Becky Lower's Blog, page 21

Moving Pieces

If you read my blog regularly, you'll know I've been trying to sell my home here in Ohio for quite some time. It all began one snowy night a year ago when a young couple came to my door asking if I was interested in selling. Being young and this being their first attempt to buy, they had not a clue what came next. I got them going in the right direction, but the care and maintenance of a house this size overwhelmed them and they moved on.

The house sat on the market for months and occasionally I got a nibble. Then, a few months ago I had an agent come through who was previewing several homes for her out-of-state clients. I never heard back from her, so I had my agent take it off the market and out of MLS. A few days later, the agent knocked on my door, telling me her clients were flying in that weekend specifically to see my house. So I let them come through, and I'm happy to say they bought the home.

So, two times I've had total strangers come to my door to inquire about the house. The beginning and the end. Kismet, I'd say.

Where to go from here is a giant puzzle I'm trying to come to grips with now. I was headed down what I thought was a solid path, but it blew up on me a few days ago. So now I've decided to take my time, rent an apartment for a couple months, get to know my new town and then decide which direction I should head.

Why am I telling you all this? I'm glad you asked.

This whole process of selling and buying is exactly how I write my novels. I always have the beginning and the end figured out before I start putting words on the page. The rest of it is where problems begin to develop. I have a modest outline that I follow with my stories, but sometimes I head off in a different direction and have to rein my story in. When I find myself going in a direction and it's not working, I stop, reassess, think things over and come up with a new plan.

Which is where I'm at now with my life. I am stopping, reassessing, thinking things over and will come up with a new plan.


Each time I begin a new story, I'm filled with excitement and hope. As I move through the first draft, I find myself really beginning to care for my characters and the setting into which I've placed them. Now, with my life, I'm also filled with excitement and hope. A new chapter is unfolding before my very eyes, and I'm eager to see which direction I'm eventually going to head.

I'll be sure to let you all know, once the pieces fall into place.

Merry Christmas!

It's been a fun couple of weeks showcasing my friends' Christmas stories. I'm sure you'll agree that there's been something for everyone. Thanks to all my author friends for sharing and my hope for each of them is big sales in their stockings in the coming year.

Since I feature my siblings so much in my Sunday blogs, I thought I'd end the year by showing you what we all looked like on Christmas morning, 1955.
I'm the one holding my head. Rather appropriate, I'd say. Pat's got her back to the camera, the twins, Buzz and Sherrie, are the babies, and Cathe's on the couch. It's funny how little we've changed since then. 
Unlike the past Sundays, there will be no promotion of Christmas titles today. It's a time for getting together with family, for creating memories to last a lifetime, for getting new story ideas from your friends and siblings. I hope each of you has a very Merry Christmas. Get out there and enjoy yourselves!
And, oh, if you need a book for your new Kindle, Winning Violet releases tomorrow, Christmas Day.  https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Violet-Flower-Girls-Book-ebook/dp/B076PFH4PF/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1512392802&sr=8-4&keywords=becky+lower

My Christmas Present To Myself

You know how the season can be–filled with buying goodies and packing them into the car for the trip to Grandma's house. Well, I'm doing the same thing, only with an entire house.

That's right. I sold my big old house in Ohio, something I've been trying to do for months. Now comes the fun part–throwing out all those things I have no intention of paying to truck to North Carolina and buying a new home for myself. All very exciting, very exhausting, very worrisome. I'm about to be homeless. Me and Mary on the streets together.

Now is not the best time to be promoting a release, but that's exactly what's happening. The wheels never stop, they just slow a bit with all this other activity. Winning Violet, the first book in my new Regency series, releases on Christmas Day.
Here's a bit of a taste:


Everything’s coming up roses for an English miss and an American gentleman in this delightful new series from the author of the Cotillion Ball saga!

After British soldiers killed his wife and child during the War of 1812, Parker Sinclair vowed to never set foot on English soil. But as Thomas Jefferson’s landscaper, one must sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice. The last thing Parker expects to find is an educated English beauty who can teach him so much more than how to plant a magnificent garden.

An expert at cross-pollinating roses, Violet Wilson’s dreams of becoming the first woman recognized by the Royal Horticultural Society are fading because she’s afraid to leave the quiet solitude of her family’s nursery. Distrustful of men after a traumatic encounter, she’s not keen on disrupting her routine to help the American landscaper, but she soon blossoms under his kindness and respect.

