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#NEWRELEASE FROM CHRISTOPH FISCHER

I’m very pleased to announce a new release from Christoph Fischer, The Body in the Snow. This new book takes a sharp turn for this prolific writer who is known for his historical fiction that often visits the dark corners of eastern Europe prior, during, and after World War II. He’s also written some outstanding works of contemporary fiction that deal with mental illness and Alzheimers.

So when he asked if I wanted to beta read this novel, I couldn’t wait to delve into something lighter–a cozy murder mystery! And I wasn’t disappointed. The Body in the Snow is a delightful romp through snow drifts, candle light, nosy neighbors, and fading singers as Bebe Bollinger drinks her way to solving a mystery and discovers her way back to her daughter and her career. I loved how he used the event of a massive snowstorm to hold neighbors captive and to keep other things from moving forward throughout the story.

While there is laughter, there’s also pathos in the characters and certain universal threads through them all. From the couple in a dysfunctional marriage filled with jealousy and rage to the lonely divorcee only wanting a friend, there’s a glimpse into the humanity of us all. The detective off her game is revived by the sometimes ridiculous yet irrepressible Bebe who may not always do the right thing, yet somehow finds a way to right her wrongs.

It’s a fun read. I almost didn’t want the mystery part solved because that would mean the characters would leave me! Here’s hoping there’s more to come from these unforgettable and all too human folks created by the talented Christoph Fischer.

Christoph and I followed parallel roads recently as we both were seeking out new places to live. I moved to the Smoky Mountains in the States, and he moved to Wales in the UK. Since our moves, both of us have set our novels in our new homes. As Christoph relates below, he did it for the same reasons that I did. Here’s Christoph on how “place” created his setting.

The Setting for The Body in the Snow

By Christoph Fischer

The Body in the Snow is set in West Wales, which has been my home for the past two years. Originally, I placed the story in England, but when I started my first re-write after moving to Wales, I was so in love with my surroundings that I brought the characters across the border with me.

West Wales is wonderfully beautiful with lush green hills, beautiful mountain tops, spectacular beaches and world-renowned coastal hiking trails. Why not more people live here is beyond me.

The setting of The Body in the Snow is a declaration of love to this beautiful and unique country and seemed a great fit, with plenty of inspiration to add to the next draft of my novel.

I came to the UK many moons ago because of a Welsh lawyer from Swansea and have been with a Welsh man for the past ten years. Although I only lived here for a short period of time, my connection to Wales has been long standing. Prior to moving there, once a week, we crossed the Severn Bridge into Wales to visit my partner’s fragile parents and each time I liked the sensation of going to Wales.

The book is particularly dedicated to the welcoming people of my adopted new hometown and the people who helped us to settle in there so quickly. After fifteen months, I now rarely go somewhere without bumping into someone I know and having a chat on the way.

In 2012, our house in England was snowed in on a hill top and the electricity was cut several times for almost entire days. My partner joked that this was the perfect setting for a murder mystery since nobody could arrive or leave. I liked the idea. We were cut off from everything, as is so often the starting point of good crime fiction such as  Agatha Christie’s Then There Were None or Murder on the Orient Express. Living in a rural location, we learned firsthand the far and unforeseen limitations of life in such a big snowfall. Where we live in Wales could easily be affected in the same way.

 

 

Purchase links for The Body in the Snow

Kindle (Preorder – release September 24, 2016)

Paperback (Available now)

Silver’s #Book Reviews – “Mountain Miracles,” BY AUTHOR P. C. Zick

Thank you, Colleen! The first review of Mountain Miracles. It’s always inspiring to hear what someone else thinks about my baby, and it’s even better when it’s complimentary!

Silver Threading ~ Fairy Whisperer ~

Title:  Mountain Miracles

Author: P. C. Zick

File Size: 713 KB

Print Length: 170 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN:

Publication Date: September 13, 2016


Sold by Amazon Digital Services, LLC

Language: English

ASIN: B01JMJDZ06

ISBN-10: 1536850705

ISBN-13: 9781536850703

Formats: Paperback and  Kindle

Goodreads



Genres: Women’s Fiction, Romance, Multicultural & Interracial Romance, Native American Romance

*The author provided me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review which follows*

In the author’s words:

When Sissy Jones moves to the Smoky Mountains, she’s determined to follow her dream of owning a business by opening a coffee shop, right next door to a new paper starting up at the same time. The handsome publisher, David Bellwood, and Sissy discover an irresistible attraction to one another, but first, they must deal with mothers who aren’t always as they seem. After her mother has a stroke, Sissy must take…

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NEW RELEASE – MOUNTAIN MIRACLES

When I first moved to the Smoky Mountains for our summer retreat, I knew the setting would be the perfect place to write. I didn’t know that the setting would become the setting for a new series of books. But it did and since moving here last summer, I’ve written four books in the Smoky Mountain Series – all sweet contemporary romances. Today, I release the third book, Mountain Miracles. Book #4 will be released in October, as an individual title, A Merry Mountain Christmas, and as a part of Christmas Pets & Kisses 2 box set.

