Christmas Kisses by Stacy Lynn Carrol, Tara C Allred Stephanie Connelley Worlton Ali M Cross

 

Stephanie Worlton is an author, designer, gabber, and sugar addict! She was raised in the suburbs of Salt Lake City where she developed a passion for the creation of space, color, and design. Her love of design drove her to pursue a degree in architecture. Her love of family pulled her home to be a mom.  She enjoys hanging out with her family, reading, writing, making massive project lists, doing remodeling and building projects, playing in the dirt, and snuggling with her dogs. She collects power tools, camera equipment, shoes (though barefoot is always best!), and books.

 

 
 
 
 
 
Ali Cross, the award-winning author of the Desolation Series, has always had a flare for the dramatic. As a child she organized backyard performances of classic plays and musicals and hosted tea parties for invisible friends and pets dressed in doll clothes. Her teens were a haze of boys, drama (of the real life variety), and music. So it really didn’t come as a surprise to anyone that the girl her family called a dreamer, ended up writing drama—with angels, demons, and other supernatural creatures thrown in for fun.
After university, Ali traveled from the Great White North to the Utah desert for love and now entertains her devoted husband, almost-grown twin sons and adorable yorkies with her wacky song renditions and random movie lines. As the only female in the house she considers this her right and her duty.
Never one to conform to expectations, Ali enjoys writing in multiple genres:
Ali Cross books for young adult paranormal romance; Ali Banks Cross books for middle grade adventures; and Ali M. Cross for inspirational romance. She promises to entertain you no matter which of her books you pick up.

TARA C. ALLRED
Award-winning Author

I had lots of imaginary friends when I was five years old, and I guess you could say some of those friends never left me. In fact along the way, I picked up some more imaginary friends who have had lots to say.
I love watching stories unfold. And some of those stories seem worth sharing with you.
So, I have written a few books. And have several more in the works.
Meanwhile, some of my books have won some awards. And even more importantly, my books have made friends with some wonderful and supportive readers. I absolutely love it when a reader connects with one of my stories.
Stacy Lynn Carroll has always loved telling stories. She started out at Utah State University where she pursued a degree in English, learned how to western swing, and watched as many of her fellow students became ‘True Aggies’.  She then finished her BA at the University of Utah where she got an emphasis in creative writing.  
 
After college she worked as an administrative assistant, where she continued to write stories for the amusement of her co-workers. When her first daughter was born, and with the encouragement of a fortune cookie, she quit her job and became a full-time mommy and writer. 
 
Eight books and four small kids later, Stacy has truly learned the necessary skills of balance and time management. Dr. Pepper and chocolate also help. She and her husband live in Utah with their four children and three dogs. Bear Lake is her favorite place to write.

 

Are you ready to fall in love? 
 
Take the chill out of winter with four new multi-genre romances from best-selling and award-winning authors Tara C. Allred, Stacy Lynn Carroll, Ali M. Cross, and Stephanie Connelley Worlton. 
 
From heart-warming traditions to heart-pounding suspense, this cozy collection of toe-tingling first kisses set in Utah’s North Pole (aka Bear Lake) will leave you feeling cheerful and bright.

 

 

