Tag Archives: Christmas

Giveaway – The Dickens & Christie Mysteries @KathyManosPenn @SDSXXTours

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Image may contain: 3 people, including Eric Fundin, people standing and outdoor, text that says 'P B ALABANA TOUR Seasons Greetings From The Press Box Tour 2020'
WOO HOO…Even with a bum arm, I managed to make a cameo on The Press Box Tour
Whiskers, Wreaths & Murder
A Dickens & Christie Mystery Book 3
by Kathy Manos Penn
Genre: Cozy Mystery
If it were up to her, they’d be singing carols and baking cookies.
Instead, they’re stockings-deep in a murder investigation…
Leta Parker is looking forward to her first holiday season in theCotswolds. Prepping for the town’s tree-lighting ceremony, the village is enraged when the newAmerican earl announces plans to develop his family’s estate into a resort. And when the brash successoris found dead in a ditch, it’s obvious this car crash was no accident.
Determined to unwrap the truth behind the tragedy, Leta enlists the helpof the Little Old Ladies Detective Agency and her talking dog and cat. But with everyone in the charminghamlet a suspect, it’ll be tough to discover who’s not on Father Christmas’s naughty list.
Will Leta and friends deliver the gift of justice?
Whiskers, Wreaths &Murderis the third book in the delightful Dickens & Christie cozy mystery series. If you likeclever senior women, deep friendships, and animals of the talking variety, then you’ll love Kathy ManosPenn’s yuletide whodunit.
BuyWhiskers, Wreaths& Murderfor a holiday homicide today!
Pumpkins, Paws and Murder
A Dickens & Christie Mystery Book 2
The Fall Fête isn’t very festive when an illusionist is discovereddead.
Can an expat and her talking pets crash the killer’s party?
Retirement in the Cotswolds has given Leta Parker a new lease on life.Growing close to her small-town pals, the former corporate trainer is thrilled to help them put on thevillage’s annual autumn celebration. But the punch goes sour when a friend’s estranged magician husbandis found murdered.
With the newly widowed woman the prime suspect, Leta leaps intoaction with spunky friends and her talking dog and cat to clear her name. But when they trace thelecherous victim to England’s picturesque southern coast, they discover a long list of past lovers who’d behappy to see the sleight-of-wandering-hands womanizer permanently disappeared.
Can Leta expose the truth, or will this investigation be her final trick?
Pumpkins, Paws &Murderis the second book in the lighthearted Dickens & Christie cozy mystery series. If youlike compelling characters, talkative four-legged friends, and journeys full of action and humor, thenyou’ll love Kathy Manos Penn’s playful tale.
BuyPumpkins, Paws& Murderfor a grand illusion of danger today!
Goodreads * Amazon
Bells, Tails & Murder
A Dickens & Christie Mystery Book 1
She crossed an ocean to start her lifeover.
Can she nab a killer before her quaintvillage becomes a graveyard?
Recently widowed Leta Parker desperately needs a change of scenery.Pursuing her lifelong dream of retiring to the Cotswolds, she leaves her soulless corporate hustle inAtlanta and moves to England with her talking dog and cat companions—Dickens and Christie. But she’sbarely begun making new friends when she stumbles across her housekeeper’s body …
With several villagers pegged for the crime, Leta teams up with a retiredEnglish teacher and her sharp-as-a-tack octogenarian mother to track the killer before the trail goes cold.As the not-so-friendly local policewoman elbows them out and scandalous rumors plague the tight-knitcommunity, it’s left to the ladies and their pets to sleuth for the truth.
Can Leta, Dickens, and Christie sniff out the culprit before the cute littletown loses more than its charm?
Bells, Tails & Murderis the delightful first book in the Dickens &Christie cozy mystery series. If you like spunky literary women, amusing animal sidekicks, and invitingcultural backdrops, then you’ll love Kathy Manos Penn’s engaging page-turner.
BuyBells, Tails & Murderto see the fur fly today!
Goodreads * Amazon
A Dickens & Christie Mystery Box Set
Books I, II & III
If you like clever senior women, deep friendships, and amusinganimal sidekicks,
you’ll love this cozy mystery series.
When tragedy rocks herworld, Leta Parker hops across the pond to mend her soul. Will a murder in her tranquil hamlet upend herplans . . . or can she catch the killer and still be home for tea?
Dive into the first three books in the delightful Dickens & Christie mysteryseries. Do you like compelling characters, cultural backdrops, and talkative four-legged friends? Then youwon’t want to miss these clever whodunits.
**ComingSoon!**
Collectors, Cats & Murder
A Dickens & Christie Mystery Book 4
Picture me sitting serenely at my desk surrounded by my four-leggedoffice assistants. The dog warms my feet, and the cat provides the purr-fict background music. I sip hottea, sift through handwritten notes, and place fingers on the keyboard as thoughts take shape. Such is thejoy of writing.
As a child, I took a book everywhere—to family dinners, to doctor’soffices, and of course to bed. Years later, a newspaper article inspired me to put pen to paper and submitmy thoughts—my words—to the editor. Before I knew it, I was writing weekly columns and blogs. Thencame a book co-written with my dog. (What? Doesn’t everyone do that?)
Now I’m living a dream I never knew I had—writing cozy animalmysteries featuring a dog and cat who talk to their owner. If a dog can write a book, surely animals cancommunicate. Naturally, my office assistants help with the dialogue. And, yes, they are angling to belisted as co-authors.
By the way, if you can’t find me, I’m traveling in the UK doing researchfor my next mystery—don’t judge.

