Christmas Books Giveaway Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Christmas Books Giveaway Hop!

There will be a different book given away at each of the stops. At the bottom of this post are all the sites participating in the book hop. Make sure to visit (and follow) everyone and enter their giveaways :)

So, on to my part in the hop!

I have a wonderful prize for the historical romance lovers out there...Darcy Christmas by Amanda Grange, Sharon Lathan and Carolyn Eberhart and Cowboy Christmas Harlequin Historical Anthology by by Carol Finch, Elizabeth Lane and Pam Crooks. Simply leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you...and if you choose to follow my blog I'll enter you in my giveaway twice. Good luck and have fun!!!

 

A Christmas Tail

Blurb: Three months after the conclusion of DOG DAYS, Jessica Sheldon and her white German shepherd Zoe have moved in with Hot Max...and his cat, Groucho. When Groucho destroys the Christmas ham and frames Zoe for it, she knows it means war. As the dog and cat do battle, Jessica struggles to fit in with Hot Max's family during a week filled with holiday gatherings. All she has for family is a mother she's just met. Will it take more than that to make Max's parents like her?

My Review: This is an absolutely adorable Christmas story told from alternating points of view, Jessica's and her white German Shepherd Zoe's. As Jessica deals with her insecurities trying to create the perfect Christmas (after never having one growing up in the foster system) while attempting to fit in with Max's wonderfully Christmas obsessed family, poor Zoe has to deal with Max's cat Groucho who keeps managing to frame Zoe for his wrongdoings! I always find books that reveal our pets' thoughts to be so much fun.

Bookmark Blitz Tour: Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play by Ellen M. Collier

Blurb:
"Boardwalk Empire" meets "The Great Gatsby" in this soft-boiled historical mystery, inspired by actual events. Rival gangs fight over booze and bars during Prohibition in 1920s Galveston: the "Sin City of the Southwest." Jazz Cross, a 21-year-old society reporter, feels caught between two clashing cultures: the seedy speakeasy underworld and the snooty social circles she covers in the Galveston Gazette.

During a night out with her best friend, Jazz witnesses a bar fight at the Oasis--a speakeasy secretly owned by her black-sheep half-brother, Sammy Cook. But when a big-shot banker with a hidden past collapses there and later dies, she suspects foul play. Was it an accident or a mob hit?

Soon handsome young Prohibition Agent James Burton raids the Oasis, threatening to shut it down if Sammy doesn't talk. Suspicious, he pursues Jazz but, despite her mixed feelings, she refuses to rat on Sammy. As turf wars escalate between two real-life Galveston gangs, Sammy is accused of murder. Jazz must risk her life and career to find the killer, exposing the dark side of Galveston's glittering society.

Excerpt:

Why in the world was Agent Burton here? Everyone stopped working to watch him make his grand entrance. People don't usually parade around in a newsroom: They sort of shuffle or stumble or stomp—unless a story's really hot, then they'll run. I felt like running away too, but I stayed glued to my chair, pretending to work, my heart racing. What did he want from me?

Burton seemed to enjoy the attention as he headed my way. He was hard to ignore: Standing before me, all six feet-plus of golden skin and hair, he towered over my desk. Looking up, I noticed the curious eyes watching us in the too-quiet newsroom. The reporters stopped typing, fingers poised over keys, hoping for a scoop. My boss stared with unabashed interest.

"To what do I owe this disturbance?" I adjusted my cloche, acting nonchalant.

He grinned at me, then looked around the suddenly still office. "I need to ask you a few questions. Can we go somewhere private?"

"What do you want?" I put on a brave face so the newsboys wouldn't see me sweat.

Burton scanned the hushed room. "You really want to discuss it here, out in public?"

He had a point. Did I want the whole staff listening in on my private conversation? He probably wanted to discuss Sammy, who was no one else's business.

"Let's go outside," I agreed. Head down, I followed him past a leering Hank, feeling like a naughty kid going to the principal's office.

Nathan entered the newsroom, a camera slung over his shoulder, stopping to stare at Burton. "Jazz, is everything jake?"

"Everything's berries." I smiled to pacify him but, I admit, I had the jitters.

"I remember him. Your boyfriend?" Burton seemed amused.

