Thanksgiving time is full of typical traditions here in the United States. Families gather and eat way too much comfort food, and many of the foods are recipes handed down from generation to generation. We watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade before settling into the couches to watch football the rest of the day (or in the case of the children, heading outside to play with their cousins). Publix does an excellent job at capturing the heartwarming aspects of this holiday – food, family, football, and giving thanks. But what about people who don’t fit in the traditional mode, whether it’s a lack of biological family (either by choice or by circumstances) or folks that just don’t fit in with the family expectations? Thankfully, books offer us options for all on Thanksgiving and here are a few that tug at my heart this year. HER NAUGHTY HOLIDAY by Tiffany Reisz features Clover Green, a successful businesswoman with her own company that has just been offered a huge buyout. Unfortunately for her family, that’s not enough as they want her married with children and Clover is decidedly single- and Thanksgiving is approaching. Enter her teenage employee, Ruthie Fields, and her, plot to…

It sounds terrible, doesn’t it? Yet look at our literary history, we’ve always embraced the ghouls of Christmas past. Our fairy tales are as grim as they can be. And musically, we laughed when Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. A little humor or feel good emotions surrounded by the darkness of reality make us feel better—especially when the bad guys get what they deserve. It reminds us of our humanity and our sense of right and wrong. The knowledge that justice will prevail, even if the road is a bit bumpy along the way, keeps us going. Hope. A sense of community. Justice. Love. Laughter. All wrapped up in a colorful cover to entertain you for hours. That’s what you get from cozy mysteries. Like the works of the past, today’s featured novels will make you appreciate what we have today. Turn off the television and embrace a dose of holiday cheer with a good book. MURDER IN HER STOCKING by G. A. McKevett Granny Reid #1 As the Moonlight Magnolia Agency revisits old memories on Christmas Eve, Granny Reid takes the reins back thirty years to the 1980s—back when she went by Stella, everyone’s hair was bigger,…

(This article is dedicated to my sister-in-law, who for the past ten years single-handedly prepared the traditional Seven Fishes of Christmas Eve for her husband and his family, cleaned her house top to bottom, worked full-time and did all the Christmas shopping while being a super mom to her twins. This year, she is going out to eat. Buon Natale, Lisa!) Some people are just so organized. Bless their hearts! I found this out while I was trying to decide what to write about for Fresh Fiction. So many authors write about their books or writing—and that’s fine. But, I’m thinking—it’s close to the holidays! Who’s got time to think about books when there are meals to be prepared and houses to clean and most of all, guests coming to your home? Seriously. Even now, your family may be preparing to descend upon you and yours, like D-Day, only with in-laws and cousins.  The most wonderful time of the year? For who? Apparently, it can be that way for you. Do you know, not everyone is up until 2:00 am the night before Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? (I know! It’s shocking.) There are some things which can be…

And it has always been that way. Not because we are doing anything stressful. What can be stressful about seeing family and friends? Okay, let me rephrase that—what can be stressful about seeing friends? The truth of the matter is that it isn’t a bad thing to try and do too much. It isn’t bad to push ourselves a bit or do a little extra. These shorter days beg for us to do something especially cheerful. But what is bad to not take our time and enjoy the doing of it. One of the ways I de-stress is with books. Hey, books are the best entertainment bang for under twenty dollars—many times less than five. If you go to your library, they are free. Reading helps you keep real worries and fears in perspective or gives you insights into other people’s lives that you can apply to your own, even in fiction. Perhaps I should say most always in fiction. I always feel revitalized after spending time with characters I love. Plus, I’m one of those read-at-bedtime people. It’s “me” time at the end of a long day. Right now, I’m helping Sid Halley solve a murder in a Dick…

Win gifts and prizes picked to compliment the season from several fabulous authors, including: CARLY PHILLIPS, JILL MARIE LANDIS, KARYN WITMER, PAT WHITE, VICKI LEWIS THOMPSON, ROWENA CHERRY, JULIANNE MACLEAN, JANA DELEON, SANDRA HILL, SUSANNA CARR, SUSAN MALLERY, SUSAN STEPHENS, JANE PORTER, SUNNY, and more!!! Don’t miss out on the great opportunity to get gift cards, ornaments, fabulous packages, ALL BEFORE CHRISTMAS! Enter today and check your email on DECEMBER 15th to see if you won! Happy Holidays from Carly Phillips – A $15 Amazon Gift Card for you to use to buy books in time for the holidays along with Digger the Dog, the canine star of Cross My Heart, and your choice of a signed Carly Phillips book Enter Rowena Cherry’s TAKE AN ALIEN TO BED Contest for Godiva Chocolate! Win a SHOPPING SPREE from Vicki Lewis Thompson! Pat White wants to help you make your own holidays brighter — with a $20 gift card to Border Books and Music! Julianne MacLean is giving away a historical romance coffee mug PLUS a signed copy of SURRENDER TO A SCOUNDREL! A holiday bonanza! Five winners in all! Each gets a personalized autographed copy of Jana DeLeon’s RUMBLE ON THE…