Lyn Cote's Blog, page 42
November 3, 2015
Author Terri Reed’s Latest, Murder Under the Mistletoe & Excerpt
My guest today is Author Terri Reed and I decided to let her book tell you why you should pick it up at the earliest convenience! Here’s Terri:
my strong heroine in Murder Under the Mistletoe
Heather Larson-Randall, the heroine in my November release Murder Under the Mistletoe, book three of my Northern Border Patrol series, showed strength during her husband’s deployment and then when she lost him to the war in the Middle East. This left her to raise thier six-year-old son alone.
Her faith is tested and stretched at every turn,
but she falls back on the promises of the Bible, knowing that God is in control. I hope you will enjoy this story of a strong woman who gives love a second chance.”–Terri
EXCERPT of Murder Under the Mistletoe
“Good night, sweet boy.” Heather Larson-Randall leaned in to kiss her six-year-old son’s forehead.
“Night, Mommy.” Colin snuggled deeper beneath the thick comforter. He lay in the twin-size bed in the room that once had been Heather’s.
Gone were the decorations of her adolescence—posters of the latest celebrity heartthrob and her 4-H ribbons and trophies. It had taken the past three days to transform the room in a superhero motif that would have made Ken, her late husband, proud.
A cold draft skated across the back of her neck. The late November night had grown chilly, but at least the northern Idaho rain had abated for now. The weatherman had predicted a drop in temperature over the next few days. Fitting for this year’s Thanksgiving. She just needed to get through the day for Colin’s sake. Then she could concentrate on Christmas.
Hopefully celebrating the birth of Jesus would take her mind off her brother’s tragic death.
She also hoped they had snow by Christmas morning. Colin loved the snow. And, as always, her life’s priority was Colin.
She moved to the bedroom door. The creak of the old farmhouse’s hardwood floor beneath her feet followed each of her steps, echoing the hollow, lonely beat of her heart. “Mommy?”
Pausing in the doorway with her hand hovering over the light switch, she smiled patiently at her son. Colin looked so much like Ken with his dark brown hair falling over one eye and his dimpled chin. She ached with love for her son and regret that he’d never know his father. “Yes, sweetie?”
Her late parents had taught her that replacing the word what with the more positive yes when talking to children created a strong, effective bond. The proof was in how close her family had been.
Colin’s big blue-green eyes stared at her intently. “Do you think Uncle Seth is with Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa?”
The innocent question speared through her like a hot poker. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep the tears of grief at bay. Five years ago, just before Colin’s first birthday, her husband had been killed while serving his country in Afghanistan, leaving Heather to raise their son alone. She’d made sure every day that Colin knew his father had loved him. Adding to her grief, her parents had been killed in a freak car accident when Colin was four.
Now, two years later and five days ago, she’d lost her younger brother, Seth, to what appeared to be a cocaine overdose.
She struggled to comprehend how Seth had fallen back into using drugs after being clean the past couple of years. He’d had so much going for him. A fiancée he adored, half the tree farm and a bright future. She didn’t know what had sent him running back to the abyss.
Placing one hand on her chest, she leaned against the doorjamb, needing the strength of her childhood home to keep her upright when the grief pressing down on her threatened to send her to the floor in a heap. “Yes, dear. I’m sure they are all together.”
A familiar tide of anger washed over her. Anger at God for allowing the tragedies that had left her and Colin alone in the world. On the heels of the anger came a flood of guilt for blaming God. Sometimes it was hard to cling to her faith when the world tried to knock her down.
The cell phone in the pocket of her plush robe buzzed.
“I’ll come back to check on you in a bit,” she told Colin, then flipped off the light and stepped into the dimly lit hallway to answer the phone.
“Hello?”
“Your brother’s death isn’t what it seems,” a rough, low voice said into her ear, sending a chill down her spine. “Leave the farm. It’s not safe.”
Her breath hitched; her mind reeled. “What? Who is this?”
The line beeped, then went silent.
A tremor from deep inside worked its way out of her.
Leave the farm. It’s not safe.
She put a hand on the wall to steady herself, feeling the familiar fuzzy velvet texture of the flock wallpaper. This couldn’t be happening, not now with Seth’s death hanging over her like a cloud of doom.