Grab your copy today. Only $0.99 for a limited time or read for free in Kindle Unlimited. Click here: Kindle and paperback.

 

Some of the same characters return to the small mountain town, but they are joined by David and Cecelia. Although strangers when they first come to the mountains, they don’t remain that way for long once Fran makes sure the single, attractive, and enterprising young adults are brought together for social gatherings. Both of them discover that family and community are truly possible through the miracle of love.

Here’s the first chapter of Mountain Miracles for your enjoyment.

CHAPTER ONE

SISSY JONES LEARNED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY that she’d been duped into moving to the small North Carolina town in the Smoky Mountains.

“You’ll love the place where I grew up,” Becca Cole had said. “And a friend of mine has an adorable house he’s dying to sell.”

Sissy’s first mistake. She had trusted Becca when she should have known better.

Now here she was in the small town where the nearest city was a two-hour drive. She came to forget the breakup with her boyfriend and to escape her mother’s grip. Instead of escaping, she’d landed right smack in the middle of a place filled with lovers and happy families. It only reminded her that she had neither of those things. It was bad enough when Stu decided his career as a rising country singer was more important than their two-year relationship, but when her mother started harping about Sissy’s inability to keep a man, she knew it was time to leave. Becca’s offer appeared as the perfect solution.

She’d left a good, although boring, job in Nashville. But at least that job had put her MBA degree to good use as the general manager of the Radisson. But here in Murphy, North Carolina, she’d had to revert to something she’d done during her college years at the University of Memphis. She was dealing cards at the new casino on the outskirts of town.

No, she never should have believed Becca when she said, “Move to the mountains with me. We’ll have a blast.”

Sissy had barely signed the mortgage papers on the house when Becca bailed and headed to New Orleans with her new boyfriend. Fortunately, the few people she did know in town, such as Becca’s ex-husband George, sympathized. But Sissy would survive. She hoped Becca’s son Jed understood why she’d left him in the care of his father. It was probably for the best. George was an excellent dad, but still the kid must wonder why his mother had left him so abruptly.

As Sissy dressed for the wedding she was attending later in the day, she smiled to think of her new friends. She’d known George back in Nashville when he’d been Stu’s agent. When Becca and he divorced, he moved back to his hometown and ran the music scene at a local bar. Now he was engaged to Lacy, the woman who had been evicted when Sissy bought the house. The previous owner, Lacy’s landlord, didn’t know he wanted to sell the house until Becca convinced him to kick his loyal and long-time renter out into the street. But Becca’s plan to break up George and Lacy backfired, and now Sissy was making a new life for herself.

She’d only met the groom and bride, Nick and Molly, once, but they’d welcomed her into their circle, simply because of her connection to George. When Lacy and the others realized she’d been tricked by Becca, they immediately opened their hearts to her, which came as a relief even though she didn’t quite believe her good fortune. When Becca fled town she hadn’t even bothered saying good-bye, which made Sissy very happy.

Her phone beeped. We’re on our way, Lacy texted. Sissy found her sandals under the couch and slipped into them. She felt a little weird about Lacy picking her up at her former home, but Lacy had assured her, it had all worked out for the best. She moved to the cabin the new bride was vacating, and Lacy seemed very happy about the whole thing. Lacy had assured Sissy that Becca had arranged the whole thing out of jealousy. Sissy questioned her own gullibility in believing that Becca had once been a friend.

She ran outside when George and Lacy pulled into the driveway.

“It’s such a beautiful day for a wedding,” she gushed when she settled in the backseat, next to George’s son Jed. “Somebody must have ordered this day.”

“I’m betting on Fran,” Lacy said, speaking of the mother of the groom. “She’s a mighty powerful woman who likes to have her way.”

“I like Fran,” Sissy said.

“Join the Fran Fan Club,” George said. “She’s nearly adopted Jed as her grandson.”

“She said I could call her Franma,” Jed said. “That’s what Gracie and me are going to call her. You know instead of Grandma.”

“That’s a very good name,” Sissy said, smiling at the young boy dressed in a white shirt and pressed jeans. “You look very handsome today, Jed.”

