Countdown to Christmas

 

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

Well, it’s that time of year (I know, not even Halloween yet) but Hallmark has started their Countdown to Christmas…and I love it!

        Yes, you can call me a romantic (I do write romance novels) but I absolutely love these Hallmark Christmas movies. I think it’s mostly because—no matter what has happened throughout the story—everything turns out the way it should in the end. It’s the happily-ever-after that always gets me and gives me hope. Always.

        I will admit that, sometimes, that happily-ever-after brings a tear to my eye (well, maybe not tears but my vision does get a little fuzzy and my throat constricts). And let’s not forget about the big, dumb smile on my face. Yeah, I get that, too.

        Fortunately, I’m not the only one. My DH likes these movies, too. He says they’re addicting and they are. I explained to him that, no matter our backgrounds, no matter what we do in life, we ALL want that happily-ever-after. Some of us need it.

Funny, even though there’s a formula to the story….meet cute (or not so cute), get to know each other, the Big Black Moment when you think all is lost, and then…sigh…that kiss at the end. Yeah, gets me every time. I’m a big softie. Or maybe I’m not. Maybe it’s knowing that the ending will be happy that draws me to these romances.

        My late mother-in-law would have loved these them (I so miss that woman!). She was a big, old softie, too, and read romances by the thousands. Her all-time favorite movie was An Affair to Remember. No matter how many times she watched it, she cried (I admit, I get all kinds of misty-eyed, and to borrow from Linda Richmond (Mike Meyers of Saturday Night Live fame) I get a little verklempt when I watch it, too).  

        Hmmmm, I think I’ll go watch a Hallmark movie right now.

        Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

ONCE UPON A HAUNTED HAVEN by Lexi Post has Re-Released for only 99¢!

Once Upon a Haunted Haven 

by Lexi Post 

has re-released at only 99¢!

This novella was originally part of the Once Upon a Haunted Romance Anthology.

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Amazon DE

Widow Lady Juliet Finch Hastings of Abercorn has nowhere to go when her brother-in-law forces her to leave her late husband’s home. Plagued by sexy dreams of a mysterious man, she now must travel to haunted Brambling Cottage, her inheritance from her great-aunt. Generations of Finches have avoided the cottage for a reason, yet it’s her only haven. Or rather, it and the man from her dreams who greets her upon her arrival.

Noah Kingman has been caring for Brambling Cottage since he turned sixteen, taking over what his father and grandfather had done before him. As a friend of the ghost that resides there, he’s excited when his dreams fill with images of a young woman of the exact likeness of the past occupant, for he knows a Finch will finally return to the nest, an event he’s waited for since a young boy.

Lady Juliet is grateful and not a little attracted to Mr. Kingman. As she learns more about him, the cottage, her ancestor, and herself, she begins to adjust to life on her own. But making life-changing decisions is a new experience for her. Sooner than she expects, she must decide whether to follow in her ancestor’s footsteps or forever embrace the past, a decision that will greatly impact them all. 

About Lexi

Lexi Post is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of romance inspired by the classics. She spent years in higher education taking and teaching courses about the classical literature she loved. From Edgar Allan Poe's short story “The Masque of the Red Death” to Tolstoy’s War and Peace, she's read, studied, and taught wonderful classics.

But Lexi's first love is romance novels so she married her two first loves, romance and the classics. Whether it’s sizzling cowboys, dashing dukes, hot immortals, or hunks from out of this world, Lexi provides a sensuous experience with a “whole lotta story.”

Lexi is living her own happily ever after with her husband and her two cats in Florida. She makes her own ice cream every weekend, loves bright colors, and you’ll never see her without a hat.

Website

Lexi Post Updates

Facebook

Instagram

Amazon Author Page

BookBub

D2D

Goodreads

Instagram

Blog

Pinterest

Email

Hex Appeal by Kate Johnson

 Yes, this is my salute to Halloween! 

I love the characters; they are quirky, fun, and have such real emotions and habits.  The atmosphere, or setting as you may call it, is divine.  A village called Goodwinter in Essex oozes funny, witchy, creepiness.  

It all starts with Essie Winterscale and her love of doing magic and living however she wants.  She shares her house with a goofy group of other witches, all having their own specialties in magic.

The coven of witches has an enemy- no surprise, I'm sure.  Essie is the one who keeps the enemy at bay because she can freeze him at every start to winter.  Granted this story is in the autumn coming up on Halloween.  Winter is right around the corner and Essie needs to practice her talent.

In comes Josh, the new owner of her Victorian and ever changing and growing house.  Apparently, he inherited nearly the whole village and needs to collect back rent from the last couple hundred years.  

Essie's home is impossible to find without help.  Maybe because Josh is so sweet and handsome, she allows him a visit.  She does not trust herself to have a boyfriend.  Had to state that fact.  But she really likes him.

Josh could easily spend many hours with Essie, if she allows him.  

When the coven enemy rallies to take over the house and the land, Essie confides in Josh.  As long as he can handle that her and her coven are witches for real, he has an in.  He also has to help destroy the enemy to open the door to her heart.

