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Catherine Castle

~ Romance for the Ages

Catherine Castle

Category Archives: Christmas Reads

Wednesday Writers Christmas Reads–Texas Heirloom Ornament Christmas Anthology

24 Wednesday Nov 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in Blog, books, Christmas Reads, Guest Authors, Romance, romance author, Wednesday Writers

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Christmas Anthology, Christmas reads, clean romance, Jessica White, Paula Peckham, Sara-Meg Seese, Texas Heirloom Ornament, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers Christmas Reads!

Today’s feature, Texas Heirloom Ornament, is a Christmas anthology from authors Jessica White, Sara-Meg Seese and Paula Peckham that spans the early 1900s to early 21st century. You won’t want to miss this one. Welcome, ladies!

Enjoy three generations of Texas women finding love at Christmas.



In Small Things Liberty by Jessica White


A parking spot. An almost kiss. An ornament.
1923—The only thing war widow Hattie Freemont wants for Christmas is liberty for all. As president of the Fort Worth Women’s Club, she’s determined to see them exercise their new right to vote and oust the current representative. But his assistant keeps showing up at the most inconvenient times, challenging her convictions even though she has the statistics to back them up. First, Mr. Fancy Car tries to steal her parking spot, then her heart. Will he choose love and fight for freedom alongside her? And can she trust in true love twice in a lifetime?

In Large Things Unity by Sara-Meg Seese

A tree. An electric kiss. A radio proposal.
1972—Single mom Tricia Little inherited Grandma Hattie’s knack for numbers, but not her knack for love. With money tight and Christmas around the corner, she’s determined to prove to her boss and her next-door neighbor she can take care of herself and her daughter on her own. Radio DJ Mr. Wright can’t help but admire the hard-working woman and her spunky kid on the other side of the fence. When he offers to help them light up their Christmas with a tree, she pushes back. Can they work together to make the holidays brighter? Can he convince Ms. Independent that he’s Mr. Right?

In All Things Charity by Paula Peckham

A bell. A whirlwind kiss. A storm.
2015—High school teacher Alexis Baxter loves Christmas and her family traditions, like the handmade ornament passed down through five generations. But the final bell before the holiday break doesn’t release her from coaching duties. When the handsome basketball coach confesses he’s spending Christmas alone, she invites him to join her family for a fun-filled night. Joyful bells turn to warning sirens when his biggest regret walks into the party, casting a dark cloud over their budding romance. Is their love strong enough to withstand the truth? And can love truly cover a multitude of sins?

Want to read more? You can find Texas Heirloom Ornament on Amazon

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Wednesday Writers Christmas Reads–Grace-Brides of New Hope by Jo-Ann Roberts

17 Wednesday Nov 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in Blog, Book excerpts, books, Christmas Reads, clean romance, Guest Authors, historical romance, Holiday Reads, romance author, Wednesday Writers

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book excerpt from Grace-Brides of New Hope, Christmas romance, clean romance, Grace-Brides of New Hope, historical Christmas romance, Jo-Ann Roberts, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers! Today’s guest author is Jo-Ann Roberts who will be sharing an excerpt from her Historical Romance Grace—Brides of New Hope. Welcome, Jo-Ann!

Grace-Brides of New Hope

By Jo-Ann Roberts

Widow Grace Donegan is no stranger to hardships. With winter coming on, and with the impending loss of her home as well as her job at the café in New Hope, Kansas, she has three options. Yet, she won’t give up her two children, refuses to join Miss Jennie’s girls at the Rhinestone Saloon, or condemn herself to a second loveless marriage. When an opportunity to save her home arises, she agrees, never imagining her salvation would arrive with a set of broad shoulders, a charming smile, a kind heart, and a pair of blue eyes making her wish for things long forgotten.

As skilled as he is with a gun, Pinkerton Agent Tripp Walker has spent the last ten years undercover, spying on Confederate informants, interrogating witnesses, and chasing outlaws. Sent to New Hope to infiltrate a gang of bank robbers, he intends to focus solely on his job. But when a woman with arresting hazel eyes flecked with gold and hair the color of summer wheat turns out to be the widow he’ll be boarding with, keeping his resolve may prove more difficult than tracking the elusive gang.

As Christmas approaches, will Grace accept Tripp’s offer of marriage just to save her home and give the children a father? Or is his proposal genuine, offering her a forever-kind-of-love? 

Excerpt:

Caleb pushed back his chair, heading for the tree. He chose a branch and slipped the loop through the needle-like leaves, just in front of a cluster of gray-blue berries. Grace joined him, looking for a spot to hang her ornament. When she bent down, her eye spotted something among the dense foliage which made her smile.

“Fiona, come look at this,” she called. As her daughter approached, Grace lifted and separated the branches.

“It’s a birdie’s nest,” Fiona breathed, a note of awe in her voice.

“Well, will you look at that,” Tripp said, hunkering down next to Fiona. He reached in, bringing the nest closer for Fiona’s inspection.

Fiona went up on her toes. “Where are all the baby birdies?”

“I guess they got old enough to fly away to start their own family, kinda like Mr. Tripp wants to do with us,” Caleb said, fingering the star he’d put on the tree.

Tripp looked up at Grace and reached for her hand. “You know, princess, there’s an old German tale which says if you find a bird nest in the tree you harvest for Christmas, you will have an entire year of health and happiness.” He squeezed her fingers tighter. “And that’s what I want with you and Caleb and your mama . . . but I want a whole lifetime of it.”

Caleb’s insight, as well as Tripp’s repeated confirmation he wanted to make them a family deepened Grace’s belief that marrying Tripp Walker would help lay to rest the ghosts of her past. When Grace was able to speak around the lump in her throat, she asked, “Is there more to the story?”

Tripp nodded. “At the very first Christmas, as the legend says, all the world’s birds burst into song when Jesus was born.”

“That’s a lovely story, Tripp,” Grace said, a wistful note in her voice. While she had no memories or stories of growing up in a loving family, Tripp’s youth had been shaped by the blending of his German ancestors and his stepfather’s Texas roots. A warm glow filled her heart knowing that when she married Tripp, Fiona and Caleb might benefit from this melding of love, faith, hard work, and commitment to family.

“Can I have the birdie’s nest?” Fiona lifted hopeful eyes to Grace then to Tripp.

Just as Grace started to object, Tripp’s gaze collided with hers, his unspoken warning taunting her. If you want the honey . . .

But it was Caleb who intuitively knew how to handle his sister. “I’ll make a deal with you, Fee. If we keep the nest in the tree like Mama and Mr. Tripp wants until Christmas then you and me will take it to the woods and leave it in another tree. That way maybe another mama bird might use it for her babies. What do you say?”