He blushed and smiled slightly. Jed was a good kid who’d been hurt too much in his short life. Sissy had babysat for him often back in Nashville after George left Becca, who’d taken to the single life quickly. Sissy sat up a little straighter when the realization hit her that Becca resembled her mother. It was a good thing for Jed that George had full custody.

“Are you ready to meet the rest of Murphy?” Lacy asked, turning around slightly. “I bet there will be one hundred folks at the wedding today.”

“I won’t remember names, but I’m ready.” Maybe she’d meet some other single folks so she didn’t feel like an extra at these group gatherings. She’d been invited to a couple of events, and everyone was paired off, or so it seemed to Sissy.

“We’re going to Gracie’s new house,” Jed said. “She’s my best friend.”

Sissy tried to remember how Gracie, who Jed had already mentioned twice, fit into the picture with the others. “I’m sorry, but my head is swimming with all the new names and faces. Who’s Gracie again?”

Lacy laughed. “I’m sure it’s like putting together a puzzle. Don’t worry, it will all fit together soon enough. Gracie is Molly’s daughter. She’s a year older than Jed, but they’ve become very close since Jed moved here.”

“I almost forgot,” George said. “Did either of you hear that we’re going to get a newspaper right here in town? Some guy from Atlanta wants to make it a paper for the town, not the surrounding counties.”

“Where’d you hear that?” Lacy asked.

“Who else? Don and Kathy Sampson, Murphy’s town criers.”

They all laughed. Even Sissy knew the couple was notorious for knowing everyone’s business in town—personal and otherwise. She sat with them at the bar at Misty Mountain one night, and she learned everyone’s business, not that it mattered. No way could she put all the names with faces, most she’d never even met.

“They might be nosy, but they’re usually accurate,” Lacy said. “Now, Sissy, have you given any more thought to opening the coffee shop?”

“I have. I’ve made thinking about it a full-time job. Actually, I started drawing up a business plan last night. And I gave the casino notice. Tomorrow will be my last day dealing cards.”

“A business plan?” Lacy asked. “That sounds very serious and professional. Have you started a business before?”

“Sissy has an MBA,” George said. “But she doesn’t like to flaunt her brains.”

“I didn’t know that,” Lacy said. “I mean about the degree and all.”

“I haven’t started a business because I’ve always worked for others. Starting my own business brings everything I’ve done so far all together.”

“How did you end up dealing at the casino?” Lacy asked.

“I worked as a dealer when I was getting my MBA, so I decided I’d get a job at the casino here, until I figured out what I really wanted to do.”

“You don’t like the job?” George asked. “I always thought it might be a hoot to work at the casino.”

“I don’t like the hours or the smoke. And a lot of the time, I don’t like the customers. So I guess I’d have to say on the whole that, no, I don’t like it very much at all.”

“They offered me a job booking music for the bar in the hotel,” George said. “But I won’t have to go there very often, if I take it on.”

“That sounds infinitely better than dealing,” Sissy said. “I can’t wait to be done with it and own my own business, something I’ve wanted since I was a kid.”

It was true. As a kid, she played grocery store with all the neighbor kids, but she wasn’t the housewife shopping for groceries. She always managed the store and made the other kids play the role of housewife.

“Did you ever think of opening something in Nashville?” Lacy asked.

“I wanted to when I graduated, but it was too expensive. I had a small inheritance from my grandmother when I turned twenty-one, but it wouldn’t have covered much of anything in the city.”

“It will be a lot less expensive here,” George asked. “Do you have a place in mind?”

“There’s a storefront for rent downtown. It’s small and narrow, but it could be perfect for a coffee and maybe some sweets.”

“I’d like a coffee shop close to Misty Mountain,” Lacy said. “Or at least another choice than just going to the same old place.”

“I hope it doesn’t upset folks to have two coffee shops downtown,” Sissy said. “I know the other place does different things, and they’re open in the evenings with music. I plan to only be open through lunch, but open by six in the morning.”

“Now that would be different,” George said. “Even during the season, nothing opens up downtown until after eight, even the coffee shop.”

Sissy noticed that right away, but she surmised it was the difference between living in a small town and a larger city. She’d adjust, but she still thought some folks might like coffee first thing. Even if it wasn’t busy until later, it would give her time to get organized.

“I guess I’d better think about advertising, too, now that you’ve mentioned the new paper. Most of the world is getting away from print media, but I bet here in Murphy folks still read the papers for the ads.”

“And the police blotter,” George said. Lacy playfully hit his arm. The intimacy of it gave Sissy a jolt.

“I wonder if the guy starting the newspaper is single,” Lacy said.

“Why would you wonder about that?” George asked. “Are you in the market for a new guy?”

“No, I’ve got my hands full with you. I was thinking about Sissy. We need to fix her up on a date.”