The amount of trust and magic used to free the heart is grander than a magic carpet ride, and I hope you're all aboard for a fantastic trip!

Happy reading,

Dawn

It's Here! The Maverick & Miss Miller

 

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

It’s here! It’s here! And I’m so excited! Tuesday, October 15, was release day for The Maverick & Miss Miller!

        Believe it or not, this story had been sitting in my computer for over four years (I wrote it the first year of the pandemic even though I didn’t feel much like writing at that point). And it just sat there for the longest time, not doing anything. Just…waiting…while I wrote three more stories. But it’s here now and I couldn’t be happier!

The Maverick & Miss Miller

Who ever heard of a mail-order husband?

Evie Miller certainly hadn’t until Jake Hannigan showed up on her doorstep thanks to an advertisement her niece placed in papers all over the country, unbeknownst to her. Evie has absolutely no need for a husband. She has managed Montaña del Trueno, the Silva family ranch, and raised her late sister’s children to full-grown and married. Now, she plans to spend her days enjoying the fruits of her labor. But the man did come a long way, so rather than send him home, she offers him a job. Though she has no use for a husband, she can always use another ranch hand.

        Jake Hannigan, a former gambler, has no desire to marry either—not really—he’s just looking for a place to hide until the gambling kingpin in San Francisco stops looking for him, and what better place to do it than this ranch in New Mexico? He’s happy to accept the position as ranch hand even if he knows nothing about cowboying or how to ride a horse. He’s a fast learner, though, and it could be entertaining to see who else answers the husband-wanted advertisement.

        It doesn’t take long for Jake to catch on, even discovering he has a special talent with horses. He’s also quick to understand what a catch Evie Miller actually is. As their friendship blossoms, he finds himself dreading the next suitor to come to the ranch and the possibility Evie will accept an offer of marriage. How can he reveal his growing feelings to her when he came under false pretenses, especially now that word from San Francisco says the kingpin is close and his life is in danger? He has only one choice. To protect Evie and her family, he must leave and quite possibly break both their hearts. 

        

        I hope you like this story! Now, on to book two: The Marshal & Mrs. Morgan.

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

Boss Witch by Ann Aguirre

 Clementine Waterhouse.  What a perfect witch's name.  The name of her local business, Fix-It Witches, is perfect, too.  

Or is the name a dead ringer for the best place to locate a witch? 

Gavin Rhys, a traveling witch hunter, wonders if the names are obvious clues.  Gavin hates his job and his father who forces it on him.  He wants nothing more than a place to call home versus constant traveling.

When Clem realizes Gavin is looking for her and her fellow witches, the only way to keep him away is to get close to him. 

The covey of witches cast spells to disguise the magic streaming around their homes and facilities.  

Clem treats Gavin to creative outings.  He can't detect any witch waves, yet he does like hanging out with Clem.  The feeling is mutual, and neither wants to admit or fall for the other.  It's against both their interests.  

Although, Clem notices the loneliness surrounding Gavin.  A pet mouse can be his new BFF.  Along with a pet, their outings are getting closer and closer to being called dating.

Let's remember the secret each has...Clem is a witch and Gavin is a witch hunter.

How do you propose they get over this problem?  It's tricky, or maybe a little magical!

Happy reading,

Dawn

Oh My Gosh! It's So Early!

 

      

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

        It’s early Sunday morning as I write this (yes, really early…I was up at four!). I’m not sure why that is….it is Sunday, after all. I could sleep in…but that doesn’t seem to happen much anymore. My idea of sleeping in is sleeping until six. I know! When did all that happen?

        I remember being a teenager and having the capacity to sleep ALL day (much to the aggravation of my mother, who frowned upon such things and forced me out of bed). Of course, at that point in my life, I didn’t get to sleep until after three or four in the morning. I was too busy reading (hahahahaha, yes, I was one of those who read into the wee hours of the morning with a flashlight under the covers). Here’s a hint…don’t read anything by Stephen King at that time! You’ll never get to sleep at all…I learned that the hard way!

        Now? I find it difficult to stay up past ten (I do, on occasion, but boy, do I pay for it because no matter how late I stay up, I’m still awake by four-thirty—no alarm necessary)! I guess, over the years, I have trained myself to be a ‘morning’ person (and a cheerful one at that, which annoys my DH no end. Ah well, the dogs like it). My brain seems to function better in the morning AND it’s prime writing time for me. I actually wake up with words in my head, ready to work on my current story which is good, because after the day job, my brain doesn’t want to function at all.

        Speaking of working on my current story, I just finished the proof for The Maverick & Miss Miller and submitted it back to my publisher. Whoooo-hoooo! Now that that is done, I can go back to The Marshal & Mrs. Morgan. The story is coming along pretty well, I think. 

        And that’s about all for me. The Marshal & Mrs. Morgan isn’t going to write itself so I need to get to it (hahahahaha, before I run out of words).

        Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie