Christmas Reads.

I love Christmas Stories. And I love Christmas story collections. The holidays are so busy that I often don't have time for a longer read. These shorter reads keep me in the spirit.
In the spirit of giving, this blog is giving away an ebook each of Sizzle in the Snow and of Mistletoe, Marriage and Mayhem and A Very Alpha Christmas
 using Rafflecopter. Just leave a comment saying which one you would like to win. Happy Holidays

Below are sneak peek of the anthologies.

Sizzle in the Snow

My own publisher, Soul Mate Publishing has a new Christmas Collection -

SANTA BABY by Beth Carter 
Brooke never thought she’d end up in a hospital pregnant at Christmastime. Will a Santa Baby bring the new mother and father together or tear them apart? 

SECOND CHANCES: A CHRISTMAS STORY by Amy Deason 
When Grace Sellers needs to start over, she moves back to her old hometown with her two young children in tow. But the last person she expects to see is her high school crush, Michael Dennison. 
Is this unexpected encounter a mere coincidence or a second chance at true love? 

‘TWAS THE CRAZY NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Crystal Firsdon 
“‘Twas the night before Christmas, when plans led to danger 
For Clara and Drew, who until now were strangers. 
As they run for safety, desire comes fast . . . 
Will they have each other, or is this night their last?” 

KISSING SANTA by C.D. Hersh 
Making love with Santa is “Number Nine” on Anna Noel’s holiday bucket list. Professional Santa, Sam S. Klaus, is willing to fulfill her wish. 
Is kissing the Santa of her dreams worth the risk of ending up on the naughty list? 

THE SNOW BIRD by Kim Hotzon 
Lauren, a young single mother, is struggling to keep her children fed and a roof over their heads as the holidays approach. 
Christmas is looking bleak until a sexy and wealthy property developer unexpectedly shows up in town, offering to repair her roof . . . and a whole lot more. 

TAMED BY CHRISTMAS by Ryan Ann Summers 
Can Shane tame Paige's heart by Christmas? Or should they just let those still burning flames slowly die? 

CHRISTMAS EVE SURPRISE by Cheryl Yeko 

Alone and pregnant on Christmas Eve, Amy is in no mood to listen to Steve's excuses when he sweeps back into her life after a six month absence.

 Operation Santa: "How much trouble can a man get into trying to win his wife back before Christmas?"

                                          

Mistletoe, Marriage and Mayhem.    

In this collection of novellas, the Bluestocking Belles bring you seven runaway Regency brides resisting and romancing their holiday heroes under the mistletoe. Whether scampering away or dashing toward their destinies, avoiding a rogue or chasing after a scoundrel, these ladies and their gentlemen leave miles of mayhem behind them on the slippery road to a happy-ever-after.

***All proceeds benefit the Malala Fund.***

All She Wants for Christmas, by Amy Rose Bennett

A frosty bluestocking and a hot-blooded rake. A stolen kiss and a Yuletide wedding. Sparks fly, but will hearts melt this Christmas?

The Ultimate Escape, by Susana Ellis

Abandoned on his wedding day, Oliver must choose between losing his bride forever or crossing over two hundred years to find her and win her back.

Under the Mistletoe, by Sherry Ewing

Margaret Templeton will settle for Captain Morledge’s hand in marriage, until she sees the man she once loved. Who will win her heart at the Christmas party of her would-be betrothed?

’Tis Her Season, by Mariana Gabrielle

Charlotte Amberly returns a Christmas gift from her intended—the ring—then hares off to London to take husband-hunting into her own hands. Will she let herself be caught?

Gingerbread Bride, by Jude Knight

Traveling with her father's fleet has not prepared Mary Pritchard for London. When she strikes out on her own, she finds adventure, trouble, and her girlhood hero, riding once more to her rescue.

A Dangerous Nativity, by Caroline Warfield

With Christmas coming, can the Earl of Chadbourn repair his widowed sister’s damaged estate, and far more damaged family? Dare he hope for love in the bargain?

Joy to the World, by Nicole Zoltack

Eliza Berkeley discovers she is marrying the wrong man—on her wedding day. When the real duke turns up instead, will her chance at marital bliss be spoiled?

A Very Alpha Christmas

Mandy M. Roth - Heated Holiday: Bureau of Paranormal Investigation
She's fire. He's fangs. It's a match made in...Ohio?

Michelle M. Pillow - Stirring Up Trouble (Warlocks McGregor)
Magick, Mischief and Kilts. Some Warlocks excel at brewing up trouble.

T. S. Joyce - Baby It's Cold Out Bear
All she wants for Christmas is a sexy bear shifter.

Chloe Cole - Hunted
Librarian by day, vampire hunter by night...

V. M. Black - Vampire Games
A yacht trip with a billionaire vampire holds even more dangers and secrets than Cora can imagine.

Terah Edun - When Darkness Falls
If New York City falls, the rest of the world will follow. Holidays be damned.

Carina Wilder - Christmas Past, Christmas Presents
Sometimes the best gifts are the ones that you can't wrap.

