FREE! A HOLIDAY ANTHOLOGY (VOLUME 2)

A Holiday Anthology (Volume Two)

A Collection of Winter Holiday Tales

 

Please join us in reading this fantastically diverse FREE collection of stories to warm your heart while you wait for the kids, the oven to buzz, on a 15-minute break from work, or when you just need to hide for ten minutes from everyone! Every story is PG,but a few have a hint of zing.

The calendar on the wall says 2014 but the holidays are a magical time where anything is possible when it comes to romance. Prepare to travel through snow or to a tropical setting with a little dash of fantasy sprinkled in to make your holiday reading enjoyable. This heart-warming collection of all new, very short stories is our way of saying happy holidays to you.

A Night to Remember by Dee Ann Palmer
 

It was the worst Christmas Eve Marlee had ever lived through. Providing she did live through it, she thought. People who longed for a white Christmas obviously didn’t expect it to come with a power outage and a blizzard like she was creeping along in in her old Nissan.

Squinting to see, she switched the heat to the front and rear windshields. If she didn’t reach her house soon, the wipers wouldn’t be able to cut through the ice forming there. The snow had thickened and the temperature had dropped in the last thirty minutes.

“You had to have a tree. Going out in a blizzard to get that puny thing in the backseat masquerading as a Christmas tree was moronic,” she scolded herself.

&

THE GIFT OF TIME by Rose Anderson

“Rose is a multi-published, award-winning author and dilettante who loves great conversation and discovering interesting things to weave into stories. She lives with her family and small menagerie amid oak groves and prairie in the rolling glacial hills of the upper Midwest. Possessing an active imagination, she writes everything from children’s stories to historical non-fiction.”

FRANKIE'S WISH by Jennifer Garcia

Jennifer believes in writing love stories that connect families and touch hearts. Her first novel, My Mr. Manny, was released August 2013 and her first novella, In My Mother’s Footsteps, was released July 2013.

A KISS AT MIDNIGHT by Lily Bishop

Lily Bishop lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense, and has published two books in the City Lights series, No Strings Attached and Under His Protection. She is working on the third book now.

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER by Dee Ann Palmer

In every age the heart loves, and Dee Ann Palmer's romances reflect those eras in fantasy, historic, contemporary and futuristic tales. The award winning Palmer is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America and belongs to the Los Angeles chapter of Sisters in Crime.

MARJA'S VICTORY By Barb Caffrey

Barb Caffrey is a writer, editor, book reviewer and musician from the Midwest. She is the author of the humorous urban fantasy/romance AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE, and is the co-author of the Adventures of Joey Maverick series (with late husband Michael B. Caffrey).

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS by Beverley Bateman

Beverley Bateman is a Canadian author of several books who loves traveling, good wine and a mystery. She lives with her husband and two Shiba Inu dogs among vineyards and orchards set in lake country and surrounded by mountains – beaches, swimming and skiing.

GINGERBREAD DREAMS by Victoria Adams

Victoria Adams is a romance writer, dividing her writing between contemporary romance and New Adult contemporary romance. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and kitten, Licorice. She likes to study Raqs Sharqi (Egyptian belly dance), garden, and bake.

CHE GELIDA MANINA by M. S. Spencer

Although she has lived or traveled in every continent except Antarctica and Australia (bucket list), M. S. Spencer has spent the last thirty years mostly in Washington, D.C. as a librarian, Congressional staff assistant, speechwriter, editor, birdwatcher, kayaker, policy wonk, non-profit director and parent. She has two fabulous grown children, and currently divides her time between the Gulf coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine. Ms. Spencer has published nine romantic suspense novels.

ROMANCE VALLEY by Kaye Spencer

Native Coloradoan Kaye Spencer writes romances from her basement hovel in a small, rural town in the far southeastern corner of Colorado—no mountains in sight—just prairie dogs, buffalo grass, and glorious prairie sunsets. While drawn to cowboys and the Old West, all genres are within her story-crafting realm. Retired from a long career in public education that included teaching through a community college outreach program, Kaye is enjoying being a full-time writer and spoiler of grandchildren. Kaye is also afflicted with ACD—Accumulative Cat Disorder—with no cure in sight.

THE CHRISTMAS EVE GIFT by Janis Susan May

Janis Susan May is a seventh-generation Texan and a third-generation wordsmith who writes mysteries as Janis Patterson, romances and other things as Janis Susan May, children’s books as Janis Susan Patterson and scholarly works and non-fiction as J.S.M. Patterson. Janis and her husband live in Texas with an assortment of rescued furbabies.

