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Burro racing, anyone?!

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It’s always fun to find a book set in places I’ve been, and I love discovering out-of-the-ordinary storylines and characters. This book by Meg Benjamin has those things plus . . . burro racing!! 🙂 What the heck is that, you might ask. Well, keep reading to find out! Today I’m featuring a guest author on the blog and her soon-to-release book, “The Tomato Jam Mystery.” Welcome Meg Benjamin–and Roxy Constantine!

Sometimes you find inspiration in the oddest places, but that’s when things get interesting. My Luscious Delights cozy mystery series takes place in a Colorado mountain town. And my heroine, Roxy Constantine, makes jam for a living. Roxy’s gone through a lot of adventures: from the death of a guy who sexually harassed her where Roxy ended up as a suspect (The Pepper Peach Murder), to the death of the father of the bride at a wedding her boyfriend Nate was catering (The Wine Jelly Murder). But I’m always on the lookout for Colorado material, and an article in the Colorado Sun a year ago really caught my eye. It was all about burro racing.

Now I’m guessing you’re envisioning a tiny racetrack with burros and very small jockeys, but that’s not it at all. Burro racing recreates the experience of prospectors during the Colorado gold and silver rushes when they had to race to the nearest town to register their claims before another prospector beat them to it. Their trusty burros raced along with them, and that’s the idea behind the races today. Several Colorado towns have burro races, and there’s even a Triple Crown of races held in Fairplay, Buena Vista, and Leadville. The teams consist of one person and one burro. The burro has a pack saddle with a gold pan, shovel, and pick, and the human is connected to the burro with a fifteen-foot rope that has to be held onto at all times. The courses are long, rugged mountain trails, and it’s frequently tough going. There are videos on YouTube for anyone who wants to see what it looks like when twenty or thirty teams of humans and burros all take off at once. Believe me, it’s worth seeing.

I knew I wanted to work burro racing into The Tomato Jam Murder, but I had to think of a way to get Roxy on the trail. She’s not exactly an outdoorswoman. In the end, I created a whole town of burro racers and a goat-cheese-making burro queen who’s Roxy’s good friend. The queen and Roxy go out to train together on the racing course, and, well, Roxy has another adventure:

–“Hello?” I called again.

“Hello yourself,” a male voice called. I put a hand to my hammering heart then stepped back and peered up the trail. Silas and his burro were on the switchback above us. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I found this little guy wandering around, and I’m trying to find his handler. I think there might be somebody in this clump of trees.”

“Okay,” Silas said when he was level with me. “Give me the lead rope. I’ll hold onto him while you see if his owner is around.”

I handed over the rope gratefully enough and stepped into the evergreen grove. The dense thatch of branches blotted out a lot of the light.

A man was lying face down in the center of the grove. On the trail, I’d seen the bright red of the bandanna he had knotted around his neck. “Um…hi?” I said, tentatively. When he didn’t move, or give any sign that he’d heard me, I stepped closer. “Mister? Are you okay?”

Something about the stillness of that body made my throat tighten. I’d seen a few dead bodies in my time, but most of them had been clearly and thoroughly dead. This guy was just lying there. Very quiet.

You’ve got to check. You know that. I did know it, but I didn’t like it. I leaned forward and put my hand on his shoulder. I felt the cool dead flesh through his thin cotton shirt. Yanking my hand away, I stumbled to the trail where Silas waited.

“Call 911,” I gasped. “There’s a dead guy in there.”–

Needless to say, Roxy soon finds herself up to her chin in murder, corruption, crooked cops, and a recipe for tomato jam that never quite comes together. And there’s burro racing. And burro tending. And a burro who plays a significant role in the solution of the mystery. I learned a lot more about burros than I ever thought I’d need to know, but I still think they’re adorable.

You can find the ebook version of The Tomato Jam Murder on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4oj93e5. Print versions and other ebook versions will be available later.

Thanks for sharing with us today, Meg! Happy reading to all! Hope you’re enjoying some nice fall weather! 