Cathryn Fox - Wrapped Up
Thanks to a little holiday magic, Carter Reed might finally get off the naughty list.

Cristina Rayne - An Impossible Gift (Tales from the Vampire Underground)
Ellie has never met the handsome owner of her hotel, but he insist that she seems so familiar?

Jaycee Clark - Thief of Souls
Devon and the playboy vamp will do whatever it takes to stop an evil witch from devouring more souls.

JC Andrijeski - A Glint of Light
Can the leader of the seer military save the imprisoned woman he loves from her own darkness?

Tasha Black - The Clockwork Dragon
A dragon's fire can melt the coldest heart.

R. E. Butler - Blitzen's Fated Mate
On Christmas Eve, Arctic shifter Arian finds his fated mate in a human woman.

Jaide Fox - Star's Fall
A lone wolf finds his beast roused by a wildcat.

Michele Bardsley - In Good Spirits
She only has a ghost of a chance to prove she didn't kill her ex-boyfriend.

Renee George - Midnight Before Christmas
When a dragon shifter rescues an ice princess, their passion is hot enough to melt glaciers!

T.J. Michaels - Winter Blues (Pryde Ranch Shifters)
When a lioness shifter comes calling in the dead of winter...you'd better have ice cream.

Elsa Jade - Wish Upon a Werewolf (Wolves of Angels Rest)
Annie is asking for one Christmas gift: a werewolf's bite. But Blaze wants to give her so much more...

Allison Gatta - A Christmas Caroline
He needs to change his ways to win her heart...

Arial Burnz - Frostbitten Hearts
Only one woman could melt the heart of Jack Frost...but will she burn him in the process?

Mandy Rosko - The Lady And The Dragon's Holiday
This dragon prince will melt your heart!

Candice Gilmer - Not a Gentleman's Christmas
Saving her from her curse is a gentleman's job. He, however, is no gentleman.

Dawn Michelle - Claimed by the Dragon King
Born to be a queen, raised to be a peasant.

Sylvia Frost - The BBW and the Beast
When Bel's father ruins a million dollar rose, she makes a bargain with a werewolf who wants her for his own.

Lissa Matthews - Reindeers, Elves, and Cookies...Oh My!
Baked goods and banished reindeers. The perfect touch of magic for the season.

Lexy Cole - Santa Shifter in Manhattan
Wolves of Central Park Series, A Billionaire Shifter Romance

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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I got this from Sue Fitzmaurice's Facebook Page and I love it. Those are my New Year's Resolutions. I have others, of course. I want to thank all the authors who showed up on my blog this year. I linked their pictures to their interviews on the blog. 

(Some day, maybe in 2015, I will learn a better way of doing pictures and links. This took a ridiculous amount of time due to Blogger erraticisms.) I would also like to thank them for their books and for the recipes they contributed to my Recipe page.

If any of you would like to join me next year on the blog, please contact me.

 Cheryl Yeko

Jayne Anne Krentz

  Bethanie Avery

         
             Beth Carter                                           

Kristan Higgins

Maggie Mundy  

Christine Ashworth

Robyn Carr  

CD Hersh

Elle Hill

MJ Compton

Lani Diane Rich

Tami Lund

Leanne Banks

I am travelling and left my blog calendar on my desktop PC in Los Angeles. So I don't know who's up next. I do know Sarah Addison Allen and Laryn Ford are visiting in January and Linda Lael Miller in February.  I have a a mystery giveaway - A never opened hardback copy of one of these authors' books. Why was it never opened? I love this author so much I pre-ordered two copies by mistake. - One on Barnes and Noble and one on Amazon.

Happy New Years to all. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Meet Beth Carter, Picture Book and Romance writer

Introducing Beth Carter, who wears two writer hats: Picture book writer and Romance writer.

Thanks for having me! I’m a Midwestern girl who enjoys simple pleasures and dangerous challenges (you’ll have to read my “25 Wild & Crazy Things” on my website, www.bethcarter.com to see what I mean!
I just hopped over. You took SPELUNKING IN COLLEGE?! (You should definitely read Jayne Castle's Harmony books. Lots of alien undergound caves, among other things.)
I’m married (after 16 years of being a single mom). I’ve worked in marketing for over 25 years and was previously a bank vice president. Before that, I handled public relations for two hospitals and also worked at a private college.

I write novels and children’s picture books (three have been published and I’m polishing book four). My debut novel, THURSDAYS AT COCONUTS, released in mid-August by Soul Mate Publishing. This is a dream come true. I’m still pinching myself.

I love firsts, so tell me about the moment when you found you’d made your first sale.

I love firsts, too! I pitched my novel (after three in-person pitches at conferences) during a Savvy Authors five-line pitch session. I wondered how in the world I could boil my novel down to just five lines. It was a good lesson. Seven or eight agents and editors requested it. I was excited by their interest in THURSDAYS AT COCONUTS. Some requested partials and others requested fulls. Debby Gilbert, senior editor of Soul Mate Publishing, first requested a partial and a few weeks later requested the full. Then, two more weeks passed when I received an email (which I still have) saying, “We enjoyed your novel so much that we want to publish it!” I was beyond thrilled. I literally danced in my office and squealed. I’m still smiling. 