Snippet from 
Christmas Kisses, Change of Heart 
by Stephanie Connelley Worlton:
Bailey parked the snowmobile in its spot in the garage then pulled her helmet and gloves off with unhurried precision. Laki relaxed his hold around her, allowing his hands to dust over the tops of her thighs before settling them on top of his own. He felt Bailey’s body stiffen against his chest. Then, as if she were suddenly on fire, she bounced off the seat.
A cold wind rushed through the garage, quickly pushing away the lingering heat left from being near her body.
Her hands firmly planted on her hips as she whipped around to face him. Words started to form on her lips but before she got the chance to release them, her eyes locked on his. Her scowl, adorable as it was, softened then intensified again. A flush touched her cheeks, much deeper than anything caused by the chill outside.
Just let it happen! Laki screamed the words inside his head as he drank in the subtle longing in her eyes. Her lower lip trembled, almost inviting him to kiss it, then, as if reading his mind, she retreated into the cabin.  
Q&A With Stephanie Connelley Worlton:  
1.  Describe yourself in 50 words or less.
I love meeting new people but am most comfortable in the company of teenagers and young adults. I like to laugh. A lot. And in my adult-moments, I love to build stuff. Big stuff. My motto is: Dream, believe, work, achieve.
2. What do you love most in the world?
My first and greatest love is my family. I know that sounds cliché, but it is true. Next in line are my loves for designing, building, reading, writing, and sugar.
3. What inspired you to become an Author?
I actually never wanted to be an author. I’m a girl who can’t sit still, so the first time I considered writing a story, I about laughed myself out of my chair. But, when I decide to do something, I do it. I knew my story was one that was meant to be shared and I so I plugged along… and, at the end of the umpteenth draft, I’d discovered a passion for writing that I never knew existed. The actual events behind that initial inspiration are long, and I share them in depth on my website, but the short version is that I had a story that would help people and I needed to share it.
4. What is your favorite Winter / Holiday tradition?
New Years stockings – On New Year’s Eve, after the celebrating has commenced, we empty any remaining Christmas candy from our stockings and re-hang them on the mantel so Santa’s wife, known as Mrs. Claus or Dina, can come refill them with more “sensible” treats like fruit and nuts. She also leaves some of the more “needed” items that Santa tends to look over in favor of toys and fun stuff. For example, she might leave socks, or books, or, umm… headphones that Santa forgot to leave with the iPods. 😉I’ve been told this is a tradition brought by my ancestors from Germany. I can’t really verify its origin however (at least through a quick google search). I have found variations of it throughout the world (ie: Lady Long Fingers, Santa Croupee, and Le Petit Bonhomme Javier), but none exactly the same as ours.

5. What is your trick for getting past writer’s block? And what advice do you have for other authors who are struggling to tell their story?
I work my way through writer’s block… and by work, I mean, I build something or go dirty my hands in the garden. Sometimes when I sit down to write, there is so much chaos in my head that I can’t concentrate. This is when I jot down a few ideas and close my laptop. I know that’s counter to everything “pro” writing coaches tell you to do, but I’ve always danced to the beat of my own drum. When my hands are busy with projects, my mind focusses better and the stories come. And then the key is to schedule time to put those clear thoughts down before I forget them.
6. Now that we’ve gotten to know each other, tell me a story. It can be long or short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it’s yours. What’s your story?
I’ve been working on a book about motherhood, so stories about my children have been heavy on my mind. Here’s a little snippet from my early years as a mom:
It was one of those mornings that seem to come with more frequency once you become a mother. I had a class to be to and nothing had gone right from the time my alarm had gone off.
Short on time, I stripped my 10-month-old down to his nothings and jumped in the shower with him on my hip. I gave him a speed-wash, carefully lifting each of his fat folds to clean under them. A two-second rub down of his thin hair and he was done. I wrapped him in a towel and set him on the carpeted floor just outside of the shower, then pulled the shower curtain closed and lathered shampoo through my own hair.
Two minutes, that’s how much time past before I turned off the water and drew the shower curtain open.
Holy $#*z!
Except, there was nothing holy about it!
It was a sacrilege to the nine-hundredth degree.
Wingnut had pooped in his towel, which in and of itself might have been manageable, if he’d left it alone. But no. Not my kid. My artistic genes clearly got passed on to him. Poop was smeared all over his body.
Six pearly whites smiled up at me with pride. He’d painted himself, head-to-toe. And then, he’d painted the carpeted floor, up the side of the bathtub, and even added his own accents to the floral wall-paper.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry… or barf.

 

I cleaned up Wingnut’s mess, not fully realizing that it would represent the first of many “creative” messes my children would make.

 


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Love on a Limb by Laurie Lewis


Laurie (L.C.) Lewis will always be a Marylander at heart—a weather-whining lover of crabs, American history, and the sea. She admits to being craft-challenged, particularly lethal with a glue gun, and a devotee of sappy movies. Her ninth published novel, her first romance novella, Sweet Water, was inspired by a visit to Oregon’s magnificent coastline, and time spent with Mother Eugenie, upon whom the character Mother Thomasine is based. 

