SHELBY PETRIE'S REVIEW OF ~CONJURE by LEA NOLAN~ (YA)

Conjure follows a 14 year old girl--Emma--who stumbles upon a mysterious curse that ends up sucking her into the world of hoodoo magic to save the lives of both her brother, Jack, and her love interest, Cooper. As the mystery continues to unravel, the reader begins questioning the character's outcome. The magic in Emma's world was detailed enough to keep the reader intrigued and thirsty for more.

I found Emma's voice to be very believable for her youth and the author paid attention to every detail when it came to scenery and the magic that Emma was forced to learn to save those she loves. The romance was innocent and light, which is refreshing for the readers who just want to devour a good story without the gushy scenes getting in the way of the plot.

Overall, I found this to be a very good book and I can't wait to read the next one in the series!

~SHELBY~

ANGEL TO THE RESCUE by PETIE MCCARTY~ REVIEWED BY PAT SHEPPARD ~

Rachel Kelly is a child psychologist very much in love with her Lt. Jake Dillon.  Jake is a police negotiator.  Their lives could not have been more in tune and perfect when Jake asked her to put his name on the mortgage she was about to sign for a little cottage.  But to make things even better, he not only wanted his name on the mortgage, he wanted to make Rachel's last name Dillon instead of Kelly.

Rachel's world just flew out of orbit the day Jake asked her to be his wife.  But more importantly he wanted her to be the mother of the dozen or so children he wanted.  How could the day been more than all one could have hoped for.  Rachel had the man she loved, the home they had chosen and children in the future.  Nothing could ever bring her down out of orbit.  Until they returned home and she got a call from her mother.  That call had Rachel's world down spiraling back to earth.  And her relationship with Jake ending.

Rachel and Jake must see each other living in the same town. As Rachel tries to find her way back to Jake she takes on three new young patients that will again change her life. Jay and Emily ages thirteen are each having problems in their respective homes.  Each problem different from the other but just as harmful.  Neither wants to open up to Rachel.  And then there is Alex, just turning six with the deposition of an older child.  Alex sees and speaks to Angels.  What has she gotten herself into now.  During on session, Alex tells Rachel not to worry because an angel is coming to help.

When a hostage crisis erupts, Rachel and three special children are in the middle of it all. Jake must rescue the one and only woman he loves, stop a crazed man, and keep the children safe and sane.   But unknown to Jake, he has help.  The angels come to the rescue.

I really liked this story.  All the characters were not know in the beginning of the story.  As she unfolded the story she introduced new characters and disclosed what parts they played in the story.  Some are keep at bay until their time to be known and they fit right in place as needed.  This is a story of love, hope, trust and the true belief that if you really with all your heart believe, there is an angel waiting for you to ask for help.  I must ask, how many times have you turned your head because you felt someone watching you, just in time to see a shadow disappear?     

KIMMIE'S FAVORITES HOLIDAY BLOG BASH WITH HILDIE MCQUEEN

HILDIE MCQUEEN IS SOOOO MUCH FUN TO BE AROUND. THIS LADY ALWAYS HAS A SMILE ON HER FACE. HER EXUBERANCE COMES OFF IN HER WRITING AS WELL. I FIRST GOT TO MEET HILDIE AT RT IN KC IN MAY AND THEN SEE HER AGAIN AT LORI FOSTER'S READER GETAWAY IN OHIO IN JUNE. SHE IS A SUPER TALENT AND I ADORE HER WRITING. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ HILDIE MCQUEEN, YOU REALLY SHOULD!  I STARTED WITH HER AWESOME  WESTERNS, WHERE THE FOUR WINDS COLLIDE & WESTBOUND AWAKENING   AND CONTINUED WITH HER AMAZING SHADES OF BLUE SERIES. THESE ARE DEFINITELY BOOKS FOR ANYONE WHO LOVES WESTERN ROMANCE.

SO I ASKED MIZ HILDIE ABOUT HER HOLIDAYS AND SHE HA A FEW THINGS TO SAY.

Hi Kim!

Let's see, my family and I always host a crazy Christmas party on the 24th of December.  Each year people squeeze into our small home wearing crazy hats to take part in a gift exchange and a silly play acting game. We always have a blast.  A new tradition we just started is to visit our neighbors and drop off a small gift with a note that reminds them God loves them.  This year is was holiday themed hand soaps.  It's fun and our Chihuahuas love to go for the short walk.

My favorite Christmas song is Mariah Carey's version of "All I want for Christmas." Makes me bop along with the music every time.

This year my favorite gift was the three hardback books my husband gave me that completes my set of my favorite author, JR Ward's Fallen Angel series (up to now anyway)

If I could have anything in the world, I would have a cottage on the shores of Loch Carron in the highlands of Scotland, where I'd live part time and write.

2014 is going to be a great year.  I am attending about six conferences and traveling to Las Vegas twice!  My husband and I are going to Montana to explore Alder Gulch where my Shades of Blue series takes place.  Maybe I'll find more inspiration for some cowboys *wink*  As far as writing goes.  I will be releasing two contemporary romances in February, and two sequels to the Shades of Blue series, Josiah and Mitch's stories.  Lastly around November I am planning to release A Cole Christmas, where you'll get to visit with the main family again!

My Advice: Resolutions are great, but it's best to just set goals and that's what I'm doing in 2014.  Setting my goals to be healthier to take each moment at face value and not keep looking to 'what's next' because while we're waiting for a special moment to happen, we may have just missed it.  Live for the now and be thankful, always.

Happy 2014 and a big hug and thank you to everyone for supporting me.