As they fall in love, can this shrinking Violet take the risk of leaving behind all she knows for a new life with Parker? Or is he considering a different ending altogether?
If that's piqued your interest and you want to read more, here's an excerpt:
“Now comes the fun part.” Violet picked a small brush from her apron, carefully wiping it free of any lingering pollen. A blush crept into her cheeks as she explained the next step. “I load my brush with pollen from the Scotch rose and brush it over the sticky surface of the pistil. The sticky part is called the stigma.” With a few deft strokes, she brushed a small amount of pollen onto the plant.
Parker observed her carefully. “I should be writing this all down. Although it’s very similar to humans and how they reproduce, so I get the gist of it.” Her cheeks bloomed even pinker, as he suspected they would. Time to change the subject. “Is that all? One time and done?”The tinge in her cheeks grew deeper, almost a reddish hue. “Oh no. Once is never enough. I have to stroke on the pollen at least three or four times to assure it’s taken hold.”“I see.” Parker stroked the leaves of the Lady Banks as his mind conjured up images best left alone. 
Want to find out what happens to Parker and Violet? It's being released on Christmas Day and would make a wonderful gift for someone, even yourself. https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Violet-Flower-Girls-Book-ebook/dp/B076PFH4PF/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1509368036&sr=8-2&keywords=becky+lower

There's Still Time To Order Your Christmas Books--Week Six

Are you getting in the holiday spirit yet? Surely, you need a book or two.  To satisfy all our tastes, I've decided for all of November and December, I'll be featuring some of them here. Your choices today are: something for the dog lover in the family,  a historical romance collection, a war hero contemporary, a slightly paranormal Christmas story and a culinary arts temptation. Something for everyone!
Scrooge & the Secret Santa: Book 4 in the Klein's K-9s Service Dogs seriesBy Marcia James
Police dog trainer, Patton Carter, has nothing but bad memories of holidays spent in foster homes as a child. When a car crash lands him in the hospital and a knee replacement requires rehab, he hires physical therapist, Faith Harmon, to live in his house over the holidays as a combination therapist, caretaker, and dog-sitter.As a part-time therapy pet teacher, Faith has had run-ins with the Patton at Klein’s K-9s. But the pay he’s offering for the six-week job is too good to pass up. She agrees to move into his house with the stipulation that he won’t continue to disparage the important work of therapy animal handlers and their pets. She never anticipates that their biggest conflict will be Christmas.Patton soon learns the difference therapy pets can make in the lives of patients like himself. But will he be able to open his heart to love and the spirit of Christmas before he loses Faith?

Christmas Kisses
Various Authors

Take a break from the hectic holiday season and immerse yourself in historical romance with this collection of timeless Christmas Kisses. From USA Today Bestselling and award-winning authors, this set includes stories by Lana Williams, Elizabeth Rose, Emma Prince, Laurel O'Donnell, Barbara Monajem, Hildie McQueen, Amanda McCabe, Anna Markland, Eliza Knight, and Catherine Kean.



https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076616N1L




A Hero Grinch For ChristmasBy Samanthya Wyatt
Dani will not allow The Grinch to hide from Christmas. She will cure Hunter of his nasty mood, even if it kills her. But who will save her from his passionate kisses.
War hero, Hunter Armstrong, has seen enough devastation to last a lifetime. At the end of his latest Army term, he accepted his discharge papers and never looked back. His uncle’s home is tucked away in the majestic mountains, a perfect place for him to hide from Christmas and his own memories. But he can’t hide from the delectable Dani. The last thing he needs is a female in his life. But this one has the face of an angel and eyes you could drown in.
Dani Wimer left the Colorado Mountains and relocated in the bright lights of New York City. Every December she returns to the village of Wyattsville. When a hunky military guy enters her aunt’s shop, he seems lost and angry. His scowl is intimidating, but that doesn’t bother the spunky girl who celebrates the holidays like it’s Christmas every day. She decides to put a smile on his Grinch face and ends up losing her heart in a passionate whirlwind.  

https://www.amazon.com/Hero-Grinch-Christmas-Samanthya-Wyatt-ebook/dp/B01920EWRA/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506430080&sr=1-6&keywords=samanthya+wyatt


