Romance Box Set: The Good, The Bad and The Ghostly

Just in time for Halloween, a box set that mixes cowboys and ghosts!

Today's spotlight is on The Good, The Bad and The Ghostly, a box set made for those who love some paranormal with their western romance.

What do you get when you mix cowboys with ghosts?

A collection of 8 stand-alone amazing stories from the Old West with haunts of every variety.

Get your love of alpha cowboys on and feed your addiction for the bizarre--sometimes spooky--world and rush to download The Good, The Bad and The Ghostly.

Bestselling and Award-winning authors are pleased to offer this "different" romance box set and save you more than 75% on the price if the books sold separately.

Titles and Authors

If you click on the author's name, you'll be taken to her Amazon Author page where you can learn more about her and her books.

Visit their Facebook Group page.


Wild, Wild Ghost by Margo Bond Collins
With everyone she loves in the grave, Ruby specializes in the dead.

Comes An Outlaw by Keta Diablo
An outlaw returns to his childhood home to find his parents and brother dead, and the lovely widow in grave danger.

Long A Ghost, and Far Away by Andrea Downing
Ghosts are restless souls, and Lizzie Adams is one of them. How many lives will she get to find the perfect love?

A Ghostly Wager by Blaire Edens
Even a skeptical detective needs a little otherworldly help.

How the Ghost Was Won by Erin Hayes
There are ghost stories. And there are ghost legends.

McKee's Ghost by Anita Philmar
The ghost living in his house might have saved him from an unhappy marriage and brought him the girl of his dreams but when his ex- fiancé returns, the same spirit turns his life upside down.

A Ride Through Time by Charlene Raddon
P.S.I. Agent Burke Jameson wants to find out if Eagle Gulch, Colorado has genuine ghosts. But he found far more than he expected, including a horse ride that could change his life forever

The Ghost and the Bridegroom by Patti Sherry-Crews
She's sent west to solve a case. What she finds will change her forever.

Buy The Good, The Bad and The Ghostly from Amazon Kindle.

Takeaway Truth

If you're looking for romance that's different, try The Good, The Bad and The Ghostly for some cowboys, romance, and things that go bump in the night.

Release Day for Love, Christmas

Do we Love, Christmas?

Indeed we do! Today was release day for our Love, Christmas Romance Collection, and it was frantic, fun, amazing, motivating, and rewarding--all the things a book release should be thanks to our hard-working authors in this holiday romance box set.

If you want to read the #1 Holiday Romance on Amazon Kindle--yes, that's right--we are:

• #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Holidays
• #1 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Holidays

then here are the buy links for Amazon and the other ebook sellers.

Kindle: http://amzn.to/2cznud0
Nook: http://bit.ly/LoveChristmasNook
iBooks: http://ow.ly/3Giw304KUPy
Kobo: http://ow.ly/nbBC304KX1u

Excited? You Bet

We are SO excited! Thank you, Magic of Books Tour, Xpresso Book Blitz Tour, and Book Partners in Crime Promotions.

Another big thank you to all the early readers and reviewers, all the bloggers who participated, all those who tweeted and retweeted, and FB posters too.

Takeaway Truth

It takes a village--for an ebook collection to hit #1 on release day.

2016 Emma Merritt Writing Contest

The 2016 Emma Merritt Writing Contest, sponsored by the San Antonio Romance Authors, also known as SARA, is now accepting entries.

I remember when I met Emma Merritt many years ago. She was well-known in romance circles and often spoke at workshops and conferences. She was often funny and seemed to never meet a stranger. I love the fact that this contest is named in honor of her.

Eligibility

The 2016 Emma Merritt Competition is opened to published and unpublished authors. Each entry must be an unpublished work – it cannot be published or under contract in any form or format, not in digital or print prior to the entry deadline.
November 30, 2016, midnight, Central time zone – Deadline for submissions. Contest Closes.

Categories and Final Judges

Contemporary:
Piya Campana, Senior Editor, Harlequin Super Romance
Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

Paranormal/Sci-Fi/Fantasy:
Tara Cuskaden, Editorial Director, Entangled Select-Otherworlds
Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger Agency

Suspense/Mystery:
Patience Bloom, Senior Editor, Harlequin Suspense;
Marisa Corvisiero of the Corvisiero Literary Agency

Historical:
Tara Gavin, Executive Editor, Kensington Publishing Corp.
Robin Haseltine, Senior Editor, Entangled

LGBTQ:
Angela James, Editor in Chief, Carina Press
Sara Megibow, KT Literary, LLC

Women’s Fiction:
Susan Litman, Senior Editor, Harlequin Special Editions
Danielle Marshall, Editorial Director, Lake Union Publishing, an imprint of Amazon Publishing

Inspirational:
Raela Schoenherr, Acquiring Editor, Bethany House/Baker
Cori Deyoe of 3 Seas Literary Agency

Young Adult (YA):
Susan Chang, Senior Editor, Tor/Tor Teen
Louise Fury of the Jenny Bent Literary Agency

Deadline

November 30, 2016, midnight, CST.

Entry Fee

USD $35.00 via PayPal.

For more information, visit the contest page of their website. You may also contact Laura or Suanne at saramerritt.coord @ gmail.com.