His death had been ruled an accidental overdose.
Even if she wanted to leave the farm, she and Colin had nowhere to go. The day she had learned of Seth’s death, she’d given up her job and the apartment in Washington State to move back to Idaho.
Now the Christmas tree farm was her and Colin’s only home. Their livelihood. Without the farm she wasn’t sure what would happen to them.
Seeds of fear burrowed in her chest and took root. She quickly made her way downstairs, checking that the doors were securely locked. She peered out the front picture window. The full moon, big and round and shining brightly, bathed the sea of Douglas fir, grand fir and noble fir trees stretching over forty acres of land on the tree farm that had been in her family for three generations.
Long shadows obscured the front drive. The other work buildings on the farm were dark, as well. The small cabins that provided lodging for the seasonal employees couldn’t be seen through the thick grove of trees, creating a sense of isolation that had never bothered her when she was growing up here.
But she’d never had a menacing phone call before now.
Suddenly movement on the fringe between the trees and the wide expanse of lawn caught her eye. Then the shadow shifted and disappeared. Had she really seen something out there? Or was fear making her paranoid?
She yanked the curtains closed. Surely she was imagining things. Satisfied the house was locked up tight, she hurried back upstairs to the master bedroom that had once belonged to her parents and her grandparents before them. Though she’d replaced her parents’ belongings with her own, she still considered the room theirs.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she called the local sheriff’s office and told the answering sergeant about the disturbing call. She couldn’t be sure she’d seen anything in the shadows of the trees, so she kept that to herself. Because there was no immediate threat, the sergeant promised to send a deputy over in the morning.
Not at all reassured, she hung up and crawled into bed. She held her phone to her chest. Right now she wished she’d given in to Colin’s pleas for a dog. Tomorrow she would go to the local animal shelter and find a nice big canine with a loud bark.
She leaned back against the pillows, her gaze landing on the picture of her parents hanging on the opposite wall. Her mother had been so beautiful and her father so handsome. But more important, they’d been great parents to her and Seth, providing a stable home and love. Lots of love.
The very things she wanted to give Colin.
Somehow none of that had been enough to keep Seth from turning to drugs. She didn’t know what had driven him to seek the high of narcotics when he was younger. Or more recently. The not knowing ate at her. He’d refused to talk about the dark days of his addiction. Heather had hoped one day he’d realize she loved him no matter what.
Maybe if she’d stayed closer to home rather than leaving for college, Seth wouldn’t have turned into a junkie. Maybe if she’d begged, Ken would have left the army. Maybe if she’d been with her parents that night, they wouldn’t have died in that accident. Maybe, maybe, maybe.
She turned off the light and lay in the dark. She wanted to pray for God to protect them and lessen the burden of guilt she carried. But her prayers for Ken’s safety had gone unanswered. Why would God listen to her now?
Her eyelids grew heavy. Her head bobbed as sleep’s greedy hands pulled her into slumber.
A soft thud jolted her fully awake. Her heart nearly exploded with fright. She bolted from the bed and strained to listen.
Nothing.
Maybe it had been Colin getting up to use the bathroom. Yes, that had to be it. She sucked in air and slowly released her breath, working to calm her frantic pulse. She glanced at the clock. She’d slept for three hours.
After pulling on her robe, she padded quietly down the hall to check on her son. The bathroom was dark and empty. She moved on to his room. The moon’s glow streamed through the open curtains, revealing Colin fast asleep. She closed the door and waited. The house was silent now, yet the hairs on her nape rose and chills prickled her skin.
Cautiously, she moved to the top of the stairs and stared into darkness.
Was someone in the house?
Another noise jolted through her, making her tremble. She needed to call for help. As quietly as she could, she raced back to her bedroom and swiped the phone off the bed, then hurried into the hall and stood guard in front of Colin’s door. She dialed and when the sergeant answered, she whispered, “This is Heather Randall again. There’s someone in my house!”
“Are you sure?” the man asked. “Have you seen an intruder?”
“No, I heard a noise.”
He sighed. “Sit tight. I’ll send one of the deputies out.”
Sit tight? It would take at least thirty minutes for a deputy to reach the farm from Bonners Ferry, the nearest town. Was she supposed to wait and see if the intruder decided to come upstairs? Then what? She had no weapon, no way to defend herself or Colin. She thanked the deputy anyway and hung up.
She couldn’t sit there like some insipid victim. She crept slowly down the staircase, careful to avoid the spots that would creak. She knew every inch of this house, knew every board that would betray her presence, every piece of furniture to navigate around in the inky blackness. She made her way to the kitchen.
She glanced at the knife block with the razor-sharp knife set. As tempting as it was to grab a knife to use as a weapon, she knew that wasn’t a good choice. A knife could be too easily taken away and used against her. Instead, she moved to the stove.
Careful not to jostle the pans hanging over the range, she grabbed the largest cast-iron skillet. Her mother’s favorite. Hefting the heavy pan in her hands like a baseball bat, she crept back to the stairs.
At the bottom step, she waited, listening.
All was quiet. She was being paranoid. The noises she’d heard had been the house settling for the night. All the doors and windows were locked up tight. The phone call had been a mean hoax, meant to frighten her.
Well, it had worked. Her hands tightened around the cold handle of the skillet. She placed one foot on the first step.
A soft knock at the back door echoed in the stillness of the house.
Abandoning the stairs, she pressed her back to the wall. Adjusting her grip more firmly on the skillet’s sturdy handle, she inched toward the kitchen. She peered around the corner. The outline of a man shone through the curtained window on the back door.
She had seen someone creeping around outside. And now they wanted inside.
Who would come to the farmhouse in the middle of the night? Caution had her refrain from turning on the lights. If she didn’t answer the door, would the person go away?
She hoped so.
The person knocked again, louder this time.
Maybe it was the sheriff’s deputy. Right, one just happened to be close enough?
It was possible, she supposed. Wary, she approached the door and flipped on the outside porch light. But nothing happened. Great timing to have a burned-out lightbulb at the exact moment she needed the glow.
As indecision on what to do warred within her, the man outside turned the doorknob. She jumped back, prepared to use the skillet to defend herself.
She should retreat and wait upstairs as the sergeant had said. That would be the smart thing to do. But what if the intruder decided to break in? What if he got to her son before the police could arrive?
A surge of protectiveness coursed through her veins. Adrenaline shoved back the fear. She was alone. It was up to her to defend her house, her son. She stood her ground.
The unmistakable sound of a key sliding into the lock and the lock’s tumblers turning ratcheted her tension.
She moved swiftly to press her back against the wall next to the door seconds before the door opened and the intruder stepped inside. A small beam of light glowed in the darkness as the man moved forward. Holding her breath, she knew she had the element of surprise on her side and one shot at felling the trespasser. She had to make it count.
Stepping carefully behind the figure, she raised the iron fry pan and swung.
The swoosh of moving air alerted DEA agent Tyler Griffin to an impending attack. He spun around, the penlight dropping to the ground, and raised an arm to deflect the blow. He was too late. Something hard and solid glanced off his elbow and connected with his head, sending pain shooting in all directions through his body.
The crack to his noggin sent him staggering backward until his back hit the dining room table. He toppled sideways into a sprawling heap on the floor. His elbow throbbed all the way to his shoulder.
He shook his head, trying to regain his equilibrium. He could barely make out the dark form of a body standing a few feet away. He wrenched his sidearm from the holster attached to his belt. “Halt! DEA!”
His shout didn’t quite have the normal amount of punch it usually held.
The figure retreated a few steps.
Tyler blinked back the spots and aimed. His finger hovered near the trigger, but he couldn’t keep his assailant in focus long enough to fire.
The sudden glare of the overhead light blinded him. With a sinking feeling, he realized he made an easy target if his assailant decided to finish him off. This wasn’t the way he’d pictured his life ending.
But, then again, he wasn’t in control of life’s happenings. He’d learned that long ago. The best he could do was pray that if God wanted to take him now, that it was quick and painless.
“You’re a cop?”
The distinctly female voice had him blinking rapidly to adjust to the light. He lowered his sidearm. His gaze fixed on the woman standing by the back door he’d just come through. She held a large black cast-iron skillet in her hands, looking as if she were ready to take another swing at his head.