Wrapped Up In You
By Erin Bevan 

Princess Jenny Claus has thirty suitors to choose from to take on the role of Santa and her husband, and only three weeks to do it. When an outsider crashes into and destroys the toy factory, her Gala and the prospect of Christmas for children everywhere are ruined.
Logan Moss awakens from his plane crash, suffering from partial amnesia. Surrounded by a world he always considered make believe, he has a hard time accepting his new surroundings. Except for one snow princess who he’s deeply fascinated with. And when Logan realizes she only has three weeks to pick a husband, he begins to feel compelled to be that man. Problem is, he can’t remember if he has a wife.
With Christmas getting closer, Jenny has to make the hardest decision of her life...duty or love.

https://www.amazon.com/Wrapped-Up-You-Erin-Bevan-ebook/dp/B01M0D4DI0/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1506438314&sr=8-6&keywords=erin+bevan

Believe in My Heart 
by Maria K. Alexander (a Tangled Hearts standalone novella)


This holiday, love is on the menu.Culinary arts student, Hope Mastriano, is down on her luck. Homeless on Thanksgiving Day, she’s caught trying to break into her cousin’s apartment by her sexy boss and lifelong secret crush.Since getting dumped seven months ago, head chef Vinnie DiFrancesco has been in a frustrating holding pattern. He returns relaxed from a retreat, but his life is sent into a tailspin when he offers Hope, the event coordinator at his family’s trattoria, temporary housing. With the trattoria’s traditional Italian Christmas Eve charity dinner slated to be featured on a local TV segment and things heating up in his apartment, the two must set aside their different visions to make the event a success. When a computer glitch threatens their plans, Hope proposes a risky solution. Vinnie must believe in Hope and his heart in order to secure the future of the restaurant and make it a Christmas to remember.
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B0764CJ24W

Do You Want Some More Christmas? Week Five

Are you getting in the holiday spirit yet? Surely, you need a book or two.  To satisfy all our tastes, I've decided for all of November and December, I'll be featuring some of them here. Your choices today are: a YA novel about finding love at Christmas, a Harlequin contemporary, a sweet Regency romance and a historical cowboy romance. Something for everyone!


Poppies For ChristmasBy Stacy Keywell
Popular DJ Dexx finds himself positively smitten by the precociously printing Poppy Paris. Too bad she's already taken by an older boy, Declan Davies, a beautiful model with a thriving career, and a perfect family. By a dreamful stroke of chance, Dexx finds himself invited to spend Christmas at the Davies homes by a gorgeous girl, granting him the opportunity to pursue the precious Poppy. But in his quest to win her over, he unlocks a world of imperfection and insecurity, where people are picked on for their disabilities, speech, appearance, and eccentricities. For Poppy and her friends, love trumps labels, and everyone deserves a brave friend to stand by their side. What gifts will Dexx discover this Christmas? Will he ultimately find true love, or will he discover something even greater? 
https://www.amazon.com/Poppies-Christmas-Stacy-Renée-Keywell-ebook/dp/B01M3XOC2O/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506268594&sr=1-3&keywords=keywell

Christmas At The Cove

By Rachel Brimble


More family for Christmas? 
Scott Walker doesn't have time for a relationship. The sexy mechanic has career ambitions, not to mention a mother and three sisters to take care of. The last thing he needs is Carrie Jameson, the beauty he never forgot, arriving in Templeton Cove over the holidays with some unexpected news. 
Scott still finds Carrie irresistible, and he's not one to shirk responsibility. Scott's issues with his own dad make the prospect of parenthood a minefield. But if he and Carrie can overcome their fears, this Christmas could bring them the best gift of all.

Amazon US





A Regency Yuletide
By Becky Lower

After a disappointing season in London, Sophie Davenport returns home without a marriage proposal. No sooner does she settle back into her country life than she learns her uncle has arranged for her to marry the local vicar’s son, a respectable and utterly forgettable man. He’s returning home immediately after the Christmas holiday and they will wed. She sets about making this last Christmas with just she and her mother memorable.
Jeremy Wyatt hatches a plan to help his friend Thomas and his love, Emma, escape to Gretna Green and marry before her father comes after them. What he’s really doing is avoiding heading to his parents’ home, where he is the son who is always making the wrong choices. But their carriage becomes hopelessly mired in the mud from the incessant rains so Jeremy sets off to find shelter for them at the first house he comes to.
Sophie welcomes the wet and weary travelers, and her mother agrees to house them temporarily until they can free the carriage. Sophie forms a bond not only with Emma, but with Jeremy. However despite the sparks they ignite in each other, they have to maintain their separate paths.  
But love and mistletoe have a way of upsetting even the best-laid plans.



Silent Signals  By Linda Carroll-Bradd



After losing half his herd in the Great Blizzard of 1886, rancher Konrad Werner needs to safeguard his cattle. Tomboy Anora Huxley trains the Australian Shepherds and Kelpies that run the family’s sheep herd. Although cattlemen and shepherds are at odds, the pair discovers common interests. A threat is overheard, and Konrad rides out to Anora’s ranch to protect her. The tense situation reveals their true feelings. Will Anora be swayed by family loyalty, or will she listen to her heart that responds to Konrad’s silent signals? 
http://amzn.com/B01MRIW6X1

Do You Want Some Christmas? Week Four

Are you getting in the holiday spirit yet? Surely, you need a book or two.  To satisfy all our tastes, I've decided for all of November and December, I'll be featuring some of them here. Your choices today are: a special magical tale, a Mirror Lake contemporary, a collection of mail-order bride stories by bestselling authors, and a return to Lobster Cove, Maine. Something for everyone!


Magic & Mistletoe
By Nancy Northcott


Can A Bookworm And A Badass Find Love? 
Mage teacher Peri Lee came from a neighborhood so rough that she worried each day about whether her mom would make it home from work safely. All that is behind her now, and she wants a quiet, predictable life. So when big, tough Deputy Shire Reeve Roland Wade asks her out, she turns him down. With his linebacker's build, broken nose, and badass manner, he reminds her too much of the thugs who liked in the area where she grew up. 
Books aren't Roland's thing, but petite, smart Peri has a spark that draws him. Just when he thinks his cause is hopeless, until battling an attack by ghouls, the mages' deadly enemies, on the bus carrying Peri and her class shows her a different side of him. 
Still, his job puts him in danger and causes her the same worry she knew as a child. She isn't sure she can take it, and he isn't sure he should put her through it. Will the strain be too much for their relationship, or will magic and mistletoe help them find their way to each other? 
https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Mistletoe-Light-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B019HM75AE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1506881809&sr=1-1&keywords=Nancy+Northcott+Magic+%26+Mistletoe

Can't Miss Christmas
By Miranda Liasson
(A standalone Mirror Lake Christmas novella)

Fans of both Mirror Lake series will recognize familiar elements and people along the way.

It’s two days before Christmas and bestselling children’s author Grace Alberts needs to fulfill a promise—to make it to a book signing for the kids at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the place that did so much for her during a very rough time. But the weather’s getting awful and all flights are cancelled out of Boston, where she’s wrapping up her book tour. Then in walks her annoying but extremely sexy ex-husband, who (as usual) thinks he’s got all the answers.

Graham Walker just stopped by to get a book signed for Grace’s biggest fan, his niece, and wish Grace a Merry Christmas—why not? But he soon finds himself troubleshooting her dilemma. He’s got a Range Rover that can plow through a hundred-year Nor’easter. He’s even headed home to Philly. Trouble is, Grace's and his past is a disaster, something he has no intention of reliving while driving through a winter storm, no matter how much he once loved her. And maybe still does.

Bad weather has a way of bringing out the best and the worst in people, and when a run in with some deer antlers leads them to a forced stop in Mirror Lake, Connecticut, anything can happen, naughty or nice. Maybe a bit of enforced alone time and some Christmas magic can be just what it takes for them to face their past—and each other—once and for all.

https://www.amazon.com/CANT-MISS-CHRISTMAS-NOVELLA-Mirror-ebook/dp/B0758ZJ26S/ref=pd_sim_351_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=99F920KZV4KJYCQVT09E
Witch's Holiday Wedding By Tena Stetler