Darlene

Warning: this book may cause heart palpitations, nail biting or shortness of breath!

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A book release is always exciting. Today I’m shouting about Dangerous Descent, a new release from one of my awesome and talented critique partners, Evie Jacobs.

But first, let me introduce the author: Evie Jacobs is a word nerd. As a child, she read constantly. And when she wasn’t reading, she was writing. Not much has changed. By day she works in a library surrounded by books, and by night she writes steamy action/adventure romance. She lives in Colorado with her husband, two cats, and six bicycles.

Her new book is an action-packed romance that will have your heart beating for more than one reason—don’t let down your guard!

Pilot Elise Hughes left the family business in the Florida Keys and now flies the rich and powerful to and from the Rocky Mountains. When she has to execute a by-the-book emergency landing, it’s no big deal. But being stranded in a small town with her handsome new colleague is something else entirely.

Obsessed with getting justice for his murdered father, undercover FBI agent Eric Erickson believes retribution is finally within reach. Until things get complicated. And dangerous. And he’s forced to face a few too many realities—including Elise’s connection to a well-known crime boss.

After Elise is kidnapped by the same man who took Eric’s father, he has a choice to make—find Elise or exact revenge. Meanwhile she has a choice of her own—trust the dangerous family she never knew she had or the man who’s been lying to her from the start.

Fellow word nerds, enjoy this peek inside Dangerous Descent:

Set-Up: Elise is a pilot for a charter company. A mechanical issue forced her and her partner, Eric, to make an unscheduled stop in a small Nebraska town. The pilots, along with the passengers, are spending the night in the town’s only motel as they await the repair. She and Eric just gave in to the physical attraction for one another, but before things went too far, she pulled away and stepped outside.

Oh. My. God.

Elise gripped a fistful of hair on each side of her head and paced in an agitated circle, all the while, her pelvis throbbed with need. What the hell just happened? Surely, she’d hallucinated that entire encounter, because otherwise, it didn’t make any sense. One minute she was talking about Dad and trying not to cry. In the next, she was inviting Eric to sit beside her on the bed.

His hands. His kisses. His musky cologne. All of her rules about getting involved with colleagues? Forgotten. Her disappointment in the male half of the species? Irrelevant. Because in that moment, he was the only thing she wanted.

Her muscles tightened, locking up as if she’d just run a marathon. But then, her body relaxed, the tension evaporating like sweat on a dry Colorado day. She’d not been the only one in that room. Eric had also been affected. She’d felt the evidence pressing against her leg.

She took a calming breath and gazed at the stars. Since her dad’s death, she’d cut ties and avoided attachments. The rift in her relationship with her brothers. Old friends she’d avoided or lost touch with. Better to shut people out than take the chance they’d leave too. Now, for the first time in a long time, she actually craved the safety and intimacy of another person.

She inhaled and let the night air fill her lungs.

Looking at the sky grounded her. She’d seen similar views from the cockpit of a plane but couldn’t remember having ever seen the stars so clearly with two feet still on the ground. A peaceful calmness washed over her.

A couple more minutes and maybe she’d be able to face him without turning an unflattering shade of red. Unlikely. Still, he deserved an explanation for the way she’d rushed from the room. She could go with the obvious and tell him it wasn’t a good idea to get involved with a coworker, but she suspected he’d see through that lie. The truth was, she wasn’t prepared to deal with something quite so real.

The trees surrounding the motel shook. Elise shuddered. Was it the cool breeze or her creepy surroundings? She drew her arms close and strolled to the other end of the building. Rounding the corner, she collided with what felt like a tank.

Nicky.

Warm, calloused hands gripped her upper arms, stopping her in place. “What are you doing out here? You look cold.” His voice sounded polite, but his tone held an edge. A shadow fell across his face. Why had she never noticed his heavy brow or those fleshy jowls? Something about the man projected danger. Feeling silly, she shook her head. These were her customers. No, they weren’t friends, but she knew them. They were kind and generous. She’d let Eric’s mention of the mob get to her.

