Authors, authors... of All I Want for Christmas is a Cowboy

...read all about them !!

 

All I Want for Christmas is a Cowboy

By: Katie Lane, Emma Cane & Jennifer Ryan

5 stars all around !!!!! 

 

Blurbs

What’s better than Christmas? Christmas and Cowboys. Contemporary romance stars Emma Cane, Jennifer Ryan, and Katie Lane join together for a holiday anthology to remember.

“The Christmas Cabin” by Emma Cane
Sandy, recently diagnosed with MS and abandoned by her husband, is determined to make Christmas special for her five-year-old Nate. While they’re trooping through the woods to cut down their Christmas tree, a snowstorm arises, and a mysterious old ranch hand points them toward an abandoned cabin. Little do they realize, the ranch hand also guides cowboy Doug Thalberg to the same place…

My Review:

What a great Christmas Story, short and sweet.  I loved it!  I have to admit when I read the prologue, It gave me a weary feeling and I got a bit worried that it might not be a happy ending story but  my thoughts were changed pretty quickly.  I was pleasantly surprised by this heartfelt love story and one could only be so lucky to have such great Christmas memories to share year after year. 

I loved the way the family gathered around to listen to the whole story, same as they do every year.  Made me feel like I was right there with them.

Great, great story Emma Cane.  You are a new author to me but I plan on looking up more of your stories about the Silver Creek Ranch in Valentine Valley !! 

 

“Can’t Wait” by Jennifer Ryan
Before The Hunted series, Caleb and Summer had a whirlwind romance not to be forgotten...
Caleb Bowden has a lot to thank his best friend, Jack, for - saving his life in Iraq and giving him a job helping him run his family’s ranch. He also introduced him to the most incredible woman he’s ever met. Too bad he can’t ask her out. You do not date your best friend’s sister. Summer and Caleb share a closeness she’s never felt for anyone, but the stubborn man refuses to turn the flirtatious friendship into something meaningful. Frustrated and tired of wishing to be happy, Caleb tells Jack how he feels about Summer. With his friend’s help, he plans a surprise Christmas proposal she’ll never forget - because he can’t wait to make her his wife.

 

My Review:

I LOVE strong military men.  Stubborn and sexy.  Caleb is all that and a bag of chips!  I'll take one of him please !!

There almost aren't words....this story made me ache for Caleb and Summer. That poor girl practically pouring her heart out every time she was with Caleb and him struggling to stay true to his friendship with Jack. 

I couldn't have been more pleased with how the story developed and loved how the whole family got brought into the mix eventually.  By chapter 12, I was fighting off the tears. 

What a truly great love story Ms. Jennifer Ryan.  I can't wait to read on from this story into your series! 

“Marry Christmas” by Katie Lane
Alana Hale is tired of irresponsible beach bums whose only plan for the future is catching the next “awesome” wave. So when she tries her luck with an internet dating service and ends up hitting the Responsible-Sensitive-Man jackpot, she wastes no time accepting Clint McCormick’s invitation to spend the holidays on his family’s ranch. But when an unexpected blizzard strands Alana, she’ll be forced to find refuge in the arms of a womanizing rodeo cowboy who knows how to take the chill off a cold winter night. Now Alana will have to make a choice between the man who heats her blood and the man who touches her heart. Or will she? Mistaken identity will give Alana the man of her dreams and a very “Marry” Christmas.

My Review: 

Katie Lane, thank you for writing such a fantastic story!  I am such a mushy romantic fan but I'm also a diehard cowboy lover and this....well this story was right up my alley all the way !  I swear I caught myself laughing like a giddy school girl more than once :) 

I loved this story for all the obvious reasons, Christmas...sexy cowboys...stubborn women...but also for another not so obvious(to anyone else) reason, and that being that I met my hubby online.  First it was just emails and then gradually getting to texts.  The picture I had of him was so goofy looking that it made me nervous at the thought of meeting him but I also couldn't imagine not meeting him in person.  Thank you so much for reminding me of one of the most wonderful memories in my life :)

Loved the confusion and mix-ups with the two brothers and as I read, I hoped and hoped it would actually turn out like I was thinking all along.   Very well written and a great storyline !  You made me want to get stranded, then found and hidden away in a cozy cabin.   Can't wait to read more of your stories !!