"He's the staff photographer." I ignored his crack. "And a good friend."

Outside, I felt safe among the throng of people and automobiles passing by in a rush. The hustle and bustle of the streets and sidewalks seemed almost comforting. I looked around for Golliwog, our resident stray cat, but she must have been making her daily rounds for scraps.

"How was lunch?" In broad daylight, Burton didn't seem quite as menacing or intimidating. Besides, a group of hard-boiled reporters peered out the newsroom, spying on us.

"Fine." I covered my growling stomach. "What brings you here?"

"Sorry to barge in that way." He smiled, tugging on his hat. "But I had to get your attention. You wouldn't give me the time of day the other night."

"Can you blame me? A raid isn't exactly the best way to meet new people."

"I think we got off on the wrong foot." He stuck his hands in his pockets, jingling some change. "Perhaps we can talk over dinner, instead of standing out here on the sidewalk?"

"Dinner?" Was he serious? "Just like that?" I snapped my fingers. "You waltz in as if you owned the place—like you did at the Oasis—and expect me to dine out with you, a total stranger, because of your badge? You've got a lot of nerve, mister."

"I wouldn't be a Prohibition agent if I didn't." He looked smug. "How about tonight?"

"Tonight? I usually work late." I admit, I was curious. What did he really want?

"Every night?" He raised his brows. "Don't they let you off for good behavior?"

"For starters, I don't even know you and what I do know, I don't like at all." I squinted in the sun. "And I don't appreciate the way you bullied us at the Oasis. I thought people were innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around." I wasn't usually so bold and blunt with strangers, especially lawmen. Maybe it was his youth, or maybe I'd finally found my moxie.

"You must mean Sammy. Fair enough." He held up his hands. "If it makes you feel any better, my gun wasn't loaded that night."

"Small comfort now, after you scared everyone half to death." So it was all an act?

Burton looked down at his boots, as if reconsidering his options. "I hoped you could get to know me over dinner, but how about a quick bite now? I haven't eaten."

"Why not?" I nodded, not wanting to let on that I was famished.

Burton stopped at a sandwich vendor on the corner, and tried to pay for my lunch and Nehi, but I pulled out a quarter before he did. It wasn't a date!

"Where can we talk, in private?" He motioned towards the newsroom. "Away from prying eyes and ears."

Anxious, I led him towards a city park and we sat on opposite ends of a bench, my clutch bag like a barricade, keeping my distance.

"So what's the emergency? Why did you come by today, out of the blue? I hope I'm not under arrest!" I half-joked.

Buy Links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords



Author Bio:

Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer whose articles and essays have been published in several national magazines including: FAMILY CIRCLE, MODERN BRIDE, GLAMOUR, BIOGRAPHY, COSMOPOLITAN, COUNTRY ACCENTS, PLAYGIRL, etc. Several of her short stories (both mystery and romance) have appeared in WOMAN'S WORLD.

A flapper at heart, she’s the owner of DECODAME, specializing in Deco to retro vintage items (www.art-decodame.com). Formerly she's worked as a magazine editor/writer, and in advertising sales and public relations. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism. During college, she once worked as a cocktail waitress, a short-lived experience since she was clueless about cocktails. Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play is her first novel, inspired by real people and places. Currently, she’s working on the sequel.

"When you grow up in Houston, Galveston becomes like a second home. I had no idea this sleepy beach town had such a wild and colorful past until I began doing research, and became fascinated by the legends and stories of the 1920s. I love the glamour and excitment of The Jazz Age, but Prohibition was also such a dark and dangerous time in American history. Jazz isn’t a debutante or socialite, she’s a reporter caught in between the two halves of Galveston society, struggling to do the right thing despite all the temptations and decadence of the era."