George groaned, and Sissy laughed. Lacy must have been reading her mind.

“He’s probably married or gay,” Sissy said. “That’s what they say about all the good ones, and since Stu and I broke up, I can confirm it’s true.”

#####

DAVID BELLWOOD WAS NEITHER MARRIED NOR GAY, but it didn’t stop all the wives of his friends from making that assumption after setting him up on dates with their single friends. However, his bachelor status meant he was hounded by his friends to go on blind dates with the divorced, dejected, and demoralized friends of their wives.

Most of the women were nice, but he couldn’t talk to them. The more attracted he was to a woman, the worse his shyness became. Most didn’t want to go out with him a second time. He’d been raised by his father after his mother died when he was five. Then his father had sent him to an all boys’ boarding school in upstate New York during the crucial years when boys first start noticing girls as something other than an annoyance. By the time he attended college, his fears of the opposite sex were only reinforced by two stepmothers who treated David as an annoyance. They scared him so much that he tried to be invisible when he came home for school vacations.

“I’ve given up on women,” his father had told him after the last divorce a year before. “I can’t afford another divorce. Janice just about did me in.”

“I can’t believe you let her have the cabin,” David said after his father told him what it cost to divorce her. “It’s been in the family for generations, and Janice hated the place.”

“It was the easiest way, son. We can build another one someday.”

“She did it for spite.”

“You bet she did, but I’ll never let her know it.” His father ended the conversation. David knew any further questions would be rebuked.

It broke David’s heart every single time he thought of Janice owning the cabin. She’d hated every minute she’d spent there while they were married. But he couldn’t argue with his father. He’d already battled him on the biggest issue, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for another one.

“What do you mean you don’t want to be a lawyer?” Michael Bellwood had roared to his son when David announced he wanted to change his major in college during his second year of college. “You come from a family of lawyers, son, not journalists. I built this firm for us.”

“But that’s what I want to do.” If females scared him, his father terrified him, especially when David defied him, which hadn’t been often. He didn’t dare tell his father what he really thought and that he’d never asked him to build the firm up for him. He chose his battles by priority, and being a journalist was David’s highest priority.

“I want to own a paper,” David continued.

His father pursed his lips together. David knew that he’d said something the elder Bellwood understood. Owning a paper meant power. Except his father never dreamed David meant a small town paper with very little power at all. But it had silenced him long enough to let him finish his degree through to his master’s while working at a couple of papers in the Atlanta area as an intern.

“I want to start a small weekly newspaper in Murphy,” David had told his father in the final months before he received his master’s degree. “There’s a need in that town because they’re growing into a tourist destination, and they need something besides the weekly county paper that’s mostly about crime.”

“Murphy?” His father seemed perplexed. “Why in Murphy? And for God’s sake, son, don’t you know newspapers are a dying breed?”

“Not in small towns like Murphy with a large tourist base, not to mention the folks who have vacation homes there. It’s a growing community with a need for an intelligent and thoughtful paper that also provides a place for businesses to advertise.”

“That’s not what I read in The Wall Street Journal. Where are you getting your information?”

“I’ve done my research, and The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times and all the other big newspapers like to cry about the loss of revenue in the print editions. That has nothing to do with small community papers. Those folks want grocery store flyers and real estate offers they can hold in their hands.”

“I’m still not convinced.”

“Dad, I am a little more versed in this than you.” David had never spoken to his father with that tone, but never before had something meant so much to him. “I’ve worked at small papers all around the Atlanta area for the past three years. I know what’s happening, and there’s a different market depending on the per capita and on the population.”

His father looked at him suspiciously. “Why Murphy? You know we don’t own the cabin any longer.”

“I know, but I’m going to buy it from Janice. One of my lawyer friends is already negotiating with her.”

“I sure hope you know what you’re doing. I won’t fight you, but I won’t support it either.”

“That’s all right. I plan on using my own money.”

“Your inheritance from your grandfather?”

“Yes.”

His father shook his head, but he stopped arguing with him. Above all else, his father loved him, and David knew he wanted him to be happy, but it was hard for Michael Bellwood to lose an argument.

Michael’s grandfather had built the cabin near the Cherohala Skyway east of Murphy more than seventy years ago. David grew up spending summers and some holidays there as a kid. He loved both the cabin and the area, but his father always seemed restless when they were there. David begged to go to the cabin because the mountains gave him a sense of peace, and it was there he imagined he could do whatever he wanted. It’s also the place of his only memories of his mother. And in those memories, the beautiful woman with long dark hair and copper skin, held him and sang him Cherokee songs of hope.