*****

Buy Links:     Amazon       B&N         iTunes

 

Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/11/now-booking-tasty-virtual-book-tour-for_14.html

 

Author Info

EMMA CANE grew up reading and soon discovered that she liked to write passionate stories of teenagers in space. Her love of “passionate stories” has never gone away, although today she concentrates on the heartwarming characters of Valentine, her fictional small town in the Colorado Rockies. Now that her three children are grown, Emma loves spending time crocheting and singing (although not necessarily at the same time), and hiking and snowshoeing alongside her husband Jim and two rambunctious dogs Apollo and Uma

http://www.emmacane.com/

 ***** 

JENNIFER RYAN, author of The Hunted Series, writes romantic suspense and contemporary small-town romances.
Jennifer lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three children. When she isn’t writing a book, she’s reading one. Her obsession with both is often revealed in the state of her home, and how late dinner is to the table. When she finally leaves those fictional worlds, you’ll find her in the garden, playing in the dirt and daydreaming about people who live only in her head, until she puts them on paper.
Please visit her website at www.jennifer-ryan.com for information about upcoming releases.
Follow her on:
Twitter: @JenRyan_author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Ryan/520021168037391?ref=hl

http://www.jennifer-ryan.com/

 *****

KATIE LANE started writing in fifth grade when she wrote a fictional story about being a skirt.(yes, you read that correctly. The story was told in first-skirt rather than first-person.) Since then, she’s stuck to telling stories about people. Going Cowboy Crazy is her first novel in the Deep in the Heart of Texas series. Katie lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her high school sweetheart and can be contacted through her website www.katielanebooks.com

 

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Author, author... Incarnation by Susan Nolan

...read all about it !!!

Welcome, so great to have you here with us.  Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I moved to Canada from England at the age of five and love to visit back when I have a chance.  Travelling is something I do whenever I can and I have enjoyed visits to various locations on four continents. I have had a career in public education and spent a number of years as a school librarian where I developed my love for young adult fiction.  My family is the most important thing to me.

 

 

Do real life events find their way into your stories?

My settings are sometimes drawn from places I have seen or been but I have to confess that I am guilty of completely fabricating my characters. 

 

 

Do you ever mimic family members or people you know when you choose characters?

No, although the animals do exist! “Daisy”, from my recent novel Incarnation, is a dog that was owned by a friend of mine, and even though I changed the breed, her lively spirit is the same. “Diesel”, another dog I love, is featured in the current apocalyptic fantasy I am working on.

 

 

Do you find yourself going back to the same inspiration for each story or is it always something different?

Something different in the way of events and characters but the elements of fantasy are usually there.

 

 

When do you write?  Early morning? During the day sometime or all day?  After the kids go to bed?

I love to write after I have been out walking.  I find a lot of inspiration in just getting in touch with the universe!

 

 

How do you feel about marketing your book?

I am a fairly private person… I love to share stories but letting people in to my real life is not so comfortable.

 

 

What social sites do you feel work best for marketing?

Sorry… I am a bit clueless here. I am a regular FB user and do plan on setting up a Twitter account and perhaps a blog.

 

 

Do you like to pitch stories to your publisher or do you wait until you have written the story and have a final manuscript to turn in?

As a first time author, I submitted a full manuscript.  I hope to develop a relationship with a publisher where ideas could be discussed beforehand.

 

 

Is there any other genre that you would love to try writing?  If so, what is it?

Oh yes!  I love mysteries… especially ones with a lot of psychological drama.

 

 

Do you always/ever see yourself as the heroine/hero when you write a story?

I don’t think that my main characters are really me… but I do love getting to know them as they evolve.

 

 

Just for fun, I have a few personal questions,  

Favorite 5

1)        Favorite Male Actor  - Daniel Day-Louis

2)        Favorite vehicle - Jeep

3)        Favorite way to relax - Read

4)        Favorite ice cream – Black Cherry

5)        Favorite outfit -  Sweats or Jeans

And for a bonus:  If you could pick any place in the world to live, besides where you are now, where would it be?  (Of course, without the hindrance of jobs or money needed)

I was born in England and would move back there in a heartbeat if I didn’t have so many personal connections in Canada.