Elemental witch, Pepper McKay and former Navy SEAL, Lathen Quartz have built Lobster Cove Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on enchanted McKay land. During a romantic interlude on Halloween night, Pepper happily agrees to become Lathen’s wife. What better day than Winter Solstice for their wedding in a town that loves celebrations and Christmas. However, planning a wedding and operating their wildlife center takes a toll on both Pepper and Lathen.  When the couple takes a much-needed break for Thanksgiving with family in Colorado, a Maine snowstorm fills the center with injured wildlife. Lathen finds himself drawn into a covert military mission, while trying to deal with issues concerning friends and family. Pepper wants to cancel the wedding. Is she having second thoughts? Will the nosy McKay ghosts, Lathen’s werewolf pack, Pepper’s parents, and her best friend help or hinder the wedding and holiday plans?
https://amzn.com/B01MA1GYIB
The Twelve Days of Christmas Mail-Order Brides By Kit Morgan, Shanna Hatfield, Merry Farmer, Jacqui Nelson, Caroline Lee, Peggy Henderson, Piper Huguley, Rachel Wesson, Mimi Milan, Danica Favorite, Amanda McIntyre and E.E. Burke

Twelve men. Twelve brides. Twelve days to save a town.
Christmas, 1876: Noelle, Colorado is in danger of becoming a ghost town if the railroad decides to bypass the mountaintop mining community. Determined to prove their town is thriving, twelve men commit to ordering brides before the railroad’s deadline six days into the New Year. 
Each of the twelve women has her own reason for signing up to become a mail-order bride. But after they arrive in the uncivilized settlement, they aren’t so sure they’ve made the right decision. Neither are the grooms.
Will the marriages happen in time to save Noelle? 
The Twelve Days of Christmas Mail-Order Brides , written by twelve bestselling authors, put a new twist on an old song in this heartwarming historical romance series.http://bit.ly/12DaysBrides Love's In The Cards By Becky Lower


Penny Beedle’s outlook on Christmas, as her favorite holiday, was destroyed by a messy breakup years earlier and a botched wedding last year—both on Christmas Eve. But since she and her sister now own a greeting card store, and the holidays are their crazy selling season, she has to put on a happy face. 

Del Madison has loved Penny since kindergarten. Commissioned by a big greeting card company for a line of Christmas and Valentine’s cards, he has to emerge from behind his alter ego and unveil himself to the public. He chooses Penny Beedle’s shop for the big reveal. If he plays his cards right, he just might gain Penny as part of his life.
https://www.amazon.com/Loves-Cards-Lobster-Becky-Lower-ebook/dp/B01M4J150Z/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1510178899&sr=8-9&keywords=becky+lower

Do You Want Some Christmas? Week Three

Are you getting in the holiday spirit yet? Surely, you need a book or two.  To satisfy all our tastes, I've decided for all of November and December, I'll be featuring some of them here. Your choices today are: a special tale by New York Times bestseller Lauren Royal, a couple contemporaries, a return to Lobster Cove, Maine Christmas story and a time-travel. Something for everyone!

A Secret Christmas  By Lauren Royal
England, 1651: Christmas has been outlawed by the new Commonwealth government—but that won’t stop Lady Chrystabel Trevor from embracing the holiday spirit. When she finds herself snowed in with handsome and intriguing Joseph Ashcroft, the Viscount Tremayne, merrymaking leads to mayhem. In a time of fear and oppression, can the magic of Christmas bring two hearts together?http://royall.ink/ASecretChristmas/AllStores

A Kiss Under The Christmas LightsBy Peggy Jaeger
With Christmas just a few weeks away, Gia San Valentino, the baby in her large, loud, and loving Italian family, yearns for a life and home of her own with a husband and bambini she can love and spoil. The single scene doesn’t interest her, and the men her well-meaning family introduce her to aren’t exactly the happily-ever-after kind.
Tim Santini believes he’s finally found the woman for him, but Gia will take some convincing she’s that girl. A misunderstanding has her thinking he’s something he’s not.

Can a kiss stolen under the Christmas lights persuade her to spend the rest of her life with him?
Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Under-Christmas-Lights-ebook/dp/B01LZ28ZTQ/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Breakfast With SantaBy Carol Henry
Six years ago Katelyn experienced heaven in Mark Logan’s arms. But when Mark joined the Special Forces, he left her with shattered dreams—and, unbeknownst to him, carrying his unborn baby. Now, he’s back in Lobster Cove, and she’s engaged to another man. But with her fiancé in Norway, Katelyn volunteers to play an elf at the annual Breakfast with Santa event.
Mark Logan-aka Santa--can’t keep his eyes off Katelyn in her sexy elf outfit, which brings back feelings better left hidden. After all, he only returned to Lobster Cove to keep his two-year-old son safe from kidnappers, not to rekindle an old romance.

Katelyn, conflicted between her renewed feelings for Mark and the secret she’s kept from him, flies to Norway to reaffirm her feelings for her fiancé. But when she arrives, she discovers a startling truth. Will unearthed secrets be the key to her happiness or heartache?
https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/3657-breakfast-with-santa.html?search_query=Breakfast+with+Santa&results=2





Perfectly ChristmasBy Linda O'Connor


On the first day of Christmas, his true love said to him, “Sorry, I have to work.”That’s the life of a surgeon, and Dr. Madison Hayes wouldn’t have it any other way.Dr. Quinn Malone has another priority. In the countdown to Christmas, he needs to convince his old flame that there’s more to life – and love – than the job itself. This time, his heart is in it for the long haul. Really. Romantic and . . . complicated – it’s Perfectly Christmas!
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYW5T7X





The White LadyBy Beth TrisselAvery Dunham has always been ready to follow her friend, time-traveling wizard, Ignus Burke, on incredible adventures. This time, though, she has serious misgivings. It's just one week before Christmas, but she cannot get him to change his mind. The usually cool and collected magic-wielding leader is wholly obsessed by the portrait of the White Lady whom he is bent on rescuing.Almost as soon as they begin their journey, it becomes clear their mission is a trap.Avery was right: this adventure is not going to be like any other.
Get The White Lady in Kindle at: https://www.amazon.com/White-Lady-Ladies-Time-Book-ebook/dp/B075XBTY1J/




A Christmas MiracleBy Sandy Loyd
Angie Reynolds’ heart aches for a husband and family of her own. Unfortunately, she’s looked for love in all the wrong places with nothing to show for it but disappointment. None of the guys she’s dated is worthy of her, including her ex-husband. This Christmas season looks to be another one spent alone. Yet until Angie realizes her own worth she will never be able to accept the gift of love from someone like Brad Miller.

For all who are searching for their someone special. May the gift of love reach your hearts this holiday season.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016NDE38M

Do You Want Some Christmas? Week 2

There are so many great Christmas-themed books, I can't limit it to one or two weeks. To satisfy all our tastes, I've decided for all of November and December, I'll be featuring some of them here. Your choices today are: A Regency, A Highlands adventure, a sexy Vampire story and a story about two lonely people finding love in the most unexpected of places. 



Mistletoe and the MayorBy Anna Campbell
Edmund Sherritt, Major Lord Canforth, has devoted eight tumultuous years to fighting Napoleon. Finally Europe is at peace, and he can retire to his estates and the lovely wife he hasn’t seen since their brief, unhappy honeymoon. The innocent girl he loved from the first moment he saw her, but who shied away from him on their wedding night.

The beautiful woman who greets him at Otway Hall on Christmas Eve is no longer the sweet ingénue he remembers. This new and exciting version of his beloved countess is strong, outspoken, and independent, and she’s willing to stand up for what she wants. The question is—does she want the husband who returns to her arms more as a stranger than a spouse?


 https://www.amazon.com/Mistletoe-Major-Christmas-Anna-Campbell-ebook/dp/B073G4S8X4/ 
Scotland Christmas ReunionBy Donna MacMeans


A sweet Christmas short story set in 1891 in the Scottish highlands tells of a second chance at love. English Edith MacPherson is melancholy now that her son’s new wife manages the castle. To aid insult to injury, the new Lady MacPherson celebrates Christmas substantially differently then when Edith held the title. A stranger from her past changes everything.
http://bit.ly/ScotlandChristmasReunion








A Vampire For ChristmasBy Susan Hanniford Crowley


Georgia doesn’t know she’s a Harmony. Jobless and about to be homeless, her heart sinks when a hand snatches the coat of her dreams from the storefront window. Then she sees him staring at her reflection . . . the stalker. Trevor Stenwood, a vampire and Arnhem Knight, is handsome, sophisticated, and tongue-tied every time he sees her. Sworn to protect the supernaturals of the city, he’s fallen for a woman marked for death by demons. How can he save her when she’s afraid of him?At Christmas time in New York City, will love bloom in the snow?
https://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Christmas-Vampires-Manhattan-ebook/dp/B00H92ENUU/


Lady Charlotte's Christmas VigilBy Caroline Warfield
Lady Charlotte Tyree clings to one dream—to see the splendor of Rome before settling for life as the spinster sister of an earl. But now her feckless brother forces her to wait again, stranded in Venice when he falls ill, halfway to the place of her dreams. She finds the city damp, moldy, and riddled with disease.
As a physician, Salvatore Caresini well knows the danger of putrid fever. He lost his young wife to it, leaving him alone to care for their rambunctious children. He isn’t about to let the lovely English lady risk her life nursing her brother.

