Where do you live and why? What is your profession, and do you enjoy it?
My daughter Hailey (she’s 10) and I live in the apartment above my business, The Library Cat Bookstore. We love it there and in the small town of Dickens. Especially at Christmastime!

We moved to Dickens five years ago, after the death of my husband, Hailey’s father, David. I was an editor at a publishing house prior to that. I’m happy at the bookstore, although it can be lonely at times. I’m attempting to write my first book—a romance—but I’m having trouble being inspired.

How would others describe you? Are they accurate?
I’m quiet and try to keep to myself. I have friends, mostly acquaintances, a group of other moms. It’s been hard. Losing my husband left a big hole in our lives. I’ve focused for the last five years on raising Hailey and running the bookstore. So, I think folks in Dickens would say I’m a mother and widow who works hard.

When you met John Gridley was it love at first sight?
No. Yes. Okay, let me explain… John literally crashed into me when we were visiting Gridley Meadows Christmas Tree Farm. Spilled an entire coffee all over me. He’s really good looking, so I was immediately attracted to him. Yeah, maybe say it was “lust” at first sight. Can I say that?

Was it love at first sight for him?
John admitted he tried to ignore me, but that I was “too darn cute.” You see I bought this huge Christmas tree. Way too big for my little car, so he delivered it. He totally wanted to see me again! We women know these things. *laughing*

What do you like most about John?
That’s an easy one, and it’s what surprised me most about him. He’s a very kind man. Gentle, even. Which is saying something considering he’s a big, burly guy. Lots of muscles! And—oh my God—he has these tattoos, starting on his neck... Suffice to say I was attracted to the “sexy man” part of him, but I fell in love with the genuine, thoughtful, big-hearted man he truly is.

What does he like most about you?
I don’t know. He does like my bookstore. Hahaha. He reads a lot of history. And honestly, he loves Hailey. But you asked about me. John often says he’s proud of the way I juggle being a single mom with owning a business, and now writing a book. Plus, I still have time to make him insanely good pie. *wink* It’s a private joke. You’ll have to read the book.

If you could travel anywhere where would you go?
I’m not going anywhere. I love Dickens at Christmastime. It’s the perfect little town. You should visit.

What’s one thing you’ve learned from your personal love story?
It’s okay to focus on me for a change. I can be a good mother, a business owner, AND still a woman deeply in love with a wonderful man.

How right you are, Heather! I love that you own a bookstore, and that you're trying to write a romance novel! They're a lot of fun to write and read!

Here's a little peek into Operation Snowball!

“Oh, wow, look at the line,” Heather exclaimed as they approached the entrance to the farm.

“What do you mean? We can still go, right?”

“Don’t worry. Let’s see if I can sneak around to where the workers park. We need to be near the back entrance anyway to deliver these books.”

Sure enough, there was a tight spot behind the barn.

“Yes,” Hailey exclaimed when Heather slipped in with her little sportster and shut off the engine.
Together they loaded boxes of books onto a handcart and started for the building.

Just as Heather reached the back door, it thrust open, popping the lid on her coffee cup, and spilling the full contents all over the front of her jacket. “Woah,” she cried, stunned to be soaked and steaming in the frosty morning air.

“Mom!”

“Sorry, I didn’t see you,” a deep masculine voice shocked Heather further. “Let me help.”

Suddenly, there were big man hands in work gloves, swiping at her clothes and patting down her chest. Coffee droplets splattered her face. “I’m fine. Really. It’s okay. Stop,” she yelled, swatting the stranger’s hands away.

Her gaze rose to assess the coffee-dumping culprit. Six foot something of hulking man. Dark hair, beard, wearing a red Gridley Meadows Farm sweatshirt with a black scarf.

Heather’s mouth fell open. Nothing, not even a breath, squeaked out as she gaped at him. He was drop-dead gorgeous. Strong features sharpened by concern. And his eyes? Dark grey, like an impending snowstorm.

Operation Snowball
Contemporary Romance
Christmas Comes To Dickens - Anthology

John Gridley hasn’t set foot on the family Christmas tree farm in years. He walked away from his legacy and the quaint New England town of Dickens. But when his father looks to end their private war and reaches out for help with the hectic holiday season, John agrees to return home. He expected to work hard, and to face the reasons he left home in the first place. What he didn’t expect was to crash into love at first sight.