David also longed for something else by moving to a small town. He hoped to overcome his fear of women. So far he hadn’t met anyone except the realtor who was old enough to have been his mother. Linda Lewis put him at ease at once with her mountain drawl and friendly manner. And she remembered both his father and mother.

“They were a handsome couple,” Linda had said when she made the connection with the last name. “But then they just disappeared from town.”

“My mother died, and my father didn’t like coming up to the cabin much. I usually stayed with my grandfather.”

“I heard something like that. Inola, your mother, was as beautiful as you are handsome, but she stayed up in the mountains most of the time. I hadn’t heard she died.”

“It was a long time ago.” David wanted to hear more, but he didn’t think Linda knew much more about his mother. “What about a place for me to open an office for the paper? Do you think you have anything?”

“Yes, I do,” Linda had said. “I think I have the perfect place. It’s an empty storefront right downtown. I think it might be charming to have the town’s newspaper right in the middle of things, don’t you?”

He agreed.

“I have someone else looking at the small space next door. She wants to open a coffee shop. Isn’t that what all you reporters do? Just like cops, drink coffee all day and smoke cigarettes, right?”

He laughed. “I don’t smoke, but caffeine is my drink of choice. The movies at least got that part right.”

He rented the spot immediately. There was a room in the back where he could put a futon. Once he owned the cabin, he could stay at the paper some nights instead of driving all the way home. He liked the accessibility so advertisers could just walk over on their lunch break and take out an ad. But first, he needed to hire someone to handle that end of the business. He needed to keep what he wrote separate from the paid part. Even if it was a small paper, he wanted the advertising side separate from the articles. Objectivity and integrity meant as much to him as pleasing his father, which he hoped to do by making a success of the venture.

Smoky Mountain Romances

Minty’s Kiss

Misty Mountain

Mountain Miracles

 

A Merry Mountain Chrismas – Kindle release date in October.

Paperback now available.

Christmas Pets & Kisses 1

Christmas Pets & Kisses 2 – Preorder now, released October 11.

FREEBIE ALERT – Native Lands may be downloaded for free September 13-15! And it’s always free in Kindle Unlimited. Paperback and Audible also available.

Kindle

Paperback 

Audible

 

 

WRITING ABOUT CHRISTMAS IN THE SUMMER AND BEGINNING ANEW

I wrote a novel and a novella this summer. A Merry Mountain Christmas was created as the temperatures soared to near nineties every day and humidity nearly has high. I had to close my eyes and imagine what it looked like in the mountains with a soft coating of snow. It wasn’t as difficult as you might imagine.

Mountain Miracles (release date: September 13) and A Merry Mountain Christmas, Books 3 and 4 in my Smoky Mountain Romance series, gave me a unique opportunity as a writer. The Christmas book was written for the new Christmas Pets and Kisses 2 box set (release date:  October 11) and had a hard deadline. Mountain Miracles was written to provide the gap between the last one, Misty Mountain, and the new one for the set. The deadline was all my own.

So I began Mountain Miracles with an idea of where I wanted it to end up for A Merry Mountain Christmas. Except it didn’t go as quickly as I had anticipated. I had written three-quarters of the novel when I looked at the calendar and realized I had only a month to write the Christmas novella. So I left the work in progress and moved forward and wrote A Merry Mountain Christmas. The plots depend on one another so it was actually easier than I thought and helped me write a richer storyline for both of the books. At least I hope I accomplished that for the reader. It feels that way as the writer.

I’ll be posting more about both of these books and the box set in the coming weeks. Usually, I like to take a break between projects, but that’s not possible this year. I’m working on another Christmas novella, but I’m having trouble getting into it. I can’t say much about it because it’s for another group project and still a secret, but it’s due December 1 so I better get inspired. The first chapters are written and characters established. It will come.

Then just when I thought I’d be fine, I did something really crazy. I accepted an offer to write a new Valentine story featuring a pet for the Valentine’s Pets and Kisses box set. Due date? December 1.

I’m blessed to have so many projects. Let’s just hope my muse agrees.

Smoky Mountain Romances

Minty’s Kiss – Kindle, B&N, Apple, Kobo, Paperback

Misty Mountain – Kindle, B&N, Apple, Kobo, Paperback

Mountain Miracles – Kindle Unlimited (Preorder, Release: September 13), Paperback

A Merry Mountain Christmas –  Paperback only

Christmas Pets & Kisses (2015) – Kindle, B&N, Apple, Kobo

Christmas Pets & Kisses 2 (Release date: October 11, 2016) – Kindle, B&N, Apple, Kobo

 

WOW! WHAT A GREAT #GIVEAWAY

Win Up To 14 Romance Novels!
(2) Grand Prize Kindle “Gift Baskets” of ALL 14 eBooks!
(19) Winners of Individual eBooks (randomly selected titles)

20 Questions with P.C. Zick

Good Monday Morning – Here’s an interview on Don Massenzio’s blog (Thank you, Don!). Also I wanted to let you know that Trails in the Sand, one of my Florida Fiction books, is available this week, August 8-12, for free download on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2azjvsO

Don Massenzio's Blog

Today, for this special edition of 20 Questions, we sit down with best-selling author P.C. Zick. She is a prolific author with many of her stories set in Florida. This 20 Questions installment coincides with her offer of her work, Trails in the Sand, which is free on Amazon today through Friday. (August 8th – 12th).