She tried to retreat, but he didn’t release her. The pounding of her heart beat out a slow, heavy rhythm against her chest. She felt a sheen of sweat on her forehead. “I came out for some fresh air. I’m about to go back to my room.” She tried to step away from the big man.

His grip tightened. “I was on my way to get you. Mr. Alario wants to have a word.”

“Is it about the plane?” She glanced at his hands, still jabbing into her soft flesh. Her pulse throbbed beneath his thick fingers. “There’s not much to report. The repair shouldn’t take long, but they have to get the part.” Her voice sounded louder, shriller than she’d intended. She turned, longing to be back in the safety of Eric’s embrace.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He still held one arm. “I said the boss wants to see you.”

The boss? Internal alarm bells wailed. Something wasn’t right. “It’s chilly. Let me grab my sweatshirt.”

He shook his head, placed his hand on her shoulder and guided her to the back of the motel. Her gaze swept the area. No one to help. Nowhere to go. Scream. The words wouldn’t come. She dug in her feet, but the momentum of his push resulted in short, halting steps.

Think. The situation required calmness. “What does Mr. Alario want to talk about?”

“He’s in Rocco’s room.”

A couple of inadequate light fixtures attached to the building cast shadows. The trees groaned and the leaves whispered. A wild screech cut the air. An owl?

Nicky rapped on the door. Christopher opened it and smiled in that familiar way. Happy, friendly Christopher. She relaxed. It’s fine. She’d let her imagination get the best of her.

When she stepped inside the room, Nicky herded her among the other men. Her heart raced as she rotated, scanning each of the angry faces.

Thanks for sharing with us today, Evie, and congratulations on the birth of your new book!

Happy reading to all!

Darlene

How to find Evie and your copy of Dangerous Descent:

website: https://www.eviejacobsauthor.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eviejacobsauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553692483183

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/evie-jacobs

Is Love at First Sight for Real?

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Hello, friends! Today I wrap up my series of holiday guest posts featuring talented authors. I hope you’ve had fun learning a little about them and their books. I asked them each to answer some holiday-related questions. For the grand finale, here’s Chloe Holiday. Welcome, Chloe!

–What’s your favorite holiday tradition and why? I find that just as scents do, music can transport me to another place, and I love holiday music of all kinds. We have an old 25-disc CD changer, and I load it up on the first of December with my favorites. It’s an eclectic mix of tunes: a Jazz Nutcracker Suite, instrumental carols in brass, sax, steel drum, and hammered dulcimer as well as full orchestral versions of Baroque Christmas music, and even one made from different pitches of frog croaks. Those with vocals range from old Nat King Cole songs to modern pop stars to the Vienna Children’s Chorus. It always gets me in the mood for all the holiday preparations.

–What’s your holiday “specialty?”  We grew up well-fed, but with not much left over, and the Christmas stockings were a big part of the celebrations, since the gifts were modest and limited. How we savored the treats, and traded them! My mother made each of us a custom, handmade stocking, and I’ve continued that tradition with my own family. They don’t match, but were made with love and laden with symbolism meaningful for each person.

Chloe is a military physician-turned-novelist who writes the things she loves to read: steamy, fun stories about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, smart women and men who aren’t jerks. About friendships, whether close women or a good bromance. She wants to bring you all the feels: the thrill of a smoldering gaze or the barest brush of fingertips, the shocked gasp at the underhanded villain, the angst of heartbreak, the joy of reunion, and of course, happily ever after!

A bit of danger always gets her going, so many of her Romances have a suspense subplot, and they all contain a dose of humor.

She hates to read the same old thing, with only the names and places changed, so her goal is to bring you a fresh, fun, NEW story every time, with NO CLIFFHANGERS– a rollicking, great story you can’t put down, where love prevails in the end, that will whisk you away from your own tribulations. Escape, relax, indulge—you deserve a Holiday!