Takeaway Truth

This is a reputable contest that is well-known. Take a chance and enter.

Save Time on Social Media with Twittimer

If you are short of time but want to maintain an online social media presence, Twittimer will become your best friend.

My friend Mimi Barbour told me about Twittimer. (Thanks, Mimi!)

(Note: This post was originally published on Writing Hacks, my free newsletter for working writers. If you'd like articles like this as soon as they are published, subscribe to Writing Hacks: Tips about the Art, Craft, and Business of Writing to make life easier for writers.)

Twittimer, a website that enables you to schedule social media posts or tweets in advance, is very easy to use. You can schedule a few tweets in advance or upload a CSV file with hundreds of tweets. When you upload a file, you can go back in and add an image to each tweet if you wish. (I always do.)

Once you upload a file, you can just change the dates and use the same file next month. Or, you can go to your Archived Tweets and just schedule them to publish again if that's easier for you.

You can also auto-tweet the same tweet on a regular schedule using their Timetables feature.

Remember I said you could schedule social media posts or tweets? Well, that's right. Twittimer isn't just for tweets. You can schedule Facebook and Linked In posts. You can have multiple Twitter, Facebook, and Linked In accounts too.

Twittimer offers a free level of service and paid plans. Check out the Plans here. I could see how this would make an online presence easier so I chose the lowest-priced level of service and paid for 6 months up front which saves 15% over the $4.99 month by month plan.

If you want to learn more before signing up, just read the FAQ and the Getting Started Guide to learn the basics.

Takeaway Truth

I love Twittimer because it has saved me so much time. So here's a big kiss and a hug to the folks at Twittimer.

If you have a question you can't find an answer for about Twittimer, email me, and I'll try to help.

Xpresso Book Tour for Love, Christmas


Love, Christmas Boxed Set
Pre-order now. Releases: Oct. 18, 2016.
Genres: Adult, Romance
♫♪Put a song in your heart with 20 all-new Christmas Romances from NY Times, USA Today, and national best-selling authors.
Each brand-new title is inspired by a Christmas carol and will lift your spirits and bring on the holiday cheer.♫♪

We Need a Little Christmas by Leanne Banks – Can a handsome cynic become a Christmas believer?
Frosty the Snowman by Mimi Barbour – Stranded in an Alaskan snowstorm, strangers Hali and Terry are forced to rely on each other for survival.
Last Christmas by Joan Reeves – Annabelle gave him her heart, but Rick threw it away. He wants redemption, she wants revenge.
Holly Jolly Christmas by Mona Risk – Pregnant at 18. Adoption would save the baby’s future but may cost her the man she loves.
Do You Hear What I Hear? by Patricia Rosemoor – Live-in-lovers Shelley and Jake are now in a cold war of their own over Christmas.
White Christmas by Rebecca York – Was she in a coma, or was she in a Christmas fantasy?
So This is Christmas by Denise Devine – He was her child nemesis, now he’s her best friend forever.
Grown Up Christmas List by Donna Fasano – All she wants for Christmas is to feel safe… then she meets her guardian angel.
Blue Christmas by the Sea by Traci Hall – Alone for Christmas, Tamsyn helps mystery writer Evan find his mojo–love is a gift neither can refuse.
Santa Baby by Taylor Lee – Lily’s only hope was that this time, he wouldn’t be able to find her.
Let It Snow by Stephanie Queen – A stranger and a snow storm on Christmas Eve create the ultimate test for Dane & Shana.
Merry, Did You Know? by Jennifer St. Giles – Can a Christmas Miracle change the future of a woman who doesn’t believe in love and a man who can’t love again?
O Christmas Tree by Alicia Street – Can Piper convince Cody to let go of his painful past and embrace the hope of Christmas and possibly love?
Sleigh Ride by Katy Walters – Miss Sophia Vale faces poverty. Enter the Earl of Breconbridge, renowned as a rake hell with a conscience.
Deck the Hearts by Rachelle Ayala – Can Holly’s jolly Christmas spirit help Grinch Gordon Gills save the town of Christmas Creek?
Silver Bells by Jacquie Biggar – Can a Christmas wish bring two stubborn souls together and give a little girl the gift she wants?
Hark the Herald Angel Falls by Michele Hauf – To earn her halo, angel Merit must convince the person who holds her earthly soul in limbo–her husband–to stop loving her.
Little Drummer Boy by Dani Haviland – How could a mere drummer boy help those stranded in the worst winter storm of the 18th century?
I’ll Be Home For Christmas by Nancy Radke – When former a former Navy SEAL plucks a woman from the Mediterranean Sea, he discovers a fighter tougher than he.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Cynthia Cooke – A big city girl reunites with a small town boy–magic. A Santa in need of an elf–Christmas magic.
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Love Christmas Excerpt by Leanne Banks

I hope you have been enjoying the Sneak Peeks of the Love, Christmas Romance Collection.

This collection of 20 never before published novellas will be available October 1 for pre-order.

For a limited time, the collections will be only 99cents!

This week bestselling author Leanne Banks is sharing Chapter 1 of her novella in the collection, We Need a Little Christmas.