Fiona twisted her lips to one side and frowned, a sure sign to Grace she was pondering her brother’s suggestion.

“Deal!” she cried, thrusting her little hand towards her brother.

While Caleb just rolled his eyes, Grace and Tripped laughed aloud. “Are you sure you know what you’re getting yourself into, Tripp?”

Swinging Fiona into his arm, he gathered her close to his heart. “A lifetime of kisses and more love than any man could ever hope for.”

~ ~ ~

Want to read more? You can find  Grace-Brides of New Hope at Amazon

About the Author:

Born and raised in western Massachusetts, Jo-Ann Roberts was fascinated by America’s Old West  and always felt she was destined to travel on a wagon train following the Oregon Trail. With her love of history and reading, she began reading historical romance during high school and college. Victoria Holt, Jude Deveraux, and Roseanne Bittner were among her favorites. Influenced by her father, she fell in love with John Wayne, James Garner, and her all-time favorite, James Stewart and grew up watching Wagon Train, Bonanza and Rawhide.

A firm believer in HEA with a healthy dose of realism, Jo-Ann strives to give her readers a sweet historical romance while imparting carefully researched historical facts, personalities, and experiences relative to the time period. Her romances take her readers back to a simpler time to escape the stress of modern life by living in a small town where families and friends help one another find love and happiness.

When she isn’t creating believable plots and relatable heroes and heroines, Jo-Ann enjoys spending time with her husband, children and grandson. She also enjoys baking, quilting and eating way too much chocolate.

After 38 years in public education in Connecticut and Maryland, she’s now calls North Carolina home. She is the 2018 Winner (Historical Category) of NEORWA’s Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest. Her debut romance, Lessie-Brides of New Hope Book One, is a 2020 RONE Award Nominee.

Contact Links:  Website:  Facebook:   Instagram:  Newsletter:

Wednesday Writers Christmas Reads–Just In Time for Christmas by Davalynn Spencer

10 Wednesday Nov 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in Blog, Book excerpts, Christian fiction, Christmas Reads, clean romance, Guest Authors, historical romance, Wednesday Writers

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#lovingthecowboy, book excerpt from Just In Time For Christmas, Christmas reads, Davalynn Spencer, historical romance, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers Christmas Reads! Today’s guest author is Davalynn Spencer with an excerpt from her Historical Christmas Romance Just In Time for Christmas. So without further ado, let’s welcome Davalynn and get reading!

Just In Time for Christmas

by Davalynn Spencer

She’s seventeen with a ranch to run, a fear of heights, and a cowboy intent on stealing her heart. 

Abigale Millerton leaves a Denver girl’s school and returns to her grandparents’ high-country ranch to find the boy she’d grown up with not a boy any longer—and butting in on her challenge with local timber thieves. If he’d stop telling her what to do, they might get along. 

Seth Holt has loved Abigale since before he knew better. And now that she’s back in the high country, she’s still as bull-headed as ever. But Seth can match her, and he’s determined to keep her out of harm’s way and in his line of sight. Trouble is, he’d rather keep her in his arms. 

Excerpt: 

Autumn 1875 

The Catamounts, El Paso County, Colorado Territory 

The chair tipped beneath her boots. 

Abigale fanned her arms, fighting for balance in the barn’s drafty loft, but the chair tipped further. She dove into the hay pile, cringing as wood splintered on the barn floor twelve feet below. 

That was the second kitchen chair she’d lost in three days.  

Rolling to her back, she looked up at the leaky roof. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Pop had deliberately taken his shotgun to it. But she did know better. He’d been up in years, not out of his mind.  

A tear escaped and slid to her temple. If she hadn’t gone back to school after Mams passed last year, she could have helped him more, and he might not have worked himself underneath that marker in the family plot. 

She stood and brushed hay from her hair and clothes, then kicked the wooden boxes she’d stacked in the loft. Not exactly the most stable foundation for balancing a chair. 

None of her classes at Wolfe Hall had prepared her for patching a roof without the aid of a ladder, and she didn’t relish the thought of climbing up on top of the barn, ladder or no. The loft was full of summer hay, so she’d have feed enough for the horses and milk cow, but only if she could keep the snow out. 

And it’d soon be snowing by the foot, for the aspens had already turned. 

So did the irony. Pop had called her his Aspen-gal ever since he and Mams took her in as an orphaned six-year-old. 

“Just a few letters difference is all, for a pretty little gal with yella hair,” he’d said. 

His nickname had changed everything. 

As sure as the white-barked trees slipped from green to shimmering gold each fall, a timid, lonely child transformed into one who believed she could do anything she set her mind to. 

Unless it involved heights. 

Slowly descending the makeshift ladder nailed to the barn wall, she studied the rungs and how they were spaced. Why couldn’t she build one just like it on the outside of the barn, a rung at a time? It might be safer than her balancing act in the loft, and less costly. She had only two kitchen chairs left. 

Below her, Chester yapped and wagged his encouragement. Not that she saw him. She simply knew that his happy bark meant a fanning tail. Looking down made things worse. If she didn’t look down, she didn’t have to think about how high up she was. 

As the box stalls rose into her peripheral vision, she chanced a peek. Sure enough, Chester’s feathery tail swept the air. 

“Good boy.” She stepped to blessed terra firma and rubbed the dog’s russet-colored back. “What would I do without your encouragement?” 

Pieces of broken chair lay scattered around her, as well as the fallen board she’d tried to nail on the underside of the roof, and she tossed them on a heap of scrap lumber in Pop’s work room. A neat stack of shingles from the Windsor lumber mill waited for her to be reasonable and use them to replace those that had blown off or worn through. But that meant nailing them on from the outside. 

As always, Pop’s intentions had been good. But this time they simply came too late. 

A shelf along one wall held most of his tools, aside from those that hung from nails above. Leather punches, awls, hammers, a saw. Everything looked just as he’d left it, as if he’d walk in the door any minute and ask what she was doing. Sinking into her memories of the tall, robust man, she smelled the pipe smoke that clung to his plaid wool shirts. Saw the crinkles at the corners of his laughing eyes, the shock of white hair that helped her spot him from a distance if he wasn’t wearing his old brown hat.  

It hung from a nail by a spare harness collar and she plopped it on her head. Fitting as poorly as ever, it made her feel like Pop was nearby, encouraging her on like Chester. It made her feel less lonely. 

Rather than return to the loft for the hammer she’d left behind, she chose another one from Pop’s collection, shoved it in the belt holding up his trousers, and pocketed a handful of nails. After arming herself with several shorter pieces from the scrap pile, she cinched her determination, and marched out to the mountain side of the barn. 

