Tinsel is glitzy Holly-berries are red Elves are busy Cookies ahead! Happy music to play Reindeer will prance In children’s dreams Santa can dance Trees lit with glitter Memories ignite All should be merry Some siblings fight Time to repair Renovate… heal Everyone pause… breathe Each one a new deal Forgive and forget Acknowledge what’s right Revive old love Merry Christmas, goodnight! THE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM by Melody Carlson A Sweet Second-Chance Holiday Romance Novel When Madison McDowell returns from several years teaching overseas, she has high hopes of picking up where she left off at her family’s Christmas tree farm in Oregon. But between damage from a recent wildfire and the neglect due to her sister Addie’s unwillingness to invest, the farm is in sad shape. In fact, Addie is intent on selling the property. And to top it off, her former high school flame, the now-widowed Gavin Thompson, has plans to break Madison’s heart again by turning his neighboring property into a dusty, noisy dirt bike track for his daughter. With the odds stacked against her, Madison decides there’s only one thing to do: double down on her dreams. It will take a ton of hard work–and some help from…

Readers Down Under may be taking advantage of longer days to steal time in the spring air, but as I write these words in the northern hemisphere, falling leaves, early darkness, and cooler temperatures make curling up with a good book an irresistible treat. How lucky we are to live in a time when good books are readily available all around us! Have you been swept up in the magic of romantasy? I’m not crazy about the term, but some of the recent work has been terrific. I gushed months ago about FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros (IRON FLAME was also great, and I literally stopped typing this sentence to put in my pre-order for ONYX STORM!) but allow me to direct your attention to the absolutely delightful GAMES GODS PLAY by Abigail Owens. I love this book! Think HUNGER GAMES mixed with the PERCY JACKSON books, and then throw in the passion and sizzle of Katee Roberts, all delivered by a heroine, Lyra, whose fierce determination and loyalty will have you rooting for her from the first page to the last. Obviously, the story of a challenge among modern day mortals arranged by the still-very-much alive and feuding Greek…

Book Title: BRAVE: The Story of Ahinoam (Book #1 in King David’s Brides) Character Name: Ahinoam How would you describe your family or your childhood? I was raised by a single father when my mother ran off with an Amalekite soldier. Soon after, we fled our tent in front of the Amalekite’s capital city, taking refuge in the small Judean town of Jezreel. Our heritage as Kenites was metal-smithing, and my father had taught me not only to work the forge and sharpen blades but also to throw his exquisite daggers. After watching my father’s continued heartache at mother’s betrayal, I determined never to marry. A lucrative smithing trade and the expertise of my daggers filled my heart just fine. Why let any man break it? What was your greatest talent? I’m the best dagger thrower in all of Israel, able to empty my six-blade belt into the center of a target at fifty paces. Significant other? Never, if I have my way. However, my father still has hopes that I’ll marry—perhaps even David ben Jesse, the man anointed to be Israel’s next king. Ludicrous. How could a Kenite woman marry a king? Biggest challenge in relationships? Men refuse to…

Travelog By Jenny Wilson O’Raghallaigh In the voice Jonah Smith, an American student and character in MANDATORY REPORTING, A Dublin Mystery It turns out there is an art to picking the right pub for the right moment. I’m living in Dublin now, with twins from Tipperary who have spent the majority of their bachelor’s degrees perfecting their expertise on the quality of pints, the quality of authenticity, the quality of the finer sex present, and the ease of proximity to the pubs in this town. I’m not sure what their grade point averages are, but I’ve never spent an evening with them that didn’t feel right. At first, I thought they drank too much. Then I realised that they didn’t always drink a lot in each venue—they just drank the right thing. In some pubs, like the Stag’s Head, where we went for our first drinking session together, you must drink Guinness. But in other pubs-which-cannot-be-named, the quality of the Guinness is such that you should probably switch to Smithwick’s, Five Lamps, Murphy’s, or if in complete desperation, something German or American. If you don’t mind the side glances you could have a cider, or if, like me, you don’t…

Book Title: 70 NORTH Character Name: Tracie Hunter How would you describe your family or your childhood? My family is incredible. I’m so thankful for them. My dad was in the Army – so we traveled all over the world when I was young. Getting to see some of the wonderful sights and museums and cultures was one of my favorite things about being an “Army Brat.” It fed my natural curiosity, and my parents were very supportive of that. But my family is situated in D.C. now. I don’t get to see them as much as when I lived at home, but we talk all the time. I won’t lie though, I miss a good Mom hug and watching the Army/Navy football game with my dad. Go Army! What was your greatest talent? Asking questions. LOL. Remember what I said about natural curiosity? That meant constant questions. I am fascinated by how things work – specifically the human body. That’s why I went into medicine—first as a medical examiner and then a surgeon. Seeing how God made the human body, what happens when it breaks down, and being able to help put it back together is… well it’s something…

