Monday, November 18, 2013

Guest Review - - FOREPLAY

FOREPLAY: The Ivy Chronicles
By Sophie Jordan
Publisher:  William Morrow - HarperCollins Publishers
Release Date:  November 5, 2013



Sophie Jordan's FOREPLAY was my first foray into the new - to me - world of New Adult romances. I have to say I really enjoyed a book about how one young girl learns what true love is all about. Just my kind of story.

I think it 's a classic tale of a girl wanting to learn all she can in order to make the boy of her dreams step up and take notice. I love that - those stories of unrequited love. But this one is slightly different. She finally gets someone to step up and take notice - it's just not the guy she thought it was going to be. What's also brilliant is that the teacher also gets his own lessons in love. A win win situation in my eyes.

Pepper - our heroine - is madly in love with Hunter, her best friend's older brother but he doesn't see her that way - at least not in the beginning. Enter Reese -the hot bartender at the local  bar. He's dark, handsome with his own issues but he agrees to teach Pepper all she needs to know to attract Hunter. He teaches her the art of foreplay.

Pepper and Reese need one another. They are not just student and teacher - they both have serious heartache in their lives. Whether they know it or not, they need each other on a level that transcends a friendship they start. 

Watching that love blossom is what makes Sophie Jordan's FOREPLAY a page turner for me. Hunter learns a little too late what a treasure has always been there for him. I have faith in Hunter finding his own HEA, but I am glad he helped lead the way to Pepper and Reese finding their's.

~Santa Byrnes

New Adult romance is a booming new sub-genre, focusing on the years between YA and Adult Contemporary or Women's Fiction.  Think, romance for the college set.  Have you read any of the New Adult titles yet?  Have any books or authors to recommend?  




Friday, November 15, 2013

A Gift for You


I love getting books for special occasions.  They're one of my favorite gifts to receive...and give! Forever, a Grand Central Publishing romance imprint, wants to kick off your holiday season in style by giving one of our readers an amazing e-book prize pack.  Books included are:




REDEMPTION by C.J. Barry
October 1, 2013;Forever Yours/E-Book; $2.99; 978-1-4555-7749-1
As a Redeemer, Reya Sinclair offers the soon-to-be-departed one last chance to atone for their sins. It’s a painful job, but it’s her only shot to secure her own salvation. After his father’s murderer got away, Detective Thane Driscoll began carrying out his own brand of justice, even if it means compromising his soul. Fate brings them together as they fight to uncover an evil plot. But when the time comes, can Reya sacrifice her own redemption to save Thane?





ENTWINED by Kristen Callihan
November 5, 2013; Forever Yours/E-Novella; $0.99; 978-1-4555-7777-4
Eamon Evernight has always lived in his older brother’s shadow. But when his brother has the good fortune to be betrothed to a beautiful stranger, it’s Eamon’s help that he needs. Eamon agrees to write the noble lady…a generous offer that will forever leave him a changed man. Lady Luella has no interest in an arranged marriage, but the words her husband-to-be writes leave her aching for his touch. Will her desire run cold when she discovers the true author?




ALL FIRED UP by Kate Meader
November 5, 2013; Forever/E-Book; $5.99; 978-1-4555-9962-2
After one crazy night in Vegas leaves her hitched to a sexy Irish pastry chef, Cara DeLuca wants nothing more than a way out of her sham marriage. But she soon finds there’s much more to Shane Doyle beneath his farm boy demeanor. Shane’s one goal has been to connect with the family that doesn’t know he exists, but melting Cara’s icy exterior is a worthy distraction. As the annulment date nears and long-buried secrets are revealed, Shane will have to fight for the one thing guaranteeing the perfect life he craves…the current Mrs. Shane Doyle.




ALONG CAME TROUBLE by Erin Kern
November 19, 2013;Forever/Mass Market; $8.00; 978-1-4555-7392-9
When Elisa Cardoso’s next photography assignment brings her face to face with sexy restaurant owner Brody McDermott, she can’t deny the delicious effect he has on her. Getting the sophisticated shutterbug into his bed is on Brody’s menu, but when she starts making her way into his heart—big problem. Can Brody find the courage to grab on to love before it slips away and Elisa leaves Trouble for good?