Author Links:
Website
Goodreads

Book Tour Schedule:
November 23, 2012 - Socrates' Book Review Blog
November 23, 2012 - Authors Cafe
November 23, 2012 - Books, Books The Magical Fruit
November 24, 2012 - Callie's Comments
November 24, 2012 - A Chick Who Reads
November 25, 2012 - Welcome to she said, he said
November 25, 2012 - Oh, The Books You'll Read
November 26, 2012 - Nuts and Crisps
November 26, 2012 - Tattered Pages
November 27, 2012 - Love, Laughter, Friendship
November 28, 2012 - My Bookshelf
November 28, 2012 - WordWranglers
November 28, 2012 - Romance Me
November 29, 2012 - Mochas, Mysteries and More
November 29, 2012 - From the Pen of Mae Clair
November 30, 2012 - Bitsy Bling Books
November 30, 2012 - Christine’s Words

Dead on Ice Virtual Blog Tour

Meet Irving: Lovers’ in Crime Third Wheel—and he doesn’t like it one bit! 

By Lauren Carr 

A famous man once said, “The more I get to know people, the more I like my dog.” 

As a writer, I have come to agree with him. 

It all started with Gnarly. Actually, it started with Ziggy. Or was it Admiral? 

The truth is that, in the back of my mind, animals have always played a role, even if it was a small one in my mysteries. Growing up as a farm girl, animals are as much a part of my life and being as my mother and husband and son. Since I can’t imagine a world without animals, they have to be part of my fictional world.  

In my first two books, Joshua Thornton, a single father of five children, has a huge Great Dane-Irish Wolfhound mix named Admiral. I was surprised when readers connected to Admiral because, as I had written him, he was little more than a piece of furniture—and always on the lookout to climb up onto it. In A Small Case of Murder, Admiral does have a fight scene with a bad guy, but that was about the extent of it.  

It wasn’t until my third book, and the Mac Faraday Mysteries, that the dog really came to life as a character. Gnarly, Mac Faraday’s German shepherd side-kick, was almost by accident. I had written two drafts of It’s Murder, My Son before Gnarly’s character abruptly came to life.  

About that time, my family had acquired Ziggy, an Australian shepherd puppy, who was unloaded on my son during halftime at a football game. A woman had come up to my seven-year-old son and asked if he would like to hold her puppy. I thought, “What harm can come from holding a puppy?” As soon as Ziggy was in my son’s arms, the woman said, “You can keep him. He’s free!”  

Suddenly, she was out of there!  

Well, Ziggy proved to be a challenge. He got into everything. I grew up with dogs, but this dog was un-trainable. You’d try one technique and it would work. The next day, it wouldn’t because he would find a way around it.  

Yet, I love the daylights out of him. 

I had him analyzed by a dog trainer who explained that Ziggy was extremely smart and, as a result of his high intelligence, he is easily bored. That’s why he gets into trouble. As long as he has something to do, he’s fine. But let boredom set in … 

Gnarly, the kleptomaniac canine, was born. By the end of the next draft, Gnarly had grown from a simple dog next door to a full fledge anti-hero. Since It’s Murder, My Son, I have been collecting dog stories about bad-but loveable canines. 

My editor and I had a disagreement about the opening of Shades of Murder, in which Gnarly plays the troll on the bridge. He blocks access to delivery vans going to Spencer Manor until they pay the “toll” in the form of a dog biscuit. My editor claimed that was unbelievable. No dog would do that. 

Well, that whole segment is based on a Siberian husky named Sarge who lives one road from me!  

By the time Old Loves Die Hard came out, readers were saying I needed a cat counterpart to Gnarly. I was already working on creating the Lovers in Crime, Joshua Thornton and Cameron Gates, to introduce in Shades of Murder.  

It was easy to know which cat I would base Irving on. 

Duchess was a Maine Coon. She was my companion in my single days. She weighed over twenty pounds and, unlike Irving, was the reverse of a skunk. She was all white with a black streak down her back from her head to the tip of her tail. 

Irving has to go through life with the curse of looking exactly like a giant skunk. At twenty-five pounds, he’s all black with a white stripe down his back, from the top of his head to the tip of his tail. 

Like Irving, Duchess was a one human cat. She loved me and no one else. When my husband came along, she tolerated him at best. However, when it became apparent that Jack was to be a constant in her life, her dislike grew. 

One evening, I had prepared a gourmet romantic dinner for my then new husband. It was chateaubriand for two. In our new home, the dining area was combined with the living room. The back of the sofa was up against the dinner table. We had just sat down and toasted this beautiful gourmet meal of love when Duchess jumped up onto the back of the sofa and walked the length of it to where my husband was sitting.  