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KIMMIE'S FAVORITES HOLIDAY BLOG BASH WITH KATIE LANE

HELLO TO ALL MY AWESOME PEOPLE!!! THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS STILL IN FULL SWING AND TODAY I HAVE THE LOVELY MIZ KATIE LANE IN THE HOUSE! I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING KATIE LANE AT RT IN KC IN MAY. SHE IS THE SWEETEST LADY EVER AND I HOPE TO SEE HER AGAIN...  KATIE IS A BRILLIANT WRITER OF SOME PRETTY AWESOME WESTERN ROMANCES THAT I HOPE YOU ALL TRY OUT!

Hi Katie and thank you so much for joining the Book Obsessed Chicks during this holiday season.

Could you tell us what kind of Christmas and New Year Traditions do you and your family partake of?

  We have the usual Christmas traditions of trimming the tree, baking cookies, making gingerbread houses, and exchanging gifts.  We also have a caroling party every year where we load up on a decorated trailer and drive through the neighborhood singing—and causing the dogs to howl.  This year, we added an ugly sweater contest to go with it.  It was fun seeing what people found at thrift stores or made.  Some were pretty ghastly.  Lol!

What was your favorite Christmas gift? 

  I’ve had so many over the years, but the most memorable are the ones my two daughters made in school.  The lopsided pottery ashtray—or since I don’t smoke, a candy dish.  The wax glitter tree ornaments.  And of the course, the clay mushrooms that looked exactly like two male parts growing out of a clump of moss.  True treasures!  

Do you have any favorite Christmas songs?

  I love Christmas music and start listening to it as soon as Halloween is over.  My all-time favorite is O Holy Night.  It makes me cry every time I hear it.

If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?

  I know it sounds sappy, but I would want peace on earth and health and happiness to all.  After that, books, books, and more books!

You have 3 very awesome Christmas reads, HUNK FOR THE HOLIDAYS, O LITTLE TOWN OF BRAMBLE and BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE. How did you come about those stories?  Thank you, Kimberly.  Hunk for the Holidays came about on a trip to Denver, Colorado.  My husband and I were staying at a bed and breakfast downtown, and they had this city newspaper in the room with an ad for male escorts.  My mind took the idea and ran with it.  O Little Town of Bramble started with me wanting to do a story about the sweet farmer, Ethan, from Make Mine a Bad Boy.  For Baby It’s Cold Outside, I knew I wanted to write about a woman getting stuck in a blizzard and being saved by a cowboy, and since it was ninety-six degrees outside while I was writing, it made sense that she would be from somewhere warm like Hawaii.  Ha!

What do you have in store for the New Year? For Readers? Conferences? Holidays? 

  I’m going to start work on the third book in the Hunk for the Holiday series and I need to work on a new series idea.  As for upcoming books, my sixth book in the Deep in the Heart of Texas series comes out in March—A Match Made in Texas.  In September, my second book in the Hunk for the Holidays series comes out—Ring in the Holidays.  And in December, the last book in my Deep in the Heart of Texas series comes out—Last Cowboy in Texas.  As for conferences, I will be at RWA in San Antonio in July.  Yay!  And since I’m going to have a busy year, I plan to relax with my friends and family for the holidays. 

Any message you would like to share with my followers? 

  I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year!!

Thank you so much Katie!!!!

Thank you, Kimberly, and all the Book Obsessed Chicks.  It’s always a pleasure:o)

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KIMMIE'S FAVORITES HOLIDAY BLOG BASH WITH GENEVIEVE GRAHAM

HAPPY DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS MY LOVELIES!!! I HOPE CHRISTMAS BROUGHT YOU ALL YOU WANTED..... I HAD A FABULOUS TIME WITH MY FAMILY AND A FEW FRIENDS AS WELL. GOOD FOOD, SANGRIA AND AWESOME COMPANY!

TODAY FOR THE DAY AFTER, WE HAVE VERY TALENTED AUTHOR, GENEVIEVE GRAHAM. WHEN I PICKED UP GENEVIEVE'S FIRST BOOK, UNDER THE SAME SKY,

I WAS TOTALLY SUCKED IN TO HER WORLD OF ROMANCE AND ANGST GOING ON. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT MET THIS AWESOME LADY, WHO LIVES IN CANADA, I HOPE TO ONE DAY.

I ASKED GENEVIEVE A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT HER HOLIDAYS AND HERE IS WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY.

Hi Kimmie! Happy New Year (almost), my friend!

I'm so excited to be here—I'm always thrilled to meet your readers. :)

I wish I could give you some really fun, cool traditions that my family does at this time of year; however, we're actually pretty quiet around here! We watched "Man of Steel" on Christmas Eve because we all got frustrated trying to find the Christmas movies we wanted … and for the first time I can remember, the parents woke up before the kids! Our daughters are 13 & 15, so they're pretty relaxed these days, but I always expect to hear their feet early in the morning. I guess it was bittersweet for me to get up and see the tree before they did. My hubby and I are kind of quiet, so our New Years Eves are usually quiet as well. Really, if you read my books and are curious about the source in the books' love stories, you need look no farther than how I feel about my hubby. When I look at heading out through dangerous winter driving and going to loud parties or settling in and reading with him, the latter choice wins hands down. This year, though, we're really excited because our younger daughter is singing with a young choir along with a local band named "Blueberry Grunt" (a famous Nova Scotia dessert!) and they'll be singing both live at an outdoor concert in Halifax and it'll be televised as well! She has the voice of an angel, and this is gonna be fun! We have about 9 hours between the sound check and the performance, so we're considering taking in a movie in between … so … tradition? Nah. We just see how it goes.

My favourite gift this year was NOT to get more than one from each of my loved ones because we decided to save up for a holiday instead! Yay! We're headed to the Dominican Republic for a week in February, and THAT is the best gift. Can't wait to mellow by the pool. I have a few big books (two by Paullina Simons, two by Susanna Kearsley, and the HUGE "Dangerous Women" anthology just released) which are lined up to be read already.