Please enjoy this special installment of 20 Questions.

Q1) When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

It’s always been my secret desire as long as I can remember. But I didn’t dare tell anyone for fear of being laughed out of the room. I always received praise for my writing and completing assignments that required an essay never fazed me. I preferred it. As an English teacher, I taught others to write and became known as the “writing teacher.” One day, one of my students attempted suicide, and I…

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JOIN THE FUN WITH CHRISTMAS IN JULY

I’m so happy to announce the new box set Christmas Pets and Kisses 2 which is now available for pre-orders. All new books and all featuring romance and an adorable pet.

Join us today, July 25, for a fun-filled Pre-release Facebook party where there will be giveaways and contests. Join the party now by clicking here! And don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter below!

Christmas Pets and Kisses 2 Pre-order

Warm your hearts this holiday season with twelve all-new sweet romances from best-selling authors. If you enjoyed Christmas Pets and Kisses you’ll love following some old friends and meeting some new ones. This delightful collection of pets, from paws and hooves to wings and fins, deliver another round of Christmas magic and true love.

It’s Always Something- Nikki Lynn Barrett– One celebrity couple. One first Christmas together. Two new additions to the McGinnis family in the form of a rabbit and a former Golden retriever service dog. What else could happen this year? It’s Always Something…

The Oblivious Girl’s Handbook – DelSheree Gladden– Being oblivious to all the signs that your life is about to fall apart doesn’t stop it from happening to Sara Taylor. Alone except for the Siamese cat her boyfriend left behind to teach her a lesson, Sara has no clue how to survive on her own. She knows her friend Monroe would gladly step in, but pride forces her to either sink or swim as Christmas approaches, even when sinking seems the most likely outcome.

Her Christmas Chance- Rachelle Ayala– When a persistent cat keeps breaking into Chance Martin’s workshop, he isn’t prepared to meet his reclusive owner–a woman with more than a face to hide.

Sold!- J.L. Campbell– Christmas looks dismal this year for Feechi Anoduro, until she meets Carsten Raimes, who brings not only good luck, but the chance for her seven year old to keep Max, his beloved Yorkshire terrier.

Unexpected Gift 2- Chantel Rhondeau– Housekeeper Dani Johnson is nursing a broken heart, so flees across the country to hide out in New York. Certain even Christmas festivities can’t thaw her frozen heart, Dani is in for a shock when she meets the local veterinarian technician and his adorable kittens.

Home for the Holidays- Michele Shriver– Her personal and professional life at a crossroads New York lawyer Melanie Holister returns home to small town Iowa for the Holidays, where she crosses paths with her high school crush, Kaeden McGrath. Can Kaeden and his bulldog Spike help Melanie find happiness in the hometown she once couldn’t wait to leave?

Merry Mountain Christmas- P.C. Zick– Fran is adjusting after her husband’s death when her first love comes back to town upsetting her family. But a dog named Chester provides her with an inspiration. Rescue dogs and a new love come together in the Smoky Mountains for one sweet Christmas celebration.

Paper Love- Aubrey Wynne– Ian has pulled out all the stops to gain Joy’s trust. When a stray carrier pigeon appears on his deck, the bird and an origami obsession save the day.

Kindled- Jade Kerrion– When a dog darts across the road, premier danseur Nicolas Dragov, sends his motorcycle spinning to avoid killing it. Injured, he is sent home to recuperate over Christmas, but his massage therapist is his former dance partner and the woman who broke his heart.

A Christmas Snowstar- Nancy Radke– Two neighboring ranchers struggle to save a new-born foal from wolves in a blizzard, while becoming reacquainted after years of separation.

Melanie’s Christmas Gift- Sharon Coady– After a whirlwind wedding Kyle and Anne feel like they have it all as they settle in as a new family with her grandfather and his young daughter. But when Kyle announces they are expecting a new baby his child’s stubborn actions could rock their cradle and ruin their future. Can the family cat help create a Christmas miracle?