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Giveaway – Tasting Her Christmas Cookies by Alina Jacobs @AlinaJWrites @XpressoTours

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Tasting Her Christmas Cookies
Alina Jacobs
Publication date: November 19th 2019
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Winter is coming—and unfortunately it’s bringing Christmas with it.

I loathe the holiday. I hate holiday parties, fragrant decorations, and hokey movies. If I had my way it would be winter all year round and never Christmas.

Nothing burns like the cold—except a hot oven.

That’s right; against my better judgment I agreed to let The Great Christmas Bake-Off film in my tower.

And St. Nick help me but I even agreed to be a judge.

Holly

Christmas is like the perfect sugar cookie—it slowly melts in your mouth, sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever.

I love Christmas. I love the cheerful music, the fun sweaters, and the holiday lights. Most of all I love Christmas Cookies.

A begrudging bake-off judge, I refuse to let grouchy billionaire Owen Frost hate Christmas. The man is overworked, his employees are uninspired, and his life is seriously lacking in Yuletide cheer. I want to stuff his stocking with sugary goodness to put him in a very festive mood.

So I dressed up as a sexy elf and gave Owen a taste of something extra special. You should have seen his eyes roll back in his head when he bit into the perfect sugar cookie!

I can’t let Owen Frost be a distraction. Things are insane enough without a sexy billionaire.

My baking subscription service is in the death throes.

My Christmas-ruining step sister is trying to sabotage me in the bake-off.

I’m being stalked by elves on the shelf come to life.

Ok that last one is a little weird, but welcome to my disaster of a life.

I need to win The Great Christmas Bake-Off to pay of my debts and launch my baking career. Sleeping with one of the judges is going to ruin my chance for a merry Christmas. Owen with his washboard abs and big Christmas package is a bad idea. It’s best to keep that all wrapped under the tree.

But when he said in that deep, sexy voice, “Can I have another taste of your Christmas cookies?” Well, let’s just say I’m unwrapping one particular Christmas present early!

Tasting Her Christmas Cookies is a standalone holiday romantic comedy. If you love Christmas desserts, like to laugh out loud at holiday innuendoes, and want Santa to put a tall, good-looking guy under your tree, then pick up this full-length, steamy romance novel! There are no cliffhangers but there is a very happy (Christmas!) ever after!