I love the traditional Christmas songs, like O Holy Night and Merry Little Christmas, and I like the REALLY old ones like Silent Night. I teach piano (when I'm not writing or running my editing business) and I'm always shocked by how so many little kids have no awareness of Christmas songs. I grew up loving all of them, so I still teach 'em. It probably also has to do with my love for and training in classical music.

ANYthing in the world? HA! How about … a movie contract for my books! For now let's just settle with the movie trailer I made for "Sound of the Heart" which you're giving away here!               http://youtu.be/6-2tXrvDhIg 
  Second to that I think I'd like a benefactor … you know, a sponsor? Like what all the great composers had. Then I could write all the time!

I'm always writing, but as of this moment I have nothing exciting to announce for 2014. I have one book being considered by a major publisher right now (it's actually my favourite of my four books so far) and I have a few that are just on the edge of being ready to submit. As usual I'll be spending most of my time with my editing business, working on manuscripts of authors around the globe! My editing site is www.WritingWildly.com in case anyone out there is looking for an editor! :)

I'd just love to say hello to all your readers and wish them the happiest of New Years. My plan this year is to introduce myself to new authors, and I hope your readers will do the same by picking up my books!

Thank you again, Kim, for everything you do for your readers and for authors. You're a true gem, and one of the gifts I treasure the most!

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KIMMIE'S 3RD ANNUAL END OF THE YEAR MESSAGE 2013

This is my 3^rd end of the year message and every single time I sit down to write this message I end up bawling like a baby, so I might as well get started. 2013 has been a year of ups and downs but all in all it’s been amazing due to my loving children, my brother Alberto, my cousin Chanel and all of my friends. My year began with a short stint in the hospital and a bout with Bell’s palsy, which made me open up my eyes and  I realized that I had to lessen the unnecessary stress in my life, if that was even possible.

Most of you know that I had been working in the surgeon’s office going on 6 years and was pretty fed up with it. So I very happily bid adieu to the Dr. and went on my merry way to greener pastures. This year I had the great fortune of beginning a dream job working for the most amazing people. MyAuthorBiz.com is a beacon in my life now and I know it will only shine brighter in 2014 and beyond. I thank John Haack and Lara Adrian profusely, for changing my life for the better. I smile everyday now instead of scowl and look forward to work, which really isn’t work to me. I truly adore these two people and they have given me the opportunity of a lifetime working with what I love most, books and authors. I still pinch myself.  In addition I got to meet a gem of a lady through work, Pat Rasey. I don’t know what it is about this amazing lady, but I feel like a have known her a lifetime and I look forward to each day knowing that we are always either a text, phone call or a GTM away from each other.

  Kim Petsch and her entire family made my year when I got to visit Nebraska for the first time ever and cannot wait to go back. These loving people opened up their homes to a virtual stranger and treated me like one of the bunch. Kim showed me things I have never seen before and taught me about corn, tractor- pulling and a lot about the Huskers, GO BIG RED!!!!…. I love Kim and her entire menagerie of Lockhard and Petsch peeps with a few McDonalds thrown in for good measure…. Needless to say, I want to go back to Nebraska.

This year I spoiled myself with buying a new car and going to amazing concerts where I got to hug my favorite artists like Alan Jackson, Florida Georgia Line and Joe Nichols. I won’t ever be able to sit more than 5 rows from the front at a concert ever again after this year… I am bad!

This year I added a slew of new Book Obsessed Chicks and new friends to my life and I am so happy I did! Jackie Ferrell and Janet Rodman are two of the shining stars in my life and I don’t think I will ever be able to do without them. I also got to meet my BOC from NH, Allison Reed when she ventured to NYC for a few days.

I was very fortunate to go to my first RT (Romantic Times Conference in KC) and meet some more amazing people. There I finally met Mr. Len Gunn in person and I am happy to have him as a friend. That time in Kansas City was like a whirlwind. I didn’t attend one party, but I enjoyed my time in the lobby of the hotel with some pretty amazing ladies like Lynne Connolly, Valerie Cozart , Beth Williamson, Holly Bush, Monica Burns, Amanda McIntyre and Marianne Strnad. That was definitely one of the best nights. Even if Monica clocked me over the head with a pillow from the lobby sofa. There is where I got to see Lara Adrian after a year and got to meet Pat Rasey in person.

One huge accomplishment for not only me, but my entire group of Book Obsessed Chicks was the 3^rd Annual Beach BBQ that took place in June on Long Island. We had about 100 people in attendance, 20 of those were some of my favorite authors, two very awesome cover models, goodie bags brimming with fantastic author swag and a wonderful time had by all. I had some amazing friends come from afar, like Pat Sheppard from Washington, DC… Margie Hager from PA…  Sophie Oak came from TX, Len Gunn from Oklahoma, Sandy Lea Sullivan from TN, along with my usual suspects. This year I had Lorelei James, Sara Humphreys, Tarah Scott and Sylvia Day in my home and was happy to visit with Damon Suede, Maya Banks and icon Bertrice Small. What a list huh?

My daughter, Gabrielle moved to Upstate NY, my 17 year old  son , Jason , is still a Junior Firefighter and my awesome 12 year old, Daniel played his first season of football with great success. Daniel also got sucked into going to a conference with me where he ended up having a great time and asked to go again under the guise that he gets to miss a few days of school… He really did like it!

If 2013 was busy for me, 2014 promises to be even busier, but with great expectations! I want to thank every single one of my friends and followers for sticking with me. You are all very special to me and truly make my days brighter. It’s really hard to write down every single person’s name that touched my life this year so I will just say that you all should know who you are.