Chester followed. 

“This is a simple task—hold the board against the barn and drive a nail in each end.” 

The dog dropped to his haunches as if expecting a show. 

Abigale inspected the wooden siding, chose a narrow section between two vertical boards that created a shallow space, and nailed the first slat across it at knee height. The second one she hammered in level with her waist, and the third one she set even with her shoulders. Pleased with her work so far, she tugged on the rungs, testing their hold. 

So far so good. 

Craning her head back, she looked up. Way up past the barn into the gray-bellied clouds. 

With her fingers clenched like a corset around the slats, she shut her eyes, climbed up to the second rung and back down. 

Chester barked. 

“Thank you. Now if you’ll just follow me up, you can carry a shingle in your mouth.” 

And it would take her a month to patch the roof. That would never do, for snow was sure to fly tonight. Besides, Chester didn’t climb ladders. But she could rig a rope pully and haul the shingles that way. Or fashion a sling across her back and carry them with her. Wouldn’t Miss Butterfield be impressed with her ingenuity? 

Abigale snorted—a most unladylike habit she’d been temporarily shamed out of by the Wolfe Hall head mistress. But up here in the high country where the air was crisp and bracing, and the gun-metal sky so low she could touch it, such a rebellious gesture felt somehow liberating. 

She mustered her nerve by considering the three mouths she had to feed that now grazed on winter-dry grass in the near pasture. Clearly, no one had felt compelled to take a couple of old horses and Ernestine home for the winter. You’d think someone would have fetched them, someone like the Holts from the next ranch over. 

Memories flickered by, all the hours she’d tagged along with their son Seth. But what would he want with a couple of broken-down saddle horses and a dry cow? 

Chester, on the other hand, still had a few good years in him. At the funeral, Pastor Meeks had agreed to take him home. Maybe the old dog had come back of his own accord. 

Like she had. 

She gathered more slat-like pieces from the scrap pile, slid them into her belt, and started up the so-called ladder. 

A snowflake landed on her nose. 

Nooo, not yet! 

A drumroll tumbled, but she refused to look at the peak rising behind her. She’d witnessed thundersnow once as a child, a phenomenon that Pop said required precise conditions to occur. She didn’t need those precise conditions now. She needed to patch the roof and preserve the hay. 

Pressed close as she was against the outside of the barn, she couldn’t see the wide park spreading out to the east, but she sensed the gathering storm and felt the cloud ceiling drop even lower. 

Ignoring the next few flakes, she extended her ladder by three more slats, inspiring perseverance. She stepped up on one slat with another at waist level, appreciating the semblance of security. With wooden piece in hand against the barn’s side, she set a nail at one end, and pounded it in. Emboldened by the minute, she finished another set of three and climbed up to start on the next, and then the next. 

A thunderous crash set the barn trembling, and she flinched. The hammer slipped from her hand, her fingers from the rung, and her heart lurched to her throat as bottomless space opened beneath her. 

Want to read more? You can find Just In Time for Christmas at Amazon

About the Author:

Bestselling author and Will Rogers Gold Medallion winner for Inspirational Western Fiction, Davalynn Spencer writes Western romance set along the Front Range of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. She is the wife and mother of professional rodeo bullfighters and an award-winning rodeo journalist and former crime-beat reporter who can’t stop #lovingthecowboy. When she’s not writing Western romance, she teaches writing workshops, speaks for special events, plays piano on her church worship team, and wrangles feline mouse detectors Annie and Oakley. Connect with her at www.davalynnspencer.com

Links: Free Book and Quarterly Author Update:  Website: BookBub   Goodreads: 

Wednesday Writers Christmas Reads– Christmas Love Through the Ages with author Gail Kittleson

03 Wednesday Nov 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in Blog, Book excerpts, Christmas Reads, clean romance, Guest Authors, Sweet romance, Wednesday Writers

≈ 6 Comments

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book excerpt from Christmas Love Through the Ages, Christmas Anthology, Christmas Love Through the Ages, Christmas reads, clean romance, Gail Kittleson, Goldmine Christmas, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers Christmas Reads! Today’s guest is Gail Kittleson who is highlighting a delightful Christmas Anthology called Christmas Love Through the Ages. I don’t know about you, but I love Christmas stories, and movies, and, well, anything Christmas. So let’s welcome Gail as she tells us a bit about this unique anthology and then she’ll share an excerpt from her story in the anthology . Welcome, Gail!

Thanks, Catherine.

Ready to get into the Christmas spirit?

Light the Yule log in your fireplace, grab a snuggly blanket and a mug of hot chocolate, and settle in for a long winter’s read of stories celebrating the season.

This festive collection honors your beloved traditions, reminds you of your moorings, and warms your heart. The authors include short stories and novellas that take you on a journey from the 19th century to today. You’ll travel from Bethlehem with the angel Gabriel to Korea with abandoned orphans, then back to the Midwest where you see old friends fall in love and new loves become best friends, then to Texas where you witness acts of selflessness in an airport.

Lena Nelson Dooley, Lisa Bell, Gail Kittleson, Cleo Lampos, and Paula Peckham offer these tales to you during this wonderful season of hope and possibility.

Welcome to Christmas Love Through the Ages.

And here’s an excerpt from my book in the collection Goldmine Christmas

Excerpt from Goldmine Christmas

By Gail Kittleson

The flashlight flickered. “Oh, drat, just a paragraph left.” The fickle mechanism finally obeyed Nel’s prodding, and the final sentences of Aunt Eileen’s letter invaded her consciousness.

This could be your opportunity to make a difference for the war effort, and to follow your own star. You would make a superb USO volunteer, and my friend says you would be welcome to stay with her parents.

Just think of it! Thousands of GIs from all over the States pass through the USOs Washington, D.C. each day, and they can get awfully homesick. A cheery word can mean so much.

What do you say? Hop on the bus and we can take the train out there together. I will await your response.

As ever,

Eileen

P.S. You have done your time with your family, dearie. You’re nearly twenty-two and deserve a life beyond Payson.

Aware of the wind strengthening, Nel stashed the letter in her sweater pocket and hurried to the house. All was quiet, with Linda still hard at work—that girl would make something of herself, for sure.

Pulling on her nightgown and settling into her corner refuge, a narrow mattress in the kitchen’s far corner, that dreadful sound still prevailed.

Slap…bang…slap… Blasted shutters. Ah well, she couldn’t sleep anyway, with visions of the nation’s Capitol dancing through her mind.

Picturing Aunt Eileen handing out donuts and steaming cups of coffee, chatting with the fellows and giving them a taste of home was easy. She’d always been so strong.