He nearly laughed out loud. He’d allowed an assailant to get the drop on him. A woman with a frying pan, at that. Man, he must be suffering burnout.
He could only imagine the ribbing he’d suffer when his fellow agents found out he’d been clocked by a raven-haired beauty in a fuzzy yellow robe and… Were those toe socks?
Her tangle of thick ebony curls cascaded about her shoulders like a cloud, and the most amazing hazel eyes regarded him with stark fear. Her gaze moved to the gun in his hand, then back to meet his scrutiny.
Forcing himself to a sitting position, he reholstered his weapon and let his head sink into his hands with a groan. “You hit me.”
“I’ll do it again if you don’t tell me who you are and what you’re doing here and how you have a key to my house,” she growled.
Feisty, considering he’d had her at gunpoint. Lifting his head, he started at the sight of his hands covered with blood. Apparently the knock over the head with the pan had broken the skin on his scalp. Hopefully, that was the only thing she’d broken.
He reached for his ID wallet and held it up for her to see. “Agent Tyler Griffin, DEA. You must be Heather.”
One lip curled up. “Obviously.” Her dark winged brows dipped as she took a step closer to inspect his credentials. She danced back and frowned. “How do I know that’s real, and how do you know my name?”
“It’s real. You can check it out if you’d like.” He held the leather case out for her to take. “There’s a number on the card you can call.”
“Throw it over.”
Smart, too. He liked that. He tossed it so it landed at her feet. Keeping her focus on him, she picked the wallet up. Her straight white teeth tugged on her bottom lip. “You didn’t answer me. How did you get a key, and how do you know who I am?”
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
To purchase, click here.
booksbylyncote.com.
November 1, 2015
Lyn Reviews Marta Perry’s The Rescued
I will give away my ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) to one commenter. Be sure to read the QUESTION at the end.
October 27, 2015
Author Marta Perry & Amish Chicken Pot Pie
My guest today is my dear friend author Marta Perry who writes some of the best Amish romances and romantic suspense. It’s always a delight to have her stop by and share something good! Today she’s offering a copy of her latest Amish suspense WHEN SECRETS STRIKE so don’t forget to answer the QUESTION below to enter the drawing. (Print book for US Only) And she’s sharing her recipe for Chicken Pot Pie. YUM! Here’s Marta:
part of my cooking repertoire since childhood
One of the pleasures of writing Amish fiction is the opportunity to mention the typical Pennsylvania Dutch foods that have been part of my cooking repertoire since childhood. When I was growing up, a Sunday never passed without some variety of chicken and homemade noodles on the table, and my mother was a great believer in putting out traditional sweets and sours with a meal, especially in the summer when the bounty of the garden could be used in her pickled vegetables and relishes.
In my current book, WHEN SECRETS STRIKE,
the protagonist is Amish quilt shop owner Sarah Bitler, and the food on her family table is typical of the meals my mother served. A favorite recipe is Amish-style Chicken Pot Pie. Now, there are nearly as many versions of what constitutes a pot pie as there are Amish cooks. My family especially enjoys one with a biscuit topping, but a more traditional one includes homemade noodles cut into squares and added to the chicken broth. The noodles thicken the mixture into a rich, stew-like dish that is wonderfully warming on a cold day.
Here’s the recipe.
Amish CHICKEN POT PIE
For noodles: mix together 1 T butter, dash of salt, 2 cups flour. Add 2 beaten eggs and 2 T milk. Mix, then roll out thin on a well-floured board, working in more flour as needed. Let stand for ½ hour to an hour. Cut in 1 inch squares.
For pot pie: In a heavy kettle, add 2 thinly sliced potatoes, 3 cups chopped cooked chicken, 2 small minced onions, salt and pepper. Add the cut noodles. Pour 2 cups of hot chicken stock over all. Cover tightly and simmer for twenty minutes, adding more chicken stock if needed. Adjust seasonings and serve.
I hope you’ll enjoy this taste of Amish food.”–Marta
To purchase, click here. booksbylyncote.com.
