Holiday Romance

Christmas at Solace Lake by Jana Richards @JanaRichards_ #HolidayRomance #SmallTown


It’s Christmas time at Solace Lake Lodge,
but a series of thefts threatens everyone’s holiday spirit.

BOOK INFORMATION

Genre: Contemporary Romance, small town romance
Keywords: contemporary romance, small town romance, mystery, holiday romance, Christmas, interracial romance
ISBN: Ebook ISBN 978-0-9952791-8-6
Print ISBN 978-0-9952791-9-3
Length: Novel
Heat Level: Spicy
Release Date: Ebook, October 18, 2023
Cover Artist: 100 Covers
Publisher: Jana Richards Books

BUY LINKS

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH5DTYNS

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CH5DTYNS

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CH5DTYNS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198424344-christmas-at-solace-lake

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/christmas-at-solace-lake-a-love-at-solace-lake-romance-by-jana-richards

BLURB

An emergency brings Drew Barnes to Solace Lake Lodge, an inn deep in the Minnesota woods owned by his aunt and uncle. He’s sure desperation is the only reason they’d allow him to fill in as their bookkeeper. No one in his family has believed in him since his mistake got him fired from his previous job. Soon after he arrives, Drew is disheartened to discover thefts and financial irregularities. The last thing he wants is to be put in the middle of another crime.

Sous chef Celeste Bishop has made a good life for herself and her nine-year-old daughter in the three years she’s worked, and lived, at Solace Lake Lodge. After being unfairly fired, this was the only job she could get, and she’s grateful her gamble on the lodge paid off. The only sticking point is the isolation since she never learned to drive. How can she show her daughter independence when she’s always relying on others?

Drew sees Celeste’s frustration and offers to teach her to drive. A powerful attraction ignites between them, and soon deeper, stronger emotions blossom. Drew is all in, but Celeste resists her feelings. She’s nine years older than Drew. An interracial relationship didn’t work for her parents. And loving Drew feels like a betrayal of her deceased husband.

As Christmas approaches, the thefts escalate. Can Drew stop the thief and redeem himself in his family’s eyes—and his own? And can he convince Celeste they deserve the gift of a happily ever after this Christmas?

EXCERPT

He put his hand on her arm. “Celeste, whatever happened, it’s going to be all right. I promise you.”

She looked at him then, her eyes filling with tears. “I finished the exam before anyone else. I could see all the answers in my head like I was reading them from a screen. The person who gave the exam told me I got all the answers right, one hundred percent.” Tears streamed down her face as she pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. “I got my permit.”

The wonder in her eyes, the relief and joy, made him smile. Though he’d promised himself not to touch her today, he simply couldn’t resist. He pulled off his glove and, leaning across the console, laid his hand on her soft cheek. Drew stared into her beautiful dark eyes. The intoxicating combination of her warm, welcoming scent and the silky feel of her skin made his heart soar and his body catch fire. The need to kiss her nearly overpowered him, but he held back, knowing it wasn’t what she wanted.

She signaled her withdrawal with a soft sigh as she turned her head and leaned back against her seat, out of his reach. Drew let his hand drop and sat back in his seat as well. He stifled his own sigh as he pulled his glove back on.

Would she always be out of his reach?

Author Bio:

Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length contemporary romance, paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.

When not writing up a storm or dealing with dust bunnies, Jana can be found pursuing hobbies such as golf (which she plays very badly) or reading (which she does much better).

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren and two senior cats named Layla and Leelou. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.com

Social Media Links:

Website:  http://www.janarichards.com

Blog:  http://janarichards.blogspot.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janarichards155/

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards

Amazon UK Author Page:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B002DEVWWG

Newsletter Signup: http://janarichards.com/contact.html#newsletter

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274Jana_Richards

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jana-richards

 

 

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She didn’t want to stand out… #MFRWHooks #EroticRomance #LGBTQ


Welcome to MFRW Hooks, where the authors of Marketing for Romance Writers share snippets from their stories to entice you into wanting more. Be sure to click on the links at the end to travel!

For the rest of March, I’m featuring our erotic ménage story Through The Lens.

About Our Story

Does your family history contain scandal? Ours does, as recently as my mother’s grandfather, who was born a bastard in an era when that status carried far more stigma than now. His mother – a logger’s daughter who served as a camp cook – was shunned and shamed for much of her life. On the other side, my husband’s grandfather was a bigamist. A threshing crew foreman in the early 1900s, he married and had children in Missouri, then married again in Kansas. When my husband’s grandmother learned about the other family, she divorced him; their son, my husband’s father, was ten years old.

