December 8th to the 14th I will be hosting a special Christmas Book giveaway event on my blog. Make sure to pop in everyday for a chance to win. There will be lots going on everyday–all day long.
White Christmas Book Jubilee
14 Authors ~ 14 Holiday Book Giveaways
December 8th to December 14th
Free Books, Holiday Recipes, and Excerpts to warm you to the tips of your toes
Don’t miss the celebration!
http://cindykgreen.blogspot.com/
Schedule:
Monday, December 8th – Rose Ross Zediker & Jan Scarbrough
Tuesday, December 9th – Pamela Thibodeaux & Linda Swift
Wednesday, December 10th – Cindy K. Green & Sarita Leone
Thursday, December 11th – Kara Lynn Russell & Anna Kathryn Lanier
Friday, December 12th – Marianne Arkins & Stacey Joy Netzel
Saturday, December 13th – Nan Jacobs & Terri Wilson
Sunday, December 14th – Stacy Dawn & Carla Rossi
I decided to go ahead and start a blog over at blogger http://cindykgreen.blogspot.com/. Love for you to come by. The week of December 8th I’ll be hosting 14 authors spotlighting loads of Holiday titles. Today, I posted on the closing of another e-pub and how that has affected me.
I have FOUR stories going Out of Print come December 31st as my publishers By Grace Publishing and Moonlit Romance (sister imprints) will be closing their doors at that time. This is your last chance to get a copy of these titles.
Blurb: Friends…the best of friends.
Smart, yet stubborn, Kathryn wants more than anything to be a serious reporter, even to the detriment of her personal life. Her best friend, easygoing coworker Nick, realizes she has lost her Christmas spirit, and he is determined to help her find it again. And maybe in the process, she’ll find him too.
After the pair is assigned to work together on a story covering the toy drive for the downtown children’s home, Kathryn begins to receive anonymous gifts from a Secret Santa. But will any of this really make a difference in Kathryn? And what happens when she begins to fall for her Secret Santa, making Nick jealous?
Excerpt for The Spirit of Christmas $2.49
SNOW KISSED by Cindy K. Green
Today is one of those days Logan Reilly wished he’d stayed in bed. Not only does he have to deal with the annoying Winter Wonderland Carnival but his close friend, that whimsical lover of snow, Holly Armstrong, was leaving town forever. The question is why didn’t she tell him and why today of all days does he realize he loves her? Can he change her mind and make her stay?
SMUGGLER OF THE HEART by JoAnn Carter
Disheartened and tired, Samantha Warren returns to Vermont during the winter break. Her passion for history rekindles after finding an old smuggler’s chest hidden in her grandparents’ attic. Will she be able to return to New Jersey without her heart being smuggled like the chest once was? Or is it already too late?
GWEN’S RESOLUTION by Meg Allison
For Gwen Josephs, the New Year held no more nights reading novel after novel. Even if she had to go it alone…or would she?
Enter Tad Smith, a man in the right place with the right plans. Just another coincidence in a string?
Maybe. Or maybe it’s fate.
MAYBE FOREVER by Muncy G. Chapman
When Margy Mayfield gives shelter to a near-frozen man during the worst blizzard of the season, her tender heart rules over her sensible head. But what if this stranger turns out to be the escaped prisoner reported loose in her area?
Excerpt: for Winter Wonders—Snow Kissed $2.49
What’s a girl to do when she’s thirty-three and all her friends have started their lives and left her behind?
Lucinda Kelley works for a local cable television show, assists her sister in her tumultuous relationships, and yearns for the day she can meet Mr. Right. All that seems to change when she meets Londoner Julian Crawford in an on-line tv chat room. Eight months later, via email he has become her best friend and closest confidant. Then one day the messages cease, and Lucinda feels lost until she makes a vow to end this infatuation with someone she has never met and move on to something real. When an alarming revelation is exposed, it could be Lucinda’s undoing or it might be exactly what she was looking for.
Excerpt for Meeting Mr. Right Online $1.49
Summer’s Return (A Beach Read Duet )
After a seven year absence, Parker Radcliffe returns to the alluring Outer Banks to sell his family’s beach house only to discover his realtor is spirited Arianna Morgan, the girl he could never have. While Arianna is determined to remind him of the life he left behind, Parker must decide whether he will follow his heart or family expectations.