I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year. Here’s to having a chance to hug each one of you soon!

LOVE,

KIMBERLY

KIMMIE'S FAVORITES HOLIDAY BLOG BASH WITH BJ DANIELS

WOW! WE HAVE MADE IT TO CHRISTMAS EVE, WHICH IS THE DAY THAT MY FAMILY BEGINS THE CELEBRATION. I EVEN ALLOW THEM TO OPEN UP THEIR GIFTS.

IN JUNE OF 2011 I ATTENDED MY FIRST RWA SIGNING IN NYC. IT WAS ONE OF THE CRAZIEST DAYS EVER. THE LINE TO GET INTO THE SIGNING BEGAN IN A BREEZEWAY OF THE HOTEL AND NEEDLESS TO SAY THERE WAS NO BREEZE AND IT WAS UNCOMFORTABLY HOT. HOURS AFTER MY AWESOME BOOK OBSESSED CHICKS LINED UP WE WERE FINALLY BEING ALLOWED IN TO THE HOTEL BALLROOM 50 AT A TIME. THE BALLROOM WAS EVEN HOTTER THAN OUTSIDE AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THE AUTHORS WEREN'T FAINTING. THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF AUTHOR AT THIS SIGNING AND IN THE HEAT OF IT ALL I WANDERED AIMLESSLY AROUND FOR A BIT UNTIL I CAME UP TO BJ DANIELS' TABLE, WHERE SHE LOOKED BEAUTIFUL AND EAGERLY AWAITED READERS. NOW ALL OF MY LADIES KNOW THAT I AM NO SHRINKING VIOLET AND WHEN I SAW BJ I SHOUTED "I LOVE YOU!"  I WAS SO HONORED TO MEET HER, AS WELL AS SO MANY OTHER AMAZING AUTHORS THAT PIVOTAL DAY, WHICH INSPIRED ME TO PROMOTE WHAT I LOVE, AUTHORS I ADORE AND THEIR FABULOUS BOOKS.

I ADMIRE BJ DANIELS. WHEN I READ HER STORIES I BECOME IMMERSED IN HER MYSTERY AND ROMANCE. SHE HAS ME SECOND GUESSING MYSELF ALL THE TIME WHEN IT COMES TO SOLVING WHATEVER CRIME THE BOOK CONTAINS. I AM SIMPLY IN AWE OF HER AND I COUNT THE DAYS FOR HER BOOKS TO BE RELEASED.

PLEASE WELCOME BJ DANIELS TO THE BLOG. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

CHRISTMAS AT CARDWELL RANCH is the fourth book in the Cardwell Ranch series and it is teeming with action and romance. I recently reviewed it.. Here is my 5 Moon review!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Big Sky, Montana until murder happens, and not just one but several. When Tag Cardwell returns to Montana after a long sojourn, he finds he isn't exactly welcomed home by his father, but cousin Dana insists that he stay for a Cardwell Christmas. She wants family together. Trying to get things back to normal after an insane woman posing as her cousin wreaked havoc in her home.

Lily McCabe is filling in at her brother Ace McCabe's bar for the holidays. The pretty young math genius enjoys her solitude though, especially after being jilted at the alter six months prior. When one of the waitresses winds up missing a whole lot of trouble starts to happen over a flash drive with gibberish on it that mysteriously winds up in Tag's pocket.  Is it gibberish or a mathematical code? When Tag and Lily find they may have to put their heads together to solve the mystery, a lot more may happen than finding answers. Maybe a little kissing under the mistletoe? When Lily's proper ex-fiance appears on her doorstep she suddenly doesn't know what direction to take her life. The safe and quiet one? Or the one that could lead to passion and excitement.

Marshall Hud Savage has been second guessing himself since he allowed imposter Camilla Northland, who posed as Dana's long lost cousin, into his home to terrorize his family. How could he have let someone that unstable near his precious family? How could he have been so blind? These thoughts go through his mind constantly nowadays and he worries that his days as Marshall are numbered. Even though she is apparently tucked away in prison, Camilla Northland plots her revenge on Hud and Dana. Is her arm long enough to reach Cardwell Ranch?

It takes all of these people involved to try to solve the murder mystery plaguing Big Sky and the clock is ticking. The question is, can all be solved before time runs out?

Lord, do I love picking up a B.J. Daniels book. I always know I am in for a good time. B.J. gets the reader's mind a flutter with all the facts and the possible resolutions. She is a master at telling more than one story at a time with incredible ease and sucking in the reader until the very end. It is so nice to be back in Big Sky, Montana and with the Cardwell Clan and its extended family especially at Christmas time. Watching the evolution of these awesome characters is always part of the charm mixed in with all the mystery and suspense. I loved B.J. Daniels' CHRISTMAS AT CARDWELL RANCH  and I know you will as well.

BJ in one of my Book Obsessed Chicks t-shirts!!!

We just love FLAT COWBOY TAG!!! 

MESSAGE FROM BJ DANIELS TO YOU ALL!

I'd just like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and 

the 

happiest of new years!!

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KIMMIE'S FAVORITES HOLIDAY BLOG BASH WITH CAROLYN BROWN

HOLLA TO ALL OF MY AWESOME BOOK OBSESSED CHICKS FOLLOWERS! I HOPE YOU ARE ALL HAVING AS GREAT A TIME AS I AM WITH THIS BLOG BASH!!! TODAY WE HAVE AN ICON HERE ON THE BLOG.. SOMEONE I GO GIDDY JUST THINKING ABOUT... PLEASE WELCOME MIZ CAROLYN BROWN!!!