Excerpt, We Need A Little Christmas
by Leanne Banks

Chapter 1
Unedited Version

Dedicated to David Hogan and in special memory of Cristy and Grandpa.

“Everyone wants something from me,” Justin Dane Burgess muttered as he looked at all the requests on his desk. His retail company was busy enough this time of year without the requisite donation aspect of the holiday season.

His assistant, Francine Thomas said, “You don’t have to contribute to all of them. You’re very generous.”

“You know it’s Christmas. I don’t make appearances, so I make donations to keep Frank Fashions and Home Goods in a good light to our customers.” he asked.

“Or, because you’re generous and have a good heart,” Francine said.

“I’m not sure I agree with either of those,” he said and signed several more checks.

“I must ask you about one charity,” she said, clearly reluctant.

He looked at her with a doubtful expression. “Yes?”

Francine smiled. “That’s all you needed to say,” she said.

“Ms. Thomas” he said. “I need more information.”

“Many of the charities have requested your attendance at special functions,” she began.

“Not interested in special functions,” he said.

Francine nodded. “True, but I thought you might make an exception.”

“Why?”

“Well, she just seems so nice and earnest. I don’t think she’s trying to win your heart. She just wants your presence at her event to increase its visibility.”

“Hmm. So she got to you? It happens at least once a year,” he said, signing another check.

“She gives coats to the homeless. She has given several off her own back,” Francine said.

“Hmm. What an opportunity for great press for her charity,” he said.

Francine sighed. “With all due respect, sir, you’re too bitter for your own good sometimes.”

Justin glared at his assistant, but she didn’t waiver or wither. It was one of the things he liked about his long-time assistant. “Are you saying I’m acting old, cranky and scrooge-like?”

“Stuck in your ways, sir,” she said, pursing her lips and shaking her silver blonde head at him.

“I’m not a public person,” he reminded her. “I hire people for that.”

“Everyone needs to step outside their comfort zone every now and then,” Francine said.

“And how have you done that?” he asked, turning the question on her because it was easier.

“I’m taking rap line-dancing classes,” she said and lifted her chin. “What are you doing?”

Justin blinked. The image of his senior silver-haired secretary participating in a rap line-dance nearly fried his brain.

“Well?” Francine said expectantly.

“I don’t know what to say,” he said.

“Of course you don’t,” she said. “Because you’re stuck in a rut.”

Justin wouldn’t let just anyone speak to him in such a way, but Francine was one woman he trusted. “Leave the invite on my desk. I’ll look at it tomorrow morning. I have another phone conference tonight.”

Francine frowned. “Are you sure you can’t take a quick visit tonight with Ms. Johansen?”

“Absolutely not,” Justin and strode to his office. Francine meant well and she was extremely trustworthy, but Justin understood himself and humanity.

Everyone had always wanted something from him. Today was no different.

***

Lilly Johansen stepped inside the downtown office building and smiled at the security person. “I’m here to see Mr. Burgess.”

The security woman rang someone else and nodded. “Fifth floor,” she said and nodded toward a bank of elevators.
Books are Magical!

Excitement climbed with each passing floor. Lilly clenched her pink gloved hands together. The doors opened and she stepped into a lobby where a silver-haired woman resided over a desk. Lilly knew this was Francine, the gate-keeper.

Lilly smiled again. “You must be Francine Thomas. Thank you for your responses to me.”

Francine pursed her lips. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Burgess wasn’t receptive to your invitation. He will give your charity a donation, but he’s adamant about making personal appearances. If you’ve noticed, you can’t find any photos of him on the web. He’s very private.”

Lilly nodded. “May I wait here a little while just in case he changes his mind?”

Francine looked at her sympathetically. “You can, but I’m quite sure he won’t meet with you.”

Lilly sighed. “I’ll give it a shot,” she said and sank down on her chair, loosening her coat and removing her gloves. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

A vision flooded through her. A long time ago, there was a young woman and a toddler on the street in the snow. The young woman had been her mother.

Lilly remembered the sensation of bitter cold. She remembered how her mother, thin from disease, had hugged her tight.

Lilly remembered her stomach growling with hunger as the snow swirled around them. “We’ll be fine,” her mother said. “You’ll be fine.” Her mother rubbed her shoulders. “We’ll be warm and fed in no time.”

How? Where? Lilly recalled, shivering, hoping.

Her mother pulled them into an alley and under the ledge of a building entrance. “Just rest,” her mother said. “We’ll be fine.”

Lilly’s eyes opened. Her stomach squeezed tight. She glanced around the office. Francine had left. The lights outside the office were dimmed. No sign of Mr. Burgess.

Sighing, Lilly rose and buttoned her coat and pulled on her gloves. Perhaps, she should make a list of donors to ask to attend the charity event with her. Mr. Burgess had been her first and only choice, so…

***

Justin finished his teleconference then checked his messages. Nothing that couldn’t wait until tomorrow. He shrugged on his coat and noticed the guilt-inducing paper message from Francine. Ms. Johansen was here. Wish you would reconsider.

Justin crumpled the piece of paper and tossed it into the trash. He wouldn’t be manipulated into attending a charity event just because.

As he rode down the elevator, however, he did feel a smidge of guilt. He hated himself for it, but it was there. He ordered his car delivered from the garage.

