It’s almost Christmas, y’all. Two of my favorite parts of the holiday seasons involve the yummy seasonal drinks and the fantastic holiday-themed romances I get to read. So, just for fun, I’ve come up with a books and holiday drinks pairings list (matching the covers with the drink). Pairings to make your holiday cheery & yummy at the same time! Enjoy! WASSAIL The best of the apple cider drinks out there because it adds additional fruit and seasonal spice flavors. The classic winter scent of apples and spice makes for the perfect holiday drink. Add a splash of rum to spice it up even more. CHRISTMAS IN EVERGREEN: TIDINGS OF JOY by Nancy Naigle Welcome back to the town of Evergreen. Katie’s initially skeptical about Evergreen’s love of Christmas; the place seems too good to be true. Meanwhile, Ben’s wary of Katie’s intentions. He’s protective of his small town, and he knows all too well how cynical the media can be. Then a hunt for a fifty-year-old time capsule leads to a remarkable discovery. As Katie and Ben get caught up in the community’s past and present, they both begin to envision new possibilities for the future. *** MULLED WINE…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  WRITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2–What is it about?  The author of a very popular fantasy series hires a woman to cook for him while he’s on a tight deadline…right before Christmas. Romance ensues! 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Hardworking   4–What makes your hero irresistible?  He’s a gruff (but hot) loner, like the Beast in Beauty and the Beast. It takes the right woman to knock him off his guard. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Dani, the heroine, has her family, especially her sister-in-law, Una, who is a life coach. Matt, the hero, relies on his assistant, Jane. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  My parents own a house in a resort out in the country. They’re on the outskirts of the resort, in the middle of nowhere, and it’s my favorite place on the planet. Their house and its surroundings are what I pictured while working on this novel. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? Plotter! 8–What is an ideal writing day for you?  I’m not someone who can write…

It’s the last day of the FOREVER CHRISTMAS celebration! We are in for a treat because Debbie Mason is here!! Be sure to take a look at earlier posts to see what these wonderfully festive authors have planned for the holiday seasons (and for chances to win a book each day). Thank you for joining us this week! Merry Christmas and Cheers to 2021! ** What’s the name of your latest release? Christmas on Reindeer Road What do you love about writing holiday/Christmas romance?  Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love everything about the holidays: twinkle lights and colored tinsel, snowflakes and mistletoe, hot chocolate and sugar cookies, family gatherings and treasured traditions. Which is why I love writing Christmas romance. I get to enjoy the magic of the holidays all year long. Are your hero and heroine full of Christmas cheer or the holidays bring out the worst in them?  My heroine, Mallory Maitland, and my hero’s youngest son, Teddy, are Team Christmas. While my hero, Gabriel Buchanan, his twin sons, and Mallory’s stepsons are Team Bah Humbug. What’s one of your favorite holiday traditions? Hosting a family party to decorate the Christmas tree. Which Christmas movie…

The holiday cheer continues today with Laura V. Hilton and her new novel, THE AMISH CHRISTMAS GIFT! Don’t forget, the Forever Christmas celebration lasts all week–come back for more fun tomorrow.  ** What’s the name of your latest release? THE AMISH CHRISTMAS GIFT came out in October. What do you love about writing holiday/Christmas romance?  Everything!!! Are your hero and heroine full of Christmas cheer or the holidays bring out the worst in them?  A mixture of both. What’s one of your favorite holiday traditions? Spending time with family. Which Christmas movie do you watch on repeat throughout this festive time of year?  Home Alone (I have 5 children…) The best Christmas song is…  Angels We Have Heard on High. Do you prefer to be home for the holidays, or do you like to travel? Home. What can readers expect from you next?  THE AMISH SECRET WISH coming in April. It’s about a scribe for The Budget, who calls herself GHB, writes about community news, and sometimes alludes to her most personal feelings. Hezekiah Esh reads GHB’s articles and as he nurses his own broken heart, he finds himself falling for her. Can he find this mystery writer? THE AMISH…

The festive fun continues with the next featured author in the FOREVER CHRISTMAS celebration: Lizzie Shane! Be sure to leave a comment on each of these posts for a chance to win a copy of these wonderfully wintry Holiday Reads!  ** What’s the name of your latest release?   The Twelve Dogs of Christmas What do you love about writing holiday/Christmas romance?  I love that there always seems to be a little extra magic in the air around the holidays, like anything is possible, especially love. And it’s a time when community and friends and family all come together, which I love in a romance.  Are your hero and heroine full of Christmas cheer or the holidays bring out the worst in them?  Ally is the kind of person who wants to soak up every ounce of Christmas cheer through the season, but Ben is definitely overwhelmed by all the holiday pressure. He’s gotten a reputation as the town Scrooge, but he’s just a big softie underneath all that stress. What’s one of your favorite holiday traditions? I love wrapping presents with my family while watching Christmas movies. I think I love that more than receiving gifts. There’s something so satisfying about making something unique and beautiful…