FK cover

Finders Keepers Book blurb:  Convinced her boyfriend is cheating, free-spirited Farrah flees a holiday party and dodges into a bar where straitlaced Caleb indulges in one drink. Charmed, she goes home with him, but her boyfriend’s later texts persuade her she was mistaken. Horrified by what she’s done, she sneaks out in the night, leaving Caleb with a single mitten …

A favorite short quote from the book:  He didn’t believe in love at first sight. His parents had gotten engaged after only two days, but that was a one-in-a-million thing. Still, Caleb felt her pull, more intense than simple lust. Like a solar flare, disrupting everything around her, white-hot.

Connect with Chloe:  https://www.chloeholiday.com/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088GSS28W

Thanks so much for joining us, Chloe. Love how your last name goes with the theme! 🙂  I, too, made handmade Christmas stockings for my kids. Makes them one-of-a-kind! I love hanging–and filling–them every year even though the kids are grown!

Happy holidays to all, and best wishes for a joyous season and new year.

Darlene

Romance and intrigue in the Australian Outback

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Hello, friends! Today we have another guest visiting the blog. Throughout the next week I’ll feature a series of holiday posts from authors who will share a little about themselves and their books. I asked them each to answer a few holiday-related questions. Let’s meet author Meryl Brown Tobin. Welcome, Meryl!

–What’s your holiday “specialty?”  My mum used to make shortbreads, I make shortbreads and I taught my children and grandchildren to make them.  We pummel the dough the way we’d pummel playdough and make balls into shapes, such as our initials or snowmen, snakes, tarts or whatever or use cookies cutters to cut shapes such as Christmas trees, birds or shortbread men or women. Then we’d decorate them with cut pieces of glace cherry.

–A favorite holiday travel story to share? This is a prose poem I wrote about a true funny Christmas ‘disaster’ that happened in our rural area shortly before one of our Christmas school holidays which occur in summer in Australia.

A Rural Christmas

Faces as expectant as cattle

welcoming rain after drought

schoolchildren face the school gate

sing Jingle Bells

pause, wait.

Cupping his ear, the teacher calls,

“Sing louder, children––

Santa can’t hear you.”

Children sing louder, pause again.

Still no Santa.

Frowning, the teacher leads the children

parents into another carol, and another.

He tries Jingle Bells again.

It’s deafening.

A fire engine roars into the school ground.

On its back, like a frenzied windmill

a red-faced Santa waves.

The teacher reaches up to pump his hand.

Santa leans down, whispers, “Sorry.

One of my cows decided to calve

and I couldn’t leave her.”

      Meryl Brown Tobin is an Australian writer who writes fiction and non-fiction for adults and children, poetry and educational puzzles.  She has published 21 books and had hundreds of poems, puzzles, short stories and articles published in more than 150 publications.

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Book blurb: On a working holiday in Australia’s cosmopolitan Outback town of Broome in 1986, Jodie, a young book designer and artist is open to romance and adventure.

At the holiday village where she is staying, she meets Joe, a young man who works there. Despite the strong attraction between them, the many unknowns about his earlier life keep them apart. To try to uncover his mysterious past, they travel to Perth and back to Broome and are drawn into not only bizarre but also dangerous situations.

Is Joe the person she thinks he is, or is he some alter ego? Can Jodie and Joe stop their relationship from developing until they have answers and know if he is free to love her?

A favorite short quote from the book:

The storm whined and screeched about her, and the roof creaked and scraped.

“Oh, my god, the roof’s going to take off any minute!”

Joe’s arms enveloped her. “Hush, everything will be all right. But will you be okay if we have to make a run for it?”

“Yes.” She let out a sob. “But I like our chances better in here than out there.”

Joe kissed her forehead. He pulled her closer, and they lay locked against each other while the storm raged around them.

Connect with Meryl: https://sites.google.com/view/merylbrowntobin-author

Amazon.com : broome enigma

Thanks for joining us, Meryl! Love the Santa-and-the-cow story! Happy holidays, everyone! And happy reading!

Darlene

Are these Christmas cookies to die for?!

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Hello, friends! Today please welcome author Wendy Kendall as part of my holiday guest series featuring talented authors who will share a little about themselves and their books. I asked them each to answer a few holiday-related questions. Let’s meet Wendy!

–What’s your favorite holiday tradition and why? Besides all the delicious food on our table for Christmas, at each place setting there is also a colorfully wrapped and tied-with-a-ribbon tube at every place setting. What are these? They’re Christmas Crackers – but not the kind of cracker you eat. These are the kind you pop open. You grab one end, and another person at the table grabs the other end and when you each pull there’s actually a loud bang of a pop as it opens. Inside are the fun goodies including: a paper crown, a corny joke, and a fun surprise little gift.

Christmas crackers are a British tradition dating back to the early 1850s, London confectioner Tom Smith started adding a motto to his sugared almond bon-bons which he sold wrapped in a twisted paper package. As many of his bon-bons were bought by men to give to women, many of the mottos were simple love poems. He was inspired to add the “bang” when he heard the crackle of a log he had just put on the fire. He decided to make a log shaped package that would produce a surprise bang and inside would be an almond and a motto. Soon the sugared almond was replaced with a small gift. The paper crown was added to the cracker in the early 1900s by his sons and by the end of the 1930s, the love poems had been replaced by jokes.

Our family and friends always enjoy the fun of our Christmas Crackers, and of course we want to hear all the jokes.

–What’s your holiday “specialty?” It’s such a fun family activity to cook and bake together especially in the holiday season. As my sons were growing up we put together gingerbread houses, cut out cookies, and my specialty – homemade lasagna warms up the whole house. When I plotted this romantic suspense novel, it was inspired initially by a vision I had of what a delicious Snow Kiss cookie could mean. I shared my inspiration with my son Brad and he created the completely original, melt-your-soul, delectable cookie recipe. These cookies are all I’d hoped for, just like the story. Brad Riggs’ original recipe is included in the book.

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The result of Wendy Kendall’s passion for purses, mystery and romance is the intriguing In Purse-Suit Mysteries published by The Wild Rose Press. Kat Out of the Bag introduces Katherine Watson purse designer/sleuth, also published by Harlequin at Harper Collins, available February 20, 2024.  Finalist for Best Romantic Suspense at Killer Nashville, Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For creates a tangle of mystery and love, raising suspicions about a teacher’s romantic new sweetheart.  Wendy enjoys investigating the Pacific Northwest life, and she leaves a trail of her own clues as a blogger, YouTube podcaster, speaker, and syndicated columnist.

Book blurb:

This holiday season Desiree, teacher at Bayside’s elementary school starts a fun secret Santa game for her first grade class. Danger hits when each day someone leaves creepy secret Santa gifts addressed to Desiree in her classroom. The gift giver threatens to reveal who they are soon. Time is ticking before school is out for the holidays, and Desiree’s threatening stalker may strike with deadly force. Among several suspects, is her romantic new love Leo who is on the school’s maintenance staff. While the children learn the wonderful lesson of kindness in giving, Desiree is on the edge of her seat. Who is threatening her? Is Leo The One, or The Stalker?

A favorite line/short quote from the book: Dez looked around. Was anyone watching? The idea of anyone putting up a stocking with her name was odd enough, but with this inside? Her phone vibrated. It was from the anonymous sender.

Her hand shook as she clicked on the text and read. How did you like your card?

Connect with Wendy:  Wendywritesbooks.com

Amazon Link

Wow, impressive that your son developed the recipe for Snow Kiss cookies! How fun! Thanks for sharing with us today, Wendy!

Darlene

Going Home and Finding Love

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Hello, friends! Today I continue a series of holiday guest posts featuring talented authors who will share a little about themselves and their books. I asked them each to answer some holiday-related questions. Let’s get to know author Maria Imbalzano. Welcome, Maria!

–What’s your favorite holiday movie and why? I love “The Holiday” with Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black. It’s a “swapping homes” story where two women, one a wealthy California producer who lives in a mansion and one an English journalist who lives in the countryside, find each other through a house exchange website. Each of them is nursing a heartbreak and want to get away for the Christmas holiday. And of course, each of them finds love in their home away from home. This movie has just the right amount of conflict, humor, tenderness, and spirit without being the normal fare we usually see around the holidays.

–What’s your holiday “specialty?”  I’m not much of a cook, but I do like to bake—probably because I’m addicted to sugar. Christmas cookies are my favorite, so I guess that’s my specialty, although I want to be clear that I really don’t belong in the kitchen. I always baked these treats with my mom, and now I do it with my daughters and granddaughters. Of course, they don’t come out as good as when my mom was involved.  The problem with my baking in general is that I’m a little casual with quantities. My mother, daughters and husband have all commented on my methods of measuring water, flour, sugar etc. My response: Is there really a difference between dry measuring cups and wet? And do the measurements actually have to be exact?

Despite my shortcomings, we make butterballs, kiefli, chocolate walnut, and recently added red velvet crinkles (in honor of my book). In my opinion, they are all delicious.

Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporary author who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in love with them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues have a way of showing up in many of her novels.

Maria is a member of New Jersey Romance Writers and has received many honors and awards for her work including the Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence Award, the Write Touch Readers Award, The NEST (National Excellence In Story Telling) Award, the Carolyn Award, The Stiletto Reader’s Choice Award, Book Buyers Best Award, Long & Short Reviews Book of the Month Award, and Still Moments Magazine Reader’s Choice Award.

When not writing, she loves to travel both abroad and in the states.  Maria lives in Lawrenceville with her husband–not far from her two daughters and granddaughters.

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Book blurb:

Competitive, work-obsessed Bella Simonetti has just been fired from her high-paying job at a Manhattan law firm. At an all-time low, she returns home and helps her parents at their small-town gift shop, but the business is failing and may not make it past the Christmas holidays.

Successful landscape architect Dean Jackson is like a son to Bella’s parents. But he’s a persistent annoyance to her—he seems to have forgotten his unforgivable blunder thirteen years earlier.

When Bella transforms her parents’ gift shop into a cookie cottage, Dean’s generosity and magnetic smile are hard to resist, and those feelings of unrequited adolescent love come rushing back. But can Bella let go of the past and accept Dean for the man he is today?

A favorite line from the book: Some women fear the fire. Some simply become it.

Connect with Maria:  http://www.mariaimbalzano.com

https://books2read.com/u/38d09r

Thanks for joining us today, Maria! I also enjoy The Holiday and have already seen it a couple of times this season! And I love your quote from the book! Readers, what’s your favorite holiday movie?

Darlene

A Santa in need of a Gift

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Hello, friends! Today I continue a series of holiday guest posts featuring talented authors who will share a little about themselves and their books. I asked them each to answer some holiday-related questions. Let’s get to know author Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy. Welcome, Lee Ann!

–What’s your favorite holiday tradition and why? I love all the traditions but one of my favorites is choosing an ornament each year. Over the years, thanks to my mom’s idea the year I was born, I have a lovely collection of unique and special Christmas ornaments. I’ve continued the tradition with my children as well.

–What’s your holiday “specialty?” Cookies! I always bake several flavors of cookies. The tradition began one year when my mom was at a loss what to get my grandfather, Pop, for Christmas. She decided I could help bake cookies, including sugar cookie cutouts. Snickerdoodles are another favorite!

Food always figures into my novels. In The Scarred Santa, Rafe’s mom bakes snickerdoodles, one of my favorite cookies. Here’s the recipe to enjoy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

 

Heat oven to 400°F.

Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs in large bowl.

Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy, author bio: I am a native of St. Joseph, Missouri, the former frontier town where the Pony Express began and outlaw Jesse James met his end. I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood as a third-generation American in a close-knit family. I am a widow with three grown children and spent much of my career in media, first in broadcast media (radio) and then newspapers. My first novel appeared in 2010 . I write primarily romance in all flavors from sweet to heat, from paranormal to suspense, from contemporary to historical.

scarred santa cover

Book blurb: Once handsome Rafe Sullivan is left scarred, injured, and with PTSD from his Marine Corps service in Afghanistan, returning to civilian life is far from smooth, and the burn scars on his right side are extensive. Although he lives close to family, he lives a solitary life and changes jobs more often than most people change their socks. A temporary job as Santa at the mall is presented, but Rafe first rebels, then relents. His Santa gig affects his PTSD. Then he meets Sheena Dunmore. When she doesn’t run from his scars or issues, she intrigues him. An unmasking by some rowdy children is a test of his stamina and spirit. His greatest fear is fire. Will Rafe conquer the fear so he can move forward into the new life he desires?

A favorite quote from the book: “You’re my hero and I love you, Angel Face,” Mike said when he released Rafe.

As soon as Mike spoke the nickname, the one their dad had put an end to long ago, his expression changed as he realized his error.

“Oh, man. I shouldn’t have used the old nickname. Rafe, I’m so sorry. I know it’s a sore spot now and…”

Rafe laughed. “It’s fine, Mike. I probably look more like a singed devil.”

Connect with Lee Ann: https://leeannsontheimer.blogspot.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Scarred-Santa-Lee-Sontheimer-Murphy-ebook/dp/B0CHG2JPKX

Thanks for being here, Lee Ann! Your book sounds heartwarming and the cookies sound amazing! I love snickerdoodles, but frosted sugar cookies are my specialty. Readers, what foods or desserts do you make for the holidays?

Darlene 

A Ghostly Christmas Honeymoon

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Hello, friends! Today please welcome author Randy Overbeck as part of my holiday guest series featuring talented authors who will share a little about themselves and their books. I asked them each to answer a few holiday-related questions. Let’s meet Randy!

–What’s your favorite holiday tradition and why? When I was in grade school, I attended a special “choir school” where we would prepare music for the church service as part of every school day. We sang at every holiday including Christmas, especially the Midnight Mass service. Even decades later, I still remember being in the choir loft, singing beautiful Christmas hymns with the church looking and smelling like Christmas. A few of my favorite Christmas carols we sang back then can still bring tears to my eyes even today.

–What’s your favorite holiday movie and why? I enjoy several of the classic movies, but I love Christmas on 42th Street, with its unbelieving child and Thanksgiving parade Santa. I’ve seen several versions of the movie and have enjoyed them all, just the child in me, I guess.

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author and speaker. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades. He has turned this experience into captivating fiction, authoring the bestselling series, the Haunted Shores Mysteries, winner of nine national awards. This past fall, the Wild Rose Press released his newest work, an atmospheric amateur sleuth mystery, CRUEL LESSONS, the first installment in a new series set in schools, “Lessons in Peril.” He is the host of the podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual and sometimes strange backstories of famous authors, directors and poets. He is also a speaker in much demand, sharing his multi-media presentations, “Things Still Go Bump in the Night,” “A Few Favorite Haunts,” and “Everything You Wanted to Know About Publishing” with audiences all over the country.

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Book blurb: All Darrell Henshaw wanted was to enjoy his honeymoon with his beautiful wife, Erin, in the charming town of Crystal River on the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida. Only a pair of ghosts decide to intrude on their celebration. And not just any ghosts, the spirits of two young Latino children. Unwilling at first to derail the honeymoon for yet another ghost hunt, Darrell finally concedes when a painting of the kids comes alive, weeping and pleading for his help.

When he and Erin track down the artist, they discover the children’s family were migrant workers the next county over. But when they travel there, their questions about the kids get their car shot up and Erin hospitalized. Torn between fear and rage, Darrell must decide how far he will go to get justice for two young children he never even knew.

A favorite line from the book:  “Remember Christmas is for the children…especially the two who need your help.”

Connect with Randy: http://www.authorrandyoverbeck.com

https://www.amazon.com/Scarlet-Crystal-Haunted-Shores-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B09B5Q2GQS

Thanks for sharing with us today, Randy! I’ve been known to get teary over Christmas tunes, too! Happy reading, everyone! Hope you’re enjoying my author guests! How is your holiday prep going?

