12/26/2013 0 Comments Nowhere for Christmas by Heather GrayAnything can happen on the road to Nowhere… A journalist and single mother, Avery is used to being in control, though she tries to remind herself to let God take lead in her life. Eli, her teenage son, is happy as long as he has his music, plenty of food, and the occasional adult on which to practice his rapier wit. Gavin, a virtual stranger, is a photojournalist who mysteriously disappeared from the scene a few years ago. The trio ends up together for a Christmas road trip to the small town of Nowhere. An eight hour drive in a rental car turns into two days of misadventure and calamity as bad luck stalks them. They get a flat tire, the bumper falls off, the car overheats – and that's only the beginning! Along the way they meet some interesting people – from a bait shop owner who moonlights as a mechanic to a chatty preacher's wife and a highway patrolman whose wife and mother can't agree on the best way to remove a skunk's stink. Hungry, cold, and tired, the three finally arrive in Nowhere only to discover the town is nothing like they expected. Reaching their destination, it turns out, doesn't necessarily mean the journey has ended. Excerpt: "I'm going to have to go get the other one out of the attic," she said with a sigh, hoping her son would volunteer to climb up in there and retrieve it for her. Instead, he nodded and asked, "You want me to pull the ladder down for you?" She grinned to herself as she nodded. They had a regular battle about the attic. Neither of them liked going up there. Since he'd gone up to retrieve all the Christmas decorations earlier in the month, she'd let him have the victory this time. After Avery scaled the creaky ladder up into the attic, she scanned the web-dusted contents, quickly locating the suitcase she needed. It was older and more faded than the green one, and it had a rust-and-mustard-colored seventies floral pattern on it. At least no one will try to steal it. As she dragged the suitcase with its one broken wheel across the attic floor, a cloud of who-knew-what gently puffed up into the air around her. Then she got a mouthful of it and started coughing, which led to more grime and dust billowing into the air. That, of course, led to more coughing. Avery lost her balance and started to fall out of the attic opening, but the suitcase blocked her way enough to pause her descent, giving her time to reach out and grab the back of an old chair that had been in the attic longer than they'd lived in the house. The suitcase wasn't so lucky. It fell zipper-over-wheel down the attic ladder and landed with a loud thud on the carpeted floor below. By the time Avery pulled herself back to her feet and made her way down the ladder, she expected to find Eli standing there wondering where his dinner was. Alas, her teen was blissfully unaware of her near-death-by-attic experience. He was in his room listening to his MP3 player. It's for the best. I wouldn't want him to pull a muscle laughing at me. More about Heather: Aside from her long-standing love affair with coffee, Heather’s greatest joys in life are her relationship with her Savior, her family, and writing. Years ago, she decided it would be better to laugh than yell. Heather carries that theme over into her writing where she strives to create characters that experience both the highs and lows of life and, through it all, find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her. Where to Find Heather:
My Website – http://www.heathergraywriting.com My Blog – http://www.heathergraywriting.com/blog Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/heathergraywriting Twitter – http://twitter.com/LaughDreamWrite Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4051662.Heather_Gray
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12/19/2013 3 Comments Christmas Wishes by Patricia KiyonoChristmas Wishes is Patricia Kiyono's third holiday romance. The Christmas Phoenix, published in 2011, won second place in OKRWA's International Digital Awards contest, and The Partridge and the Peartree, published in 2012, climbed to the #2 spot on Amazon rankings for historical romance! She's hoping readers like Christmas Wishes and its message of making dreams come true. Blurb: Photographer Mitch Carson is tired of big city life. He just wants to settle down in a quiet town with his daughter, Angie. Even that doesn't quell his fear of losing his daughter to his scheming mother-in-law. Sophie Gardner wants to be a screenwriter. She's ready to leave small town Zutphen, Michigan and go to Hollywood. With a theater degree under her belt, she's