 

Where can our readers find you?? 

Email: sue_thomas@bell.net

  

Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?

My first novel, Incarnation, is published by Evernight Teen and can be found on their website as well as at Amazon.com and Createspace.  I publish under my maiden name, Susan Nolan.

Blurb:

Katherine Blair has no idea she possesses supernatural abilities. Not until Richard St. James, an intriguing and mysterious classmate with powerful skills of his own, initiates her into his world.  Wanting to explore her newfound shape-shifting powers, she spends time getting to know Richard, only to find herself increasingly drawn to him as time goes by.

Haunted by dreams of ancient times, she is caught in a desperate struggle against past injustice. The link to this unknown past experience sends her own life plummeting into the dark realms of revenge and murder, as she attempts to reconcile her feelings for the young man she’s come to rely on to protect her and keep their shared secret.

Will Katherine and Richard be able to break the spell that has held her captive through the years, before it consumes her? Can their budding young love survive tragedy, or will they be torn apart?

Book links:      Amazon     Goodreads

One last thing before we let you leave us today.   Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share?  I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share.

Crab CAkes

 Ingredients:

 

1 egg

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 tablespoon minced green onions

8 ounces crabmeat (2 cans of 120 grams)

1/2 cup crushed buttery round crackers

1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1.     In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, mayonnaise, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, tarragon, and scallions. Gently stir in crabmeat, being careful not to break up meat. Gradually mix in cracker crumbs, adding until desired consistency is achieved.

2.     Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Form crab mixture into 4 patties. Place patties in skillet, and cook until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes on each side.

 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Susan, thanks so much for spending time with us today, it was an extreme pleasure and my teen is beyond excited to read this one !!!  We're also thrilled for the Crab Cakes recipe....sounds like a good New Years Eve treat :)

To all you YA readers out there, get this one today !!!  You won't be sorry.    Here are the links again just for convenience :)  

Book links:      Amazon     Goodreads



Until next time, happy reading !!

Krista

Author, author... Xandra James with Dirty Tricks !!

 

**Welcome Xandra, so great to have you here with us.  Can you tell us a little about yourself?

 

Thank you for allowing me to visit! Right, I'm a multi-published, British author of paranormal and contemporary romance. I'm married with cats, and have been writing 'properly'  (i.e. trying not to slack off and pry myself from the internet everyday to get word count!) for the last 3 years or so.

 

**Do real life events find their way into your stories?

Funny you should say that, because up until my last book – Dirty Tricks – I've have said not so much. But there's one particular scene in the book that's inspired by my husband. It's the scene in Chapter two where Cat scares Jay out of his sleep. Yes, this is inspired by a real life event, LOL. (and I've included it as an excerpt, below!)

 

 

**Do you ever mimic family members or people you know when you choose characters?

I find the best villains in books take aspects you dislike about the people around you. I've been inspired to write some real…nasty people in the past. And yes, all thanks to those I've come in contact with over the years, LOL.

 

 

**Do you find yourself going back to the same inspiration for each story or is it always something different?

I'm not a very visual person, but I have a picture of Hugh Jackman that I use for most of my heroes… I just change the appearance to suit the character and plot! But yes, there's always something different to be inspired by and I try to mix it up a little every time.

 

 

**When do you write?  Early morning? During the day sometime or all day?  After the kids go to bed?

I used to be a nightowl. My most creative was late at night or throughout the night. Now? I'm old, LOL. If I'm writing into the early morning, I'm dead for the whole of the next day. I prefer to get up early and work through the morning. After a cup of caffeine, of course.

 

 

**How do you feel about marketing your book?

It's a necessary evil. I dislike pushing my books on all and sundry and prefer just to put my head down and writer another one. Unfortunately, I have to attempt to be social!

 

 

**What social sites do you feel work best for marketing?

For marketing? Probably facebook. It has a much higher engagement ratio, in my experience. But my favourite social outlet is twitter because you can do as much or as little as you want and still give your followers bite size chunks of you.

 

 

**Do you like to pitch stories to your publisher or do you wait until you have written the story and have a final manuscript to turn in?

