House calls and Christmas cookies …

I know, I know, it’s still Halloween season. But I’m excited about the upcoming release of my newest story and helping to get YOU in the Christmas spirit!

“Cookie Collision” releases November 3, and is now available to pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble online and Apple. See? By the time it drops onto your reading device, it’ll be the perfect time to snuggle up with a holiday read!

“Cookie Collision” is a heartwarming novella set at Christmastime in Kansas City. It’s part of a collection of holiday stories offered this year by The Wild Rose Press.

Here’s a peek:

House calls and Christmas cookies . . . a sweet combination or recipe for disaster?

Before she can let up and enjoy some holiday cheer, real estate agent Alana Drake has work to do. With Christmas moving in fast, she has clients to meet with, houses to show, and cookies to bake. Every open house deserves her special touch—homemade and hand-decorated sugar cookies for a warm welcome. And she needs several dozen for upcoming holiday events and open houses.

But a poorly timed stop at the grocery store could upend more than her bag of groceries. Running into Doctor Justin Teague—literally—shakes up Alana’s tidy world. The chance encounter leaves her with a bum ankle, forces her to reconsider some dating ideals, and reveals new information about a longtime nemesis.

When all she wanted was to bake some cookies…

A few words from an early reviewer:

In relatively few pages, Darlene Deluca again works her magic with realistic, relatable characters and a story that draws you in and leaves you smiling. The story starts with a bang … almost literally. It features an unexpected twist that I won’t reveal here, but let’s just say I made peace with the woman I vehemently disliked. It’s such a fun holiday story and I highly recommend it!

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Apple

Buy on BarnesandNoble

Whether you’re not ready for the holidays to begin, already shopping or anxious to get started, I hope you get some time to yourself to relax and enjoy the season — and maybe a book or two!

Happy reading to all!

Darlene

Watching happy-ever-after unfold

Word by Word

From the day they are born, we spend a lot of time watching our kids. And delighting in that activity. Who didn’t watch their kids sleep when they looked so peaceful and angelic?

Like most parents, when our daughter was young, we hovered constantly, watching her roll over, crawl, take that first step, etc. During the school days, we watched countless soccer games, band concerts, piano recitals and horseback riding lessons. We had so much fun watching our daughter discover nature – taking her to Sea World, aquariums and zoos all over the country. There were parties and dances and awards ceremonies where her fun, her accomplishments, were our entertainment and pleasure.

Those years whiz by, and then come the big events: Watching her receive her high school diploma and her college degrees. A couple of weeks ago we had the joy of watching her get married! Wow! What an…

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