Heather Murphy has been a widow and single mother for five years. She’s busy raising a rambunctious ten-year-old girl and running The Library Cat Bookstore. Yet an annual visit to Gridley Meadows Farm to find “the perfect Christmas tree” sparks more than holiday spirit. Can the handsome Army veteran with tattoos and rough edges truly heal her heart? And will the townsfolk cheer on the drifter and the pretty widow? Or will their meddling cause the relationship to flicker out like a bad string of lights?

A homecoming story of hope and redemption, where love hangs on holiday wishes and the fate of a missing cat named Snowball.

Christmas Comes To Dickens
Anthology
Contemporary Romance

Welcome to Dickens—a quaint New England town bustling with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming Christmas holiday. We have the annual tree lighting in the town square, a snowman building competition, ice skating on Grosvenor’s Pond, and horse-drawn sleigh rides. You’re welcome to cut down your own Christmas tree at Gridley Meadows, or join in the caroling on the Common.


Dickens offers an abundance of heartfelt wishes, a few much needed miracles, and—quite possibly—a touch of magic! Families reunite, new friends are made, and old flames take a second chance at happiness. All while celebrating this most joyful time of the year.



USA Today and Top 100 Best Selling & Award-Winning authors Nancy Fraser, Maddie James, Caroline Clemmons, Bonnie Edwards, Liz Flaherty, Kathryn Hills, Peggy Jaeger, Kathleen Lawless, Lucinda Race and Jan Scarbrough will fill your holiday stocking with ten brand new novellas ranging from sweet to sassy.
 
The CHRISTMAS COMES TO DICKENS romance anthology, which includes OPERATION SNOWBALL by Kathryn Hills, is only 99cents. Give yourself the gift of a Dickens holiday!​

Hello…Alicia Dean here. Myself and twelve other authors (13 total, get it? 😊) each wrote a spooky, suspenseful story in the ‘A Friday the 13th Story’ series. They are stand-alone but have recurring threads and they were all released on Friday, November 13th.
​
My contribution to the series is titled BLOOD AND BREAKFAST.

BLOOD AND BREAKFAST

Determined to boost the sagging ratings of her internet radio show, “A Dark Place,” murder junkie Sasha Gillette checks into the Talley House Bed and Breakfast in North Kingston, Rhode Island. She and her co-host plan to broadcast an episode about the murders that took place there thirteen years earlier on a Friday the 13th, when a man butchered his entire family.

Not long after Sasha arrives, the other guests begin to disappear. Has a killer from the past resurfaced or is there a copycat on the loose?

One of the lone survivors, Sasha finds herself trapped with a sadistic killer and, suddenly, murder isn’t as much fun as she thought.

BLOOD AND BREAKFAST: EXCERPT

“I’m going to look for her. It’s not okay that she’s been gone for hours when she said she’d be back in thirty minutes. Do you know where she was taking her walk?”

“I-in the woods.”

“Well, of course she was,” I muttered. “Agnes, do you have a flashlight I can borrow? And maybe something I can use for a weapon?”

Agnes nodded. “I’ll get you a flashlight. I have a hammer.”

Dorset rose as well. “I’ll go with you.” He cut his gaze to Bradley, but the dufus just sat there without volunteering to help. “Nothing, old chap? Not going to offer to come along?”

“I should stay here in case she comes back,” Bradley murmured but he didn’t look at them. Was he afraid…or feeling guilty?

I shivered when we stepped outside, drawing my hoodie tighter around my body. The nearly half full moon hovered in the cloudy sky behind the branches of a Tulip tree. Lightning flashed, illuminating the back yard. The icy air held the scent of rain. “We need to hurry,” I told Dorset. “It looks like it might storm.”

He nodded. “I’d say let’s split up to cover more ground, but with one flashlight and hammer, and with the odd happenings lately, maybe we should stick together.”

“Agreed.” My teeth chattered, though it wasn’t all that cold.

We walked along the wood line, shouting for Macy, shining the flashlight between the trees. Nothing. As if by mutual agreement, we entered the woods. I shuddered, not only concerned about a potential maniac, but also leery of whatever creatures might be scurrying around at my feet. I was a city girl and didn’t even own a pet. I was not okay with encountering an animal, of any kind.