In the past I've always written the manuscript then submitted it. But I wouldn't be adverse to pitching then writing, although I am more of a punster so an outline may go a little awry!

 

 

 

**Is there any other genre that you would love to try writing?  If so, what is it?

Horror romance. There's something about scaring the pee out of someone and still having a happily ever after that appeals to me! Or maybe I'm just odd…

 

 

**Do you always/ever see yourself as the heroine/hero when you write a story?

No, not really. I usually envision my heroine with a trait or two of mine, but apart from that they're totally unique.

 

**Just for fun, I have a few personal questions, 

Favorite 5

1)        Favorite Male Actor  - Hugh Jackman or Leonardo DiCaprio

2)        Favorite vehicle – Ooh, an Aston Martin DB9

3)        Favorite way to relax – Spending it with my hubby and cats. Having a laugh, with some nice food – bliss!

4)        Favorite ice cream – I love a good, soft, creamy vanilla ice-cream. I don't think you can beat it.

5)        Favorite outfit – Jeans and something. I love to be comfortable and would happily go everywhere in them if I could!

**And for a bonus:  If you could pick any place in the world to live, besides where you are now, where would it be?  (Of course, without the hindrance of jobs or money needed)

Venice is one of the most inspiring places I've ever visited so that would be up on my list of places. Also, I'd love to give somewhere metropolitan a go, too. Maybe Paris or New York.

 

Where can our readers find you?? 

Email: xandrajames@rocketmail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/XandraJames

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xandrajames

Website/blog: http://www.xandrajames.com/

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B006OKABMW

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5356480.Xandra_James

 

Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?

Dirty Tricks is my current release and it's a contemporary, romantic comedy novella. And you can currently get it Free at most vendors.

 

 

 

BLURB:

 

She wanted revenge. He wanted her.

Cat was desperate, but pretending to be a ghost to stop the renovation on the neighbouring manor house was a new low even for her. All she needed to do, though, was slow down the renovation and figure out a way to make the owner pay for stealing her family home years before. Simple.

Everything was perfect until a new guy arrived on site, turning her plans for revenge upside down, and her body to a puddle of lusty mush. But when she finds out the secret he's been keeping, will their attraction be strong enough to hold them together? Or will family ties tear them apart?

Warning: This story contains a large orange cat called Elvis, a fake ghost called Cat, a sizzling hot romance, and may cause you to crack a smile.

All Amazon stores

KOBO

Barnes & Noble –

Smashwords

All Romance eBooks

Apple

 

Excerpt:

(Setting the scene - Cat wants to scare Jay the way she's been doing everyone else at the old Manor House… but she doesn't count on his reaction!)

 

Cat closed the small door firmly but quietly, and switched to a tiny peephole located next to the door so she could still keep an eye on him, and stay hidden from view. Cat grinned, almost laughing as she prepared herself for what she was about to do. She counted to three, took a deep breath in, and screamed as loud as she'd ever done in her life.

Jay shot out of his sleeping bag, momentarily getting his feet tangled in it’s confines, then he was out and sprinting in the direction of the bedroom door before she'd even been able to draw breath again. It was all she could do to clamp her jaw shut to stop from laughing out loud. He flung open the bedroom door, then he stopped dead. Turning to look back at where he'd come from, his eyes were frantic and his face white.

Cat almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"I know it was you." His voice was shaky and she muffled her laugh again. Jay coughed and she watched as he clenched and unclenched his fists about ten times. "You caught me unawares, very funny." He took a couple of steadying breaths.

"I'm going over to your house. If I don't find you, I'll be calling the police." Now that made her quit laughing. He wouldn't dare, would he? She watched him closely as he peered around the room, checking behind the door.

Cat scrambled away from the peephole and down the tunnel whilst she had the chance. Knowing the place like the back of her hand, she took the steps down to the ground floor two at a time, the damp smelling stone walls barely registering. Cat didn't even make a sound as she ran smack-dab into a cluster of webs, resisting the urge to squeal at possible spiders clinging to her hair. His footsteps pounded against the wood above her as he ran down the stairs and she knew he was gaining ground. Damn it.