October 25, 2015
Author Jolene Navarro & A Texas Christmas Wish
My guest today is author Jolene Navarro who is going to share about her latest heroine, a Texas woman with guts. Jolene teaches at an alternative high school in Texas so she has met young women just like Karly. Here’s Jolene:
Seventeen and abandoned in the hospital after giving birth
In my current story, A Texas Christmas Wish, my heroine Karly found herself–seventeen and abandoned in the hospital after giving birth–alone in the world. My heroine did not have an easy start in life, but like many of the students I work with she is determined to build a better future for her child.
the minute she walked on the page in Lone Star Hero
Karly Kalakona was special to me the minute she walked on the page in Lone Star Hero as a waitress at the local drug store. She had her son coloring at a table while she worked. The church had stepped in and helped her get out of a dangerous relationship.
A long string of bad decisions
had put her on the path to Clear Water, Texas. This was the first place she had any sense of belonging, a place she wanted to make her forever home. The days of looking for someone to rescue her were behind her. Her focus was now on God’s gifts and the most precious of those was her son. He was born without the lower part of his right arm and his leg needed surgeries.
I clearly remember when the idea of Karly came to me.
It was in my art studio where I teach in downtown San Antonio. I was talking to one of my students about her plans …her goals beyond high school. She told me she wanted a car. Which in itself is not unusual, but the reason tore my heart. She wanted a safe place where she had the power to lock the doors and leave.
Starting their lives with consequences of poor choices, they didn’t make
My heroine has been on her own since she was fifteen. I have so many students that reflect this reality. Students that have never seen their own birth certificates or know the names of their fathers. Starting their lives with consequences of poor choices and guilt that are not even theirs to begin.
one of the hardest God realities for Karly
That she is worthy of love and forgiveness is one of the hardest God realities for Karly to accept. She has to remind herself and read the verses over and over. I loved watching Karly grow in her faith and learn to accept love, not only God’s love but a whole community and the most unexpected to her the love of our hero, Tyler Childress.”–Jolene
“Karly’s movement reminded him of a cat his mom had once rescued, slow and cautious, wary of strangers.” – Some of Tyler’s first thoughts of Karly.
To purchase, click here. booksbylyncote.com.
October 18, 2015
October 13, 2015
Debut Author Cate Nolan & Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
My guest is a debut author for Love Inspired Suspense, Cate Nolan, who is going to share her favorite cranberry bread recipe. Here’s Cate:
My debut from Love Inspired Suspense is a Christmas story, but the recipe I’d like to share with you is a favorite Thanksgiving one. I’m sure Callie, my heroine from Christmas in Hiding, would approve.
My daughters and I have baked this cranberry bread for Thanksgiving every year
In recent years, after my youngest daughter became a vegan, we adapted it so she could still enjoy. I hope you do too!
So why do I think Callie would approve?
Because celebrating a family tradition such as baking bread together is something Callie longs for. She was a foster child and though she tried to build a family through her job and her church, when she is forced into protective custody she faces Christmas alone and on the run. She struggles to maintain her trust that God has a plan for her life and has to learn to accept that His plan may not match her plan. (Though it turns out to be far better!)
Recipe for Cranberry Orange Bread
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup butter
1 egg beaten
1 teaspoon orange zest
¾ cup orange juice
1 cup light raisins
1 2/3 cups fresh cranberries chopped (You can use frozen if necessary.)
Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. And remaining wet ingredients and stir until evenly mixed. Fold in cranberries and raisins. We also like to add in some walnuts.
Spoon into a greased loaf pan and bake ar 350 degrees for an hour and 10 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Vegan version: bake the same way, just alter the ingredients.
2 cups mixed flours (buckwheat, oat, brown rice), 1 cup date sugar, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda for dry. Cut in 1/4 cup coconut oil until crumbly. Add 3 tbsp warm water to 1 tbsp flax meal in separate bowl and set aside for 10 min, then add flax egg and 3/4 cup orange juice to mixture. Then fold in 1 1/2 cups each golden sultanas and fresh chopped cranberries. Can add nuts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB
CHRISTMAS IN WITNESS PROTECTION
After her ex-boyfriend’s murder, Callie Martin has no choice but to trade her quiet life as a kindergarten teacher for the witness protection program. It’s US Marshal Jackson Walker’s job to keep Callie safe, but the men who would do her harm just keep getting closer and closer. Either someone on the inside is betraying Callie, or she’s lying to Jackson about her involvement. So he decides to go off the grid, spiriting her away to the remote Vermont countryside at Christmas. Jackson wants to trust her, but with danger dogging their every move, he’ll have to use all his energy to keep her alive.