But visualizing herself in a great metropolis created quite the challenge. The very thought led to a perennial question: How on earth had Eileen and Mama ended up such opposites? Mama cared about one thing—pleasing Dad. And all he cared about was the Gold Mine Saloon and drinking.

Want to read more? You can find Goldmine Christmas and the other Christmas stories on Amazon

About the Author:

A former college writing instructor, Gail lives with her retired Army chaplain husband in Northern Iowa and writes Women’s Historical Fiction, memoir and non-fiction. She enjoys grandchildren, gardening, and learning about history. In winter, she writes from Arizona’s beautiful Mogollon Rim Country.

No matter how dire the circumstances, you can count on Gail’s make-do World War II characters to discover new strength and move forward under duress. Facilitating writing workshops and retreats provides Gail’s “teaching fix” and a chance to cheer on other writers. 

Follow Gail on social media at:

Gail Kittleson: Facebook: Twitter @GailGkittleson: @gailkittlesonauthor (Instagram)

A Writer’s Garden–Hoping for a Harvest by Amy R. Anguish

07 Thursday Oct 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in A Writer's Garden, Blog, books, Christian fiction, Christmas Reads, clean romance, garden blog series, Guest Authors, Holiday Reads, Romance, romance author, Sweet romance

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A Writer's Garden, Amy R Anguish, Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams, Christmas Anthology, Garden blog, Mistletoe Make-believe, vegetable garden

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing. Today’s writer/gardener guest is Amy R. Anguish talking about the uncertainty of gardening. Welcome, Amy!

You Never Know

Every year, when we plant the seeds in our garden, we have no idea what the outcome will be. Obviously, we have our hopes and dreams of what will happen to those plants throughout the summer. But every year brings different weather, bugs, diseases, and sometimes just bad seeds.

Still, we poke the tiny seeds into the earth, give it lots of water and as much sunshine as God will send, and then wait.

Waiting is the hard part.

As the tiny green shoots poke their heads up, branching out and expanding, blossoming and growing, our hope grows right along with it. How can it not? The excitement of seeing those first little green tomatoes or tiny green beans comes every time.

This year, we picked around 40 pints of green beans, canning most, sharing some. We ate and ate tomatoes, as well as making several batches of salsa and spaghetti sauce. And we picked squash until we were all sick of it.

But as we watched and waited for the cucumbers, which last year came in abundance, nothing but disappointment grew. In fact, something destroyed the first two plants we had come up, and we had to replant. Twice.

Same with our pumpkins. And sunflowers.

Just about the time I was ready to give up on the watermelon, it stretched out and actually gave us a nice basketball-sized one.

And just when I had decided we would just settle for the cucumbers we’d gotten from friends, we got a nice big one, with more coming on. In late summer, no less. Only weeks from autumn.

My five-year-old was thrilled, to say the least.

You never know what you’re going to get when planting seeds, but isn’t it exciting when you do get something? Just like in everything in life, it’s always worth it to try. Even if you only get a few carrots from a whole pack of seeds. Those few carrots are always worth it to my children.

And most of the time, anything we’re willing to put a little effort into, will bring us at least a small harvest.

What have you tried that may not have turned out exactly as planned, but was still rather sweet?

About the Writer/Gardener:

Amy R Anguish

Amy R Anguish

Author of An Unexpected Legacy, Faith and Hope, and Saving Grace

Amy R Anguish grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good.

Follow her at  her website Facebook  Or Twitter

Learn more about her books at https://www.pinterest.com/msguish/my-books/

And check out the YouTube channel she does with two other authors, Once Upon a Page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEiu-jq-KE-VMIjbtmGLbJA)

Mistletoe Make-believe by Amy Anguish

(From the Christmas Anthology Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams-a selection of five sweet beach read Christmas novellas)

Charlie Hill’s family thinks his daughter Hailey needs a mom—to the point they won’t get off his back until he finds her one. Desperate to be free from their nagging, he asks a stranger to pretend she’s his girlfriend during the holidays.

When romance author Samantha Arwine takes a working vacation to St. Simons Island over Christmas, she never dreamed she’d be involved in a real-life romance. Are the sparks between her and Charlie real? Or is it just her imagination?

Buy Link

Wednesday Writers—Coastal Christmas Charade by Shannon Taylor Vannatter

06 Wednesday Oct 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in Blog, Book excerpts, Christian fiction, Christmas Reads, clean romance, Giveaways, Guest Authors, Holiday Reads, Romance, romance author, Sweet romance, Wednesday Writers

≈ 2 Comments

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Beach Reads, book excerpt, Christian romance, Christmas Anthology, Christmas romance, Shannon Taylor Vannatter, Sweet romance, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers! Today’s guest author is Shannon Taylor Vannatter. Shannon will be talking about her Inspirational Contemporary Romance novella Coastal Christmas Charade, which is part of the Christmas anthology Candy Cane Wishes & Saltwater Dreams. She’ll be sharing a bit of background on the book, an excerpt, and a chance to win a copy of Candy Cane Wishes & Saltwater Dreams to a lucky commenter who follows her blog tour. Information on the tour and the giveaway are at the bottom of the post. So, keep reading to learn more about this beach read Christmas extravaganza. Welcome, Shannon!

Thanks, Catherine.

This year, I wrote my first novella, which is also my first beach read. The novella collection, Candy Cane Wishes & Saltwater Dreams, includes 5 different authors with stories set on 5 different beaches at Christmas. I chose Surfside Beach, Texas as my setting, since it has the best shelling in the Lonestar state. My characters knew each other as kids. But the heroine was a rich girl whose grandparents owned the fancy inn where all the snobby kids spent their summers. The hero was a local, the handyman’s son, who never felt like he measured up. In this excerpt, she’s back to spruce up her grandparent’s inn and sell it. She hires the hero to hang Christmas lights and a massive chandelier crashes down, like Phantom of the Opera. Of course, right after that, the bride/heroine’s high school nemesis arrives.

Do you like pretend romances? Leave me a comment and tell me, why or why not?

Coastal Christmas Charade by Shannon Taylor Vannatter

Lark Pendleton is banking on a high-society wedding to make her grandparent’s inn at Surfside Beach, Texas the venue to attract buyers. Tasked with sprucing up the inn, she hires Jace Wilder, whose heart she once broke. When the bride and groom turn out to be Lark’s high school nemesis and ex-boyfriend, she and Jace embark on a pretend romance to save the wedding. But when real feelings emerge, can they overcome past hurts?

(Included in Candy Cane Wishes & Saltwater Dreams – Five novellas, five authors, five beaches)

Excerpt:

Ever so, gently, he dabbed his thumb over her cheek.