Taking a deep breath to move on, he stepped outside the building into the chilly night. Snow and sleet fell. The ice felt like needles. Midwest winters were unforgiving. He lifted the hood of his black cashmere wool coat knowing he had another just like it in his closet at home if he ruined this one.

The Jeep arrived at the curb and the driver handed him his key. “Have a good night, sir.”

He glanced across the street and spotted a young blonde woman giving her coat to an elderly woman. He stood, unwillingly fascinated.

A second later, he saw the young woman remove her gloves and place them on the elderly woman’s hands.

Justin forced himself to look away, but his determination didn’t last. He glanced back. The older woman shuffled away.

The younger woman stared after her and hugged her arms around herself. Justin decided the young chick could call a car service. Uber was only a text away.

He turned away and got into his car, then gave into the urge to glance across the street one last time. Unable to see either woman, he searched the street from one end to the other.

He finally spotted a woman down on the curb and felt a clench in his gut. He could call emergency or he could help.

Justin reluctantly made a U-turn to check on the younger woman. She wasn’t moving. Stopping beside her, he got out and looked down. “You’re not okay,” he said, seeing that her eyes were closed. “Hello? Hello?”

Sighing, he picked her up and carefully put her in the backseat of his car. He couldn’t leave her out in the elements waiting for an ambulance. But now what should he do with her?

About Leanne Banks

Leanne Banks is a national #1 best-selling author with over 50 romance novels to her credit. Leanne was born and raised in the wonderful town of Roanoke, Virginia. Growing up in “the star city of the south” had a huge impact on her outlook and her writing. Her B.S. in Psychology only qualifies her to treat fictional characters and she began writing when her two children were very young. Leanne believes in the transforming power of love, so writing romance novels comes naturally to her. Website * Facebook.

Takeaway Truth

Just a couple of weeks longer, and you can have this amazing Christmas Romance Collection. I'll post the buys links as soon as they are available.

Is Romance Only For the Young?

The Trouble with Love by Joan Reeves
Amazon Kindle & Other Ebook Sellers
Have you noticed that most romance novels are peopled by the young and beautiful?

Yes, as my husband often says, I’m a master of stating the obvious.

Sure, traditionally-published novels usually starred those under thirty-five--actually under thirty would be more accurate. In fact, an editor once said to an author I know: “Make your heroine twenty-three years old and the CEO of a company.”

I swear that is the absolute truth. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t know too many 23-year-old CEOs.

The point is that traditional publishing had this idea that readers were all in their twenties, and those young women didn’t want to read about anybody much older than they were. (Is it any wonder so many authors happily deserted traditional publishers and embraced indie authorship?)

The Truth

The truth is that there are far more millions of romance readers over thirty than under it. In fact, there are older readers hungry for romance novels with older heroines.

Recently, I received a comment on my mailing list sign-up form that made that statement. The reader had just finished Old Enough to Know Better, my romance with the heroine turning fifty and in love with a younger man.

In that romantic comedy, Stormy is an older woman, and her soul mate just happens to be a younger man, Sean Butler. Sean has all he can do to woo Stormy who obstinately refuses to become involved with him—even though she’s half in love with him anyway.

In the end, he prevails. I don’t want to spoil the ending in case you haven’t read this book, but he gives her a pendant with an engraving that sums up Stormy’s attitude about finding love.

The reader loved the book (her words) and wanted to read more books like it. I guess I've lived llong enough to know that there is no age limit on romance and love--and sex!

In most of my books, I have a secondary romance with an older couple in the spotlight. In The Trouble With Love, shown above, the heroine's mother rediscovers love after a disastrous youthful marriage--that means a torrid sexual relationship too.
Bringing Sexy back--1 book at a time!

To some, the idea of romance and sex for those below forty makes them uneasy. I think pop culture has created the idea that it's ludicrous when in actuality, sex has no age limits--only health limits.

Maybe that's because we all have a self-image embedded in the brain that doesn’t age. I think that’s why you are startled when you walk down the street and catch your reflection in a store window. Ever done that? Ever thought, “My God, I look just like my mother!”

Shake It Up

I love writing about two people who find each other in life. There’s romance, sex, passion, and, in the end, commitment. But, I also love shaking things up a bit. I often throw in a secondary romance between people of a certain age, like I said above in The Trouble With Love.

In Still The One, the main love story was Burke and Ally. Burke’s grandfather and Ally’s grandmother were scheming matchmakers who were also in love and having an affair after meeting on a cruise ship. Yes, they talked about sex! Oh, horrors. Seventy-something people talking sexily. What’s the world coming to?

Over the Hill? Nope!

So if you’re older than 30—or 40, 50, 60, or beyond—don’t despair. The road of life is long and offers love and romance—and, yes, sex too—every step of the way. You can fall in love, and you can read about women and men your age falling in love.

In this new age of publishing, authors aren’t restricted by arbitrary age guidelines. We can write all kinds of stories—even romance novels with older lovers.

Love at any age is amazing, intense, breathtaking, and wonderful. When you’re older, that’s still true—sometimes all those feelings are magnified.

Takeaway Truth

In “The Man in Lower Ten,” Mary Roberts Rinehart wrote: “Love is like the measles. The older you get, the worse the attack.”