“Look at that,” Jack told me to notice the intense look in Duchess’s eyes. 

She was aiming right for him. When she got to where he was sitting, she stretched over and “Blah!” discharged a giant juicy hairball right into his plate! 

That was twenty years ago and we have never eaten chateaubriand again. 

The relationship between Joshua Thornton and Irving is much the same. Irving liked Joshua when they first meet in Shades of Murder. However, by Dead on Ice, eight months into Joshua and Cameron’s relationship, Irving has grown to dislike the other man in his mistress’s life. 

 Joshua knows that homicide detective Cameron Gates and Irving are a package deal. Winning over the skunk cat is a must to keep the peace between the lovers in crime. 

Can Joshua win over Irving? Well, Irving does like Admiral. Will Irving get over his jealousy and grow to accept the rival for his woman’s love? 

We’ll see what happen when happens when the lovers in crime sit down to chateaubriand for two.

 

 

ABOUT LAUREN CARR

Lauren Carr fell in love with mysteries when her mother read Perry Mason to her at bedtime.

Lauren is also the author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. The first two books in her series, It’s Murder, My Son and Old Loves Die Hard have been getting rave reviews from readers and reviewers. Lauren’s fifth mystery, Shades of Murder has been receiving rave reviews since its release.

Lauren’s sixth book, Dead on Ice, has just been released. Dead on Ice introduces a new series entitled Lovers in Crime, in which Joshua Thornton will join forces with homicide detective Cameron Gates.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This spring, two books written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and two dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Visit her websites at www.acornbookservices.com and www.mysterylady.net.

 

 

ABOUT DEAD ON ICE

In this Loves in Crime Mystery, Spunky Pennsylvania State Homicide Detective Cameron Gates is tasked with solving the murder of Cherry Pickens, a legendary star of pornographic films, whose body turns up in an abandoned freezer.
Dead on Ice is the first installment of Lauren Carr’s new series (Lovers in Crime) featuring Hancock County Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Thornton and Pennsylvania State Police homicide detective Cameron Gates.
In this Loves in Crime Mystery, Spunky Pennsylvania State Homicide Detective Cameron Gates is tasked with solving the murder of Cherry Pickens, a legendary star of pornographic films, whose body turns up in an abandoned freezer. The case has a personal connection to her lover, Joshua Thornton, because the freezer was located in his cousin’s basement. It doesn’t take long for their investigation to reveal that the risqué star’s roots were buried in their rural Ohio Valley community, something that Cherry had kept off her show business bio. She should have kept her hometown off her road map, too—because when this starlet came running home from the mob, it proved to be a fatal homecoming.

Silent Night: A Lady Julia Christmas Novella

Blurb: 'Tis the season for an investigation! Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane return for a Christmas caper at Bellmont Abbey—.

After a year of marriage—and numerous adventures—Lady Julia and Brisbane hope for a quiet, intimate Christmas together—until they find themselves at her father's ancestral estate, Bellmont Abbey, with her eccentric family and a menagerie of animals. 

Nevertheless, Julia looks forward to a lively family gathering—but amongst the celebrations, a mystery stirs. There are missing jewels, new faces at the Abbey, and a prowling ghost that brings back unwelcome memories from a previous holiday—one that turned deadly. Is a new culprit recreating crimes of the past? And will Brisbane let Julia investigate—?

My Review: With the Victorian era being my favorite time period for historical romance right after westerns, I have every Lady Julia Grey novel in my collection...I'm just embarassed to say I haven't read any of them yet. After reading this Christmas novella I guarantee that will change soon...I desperately need more Lady Julia and Brisbane!!!

This first few pages drew me right into the story as the couple sets off for the March family's old ancestral estate with Julia's older sister Portia, her small daughter and their combined menagerie of pets, including a dormouse, a Siamese named Nin, and a greyhound and ancient pug and their litter of "ill begotten pups". They arrive to find the abbey undecorated, the household staff down with colds, Julia's father moody and withdrawn, and soon find themselves investigating the appearance of a ghost and the disappearance of pieces of jewelry. One of my favorite characters/suspects was the new stillroom maid Rose, a former prostitute who lived through the terror of Jack the Ripper in Whitechapel.

