Monthly Archives: December 2018

Christmas Books All Month Long! Day 10: “Christmas On A Mission”

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It’s the Christmas season! One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to curl up with a Christmas-themed book, a steaming cup of tea, and a sweet treat. I can’t send you tea and cookies, but I can send you some great book suggestions. Throughout the month I’ll be featuring DOZENS of books. Load that Kindle! It’s going to be a long winter!

Today we have Christmas on a Mission by Hannah R. Conway. This selection comes from the lovely ladies at Lovin’ The Book’s Christmas Countdown. Don’t miss the giveaway at the end! I’ll be hosting this Christmas Countdown through December 23rd, followed by my Twelve Days of Christmas Book Blast starting December 26th through January 6th.

Christmas On A Mission

About the Book: 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.”

~ Universal Amazon Link ~ 
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Christmas Books All Month Long! Day 9: “Max’s Christmas Adventure” and “Max’s Midnight Adventure”

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It’s the Christmas season! One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to curl up with a Christmas-themed book, a steaming cup of tea, and a sweet treat. I can’t send you tea and cookies, but I can send you some great book suggestions. Throughout the month I’ll be featuring DOZENS of books. Load that Kindle! It’s going to be a long winter!

Today we have a pair of children’s books from Wendy Leighton-Porter. This selection comes from the lovely ladies at Lovin’ The Book’s Christmas Countdown. Don’t miss the giveaway at the end! I’ll be hosting this Christmas Countdown through December 23rd, followed by my Twelve Days of Christmas Book Blast starting December 26th through January 6th.

Maxs Christmas Adventure

A second solo adventure awaits Max the time-travelling Tonkinese cat in this Christmas short story. Invited to accompany a well-known figure on a whirlwind trip into the past, he sets off on a mission to search for something very precious to his owners Jemima and Joe Lancelot – their missing parents. The hunt reveals tantalising clues to this mystery and ends with a special surprise for the twins.

~ Universal Amazon Link – Book 2 ~ 

Max

Max the talking Tonkinese cat has a third solo adventure in this seasonal short story. What happens when the feline hero is trapped in the attic one night? Will he escape the clutches of the Christmas fairy, a regiment of soldiers and three obstreperous French hens in time to enjoy a holiday with his family?One thing’s for sure, the Twelve Days of Christmas will never seem quite the same again. 

~ Universal Amazon Link – Book 3 ~ Continue reading →

From the AlzAuthors Blog: Meet Jessica Bryan, Author of “The Memory Keeper”

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Jessica Bryan Canva

By Jessica Bryan

Memory KeeperI am a writer.  That’s difficult to say when I’m so busy being a caregiver for my mother who is 99 years old and has had Alzheimer’s for 15 years. Mom lives with us.  She is in advanced stages now, but was exhibiting signs of Alzheimer’s even while my husband and I cared for my father, who also had Alzheimer’s.  No one…NO ONE is prepared for this!  There’s no caregiver’s manual that tells us how to do this job.

I decided that as a writer it might help others to write about caregiving in the non-clinical, in the trenches, personal experience, kind of way. I have found ways to help myself out of my depression, anger, denial, impatience, sadness, and frustration.  I’ve discovered so many things to help me through the most difficult job I have ever experienced.  How could I do anything BUT write about this to help others?

My latest book, The Memory Keeper, is the fourth in a series of our journey and experience  dealing with this devastating disease. It was a cathartic process to share my words, my thoughts, my emotions.  They are sometimes raw, sometimes irreverent, often loving.  I am resolved and accepting of what is to be, in a philosophical kind of way; but I also see the humor in some of the events that lead us there.  Because of my writing style and the way I deal with the often taboo subjects (that one simply doesn’t discuss in polite society!) many others have written to me thanking me for my candid discussion of these difficult issues.  One reader who attended a book signing proclaimed that my books were like her own personal therapy sessions. Many have thanked me for giving them permission to laugh through their tears. Continue reading →

Christmas Books All Month Long! Day 8: “Angel for Christmas”

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It’s the Christmas season! One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to curl up with a Christmas-themed book, a steaming cup of tea, and a sweet treat. I can’t send you tea and cookies, but I can send you some great book suggestions. Throughout the month I’ll be featuring DOZENS of books. Load that Kindle! It’s going to be a long winter!

Today we have  Angel for Christmas by Caroline Clemmons. This selection comes from the lovely ladies at Lovin’ The Book’s Christmas Countdown. Don’t miss the giveaway at the end! I’ll be hosting this Christmas Countdown through December 23rd, followed by my Twelve Days of Christmas Book Blast starting December 26th through January 6th.