Now that is the stuff of romantic comedy, and exactly the kind of book I love to write.


Giveaway

What do you think about lovers older than their 20s? Leave a comment with your email address to be entered in a giveaway for a free audio book copy of The Trouble With Love. Giveaway closes at midnight on 10/16. Winner notified by email.

Sign up for my email list/free newsletter and be the first to learn about contests, giveaways, free books, and new book news.

Get Your Free Holiday Sampler Book Here

FREE! Grab it quick!
I love Sampler Books! They're the perfect way to "try before you buy" so you know you'll be happy with a book. I'm happy to offer you a free copy of Book Bites 7: 20 Holiday Samplers.

My friends and I put this Sampler Book together to call attention to the Love, Christmas Romance Collection, 20 Holiday Romance Novellas by 20 New York Times, USA Today, and national bestselling authors.

Love, Christmas is available on pre-order now and will release October 18. You can go ahead and buy it now if you wish (only 99cents for a limited time) or get the free book first then buy after you've sampled our stories.

One benefit of getting the free book is that it contains the answers you need to play the Love, Christmas Treasure Hunt.  Pop over to the Treasure Hunt page and check out the action.

Backstory

Each novella in this holiday collection bears the title of a Christmas song. Earlier this year, we ran a contest with Fresh Fiction and asked entrants to name their favorite holiday song.

The song could be a classic carol or a popular holiday song. We authors had chosen a favorite song in advance. The first person to name the author's song became the reader to which the author dedicated her novella.

My song was Last Christmas, made popular by Wham and recorded most recently by Taylor Swift. Several readers listed the song as favorite, but Corissa Palfrey was the first to list it. So my holiday romance in the box set is dedicated to Corissa.

Watch the Video Trailer



Last Christmas

Last Christmas, Annabelle fell in love at first sight with a mysterious stranger. After a week of unforgettable passion, he walked out of her life.

A year of heartache accompanied by the dirty tricks life can serve up finds her back in her hometown, determined to forget the man who still haunts her dreams.

Who should walk into her grandmother’s Christmas party? Why the man who seduced her, lied to her, and betrayed her! He has a new name and a new identity, but his effect on her is as old as time.

Rick Lassiter thinks he can woo Annabelle back to him—and his bed. But, he didn’t count on the passionate sweet-tempered woman he remembered as having a will as strong as his and a desire to make him pay for breaking her heart.

Parties and Prizes

Not only do I have a free Sampler Book for you, but also I have lots of Facebook parties with prizes, a Treasure Hunt, and Rafflecopter prizes. Here are the important links.

For information, check the Love, Christmas Facebook Page.

Buy Love, Christmas Romance Collection from: Amazon * Kobo * Nook * iBooks.

Get Free Book Bites 7: Holiday Sampler from: Amazon * Kobo * Nook.

Join the Love, Christmas Treasure Hunt.

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway which started Oct. 1 and runs through Oct. 25.

Join us Oct. 17 and 18 for Facebook Parties thrown by Book Partners. All authors are giving away prizes. I hope to see you there!

Takeaway Truth

Readers, sign up for WordPlay, my email list/newsletter for readers and be the first to know about contests, giveaways, and free books.

Take 5 With Susan R. Hughes

No only is Susan R. Hughes an amazing author of Women's Fiction with strong romance elements, but also she's one of my good friends.

Her latest release is A Baby for New Year’s, Holiday Bundles of Joy, Book 2.

About Susan R. Hughes

Susan is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and historical romance. She lives in Ottawa, Ontario, with her husband and three children.

Find Susan Online: Website * Facebook * Twitter

Be sure and read the excerpt from A Baby for New Year's. It will make you want to buy the book.

Take 5 With Susan R. Hughes

Q1: What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to food and drink?
A: Hot chocolate with whipped cream (and a splash of Bailey's).

Q2: What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to books?
A: The Dear Canada children’s historical series.

Q3: What's the best review you ever received?
A: It wasn’t exactly a review, but a comment from a fellow author. She said that my book Heart’s Desire changed her view on interracial relationships. How amazing is that?

Q4: In your most recent book, who would you cast in a movie as the main characters and why?
A: Emilie de Raven and Colin O’Donoghue from Once Upon a Time, because I love that show!

Q5: Do you listen to music during any of the phases of writing a book? If you do, what kind of music?
A: I have listened to Adele quite a lot. Her songs are so emotional and evocative that you can’t help feeling inspired to write about love and heartbreak.

A Baby for New Year’s

After an emotionally destructive marriage, Meg has settled into a quiet life as a single mother.

When her pregnant teenage niece arrives at her door, seeking shelter, Meg finds herself caught in a family drama between the girl's parents. She hasn't seen her estranged sister Kelly or her former brother-in-law Evan in years, but she hasn’t forgotten her secret crush on him when they were teenagers.

Now that he's single again, he still makes Meg weak in the knees. As the New Year brings complications Meg never thought she wanted, should she listen to her heart and take a chance on love?

Excerpt, A Baby for New Year’s

Evan stood waiting at the top of the stairs, a small smile hovering on his lips. “They’re great kids,” he whispered.