December 3, 2013; Forever E-Book; $2.99; 978-1-4555-7435-3
Workaholic Nick Taziano wasn’t too thrilled to be reunited with promising chef Jane Wilson, but after one taste of her lips, nothing—not even her famous blueberry pie—compares. Now Nick’s company has been hired to do Big Sky Pie’s marketing. How’s a girl supposed to bake the best pastries in town when he’s a constant reminder of their steamy chemistry? Jane has no room for a man in her life, yet sometimes the most delicious dishes don’t follow the recipes…





December 3, 2013; Forever E-Book; $2.99; 978-1-4555-4473-8
Melanie O’Bryan knows former Air Force sergeant Bennett Hart is worth taking a chance on. Despite his heated glances and teasing touches, Mel senses there’s something holding him back. Bennett’s just looking for peaceful and uncomplicated—until the spunky, sexy teacher turns his life upside down. With memories of his past threatening to resurface, he’ll have to decide whether to keep playing it safe, or take the biggest risk of all.








Do you like to receive books for Christmas or other special occasions?  Do you give them as gifts? Are you starting to get into the holiday spirit?  What's on your wish list this year?  

One randomly chosen person who leaves a comment before Midnight, Saturday, November 16th will receive all of the e-books listed above.  

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Harlequin More Than Words







PJ here.  You've heard me talk about Harlequin's More Than Words initiative on various occasions over the past few years.  It's a charitable program that honors women who are making a difference in their communities; an initiative for which I highly commend Harlequin. It's time to select the winners for the 2014 awards and that's where you, dear readers, have the opportunity to have your opinions count.  Read below for more details.  

 
VOTE FOR HARLEQUIN'S MORE THAN WORDS AWARD WINNERS

GIVE THANKS THIS SEASON BY VOTING FOR THOSE WHO HELPS OTHERS

Harlequin has just opened the voting for their annual More Than Words awards - a charitable program that honors women, real-life heroines, making a difference in their communities.

How often do we get a chance to say thanks to someone who is dedicating their life to helping other people? By voting for your favorite woman and charity, you give one of these impressive women a chance to win $15,000 for her charity of choice and to be paired up with a bestselling Harlequin writer, who will turn her inspiring story into a novella that's released to the public as a free e-book.

There are 5 finalists and only 3 winners, so vote now and vote as often as once a day through November 21st at 11:59pm EST. Winners will be announced in January.


MEET THE FINALISTS:

Linda Burston has been the Support Coordinator at the Women’s Lunch Place for the last 14 years. As a former homeless drug addict rehabilitated through the help of the Women's Lunch Place, she is determined to help homeless and poor women get off the streets and develop independence. Learn more about Linda here: http://www.harlequinmorethanwords.com/vote/linda-burston/

Sarah Cronk, the Founder of The Sparkle Effect, also serves as its President and Creative Director. Currently a student at Whitman College, Sarah helped to create and coach the nation's first high-school based inclusive cheerleading squad at Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, Iowa, when she was just 15 years old. The Sparkle Effect is a student-run program that empowers teens nationwide to include students with disabilities in school-based cheerleading and dance programs. Learn more about Sarah here: http://www.harlequinmorethanwords.com/vote/sarah-cronk/

Shari Duval is the president of K9s For Warriors, a non-profit organization that provides service dogs to combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injury as a result of the wars since 9/11. The service is free and gives each warrior a three week, live-in program with a trained service dog, equipment, vet care, all meals and emotional support. Learn more about Shari here:http://www.harlequinmorethanwords.com/vote/shari-duval/

Ann McGee, founder of Miracle Flights for Kids® , recognized the need for coordination of aviation services that could provide no cost transportation for blood, donor organs, and sick children to medical facilities around the country that they otherwise couldn't get to because of financial hardship. Through her dedication, the program has grown from a handful of flights for local kids to a nation-wide effort that flies boys and girls from all corners of the country. Learn more about Ann here: http://www.harlequinmorethanwords.com/vote/ann-mcgee/

Megan Yunn, founder of Beverly's Birthdays, believes in spreading birthday cheer 365 days a year and that every child, regardless of personal or financial circumstances deserves a birthday celebration. The organization currently serve ten homeless shelters in the Pittsburgh region by throwing birthday parties for the children living in the shelters. Megan receives no income from the organization and hopes that in the future, Beverly's Birthdays can provide a birthday celebration for every child living in transitional or emergency shelters in the Pittsburgh region. Learn more about Megan here: http://www.harlequinmorethanwords.com/vote/megan-yunn/



Tell me about real-life heroines in your community or tell us about your own volunteer efforts. Then go vote for one of the finalists above.  