The open road, scenic views, quirky roadside attractions…what’s not to love about a road trip? Add in some forced proximity—days together in a car—and a snowed-in, just-one-bed situation, and you’ve got one of my favorite tropes: road-trip romance. Stuck in my house during the pandemic, I dreamed of travel, and those imaginings turned into my new romantic comedy, 23 and You and Me. The heroine, Sunny, and the hero, Gabe, drive together from Columbus, Ohio, to Las Vegas to meet the three siblings Gabe doesn’t know he has until a DNA test reveals that the people who raised him were not his biological parents. Sunny and Gabe begin the journey as strangers and complete opposites, but during the interminable cross-country drive, they become friends and eventually lovers. What’s an essential part of any good road trip (besides gallons of coffee)? The music, of course! Sunny is an actress, and her playlist is full of Broadway tunes she loves to sing, from jazz standards to “Let It Go.” Gabe is enchanted from the first moment he hears her carpool karaoke. (Yes, it’s a he-falls-first trope—my personal fave!) Here are five songs you’ll find in 23 and You and Me. “Don’t Rain…

1–What is the title of your latest release? Love You a Latke 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Fake dating meets grumpy/sunshine during the holiday season! 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The book takes place in small-town Vermont and in NYC. I knew first that I wanted part of it to take place in NYC, where I live—the holiday season here is truly magical, and I wanted to showcase everything I love about it—and I needed somewhere within driving distance but that had a minuscule Jewish population, so I settled on Vermont. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Sure! We’d have fun going on a Hanukkah food tour and eating all the doughnuts. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Pragmatic, guarded, prickly. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? All the different ways to eat a latke! I did a deep dive into Hanukkah food, because the protagonists eat a ton of it and most of my latke experience has been limited to the standard sour cream or applesauce. The things people are doing to latkes these days are amazing and I want to…

Excerpt from The Slate, Matthew FitzSimmons Felix rapped lightly on the congressman’s office door, and the sound echoed in the hallway’s high, vaulted ceilings. Paxton’s chief of staff, Tina Lu, opened the door and shook his hand warmly. She didn’t like him much, which he attributed to his passing her on the career ladder despite being twelve years her junior. He took her antipathy as a compliment, and besides, the feeling was mutual. The thing about Tina Lu was that she was exceptionally good at her job. She stood a hair under five feet, but woe unto anyone foolish enough to take that as an invitation to underestimate her. She’d more than earned her reputation as one of the toughest backroom negotiators in Congress. What Tina Lu wanted, Tina Lu generally got. Coming up, Felix had been outmaneuvered by Tina time and again. Painful, hard-earned lessons. He would have been grateful to her if she hadn’t made it a priority to kick him when he was down. Well, those days were over now, and he looked forward to reminding her and Prince Paul of the new pecking order. Speaking of which, where was the congressman? Felix glanced around the empty…

1–What is the title of your latest release? Soul of the Stone 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Texas, a slayer who’s faster, stronger, and ready to take down evil bloodsuckers is facing her toughest battle yet in the thrilling sequel to Sign of the Slayer. As vampire treachery rises and the weight of responsibility grows, Texas is haunted by mysterious voices and betrayed by those she trusted most. Now, the greatest threat to humanity is alive, and the only person who can help her is the one she’s falling for – again – the same vampire who broke her heart. Saving the world might require following him into the underworld, but will her soul survive the journey? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? When I decided my vampires would do alchemy and I researched its origins I knew I had to visit Egypt so I can describe the setting just right. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? No, because she’s a vampire magnet. But personality wise, yes! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Strong, snarky, sensational 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? The…

1–What is the title of your latest release? The Burning of Rosemont Abbey 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Everyone in Wilbeth Green has something to hide, but she’s about to uncover their secrets. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The setting was pretty much settled from the start. I focused on British literature in college and graduate school, and I have a pretty longstanding fondness for British settings in general, whether I’m reading books or watching movies and shows. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Most definitely! Especially if Mrs. Watson is puttering around town with us, too. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Louisa is plucky, loyal, and—at times—endearingly awkward 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned how to plan the perfect fancy dinner party! The Constance Spry Cookery Book, which was published in 1956, was the perfect resource as I wrote the dinner party scenes. I started by listing out all the recipes that sounded particularly intriguing and then narrowed everything down into the various courses. Most, though not quite all, of the dishes from the menu I designed are…