Angel for CHristmas

About the Book: When a dot com billionaire crashes his sports car into a tree, he wakes up in heaven facing angels Gabriel and Michael. He’s given a chance to redeem his carefree ways by helping an orphanage avoid foreclosure and regain a sound financial picture by midnight on Christmas Eve—or else. To do so, he is sent back to earth as orphanage janitor, Jacob Porter.

After her father died four months ago, child psychologist Suzi Stephens was shocked to learn Serenity Springs Children’s Home and Elementary School faced foreclosure unless she met a balloon note due January 1. She can’t understand why her late father broke the trust her grandfather had carefully constructed to protect the private home. She is afraid the annual gala won’t raise enough money to pay the note much less the needed year’s operating funds. Trying to do her job plus step into her late father’s shoes has stretched her to her limits.

She’s suspicious of the handsome new janitor, who appears more like he’d be at home as a CEO. Could he be a spy for the developer who covets the children’s home property? Suzi overcomes her distrust enough to allow Jacob’s help raising funds. Working together, their attraction escalates but Jacob has nothing to offer the beautiful redhead. He is scheduled for earthly removal at midnight on December 24.

Purchase Angel for  Christmas Continue reading →

Christmas Books All Month Long! Day 7: “A Christmas Future”

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It’s the Christmas season! One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to curl up with a Christmas-themed book, a steaming cup of tea, and a sweet treat. I can’t send you tea and cookies, but I can send you some great book suggestions. Throughout the month I’ll be featuring DOZENS of books. Load that Kindle! It’s going to be a long winter!

Today we have Christmas Future by Valerie Ipson. This selection comes from the lovely ladies at Lovin’ The Book’s Christmas Countdown. Don’t miss the giveaway at the end! I’ll be hosting this Christmas Countdown through December 23rd, followed by my Twelve Days of Christmas Book Blast starting December 26th through January 6th.

Day 7 CCB Cover

Scarlett’s fiancé and the warm weather of Arizona will have to wait while she works her PR magic to put Alaska on the nice Christmas Spirit list. But when the wait’s too long will a warm-hearted doctor be just the one to lift her Scrooge-like spirits?

Welcome to the books of  Christmas Past, Present and Future.

Purchase A Christmas Future Continue reading →

Morrison Hall: An Historic Mansion Dressed Up for the Holidays

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Each year, Morrison Hall, the mansion that is the showpiece of Orange County Community College (SUNY Orange) in Middletown, New York, is decorated for the holidays by a dedicated cadre of gardeners, artists, and  visionaries from the Middletown Garden Lovers Club. On any day, the house itself is gorgeous, carefully maintained in its original design, and well kept and cared for with pride, but for a short week or so in December it’s transformed into a spectacular Christmas wonderland with a new theme each year. This year’s name is “Holidays Across the States.” It doesn’t disappoint.

The mansion is a special place for me. I work at the College in the Wellness Center, am able to visit it at will, and almost always take a short cut for a quick tour when crossing campus. It’s the setting for one of my works-in-progress, which takes place in Hyde Park, NY, and was inspired by the much more famous Vanderbilt Mansion. One day, while passing Morrison Hall, it occurred to me that I should relocate the building to Hyde Park and make it the setting for my novel. I was familiar with it and it’s much more beautiful than Vanderbilt. What a liberating thing, moving twentieth century mansions across counties in my mind. One of the joys of being a writer.

I was fortunate to tour the mansion yesterday, the first day of viewing, when the crowd was thin, so no rushing and no obstructions. Each of the downstairs rooms is decorated. All include their own tree.

Upon entry, the FOYER was decked out in a Texan theme called “Howdy Y’all.”

This display included a reference to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Mission Control in Houston, where the crew tracks Santa’s progress as he heads for Morrison Hall. Continue reading →

Christmas Books All Month Long! Day 6: “Eleanor and the Christmas Carol Fudge”

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It’s the Christmas season! One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to curl up with a Christmas-themed book, a steaming cup of tea, and a sweet treat. I can’t send you tea and cookies, but I can send you some great book suggestions. Throughout the month I’ll be featuring DOZENS of books. Load that Kindle! It’s going to be a long winter!

Today we have Eleanor and the Christmas Carol Fudge by Tamara Passey. This selection comes from the lovely ladies at Lovin’ The Book’s Christmas Countdown. Don’t miss the giveaway at the end! I’ll be hosting this Christmas Countdown through December 23rd, followed by my Twelve Days of Christmas Book Blast starting December 26th through January 6th.

Passey Cover

Welcome to the books of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

Eleanor is saving her grandmother’s fudge business but is becoming like Scrooge in the process. The consultant she hires to help is a friend from high school who hasn’t given up his secret crush for her. Will the Christmas spirit melt her heart or will she miss out on the love of her life?