“Yeah, they are. And you’re going to be an awesome grandfather,” Meg added with a quiet chuckle. “You know, before Julie was born, I couldn’t picture you as a dad. But you were a natural with her right from the start. And right now, I honestly can’t picture a kid calling you ‘Grandpa.’ But I know you’ll be wonderful.”

His smile widened. “Thank you, Meg. That means a lot to me.”

She meant to walk past him and head downstairs. But she paused beside him, overcome with feeling for him, and lifted her hand to touch his face. She caressed her fingertips across the coarse day’s growth on his cheek, her thumb grazing his soft mouth. The dim light from the living room glittered in his beautiful eyes.

“You’re a wonderful man,” she murmured.

Evan’s lips parted slightly. His warm, intent gaze tangled with hers, while his hand covered hers and he pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of her thumb.

Awareness quivered from Meg’s hand straight to the pit of her stomach. Her heart slammed against her ribs with a blow that made her catch her breath.

She knew she ought to suppress her feelings. She should walk away and send him straight back to his hotel. But she stayed rooted to the floor, only letting her hand fall from his mouth as he bent to graze his lips against her temple.

“You’re wearing that rose scent again,” he whispered. “That fragrance haunts my dreams.”

Meg closed her eyes as desire for him spiraled through her in a heady rush. Tilting her face upward, she leaned into him and brushed her lips against his mouth.

Takeaway Truth

I've read A Baby for New Year's, and it really is wonderful. Do yourself a favor and add it to your To-Be-Read stack.

Magic of Books Tour for Love, Christmas

LOVE, CHRISTMAS
Holiday stories that will be a song in your heart!


Genre
: Sweet to Mildly Spicy Contemporary Romance




You’ll love this heartwarming collection of 20 all-new Christmas stories from NY Times, USA Today, and national best-selling authors. Every title in the set is from a Christmas song suggested by a reader. Here’s just a sample of the wonderful variety in these pages: In LAST CHRISTMAS, after a year of heartache, a young woman confronts the man who ran out on her the December before. Can SILVER BELLS bring two stubborn souls together and give a little girl the Christmas gift she wants most? HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS showcases a young couple confronting the dilemma of an unwanted pregnancy. In FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, the collection turns from angst to humor when two strangers and a cute but mischievous Samoyed puppy are stranded by a freak snow storm in the Alaskan bush. And then there’s the shopkeeper in WHITE CHRISTMAS who’s hit by a car and goes into a coma—or is she really at Santa’s workshop? All these and the rest of the collection will launch you into the Christmas spirit.









Amazon USAmazon Int'l Kobo B&N iTunes







We Need a Little Christmas - Leanne Banks


When hard-edged, Christmas cynic, Justin Dane Burgess encounters Christmas fan, Lilly Johansen, he doesn't know what to think. Can this Christmas cynic fall for the human equivalent of a Christmas angel? More importantly, can he be the man she needs?


Frosty the Snowman - Mimi Barbour


Stranded in an Alaskan snowstorm, strangers Hali and Terry are forced to rely on each other for survival.


Due to a freak snowstorm that forces him to land his small Cessna, strangers, Hali and Terry, and a cute but mischievous Samoyed puppy are stranded in the Alaskan bush. From the beginning, she’s never known a man so independent and rigid in his need to have things done his way. And he’s never known a woman so willing to help, stepping on his pride in such a lovable way that he can’t take offense. The frigid temperatures are brutal and when he falls through the ice to save a puppy, the stakes for survival become enormous. Can their blossoming mutual attraction withstand their multiple challenges?


Last Christmas - Joan Reeves


Last Christmas, Annabelle fell in love at first sight with a mysterious stranger. After a week of unforgettable passion, he walked out of her life.


A year of heartache accompanied by the dirty tricks life can serve up finds her back in her hometown, determined to forget the man who still haunts her dreams.


Who should walk into her grandmother’s Christmas party? Why the man who seduced her, lied to her, and betrayed her. He has a new name and a new identity, but his effect on her is as old as time.


Rick Lassiter thinks he can woo Annabelle back to him—and his bed. But, he didn’t count on the passionate sweet-tempered woman he remembered as having a will as strong as his and a desire to make him pay for breaking her heart.


Holly Jolly Christmas - Mona Risk


This novella is a prequel to the Holiday Babies Series


Heather and Jeff have always been in love. But to find herself pregnant now, at eighteen, before she starts college and he joins MIT for a master’s degree... Talk about the wrong time. Besides, the news might kill her father, who is battling cancer.


Although the decision to give up her baby is breaking her heart, Heather contacts an adoption agency. Except that Jeff absolutely refuses to consider her solution and their perfect relationship is slowly deteriorating.


How can they revive their loving bond and protect their baby’s future?




Do You Hear What I Hear? - Patricia Rosemoor


The song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" was written as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the middle of the Cold War. Now Christmas is just around the corner, and live-in-lovers Shelley and Jake are in a cold war of their own. Detective Shelley Caldwell has all wonderful memories of Christmas, while Jake DeAtley, born of a mother turned vampire while pregnant with him, has none. They’ve come to a compromise inthat she can decorate “her half” of every room, but no Christmas tree. Then a case of hit-and-run leaves a dead body and a magical Christmas tree that Shelley can’t resist bringing home, heating up the war between her and Jake. There is more to the tree than either knows. When they discover the truth about it, will it bring them together or keep them farther apart?