But Christmas is coming, that season of miracles, and with it, perhaps, lessons for two lonely people: that love heals the deepest wounds and sometimes the deepest dreams aren’t what we expect.
https://www.amazon.com/Charlottes-Christmas-Vigil-Caroline-Warfield-ebook/dp/B0758NLYV2/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1506439733&sr=8-8&keywords=caroline+warfield



Love's In The Cards
By Becky Lower

Penny Beedle’s outlook on Christmas, as her favorite holiday, was destroyed by a messy breakup years earlier and a botched wedding last year—both on Christmas Eve. But since she and her sister now own a greeting card store, and the holidays are their crazy selling season, she has to put on a happy face. 

Del Madison has loved Penny since kindergarten. Commissioned by a big greeting card company for a line of Christmas and Valentine’s cards, he has to emerge from behind his alter ego and unveil himself to the public. He chooses Penny Beedle’s shop for the big reveal. If he plays his cards right, he just might gain Penny as part of his life.
https://www.amazon.com/Loves-Cards-Lobster-Becky-Lower-ebook/dp/B01M4J150Z/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1510178899&sr=8-9&keywords=becky+lower

Do You Want Some Christmas? Week One

Hard to believe, but the holidays are upon us. There are so many great romance stories out now that I've decided for all of November and December, I'll be featuring some of them here. First up, we have a collection of eight romances by Soul Mate authors. Madelyn Hill offers up a two-book anthology, Laura Strickland gives us a story that proves you can go home again. If you like your Christmas western-style, Prairie Rose offers up a collection of Texas women and the men they tame, and my Regency novella rounds out today's offerings.



SIZZLE IN THE SNOW: A SOUL MATE CHRISTMAS COLLECTIONEight steamy Christmas-themed romances by eight different authors . . .
http://www.amazon.com/Sizzle-Snow-Soul-Christmas-Collection-ebook/dp/B0186SCT74. The featured authors and their stories include: 
Beth Carter http://bethcarter.com/, Santa BabyAmy Deason https://amydeason.wordpress.com/, Second Chances: A Christmas StoryCrystal Firsdon http://crystalfirsdon.com/, 'Twas the Crazy Night Before ChristmasCD Hersh https://cdhersh.wordpress.com/, Kissing SantaKim Hotzon http://kimhotzon.com/, The Snow BirdRyan Jo Summers http://www.ryanjosummers.com/, Tamed by ChristmasTina Susedik http://www.tinasusedik.com/, Operation SantaCheryl Yeko http://www.cherylyeko.com/, Christmas Eve SurpriseThese authors will award a $40 Amazon gift card to one person who leaves a comment and their email address on this blog about this collection!

CHRISTMAS IN THE HIGHLANDS ANTHOLOGY By Madelyn HillA FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS IN THE HIGHLANDS, BOOK ONE
Laird Malcolm Sutherland needs a bride. He has few requirements of his new wife; demands he should have insisted with his former betrothed—namely, honesty, loyalty, and resources. 
Lady Rossalyn Gordon will do anything to be rid of her tyrant father, even if that means deceiving the man who offers her an escape. If revealed, those secrets will either bring her mercy, or thrust her back into the hands of the devil who sired her. 
When Rossalyn’s bastard of a father arrives at Sutherland Keep, going back on his word and ordering her return, Malcolm must decide if he can forgive his wife enough to listen to his heart and have a family for Christmas.

HIS BY CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS IN THE HIGHLANDS, BOOK TWO
Fiona Sutherland longs for love with the man she has pined after since she was a lass. When he weds another she is devastated, and questions why the man she pledged her heart to has forsaken a vow made in their youth. Could loving her be so hard? 
Cameron Munro adores Fiona from afar, knowing her heart has been set on another. She is everything he desires—strong, loyal, and fiery in spirit.Determined, he pledges to prove his love to her and win Fiona's heart by Christmas.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQKK4HG


CHRISTMASTIME ON DONNER'S MOUNTAINBy Laura Strickland
For most of her life, Becca Monroe’s been running. The urge to see what lay beyond the next horizon took her away from Donner’s Mountain and the man she loved. Now, back for what will surely be her grandfather’s last Christmas, she’s caught in a tangle of unresolved emotions that leave her torn between the impulse to flee and the desire to stay.