busy writing scripts while helping out her sister Joanie, who's bedridden with a difficult pregnancy. Unfortunately, Joanie has somehow coerced Sophie into directing the Christmas pageant at Zutphen Community Church. When Sophie and Mitch meet, the attraction is instant and mutual. But each wants what the other is trying to get away from. Can they deny their feelings and pursue their dreams? Or will the holiday prove to them that their true wishes might not be what they'd thought? Excerpt: “Hey, what’s that smell in here? Is it Mystery Meat Stir-Fry, or Road Kill Stew tonight?” Dave Bennett, Joanie’s college professor husband, set his briefcase on the table and came up behind her to investigate. Sophie smacked his hand when he reached for a piece of chicken. “Leave that alone.” “You’d deny a starving man a single bite of protein?” “A starving man, no. A crazy brother-in-law, yes.” Dave threw his head back and laughed. “I’m sure I know several people who would agree with that description.” Sophie loved her laid-back, fun-loving brother-in-law. He was definitely a great match for her sister, who up until this pregnancy had been one of the most capable, efficient people she knew. They had the perfect balance. Just what Sophie had hoped for in Nate Vosman. A tall, handsome dreamer, Nate had been the one with the vision. Sophie had wanted to help him make those dreams come true, and writing scripts for him was her way to do it. She’d had such plans. But that was a lifetime ago… “You goofball. Go and see if your wife or your son needs anything. Like maybe some attention. Dinner will be ready in half an hour.” “Yes, ma’am.” He saluted and marched out of the kitchen, leaving Sophie to shake her head in amusement. About Patricia...
In a previous life, Patricia Kiyono taught elementary school students by day and changed diapers at night. Now she teaches college students part time and changes diapers only when she's taking care of grandkids. She loves to do anything that doesn't involve exercise. Right now her favorite activities, other than writing, include scrapbooking, sewing, and making music. She and her husband live in southwest Michigan, near their five children and nine grandchildren. Patricia Kiyono can be found at her website, blog, facebook, Amazon, and twitter @PatriciaKiyono 12/9/2013 0 Comments Book Blitz(en)Join E.A. West and a host of other authors for your chance to win!
Click on the picture above to enter. Prizes include: Tuesday, December 10 Trust of the Heart by E.A. West Name the Day by Sherry Gloag Nowhere for Christmas by Heather Gray Labor of Love by Felicia Rogers Saint Sloan by Kelly Martin Cosmetic Heart by Kathy Bosman Wednesday, December 11 A Piece of Heaven by Donna B. Snow Jewels for the Kingdom by Delia Latham Breath of Christmas by E.A. West How Nick and Holly Wrecked...SAVED Christmas by Carla Rossi Christmas Wishes, Special Delivery by Mary Manners Marriage by Arrangement by Anne Greene Friday, December 13 Shadowed in Silk by Christine Lindsay Masked Love by Nicole Zoltack Knight of the Dead by Jennifer Rae Gravely The Rising by Lynn Chandler Willis Two-Room Flat by Jill Urbach Christmas Wishes by Patricia Kiyono Sunday, December 15 Seeking Christmas by Brenda Maxfield A Christmas Bonus by Patty Froese Ahoy Gum Drop by Miss Mae Goldeneyes by Delia Latham Captured by Moonlight by Christine Lindsay Set to Love by Jennifer Rae Gravely Dark Biology by Bonnie Doran The holidays are always a crazy time of year. I find that when it's supposed to be a time where we celebrate family, I find myself seeing less and less of them because of all the shopping, working, and extra commitments happening. If anything, they're more stressful than the rest of the year! To me that just seems wrong! But what would happen if the holidays were taken away? What if you were told you could no longer celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, or even something as simple as your birthday? That's the kind of adventure the characters in "Displaced" are faced with as their whole sense of time is stripped from them. It got me thinking, what would life be without the holidays? A holiday can be stressful, but if you ask around, it seems everyone has a holiday they most look forward to celebrating for one reason or another. We look forward to the break and the change in season, or perhaps a favorite tradition. What holiday would you miss the most if it was taken away from you? What traditions would you be sad to see go? Buy now on Amazon! |
Felicia RogersWriting clean romance with laughter and love. Archives
April 2017
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