This novella is so atmospheric that for a moment I felt as though I were in late 19th century England. The resolution of the thefts was unexpected and absolutely delightful! This will definitely be a re-read for me every holiday season!

Dreaming of Summer Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Dreaming of Summer Blog Hop!

There will be a different book given away at each of the stops. At the bottom of this post are all the sites participating in the book hop. Make sure to visit (and follow) everyone and enter their giveaways :)

So, on to my part in the hop!

I'm giving away a Kindle ebook (up to $7.99) of the winner's choice...you can pick out your own perfect summery beach read!!! Simply leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you...and if you choose to follow my blog I'll enter you in my giveaway twice. Good luck and have fun!!!

Christmas Crumble

Blurb: At home alone for the holidays, Agatha Raisin decides to host a dinner party for the elder residents in her Cotswold village of Winter Parva. Agatha’s never been much of a homemaker, but she’s dead-set on making this the perfect holiday for the “crumblies,” as she affectionately calls them. She’s decorated a tree while fending off her cats Hodge and Boswell, and even made a (lumpy) Christmas pudding in between swigs of rum. But when Agatha dumps the pudding on the head of the local self-proclaimed lothario—an eighty-five year old with a beer belly and fingers like sausages—his death by dessert proves more than a trifle as mysteries mount higher than the season’s snowfall. So much for trying to do good by her neighbors. Now Agatha needs no less than a Christmas miracle to get herself out of this one...

My Review: "There are a lot of crumblies in this village. I mean sometimes the Cotswolds feel like God's waiting room. Come in, number five, says a voice from the heavens. Your number's up. I'll give them a slap-up Christmas dinner." Thus begins Agatha Raisin's latest adventure as she decides to throw a Christmas dinner for the village's elderly residents. Agatha never fails to make me laugh, and this story is no exception. The shortcuts she takes while making a Christmas pudding are absolutely hysterical, and of course disasterous...but are they deadly? 

The Sunday Post #17

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. 

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! On Monday my Kindle Fire arrived and it has pretty much consumed me the entire week! Oh the apps, videos, music and magazines available to me at the click of a finger!!! As you can see, I also took advantage of many Black Friday book sales...how can I resist Christmas books that range from free, to 99 cents, to $1.99??? And Cyber Monday is right around the corner...

Downloaded/Purchased:
    

Color Me A Crime (An Olivia Davis Paranormal Mystery) by Tonya Kappes
A New Tradition (A Small Town Romance Short Story Series) by Tonya Kappes

Santa Paws by Meg Mims

The Wishing Cake by Ellen Meister

Gentleman of Her Dreams (A Ladies of Distinction novella) by Jen Turano

Long Trail Home (The Texas Trail Series) by Vickie McDonough

A Christmas for Katie: A Christmas Families of Honor Novella by Shelley Shepard Gray

Like Casablanca by Sylvia Massara

To Love A Scoundrel (The Law and Disorder Series, Book 4) by Sharon Ihle

The Christmas Grandma Ran Away from Home by Nancy Warren

Border Collie Christmas (A Romance in Four Seasons) by Nancy Warren

Darcy Christmas Anthology

The Thief Who Stole Midnight by Christiana Miller

Happy Hour (Racing on the Edge) by Shey Stahl

Trading Paint (Racing on the Edge) by Shey Stahl

The Book Of Love (Baby Its Cold Out) by Mary Eason

The Inconvenient Duchess by Christine Merrill

Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes

The Anteater of Death: A Gunn Zoo Mystery (Gunn Zoo Series) by Betty Webb

Beyond Shame by Kit Rocha

The Gift by Tiffany Reisz
My Kind of Christmas (A Virgin River Novel) by Robyn Carr

Scrambled (A Susan Sleuth Mystery) by Kathryn Elizabeth Jones

Paw Prints in the Moonlight by Denis O'Connor and Richard Morris

Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter: A Memoir by Melissa Francis

Won/Gifted:
 

NetGalley:
 

The Christmas Grandma Ran Away From Home

Blurb: For every woman who's ever felt overwhelmed and under-appreciated at Christmas comes the story of a decent woman, a widowed grandmother, respected matriarch of a big, noisy family who snaps one holiday season and decides to run away for the holidays. Little does she realize what adventures are in store.

Long time widow Sandy Forbes is breaking out this Christmas. In her 71 years on earth she has stuffed and cooked 55 Christmas turkeys, baked hundreds of pies, turned out thousands of shortbread cookies and hoisted enough pine trees in her living room to reforest the Amazon.

Her family love her. They come to her for every occasion, eating, drinking, squabbling and then leaving her with a mass of dishes and crumpled holiday wrap. But this is the year everything changes. When she wants someone else to take over for one year, the family lays a big guilt trip on her and Grandma rebels. Sandy’s giving herself a gift this Christmas. She’s running away from home for the holidays.

My Review: I honestly bought this novella because the cover made me think of Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer...I had no idea what to expect when I started reading a story about a 71 year old lady who runs away from home to escape her family for the holidays. I was completely surprised by the adventure that awaits her, and was absolutely delighted by Sandy and Earl's story. This one is completely unique and touching.

Buy for 99 cents here.

Santa Paws

Blurb: The last thing Lacey Gordon—divorced with a teen daughter and two cats—needs is a rescue dog coming into her life. To top it off, she's rooked into a "Get Under the Mistletoe by Christmas Eve" dating contest. Since Buddy the dog prefers to be the only "new guy" in Lacey's life, will Santa Claws ruin her holiday for good?

My Review: I really enjoyed this sweet novella and particularly the mother/daughter relationship between Lacey and Deena. Lacey has so much on her plate raising a daughter alone and dealing with a difficult ex, she is a real hero for taking in a problem pup in desperate need for a home. Deena's baggage going back to being bit by a pit bull as a child made for great conflict when she begins getting frustrated by Buddy's antics and wants to give up on him, which Lacey admirably won't let her do. A very sweet romance develops over mochas lattes when Lacey meets Reuben during a disasterous dating contest. Four legged family members sometimes make the best matchmakers!

Buy for 99 cents here.

Black Friday Book Bonanza Giveaway Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Black Friday Book Bonanza Giveaway Hop, hosted by Heather from Book Savvy Babe, Jenn from The Bawdy Book Blog, and Lisa from Alive on the Shelves!

There will be a different book given away at each of the stops. At the bottom of this post are all the sites participating in the book hop. Make sure to visit (and follow) everyone and enter their giveaways! :-)

So, on to my part in the hop!

Do you have an animal lover on your gift list? Have I got the perfect book for you...Paws to Reflect: 365 Daily Devotions for the Animal Lover's Soul. It is hardcover and an absolutely beautiful gift book. Simply leave a comment telling me about a special pet or about your love of our four-legged friends with your email address so I can contact you...and if you choose to follow my blog I'll enter you in my giveaway twice. Good luck and have fun!!! (Open to US residents only.)

Book Blurb: Sometimes human communication falls short in conveying spiritual truth. God speaks through whatever means He chooses and often he chooses animals. Dogs teach unconditional love. The purr of a kitten can bring peace. Horses show us how to harness our strength with grace.

Paws to Reflect offers gentle daily reflections for those who seek to grow spiritually by observing the animal kingdom and all the lessons it teaches.

 

 

A New Tradition

Book Description: For Sabrina Englehardt, Christmas has always been a special day filled with family, friends, and a wacky tradition of watching Breakfast At Tiffany's while dressed up in the stars costumes. . .…tiara tiaras and all.

Sabrina's biggest client insists on having a Skype call on Christmas day to secure a deal of a lifetime, which is fine with her, because this year she's going to make a new tradition. ; Celebrating Christmas alone with her cat at her snowy remote family cabin as family and friends go their separate ways to celebrate the holiday.

When things everything start starts to go array, Sabrina has to call on her hunky neighbor for help in order to secure the her deal of a lifetime.

Will it all work out or will Sabrina pull the quilt over her head waiting for Christmas to be over?               
 
My Review: The busy holiday season was made for short, sweet reads such as this enchanting Christmas story. Everybody needs a break, so what could be better than to cuddle up with a mug of cocoa, a cat, and download this darling 99 cent story and get lost in the lives of Sabrina and Wynn (and Henry and Eliza...sigh). I loved these characters so much I only wish it was a full length novel! Set in New England in the midst of a nor'eastern...pure bliss for this Christmas story fanatic!!!