We blessed—or perhaps cursed—our Through the Lens heroine with elements of these scandals. Naturally, she’s heard some of the stories. Through the Lens chronicles her struggle with these long-forgotten roots. Will she claim them, or run the other way?

Tags: Erotic Romance, Ménage, Four-Way, Prairie, Photography, Erotic Portraiture
Release Date: June 26, 2020
Publisher: Extasy Books
Genre: Erotic Romance; Ménage

BLURB

Will Ellen Jeffers cling to the sedate past that’s familiar, or will she embrace a different version of her history—one that includes tragedy, scandal, fortitude, and freedom?

It’s 2002, and South Dakota third grade teacher Ellen Jeffers has signed up for a photography summer course and assistantship at an art academy in Minneapolis. Thirty-three, divorced for nearly a decade from her college boyfriend, she’s not seeking major change. She just hopes the course will enhance her teaching skills and her resume.

Aaron Brewster comes from privilege, and he has used that status to flaunt his family’s values and carve out a successful career as a photographer specializing in black and white erotic portraiture. Has he ever loved? His love is for beauty, sensuality, eroticism. His new uptight teaching assistant will never fit that vision. Should he send her packing? For reasons he cannot fathom, he takes her on as a challenge.

Aaron’s frontal assault shocks Ellen, but it also triggers something deep inside she’s never been willing to acknowledge. Is her beloved prairie a safe refuge, or will it become a crucible for transformation? The choice is not merely Ellen’s.

EXCERPT

Ellen’s first morning assisting Aaron with his summer class…

“Now then, if Ellen would step forward.”

Ellen snapped to attention at the sound of her name. Now what?

Aaron motioned her to a stool. “Let me demonstrate a little what I mean by perspective and how it changes what the observer is seeing and feeling. That understanding will become sharper for you when you’re looking through your cameras, but this will do for now.”

Ellen sat on the stool facing the class with her hands folded at her waist. She’d deliberately chosen to wear a blouse and skirt that came nearly to the knees because she didn’t want to stand out in the class. She tried not to grimace. So much for that.

“You’ve all been introduced to Ellen, and I’m sure you’ve chatted with her at break, so we’ve established some mutual comfort. Being comfortable with your model is extremely important when you’re doing portraiture. While you remain in overall charge of the setting and the photo, you must be tuned into your model—to what she is thinking and feeling. Many won’t tell you or can’t tell you.

“Now then, let’s take Ellen as she is.” He smirked. “Tell me what you see. What’s her mood? Who is she? Who might she want to be, and so on? Spit it out. One word or two. No more than three. Quickly now.”

“Pensive,” the college teacher said.

“Good. More. Don’t take time to reflect. You don’t have a lot of time to react in a sitting.”

“School teacher.”

Aaron laughed. “Yeah, I see that.”

“Shy.”

“Genuine.”

“Determined.”

“Capable.”

“Great! Now I’m going to pose Ellen as I want her. Swivel on your butt so you’re at a right angle to most of the group. Good. Now look back over your shoulder at them. That’s right. Hold that. Now what do you see?”

“Goodness. Mystery,” one of the stay-at-home moms said.

“Fun.”

“Temptress.”

“Almost sexy,” one of the guys said.

Holding her pose like she knew she was expected to, Ellen wanted to hop off the stool and bop that guy over the head. She tried not to wince. Had the simple change in direction made that much difference? Given the look on the faces of the students, it must have. Aaron had proven an important point. Never accept the obvious front-on position as the best or only perspective.

If she looked that different, maybe she should walk around the city with her chin resting on her shoulder.

“Go ahead and pout.” Aaron chuckled.

Without thinking, she did.

“As I thought. Even more sexy.”

She knew she must be blushing now. It was one thing to have one of the students describe her as sort of sexy—but she was supposed to be working with Aaron, not reacting to him.

By the time Aaron finished having her pose one way and then another, the students were all chattering, seemingly quite happy with their choice of instructor and class. Actually, Ellen was rather pleased, too, even if she hadn’t chosen him in the first place. Clearly, she could learn a lot from him.