TROPICAL CHRISTMAS by Gemma Juliana

GEMMA JULIANA is a multi-published author who lives in an enchanted cottage in north Texas with her handsome hero, teen son and a comical dog. She loves making new friends and hearing from readers. Exotic coffee and chocolate fuel her creativity.

A KISS AND A PROMISE by Lyndi Lamont

Lyndi Lamont is the racy alter ego of author Linda McLaughlin, who writes historical and Regency Romance. Since becoming Lyndi Lamont, she has discovered that writing sexy romance is a license to be naughty, at least between the pages of a book.

A COWBOY'S HOLIDAY by E. Ayers

E. Ayers is a multi-published and best-selling author of western and contemporary romances. Her books are never too sweet or too hot. She writes down the middle.

It is available for FREE at

will be available at Barnes & Noble, Apple, and Kobo.

Last year's anthology is also available at

and

 

MY SEXY SATURDAY - DEE ANN PALMER

CHRISTIANA'S CHOICE - FINALLY OUT AND AVAILABLE FOR KINDLE, NOOK, AND ON SMASHWORDS. SOON TO BE FOUND ON ARe, SONY AND KOBO.

 

                My Sexy Saturday Blog Hop  takes you to free reads from authors. Chat with other authors and readers on https://www.facebook.com/group/MySexySaturday


EXCERPT - from Christiana's Choice

Seated in a chair near the fire, Christiana was clad in a filmy nightdress that buttoned up under her chin and at her wrists. Fortunately an over-tunic of heavier material protected her modesty somewhat. A nightcap covered her loose hair, revealing only the tips of her curls. She’d tucked her legs up under her nightwear, but he could see the toes of one foot. Her feet were bare.
 

At the sight of her, something sweet and mysterious stirred inside Rowan. He pushed it aside. It immediately occurred to him that he should not be with her when she was in her nightwear, and he was well aware that he wore nothing except an over-tunic and footwear. But there was such an air of innocence about her, such a naturalness, that he didn’t wish to frighten her by bolting.
 

“I am sorry, Lady Christiana, I did not realize anyone was here.” He turned to leave.

“Stay, Sir Rowan. I see you couldn’t sleep either.” The firelight cast flickering shadows on her face...

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MY SEXY SATURDAY - IN EVERY AGE THE HEART LOVES

These free reads begin here, then hop to http://mysexysaturday.blogspot.com for the work of other authors. We select 7 words, sentences or paragraphs that are sexy in one way or another.

In the scene below, Don Miguel Navarro has completed a cooling, restful swim in pond after a tiring day on his vast rancho. He joins his land manager for the ride back to the hacienda.

“I am not anxious to return to the house. Let’s take it at a walk,” Miguel said.

Stalking Elk nodded.

Riding side by side, they traveled in silence for a time, and then the older man, who had worked for Miguel’s father, spoke, his voice tinged with disgust. “I caught Señorita Valdez trying to peek, Jefe. I sent her away.”

Stalking Elk always called him Jefe—chief—rather than don.

“Ah, Señorita Rosita Valdez,” Miguel replied.

Shaking his head, he sighed at the thought of the hot, turbulent méjicano. Peeking was so like her. Inwardly he smiled, but it was a dry smile. Even when he was younger, and free, he hadn’t sampled what Rosita had hinted he could have. Although he admitted he’d come close once, in the days after his parents, aunt and uncle had been massacred in a raid by marauding Indians three years earlier. Led by a rogue Paiute warrior named Red Hawk, the group of outcast Indians and whites had swept down through the mountain pass to the north, stealing cattle and horses, slaughtering men and women in their path.

Miguel had been in El Pueblo, and the shock of returning to find his parents dead had cloaked his mind in a miasma of anger, pain, and helplessness. The burden of running the ranch had settled with sudden heaviness on his young shoulders, and he had almost, but not quite, yielded to Rosita’s charms.

Available now on Amazon, Nook, All Romance eBooks and Smashwords

MY SEXY SATURDAY - MIDNIGHT RIDER

My seven sexy paragraphs are from MIDNIGHT RIDER, a re-release of my2004 Amber Heat Contest winner, DARK STRANGER. It will be out soon.  The story is set in early California, the same period as WHERE EAGLES CRY.
Dee Ann Palmer


It was Rafael who stopped. 
 
Her eyes flew open.

"Do you want me, Jenny?"

She stared at him. Did she want him? She ached for release. Her heart raced because she wanted him so much.

"Say it, Jenny, tell me you want this." One hand moved to stroke a nipple, the other moved to massage the tiny spot that would bring her once more to the mountain top."Say it, Jenny."