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

“We are having a Christmas bath scene in the near future,” I said to the camera, “with holiday bath bombs and themed cocktails. But unfortunately, it won’t be tonight. The bake-off starts tomorrow, baking fans!”

I looked longingly at the bathtub. Then, making sure the phone was definitely not recording, because I did not need to be that kind of Instagrammer, I took a quick shower. I seriously could not get over how huge the bathroom was. I could live in it. With a toaster and a mini fridge, I would totally be good.

After wrapping myself in the robe, I tied a T-shirt around my hair. I had frizzy hair on a good day; keeping my curls manageable was a perpetual struggle. I applied a gingerbread-cookie-scented moisturizer while my videos uploaded. Because I was busy scrolling through my phone and answering comments as I came out of the bathroom, I didn’t notice the half-naked man until he swore.

I looked up and screamed.

“Help! Help! Stalker!” I shrieked and ineffectively pointed at the stranger. Between the rippling muscles, the washboard abs, and an ass I could bounce a quarter on, I hoped he wasn’t actually here to hurt me, because he could do some damage. Pointing and shrieking wasn’t going to stop him. Fortunately, he looked more shocked and horrified than angry and violent.

“Stop screaming!” he bellowed. A freezing breeze blew into the room. It was as if the man had brought the rage of winter into the master suite with him. He looked like it, too, with his ice-blue eyes and silver-white hair. “This is my penthouse. You are not authorized to be here. That makes you the stalker!”

I stopped screaming. It clearly wasn’t helping anything. I also couldn’t help but notice that the bathroom wasn’t the only thing that was huge in the room. With him wearing nothing but boxer briefs, I could tell Santa had brought the handsome man a very large Christmas package indeed. The breeze blew in from the balcony, swirling the strange man’s clean and masculine scent around the room. I forced myself to ignore it.

“Get out of my house,” Big Christmas Package said flatly.

“You get out!” I shrieked. “I’m a bake-off contestant. This isn’t your room!”

“What the—” he grabbed his clothes, tugging on his pants. “The Great Christmas Bake-Off? I cannot have Christmas invading every element of my life. This is ridiculous. Christmas is ridiculous. It’s such a stupid, childish holiday.” He punctuated his words by snatching up articles of clothing.

“Hey now!” I said, hands on my hips, fear subsiding. “Christmas is never ridiculous. It’s the best holiday ever. And if you can’t see that, well then, you’re just a grinch, aren’t you?”

He advanced on me. I was suddenly very aware of how large he was. Christmas package notwithstanding, this dude was tall, broad shouldered, with rippling muscles. He could probably split me in two.

Yes, please.

“You’re some stupid little baker who never outgrew the childish fantasy of Christmas,” he sneered.

My nose was inches away from his chest. He glowered down at me. I was too angry to be aware of his half-naked body. Okay, maybe I was like fifteen percent aware. But the majority of my energy was focused on being offended on behalf of Christmas.

“Don’t insult baking,” I said, giving him my best “I want to speak to the manager vibe,” though it was ruined by the fact that I had to crane my neck up to see him and that I was completely naked under the robe. “And never insult Christmas!”

His nostrils flared slightly.

“Men like you constantly belittle the work that women do to keep cultural traditions like Christmas alive,” I continued, poking him in the chest.

“We decorate homes to make them cozy.”

Poke.

“We cook holiday dinners and bake festive desserts.”

Poke.

“We host parties that bring families and friends together.”

Before I could poke him again, he grabbed my hand in his much-larger one. Then, realizing what he’d done, he quickly released it.

“I will not stand for your bad attitude!” I declared.

He glared down at me, strong jaw clenched, eyes cold as a frozen lake. “I can’t even believe this,” he finally snarled. He grabbed his briefcase and stormed out, still shirtless.