WHEN THIS AWESOME LADY STOOD NEXT TO ME WHILE MY LADIES WERE SIFTING THROUGH THE BARGAIN TABLE AT EAST BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY'S B&N, I LOOKED AT HER WITH WARY EYES... THIS LADY LOOKED LIKE CAROLYN BROWN, BUT CAROLYN BROWN JUST COULD NOT BE IN NJ COULD SHE? NO, I THOUGHT, MIZ CAROLYN HAS TO BE IN OKLAHOMA... BUT WHEN SHE ASKED ME IN HER ADORABLE TWANG " DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?", MY EYES ALMOST BOBBED OUT OF MY HEAD. "CAROLYN?" I ASKED AND SHE SAID YES... AFTER I BASICALLY ACCOSTED HER WITH HUGS AND KISSES, THE REST IS ALL HISTORY. I JUST LOVE HER. SHE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL.

THE LOVELY CAROLYN BROWN HAS WRITTEN OVER 70 BOOKS, SHE IS DEFINITELY A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH!

AIN'T SHE CUTE?

WELL MIZ CAROLYN BROWN HAS A FABULOUS CHRISTMAS TALE OUT NOW, 
THE COWBOY'S CHRISTMAS BABY

I LOVED THIS BOOK. CAROLYN WANTED TO SHARE SOME WORDS WITH YOU ALL SO HERE GOES!

Merry Cowboy Christmas everyone! May your holidays be wonderful and your days be filled with good food, good friends and good family time.

Thank you, Miz Kim, for inviting me to stop by here today. I’m so excited that right here at Christmas I get to add my book to the list of these great authors who have been a part of this wonderful holiday blog bash. This is my fourth cowboy Christmas book and I’m finding that more and more I look forward to writing about what happens when a little mistletoe, an old honky tonk, some gypsy magic or in the case of The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby— a miracle in the form of a little baby boy named Joshua is a part of it!

Sometimes fate throws a few hurdles into the pathway of life to make it interesting. Such was the story with Lucas and Natalie. They had been cyber-dating for several months and they were getting along great…until he found out about the baby. She didn’t plan on him coming home two days early but there he was on that cold Texas night….and so begins the story of what happened next. ‘Twas the season to be jolly…or was it! Here’s a little taste for your holiday pleasure about the way that Natalie and Lucas’s Christmas story began.

EXCERPT: There she stood with a dead coyote at her feet, a pink pistol in her right hand, three blue tick hound pups cowering behind her, and cradling a baby in her left arm.

“Natalie?” He raised an eyebrow and blinked sleet from his eyelashes. Yesterday he had awakened to overbearing heat in Kuwait, and today Texas was colder than a mother-in-law’s kiss on the North Pole. Maybe he was seeing things due to the abrupt change in weather. She looked like the woman he’d been talking to via the Internet for the past eleven months, but he hadn’t expected her to be so tall, and he damn sure had not expected her to be holding a baby or a pistol.

She whipped around and raised the gun until it was aimed straight at his chest. “Who the hell… oh, my God… you are early, Lucas. Surprise!” she said.

“Yes, ma’am,” he drawled. “I guess I am, but you aren’t supposed to be here for two more days.”

“We were working on a big surprise for your homecoming. Hazel was going to make your favorite foods and we had a banner made and I heard a noise and the coyote had the puppies cornered and…” She stopped and stared at him as if she expected him to disappear.

She caught her breath and went on. “Why in the hell didn’t you tell us you were coming home early? You’ve ruined everything.”

“It’s my ranch. It’s my house and I can come home when I damn well please,” he said.

He looked from the baby to the dead coyote, to the puppies, finally meeting Natalie’s big blue eyes staring at him across the six feet separating them. There’d been more warmth in her face when there were oceans and deserts separating them than he felt with only six feet between them.

The whole scenario he’d played out in his mind was shot to hell and back. She wouldn’t take two steps forward, hug him, and then share an intimate, passionate kiss that said that yes, they had become more than Internet friends.

A whimper came from the blue bundle and she looked down at it. “I know you are hungry, son. We’ll go inside in just a second.”

Dammit!

He’d thought he’d found the right woman. Hell, he’d even entertained notions that she was the one. He’d been right all along: people were crazy to believe what they saw on the Net or to trust anyone they met on there, either.

“Joshua is hungry. Can you put these pups back in the pen? Sorry little critters dug out from under the fence and the coyote cornered them up by the porch,” she said.

She damn sure looked different in real life with curves and legs that went from earth all the way to heaven. She was stunning in those snug-fitting jeans, red flannel shirt, and thick brown hair floating in gentle waves down past her shoulders. How could he have not known she was pregnant?

Because you only saw her from the waist up and in pictures that she posted. Man, you got duped real good this time. Sucker!

“Well?” She shoved the pistol into the waistband of her jeans, shifted the baby to a more comfortable position, and headed toward the porch.

He dropped his canvas duffel on the icy ground. “I’ll take care of the coyote and the pups. Then we’ve got some serious talking to do. Where are Grady and Gramps and Dad?”

“Grady took Henry home after supper. You hungry?”

Yes, he was hungry. He’d foregone supper until he got home because he couldn’t wait to have Hazel’s home-cooked food. But the way his stomach was churning around he wouldn’t be able to swallow. A baby boy, for God’s sake! And she never mentioned him one time.

“Hazel in the house?” he asked stiffly.

She stopped and turned. “No, she is not. I’ve got to get Joshua inside, though. He’s cold. Just take care of those pups.”

“Don’t boss me, Natalie,” he barked.

“I’m going inside. You can stay out here and freeze to death if you want, Lucas. The way you are acting, I don’t reckon it’ll be much warmer in the house when you get there anyway,” she said.

He folded his arms across his chest. “And that is supposed to mean what?”