The tumult was rising again under the stroking fingers, and all she had to do was ask. But she remembered the name he had cried in the night, and her mind told her that this was not what she wanted. For herself or for him. She had saved his life, but when she had made herself vulnerable in that exotic moment of loving him, it was another woman's name he had called out. Did she want him? God knew, she did. But not just for sex. Having been married to one man, engaged to another, she'd learned that this act was only part of a relationship between a man and a woman. Rafael didn't love her, would never marry her, and sex fell far short of all that she wanted from him. Wanted for him.
 
Her voice shook, but she knew what her response had to be. If there was anything that could be said of this man, it was that he was a man of honor. She counted on that as she spoke. "Stop. Please stop." 

FOR MORE FREE READS SEE http://www.mysexysaturday.blogspot.com
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ON WRITING THE SHORT STORY

Short stories run from 1,000 to 15,000 words. I share thoughts on it by Edgar Alan Poe—an expert—shared by author and teacher Louisa Bacio: 

We allude to the short prose narrative, requiring from a half-hour to one or two hours in its perusal. The ordinary novel is objectionable, from its length, for reasons already stated in substance. As it cannot be read at one sitting, it deprives itself, of course, of the immense force derivable from totality. Worldly interests intervening during the pauses of perusal, modify, annul, or counteract, in a greater or less degree, the impressions of the book. But simple cessation in reading would, of itself, be sufficient to destroy the true unity. In the brief tale, however, the author is enabled to carry out the fulness of his intention, be it what it may. During the hour of perusal the soul of the reader is at the writer's control. There are no external or extrinsic influences — resulting from weariness or interruption. (Poe, Review of Hawthorne -- Twice-Told Tales, from Graham's Magazine, May 1842, pp. 298-300.)

From Ernest Hemingway —
 
There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.

This past week it's been like drilling rock for me.

Happy writing!

Dee Ann

 

 

MY SEXY SATURDAY BLOG HOP - Dee Ann Palmer

ANOTHER SNIPPET FROM MY UPCOMING NOVEL, CHRISTIANA'S CHOICE

This scene is from the banquet at the close of the passage of arms tournament held by the Earl of Glastonbury.

"Sir Rowan du Veau of Normandy, the Dark Knight," the major domo's big voice boomed.

For a moment Christiana felt light headed when she saw him. The heavy silk under-tunic brushing his soft leather boots was blue, the color of his eyes. His over-tunic was a darker shade of blue that made a perfect frame for the lighter. He wore a sash of dark blue edged in silver, and he carried a sheathed dagger at his waist. His floor length tunic told her this mysterious man was of noble birth.

He moved with such ease yet exuded such power she caught her breath. He was clean shaven and had obviously bathed because his long blond hair spread loosely across his shoulders and gleamed in the torchlight.

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MY SEXY SATURDAY BLOG HOP

WELCOME!

Two weeks ago, I promised an excerpt from Christiana's Choice, my medieval novel I'm preparing to self publish this month. Instead, I substituted Where Eagles Cry because I went through the horror of discovering it was no longer on my PC. It wasn't until my husband suggested I look on our other two computers that I found it, but too late. Whew. I don't know how I deleted it from this one, but I did. Which says a great deal about always having a backup, doesn't it?

THE STORY

Christiana, only child and heir of the Earl of Gladsbury, binds her chest and dresses as a boy in denial of her womanhood. Instead, she longs to be a knight. Should the earl die in battle, she and Gladsbury would be at the mercy of the king. It’s not only time that she marry, but that she learn a noblewoman’s task of managing as well as defending a castle. Hoping to awaken her sensuality, the earl assigns her for defense lessons to his two most eligible knights, but will Christiana respond as he has hoped?

   In the excerpt scene, the earl is injured and Rowan, known as the Dark Knight, suggests they pray for him.

EXCERPT

Incense filled the hushed chapel, its scent as familiar and comforting as the ritual use of the holy water and the sign of the cross.

Christiana’s upturned face as Rowan turned to hand her the lighted shaft glowed in the soft light, as angelic as a fine painting. Their hands touched as he passed the candle to her, and he felt a small hot rush jolt through him that had nothing to do with the heat of the candle’s flame. He felt her start and knew she’d felt it too for her gaze locked on his own, her face a study in surprise. He held her gaze, fighting desire as it welled up inside him, creating the need to taste the sweetness of that innocent mouth, brush her eyelids with his kisses, crush her tight against him so she could feel how his body swelled with wanting.

Would her naked skin feel like silk beneath him, if he took her here, now, would the holy stillness be broken by her keening cries as his body brought her to heights of love she’d never known?

In the flickering candlelight and the scent-filled room hazy with smoke from the tapers, it was as if they were caught in their own moment in time, as if they were the only two people in the world.

WATCH FOR IT SOON FOR YOUR KINDLE OR NOOK

 

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