To thank you for voting in this year's More Than Words contest, I'm giving away a copy of Harlequin's More Than Words, Volume 7 featuring fictional romances by Jill Shalvis, Carly Phillips and Donna Hill that were inspired by previous More Than Words winners.  

This giveaway is open to anyone living in a country to which thebookdepository.com delivers.  




Hi-Res_MoreThanWords_Logo.jpg


Season for Scandal Winner





The winner of a copy of 
Season for Scandal by Theresa Romain is

LSUReader

Congratulations!  Please send us your full name and mailing address and let us know if you want
print, Nook or Kindle format.

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Christina Brooke Winner






The winner of a print ARC of The Greatest Lover Ever by Christina Brooke is

girlygirlhoosier52

Congratulations!  Please send your full name and mailing address to us at
theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Today's Special - - Rowan Keats



Taming a Wild Scot has been nominated for a RT Reviewer's Choice Award for Best First Historical Romance. Congratulations, Rowan!  

PJ here.  I'm a self-proclaimed, banner-waving, unabashedly enthusiastic fan of medieval historical romance.  Set that romance in Scotland and my enthusiasm overflows.  It should come as no surprise then that I am always excited to welcome new medieval authors to the romance fiction landscape.  Today, I'm happy to introduce you to Rowan Keats and her debut novel, TAMING A WILD SCOT.  


Rowan pens historical adventures about hot Highland heroes and the women they claim. The first book in her Claimed by the Highlander series, TAMING A WILD SCOT, hits store shelves on November 5, 2013. Rowan's debut garnered a 4 1/2 star review from RT Book Reviews, which also named her "a rising star of medieval romance". (I wholeheartedly agree with RT!)
When not writing, Rowan can frequently be found in a dark movie theater indulging in a large bag of popcorn, or watching the sunrise with a mug of steaming coffee wrapped in her hands. She lives in Central Canada with a goofy black lab, a very talkative cat, and a daughter whose own creative talents awe and inspire her every day.
Connect with Rowan online at the following places:

Facebook: http://facebook.com/RowanKeatsAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RowanKeats