“Figure it out for yourself.”

“Shit!” he mumbled under his breath.

He gathered up three wiggling blue tick hound pups and stomped toward the dog pens. What in the hell did she expect—a big old passionate kiss with a pistol and a baby between them?

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SUPER HAPPY TO EXTEND MY BLOG BASH A FEW MORE DAYS WITH SOME MORE OF MY FAVORITE LADIES!!!!!

SQUEEEEEEEE.... A FEW MORE OF MY FAVORITE LADIES HAVE JOINED IN MY BLOG BASH AND I AM SOOOOO EXCITED.... There may be a few more surprises.... We shall see!!!!

GENEVIEVE GRAHAM- DECEMBER 26TH

KATIE LANE- DECEMBER 27TH

HILDIE MCQUEEN- DECEMBER 28th

KIMMIE'S FAVORITES HOLIDAY BLOG BASH WITH CAT JOHNSON

WORDS CANNOT ENTIRELY EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVE CAT JOHNSON. SHE IS TALENTED AND SO SAVVY IT'S SCARY AND SHE IS A MINI TORNADO. NEVER HAVE I SEEN THIS LADY WITHOUT A SMILE. SHE LOVES MEETING HER READERS AND SHE IS SO GENEROUS. IT FIGURES THAT SHE AND I ARE BOTH LEOS. PART OF THE REASON IS LOVE HER SO MUCH, SHE ALSO IS A FELLOW NEW YORKER/INNER COUNTRY GIRL.

I ASKED CAT A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND THIS IS WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY!

Could you tell us what kind of Christmas and New Year traditions do you and your family partake of?

We have dinner Christmas Eve at my family's house, and dinner Christmas Day at his family's house. And after all that family time, I'm happy to report that New Years Eve is family free! We head to a friend's house for a big bash with incredible food, lots of booze and a professional Karaoke DJ!

What was your favorite Christmas gift?

One year my husband got me a limo for the day that took my friends and I all around NY City to shop, see the decorations and have lunch and dinner.

Do you have any favorite Christmas songs? 

I LOVE "Baby, it's Cold Outside". That could be because it's a kind of romance. Okay, maybe it's more of a seduction story. :)

If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?

This would have to be a gift from that big Mega Millions winner because it's pretty big, but I want a house on a lake or a river so I can look out and see water while I work.

What was the inspiration for your Christmas story, A COWBOY FOR CHRISTMAS?

A single sentence in an email from the editor at the publisher who'd requested it. It was this... "How 'bout the story of a woman, who as a little girl, always asked for a cowboy for Christmas (some doll) and this time she gets her wish?" That was all it took. I was inspired. I turned on the Hallmark/Lifetime TV Channels' Countdown to Christmas movies as background while I worked and whipped out over 50,000 words in under a month.

What do you have in store for the New Year? For Readers? Conferences? Holidays? 

Some exciting stuff! I'm booked for March 22nd to sign at Turn the Page in Boonsboro, MD with (excuse me while I drop this name) Nora Roberts! So that is exciting.  I'll also be definitely at the RWA conference/signing in NJ in March, the RT Booklovers Con in NOLA in May, and Authors After Dark in Charlotte in August. Maybe a couple more so stay tuned...

As for releases, I'm excited there will be a new Oklahoma Nights release in March, Book 3 Three Weeks with a Bull Rider, and a new Studs in Spurs release in May, Thrown.

Any message you would like to share with my followers?

Besides wishing everyone the very best in 2014, I'd like to send out a plea on behalf of all authors and ask readers to Resolve to Review in 2014.  If you liked a book, please leave a review on Amazon or BN, as well as on Goodreads. Even if you can't afford a book, or don't have time to read your TBR list as it is, but you want to support an author, add their book to your Amazon Wish List, which prompts Amazon to promote the book to their customers. It's a huge help and authors truly appreciate it.

Wishing everyone hot books, and hotter heroes, to keep you warm this winter!

IN DECEMBER OF 2011 I OPENED MY KINDLE TO BEGIN READING A COWBOY FOR CHRISTMAS BY CAT JOHNSON AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A DEDICATION IN THAT BOOK. IT WAS ONE OF MY VERY FIRST DEDICATIONS AND I WAS ALL GIDDY AND THANKFUL. A COWBOY FOR CHRISTMAS IS AN AMAZING STORY AND I HOPE YOU ALL GRAB THIS STORY UP!

Sexy, independent, corporate executive Casey Harrington's life and career were shaped by a childhood Christmas wish left unfulfilled. Now, twenty years later on a Colorado cattle ranch, she finally gets everything she's always wanted-both a hot cowboy and a dream job.

But Bonner "Blue" Boyd is a rancher and Casey is a New Yorker, and even if the sex between them is hot enough to start a prairie fire, they both know that city and country might mix for a week, but it can't work for a lifetime. Or can it?

When a dramatic turn of events reunite Bonner and Casey, this time on her turf in her city, she has to prove to her displaced cowboy he belongs with her, no matter where they end up. Luckily Casey knows the quickest way to a man's heart is slightly lower than his stomach.

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KIMMIE'S FAVORITES HOLIDAY BLOG BASH WITH AMANDA MCINTYRE

SO THERE'S THIS LADY I MET A FEW YEARS BACK AT MY FIRST LORA LEIGH'S RAW NAMED AMANDA MCINTYRE WHO WELCOMED ME AND TREATED ME LIKE A TRUE FRIEND FROM THE FIRST MINUTE.THE ENERGY THIS LADY HAS IS UNBELIEVABLE AND THAT ENERGY MAKES ITS WAY INTO HER WRITING.  I FOUND THAT SHE WROTE SOME PRETTY DARK AND SULTRY BOOKS AND THEY WERE FASCINATING. THEN MISS AMANDA CAME UP WITH HER WESTERN CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE, RUGGED HEARTS AND I FOUND A TRIO OF COWBOYS THAT I WANTED TO KNOW BETTER! PLEASE WELCOME MY FRIEND, AMANDA MCINTYRE TO BOOK OBSESSED CHICKS ONCE AGAIN. SHE IS A GOOD FRIEND NOT ONLY TO THE BLOG, BUT ALSO TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY GROUP THAT HAS EVER MET HER AND FOR THAT I ADORE HER.