Rebel Bride Cover Reveal/Book Introduction

From the author of Undercover Rebel comes . . .

Eileen Sewell sparks plenty of gossip by spiteful matrons and their horse-faced daughters that she’d find herself alone due to her picky ways. Of course, she didn’t believe them. Then again, she also didn’t expect to be a mail order bride either. It wasn’t easy snagging a husband who hadn’t heard about her willful nature. Eileen finally gave up hope of finding love, and decided to settle for whatever she’d find out west. If that wasn’t lowering enough, she’d just witnessed the first train robbery. Unfortunately, the outlaws saw her too. Enter Marshal Colt Sheppard, who excels at extracting information from reticent witnesses. His crooked smile and broad shoulders won’t charm her. She’d played this game before, only she never had a worthy adversary. Talk about bad timing.

From Rebel Bride  

“What has your pretty little brow all furrowed up like that?” he asked with a touch of laughter in his voice.

     “Well-I-well…” This was her favorite type of man, one who would flatter her with words of her beauty. Without thinking, she fell into her normal flirtatious attitude, batting her eyes coquettishly. This should be easy.

“Maybe you’re deciding which lies will work on me best. Is that it?” He put one hand on a seat and leaned forward, closing the distance separating them.

He called her a liar. “How dare you!” She hissed the words, pulled her back ramrod straight, and narrowed her eyes. She learned how to project indignant from the best, her mother. Never mind the fact she’d been contemplating which lie to use on him.

His laughter unnerved her, but not as much as his hand touching her cheek. She looked up into his suddenly somber eyes. What was he thinking? He looked so serious. She blinked twice. Her eyes must be playing tricks on her because his face seemed closer, closer still, until he grew unfocussed. She closed her eyes briefly, hoping to clear up her vision.

Lips landed on hers, warm and firm. Her eyes popped open. Sure enough, his slightly out of focused nose and a hunk of blond hair filled her vision. Once she conquered her shock, she decided to let him kiss her. It wasn’t as if she could stop him. Unlike her previous beaus who made awkward attempts she naturally foiled, this was nice. Her skin felt warm despite the wind seeping around the window. Her heart kicked up in an odd flutter, and her toes curled. Could this be what her sister talked about when she described kissing Gray? To think she scolded her sister, calling her no better than a light skirt. Did that make her a light skirt too? She couldn’t afford to be one. She pulled away from the kiss.

“Unhand me sir!”

His eyes crinkled in suppressed laughter. “Look at where my hands are.”

She looked at one large hand still rested on the back of the seat, the other hung lax against his side. Hard to argue with him on that, but still he kissed her. He shouldn’t have done that. “You shouldn’t have kissed me. It was unpardonable of you to take advantage of a war widow.”

Colt crossed his arms and shook his head slowly back and forth. “War widow, my foot. I doubt that very much. Don’t know why you’re parading around in weeds, but I am interested in finding out.”

“What makes you think I am not a widow?” Eileen was miffed over her costume not deceiving him. It could be widows did not go around kissing strange men or at least recent ones didn’t. She’d heard there were some friendly widows in town, but their deceased husbands served only as a name, making her wonder if they ever existed.

He eyed her up and down, smiled, and then let loose a bark of laughter. “Ah, if you were ever married, then your husband should be horse-whipped for his failure to kiss you properly. You do not kiss like a woman with experience. You are more like a love-starved virgin than a widow.”

Eileen stiffened her spine. His words were true, but she resented them just as the same. “Sir, I beg you not to speak poorly of my husband.”

“Ma’am, I can’t speak for a man who doesn’t exist. If you were my wife, you would be well kissed, well handled, and well pleasured.” He said the last word in a suggestive growl.

Author Morgan K. Wyatt

Morgan as a child had to suffer through movies with clueless heroines rescued by smart men. Her mother dutifully read her stories where princesses waited for princes to jumpstart their lives. There were no proactive female role models in the media at that time, with the exception of Wonder Woman. It is for this reason, and that it is fun, Morgan writes about strong women going after what they want.

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Learn more about Morgan at: http://www.morgankwyatt.com.

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