Excerpt: for Hint of Summer—Summer’s Return $2.00
I sent out a contest to my newsletter subscribers last month. Today I did a drawing of the contestants and Angela Stubbs was the winner of a free pdf of The Spirit of Christmas. Congratulations Angela!
An excerpt from The Spirit of Christmas:
Kathryn walked into the office that morning ready for some coffee. She’d failed to wake up on time this morning—even with her alarm; so, she’d had no time to make her usual pot. Now she was dragging.
Thoughts about her Christmas assignment kept waking her all night. Her introspections were merciless. She couldn’t let it go. It was as if it was taunting her – you’ll never be any better than to write those puff pieces – never – you’ll never be a serious journalist. And when she finally fell asleep at two am, she was so tired she’d slept right through the alarm. Therefore, as she neared her desk, the one thought on her mind was that she was so looking forward to a strong cup of coffee.
After falling into her desk chair, she opened her usually empty left hand bottom drawer. But before placing her purse inside as she always did, she stopped and pulled out a petite package. Her fingers trembled as she touched the shimmering red paper. With her fingertips, she slowly traced over the glossy, green ribbon which was curled up beautifully. Then her eyes darted over her cubical wall and around the newsroom. No one was looking her way.
Who sent this? Someone is playing me, I know it.
The package seemed perfect sitting on her desktop, but her curiosity – which was more than piqued – wouldn’t allow her to wait any longer. She pulled open the paper gently, trying not to bring attention to herself. Inside, she found a luscious piece of chocolate sitting in its paper cradle. She also found a printed note:
Dear Kathryn,
The Twelve Days of Christmas are supposed to begin on Christmas and continue through the New Year, but how much more fun would it be for you to get a gift everyday until Christmas! That is sure to get you into the holiday spirit. On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…one raspberry-filled chocolate truffle. Enjoy.
Until tomorrow.
Your Secret Santa
Kathryn took another guarded look around the room. She stood to gain an unimpeded view over the cubical wall, placing her gift and its wrapping onto her desk as she peered. Since no one seemed to be watching her, she sat down and thought about popping the chocolate into her mouth.
“So, you do believe in Christmas,” said a voice out of nowhere.
Kathryn shot out of her seat once more with her package and contents spreading across the surface of her desk. Her heart pounded as she turned her body violently around to face the speaker.
“Nick Pringle…you scared the living life out of me,” she said as she quickly grabbed the present – wrapping and all – and threw it back into the drawer.
“So, what was that?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? It looked like a present to me.”
“So, what if it was? I said I didn’t plan on buying any presents. That doesn’t mean that someone else might not want to give one to me.”
“Who was it from?” A curious smile appeared on his inscrutable face.
“Does it really matter? It was just a trifle.”
“A trifle? It looked like a truffle to me.”
She sent him a glare. “Do you have a lead for the orphan story yet?”
“Not yet. I thought we should head down there today and check it out ourselves. You might even get that new angle.”
He handed her a paper cup from her favorite coffee shop. She loved the creamy, chocolate-caramel scent way more than was right and proper. Before taking her first sip, she breathed deeply of the delicious fragrance. Then she let the beverage slip down her throat and warm her body and soul. While giving Nick a look of thankfulness, she thought about saying something nice, “Well come on; I haven’t got all day.”
Walking with Nick to the elevator, her mind descended upon her mystery gift giver. Who had left the present? It had to be someone who knew she wasn’t interested in Christmas, but everyone in the office knew that. And they had to know she loved chocolate, but just about everyone did. She glanced at Nick and his nicely combed, light brown hair. She couldn’t remember a time when he’d had a hair out of place or a wrinkle in his suit.
Could it be Nick? He knows me better than anyone. He met her blue eyes with his hazel ones and then smiled. No, Nick wouldn’t. He couldn’t pull it off if he tried. He’s just too transparent.
This Christmas themed novella is available for purchase at By Grace Publishing in both ebook ($2.49) or paperback formats or as an ebook at Fictionwise.