The front door opened, and a brunette stepped inside behind Lark. Hillarie Chambers. Her mouth dropped open, then closed, and opened again.

Lark spun around. “Hillarie, what are you doing here?” She went to work trying to brush herself off. “I didn’t expect you until Friday.”

“What happened?” Hillarie’s high-pitched whine echoed through the massive space. “What about my wedding?”

“Don’t worry. We had a little chandelier mishap, but it’s a good thing we discovered the problem now. This could have happened in the middle of the wedding. Death by chandelier.”

Lark laughed.

But Hillarie didn’t. “Look at this mess. And there aren’t even any Christmas lights up outside.” She wailed in full meltdown mode. “You always did try to sabotage me, and now you’re after my wedding.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Hillarie. I hired Jace to have the lights done by Friday. He’s fixing this too. By Friday, right, Jace?” 

“Jace?” Hillarie focused on him, then squinted. “Tool Face Jace?”

“At your service.” Hillarie recognized him. But Lark hadn’t.

“Why are you here two days early?” Lark leaned on the staircase.

Hillarie tore her gaze away from the destruction. “Your grandmother said we could come early. I said no. But I’ve been stressed, so my fiancé talked me into it.”

“Technically, we’re closed.” Lark smiled. “To prepare for the wedding.”

The brunette splayed her hands. “I left a message on the machine late last night.”

“Is he with you?”

“Oh.” Hillarie’s eyes went wide. “I didn’t know you’d be here.” She grimaced. “Why are you here?”

Lark’s eyes narrowed. “Gran and Gramps had their name on a waiting list for a condo in Dallas. One became available. If they hadn’t jumped on it, they’d have had to wait at least six

months, so I offered to handle the wedding.”

“Great.” Hillarie’s fake smile looked more like a cringe. “Do you know who I’m marrying?”

The door opened again and a blond man with a suitcase in each hand entered. Familiar. One of the summer rich kids.

Lark’s ex-boyfriend. Thanks to Hillarie.

“Warren?” Lark frowned. “What are you doing here?” Her voice went up an octave. “Oh, you must be in the wedding party.”

“Right.” He shot her a million-watt smile, but it faded as he scanned the room. “What happened?”

“Just a little sprucing up before Hillarie’s big day.” Lark’s smile looked as fake as her nemesis’s. “Jace promised we’d be in ship shape by Friday.”

“Look, darling.” Hillarie sidled up against Warren. “It’s Tool Face Jace.”

“Nobody calls him that anymore.” Lark frowned. “They never should have.”

Lark defending him?

Her gaze narrowed, pinged back and forth between Hillarie and Warren. “Darling?”

“Um.” Hillarie’s baby blues bounced to the floor. “That’s what I wanted to tell you. Warren is my fiancé.”

Want to read more? You can find Candy Cane Wishes & Saltwater Dreams – Amazon

About the Author:

Award winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. A romance reader since her teens, she hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as she demonstrates that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does.

She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo announcing dad and married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. Shannon is Scrivenings Press Acquisitions/Content Editor. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and son, flea marketing, and doing craft projects.

Social Media:

Shannon’s Website           Shannon’s Facebook           Shannon’s Bookbub

Sign up for Shannon’s Newsletter to get a free e-book, recipes, behind-the-scenes info, & enter exclusive giveaways!

Giveaway details:

Follow my blog tour to enter the drawing for a copy of Candy Cane Wishes & Saltwater Dreams:

Sept 28th – https://shannontaylorvannatter.com/shannon-taylor-vannatter-story-behind-the-story-part-1-of-1/

Oct 1st – https://shannontaylorvannatter.com/inkslinger-blog/

Oct 2nd – https://www.inspyromance.com/

Oct 5th – https://jenniferheeren.com/blog/

Oct 5th – https://shannontaylorvannatter.com/inkslinger-blog/

Oct 6th – https://pattishene.com/theover50writer

Oct 6th – https://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/blog/

Oct 8th – https://shannontaylorvannatter.com/inkslinger-blog/

Oct 12th – https://shannontaylorvannatter.com/inkslinger-blog/

I’ll pick a winner from blog tour comments and announce the winner on my blog on Oct 19th.

Wednesday Writers–Snowbound in Winterberry Falls by Ann Brodeur

09 Wednesday Jun 2021

Posted by Catherine Castle in Book excerpts, books, Christmas Reads, clean romance, Guest Authors

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Ann Brodeur, book excerpt, Christian romance, Christmas Read, Snowbound in Winterberry Falls, sweet Christmas romance, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers! Today it’s Christmas in June as I welcome author Ann Brodeur and her debut novel Snowbound in Winterberry Falls to the blog. In addition to talking about characters, Ann has an excerpt from her book.

Welcome, Ann!

When I started writing what would turn out to be my publishing debut novel, Snowbound in Winterberry Falls, I looked to friends and acquaintances for inspiration in developing characters.

My heroine, Stephanie is a Type 1 diabetic. Diabetes is a disease that many members of my extended family have so it was natural to write about. Tilly Miller is the cousin of the hero, and quite outspoken when it comes to caring about Jason. She is fashioned after my best friend – the salt of the earth and someone I can trust completely.

One character I had fun creating was Mrs. Sweeney. She’s a culmination of several women in my life, many of whom have passed. She’s a refreshing character who speaks her mind without being confrontational.

Have fictional characters reminded you of someone you know in real life?

 

Snowbound in Winterberry Falls

by Ann Brodeur

Unwrapping their past – one secret at a time.

Owning her own PR firm is all reporter Stephanie Clark wants for Christmas, but the idea of running a prestigious election campaign in the country’s capital throws her stomach into knots. A last minute vacation road trip to focus and seek God’s direction for her life ends up in disaster when she gets caught in the worst snowstorm to hit Vermont in over a decade, crashing her into a small town and the one person she’d rather forget.

Former photojournalist Jason Miller hadn’t planned on being solely responsible for saving his family business from financial ruin. He’s barely keeping the newspaper in print, his News Editor has gone AWOL during the town’s most celebrated holiday festival, and reports of missing Christmas decorations have everyone on edge.

When a desperate knock at the newsroom door brings a ghost from Christmas past back into his life, can Jason make up for his prior behavior without breaking his promise to Stephanie’s father? Will Stephanie’s quest to solve the town’s Christmas caper—and uncover the truth about Jason’s disappearance—cost her everything she’s ever wanted?

EXCERPT

Here’s a fun scene starring Mrs. Sweeney during her first visit with Stephanie:

 “Oh, dear. I fear I’ve made you uncomfortable.” She clicked her tongue and patted the back of Stephanie’s hand. The older woman reclined in her rocking chair, the rhythmic sway of the chair squeaking with every push of her feet. A walking cane clattered to the floor nearby, and Stephanie righted it again, earning a beaming smile.

“Like you, dear, I love a good story.” Her mouth relaxed, her clear blue eyes seeming to focus on a distant memory. “Do you know I was in love with a newspaper man once?” Her eyes twinkled. She rested her gray head against the back of the chair. “Of course, Mother didn’t approve. He was a nosy busybody who made it his business to report on every Tom, Dick, and Harry’s escapades and then charged people to read it.” The girlish laugh brought an image to Stephanie’s mind of a much younger woman.

“What happened?” Stephanie shifted on the edge of the bed where she sat.

“I listened to Mother. I didn’t marry Charlie. I married Matthias.” Her expression softened at the mention of her husband’s name. “Matthias was a good and kind man. He owned the bank, so Mother was pleased with the match.” Her face moved through a series of emotions Stephanie couldn’t quite decipher.

“Matthias and I had some good times together, but sometimes I wondered what my life would have been if I’d married Charlie.” Tenderness infused her voice at the mention of her long-gone newspaper man.

“Ach. Look at me. I’m such a ninny when it comes to sappy romance. Charlie could woo a pig.” Mrs. Sweeney paused her rocking and sipped from her cup once more. “God’s plan was for me to marry Matthias, not Charlie. God gave us such a beautiful life.”

She replaced her tea things on the small, round table next to her and leaned on her cane, wobbling to her feet. Stephanie stood and braced the older woman’s feeble arms and waited for her to steady. Mrs. Sweeney squeezed Stephanie’s arm and hobbled to the door. She shut it, clicked the lock, and stood with her back to Stephanie for a moment before shuffling around on her heel. Stephanie raised an eyebrow and focused on the curious woman.

“I’ve read your article, Ms. Clark, and there are some details missing that are essential to getting your story right.” Her face grew stern, the picture of a school Marm. “I have a confession to make, but you must promise to help me achieve my ends and to not print a word of truth until after Christmas Day.”

Want to read more?

You can find SNOWBOUND IN WINTERBERRY FALLS in Ebook or Paperback at Amazon

About the Author:

ANN BRODEUR is an award-winning novelist who writes inspirational and contemporary romances offering sweet hope and happy endings.

When she’s not reading, writing, chasing after her kids or enjoying long chats with her husband, Ann can be found drinking coffee. That’s been reheated several times throughout the day. She aspires to drink a hot beverage in one sitting.

Connect with Ann on  her BLOG/WEBSITE  FACEBOOK  BOOKBUB

Christmas Reads–Christmas Bouquets and Sweet Regency Christmas Romances from Emma Lane

24 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by Catherine Castle in Christmas Reads, clean romance, historical romance, Holiday Reads, Sweet romance, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

A Regency Christmas Collection, Christmas Bouquets, Emma Lane, Flower Arrangements, Thursday Christmas Reads

from Emma Lane

I love to create festive bouquets for any season, but my personal favorite is Christmas. The holiday colors are vibrant and a joy to bring together in stunning arrangements. So let’s talk a little about how you can create masterpieces for your home and as hostess gifts. The work isn’t hard. It simply takes a little patience.

It looks easy, but the greenery for bouquets is more complicated than you might think. I’m fortunate because there is a veritable forest in my front and back yards. I deliberately refrain from trimming the evergreen shrubs out front until the holidays. That gives me a very fresh start to my bouquet which is difficult to match with store bought greenery. If you have any type shrub in your yard it will work. If not then you are forced to purchase them. I strongly recommend you visit your local nursery for the foliage you want.

There’s a combination of old-fashioned yew shrub because it holds the needles for a good while. I add cuttings from a blue spruce just because I love the tinted color. Then my secret choice for Christmas is clippings from a juniper shrub for its heady, wintry seasonal fragrance. I once made a bouquet using only juniper but quickly learned why that wasn’t a good idea. They dry out rapidly and lose the rich green color most desired. So, tuck them in to smell good but toward the back. There are plenty of other types of evergreen shrubs for possible Christmas decorations. By all means, bring them inside and test their worthiness.

Next are the luscious red berries. They grow on a native shrub named winterberry (ilex, a member of the holly berry family) in slightly swampy terrain. No, don’t go wild crafting unless you wear high waterproof boots! Fortunately, our brilliant horticulturists have propagated this shrub for home gardeners. Consider planting them in your yard. You must have a male and female to get berries and it takes patience. They are not fast growers, but well worth the effort. Plant toward the back of the garden. The bush itself is not all that attractive until the Fall berries appear. Then you begin a vigil to pick them before the flocks of robins descend during migration. Cedar Waxwings love them too, but they are so beautiful I give in just for the pleasure of watching. Winterberries are frequently found for sale at late Farmers’ Markets and in craft and florist shops. They will dry out but seldom fall off unless bumped or roughly handled.

You all know about poinsettia, the official Christmas potted flower. It’s the brackets that have the color. The flower itself is the small yellow center bloom. I personally find them boring, but one day an idea came to me. I cut them as if for a cut flower bouquet. Here are a few photos to better explain.

 

Once I bought a pink one and lightly sprayed it a tinted blue, as a blue bouquet was what the customer needed, pairing it with sprayed-gold milk weed pods.

The last one is a pale pink mixed with dried dock and milk weed pods, the red berries tucked in here and there with a brass colored vase. I’m particularly fond of this one. Christmas bouquets need not always be red to be lovely.

 

I wish you all a beautiful healthy and happy holiday season!

Emma

Enjoy the holiday season with one or both of Emma Lane’s sweet Regency Romances collections. Here is a brief intro for you.

 

Families can be troublesome, but a next door neighbor can sometimes be even worse. Caroline is
a strong-willed young lady and refuses to be bullied by a handsome duke. Four sweet Regency romances to get you in the mood for the season.

Amazon Link


Winter storms swirling snow and unexpected guests on the eve of Christmas, the pungent fragrance of fresh pine boughs, springs of mistletoe hung with red ribbons, and a stolen kiss underneath the kissing ball comprise scenes of Christmas in the country. Ice skating anyone? Have a cup of wassail and toast your toes in front of a warm fire while you enjoy four short stories of sweet Regency Christmas
romances.

Amazon Link

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emma Lane is a gifted author who writes cozy mysteries as Janis Lane, Regency as Emma, and spice as Sunny Lane.