Please give Rowan Keats a warm Romance Dish welcome!

~~~~~


Happy Anniversary to The Romance Dish!

November is cause for celebration with me, too. This month I am releasing my first Scottish medieval romance, TAMING A WILD SCOT. Coincidently, it's also the date of the opening scene in my book...which starts with my heroine Ana in a rather tight spot. If you're curious, the first chapter is posted here.

I love the title of this book. It's sexy and adventurous, which I think is true of the story inside the cover. It has also given me the perfect topic for my celebratory blog tour--How to Tame a Wild Scot.

Wild Scots are an endangered breed, rather like the Highland Wildcat. Fierce, proud, and tough to tame. But I'm willing to share a few secrets I learned while writing this book, because I happen to believe Wild Scots make the best romance heroes and everyone deserves one.
Let's assume that you've scouted the territory and spotted a Wild Scot. You've fallen for that soul-stirring accent and manly display of knees beneath a kilt. What do you do next? Well, you've got to get his attention.
This is a tricky step. Wild Scots are born hunters, so they enjoy the chase. Stalking a Wild Scot is the fastest way to lose his interest. And it will probably get you arrested. No, the best way to attract the attention of a Wild Scot is to wave a red flag.

This is how my heroine Ana does it:

Niall’s gaze slid across the village square to the woman perusing the offerings of the vegetable vendor. Like other female marketgoers, she wore an uninspiring brown gown topped by a white apron and a linen brèid. That display of matronly modesty and the loose fit of her coarse woolen clothing did surprisingly little to shield her from the attentions of a pack of eager young lads—they passed her by with many a second glance and a few bold grins. Perhaps they were as intrigued as he was by the lock of dark red hair that had escaped her head covering.

You don't have red hair? That's okay. There are other ways to wave the red flag. My hero Niall finds twin red flags particularly difficult to ignore:

“Here’s your satchel, sweetling. I’ll leave you alone to do your good work.”

She tossed him an arch look. “You don’t intend to wait for me?”

He shook his head. “You could be a considerable time and I must see the carpenters about an urgent matter. We’ve a pressing need for a larger, sturdier bed.”

The handmaiden withdrew with a faint smile and the whisper of her linen hem over the rushes. Ana blushed madly. “I think the priority must be finding work, husband. Perhaps you should see the reeve instead.”

“Perhaps I’ll do both,” he said agreeably, enjoying her reaction.

Still a delightful shade of pink, Ana closed the chamber door in his face.

Once you get the attention of your Wild Scot, the real challenge begins. But taming a Wild Scot is worth the effort.  They are renowned for their brawny good looks, their unbridled passion, and their determined  protection of the ones they care about.

The peat was just beginning to catch flame when a thump came from the woodpile at the rear of the hut. Niall surged to his feet. Had the Norman sergeant returned to cause Ana more grief? If so, the cur would regret his decision. He slipped quietly out the door and rounded the corner in a flash, his dirk at the ready.


Interested in winning a signed copy of TAMING A WILD SCOT? Enter the draw, and tell me why you think Scottish heroes have such enduring appeal.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Taming a Wild Scot
by Rowan Keats

Genre: Historical Romance
Elements/Tags: Medieval, Scottish, Highlander
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Publishing Date: November 5, 2013
Series: Claimed by the Highlander #1
Format: Print, e-Book


Back Cover:

Wrongfully accused of murder and left to die in a hellish Highland dungeon, Ana Bisset has lost all hope of freedom. But the beautiful healer’s luck takes an unexpected turn when a hooded stranger appears as her rescuer. After a harrowing escape, Ana settles alone in a quiet village where no one knows her past or her reputation. The last thing she ever expects is to meet her mysterious savior again...

Niall MacCurran is no hero, but a warrior on a dangerous mission to expose a threat to the realm. After his decision to free Ana, he now realizes that it is he who needs her help—willing or no—to advance his quest. But his growing feelings for the delicate yet resilient beauty soon jeopardize their safety—and not even Ana’s healing gifts may be enough to protect their love, or their lives.





Buy Links:
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1imC8x0
Books-a-Million: http://bit.ly/1ahUosn



Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Today's Special - - Theresa Romain


It's always a pleasure to welcome Theresa Romain to the Romance Dish. Theresa pursued an impractical education that allowed her to read everything she could get her hands on. She then worked for universities and libraries, where she got to read even more. Eventually she started writing, too. She lives with her family in the Midwest, where she is working on her next book.  (This makes PJ very happy!)

Connect with Theresa online at:

Website: http://theresaromain.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorTheresaRomain
Twitter: @TheresaRomain









It Happened One Wedding

On November 2—yep, right at the beginning of this month—my younger brother got married. It was a beautiful ceremony, with mild weather and bright autumn foliage, close friends and delighted family, and a wedding reception with even more dancing than food and cake.

Sounds pretty romantic? Indeed it was--but it was also very practical. See, my brother and my new sister-in-law are both medical residents, so here’s how they chose the wedding date:
1.      A day neither of them had to work
2.      That is all.

This kind of scheduling has become a family tradition for my siblings and me. My sister got married just before the New Year in 1999, then moved to a new state. A few years later, Mr. R and I also had a Christmas-season wedding so we could smush our households together before grad school restarted.

In my newest holiday historical romance, SEASON FOR SCANDAL, the hero and heroine marry for the most practical of reasons: she owes a lot of money, and he needs an heir. They schedule their wedding as quickly as possible, and even though they marry under a literal cloud of gray weather and fog—no beautiful autumn foliage for them!—hero Edmund is relieved to make such a sensible bargain.

But it’s a romance novel, so you know there must be romance along with this marriage of convenience. The heroine, Jane, has loved Edmund for as long as she can remember, and what seems a sensible bargain to him is a lifelong dream to her. On their wedding night, these different expectations become very clear, and it seems their relationship will be destroyed as soon as it starts.

Or will it? SEASON FOR SCANDAL is the story of how a marriage grows: how Jane and Edmund learn to blend practicality and romance, to talk to one another honestly, and to help each other in dark times as well as bright ones. By the end of the story, their feelings for one another have changed into a deeper and stronger love than either of them could have imagined at the beginning of their story.

Readers, do you have any words of wisdom about marriage or relationships? Whether it’s practical, romantic, or a bit of both, I’d love to know (and I’ll be sure to share this link with Brother R and his new wife!). To one random commenter, I’ll give a copy of SEASON FOR SCANDAL, winner’s choice of print, Kindle, or NOOK format. Open internationally!


SEASON FOR SCANDAL back cover blurb:



UNLADYLIKE RISK

Jane Tindall has never had money of her own or exceptional beauty. Her gifts are more subtle: a mind like an abacus, a talent for play-acting—and a daring taste for gambling. But all the daring in the world can’t help with the cards fixed against her. And when Edmund Ware, Baron Kirkpatrick, unwittingly spoils her chance to win a fortune, her reputation is ruined too. Or so she thinks, until he suggests a surprising mode of escape: a hasty marriage. To him. On the surface, their wedding would seem to satisfy all the demands of proper society, but as the Yuletide approaches, secrets and scandals turn this proper marriage into a very improper affair.






Book order links:

Ebook: ibook • kensington • kindle • nook 





Monday, November 11, 2013

Veteran's Day







Remembering all who have served our country proudly and honoring those who continue to serve today. Our deepest gratitude to you and your families for your service and your sacrifice.

FOREPLAY Winner




The winner of a copy of FOREPLAY by Sophie Jordan is:

Sarah

Congratulations, Sarah!  Please send your full name and mailing address to us at
theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com


Merry X-Mas Winner






The winner of a signed copy of Merry Ex-Mas by Sheila Roberts is:

Laurie G

Congratulations, Laurie!  Please send your full name and mailing address to us at
theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com



Sunday, November 10, 2013

Guest Review - - Christmas on Main Street

Christmas on Main Street
By JoAnn Ross, Susan Donovan,
LuAnn McLane, Alexis Morgan
Publisher: Signet
Release Date: November 5, 2013





Christmas on Main Street is a holiday anthology, and, as the title suggests, the Christmas season in small-town America is the theme that links the four novellas included in the collection. Like the song “Home for the Holidays,” the stories range “from Atlantic to Pacific” with a stop inland, and each offers the cozy comfort of a small-town community, a love story with the requisite HEA, and Christmas settings to cheer the hearts of readers.






“Christmas in Shelter Bay” by JoAnn Ross

The wedding of Cole Douchett and Kelli Carpenter takes place in The Homecoming, the first book in Ross’s Shelter Bay series and the story of Cole’s brother Sax and Kara Conway. This novella is a prequel that gives fans of the series back story for characters for whom they have developed affection, and it can also serve as an introduction to the series for readers who have never visited Shelter Bay.

Cole, the eldest of the Douchett brothers and the sensible, responsible one, is on leave from the Marines and uncertain about the direction of his future. But he is certain about his desire to repair his friendship with Kelli Carpenter, the younger sister of his best friend. Cole is not sure what caused Kelli to explode last Christmas, but he’s confident he can regain his place in her good graces. Maybe he can also convince her that the dull school principal that she’s spending time with is not the man for her. Meanwhile, his father and grandfather have persuaded him that time alone at the family cabin is what he needs to get his head straight.

Kelli has been in love with Cole ever since she was old enough to notice boys. She has always believed that one day he would wake up and see that they are meant for one another. But when he showed her the ring he had bought for another woman last year, he shook her faith in their future. Now she is determined to get over her feelings for him. Maybe some time on her own will allow her to start that journey. When Cole’s grandmother offers the Douchett family cabin, Kelli jumps at the opportunity.