We searched for another half hour with no sign of Macy. We were deep into the woods when the sky opened up and doused us with buckets of rain. Thunder rumbled and more lightning flashed. We gave up and hurried back to the house.

The others were waiting for us.

“Anything?” Bradley asked, his voice high-pitched with anxiety. He seemed much more concerned about Macy than he had been about his wife.

“Not a sign,” I said. “We need to call the police.”

“I did.” Agnes was seated in the forest green wing chair in the corner of the library. “They took the information but said she’s an adult and can leave any time she wants.” She rose. “We waited dinner for you. Let’s eat.”

A pall hung over the room as we ate in silence, the air thick with fear and confusion.

​Afterward, I excused myself and headed upstairs, anxiety weighing on me. I had an overwhelming feeling that I wouldn’t sleep a wink. Nor would anyone else.

BIO: ALICIA DEAN

Alicia Dean began writing stories as a child. At age 10, she wrote her first ever romance (featuring a hero who looked just like Elvis Presley, and who shared the name of Elvis’ character in the movie, Tickle Me), and she still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Alicia is from Moore, Oklahoma and now lives in Edmond. She has three grown children and a huge network of supportive friends and family. She writes mostly contemporary suspense and paranormal, but has also written in other genres, including a few vintage historicals.

Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley (she almost always works in a mention of him into her stories) and watching (and rewatching) her favorite televisions shows like Ozark, Dexter, Justified, Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, and Vampire Diaries. Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Stephen King, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.
 
Email: Alicia@AliciaDean.com
Website: http://aliciadean.com/
Blog: http://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAliciaDean/
Twitter: @Alicia_Dean_
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Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468339.Alicia_Dean

What was a concert with a name like "100% Chance of Rain" without a Noah?

Well, I can't tell you because we had one. He had a full beard, brown in color, kind eyes, wide hands, and a voice that poured like molasses.

Somehow my mom got him up on stage. His wife got him to build all the sets. It was quite impressive really. And real.



​
He has never sung solo since this concert. (Well, that isn't true. But I don't know how aware he was of the next time. For a later post...I promise.)

As we processed down the center aisle with our poster board animal suits slapping against our bodies, the melodious tones of his voice lifted through the hall. "Two by two" he sang.

It was the first time I bore witness to his kindness and generosity. He is an unassuming man, kind, but firm. He is the one behind the scenes, turning all the ideas my mom, Jo, and Grace had into things better than they imagined. All was done without complaint.

He will always be "Noah" to me, following God's word when no one else does.

He has only one flaw...he is a Steeler's fan. Well, in the Bible, Noah wasn't perfect either

So, Mom, Jo, and Grace did not stop creating after starting the nursery. Oh no, nothing could stop them now.

Their next big idea was a little thing called "Music and Arts Week". I am certain it was mostly Jo's idea, but Mom and Grace jumped on the creative, "be involved" bandwagon without hesitation.

It took place during the summer.......kill me now.


​
"Kara," says Mom, "there will be no whining. You are going to enjoy this and put a smile on your face, or there will be no outside when we get home."

This was an effective threat for me, so I pasted a big smile on my face and pretended the crafts, the music, and the "togetherness" were wonderful.

Jo was in charge of the lessons, and Mom was in charge of the music. We would rotate between different activities, making things for the big concert at the end of the week.

Our first program was called "100% Chance of Rain" and by the end of the third day, I was starting to genuinely enjoy myself. The music was awesome.

When we practiced for the concert, we did so on wood risers. I wore sandals so I could tap my feet to the music. The clacking sound echoed through the hall, and everyone could hear me keeping time to the song. I was quite pleased with the effect.

I also was chosen to play the xylophone for one of the songs. I felt pretty important, let me tell you.

With a theme like "100% Chance of Rain", you have probably guessed we were learning about Noah and the Ark. Part of our week was spent making costumes of various animals out of poster board, grocery sacks, and construction paper. We each got a partner and during the concert, processed down the aisle "Two by Two".

I was a turtle. I think Maria was a raccoon. I can't remember what Alex, Blossom, Georgie, and Jack were. Phillip and Roxi were rain drops. They were too young to be in the entire concert. So were Lela, Wendy, and Bill.