Darlene

Discover winter charm in a Crystal Castle!

darlenedeluca Books, Guests , , , ,

Hello, friends! Today kicks off a series of holiday guest posts featuring talented authors who will share a little about themselves and their books. I asked them each to answer a few holiday-related questions. Let’s get started with author Jennifer Ivy Walker. Welcome, Jennifer!

–What’s your favorite holiday tradition and why? I love making homemade Christmas Spice Cookies with my children—and now my grandchildren. I love sharing my own grandmother’s recipe and have been passing down this tradition for over thirty years now.

–What’s your favorite holiday movie and why? I love “It’s A Wonderful Life” with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. It’s poignant and emphasizes the value of love, family, and friendship, especially during the holidays.

–What’s your holiday “specialty?”  My holiday specialty is homemade pecan pie!

–A favorite holiday travel story to share? It’s always fun when out of state family members come to Florida for Christmas. We wear tank tops and go to the beach to enjoy the balmy weather!

    Enthralled with legends of medieval knights and ladies, dark fairy tales and fantasies about Druids, wizards and magic, Jennifer Ivy Walker always dreamed of becoming a writer. She fell in love with French in junior high school, continuing her study of the language throughout college, eventually becoming a high school teacher and college professor of French.
     Her new release, “Winter Solstice in the Crystal Castle,” is a steamy medieval romance between a flame-haired, fire-hearted French princess descended from Viking Valkyrie and the solitary, sullen knight who suffers an impossible love for her. Readers who enjoyed The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven trilogy will recognize several of the main characters in this new novel as well.
     Explore her realm of Medieval French Fantasy. She hopes her novels will enchant you.

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Book blurb:

Gabrielle is a flame haired, fire hearted French princess who dreams of becoming a Valkyrie warrior queen like her Viking ancestors from Normandy. Sent to Paris to learn the proper etiquette for a future French queen, she is called home to le Château de Beaufort for a forced marriage to a man she loathes when her father the king’s precarious health takes a sudden turn for the worse.

Chivalrous, solitary knight Sir Bastien de Landuc suffers an impossible love for Gabrielle, the unattainable princess he can never have. Without a title of nobility, he is ineligible to compete in the tournament for her hand in marriage, despite his unparalleled equestrian skills and inimitable swordsmanship.

Yet, Yuletide wishes for a wondrous winter solstice in the glorious Crystal Castle might make impossible dreams come true.

Can the valiant knight win the coveted hand of his Viking Valkyrie?

A favorite quote from the book:

“I shall be a warrior queen,” she’d told him, emerald eyes ablaze with fierce pride as she’d blocked and parried his blows. “A Valkyrie shield maiden, like my ancestor, Brunnhild.” Agile and graceful as a dancer, she’d spun with stunning elegance and surprising force, disarming him with a glorious, gloating grin. “And I shall defend this kingdom with my sword… thanks to you.”

Connect with Jennifer at https://jenniferivywalker.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Solstice-Crystal-Castle-Christmas-ebook/dp/B0CHG3ZQ8J/

Sounds enchanting, right? Tell us about your holiday traditions or books!

Happy reading, everyone!

Darlene

Make it a merry month!

darlenedeluca A Writer's Life, Books, Guests , , , , , ,

Hello to all and happy December! It’s officially holiday season! And I’m kicking it off with some guest bloggers talking about holiday traditions, recipes, books and more! Hope you’ll join us over the next couple of weeks and share your thoughts! We love to chat with readers!

On Dec. 21, I’ll draw a prize winner from everyone who’s commented or shared the holiday guest posts on this page! But first, I’m visiting author Liz Flaherty’s Kitchen Window blog today. Link is below. Stop on over and say hello!

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https://windowoverthesink.blogspot.com/2023/12/snow-magic-or-havoc-by-darlene-deluca.html

It’s such a fun season. And whatever holidays you celebrate, I hope you are surrounded by festivities and people you love! Hope to see you throughout this merriest month!

Darlene