She lives in Western New York where winter is snowy, spring arrives with rave reviews, summer days are long and velvet, and fall leaves are riotous in color. At long last she enjoys the perfect bow window for her desk where she is treated to a year-round panoramic view of nature. Her computer opens up a fourth fascinating window to the world. Her patient husband is always available to help with a plot twist and encourage Emma to never quit. Her day job is working with flowers at Herbtique and Plant Nursery, the nursery she and her son own.

Look for information about writing and plants on Emma’s new website. Leave a comment or a gardening question and put a smile on Emma’s face.

Stay connected to Emma on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to check out the things that make Emma smile on Pinterest.

Wednesday Writers Christmas Reads–Christmas Lights and Love by Joi Copeland

23 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by Catherine Castle in Book excerpts, books, Christmas Reads, clean romance, Holiday Reads, Romance, Wednesday Writers

≈ Comments Off on Wednesday Writers Christmas Reads–Christmas Lights and Love by Joi Copeland

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Christmas Lights and Love, Christmas romance, Clean fiction, Joi Copeland, romance, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers. Our guest today is author Joi Copeland talking about her Christmas book Christmas Lights and Love, anxiety, and how she has dealt with her own anxiety. Welcome, Joi!

Thanks, Catherine.

Have you ever experienced guilt for something you couldn’t control? I know I certainly have. You see, I have anxiety. I have battled with anxiety for years. I’ve been to counseling, given up caffeine and diet coke (aspartame messes with the serotonin in our brains and triggers anxiety). I am on medication that I take daily to help. But before all of those steps, I would have anxiety attacks with my three young kids watching.

I’m talking about the debilitating attacks that leave me crumpled on the floor in a ball, thinking I am going to die. My three boys would gather around me, wrap me in their arms, and tell me I was going to be okay. I didn’t have the tools to deal with anxiety at the time. I didn’t know how to combat these attacks like I do now.

And oh, the guilt that follows! If I were strong enough, I wouldn’t have anxiety. If I had deeper faith, I wouldn’t be anxious. My kids shouldn’t have to see me at my weakest. They should see me be strong. I wondered if my anxiety affected my boys in negative ways. I wondered if my son’s stuttering was due to my attacks. I felt guilty for my lack of strength.

It took a few days to recover from my anxiety attacks. I wouldn’t play outside with the boys or take them to the park. I was a horrible mom and wife! My husband had to stay home from work a few times. What good wife asked her husband to do that? I should have been stronger. I felt guilty for my lack of strength.

Then, through counseling and learning the tools of how to combat anxiety, truth began to speak into my life. God showed me I wasn’t weak because I had anxiety. I wasn’t a horrible mom or wife because I struggled. If I had cancer, would I feel guilty for not feeling well enough to do certain things? No, not at all. Mental health is just as important as physical health. I had to learn to take care of my mental health and not take on guilt for something I could not control.

In Christmas Lights and Love, Denmark Carrington feels guilty for a situation she had no control over. She wears her guilt like a cloak, much like I did. She keeps people at arm’s length because she can’t forgive herself for her role in what happened.

We aren’t meant to carry guilt, deserved or undeserved. That’s what Jesus did on the cross for us. He took our guilt upon His shoulders and nailed it to the cross. If we have played a part in the reason for our guilt, confess, ask for forgiveness, and forgive yourself. Leave it at the foot of the cross. Because by carrying around our guilt, we take away what Jesus did for us. We tell Him the cross wasn’t enough to cover our shame. And it was.

So, whether you are guilty or suffering from perceived guilt, let it go. Live a life guilt free, full of grace and mercy that Jesus gives.

Have I conquered anxiety? No, I haven’t. It’s still something I struggle with. But I no longer live in guilt. Because His strength is made perfect in my weakness.

Christmas Lights and Love

By Joi Copeland

Will the Christmas Lights Festival bring them together or tear them apart?

Denmark Carrigan moved to Snow Globe, Montana, to start over with her two sons. Every year, she participates in the Christmas Lights Festival in hopes of finally winning. But her nemesis, Quinn Burkett, wins again and again. Hardening her heart to his charm and handsome face is easy, until he connects with her kids. 

Quinn Burkett longs to get to know the saucy woman who moved to Snow Globe three years ago. Yet she knocks him down at every turn. When he spies her with a man new to town, he wonders how the man cracked her hard shell. Will he be able to win her over, or will he have to let her go?

Book Excerpt:

Deni’s heart squeezed, pain slicing through her chest. No matter what her sister said, the truth screamed at Deni just as loudly as the empty space in her bed. If she hadn’t badgered Cliff about forgetting the French bread for dinner, he wouldn’t have gone to the store, wouldn’t have gotten into the car accident that took him from her.

Want to read more? You can find Christmas Lights and Love at Amazon

About the Author:

 Joi Copeland is married to a wonderful man, Chris, and has three amazing boys, Garrison, Gage, and Gavin. She lives in Galway, Ireland as a missionary.

Joi’s love of writing began at a young age. She wrote short stories for several years, and in 2009, she began writing her first novel, Hope for Tomorrow. Joi enjoys baking and hopes to one day make a recipe that will have consistent results, though she doubts that will ever happen!

Social Media Links: Amazon Author Page: Instagram: Website

Christmas Reads–A Heartfelt Christmas by Nancy Naigle

17 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by Catherine Castle in Book excerpts, books, Christmas Reads, clean romance, Holiday Reads, Recipes, Romance, Sweet romance

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

A Heartfelt Christmas Promise, Christmas reads, Christmas romance, Nancy Naigle, Sweet romance

Today’s Thursday Christmas Reads is A Heartfelt Christmas Promise by Nancy Naigle. She’s answering some questions about her book today and also providing a Christmas cookie recipe and excerpt from her Christmas book.

How did you come up with the idea for your Christmas book?

A Heartfelt Christmas Promise was inspired by those adorable Budweiser commercials with the lost puppy. Remember those? I’m a dog lover anyway, but those commercials absolutely stole my heart. I couldn’t wait to find a way to integrate a sweet puppy, and a handsome horse trainer into a novel. Six years later, here we are. I’m so excited for readers to visit the small town of Fraser Hills, NC and get swept up into all that’s going on in that small town.  

Could you give a short synopsis on the book for my readers?

Yes, it’s a sweet small-town holiday love story, perfectly fine for readers of all ages, so mommas, you can share this one with your teenage-daughter and her grandmother, too.

Vanessa Larkin was supposed to be spending Christmas in Paris, France on a business trip she hoped to enjoy as a working vacation. Instead, she’s been assigned to Fraser Hills, North Carolina—home of the Best Fruitcake in the USA—to convert her company’s property into warehouse space and shut down Porter’s, the fruitcake factory. Offering retirement packages and selling locals on new job opportunities may not spread holiday cheer, but Vanessa believes she’s helping secure the town’s future.