 
Laurie’s women’s fiction novels include The Dragons of Alsace Farm (2016), Awakening Avery (2010), and Unspoken (2004), written as Laurie Lewis. 
 
Using the pen name L.C. Lewis, she wrote the five volumes of her award-winning FREE MEN and DREAMERS historical fiction series, set against the backdrop of the War of 1812: Dark Sky at Dawn (2007), Twilight’s Last Gleaming (2008), Dawn’s Early Light (2009), Oh, Say Can You See? (2010), and In God is Our Trust, (2011).

She is currently completing a political suspense novel planned for a summer 2017 release, a re -release of a romantic comedy, and she’s working on another historical fiction novel for a 2018 release. She loves to hear from readers.

Matthew Grayken is young, successful, and dying, which is why he’s about to propose to a total stranger. He isn’t interested in love. He needs a caregiver, a companion, and someone to be his legal voice when he can no longer speak for himself.

 

 
Lonely, compassionate nurse Mikaela Compton is intrigued by Matt Grayken’s tender request, but when their friendly marriage turns into love, she rejects the inevitability of Matt’s death and prays for a miracle instead.
 
Mikaela succeeds in reigniting Matt’s will to fight, but his body is losing the battle, and her determination to save him causes her to betray the fundamental promise she made him–to help him die peaceably.
 
Their last hope at saving Matt’s life will require a sacrifice from each of them, and force them to decide how far out on a limb they’re willing to go for love.

 

Snippet:
Mikaela closed the distance
and brushed her lips over his. His sensible side told him to push back, but he
had no will to send her away again. His battered hands framed her face and
pulled her mouth to his. He felt wholly alive for the first time in weeks, not
a patient first, but filled with the thoughts and feelings of a man. Of a
husband. He tried to raise his arms to wrap her close, but a sharp pain ended
the effort as Mikaela pulled back an inch, her smile completely happy and her
eyes joyfully bright. 
 
“I love you, Matt.” The words were spoken in a whisper, so light and airy that they tickled his lips. “Just finally be mine. Give me these arms to hold on to. This shoulder to lay my head on. This mouth that speaks honesty to me and gives me kisses. These are enough until you’re well. Just knowing you love me is enough.”
 
Each word had been followed by a touch that left him weak in the very best way. It took some doing to position their bodies so Mikaela could rest her head upon his chest without causing him pain, but the sensation of her against him was less painful than her absence. 
He drank in the heady scent of coconut in her hair, and felt life pump through him with the rise and fall of her breaths. He loved the press of her forehead against his throat and knew in that moment that he had been a prideful fool, squandering precious months on the silly notion that he could bar this woman from fully claiming his heart. 
 
The tree lights’ glow softly burned through the first traces of dusk. Small lights brightening a darkening night. He wondered if that was why Mikaela set the tree up early, to remind him that even when they couldn’t hold back the darkness, they must hold on to the light.

 



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The Gift of a Child by Donna K Weaver

 

 
 

 

Award-winning author, wife, mother, grandmother, Harry Potter geek, Army veteran, karate black belt, and online gamer girl.
 
 
 

 

   
~ Facebook ~ Website ~
~ Amazon Bookbub ~
Twitter Pinterest Google+ ~
Recently widowed Rae Cavanaugh just survived the worst birthday of her life. She and her two young children must now face a holiday season filled with so many reminders of what they’ve lost. 
 
But when a coworker who’s raising his young nephew moves next door, Rae discovers that the support of a good friend, and the gift of a child, can bring back some of the joy of the season.

 

 
**A Novelette**
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Snippet:
They
spent the afternoon sorting the boxes. That’d been another bit of Amelia’s
advice, marking the boxes by room. Rae had taken the children into Jayden’s
room while Dylan worked at setting up his computer and sound system in the
living room.
For
some reason, Beth had decided she wanted to play wherever he was. When he went
into the kitchen with a box, she’d followed him. Then he’d moved one to the
bathroom, and she’d tagged along. When he’d returned to the living room, his
little shadow came along. Rae had collected her for a diaper change, but then
Beth resumed her search for Dylan again.