If it isn’t too nosy . . . (well of course it is!) How about the first time you kissed your true love.?

Hmm. We all think we have several true loves throughout our lives but my hubby kissed me for the first time in my driveway or maybe it was at the front door. Actually, it was both and it was good! I fell for him pretty quickly—more quickly than he did, I think.

Other than your own, who are your favorite (heroes/heroines/writers) in your genre?

I’m afraid I’ll miss someone, so let me say, I read several genres—women’s fiction, contemporary romance, humor, and thrillers. I think that’s why I infuse all of those into my work. I’m a genre straddler!

What is the most exciting moment, so far, in your writing career?

For my novel, it was being offered a contract, followed quickly by seeing the cover art. Then, it was reading my first review on Amazon. I’m still in awe of my reviews.

For my children’s books, it’s seeing the illustrator bring my words to life and then going to elementary schools to talk to the kids about writing and encouraging them to dream big.

I love doing that too. Watching children respond to my pictures books and encouraging them to write their own is wonderful.

What is your favorite pastime, other than writing?

 Reading, hanging out at Barnes & Noble or Starbucks, and shopping at T.J. Maxx. I love that store. I also like to boat, decorate, watch movies and have wine with friends.

What’s your snack of choice while writing?

 Coffee and more coffee. I don’t snack much, but when I do, it’s either almonds or Cheez-its.

Any advice for new writers just starting out?

 Build your publishing credits and your online platform. I hear that many agents and editors will Google you before reading a word of your manuscript. And if you don’t have an online presence (and the ability to market your work), they’ll pass. So…a Facebook author page, Twitter account, and either a blog or website are the minimum for any author.

To build publishing credits, I suggest starting small. Try short stories and submit them to anthologies. I’m in four or five anthologies. It’s a great way to build writing credits. Also, write poetry, flash fiction and six-word memoirs. There are many ways to increase your publishing credits and possibly catch the eye of an agent/editor or to build your resume.

Also, study your craft. Buy books on writing, subscribe to Writer’s Digest or The Writer and join professional writers’ groups. You’ll learn a great deal from fellow authors and speakers. I belong to three such groups.  Me too. I am a member of RWA, LARA and SCBWI. Plus, of course, my critique groups. 

Beth's Childrens Books

What genre or genres do you write?

 I write women’s fiction, romantic suspense and contemporary romance. I infuse my writing with plenty of mystery and humor. As I mentioned, I also write children’s picture books and can’t think of anything more important than children’s literature.

 Links to Beth's Children's Books:

Santa's Secret

What Do You Want to Be

The Missing Key

Tell us about your latest release. 

THURSDAYS AT COCONUTS is women’s fiction with plenty of suspense, mystery, and humor. It’s about three professional women (friends since high school) who have chaotic personal lives. Together, they overcome many obstacles and stumble through the giant pot holes of life.

 Here’s my blurb: 

As the go-to wedding planner, Suzy can’t find her own wedded bliss and has one shocker of a wedding day. It doesn’t help that she’s still pining for her high school sweetheart, the one who got away. Handling neurotic brides is the best part of Suzy’s day until her son brings home a bombshell from Europe. 

Alexandra, a beautiful marketer with a “touch” of OCD, falls for a bad-boy cop who's married and possibly stalking her. But he sure is sexy. Alex tries to stay at arm’s length after she puts her job—and life—on the line for the officer who isn’t always a gentleman. 

Hope hates her name, looks, and frizzy hair. As a high school counselor, she dishes out sage advice to students, yet can’t see she’s enabling her deadbeat, stuck-in-the-seventies hippie parents. After tragedy strikes, she reexamines their relationship and discovers a secret that almost went to the grave. 

Friends since high school, the thirty-something women meet every Thursday at Coconuts for their own form of friendapy.

 Amazon Buy Link: tinyurl.com/l9m26ht

I love your blurb and your first chapters. Follow the link, peoplez and look inside.

What’s your current WIP? 

The sequel to THURSDAYS AT COCONUTS is tentatively titled COWBOYS & COCONUTS.

Writers are already asking for it and my novel just released two weeks ago, but that’s a good thing and spurs me on! I’ll keep Suzy, Alex and Hope, and of course, the sexy cop, Tony Montgomery. I’ll also introduce a New York socialite, Cheri, and Kate, a horse-loving country girl, as well as plenty of new guys to stir up the mix! I’ll have to create more nasty characters like Mrs. Biltmore or Misty. I have a little too much fun with those types.

And finally, where can we find you online?

You can connect with me here: 

Website: http://bethcarter.com

Blog: http://banterwithbeth.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorbethcarter (Women’s fiction and contemporary romance)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Beth-Carter/211352788931282 (Children’s books)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethcarter007

Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/bethcarter

Thank you for visiting, Beth. Beth is giving away a free copy of Thursdays at Coconuts to a random commenter. I'd like to win this one myself. I read the first chapters on the Amazon preview link and it looks like a great read. So please leave a comment.

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