“Oh my God!” Fiona exclaimed, wide-eyed, as she ran into the room. She hugged me then pushed me to sit on the bed. “Are you okay? Who was that? Why was he in here? Someone call the police!”

“I knew it! You’re trying to steal my boyfriend,” Amber yelled at me, rushing into the room. “That’s Owen Frost, and he’s mine!”


Author Bio:

If you like steamy romantic comedies with a creative streak, then I’m your girl!

Architect by day, writer by night, I love matcha green tea, chocolate, and books! So many books…

Sign up for my mailing list to get the free novella, AFTER HIS PEONIES, along with special bonus content, giveaways, and more!
http://alinajacobs.com/mailinglist.html

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Giveaway – The Holiday Chronicles by Denise M Wheatley @DeniseWheatley @SDSXXTours

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A Naughty Jolly Christmas
The Holiday Chronicles Book 1
by Denise M. Wheatley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sasha Williams is an African-American public relations powerhouse who’s come a long way from the tough streets of Chicago to glamorous Los Angeles. While she loves her LA life, she hasn’t forgotten her roots and always goes back home to celebrate Christmas with her tight-knit family.
This year, however, Sasha’s holiday plans are nixed when she’s forced to accompany her sexy, notoriously naughty new client, Drake Lancaster, on the press tour for his upcoming Christmas movie.
Sasha’s furious, yet finds herself overcome with lust when Drake strolls into her office. She’s surprised, considering she’s never dated a white man. Drake’s attraction toward her is just as intense, and the pair partake in a hot, steamy sex session right there in her office.
Despite Sasha’s promise to keep things all business during the press tour, their sensual trysts heat up even further while out on the road. In the end, Sasha must decide whether their cultural differences, along with her secret painful past and Drake’s playboy reputation, are worth her risking her heart and career—especially without knowing whether this is the real thing or a racy fling.
My Unconditional Valentine
The Holiday Chronicles Book 2
Interracial entertainment industry it couple Sasha Williams and Drake Lancaster are still going strong. Her impeccable publicist skills have kept him on the A-list, helping Drake land the lead role in a major Valentine’s Day movie. When filming wraps, the couple plan on heading to Cabo San Lucas, inviting both their families along to meet for the first time.
But plans go astray when Drake reverts back to his bad boy ways during filming and gets into a huge altercation with the director. He’s booted from the movie and replaced by Mitch Morrison, a hot young African-American actor who’s recently taken Hollywood by storm.
While Drake struggles to repair his image, Mitch hires Sasha to help manage his burgeoning career. The move infuriates Drake, but Sasha insists it’s a great business opportunity. She doesn’t realize Drake’s threatened by Mitch’s good looks and charismatic personality and is worried the pair will bond over their African-American heritage.
The stress of it all puts a strain on the couple’s relationship, especially when Mitch admits to Sasha that he’s developed feelings for her and she realizes the sentiments may be mutual. With the pressures of Sasha and Drake’s rocky union continuing to mount, the anticipation of their families meeting, and Sasha’s elusive affections towards Mitch, the couple can’t help but wonder whether their once booming relationship is about to crash. In the end, they must figure out whether their love is strong enough to withstand these challenges and carry them through this Valentine’s Day.
Denise N. Wheatley is a lover of romance, happy endings and the art of storytelling. She used to cry as a three-year old child when her mother read to her because she so badly wanted to read the books herself! Once she learned, Denise constantly had her nose in a novel (especially the ones she’d sneak from her mom’s bookshelf). She’s been writing for as long as she can remember and draws inspiration from Chicago, the city where she was born and raised, as well as Los Angeles, which is one of her favorite places in the world. Denise has published several books and novellas with Simon & Schuster, Red Sage Publishing, eXtasy Books and independently, has written screenplays and teleplays, and has ghostwritten for some of your faves. When she isn’t sitting behind her computer, you can find Denise in a movie theater, on a tennis court, watching true crime television or chatting on social media.
Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
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  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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