A Miracle for Happiness- Annamaria Bazzi– Brian finds his second chance at love, but never bargained having to fight for his beloved Amelia’s life.

Pre-order today for 99cents. Releasing October 11, 2016.

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Author Bios

Nikki Lynn Barrett

I’m an avid lover of books. I’ve been writing as far back as I can remember, completing my first “book” by fifth grade in one of those one subject spiral notebooks. I have a passion for music, photography, jewelry and all things creative. I live in Arizona with my husband and son, but dream of being somewhere much colder and stormier. For now, I’ll have to live that life through my characters and stick it out with the summer heat.

Amazon | Facebook | Nikki’s Book Nook | Nikki’s Book Stormers

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DelSheree Gladden

DelSheree Gladden was one of those shy, quiet kids who spent more time reading than talking. Literally. She didn’t speak a single word for the first three months of preschool, but she had already taught herself to read. Her fascination with reading led to many hours spent in the library and bookstores, and eventually to writing. She wrote her first novel when she was sixteen years old, but spent ten years rewriting and perfecting it before having it published.

Native to New Mexico, DelSheree and her husband spent several years in Colorado for college and work before moving back home to be near family again. Their two children love having their seventeen cousins close by. When not writing, you can find DelSheree reading, painting, sewing and trying not to get bitten by small children in her work as a dental hygienist.

Amazon | Facebook | Website | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+ | Youtube | Linkedin | Tumblr | Podcast

Rachelle Ayala

Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Her foremost goal is to take readers on a shared emotional journey with her characters as they grow and become more true to themselves. Rachelle believes in the power of love to overcome obstacles and feels that everyone should find love as often as possible, especially if it’s within the pages of a book. Her book, Knowing Vera, won the 2015 Angie Ovation Award, and A Father for Christmas garnered a 2015 Readers’ Favorite Gold Award.

Sign up for her NEWSLETTER to get a FREE surprise book and her latest book news! http://bit.ly/RachAyala

Website | Facebook | Newsletter | Street Team | Twitter | Amazon

J.L. Campbell

J.L. Campbell lives in Jamaica and writes romantic suspense, women’s fiction, sweet romance, new and young adult novels. She has written fourteen books, five novellas and two short story collections. She is a certified editor, who also writes non-fiction.

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Chantel Rhondeau

Bestselling Author Chantel Rhondeau became hooked on romance after picking up a romantic suspense novel she thought was a mystery genre. After reading that first romance, she never looked back. Chantel is author of several romantic suspense novels, Christmas novellas, and the McCallister’s Paradise contemporary romance/family saga series. She lives in the western United States and when she’s not writing, she loves playing cards with her family, bowling, and bingeing on Netflix while snuggling with her lazy kitties.

Mailing List (Free ebook for new members): http://eepurl.com/3f3jr

Join my Facebook Group: http://on.fb.me/1JlKFNC

Want to contact Chantel?

Website | Facebook | Amazon Author Page | Twitter | Google + | Pintrest

Michele Shriver

Michele Shriver is a National and International best-selling author of women’s fiction and contemporary romance. Her books feature flawed-but-likeable characters in real-life settings. She’s not afraid to break the rules, but never stops believing in happily ever after. Michele counts among her favorite things a good glass of wine, a hockey game, and a sweet and sexy book boyfriend, not necessarily in that order.

Street Team/ Reader’s club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/721292531291721/

Website: http://www.micheleshriver.com

Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Newsletter

P.C. Zick

Bestselling author, P.C. Zick describes herself as a storyteller no matter what she writes. And she writes in a variety of genres, including romance, contemporary fiction, and nonfiction. She’s won various awards for her essays, columns, editorials, articles, and fiction

Many of her novels contain stories of Florida and its people and environment, which she credits as giving her a rich base for her storytelling. “Florida’s quirky and abundant wildlife – both human and animal – supply my fiction with tales almost too weird to be believable. Her Behind the Love trilogy – contemporary romance – is also set in Florida, but she’s now working on a series set in the Smoky Mountains.

You can keep track of P.C. Zick’s new releases and special promotions by signing up for her newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/0o6-D. Visit her website to find out more about her writing life at http://www.pczick.com.

Links

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Aubrey Wynne

Bestselling and award-winning author Aubrey Wynne resides in theMidwest with her husband, dogs, horses, mule and barn cats. She is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience,and author by night. Obsessions include history, travel, trail riding and all things Christmas.

Her short stories, Merry Christmas, Henry and Pete’s Mighty Purty Privies received Readers Choice Awards and Dante’s Gift won the 2016 Golden Quill award. Besides her Chicago Christmas novellas, Aubrey will release “A Vintage Romance” series inspired by tales of her stepfather, who served for the British Air Force in WWII. The stories will be set in the 40s & 50s. Her medieval fantasy series will launch in 2017 with Rolf’s Quest.