Purchase Now! Continue reading →

Christmas Books All Month Long! Day 5: “A Christmas Carol for Candy”

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It’s the Christmas season! One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to curl up with a Christmas-themed book, a steaming cup of tea, and a sweet treat. I can’t send you tea and cookies, but I can send you some great book suggestions. Throughout the month I’ll be featuring DOZENS of books. Load that Kindle! It’s going to be a long winter!

Today we have A Christmas Carol for Candy by Peggy Urry. This selection comes from the lovely ladies at Lovin’ The Book’s Christmas Countdown. Don’t miss the giveaway at the end! I’ll be hosting this Christmas Countdown through December 23rd, followed by my Twelve Days of Christmas Book Blast starting December 26th through January 6th.

A Christmas Carol

Welcome to the books of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

Description: A Christmas engagement, broken two months later, rocked Candy Kaine’s world. After months of a schedule crammed with college courses, a full time job, and a few side jobs, the busyness is wearing thin. But school is still top priority. Until a fancy resort threatens to buy the satellite campus in the small town where she lives and takes classes.

Jace Marlowe has been down on his luck. Can a temporary job for an upscale resort in his home town be the turn around he’s looking for? The only problem? His grandmother’s beautiful neighbor who wants to keep the school just where it is. If she doesn’t get her way will she be as vindictive as his ex?

A charmed nativity facilitates the past, present, and future experiences for Candy but will she have the courage to open her heart before it’s too late?”

~ Purchase Now! ~ Continue reading →

Christmas Books All Month Long! Day 4: “Miss Dashwood’s Dilemma”

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It’s the Christmas season! One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to curl up with a Christmas-themed book, a steaming cup of tea, and a sweet treat. I can’t send you tea and cookies, but I can send you some great book suggestions. Throughout the month I’ll be featuring DOZENS of books. Load that Kindle! It’s going to be a long winter!

Today we have Miss Dashwood’s Dilemma by Arabella Sheraton.  This selection comes from the lovely ladies at Lovin’ The Book’s Christmas Countdown. Don’t miss the giveaway at the end! I’ll be hosting this Christmas Countdown through December 23rd, followed by my Twelve Days of Christmas Book Blast starting December 26th through January 6th.

Dash

In this delightful traditional Regency romance, Miss Diana Dashwood accepts an invitation to Lady Prescott’s Christmas party at Camden House, in the countryside. But things do not go quite as she imagined. Through an unexpected event, she is forced to spend the night in a woodsman’s hut with one of the guests. What a scandal!

Of course, Sir Gareth Blakely must propose, and he does. Unfortunately, Miss Diana Dashwood has already been engaged to and broken off her engagement from Sir Gareth Blakely after a bitter quarrel. Is it likely she will bow to social pressure and accept his proposal, one made only to save her reputation, and if they marry, does their union stand a chance of survival?

And what about the pretty heiress, Miss Jemima Plymstock, whom everyone thinks is the lady Sir Gareth had his eye upon? Headstrong and proud, Miss Diana Dashwood is caught in a dreadful dilemma. A must-read for Regency fans!

~ Purchase Now! ~  Continue reading →

Christmas Books All Month Long! Day 3: “When Night Falls Around Us”

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It’s the Christmas season! One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to curl up with a Christmas-themed book, a steaming cup of tea, and a sweet treat. I can’t send you tea and cookies, but I can send you some great book suggestions. Throughout the month I’ll be featuring DOZENS of books. Load that Kindle! It’s going to be a long winter!

Today we have When Night Falls Around Us by Laura L. Walker. This selection comes from the lovely ladies at Lovin’ The Book’s Christmas Countdown. Don’t miss the giveaway at the end! I’ll be hosting this Christmas Countdown through December 23rd, followed by my Twelve Days of Christmas Book Blast  starting December 26th through January 6th.

Walker Cover

Description: Nineteen-year-old Felicity Everstone is living her dream while attending college and serving alongside her parents in the North Atlanta Georgia Mission for the LDS Church–not to mention dating a charming guy who sweeps her off her feet. But when she is unexpectedly sent home to Idaho to care for her nephew through her sister-in-law’s difficult pregnancy, and the friend she has been sharing the gospel with no longer wants to pursue that path, everything that once brought light and joy into her life nearly flickers out. Until she meets her good-looking but solemn neighbor, Erik.

Erik Cannon has already lost the love of his life. Now, as a young, successful businessman, making money seems to be his God-given talent, but he can no longer ignore the emptiness he feels inside. He needs to find purpose and meaning in his life once again. When his best friend’s sister comes to help her family through a crisis, Erik’s heart is reawakened. He senses this is a second chance at love for him, and that he and Felicity might be able to build a beautiful life together–until her old boyfriend comes back into the picture.

When darkness settles over Erik and Felicity’s path, will their emerging love be enough to light the way?”

Purchase Now! Continue reading →