 

He
paused, keyboard in hand, and watched the toddler playing with a toy. Was she
drawn to him because he was a man and she missed the man in her life? How did a
small child who couldn’t comprehend death handle the reality of it? All the
poor kid knew was that her daddy wasn’t there anymore.
 

 


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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret

The Ornament Keeper by Eva Marie Everson

 

 

Eva Marie Everson is the bestselling, multiple award-winning author of both fiction and nonfiction. She is the president of Word Weavers International and the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference and the North Georgia Christian Writers Conference.
 
Eva Marie is a popular speaker at writers conferences and women’s groups across the United States.
 
 
 

 

 

Award-winning author Eva Marie Everson wraps up a Christmas story of hope, love, and forgiveness just in time for the holidays. 
 
The Ornament Keeper, a contemporary Christmas novella, features Felicia and Jackson Morgan who are spending their first Christmas apart after twenty years of marriage. But a lifetime of gifted ornaments helps Felicia piece together the story of their marriage and the one mistake of unforgiveness she made before they said, “I do.” 
 
Can these memory-filled ornaments reunite this family before Christmas? Only time will tell.
 
 
 

 

 

 

Snippet:
Christmas Season,
1999
Jackson ambled up
beside me, his thickly muscled arms laden with plastic bags of this and that
we’d already purchased. “Leesha,” he said. “Do we need this?”
“Oh,
Jackson,” I breathed out, my fingertips lightly touching her delicate features.
“And look at how sweet the baby Jesus is laying there.”
Jackson
nudged me. “And there’s poor Joseph leaning on his staff,” he teased. “Poor man
doesn’t have a clue what’s hit him.”
I
frowned up at my six-foot-six husband of nearly one year. “Very funny, Jackson
Morgan. And completely sacrilegious. I’m sure he knew.”
“I’m
sure he didn’t.” Jackson raised his arms, the plastic bags coming with them.
“Now, listen. You’ve spent all we can afford to spend right now on these old
bowls,” he said. “And why, I’ll never know.”
 I pouted, hoping to get my way with him. If
I’d learned one thing in our brief marriage, it was how to get my way. “They’re
not old. They’re antiques. And think how pretty they’ll look on our cute little
table on Christmas day when we have your mom and my dad over.” I linked my arm
with his and squeezed. “Besides, you can’t get new stuff like this.”
“None
of it matches,” he said, his brow furrowed.
I
kissed his shoulder, then nibbled at it. “It’s called eclectic.”
Jackson
bent down to give me a kiss. “That’s called dirty pool.”
“Does
that mean I can have the nativity set?”
He
kissed me again. “No. It means we can’t afford it, no matter how cute you try
to be.”
I
let out a deep sigh, and stroked the top of the stable. Jackson was right. Our
budget was limited, more than I’d ever dream of before Sara was born. I walked
away. But the crèche found its way under the tree that year, along with the
annual ornament nestled in the toe of my stocking.
Christmas Season
2018
“Oh,
Jackson,” I whispered past the knot in my chest and in the silence of the guest
room as I unwrapped the mother of our Lord. “How you surprised me.”

 


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Monte’s Misfits-Christmas Joy for Everyone by C. Cady Fowler, Peggy Caddy Kendall, Susan Cady Allred & C.G. Cady Naegle

 

The Crazy Cady Sisters have known each other all their lives. With 179 years of accumulated life-experience, we are well versed in Cady-isms.
 
Between the four of us, we’ve experienced:
·        18 businesses ventures
·        22 children acquired in a variety of ways (marriage, birth, adoption, etc)
·        5 1/2 grandchildren
·        Lived in 5 different states
·        One of us went to college to be a concert pianist.
·        On of us thought about going to college to be a concert pianist.
·        One of us is an addictions counselor.
·        One of us is addicted to diet soda.
·        Volunteer for 8+ organizations
·        1 lived above a mortuary
·        1 was chased by a K-9 unit while toilet papering.
·        3 of us were homeless for 2.5 months while we toured the United States.
·        1 of us can say the Pledge of Allegiance in three different languages.
·        We sold rocks door to door.
·        1 used to transcribe the newspaper into the computer when she got bored.
·        Are joint owners of WhodunnitMysteries.com  
In March, 2017 we decided to band together to form Crazy Cady Sisters to co-author a hilariously heart-warming non-fiction story about parenting, child-rearing, and growing up in a family with ten children.