Great recipe, Cate. I love cranberry bread! I live in an area surrounded by cranberry bogs. Wisconsin is I think the largest producer in the US. Our harvest is late this year. I’m used to going to the produce section and seeing bulk cranberries for 99 cents a pound. So far–nada.–Lyn
For more online:
Website: http://www.catenolanauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010179603545
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCateNolan
Send to Kindle 
The post Debut Author Cate Nolan & Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe appeared first on booksbylyncote.com.
October 6, 2015
Lyn Reviews Author Dame Agatha Christie’s Come, Tell Me How You Live
Last week I reviewed Veronica Heley’s British Mystery MURDER BY SUSPICION. Long before I read any other British mystery author, I was reading Agatha Christie. And I found that I was intrigued by the woman behind those stories and character such as Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. So I was interested when I came upon this book.
October 4, 2015
Author Elizabeth Goddard & Submerged & Book Giveaway
My guest today is Love Inspired Suspense author Elizabeth Goddard. She’s been my guest before and she always has a message worth reading in her blog posts and her books. Be sure to look for the QUESTION below and leave a comment to enter the book drawing. Here’s Elizabeth:
When I created Cobie MacBride, my heroine in SUBMERGED,
I wanted someone who was an everyday woman. Someone who wanted—needed—stability in her life. A job she could count on and a home she could go to every day in the town where she grew up. Cobie loved to see people smile so she became a dentist. She has pretty good job security running her own dental practice.
The only thing missing in Cobie’s life is family.
She’s been estranged from her father for years. He’s the reason she wanted stability in her life so she could have something different. Friends and more time with family. He was gone all the time due to the responsibilities of his job, and she didn’t want that for her life. Yet she finds herself alone, living in the same town, all the same. Then when her father is missing and presumed dead, she needs closure. Cobie goes in search of him and collides with a man she once had a serious crush on. A man she blames for her brother’s death.
Someone tries to kill her,
so Cobie must partner with Adam Warren to solve the mystery behind her father’s death and who is trying to kill her. She must come out of her comfort zone and the safe life to find answers. Cobie must face death and find a way to forgive Adam before it’s too late. She must return to the scene of the tragedy and face her greatest fears and worst memories.
Here’s a snippet from the Dear Reader letter I want to share.
My heroine, Cobie MacBride, has another kind of mystery to solve. Another kind of treasure to find, and that’s forgiveness. If she can somehow forgive Adam for the part he played in her brother’s death, she can find freedom from resentment and bitterness, and she can have the treasure of love. Adam must forgive himself, too, and if only Cobie could forgive him, then he would be free of that burden, as well. We don’t want to sink to the depth of the ocean, burdened or weighted down because we carry bitterness and resentments, no matter how we believe we’ve been wronged.
I pray blessings on you and hope you’ll give Submerged a try.”–Elizabeth
To purchase, click here. Submerged (Mountain Cove)
Book Blurb:
IN TOO DEEP
With Christmas just around the corner, Cobie MacBride wants closure in the case of her missing father. But when a visit to the last place he was seen leads to an attack by a masked assailant, Cobie knows she’s in over her head. Running for her life, she never expected to find safety with Adam Warren—the man she blames for her brother’s death. Seeking answers leads them to a treasure ship, buried secrets…and deadly danger. Christmas could find them starting a new future—if they can avoid getting trapped in the perils of the past.
MOUNTAIN COVE: In the Alaskan wilderness, love and danger collide
Thanks, Elizabeth. A very good message for all of us. Last Sunday our pastor brought up something I hadn’t thought of before. That we must learn to forgive ourselves.
Leave a comment to enter the book drawing for a copy of SUBMERGED.