Don’t forget to come back each day this week for more holiday cheer from our pals at FOREVER Publishing and their Christmas romance authors. Today, we’re joined by Melinda Curtis!  ** What’s the name of your latest release? A VERY MERRY MATCH What do you love about writing holiday/Christmas romance?  I enjoy bringing in fun traditions, either drawn from my family or made up (read in magazines or enviously stolen from observing others, lol). Are your hero and heroine full of Christmas cheer or the holidays bring out the worst in them?  This year, Mary Margaret is struggling to find her holiday cheer. Doubly important since she’s a kindergarten teacher. What’s one of your favorite holiday traditions? My great aunt imposed a One Gift At a Time rule. She moved in with us and insisted she couldn’t enjoy gift opening unless she got to see every gift opened. We’d sit in a circle and starting with the youngest, one person would have the stage to open a gift. Some years, it takes two hours to open gifts at our house! But it does allow the gift giver a moment to shine as well. Which Christmas movie do you watch on…

All of this week, we’re showcasing a different Forever holiday romance author! Visit the blog every day for author interviews, cheery giveaways, and more festive fun.  Up first, Annie Rains! ** What’s the name of your latest release? My new release is called SEASON OF JOY. I think it’s the perfect title for this book because it’s a holiday story and Joy is the name of my heroine. What do you love about writing holiday/Christmas romance?  There’s a touch of magic in a Christmas romance. It’s the season of hope, which is really at the root of all my books. I also love adding in all the festivities of the season like picking out a Christmas tree and decorating it, buying gifts, festivals, flotillas, and of course the food! There’s so much to love about a holiday book. Who can resist? Are your hero and heroine full of Christmas cheer or do the holidays bring out the worst in them?  Well, my hero is the owner of the local Christmas tree farm. He’s typically full of Christmas cheer, but this year he’s struggling because half of his tree farm burned down in the spring. My heroine, Joy, is also struggling….

“So what do we do now?” Hannah asked. When she’d reopened the boutique, customers flooded the store. Russell had offered to help her until things slowed down. One hour had turned into two and in the blink of an eye the entire day had passed. She’d appreciated the help, but when she’d told him she felt guilty for keeping him from see­ing his family, he’d waved away her concern like it was no big deal. She’d wondered if he was avoid­ing them, then dismissed the idea as ridiculous. Unlike her, he had a loving, supportive family. And for a man who’d never worked in retail and who hadn’t had a clue about women’s fashion, he’d done incredibly well. A woman who’d come into the boutique looking for the perfect blouse had left with three dresses, two pairs of pants and three pairs of earrings in addition to that blouse, all because Russell had said she’d looked nice in them. He’d also given thumbs down on two other dresses and the woman had left without them. More than providing her customers with a male’s perspective, Russell had served as the mus­cle she’d needed, carrying boxes for her. He’d also unpacked and…

In THE MISTLETOE TRAP, Julie’s fairly certain she can convince her best friend Gavin to watch chick flicks with her. Convincing him to join her and his sister doing facemasks proves to be more of a challenge. So, she simply swipes some on his face and tells him he might as well let her do the rest. There are some movies that practically require fuzzy socks and a warm blanket. Here are my top five movies to cuddle up with this holiday season. 1–Just Friends – Ryan Reynolds, friends who start to fall, and a wild yet loveable Rockstar. This movie is full of lots of hijinks and laughter and is one of the movies I can’t wait to snuggle up next to my husband and watch. 2–The Holiday – This is one of those amazing movies with not just one romance, but two! And not to spoil it if you haven’t seen it, but just wait till you see Mr. Napkin Head. Talk about swoon (which is something I never thought I’d say about something involving napkins. LOL) 3–While You Were Sleeping – Not only does this movie have a lot of quotable lines, it’s one of Sandra Bullock’s…

From Chapter Six of E. Elizabeth Watson’s Twelfth Knight’s Bride “Would it make any difference to ye now to ken that the mare ye ride is light of foot and won me a race in the Inverness games four seasons ago?” he diverted. She glanced at him. “She is quite spry for her age. What does that have to do with clan rivalries?” His semi-smile broadened, and he leaned down to her, lowering his voice as he wrapped his hands around his reins in preparation. “Absolutely nothing. I’m saying my horse could use a good jaunt, and since yer palfrey bears the record she does, how would ye like a wee competition? Up to the wood’s edge where it’s dense of trees and sparse of people?” Her eyes brightened, and a smile of her own danced upon her lips as she looked ahead of them to get bearings on the mark. Just as he suspected. The lass, bold of tongue, was also competitive. “I do believe I’m being challenged to a race by the enemy. More rivalry is what we need, then?”“Only a gentle bird frightened of losing would refuse,” he taunted, sitting upright again and staring down his nose…