Rugged, quiet, hardworking, Wyatt takes his position as head of the Kinnison family seriously. But the scars of betrayal by the women to whom he once trusted his heart now prompt his stark, simple game plan, and no one in hell is going to convince him any differently. What matters most, besides the welfare of his brothers, is to manage the ranch left to him and never risk his heart again to something as foolish as love—but after meeting Aimee, Wyatt begins to realize that a man should never say never to a determined second grade teacher.

When vivacious, resilient Aimee Worth loses her twin sister in a tragic accident, she makes the choice to live out her sister’s dream of teaching in the small mountain community called End of the Line, Montana, never suspecting she’d meet her Mr. Right in the middle of nowhere—he just doesn’t know it yet. Used to challenges, her spirit shatters the perceptions that have kept him isolated from living life beyond the ranch, proving to him that when it comes to love, the greatest risk is not taking one.

Here's what our friend Margie had to say about Rugged Hearts by Amanda McIntyre>

I’ve lost my heart to Wyatt Kinnison.  The man just flat-out tugged at my heart strings and then filled my heart with joy.  I guess I share these sentiments with Aimee Worth, second grade teacher in End of the Line, Montana.  She and I were sisters of the heart throughout the entire soul awakening events for Wyatt Kinnison.  Aimee Worth is the quintessential heroine who definitely goes above and beyond the call of duty.  Aimee has experienced a major loss in her life but it’s not keeping her down and her positive attitude rubs off on the reclusive Wyatt.  There’s no stopping Aimee once she sets her mind to shattering the walls around Wyatt’s heart.

Amanda McIntyre has written a very insightful look into the way “Love conquers all.”  She uses a strong heroine who has perfect backup in her second grade students to make the conquest and win the day.  Ms. McIntyre always produces excellently written books with intriguing characters and heartwarming stories.  I highly recommend this book, Rugged Hearts and look forward to more stories in the Kinnison Legacy series.

~MARGIE~

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KIMMIE'S FAVORITES HOLIDAY BLOG BASH WITH BIRTHDAY GIRL ~ CYNTHIA D'ALBA

HI ALL AND TGIF.. TODAY IS A VERY SPECIAL LADY'S BIRTHDAY! I WANT TO WISH CYNTHIA D'ALBA A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM ALL OF MY BOOK OBSESSED CHICKS AND FROM CYNTHIA'S AMAZING STREET TEAM, D'ALBA'S DIAMONDS. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING CYNTHIA AT MY VERY FIRST RT CONFERENCE IN MAY IN KANSAS CITY AT THE SIGNING. SO MUCH WAS GOING ON AT RT THAT I WASN'T ABLE TO CHAT WITH CYNTHIA AS MUCH AS I WOULD HAVE LIKED. HOPING TO SEE HER AT THE NEXT RT

SINCE IT'S HER BIRTHDAY TODAY I PRETTY MUCH LET CYNTHIA DO WHATEVER SHE WANTED BECAUSE WHO AM I TO DENY A BIRTHDAY GIRL?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CYNTHIA!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               

Yep! Today is my birthday! And I’m so thrilled to be sharing it with y’all. We won’t be discussing which birthday this is. We’ll just say I’m old enough to drink booze legally and I’m young enough to not have pre-planned funeral arrangements! J

Most of the time my favorite present is the one I give myself. This year, I gave me a Babylock Ellegante 3. Isn’t she beautiful?

Mostly I do embroidery on it but it does sew. The problem is…I don’t sew! Ha ha. But everybody in the family got embroidered shirts this year. I’m working on surprises for my street team but shhh. Don’t tell.

I started to post a couple of pictures of sexy guys that should take me out to a birthday dinner but WOW. There were just too many choices. Do I go with the standards, like George Clooney or Tim McGraw? Or do I stretch my imagination and find that new guy that makes the other women swoon? Then I thought…shoot! It’s MY birthday. I’ll let y’all find me the perfect sexy date.

So who is he? Who do you think is sexy enough to take me to dinner?

And, given though it’s my birthday, I’m giving presents to you! J

Every person who leaves a comment with a sexy man suggestion will be entered in a drawing for a $10.00 gift card to the online store of the winner’s choice! Amazon? No problem. Barnes and Nobles? No problem. Bed, Bath and Beyond? No problem. Kim’s Store of Whips and Chains? Problem. No account there!

But that’s not all! If you send me a message to cynthia@cynthiadalba.com and tell me you read this post, I’ll send you a digital short story, Texas Two Step: The Prequel . If you request a short story, be sure to tell me which digital format you need. Kindle. Nook. Epub. Etc.

Remember, to be entered in the drawing for the $10, you must leave me a sexy man!

Now, pass me my birthday cake so I can blow out the candles and we can get this party started. 

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OUT NOW!!!

COMING SOON!!!

KIMMIE'S FAVORITES HOLIDAY BLOG BASH WITH C.H. ADMIRAND

GOOD MORNING ALL AND WELCOME ONE OF MY VERY FAVORITE LADIES EVER, C.H. ADMIRAND. I CAN HONESTLY SAY, I TRULY LOVE THIS LADY. SHE IS NOT ONLY A BRILLIANT WRITER, I AM ALSO PROUD TO CALL HER MY FRIEND. SHE HAS BEEN SOMEONE I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO VENT TO AND SHE HAS GIVEN ME MUCH APPRECIATED ADVICE. 

IT ALL BEGAN WITH HER SECRET LIFE OF COWBOYS AND A BOOK CALLED TYLER FOR ME. COLLEEN WAS PROBABLY THE FIRST AUTHOR I REALLY EVER APPROACHED ABOUT A BOOK I LOVED. EVEN FROM THE FIRST EMAIL I LOVED HER DEDICATION AND HER WARMTH AND I KNEW WE WOULD BE FRIENDS. WHEN I VENTURED OFF TO MY VERY FIRST OFFICIAL CONFERENCE , RWA2011 IN NYC WITH MY BOC LADIES IN TOW, COLLEEN WAS THE FIRST AUTHOR I SOUGHT OUT AND WHEN I FIRST GOT TO HUG HER, IT BEGAN OUR FRIENDSHIP THAT I WILL TREASURE FOREVER.

C.H. ADMIRAND ( COLLEEN)  and I last night at B&N in NJ

I asked Colleen to tell us about one of her favorite books that she has written, and this is what she said!

One of my favorite books to write was A GIFT FROM HOME, the fourth book in my Historical Irish Western series. It begins over in Ireland and when I was writing the opening, I could see the verdant rolling hills, the fairy forts and hillocks...and the Little People. What a contrast when Jessi Fahy steps down off that stagecoach on a dry-as-dust day in Emerson, Colorado.

John Reilly captured my attention in the first book in that series, THE MARSHAL'S DESTINY, and just wouldn't stop bugging me. I thought he'd be the man for Bridget O'Toole, but her heart belonged to James Ryan (aka Seamus Flaherty). Then I thought he'd be perfect for Pearl Lloyd, but once she shot the hat off Davidson Smythe's head, I knew there could never be another man for her.

Finally, I began to see what John's problem was, he'd broken two hearts when he'd boarded that ship to come to America--his mother's and little Jessi Fahy. Ah, but his mother has a plan, and since her hard-headed son hadn't met and married yet, that just confirmed her suspicion that what he needed was a girl from back home. And that's when she and Jessi hatch a plan.

John Reilly is expecting a package from home, something light as a feather and twice as sweet. Little does he realize the package isn’t the baked goods he’s been dreaming of but a grown-up version of the thirteen-year-old girl who used to follow him everywhere.

When John Reilly doesn’t return to County Cork, Ireland, Jessi Fahy boards a ship and tracks him down. She arrives in Emerson, Colorado, hot, tired, and dusty, but he doesn’t recognize her. Five and a half years of waiting in vain, combined with a horrendous voyage and the realization that John doesn’t remember her, have Jessi fisting her hand and testing Mrs. Reilly’s secret weapon. With a wicked right cross, big John Reilly goes down like a stone.

HERE IS COLLEENS LATEST AMAZING READ. IT IS THE THIRD AND LAST BOOK IN HER APPLE GROVE SERIES AND IT IS MY FAVORITE.

WELCOME BACK TO APPLE GROVE by C.H. ADMIRAND

So Grace Mulcahy has been living large in the big city of Cleveland, Ohio since she left her small town of Apple Grove about a year ago. Grace left the family fold and the small family home repair business for a company with over a hundred employees and she even got a promotion. Once she left Apple Grove, she also broke up with her cheating boyfriend.  Is Grace Mulcahy happy though? Good question. Her family and friends seem to think NOT, especially after she chops off her hair while a tad tipsy. Yes, it was for an awesome charitable cause, but the underlying reasons bring Grace back to Apple Grove.

Former FDNY, Patrick Garahan has been happily working in semi-small town Ohio at a local firehouse. He seems content, but there's something missing from his life and he's about to figure out what when he re-connects with Grace Mulcahy. This is not the Grace he met before, this a a sultry and curvaceous Grace that attracts Patrick in a flash.

Unbeknownst to Patrick and Grace, the meddling forces that be surrounding them both are trying to do some serious matchmaking, and evidently, neither party seems to mind once they become reacquainted. Grace wasn't planning on staying in Apple Grove, it would defeat the purpose of her leaving, but Patrick is determined to make it worth her while. Patrick wants to take things to the next level, but he has a devil on his shoulder preventing him from it and Grace wants to know what it is if she's going to be involved with this man.

Ok so here goes....I LOVE this book. It made me laugh  and cry, all within paragraphs of each event. Those who have read the Apple Grove series by the ever-talented C.H. Admirand know Grace pretty well. We all know she is very happy that her sisters have found true love. Grace has always felt a little on the outside since she never wanted to actually work in the family business. Her forte was the office and she did it amazingly well, but there was always a little voice inside her that told her the big city was where she should be.  Red-headed, Irish boy, Patrick Garahan left New York behind after a tragedy happened while he was on the job and his move to Ohio didn't completely assuage his nightmares. This handsome firefighter's demeanor gets under your skin immediately. He is so lovable! Yes, he is a ginger with freckles! A hot ginger to boot, I certainly don't have issues with it. I embrace it and and you should too.

C.H Admirand tugs at your heart-strings with her emotion-filled story. We have come a long way since A Wedding In Apple Grove and I so have loved the journey. I especially love the way that C.H. has incorporated characters from The Secret Life of Cowboys series. It's like a super happy and dysfunctional family reunion. Perfection. C.H. now that all the Mulcahy girls are happy, how about taking us to Brooklyn?

~ KIMBERLY~ 

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CATHY GENNA, CAROLYN BROWN AND CH ADMIRAND