QUESTION: Don’t be specific (keep your privacy) but have you ever struggled to forgive yourself for something? (Please don’t give details.) THE QUESTION IS: How did you do it? Or are you still working on it?–Lyn
For more online:
September 30, 2015
Lyn Reviews Veronica Heley’s Murder by Suspicion-British Mystery
British Mystery Author Veronica Heley has often been my guest. This year I offered to review her latest mystery. So here it is!
September 28, 2015
Looking for a Great Holiday Collection? How About Sweet Christmas Kisses 2?
Welcome in the holiday season with 19 heartwarming and wholesome novellas from New York Times, USA Today, national bestselling, and award-winning authors.
Sweet Christmas Kisses 2 takes you from the Smoky Mountains to Florida’s sun-drenched beaches, from the Italian Alps to Paris, France, and even to a quirky little town in Arizona. The Sweet Christmas Kisses 2 collection features all-new, stand-alone stories that are sure to make you laugh, sometimes bring tears to your eyes, but always put you in the Christmas spirit. Foreword by New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne.
~*~
Christmas Papa by Mona Risk
Living for three years in her stepmother’s respected house helps Monica forget the horror of her youth and reform her wild streak, and even dream of a normal life, similar to her stepsisters’, with a loving husband and children. Geez, she’s pretty enough to attract any man she wants, but to keep him is a different ballgame. The moment they learn of her past or meet her adorable twins, they feel the urge to move two-thousand miles away. Until Michael kisses her…
Gingerbread Kisses by Beate Boeker
Carol spends Christmas at the luxurious Hotel & Spa “Dolomitissimo” in the snowy Alps of Italy where she’s busy creating gingerbread men as name cards for her younger sister’s wedding. When things start to go wrong, she finds help in the form of Tom, the attractive hotel manager, but then, her sister manages to create havoc and Carol has to fight for her happiness.
Boycotting Christmas by Melinda Curtis
Bachelor Nick Santolli needs someone to help him give his niece a Christmas to remember. Back in the day, no one did Christmas better than Joy Encastle. But times have changed and Joy would prefer to boycott the festivities this year.
A Christmas to Remember by Denise Devine
Katie McGowan is returning home from a business trip when a blizzard forces her to take refuge at Lakewood Resort and miss celebrating Christmas with her family. The resort is overflowing with people, including Ryan Scott, an avid snowmobiler who’d come to Lakewood to escape the holidays. Ryan and Katie join forces to help others in need and learn the true meaning of Christmas.
An Angel for Christmas by Raine English
Alexa Stevens needs a job, or she and her daughter might wind up living out of the car. Blake Collins needs a nanny to help with his spoiled ten-year-old. What seems like the perfect match turns out to be anything but when the two girls and a rambunctious mutt create havoc at Christmas.
The Cowboy’s Christmas Bride by Aileen Fish
When veterinary student Tara seeks shelter in a snowstorm with handsome rancher Dylan, she quickly writes him off as boyfriend material since he’s more temperamental than an unbroken horse. Thanks to a job lined up half a state away, she’s not even tempted by a friend’s request that she move to White Oak, until she learns what has damaged Dylan’s spirit. Will a sickly calf and the magic of Christmas help her heal Dylan’s heart?
Lucky Break Christmas: Second Honeymoon by Patricia Forsythe
Lily is convinced that her new marriage to Marc is cursed because of a string of fiascoes. Marc knows she’s wrong. It takes the intervention of three body-building wedding planners and most of Lucky Break to change her mind.
Beach Walk by Grace Greene
Twelve years earlier, Kelli, a teenage runaway, was taken in by a kind woman named Margie who gave her a home, and safety and security. When Margie dies, her long lost nephew and only blood relative, arrives with plans of his own. Kelli loves her life at Emerald Isle, but how far will she go to keep it, or will Christmas bring a change of heart?
An Irish Christmas Blessing by Roxanne Rustand
When Eve travels to Ireland to run an old friend’s quaint village bookshop over the Christmas holidays, the trip is a dream come true—all the more because of the beautiful Irish countryside and the quirky locals in the village. And then there’s the charming, enigmatic stranger who just might steal her heart…
Christmas Wedding by Magdalena Scott
Jim Standish is ready—right this minute—to marry the love of his life, but Melissa Singer wants the day to be one they’ll look back on forever. Planning and execution time: 25days. Will it be possible to create the perfect Christmas Wedding?