Website: http://aubreywynne.com/

Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter | Fan Group | Pinterest

Jade Kerrion

Jade Kerrion defied (or leveraged, depending on your point of view) her undergraduate degrees in Biology and Philosophy, as well as her MBA, to embark on her second (and concurrent) career as an award-winning science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance author.

Her debut novel, Perfection Unleashed, published in 2012, won six literary awards and launched her best-selling futuristic thriller series, Double Helix, which blends cutting-edge genetic engineering and high-octane action with an unforgettable romance between an alpha empath and an assassin.

Earth-Sim and Eternal Night won first place Royal Palm Literary Awards in the Young Adult and Fantasy categories respectively. Readers have clamored for sequels, and Jade will get around to them when her To Do list opens up (sometime after 2020.)

Life Shocks Romances, Jade’s sweet and sexy contemporary romance series, features unlikely romances you will root for and happy endings you can believe in. They prove that, at the very least, she knows how to alphabetize books.

If she sounds busy, it’s because she is. Jade writes at 3:00 am when her husband and three sons are asleep, and aspires to make her readers as sleep-deprived as she is.

Visit her at http://www.jadekerrion.com

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Nancy Radke

Nancy Radke has ridden through mountains in the wintertime, wrapping her legs in blankets to stay warm, and carrying a stone in her pocket as a hand warmer. She still has the stone (no horses), and in her imagination often returns to the ranch and its many challenges. Her pets at that time were her horses, a milk cow, several dogs and enough cats to clear out the barn. She still has several dogs, wild rabbits, deer, birds, and coyotes where she lives. Her many books feature honorable men and courageous women, usually in danger of some sort. The Trahern series follows different members of a Tennessee family as they travel west after the Civil War. The Sisters of Spirit series and the Brothers of Spirit series contain modern stories, ranging from humorous to thrillers.

Facebook | Website | Twitter

Sharon Coady

Best Selling Author Sharon Coady lives in Florida with her husband, three of her four daughters and five of her eleven grandchildren. Sharon has written and published five books, a YA Paranormal, a Contemporary Romance, A Mystery/Suspense, a sweet Christmas Romance, a Spicy Christmas Romance and is working on her next book a Country Music Romance. When not writing Sharon is a nurse for the Veterans Administration who enjoys spending time with her family and riding behind her husband on their Harley.

Amazon | Facebook | Twitter

Annamaria Bazzi

Although born in the United States, Annamaria Bazzi spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country.

Upon returning to the states, she swore she would speak without an accent.

She attended Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish. Annamaria Bazzi spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solution, and addressing customer problems. During those years she raised four daughters and one husband. Annamaria lives in Richmond Virginia with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing.

blog: http://www.annamariabazzi.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.annamariabazzi

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LOOSE ENDS FOR NOW

On Monday, I finished my Christmas novella A Merry Mountain Christmas for the Christmas Pets & Kisses 2 box set that will be released in October.

I did something a little different these past few months, and it’s probably good for me because I’m a very linear person. I began writing the third book in my romance series back in February. Mountain Miracles was intended for release this spring and follows on the heels of Misty Mountain that I released in February.

Life had other plans for me. But the story was evolving as I kept an eye on the next story, A Merry Mountain Christmas. The two plots are intimately connected through the storyline and the characters. By the beginning of June, the first one was proceeding nicely. Then I looked at the calendar and realized the Christmas story had to be written because it had a hard deadline. So I stopped Mountain Miracles and dove into A Merry Mountain Christmas. It turned out to be an odd experience, but not a bad one. In fact, some of the plot twists I hadn’t yet established in the first book were decided (and sometimes created) with the writing of the second one. Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish Mountain Miracles very soon now. And then I will have four books in my Smoky Mountain Romance series.

But a funny happened on the way to writing today. I’m at loose ends and can’t settle down to any project. This often happens after I finish the first draft of a book, and I should expect it. But with the other book looming, and so many projects waiting, I was certain this time I would be able to settle my rear end in the chair and write. Not so.

When I recognized the restlessness yesterday, I suggested that my husband and I take a ride to seek waterfalls. And so that’s exactly what we did. Not that it helped. I’m reduced to making lists today because my mind won’t stop jumping around. Ah well. Enjoy the beauty that we found in the Cherokee National Forest yesterday while I attempt to quiet all the swirling ideas and thoughts!

 

Conasauga Falls, Tellico Plains, Tennessee

 

Conasauga Falls, Tellico Plains, Tennessee

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