Mike Marshall’s family founded Porter’s. For decades, the factory served as the lifeblood of the community until his grandfather sold the business to a Chicago corporation. The sale cost the town its independence—and the Marshalls their family ties. A horse farmer, Mike was never involved with his grandfather’s company, but still felt Fraser Hills lost part of its identity. And as a widower raising a teenage daughter, he’s suffered enough losses in one lifetime. News of the factory’s closing means losing another piece of the town’s legacy.

Far from the skyscrapers and rapid pace of the city, Vanessa finds herself enjoying the easygoing rhythms of rural living. With Mike as her guide, she learns to appreciate the simple pleasures found in shared holiday festivities among friends. Fraser Hills is a town she is growing to love—and Mike is someone she is falling in love with. Now all Vanessa needs is a Christmas miracle to give her newfound friends and home a gift they’ll cherish for many New Years to come.


What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

Oh gosh, there are so many! One of my favorites is hosting a cookie swap. It makes the daunting task of baking a huge and varied batch of cookies and treats for your family, fun and easy. Each participant makes six dozen of their favorite cookie or treat recipe. On the day of the swap everyone brings six dozen and goes home with an assortment of sixty cookies. A lot less work, and an evening of fun with the girls. What’s not to love?


What’s next?

On May 18, 2021, The Shell Collector comes out. This novel has been in my heart for years. Shells with messages are showing up on Whelk’s Island, and they always seem to be the encouragement or confirmation for those that find them. The Shell Collector is up for preorder so order yours now.  We’ll be doing a cover reveal as soon as we get past the buzz of the holidays so stay tuned. It’s a beautiful story set on the coast of North Carolina, described as a touching novel of love and loss, a friendship that crosses generations, and learning how even the smallest gifts can change a life for good. Don’t hesitate…treat yourself right now: https://waterbrookmultnomah.com/books/668252/the-shell-collector-by-nancy-naigle/

RECIPE FAVORITES

Lilene’s Chocolate-dipped Fruitcake Squares

It’s your choice. Take a shortcut and make your treats from sliced up store-bought fruitcake and dunk the slices or squares in milk or dark chocolate, or use this recipe.

Either way you’re sure to end up with a delightful and unexpected goody to share. The best description I’ve heard is that these taste like a banana split only without the ice cream. All the yummy goodness and no brain freeze.

Fruit Cake Ingredients:

¾ cup butter, softened

1 ¾ cups packed brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 TBL vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

3 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

1 ½ cups coarsely chopped candied pineapple

1 ¾ cups red and green candied cherries, halved

  • In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then add vanilla and beat just until mixed well.
  • Add flour to mix, then fold in walnuts with a spatula.
  • Spread evenly into a greased large rectangle baking pan.
  • Sprinkle the pineapple, and cherries evenly across the pan, then press the candied fruit lightly into the mixture.
  • Bake at 325° for 45-50 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares. I like to let my squares rest a day before I robe them in chocolate.
  • Dunk each square into your choice of milk or dark chocolate and cool. Enjoy!

And now for a treat of another kind: An Excerpt from

A Heartfelt Christmas Promise (2020)

By Nancy Naigle

Vanessa breezed out of her office and stepped back in the conference room. One of her coworkers, Micky Cooper, was pleading the case for a warehouse project to get moved to one in his portfolio in North Carolina. Something that had been on his books for a long time. It must not be making big profits lately, else why would he offer it up?

     She took her seat.

     “Porter’s has two huge warehouse spaces. Plus, the surrounding area has plenty of space for expansion. It’d be tight to do a shutdown and get ready by January first, but the right person could get it done.”

     Vanessa politely smiled, rocking in her chair as she swung back around toward her boss, Edward Grayson. Yeah, it could be done, but Micky wasn’t the guy to do it. He was always running late on his projects. He was really much better on the front-end negotiations than the execution of things like this.

     Edward’s bushy eyebrows wiggled like restless caterpillars.

     “You’re right, Micky.”

     Micky gave a cocky nod and leaned back in his chair.

     “Only this can’t slip. Not one day.” Edward’s glasses slid farther down his nose as he swiveled his gaze across the team sitting at his table today, and then his focus landed on Vanessa.

     As in a disastrous game of spin the bottle, Vanessa’s insides flipped.

     “Porter’s is a small town. I went out there personally when we closed that deal. It’s the best option we’ve got in our portfolio to make this happen in the short time frame. Execution has to be flawless. Vanessa—”

     “No.” She hadn’t meant to say that out loud. Trying to cover, she said, “Edward, there are plenty of good people on this team who can handle that assignment, and Thanksgiving is next week.”

     “I need you to handle it.”

     “Sir, with all due respect.” She lowered her voice and leaned in closer to him. “Paris? Leavenworth? I’ve earned those.” The words hung like peanut butter in the back of her throat.

     “You’re right,” he said. “You have.”

     She raised her chin, hoping he’d change his mind.

     But Edward looked down the table again and with not an ounce of remorse announced, “I need you in Fraser Hills, North Carolina, on Monday. It’ll be quick, and I promise I’ll give you the next big thing that comes through this door. This has to go right. It’s important.”

     Her throat tightened. “Yes, sir.”

     Micky leaned forward with a sly grin. “I’ll send you the files on Porter’s.”

     She nodded as she sat there trying to hold herself together as the agenda moved on.

     When they got to the two projects she’d been vying for, she

could barely breathe while her dream projects were assigned. Micky and his brother Gary were assigned the Paris project as a team. None other than McAdo landed Leavenworth.

     “That’s it for today.” Edward pushed himself up from his chair.

     Vanessa was thankful Micky and Gary, full of enthusiasm, had cornered Edward so she didn’t even have to make eye contact with him. She pasted a smile on her face and headed straight to her office.

Want to read more? You can find A Heartfelt Christmas Promise at:

Amazon: Barnes & Noble: iBooks: Kobo: GooglePlay

About the Author:

 USA Today bestselling author NANCY NAIGLE whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of heart. Now happily retired, she devotes her time to writing, antiquing, and the occasional spa day with friends. A native of Virginia Beach, she currently calls North Carolina home. Nancy is the author of Christmas Joy and Hope at Christmas, both of which have been turned into film for Hallmark Channel. A Heartfelt Christmas Promise is her 2020 release.

Stay updated on Nancy’s new releases, sales, and upcoming movie news by subscribing to her newsletter at www.nancynaigle.com.

Other places to find or follow Nancy: Amazon Author Page: Twitter: Facebook

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