Finding You at Christmas by Kristin Wallace
After years of looking out for everyone else, preacher’s daughter Janie Worthy is ready to get a life of her own. A stalled car and a stranger on a motorcycle puts that plan in a tailspin…and leads to the best Christmas present she could ever find.
Christmas Laurel by Christine Bush.
Female army veteran Laurel Covington and her retired bomb dog have retreated to a cabin in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains. She’s dealing with PTSD and a mind full of ugly war memories, and wants nothing more than solitude, quiet, and an escape from the clamor of Christmas. But then she meets the tall handsome mountain man who shares the mountain, and who has his own ghosts from the past to put to rest. Sometimes, the true meaning of Christmas can bring both healing and love when you least expect it.
Country Christmas by Lois Greiman
Emily Kane was tossed into the deep end of the foster care system years before, making her cautious of love and commitment. Securing her dream job at the Lazy Windmill, a working farm turned guest ranch, has begun the healing process. But the past can’t be shut out forever. Will familial reunions cause her to bolt back into hiding or will the magic of Christmas heal her heart and allow her to find her happily ever after?
The Christmas Crusade by Shanna Hatfield
Levi Clarke is on a crusade to create a merry Christmas for the patrons of Center for Hope community center. He’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen, even if it means seeking a sponsorship from Kat Kingsley, the woman too stubborn to realize she’s still in love with him.
The Christmas Charm by Susan R. Hughes
Gemma and Chris were childhood best friends until their lives took separate paths, both leading to heartache. Fifteen years later, a surprise reunion at Christmastime offers them a second chance at happiness.
Evergreen Romance by Julie Jarnagin.
After giving up her plans for college to care for her ailing grandmother, Jillian Rogers has a shot at being promoted to project manager at the local nursery, but the owner’s son comes back into town and tries to take the job. Monty Nelson spent the last five years playing triple-A baseball after college but never made it into the major leagues. Now, he has returned to Lakota, Oklahoma, driven to show his parents he can succeed, but they stick him with running the Christmas tree lot with smarty-pants Jillian Rogers. When old sparks reignite, Jillian and Monty must determine whether their romance will wither or if they’ve found everlasting love.
My Christmas Cupcake by Shaleen Kapil.
Clare thinks she is doomed to spend the holiday alone managing her new cupcake bakery until a handsome stranger appears just as she is closing up on Christmas Eve. Despite an instant attraction, Starfish Beach is a tourist town, and Clare has learned to be wary. How can she tempt Garrett, a university professor, to move to her small town when all she can offer are cupcakes?
A Christmas Spark by Ciara Knight
Sara Foster blames herself for her failed marriage. On Christmas Eve, she hides away in the family cabin, the same place her father abandoned her twenty years ago. Dalton Scot is unable to face the family holiday after his divorce and discovering he can never have children of his own, so he chooses Christmas Eve to fix his buddy’s cabin. Both search for a secluded spot to mourn their Christmas pasts, but instead are snowed in at the cabin for the holiday where they discover the power of the Christmas spark.
Sweet Blizzard by Milou Koenings.
He’s an ex-con, she’s a socialite. He saves her life when a blizzard strands them together, but she could make or break his. Will love make it all right in time for Christmas?
~*~
All 19 authors in this boxed set write sweet/wholesome romances and are members of Sweet Romance Reads, a group of authors whose books contain no sex, violence, or strong language. While the emotional stakes are high as the characters’ relationships grow, lovemaking is not described in these stories. Think movies rated G or PG. Therefore, Sweet Christmas Kisses 2 can be enjoyed by romance readers of any age.
Pull up a chair by a cozy fire, pour a cup of hot chocolate and allow these bestselling and award-winning authors to bring the holiday season alive as they warm your heart.
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A tireless traveler, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Mona Risk, writes contemporary romance, medical romance, and romantic suspense novels, all simmering with emotion, sprinkled with a good dose of humor and set in the fascinating places she visited— or in Florida, her paradise on Earth.
