. Just substitute the word story or book for "song" and I think we could say this is true. Our stories are our legacy, and I want to live long enough to tell all of the ones that are still in my head!

I hope everyone has a super day. No book promotion today--just the post. But feel free to visit me at my website any time!

www.maddiejames.net

 

Life Cycle of a Work In Progress by Laura Hunsaker

I did something amazing this past weekend. I wrote the words THE END on my latest book! This has to be one of a writer's favorite things.

The life cycle of a rough draft is nuts, I mean, you start out thinking that you have the best idea! You can't wait to write all the ideas down. You want them out of your head as fast as your fingers can type them. You know you can fix it when you edit, I mean Nora Roberts said, "You can't edit a blank page." So you write.

In your mind you see Henry Cavill as the Witcher! But on the page is...Ross in leather pants. 

Even worse, then you get stuck. And you procrastinate, and then you go back to it, then you poke around online a bit, then you go back to it, and throughout it all, your idea that you loved so much is still bright and shiny! You just need to climb out of this plothole over here, or jump over that speedbump in your story.

Then you're back to writing and you have a big moment coming up! It's amazing, it's brilliant, it...stinks. It really stinks. But-but the shiny! The best idea! All the words! Nope, they all stink, every last one of 'em. But you've got a deadline and you've gotten this far, so lets finish up the words.

Then something miraculous happens. You finish, you type the words THE END, and things make sense, they tie together, they work! Your book really is the best! The shine is back on it, and you think to yourself, "Huh, that doesn't stink after all." And that elation is the best. Then you celebrate! For me, it's a nap and some wine.

This got me thinking, what do other people do once they've reached a goal, or a milestone? So I ask you, what do you do when you've hit a milestone?

Join my Newsletter for a chance to get all my amazing milestones straight to your inbox! ;) Seriously, though, I only email you when I have something exciting to announce like a new cover or a new release. 

Sign up here

Meanwhile my latest release is called Dreams of the Past and you can get it for $.99 in the Last Chance Beach box set (also free in Kindle Unlimited)

There are 14 amazing stories in this box set all taking place on the tourist island of Last Chance Beach. Grab it now and escape the world for a bit! With second chance romance, love at first sight, mature romance, and enemies to lovers, there's a story for everyone!

Dreams of the Past

She needs rest, he needs relaxation…

Jenny Travers wants a fresh start. Leaving the nightmares of her past behind her, she heads to Last Chance Beach. Renting the Sea Glass Cottage sounds peaceful and relaxing, which is exactly what she needs.

What she doesn’t need is a man.

Lieutenant Commander Scott Gordon was injured by an IED on his last mission, and while his leg has healed, it’ll never be strong enough to stay on his SEAL team. Renting the Sea Glass Cottage sounds like the perfect place to figure out how he’s going to handle his new normal. 

He never expected to find a woman in his bed.

A mix-up at the rental agency means Jenny and Scott are both renting the small cottage. Sharing a space with a stranger should be hard, yet they both feel more at peace than they have in months. 

Will their summer romance last, or is the magic of Sea Glass Cottage all they’ll have…

HOLIDAY ROMANCE By Kathleen Lawless @kathleenlawless

 Here in Canada, tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which means this is a long weekend for a lot of workers. For a change, there will be no family dinner of 20+ at my sister’s house; I think she will have 5 around her table this Covid year.  For the first time ever, one of my grown sons is hosting Steel and I.  He lives on a small island, so his siblings and I, with our partners, will take a ferry and overnight bags.

 My offers to make pies or buy the turkey have been politely but firmly declined. He wants to do this all on his own, and I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend with my favorite people and lots of time outdoors hiking and exploring the island.

 My own books each have a timeline, so if an important holiday takes place I make sure my characters are somehow involved in the festivities of the season.  When the book is historical, this takes a fun detour into researching yesteryear.  Did they always carve pumpkins at Halloween?  When did the general populace start eating turkey for the holiday?

Do you enjoy it when romance characters celebrate a birthday or national holiday? Or does it pull you from the story?

 Speaking of holiday festivities, I am one of ten authors in a Christmas anthology of romance novellas set in a small New England town.  HOLLY’S WISH is my first Christmas story and I seriously doubt it will be the last, although it was hard to think about sleigh rides and snowball fights in the August heat. 

Like my heroine, Holly, I received a hard cover copy of The Story of Holly and Ivy one Christmas when I was young.  That book got passed through the family, first to my siblings, then to my own children, where we read it aloud as a family every Christmas, and often still do.

Everyone in the family now has their own copy of this timeless classic about a little girl, a Christmas doll, and the power of wishing.  Our favorite part was always the characters getting poked by either a piece of holly, a price tag, or a safety pin, when they were about to make the wrong choice. As in HOLLY'S WISH, sometimes characters just need a little help to figure things out. 

 You can preorder CHRISTMAS COMES TO DICKENS for only 99 cents here https://books2read.com/DickensChristmas  

IT'S A DICKENS OF A COOKIE, a free book of cookie recipes is the authors' early gift to you and available now. https://books2read.com/dickens-cookie

I read somewhere that Tuesday is a good day to launch a new release, although I seriously wonder if the day of the week makes any difference.  If you’re eagerly awaiting an author’s new book, do you really care what day it comes out?  I know I don’t. 

UNDONE  is the final book in my very steamy Secret Seductions series.  It’s about three girlfriends on a wild week away and the shenanigans they get up to when one of them dreams up an X-Rated Scavenger Hunt.

“…a fun and Entertaining romp…the sexcapades of Kennedy, Justine and Lisa could have been picked from an Episode of Sex in the City. . .” ~  A Romance review.

 If you were a fan of Sex and the City, you should love it.  If you prefer your romances squeaky clean, I would advise you to give this one a big miss.  Here’s the PG-rated blurb.

 An X-rated scavenger hunt!

It’s Kennedy’s solution to cheer up her two best friends and spice up their lives on a badly-needed girls’ getaway.

 Lisa is getting over a cheating husband.

 Justine recently broke up with her married lover.

 While Kennedy is just love ’em and leave ’em Kennedy, in her element on a beach paradise surrounded by wealthy, eligible, and smokingly-single men.    

 The first one to complete the sexcapades list is the winner. 

 Which of them will take home the ultimate prize?  Who will lose her heart?   

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089D3SQ44

Speaking of Holidays, if you missed Last Chance Beach, you can still order your copy before it goes away forever. https://amzn.to/3hJseeT

Stay healthy and safe, and stay in touch.

Sign up for Kathleen’s VIP Reader Group to receive a free book, updates, special                   giveaways and fan-priced offers.    http://eepurl.com/bV0sb1

 

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