All in all, the week was a big success. By the end of it all, I thought this "big idea" was a pretty smart one. However, there was one unfortunate moment...

Mom made me wear tennis shoes during the concert.

This book bridges two separate series and was never planned. At the end of my Love at Christmas trilogy (3 novellas that straddle the Canada/US border) I had a leftover single dad who deserved to find a forever love. This cannot stand! (not in the world of romance writing/reading). He also needed to move to WA state so he could be near his daughters.

Meanwhile, I had planned on writing the fourth book in my Return to Welcome series, set in Welcome, WA, a town where memories are long, and grudges not forgotten. And gossip runs unchecked. Returning to Welcome is tricky and my three previous heroines run into a lot of trouble when they try.

Once I knew Max Whyte was moving to Welcome, I needed a heroine to return. And I needed her to bring a bag of troubles with her. Namely, a deadbeat ex, her adorable twins, and a totally inappropriate attraction to Max…the man who saved her son’s life and now employs her to renovate his home.

There are children on most pages of this story. The twins who are modelled on certain three-year-olds who are in my life, (some of the dialogue is straight out of their mouths) and Max’s early teen daughters (matchmakers and meddlers).

Max has decided to avoid single mothers and women who might want children so he can focus on being the best dad he can be to his girls. To avoid loneliness in a new country, new job and new town, he gets a dog. A poodle, based on my own Jackson.

Kaylin Simpson needs to be financially independent and to do that, she needs to get her fledgling business doing home renovations off the ground in a town that doesn’t remember her. She’s down to her last dollars when Max Whyte literally swoops in and saves her son’s life. And then, through a twist of fate, gives her a break and offers her a chance.

For a man who’s sworn off little kids, Max becomes entangled in ways he’s never dreamed but maybe…secretly wanted.

Christmas to the Max is a warm and funny story with humor and children and pets and life on every page. It’s pure escape. I needed escape when I wrote it and I hope I’m passing it on to readers. 

Do you have a favorite part?

There’s a scene where Max is trying to deny the pull he feels to get a dog. He’s staring at turning forty, alone. Everyone he knows has recently taken a second chance on love…and all he wants is a dog. Not too much to ask, right?

But then he meets Karen Bowler who runs Bowler Rescue. She’s blunt and strong-minded and none-too-sure that he meets her criteria for being a dog owner. Max is afraid he may not measure up. Now, more than ever, he’s determined to get the “guy’s dog” he wants.

She brings him a poodle instead. I laughed at a couple of scenes between Karen and Max…and Jackson, the dog. 

Is the book dedicated to anyone?This book is dedicated to my brother, Bob and my sister, Jaunice. Gone, but loved always. I'll see you both on the other side.

Christmas to the Max sounds extremely heart-warming, and I love that children are so well-featured! I can't wait to get cozy with this book during the holidays!

Can you share an excerpt?

Kaylin Simpson loved her twins. She truly, really, did. But some days she could scream until her throat collapsed and they wouldn’t hear a thing. She’d thought two two-year-olds were hard. Having three-year-olds was a brand-new level of hell. They talked back, got stubborn, and were more curious. And taller, stronger, capable of climbing onto chairs and getting into cupboards.

And they were faster.

It was being faster that would kill her one day. Or them. Whatever. Someone would be dead.

Right now, Brody was telling a little girl to go down the slide when she clearly didn’t want to. The poor child looked scared and Brody yelling in her ear wasn’t helping.

“Brody, please let the little girl take a breath so she’s not so scared. And DON’T PUSH!” But he did, and Kaylin dashed for the end of the slide to catch the wailing child.

Too late, she realized she’d taken her other eye off Taylor. She scooped up the girl before she landed on the ground, and then spun her head to scan for her other boy.

There. By the swings. “Taylor! Stop right THERE!” But he didn’t.

No, not her Taylor. He turned his head, glanced at her with a devilish grin and dashed for the road. Chase. He wanted to play chase.

In traffic.

Kaylin set the girl on her feet and ran after Taylor who’d already stepped onto the road. A car took the curve on Cross Street too quickly and Kaylin screamed her boy’s name. Screamed it again. And again…

A man, tall, dark-haired, and with broad shoulders got there just before Taylor ran headlong into the car’s path. Kaylin’s heart stalled and her eyes stung.