The whole town is invested in seeing Cole and Kelli find their way to an HEA, and a snowy Christmas in an isolated cabin may just be the perfect setting for that to happen.

“A Seaside Christmas” by Susan Donovan

Annie Parker runs a shop on Bayberry Island in which she sells mermaid memorabilia including her self-published erotic romance novels about mermaids and sea captains. Although Annie is affectionately tolerant of the island’s mermaid worshipers and makes good use of the legend of the sea captain whose ship was supernaturally saved by a beautiful mermaid, she puts no credence in the magical properties of the huge mermaid statue for which Bayberry Island is famous. Each season when the tourists arrive, Annie selects a lover from among the sexiest male visitors, making sure that he understands her no-man-past-Columbus-Day rule. Annie’s routine changes one stormy winter solstice when the ferry delivers a stranger to the island.

Nathaniel Ravelle has come to Bayberry Island from Los Angeles to do some preliminary work for the cable paranormal reality show, Truly Weird. For the past four years, he has served as a segment producer on the show, but this assignment on a mermaid statue who has been granting HEAs to true lovers since the nineteenth century may be one show too many for Nat, who doesn’t believe in lasting romantic love with or without supernatural aid. Ruing the day he left sunny California for icy Massachusetts, he begins to fight his way to the B&B where he has reservations, only to be distracted by the unusual wares in the window of Annie’s shop. The distraction is just enough to cause him to slip on the ice and fall unconscious at Annie’s door.

Whether it’s mermaid magic or just love’s magic, Annie and Nat are soon breaking all their rules and acting out fantasies that rival the activities of Annie’s characters. Christmas promises to be merrier than these two had even dreamed.

“Mistletoe on Main Street” by LuAnn McLane

Toy store owner Ava Whimsy has been Mrs. Claus in Cricket Creek, Kentucky’s annual Christmas parade for the past ten years, but this year the parade holds a big surprise for her. Santa is not tavern owner Jack Scully but his son Clint, who hasn’t been back to Cricket Creek since he left fifteen years ago.  Not even a fake beard is enough to prevent the sight of her high school sweetheart from speeding up Ava’s heartbeat.

Clint has found nothing in California to compare with the beauty and warmth of the girl he left behind in Cricket Creek, and there’s nothing he’d like better than a second chance with Ava. But can she forgive him for leaving, especially when his dreams of playing major league baseball never progressed past the dream stage.

One kiss under the mistletoe is just the beginning of a reconnection that holds the promise of a lifetime of Christmases together.

“The Christmas Gift” by Alexis Morgan

Bridey Roke left her unfaithful, verbally abusive husband and her job as pastry chef at his family’s fancy restaurant to start a new life in Snowberry Creek, Washington, a few miles from Seattle. She has found contentment in the small town and in creating new pastries for the patrons of Something Brewing, her coffeeshop/bakery. A new man in town has become a regular at Something Brewing, and Bridey admits to herself that he certainly adds interest to the local scenery.

Seth Kyser is burned out from his high pressure, high profile life as a well-known wood sculptor. He has lost not only the joy he once found in creating his sculptures; he has lost the ability to envision the shape in the wood and free it. He bought a log cabin in Snowberry Creek, hoping that the slow pace of life in a small town where nobody knows who he is will restore his creative powers. Finding Bridey Roke is an unexpected gift, and Seth can only hope that offering to build the new cabinets she needs in the kitchen of Something Brewing will give them a chance to become much better acquainted.

This Christmas may just be the merriest Bridey and Seth have ever known, but only if they don’t let his secret identity and her ex-husband sound sour notes in the midst of the beautiful holiday music they are making together.


Three of these authors share Christmas in fictional small towns which will already be familiar to some readers. JoAnn Ross’s Shelter Bay story follows six novels, the fifth book in LuAnn McLane’s Cricket Creek series was released the same day as this anthology, and Alexis Morgan’s Snowberry Creek serves as the setting for one novel with two more in the series to follow in 2014. Only Susan Donovan’s Bayberry Island will be new to readers. (Her first Bayberry Island novel will be released December 3.) While familiarity will doubtless please fans of the series, a reader can enjoy all four novellas without having read the novels that precede them.

All four stories have the charm and warmth readers anticipate in Christmas romance fiction. They are all low on conflict and high on Christmas festivities and sweetness. Donovan’s story predictably is the sexiest of the four, but even it is has a relatively mild level of sensuality. The anthology is designed to be a quick, easy, feel-good holiday reading experience for those who like celebrating the season with Christmas romances. It satisfies on all those counts. I recommend it served with your beverage of choice and Christmas tree lights twinkling in the background.

~Janga
http://justjanga.blogspot.com




Guest Review - - The Christmas Cookie Collection

The Christmas Cookie Collection
By Lori Wilde
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: October 29, 2013