White Christmas - Rebecca York


The snow is coming down so fast, Amelia Parsons doesn't see the speeding car until it's too late. One moment she’s crossing an ice-rutted street in St. Stephens, Maryland. In the next, she's flying into the air, and the world goes black. She wakes, confused, in what appears to be Santa’s workshop during the holiday rush. If that’s not strange enough, a hunky FBI agent named Daniel is there, demanding to know why she’s involved in a plot to ruin Christmas. Can she convince him she's not the villain and then work with him to find the real saboteur?


So This is Christmas - Denise Devine


Annabelle Lee—is looking forward to a weekend of catching up, munching cookies and enjoying Christmas cheer with her childhood girlfriends. She hasn’t had a vacation since this time last year and desperately needs the time off. Her business has taken a toll on her life, leaving her exhausted and questioning the price of success. She arrives early at Ellie Stone’s family cabin to relax and decide the direction of her future, but to her dismay, she’s not alone. Ellie’s twin brother is also there and declares he isn’t leaving until Friday.


Christopher Stone—is the boy who mercilessly teased her when they were kids. He has grown into a handsome man with a career in professional baseball and a pop-star girlfriend. He appears to have an idyllic life, but the longer they talk, the more Annabelle suspects his love life isn’t as perfect as he claims. She can’t deny her attraction to him and knows he’s attracted to her as well.


Best Friends Forever—will this week be like old times or the beginning of a new chapter in her life?


Grown Up Christmas List - Donna Fasano


Dina Griffin is on the run and wants only one thing this Christmas—to feel safe. However, Officer Gav Thomas tries to arrest her. Arrest her? Yes. But the two become friends, and soon the attraction they feel is unmistakable, even though Gav senses Dina is hiding something. Is he really a local cop… or her guardian angel?




Blue Christmas - Traci Hall


Librarian/waitress Tamsyn Lee is all about accepting change, while Evan Hawke must do everything just the same in order to find his muse. He hopes the seaside grill he wrote his first mystery masterpiece in will kick-start his third book before his publisher drops him. Tamsyn has zero tolerance for divas, but she’s read Evan’s novel and knows he has the talent. Besides, helping him takes the focus off of spending Christmas without her family. Evan realizes he needs a miracle—could feisty Tamsyn be an angel in sneakers and a ponytail?


Santa Baby - Taylor Lee


Dancing to Eartha Kitt’s sultry list of all goodies she expected Santa Baby to put under her tree, Lily slid down the pole and stifled a sigh. A blue convertible? A sable? A Tiffany ring? Right! Like Lily could expect anything remotely like that under her tree! How about first making sure she had a tree.


At that moment she saw him. The big man with the shaggy blond hair and gleaming dark eyes was leaning casually back in his chair. His narrowed expression was hard, knowing. It was clear that he was studying her. Stunned, she quickly looked away, her carefully honed rules fleeing in her panic. The imposing man had “cop” written all over him. Squashing down her terror, Lily pasted a professional smile on her face, waved to the screaming crowd, and fled the stage.


Anyone who’d ever tangled with dirty cops knew that the hard blue line protected the most egregious acts committed by one of their brothers. If anyone doubted that was true all they had to know was that Aiden was a free man and Lily was on the run.


Lily’s only hope was that this time she and Gabriella had run far enough, fast enough, that he wouldn’t be able to find them.


If he was any judge of women who shed their clothes for a living, and Zach most certainly was, he recognized her startled wide-eyed expression. He’d seen it far too many times in his line of work. It was fear, pure and simple.


The Vice Cop reminded himself all that meant was that the beautiful woman had something big to hide.




Let it Snow - Stephanie Queen


Guilt and sorrow eat at ex-special ops legend Dane Blaise like kryptonite until he can’t remember why he wanted Shana, his ex-Scotland Yard partner and former balm for his soul.


Shana can’t reach him and she’s desperate until a stranger, a padre from South America shows up in a snow storm on Christmas Eve. The stranger claims he’s there to help, but what can he possibly do...


Merry, Did You Know? - Jennifer St. Giles


MC Love has decided to give her soon to be born baby up for adoption. In her experience, the cons of growing up in the Love’s family dynasty far outweigh the pros. She wants her baby to have stable parents and a normal life, far from her family’s dysfunctional insanity and the paparazzi that hound her and her seven sisters, all of which are step except one (Her mother, True Love, is still looking for the love of her life). None of the Loves are lucky in love. Her sisters Pure and Sweet had a reality TV show, Love’s Truth about the Loves’ romantic tragedies.


MC does not want her own misfortune in the gossip columns or on her sisters’ show. She has kept her pregnancy a secret as is currently hiding on St. Simons Island, Georgia while her family thinks she is vacationing in a villa in France. She has a week to choose the parents for her child which is due in one month. Everything is on track.


What MC doesn’t plan on is Doug Warren, the man who lives in the condo next to her. The man whose music in the middle of the night makes her heart sing and weep. The man who changes everything.