The last leg of the tunnel was pure damp blackness at this time of night, and she had to force herself to keep moving forward as quickly as she could. Her hands grazed the rough, stone sides as she run fast, not slowing until she saw the small opening. Pushing through, she found herself in front of the old oak tree in the garden.

Looking around, she was still alone. She climbed through the small, broken fence and into her garden. Cat had barely shut her back door and picked up Elvis, who was yowling for food while clawing at the kitchen cupboard, when the banging started at her front door.

"Shit," she said, frightening the cat. He dropped from her arms and scarpered up the curtain to perch precariously on the lounge door, watching her with wide eyes.

Cat tried slowing her rapid breath for a moment. She was wrecked and proclaimed herself too old to be running. Her legs felt like jelly and the intense pinching pain in her side made her want to curl up in a heap on the floor and die. Instead, she switched on the hallway light, illuminating the long narrow throughway. Cat ran her shaky hands down her old vest and shorts, rubbing off small particles of house dust and grime she'd accumulated in her trek. Finally, she stepped to the front door and opened it.

His hands gripped the door frame and his large physique filled the doorway. He was livid. Two splotches of red sat high on his cheeks and his t-shirt clung to his chest. Cat's eyes lingered a moment too long on that chest before she remembered her manners and made herself look up into his face.

"I suppose you think this is funny?"

Cat caught the aroma of his aftershave and tried to dampen down her unwanted excitement. "I don't know what you mean."

"Like hell, lady." Jay pushed his hair back away from his face. Beads of sweat gathered at his temple. "I know what you've been doing. And it's stops. Now."

"As I said, Mr., call me Jay, I don't know what you're talking about. Now if you'll leave, it's very late." Cat tried to push at the door, but Jay held his hand against it to stop its progress and pushed back, stepping inside the house, and glaring down at her from over six feet to her five foot four inches. The perspiration that had started with her running, now felt like a river down her spine and the valley between her breasts.

His face relaxed and his blue eyes, once dancing with ice, were now the colour of the Caribbean sea. It made her uncomfortable and she stepped back slightly, completely aware of how sexually attracted she was to him, despite the situation.

"So how come," Jay bent down towards her face, his lips mere inches from hers, "You've got more spider guts in your hair than any sane woman should have?"

Cat's eyes widened. She did the spider dance; running on the spot, shaking her head, and altogether embarrassing herself. She couldn't help it after, psychologically or not, feeling her scalp crawl.

A smug smile flashed back at her after bearing witness to her mini spider seizure.

"I'm still denying it," Cat grumbled, knowing she'd been had.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." His arms were around her waist in seconds and his lips found hers in a crushing kiss that made her knees wobble.

His tongue zoned in on its target and zapped her mind clean of any thought. Before her brain started working again, she was kissing him back. Man, she'd been too long without a man. Strong arms held her against him and she definitely wasn't resisting.

If her legs felt like jelly before, they were positively mush now.

Her fingers crept into his dirty blonde hair, the silkiness making her shiver in delight. Pushing herself against him, she couldn't quite get as close as her body commanded. They were both breathing heavy as her hands finally found the hem of his t-shirt and lifted. She didn't stop, taking it all the way over his head.

Cat realised that shirtless he was sensational. She would’ve given thanks to the god of pecs if she didn't want to chew on him so bad it hurt. Her hands explored his chest and his mouth kept on devouring her own.

She didn't want it to end—ever. His touch was bliss, his hard body divine, and those eyes? She could lose herself forever and never want to escape.

Jay lifted her legs to hug his waist and she barely wasted a moment in thinking she shouldn't have eaten those extra three Oreo cookies. He was hard against her and she was totally ready for him.

He had her pushed against her hallway wall, his hands exploring her breasts under her t-shirt, his tongue doing amazing things to her neck when he stopped.

It took Cat a few moments to notice that everything had halted as she was so far into him. And then he was gently pulling her top down and lowering her to the floor.

He grabbed his t-shirt and hesitated at the still open doorway. "Quit trespassing," he said softly, not looking around at her, before stepping out into the night and disappearing down her driveway.

Catching her breath and straightening her mussed up hair, she willed her wayward heart to slow down.

Well, shit. That definitely wasn't part of the plan.