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK

https://books2read.com/u/mdjMRy

 

Click on the links to travel to the rest of today’s hooks:

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Blog Tour: Love and Valentines at Caynham Castle #Giveaway #Valentine #MM #LGBTQ @gaybookspromo

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Love and Valentines at Caynham Castle

Authors: Jeanne Adams, Morgan Brice, Caren Crane, Seressia Glass, Nancy Northcott

Publisher: Rickety Bookshelf

Cover Artist: Lyndsey Lewellan

Release Date: February 1, 2023

Genres:  Contemporary, paranormal, MF, MM

Tropes:

Caren Crane’s story—opposites attract & forced proximity

Jeanne Adams’ story—Grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, different backgrounds/worlds

Seressia Glass’s story—friends-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine

Morgan Brice’s story—hurt/comfort, evolving relationship

Nancy Northcott’s story–Second chance at love, redemption

Themes: holiday, dealing with the past, bargains and deals, redemption, facing the future

Heat Rating: Varies by story

Length:  150 000 words/482 pages

This is the fourth in the Caynham Castle shared-world holiday romance series.

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

One castle, five authors, five love stories, all at the same holiday event!

Blurb 

Racing Toward Love by Jeanne Adams

Dr. Oriela Deschamps was overjoyed to get a job appraising an estate for the Wellington family in the small English town of Caynham-On-Ledwyche. From the first meeting with the Byron “Bo” Wellington, Ori knows the job is going to be a challenge. First, there’s Bo himself – the sexy, grumpy heir to Ribald Racing Stables. Then, there’s the exceedingly dangerous artifact that’s the centerpiece of her appraisal. That artifact, a set of riding silks from 1947, carry a curse and someone wants them for dark and desperate reasons. Can Ori’s magic save them, or will the would-be thief kill both Ori and Bo, just as they find their special Valentines?

Fae-ted Mates by Morgan Brice

Dawson and Grady King are honeymooning at Caynham Castle, hoping to take a break from monster hunting. They have one piece of family business to handle, involving a generations-long agreement with the Welsh Fae. When things go wrong, will Dawson and Grady survive, or will they be trapped in the Faerie realm forever?

Romance Sells Records by Caren Crane

After watching her mother’s hope for a grand romance get dashed time after time, Hannah Evans grew into someone with no tolerance for romance. Callum Hughes’ parents had an enviable relationship, and he wanted the same for himself: if only he could convince Hannah to trust what they could build together.

Cupid Comes to Caynham by Seressia Glass

In Cupid Comes to Caynham, Oliver Jones’ family has run the Boar and Knight off and on for centuries. After his father’s death, it is now Oliver’s responsibility to manage the ancient pub, a duty that leaves him no time or desire for love–until professional tourist Shayla Munroe literally falls at his feet. With Valentine’s and Shayla’s departure date fast approaching, does love have time to bloom or will it die on the vine? Not if Venus and Cupid have anything to say about it.

The One Who Got Away by Nancy Northcott

Hastings Whitney grew up driven not only to succeed but to be seen to succeed. His focus on success cost him two marriages and any number of relationships. Now he has a second chance with the woman he never forgot, jewelry designer Corinne Lanier. Has he changed enough to balance work with a relationship? Or will a business crisis bring old habits back to the fore? And is there a sinister side to his problem?

Excerpt from Fae-ted Mates by Morgan Brice

CHAPTER 1

GRADY

“I can’t believe we’re really here.” Grady King pulled Dawson along by the wrist to the check-in desk. “It’s a real castle!”

“It’s called Caynham Castle. Not exactly a surprise—it sort of looks like one,” Dawson teased fondly.

“Yeah, but ‘Magic Kingdom’ isn’t a real kingdom,” Grady retorted. “Truth in advertising is rare.”

The lobby was in one of several buildings along the wall of the outer bailey. Dark wood wainscoting covered the lower half of the hewn stone wall, matching the counter. A large oil painting of a man in the opulent clothing of another century hung behind the check-in desk. Grady assumed it was one of the many Earls of Caynham whose most recent descendant still owned the castle and ran it as a hotel and event destination.

The woman behind the counter watched their banter with a bemused look. “Welcome to Caynham Castle. I’m Constance. Could I have your last names, please?”

Grady plunked their joined hands onto the counter so that the matching rings showed. “King. My husband and I have the honeymoon suite.”

“Theatrical much?” Dawson joked. “She’s seen married folks before, I’d wager.”

We’ve never been here before or been married before. Don’t dim my joy.” Grady knew he was being over the top, but everything about the trip had his excitement cranked up to the max. Honeymoon. England. Castle—and our own suite. Vacation. And no monsters for two whole weeks.

“He had a lot of coffee on the flight,” Dawson told the woman in a faux-apologetic tone. His grin made it clear that he enjoyed Grady’s enthusiasm.

“You have to understand,” Grady confided in Constance, “we’ve had several friends who absolutely loved their stay here. They told us plenty about the castle. I want to find all the gargoyles.”

“Let’s get you checked in so you can deposit your luggage and go hunting,” Constance said with a smile.

Grady’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean hunting them—” He snapped his mouth shut, realizing that she hadn’t meant their kind of monster hunting. Dawson subtly elbowed him in the ribs, but his unspoken message was clear.

Don’t freak the mundanes.

“Grady and Dawson King.” Grady tugged a bit on their joined hands, loving how the matching gold bands caught the light.

“Ah yes, here’s the reservation. And it seems as if your friends have sent some welcome gifts. There’s a package from Teag Logan and Anthony Benson, one from Erik Mitchell and Ben Nolan, and another from Simon Kincaide and Vic D’Amato.”

Her tone shifted as she read the names, and her eyes widened. “Oh. Oh, my. Are you all in the same business?” She dropped her voice. “Do we have a ghost problem again?”

Meet the Authors  

All five authors are members of the same Facebook Author Group – Romance Bandits

Join them here 

Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

a $10 Amazon gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

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A Giveaway on every post! @LASReviews Winter Blogfest #Giveaways #RomanceNovels

Be sure to stop by Long and Short Reviews, anytime between now and December 30, for the Winter Blogfest and Giveaway. Great reading for when you need a break from your holiday prep – just leave a comment on an author’s post to enter their giveaway! Winners will be drawn on January 1.

My blogpost goes live next Thursday, December 29. I’m giving away a copy of my newest holiday story, A Reluctant Santa.

BLURB

Is it ever too late to find happiness?

They’re in their fifties. Grief-stricken (her) and battle scarred (him) from their previous loves, they don’t want to risk more heartbreak, ever. They’ll have to take it slow, talk it through, test the waters carefully. Can they make it happen at this speed, get it done in a short story, and reap the benefits of sizzling sex at their age? Why not?

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK

https://books2read.com/u/3RzZzD

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Holiday #Sale 50% off E-Books @ExtasyBooks Stocking Stuffers #HolidayStories

ALL Backlist Holiday Stories at my publisher, Extasy Books, are HALF OFF for the entire month of December! Lots of great authors to choose from, and Extasy purchases are easy-peasy to upload to your Kindle. Click HERE to learn how.

My Backlist Holiday stories include:

Santa’s Boss ~ just $2.00

Joy Danser has believed in Santa since childhood—now Nick Polaris shows her Santa can deliver an adult package beyond her wildest dreams!

Assistant Mall Manager Joy Danser thrives on authenticity. All her mall Santas must have real beards so children can believe. But even she is unprepared for the very real Santa who visits her bed invisibly this Christmas season. Is she dreaming, or has she gone mad? Joy consults Sophia Nardiz, manager of the Magical Gypsy shop at her mall. Sophia reads her palm and gives her a cryptic message: she is at a crossroads, and she must trust her intuition.

Owner of the Magical Gypsy chain and a true Gypsy himself, Nick Polaris is thrilled to play Joy’s Santa, in the mall and in her bed, but he knows it’s only a lark. For true love, he’ll need someone with Gypsy blood. How can he ever abandon the Scottish redhead he enjoys so much?

BUY AT EXTASY BOOKS FOR $2.00  https://www.extasybooks.com/santas-boss

BUY AT OTHER RETAIL OUTLETS  https://books2read.com/u/3nXJd6

A Gift for Adam ~ just $1.50

Home and Garden assistant manager Evie Strand has painstakingly embroidered a set of seven thongs as a gag gift for her best friend—only she brought the wrong box to the store Christmas party, and now Adam Grant from Automotive is holding them up for everyone to see: Kiss my…, Tight Fit—could things get any worse? Adam may seem like a total rake, but he can tell Evie’s deeply embarrassed and he resolves to make it up to her. Who knew where a simple dinner date would lead?

BUY AT EXTASY BOOKS FOR $1.50  https://www.extasybooks.com/a-gift-for-adam

BUY AT OTHER RETAIL OUTLETS  https://books2read.com/u/47gjK7

A Ring for Christmas ~ Just $1.00

A ring for Christmas? Sometimes what you hope for and what you fear are one and the same.

In Las Vegas for a brief stint in a musical revue and ready for some uncomplicated sex with a kindred spirit, Meghan Keenan is only too happy to resume connections with her sometimes lover, Lisa Perkins.

But Lisa’s in a quandary. Her most recent boyfriend has suddenly become serious, with hints of a diamond ring in her future—and she’s never told him she’s bisexual. What if he freaks? What if he makes her choose?

Professional photographer Bryce Henry spends his days up close and personal with beautiful models and actresses. Now he’s deeply in love with Lisa and ready to pop the question, but even he wonders about long term fidelity. What does he want, and how bad does he want it?

What will happen when Meg takes hold of Lisa’s problem and runs with it?

BUY AT EXTASY BOOKS FOR $1.00  https://www.extasybooks.com/a-ring-for-christmas

BUY AT OTHER RETAIL OUTLETS  https://books2read.com/u/m2daPo

The Gift Exchange ~ Just $.80

It’s Christmas Eve—what gifts will Mack, Carol and Tara unwrap together?

What is Carol up to now? Mack has always known his free-spirited wife is bisexual, but it seems she has new adventures on her mind this Christmas season.

Carol has long entertained fantasies of a threesome with herself, her husband, and their attractive nearby neighbor, Tara. Now that Tara’s troublesome ex is out of the picture, is this the season to make her fantasies come true?

Tara’s felt a little deprived since breaking things off with her ex, and she’ll admit she envies what Mack and her best friend Carol seem to share. If they invite her to join them, will she dare?

BUY AT EXTASY BOOKS FOR 80 CENTS  https://www.extasybooks.com/the-gift-exchange

BUY AT OTHER RETAIL OUTLETS  https://books2read.com/u/bP7rqJ

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Angela’s Kiss by @katehillromance Free at Smashwords Until December 31, 2021 #contemporaryromance #holidayromance #MFRWAuthor

Christmas Eve, 1967. Two strangers united by mutual loss find the love they’ve been searching for.

After surviving captivity in a Vietnam prison camp, Master Sergeant Abraham Marley Fiske longs more than ever for a loving family life, but he doesn’t believe it’s in his future. Then a promise to a deceased friend sends him to the woman who can make his dream come true.

Since her brother was killed in Vietnam, Angela Franco has been caring for her young niece. She never expected to fall in love with her brother’s best friend, but when she meets Abe, she can’t ignore her feelings for him. Having lost her brother, will she now risk her heart by planning a future with Abe?

Excerpt:

While Abe undressed, Angela changed into the black lace nightgown she’d bought especially for his first night home. She brushed her hair until it hung, thick and shiny down her back.

“You look so beautiful,” he said, caressing her bare shoulders and kissing her lips. “I almost want to wait on that bath.”

“Oh, you won’t want to miss it.”

She grinned, taking his hand and guiding him to the bathroom where she ran the water in the tub and poured in a couple of capfuls of her favorite bubbles.

Abe watched the basin fill, his lips curved upward in a faint smile.

Finally, he sank into the hot water.

“If anyone ever suggested that Abraham Marley Fiske would be sitting in a tub of bubbles smelling like roses, I’d laugh in his face.”

“How does it feel?”

He glanced down, sniffing the water and brushing bubbles from his chest hair. “I think I kinda like it.”

Angela’s Kiss is free at Smashwords until December 31, 2021 with the coupon code TA99W.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1116728

About Kate

Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who started writing many years ago for pleasure.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, watching horror and action movies, working out, and spending time with her family and pets. Visit her online at https://www.kate-hill.com. Sign up for her newsletter at https://kate-hill.com/index.php/newsletter/ and download Doing Thyme, a spicy science fiction romance exclusive to newsletter members.

Social

Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/katehill

Blog: https://kate-hill.com/blog/

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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/katehillromanceandmore

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/katehillromancewritingandmore

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Holiday Romance – Love it? We do! #RomCom #EroticRomance @ExtasyBooks #MFRWAuthor

Fellow Extasy author Maggie Blackbird is featuring I Heart The Holidays at her blog all this month, and Mr. Kraft and I stopped by to visit her today and talk about why we love writing holiday romances (and what’s tough about it).

Oh, and there’s an excerpt, too – hope you’ll stop by:

Adriana Kraft – A Gift for Adam

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