Doug Warren is trying to breathe again. After the tragic loss of his wife and daughter three years ago, he has his head down, focused on surviving one day at a time. Christmas is the worst time of year. He can’t afford anything to shake the fragile balance he has gained. Two things happen to throw him into the deep end. His family tells him they are descending in mass at Christmas and his neighbor’s adoption papers smack him in the face.


Once he meets MC, he is unable to go back to his status quo. How could she give away what he would die over and over again to have back? He sets on a mission to find out why. And as she helps him prepare for his family’s arrival, his mission changes as the impossible unfolds. Doug’s not only breathing, but his heart is beating, stronger than ever for a woman and her unborn child.


Can he convince her to believe in miracles and trust in him?





O Christmas Tree - Alicia Street
Blaming himself for the collapse of a storm shelter that took the lives of his wife and son in a violent tornado, Cody has spent the last three years running, moving from place to place, taking whatever odd job is available to sustain his empty life.


Piper knows what it takes to endure and hope in the face of the odds, especially at Christmas, so when the ruggedly handsome man with the desolate look in his face steps into her cat cafe to deliver a box of stray kittens, something tells her it’s going to be a very interesting holiday.


Sleigh Ride - Katy Walters


Having lost her father, The Reverend Stuart Vale, the third son of an Earl to yellow fever, Miss Sophia Vale, faced a life of genteel poverty. Not for her the whirl of balls, routs and clandestine meetings in Vauxhall Gardens, nor for her the thrill of meeting that special beau. Yet being of strong will, she determined to banish such frippery dreams and help her bereaved mama to rear her brood of six daughters and one young son.


However Baron Jude Hawsley, a lecher with a penchant for young maidens has other ideas for the unwitting Sophia.


Enter Lord Wells, the Earl of Breconbridge, renowned as a rakehell, his saving grace being a conscience. Yet he guards a secret life, involving much danger for himself and those close to him. Will his conscience win the day? Will he save Sophia from the horrors of enslavement to the baron.


Deck the Hearts - Rachelle Ayala


Holly Jolly lives for Christmas. It’s the only time of the year, as far as she’s concerned.


Gordon Gills doesn’t need a reason to hate the holiday season. He doesn’t see the point.


Gordon returns to the mansion he inherited and finds Holly making a mess with her Christmas decorations. Unfortunately, his great-aunt’s will stipulates that he must make merry every Christmas if he wants to keep his inheritance.


Holly is determined to infect the grouchy Gordon with every dose of Christmas cheer she can muster up and show him what Christmas is really about, while Gordon doesn’t believe Holly can be truly that cheerful. He’ll make the entire ordeal anything but jolly for the redheaded elf, if only he wasn’t so attracted to her.


Will Gordon prevail and turn Holly into a Grinch, or will a sprinkling of Christmas magic show Gordon that there’s no fighting love, especially when it's wrapped up in a gorgeous red-headed package of jolly holly?


Silver Bells - Jacquie Biggar


Mystery writer, Joel Carpenter, has no time for romance. He has a deadline to meet, and too many skeletons in his closet to trust the slightly spinny artist renting his house.


Christy Taylor has her hands full dealing with an ailing business and a diabetic daughter, she doesn't need the temptation that is her landlord, Joel Carpenter.


Can a Christmas wish bring two stubborn souls together and give a little girl the gift she wants most?


A family of her own.




Hark the Herald Angel Falls - Michele Hauf


To earn her halo, angel Merit must convince the person who holds her earthly soul in limbo—her husband—to stop loving her.



Little Drummer Boy - Dani Haviland


Reduced to becoming a drummer boy at half wages, the young scout shows his worth when a small band of post-Revolutionary War soldiers and citizens become lost in the worst winter storm of the late 18th century. Will the unexpected arrival of his malcontent father help or hurt their situation?


I’ll Be Home For Christmas - Nancy Radke


Fleeing an invading army in the Middle East, Sofia Morgan and Lee Trahern meet in a rowboat in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. They have barely enough water to make the trip across, and when bullets fly, most of their containers are shot full of holes. Can these two make it to safety, and even be home for Christmas?


Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Cynthia Cooke


Santa Claus is coming to town, and so is Nicole Flattery. When this big city girl must return to her small hometown, she runs headfirst into the handsome boy next door—who is none other than the town Santa. And he needs an elf.



1.Nicole better Watch Out for her father has taken a fall.



2.She better Not Cry when she has to wear an elf costume and be at Santa’s beck and call.



3.She better Not Shout even when she has lost it all.

Santa is making a list, and he’s checking it twice.



He’s going to make sure she’s naughty and nice. So, hold onto your heart, because Santa Claus is coming to town!



Leanne Banks GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Mimi Barbour GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Joan Reeves GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Mona Risk GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Patricia Rosemoor GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Rebecca York GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Denise Devine GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Donna Fasano GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Traci Hall GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Taylor Lee GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Stephanie Queen GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Jennifer St. Giles GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Alicia Street GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Katy Walters GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Rachelle Ayala GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Jacquie Biggar GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Michele Hauf GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Dani Haviland GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Nancy Radke GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite


Cynthia Cooke GoodreadsTwitterFacebookAmazonWebsite



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