Jack Donner never stopped loving Becca, even though she deserted him. Better than anyone else, he knows how cruel it would be to fetter her wild spirit, and he doubts she could ever be happy living in one place, on his mountain.

Can memories of Christmases past remind Becca what truly matters? And can love convince Jack to give her one more chance, even if it means risking his battered heart?
https://www.amazon.com/Christmastime-Donners-Mountain-Laura-Strickland-ebook/dp/B075XFHNQ8/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1506637635&sr=1-3&keywords=laura+strickland

SWEET TEXAS CHRISTMAS An anthology of sweet historical western romances that take place in the state of Texas written by veteran western romance writers: Stacey Coverstone, Sarah J. McNeal, Cheryl Pierson, and Marie Piper.
 Buy Link: SWEETTEXAS CHRISTMASLogline: He left her…Now he’s back…But not for long…Blurb from Sarah McNeal's story: Sterling Thoroughgood was Matilda Barton’s first and only love, but he left her three years ago to seek his fortune in Wyoming. And now he’s come back with a puzzle box as a gift with a secret inside. But as far as Matilda’s concerned, it’s three years too late.Is love lost forever or does the mysterious puzzle box hold the key to happiness? Sarah is offering a free digital copy of the anthology to someone who comments in either PDF or Kindle Mobi. Be certain to include your email address or other contact for a chance to win.


A Regency Yuletide
By Becky Lower


After a disappointing season in London, Sophie Davenport returns home without a marriage proposal. No sooner does she settle back into her country life than she learns her uncle has arranged for her to marry the local vicar’s son, a respectable and utterly forgettable man. He’s returning home immediately after the Christmas holiday and they will wed. She sets about making this last Christmas with just she and her mother memorable.
Jeremy Wyatt hatches a plan to help his friend Thomas and his love, Emma, escape to Gretna Green and marry before her father comes after them. What he’s really doing is avoiding heading to his parents’ home, where he is the son who is always making the wrong choices. But their carriage becomes hopelessly mired in the mud from the incessant rains so Jeremy sets off to find shelter for them at the first house he comes to.
Sophie welcomes the wet and weary travelers, and her mother agrees to house them temporarily until they can free the carriage. Sophie forms a bond not only with Emma, but with Jeremy. However despite the sparks they ignite in each other, they have to maintain their separate paths.   
But love and mistletoe have a way of upsetting even the best-laid plans.

https://www.amazon.com/Regency-Yuletide-Becky-Lower-ebook/dp/B01LY2MN0S/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1509286226&sr=8-5&keywords=becky+lower 

Stumbling Across History

Those of you who follow along with this blog already know I hold a special place in my heart for the history of our nation. I stare at what has to be a 200-year-old tree in my neighborhood and wonder what events it's possibly seen. With Oberlin's rich history as an antislavery town and devoted to helping those traveling on the Underground Railroad, any number of things could have taken place near the tree. Was it a gathering place for townspeople to express their opposition to slavery? Did it at one time hide escaping slaves under its branches? These are the things I ponder as I take my afternoon walks.

My brother was in town this past week, for a conference in downtown Cleveland. When we picked him up at the end of the meetings, he said we needed to make one more stop before we headed back to the west side suburbs. His profession is a city planner and he really gets into sustainable and repurposing of things. I don't care for grocery shopping on my best day, but he insisted we go to the downtown Heinen's.

What a surprise!






Located on the corner of East 9th and Euclid Avenue, Heinen's is housed in what had at one time been a bank building. The Cleveland Trust Rotunda Building has been converted, quite beautifully, into an upscale grocery. This example of early 20th century architecture provides a glimpse of Cleveland in its heyday. Designed by George B. Post, renowned architect, this building was, and still is, one of the most iconic buildings in Cleveland. A painstaking renovation was undertaken by Heinen's, one of the oldest Cleveland grocery stores, and is now a creative use of repurposing a building while retaining much of its original charm.

Which proves that history awaits you around every corner, if you know where to look. And sometimes, when you don't.