 ~ Website ~
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! And in the Cady household that means kicking your creativity into high gear. 
 
What would you do if you had ten children and no money for Christmas? And what exactly does Christmas look like when ten sets of hands are poised, ready to rip open their Christmas gifts – is it chaos, or do Monte and Barbara make us sit quietly, tormenting us as we watch each and every present opened by our siblings? What about decorations? Traditions? Jokes? Christmas trees and more? The questions and possibilities are endless, and you never know what the answer may be in the Cady home.Follow our family as we recount some of our favorite, least-favorite, and downright bizarre stories of parenting and growing up in a family with ten siblings! We’ll add a touch of nostalgia by focusing entirely on our favorite holiday of the year: CHRISTMAS!

 

~ Universal Amazon Link
   

Snippet:
“Susan, leave it
alone,” Mom said while holding Cathy on her lap, handing Patty an ornament, and
answering at least fifty-seven questions from various children simultaneously.
It didn’t take us long to get the boxes emptied and the ornaments nestled in
their piney beds where they’d stay for the next twenty-five days. Peggy and
Judy wrapped the limbs with red and gold metallic garland, and Dad hurried to
his room, walking out with a bucket (yes, a bucket!) of miniature candy canes. 

 


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Christmas On a Mission by Hannah R. Conway

 

 

Hannah Conway is a military wife, mother of two, middle school teacher, best-selling author, and popular speaker.
 
Her novels are a deployment experience of their own, threaded with faith, and filled with twists.
 
Hannah is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and My book Therapy. 
 
She and her family live in Tennessee.
 

 

 
 
Audria Rylatt is the school system’s liaison for homeless students. She strives to make Christmas bright for hundreds, while the season brings only heartache after her fiancé was killed in combat nearly two years ago. So when her family decides to play matchmaker, she is less than thrilled. To make matters worse, they’ve invited a soldier friend of her deceased fiancé to the family cabin for the holiday.
But she’s surprised to find this soldier, Quinton Nolan, standing at the door of heart. Faced with painful memories, the despair Christmas brings her, and the fear to love again, Audria is in desperate need of a Christmas miracle. Or at least some of the hope Christmas seems to offer so many. Can she embrace a new mission? If so, Christmas may stand to deliver a lifetime of magical memories.
 
“Christmas on a Mission” is a delightful story of hope, life, love, and second chances, filled with all the joy and cheer Christmas brings.”

 

Snippet:
“Ms. Audria?”
“Please, just Audria.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Oh, man, did he just call her ma’am? He scratched at his temple and rubbed a thumb along the corner of his lip. His mind emptied. Um. Um. And Audria wasn’t talking either.
Maybe this whole thing would crash and burn before it began.
“Look, Quinton.” Her voice shook and then steadied. “Really, thank you for calling, but–“
“Let’s just talk.” Where did those words come from? Wherever they’d come from, he was thankful.
“Ok.” She paused. “I’m not sure what to talk about.”
“Macarons?”
“Huh?” She giggled. That was a good sign.
“You make amazing macarons.” Wow, what an idiot thing to say. But true. Of all the ways to start a conversation…geez.
“Well, um, thank you.” Another giggle. “I can give you the recipe?”
A quick frustrated whisper sounded on the line. Quinton squinted as if it helped him hear better. Audria offered a muffled apology to the voice.
“Is this an ok time to talk?”
“Yes, yes, I’m sorry. It’s just my friend. She seems to be way too interested in our conversation and feels macaron recipes isn’t a suitable topic.”
“Oh.” Guess her friend had a point.
“I’m dropping her off at her house now. Bye, Nora.” The low, frustrated, whispered grumble returned. “Bye. See you later. Bye for real, Nora.” The grumble continued but faded. Audria must be driving away.

 

Quinton laughed. “Sounds like you and I both have people spying in on us.”
 

 


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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret