Tales of Christmas

by Bethany Maines

In 2017 a Romance novelist friend of mine invited me to be part of an anthology of holiday novellas as part of a marketing event.  I said, “Of course!” Did I have a holiday novella?  No, I did not.  Was it September when she asked and all content was due in November?  Yes, yes it was.  The result of my feverish typing and carpal tunnel syndrome was Oh, Holy Night.  This fun romance about a freelance graphic designer and the cute guy she keeps meeting at her local Starbucks somehow managed to end up also being about a bank robbery, friendship and recovering from grief.  But despite the record breaking pace I actually enjoyed my little holiday story and I decided that I wanted to do it again. Just… not quite so fast.

So this year I’m releasing Blue Christmas.  This Suspense Romance novella also features a  teeny bit of crime, a helping of romance, and a dog.  Because I like dogs. This time our intrepid heroine is a college student Blue Jones and the square jawed hero is local TV news cameraman Jake Garner.  And the dog is an adorable French Bulldog named Jacques who disapproves of almost everything.  If you’re looking for some Christmas adventures please feel free to indulge in these holiday treats.  They’re calorie free. 

Blue Christmas - ¢.99 – available 12/4 -Blue Jones just stole Jake Garner’s dog. And his heart. But technically the French Bulldog, Jacques, belongs to Jake’s ex-girlfriend. And soon Jake is being pressured to return the dog and Blue is being targeted by mysterious attackers. Can Jake find Blue and Jacques before her stalkers do? For Blue, Christmas has never been quite so dangerous.  For Jake, Christmas has never been quite so Blue.

Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Kobo • iTunes • Smashwords

Oh, Holy Night - ¢.99 – available now - Christmas is a lot more dangerous than it used to be. Graphic designer Violet Harper is usually found at her local Starbucks. Handsome Roman Knox is usually carrying a gun. But tonight they’re both in a bank and there’s a body on the floor. It’s a mess, a robbery and almost the worst day ever, but maybe a Christmas miracle can get them out of the bank and into love. Join Violet and Roman as they try to figure out the rules to modern dating and bank robbery.

Barnes & Noble • Kobo • iTunes • Smashwords

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And for more holiday humor and adventure with a touch of romance, check out fellow Stiletto Gang sister J.M. Phillippe’s A Christmas Spirit – The recently deceased Charlene Dickenson is stuck in a place where the Christmas music never ends and the holiday treats will never make you full. Charlene is going to have to figure out how to let go of her mortal life and embrace the Christmas Spirit.

Available in print and e-formats on 12/4.  Pre-order on: Amazon

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Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie Mae Mystery Series, San Juan Islands Mysteries, Shark Santoyo Crime Series, and numerous short stories. When she's not traveling to exotic lands, or kicking some serious butt with her fourth degree black belt in karate, she can be found chasing her daughter or glued to the computer working on her next novel. You can also catch up with her on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

Movie Stars Merry & Bright

by Sparkle Abbey

Judy posted earlier in the week about the traditions of holiday movies and we couldn't help but add our two cents worth on the topic because we love holiday movies. Do you like holiday movies? Do you have a favorite (or two or three) that you look forward to each year as they start appearing in the television line-up?

We love It's a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn, Miracle on 34th Street, The Bishop's Wife, The Holiday, and oh so many others. Such great stories and so many wonderful stars!

There's nothing like Zuzu Bailey proclaiming, "Teacher says, 'Every time a bell rings, an angel get his wings.'" Or Bing Crosby singing White Christmas. Or Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, and Jude Law and all the madcap mixups in The Holiday.

But we have to tell you, there's a new kid on the block. A new entry in our favorite holiday movie must-see list. The Man Who Invented Christmas with Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) as Charles Dickens, and Christopher Plummer as Scrooge was a surprise as we hadn't heard much about it. But this telling of how Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol did not disappoint!

Perhaps some of the charm for us was the protrayal of Dickens, the writer, and the difficulties he encounters as he tries to work out the plotline and get his characters to behave. And deal with real life difficulties at the same time. We won't give away any details, but if you get a chance, check out this new movie that's on our list of favorites.

Speaking of stars, we've been busy with the launch of our latest installment in the Pampered Pets mystery series, Barking with the Stars, and we'd love to give away a special holiday gift packet to celebrate. Just leave a comment below before midnight December 9th and we'll draw from among those commenting for a free Sparkle Abbey book and some other Christmas goodies.

Please share your favorite holiday movie, if you have one. Or if you're not into holiday movies, is there a movie that you re-watch each year?

Wishing you all things merry & bright and a great holiday season!
Sparkle Abbey

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of two mystery authors (Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter). They are friends and neighbors as well as co-writers of the Pampered Pets Mystery Series.


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