Gasping for breath, she nearly collided with the big man who cradled her son in his arms, his large palm covering Taylor’s head in a protective move. Taylor didn’t seem to understand what had happened until he looked up into the stranger’s face.

And screamed blue murder an inch from the man’s nose.

Christmas to the Max

A stand-alone Return to Welcome Novel: Christmas to the Max brings two charming and romantic series together! Max Whyte (Love at Christmas) moves to Welcome, WA. (Return to Welcome)

Max Whyte moves to Welcome WA to live closer to his daughters after their mother remarries. He wants to fix up an old home, settle into his new position at an IT firm, and try not to think about turning forty alone.

Burned by a single mother in the past, he vows not to get tangled with another woman with children. When he saves the life of a small boy, he finds himself tangled in more ways than he could imagine.

When the boy’s mother turns out to be the perfect person to do his renovations, Max has trouble keeping his personal feelings out of their employer/employee relationship.

Kaylin Simpson has returned to Welcome to give her boys the kind of home she wanted as a child. She needs a fresh, stable start and wants to run her own business. Her three-year-old twins keep her hopping, but after she finishes the renovations for Max, she hopes to have her life well in hand.

Max is drawn to Kaylin and her adorable twin boys. Her wit and feisty spirit pull at his heartstrings until he realizes being a stepfather is never what he wanted.

Christmas in Welcome can be a time to heal and move forward and Max and Kaylin must set aside their old hurts to allow love to blossom.

Bio: Bonnie Edwards

Author Bonnie Edwards lives with her husband and pets on the coast of British Columbia. She has written novels, novellas, and short stories for Kensington Books, Harlequin Books, Carina Press, and Robinson (UK) although now she publishes her work herself.

With four ongoing romance series and contemporary family novels in her newest series, Return to Welcome, she rarely spends a day without writing.

Bonnie’s Newsy Bits.
https://www.bonnieedwards.com/
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Let me tell you about the "Big Idea" ladies....

They make plans. They create. They talk. They eat. They pray.

They give you things to do, and find ways to ruin your perfect summer nights when you were playing kickball, or chasing lightning bugs to make you try on the costumes they'd just finished for the play they're going to make you do.

​
They raise money for your church. They make sure the PTA luncheon has the best food and the cutest party favors.

They also have substance. They are not trendy. They are not trying to be perfect. They are being mothers. Contributors. Helpers.

Growing up I had a hard time feeling proud of the stuff they made me do. As an adult, I have to say that I'm quite impressed by these women. One was my mother. The others were like my mothers.

I adore them, and they partly inspired Love's Promise.

Love's Promise is book six in the Texas Brides of Pike's Run series.

It tells the story of three women, Eliska Spencer, Sugar Freemont and Cora Ann Carter, who are casting aside their tainted past to achieve their dreams. They open a bakery together and each are looking for a sense of belonging and purpose in their lives.

They don't expect to fall in love, but they do, which, after a little hardship, enriches their happiness in ways they never thought possible.

I loved writing this book. I loved delving into the personalities of these women, creating three individual characters who took risks, made mistakes and created something bigger than they thought possible.

They are "Big Idea" ladies in the truest form....

Love's Promise
Texas Brides of Pike's Run Series
Historical Romance

​When Eliska Spencer opens a bakery in Pikes Run with her friends, Cora Ann Carter and Sugar Fremont, no one suspects the women aren't what they seem.

Jonas Boswell is enchanted by Sugar Fremont. He fights the attraction, not wanting to risk his heart after experiencing the death of his first wife. Falling in love again has never seemed possible or safe. But then Sugar appears with her bouncing, red curls and shining, blue eyes, and he is lost.

Thomas Miller gives females a wide berth. After living with three sisters, he finds women frustrating and irritating. And Cora Ann Carter is no exception. However, her feisty nature and bold curves draw him in until he doesn't recognize himself. It's all he can do not to drag her down the aisle.

Reverend Aidan Black had his heart broken many years ago. He swore off women and made his flock his priority. Then Eliska Spencer crosses his path. She is kind. And gentle. And giving. His heart melts, and he is powerless against her. He vows to make her his own.

But the ladies’ past looms, invading their future and stealing their happiness. All the women want is to love and be loved. Can they achieve their dreams, or will the men in their lives prove too stubborn to forgive their past?