The Christmas Cookie Collection is a quartet of stories set in Twilight, Texas, the setting of Lori Wilde’s earlier quartet: The Sweethearts’ Knitting Club (2009), The True Love Quilting Club (2010), The First Love Cookie Club (2010), and The Welcome Home Garden Club (2011). All of the protagonists from the Christmas collection appear in the earlier books. Readers familiar with the series will remember the legend of reunited lovers and happily ever afters that is central to Twilight’s identity. There's another legend in Twilight, Texas that says if on Christmas you sleep with kismet cookies under your pillow and dream of your one true love, he will be your destiny.
Carrie, Raylene, Christine, and Flynn are all members of the Christmas Cookie Club, and this Christmas their dreams will come true.

 “The Christmas Cookie Chronicles: Carrie”

Eight years ago, on Christmas, Carrie MacGregor and Mark Leland, high school sweethearts, eloped to Las Vegas. When they returned home to Twilight, Mark’s parents and Carrie’s older sister persuaded the teenagers that they should annul their marriage. Carrie threw more pennies than she could count into the legendary fountain that was supposed to assure her a happy ending with Mark, but she has never heard from him since the day they parted.

But that’s about to change. Mark, now host of a reality, myth-bursting show Fact or Fiction, is returning to Twilight to check out the facts of the town’s greatest legend. Will the hometown hero destroy the town? An even more important question may be whether the legend’s power will work for the hero and his heroine. The chemistry between Mark and Carrie is as explosive as ever, but can an L. A. star and a small-town girl really reunite for Christmas and for their own HEA?

“The Christmas Cookie Chronicles: Raylene”

Raylene Pringle has made Elvis’s “Blue Christmas” the most played Christmas song at the Horny Toad Tavern, which she has been running alone since Earl, her high school sweetheart and husband of thirty-five years left her a year ago. He left after Raylene revealed that before their marriage, during the last time she and Earl split, she had had a fling with a Dallas Cowboy quarterback, given birth to a daughter from that affair, and given the child to the wealthy parents of her lover. Earl can’t forgive Raylene for keeping that information from him, and he leaves. Raylene hasn’t heard from him in a year, and now she has two losses to keep her blue: the daughter she never knew and the love of her life who has disappeared.

Earl may not have contacted Raylene, but he has contacted Shannon Dugan, who shows up incognito in Twilight, still reeling from the shocks she received Christmas a year ago: her grandfather died, her husband turned out to be a crook who stole her money, and Earl Pringle brought her the news that her birth mother could be found in Twilight, Texas. Shannon comes to Twilight looking for answers, and she finds them. In fact, she finds more than she thought possible in retired Navy SEAL, Nate Devers. In a season of love and grace, is there enough of both to reconcile a mother and daughter and two older lovers who have lost their way?

“The Christmas Cookie Chronicles: Christine”

Christine Noble may bake the most delectable Christmas cookies that the citizens of Twilight have ever tasted, but that’s not much consolation when she thinks of all that’s lacking in her life, big things like true love and a family. The accident that ended Christine’s dreams becoming an Olympic sprinter also left her unable to bear children, and every man in whom she has developed an interest has disappeared when Christine shared that news with him. Christine knows she has a lot to be thankful for, but that knowledge doesn’t help her with the self-pity and envy when she sees all her friends with the children in their lives.

Widower Eli Borden drives over from Jubilee to order what he has been assured is the best birthday cake available for his teenage daughter Sierra. He doesn’t know that the baker is Christine with whom he shared an unforgettable kiss when they were only a bit older than his daughter. Seeing Christine again has him feeling emotions he hasn’t felt since his wife died. But he doubts that a widower with four kids is the stuff of romantic dreams. Of course he doesn’t know Christine remembers him as the best kisser in her life or that he is exactly the man to fulfill her dreams of the perfect Christmas and maybe a happily ever after.

“The Christmas Cookie Chronicles: Grace”

Flynn and Jesse Calloway, who were the heroine and hero of the first Twilight, Texas, book, are getting ready to welcome their first child. They have just completed a Christmas delivery that leaves them feeling filled with the joy of the season when Jesse’s past separates them again. It’s a brief separation, but it’s long enough for Flynn to run into danger. But Jesse’s love, a mysterious stray dog, and a Christmas miracle brings them safely past the danger. They name their Christmas miracle “Grace.”

These stories are short and predictable, and they won’t win any awards for originality or complexity. Nevertheless, they are guaranteed to evoke lots of smiles and a tear or two, and the recurring themes of forgiveness and love seem particularly appropriate in holiday stories. Readers who have enjoyed Wilde’s other Twilight books will appreciate the community feel, the familiar characters, and the unabashed sentiment of these novellas. Readers new to Wilde may well find that these sweet bites with a touch of spice will inspire them to feast on the other books in the series.

The first three stories were published in 2011 by Avon Impulse, a digital only imprint. This year Avon has released them in print with a fourth story added. For readers who purchased the Christmas Cookie Chronicles last year, the fourth story “Grace” is available as a digital single.

~Janga
http://justjanga.blogspot.com