LOVE'S GIFT Available On March 8th!

 LOVE'S GIFT will be available at all major ebook distributors on March 8th. The reviews are coming in and they are great! You can read them at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213577166-love-s-gift

This is an inspirational historical romance set in 1903. Here are some of the places you can find it:

Amazon
Barnes&Noble
Kobo
Apple

Don't miss out on this one. 

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Print the Photos of Your Life

Since I was very young in this photo, I do not remember riding in this stroller, but I look happy, probably because I'm in the front seat. 😁 My brother is behind me looking a bit bewildered. My brother and I were born one year and ten days apart. So, for most of my young life I had a companion, when our younger sisters were born many years later, we always referred to them as "the kids" as if we were infinitely wiser and more knowledgeable. 

I had a happy childhood. Unfortunately, I remember the sad and scary parts much more vividly than the ordinary, everyday joys, which is why I am truly grateful I have the old photographs. No photographs exist of the sad and scary parts of my life, though they are embedded in my memory. Looking at the images of happy times helps to remind me of the many blessings I enjoyed over my lifetime. I survived the unhappy events. 

Some folks say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I believe what doesn't kill you enables you to be more compassionate and empathetic. However, I am firmly convinced there is a caveat for learning to be compassionate and empathetic since some folks go through hard times and become meaner and filled with hate. But my parents were wonderful role models, and despite the troubles they had, they always helped others. They always believed in equality and the dignity of all people. 

Life isn't always easy. But there are always some good parts. My advice is to take pictures of the happy times and even the ordinary events. Print the pictures, or make them into books. Save the memories to remind yourself that sometimes life is wonderful. 

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The Keeper's Secret Book Trailer!

 This is so awesome! It doesn't take long to watch and it will give you an idea of what the book is about--just like a movie trailer. The book has many positive reviews. So enjoy this mini movie. 

You can find the book at: 

Amazon
Barnes&Noble
Kobo
Pelican Book Group

Online Interview!

     Less than a month from now I will have an online interview at the Wayne Public Library on March 3rd at 7 PM. I have no idea what questions the librarian will ask, but I’ll do my best to answer them, though talking about writing and my books is always fun. I am looking forward to this and I hope some of you can watch.

     So, save the date! 

   

Excerpt from THE KEEPER'S SECRET

I've visited many lighthouses, both here in NJ and elsewhere. Symbolically, lighthouses are a beacon of hope but until the advent of GPS, they were important navigational aids. In 1789, our Congress approved the Lighthouse Act, which was the first public works program in our country. 

When I wrote THE KEEPER'S SECRET, I intended for the lighthouse to be that symbolic beacon of hope for the hero and heroine. Below is a short excerpt from Chapter 7.

    Evie set the tray on a small table and poured the tea. After handing one mug to Bryce, she settled into the swing beside him.

    He rocked gently back and forth. "I’ll go slow so we won’t spill the tea," he reassured her.

    She closed her eyes, welcoming the warmth of the mug in her hands. The swing swayed rhythmically with the slight tap of Bryce’s feet. She sipped her tea, listened to the night sounds of the quiet street and tingled in awareness of the man beside her.

    "I’ll toss out some ideas." The rumble of his deep bass vibrated through her body.

    She assumed she would hear one of Bryce’s lectures. He harangued her on a regular basis during that last year of high school. A pang of regret pierced her. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t turn her from her wild ways.

    "Does the Lord test people?" he asked. "And if He does, am I getting an F?"

    Feeling uncertain and inadequate when it came to issues of faith, Evie wished Jessica hadn’t gone to sleep. "Life isn’t like school."

    "All right, let’s say it’s based on the point system and I’m getting close to the maximum number."

    "No. The Lord doesn’t hand out parking and speeding tickets. He doesn’t take away your license."

    "He puts you in everlasting pain."

    Evie winced. She’d questioned Jessica on almost that identical point. At least she knew the response to that one. "He loves you. He made you and wants you to spend eternity with Him. He’ll forgive you. He’ll never abandon you."

    "What if you lose your faith in Him?"

    "Because of your father?"

    "Not just my father." He put his feet down and stopped the swing. He lowered his head. "There’s more to it."

    She waited, but in the tense silence he didn’t seem to want to lay his soul bare. That might be a good thing because she didn’t know how she would handle it. Perhaps the tension of his job weighed on him.

    "Everyone doubts," she said after a few moments. "You must simply go on trusting the Lord and praying."

    "That doesn’t work." A touch of sorrow welled in his deep brown eyes as he leaned back, sliding one hand along the top edge of the swing. Warmth radiated off his skin, just inches from hers. "I thought, since I was a Christian, the Lord would make things easier for me. He hasn’t."

    "Sometimes the Lord has other plans. Better plans," Evie stumbled through an explanation.

    "I haven’t read the Bible in a long time, but last night I went through the Beatitudes. It didn’t help. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’...I thought that’s what I was...but I’m not...not by any stretch of the imagination."

    "You’re trying to be a peacemaker. That’s what counts." Evie’s throat ached. In doing his job, he’d put her in jail. She swallowed hard, but though her eyes grew misty, she must be brave. "The whole point of the Beatitudes is that the Lord promises a great reward in heaven, even if we have a tough time here on earth." Evie wished Bryce took his problem to Pastor Strauss. The pastor knew so much more about being a Christian than she ever would. "The Lord never promised that everything would be easy, but He did promise to be with us, each one of us, all the time."

    "The Lord does not send replies," Bryce muttered.

    "He does, but you have to listen."

    "I’ve dealt with people who claim to hear the Lord. They are always mentally unstable."

    Evie’s courage failed her.

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You can find  THE KEEPER'S SECRET at all the major ebook distributors. 

Amazon
Barnes&Noble
Kobo
Pelican Book Group

Traveling A Cappella

     This is a very old photo of my siblings and I. I am the tall one with the striped shirt. My brother made a very awesome buggy out of scrap lumber, a discarded Christmas display, rope, and old wheels. The engine was environmentally friendly, but it had limits. It worked best going downhill. 😊
     The buggy was just for fun. For genuine transportation, my family used a Rambler station wagon, which is on the right in the photo. My father used that car to get to work and back everyday. We also went to the grocery store, the doctor, and into town. For us in those days, the town was Keyport, which wasn't a big town but it had a bakery, a Chinese restaurant, and a 5 & 10 cent store, Newberry's, which was our favorite store. 

     When Dad took a vacation, we piled into the Rambler and took a long trip out to visit my grandparents in western Pennsylvania and then went into Ohio to see my aunt and cousins. 

     The station wagon did not have air conditioning. My hair became impossibly tangled in the wind whipping through the windows. The car had an AM radio and it was difficult to pull in signals when driving through the mountains. Most often we sang our way to my grandparents' house. My mother led the singing. She liked to sing. Since she was in Marines during World War II, we always started off with the Marine's Hymn. They we sang the rest of the military songs, The Army Goes Rolling Along, as so forth. I always get teary-eyed when I hear those songs now. 

     Mom sang popular songs from her youth in the 1920s and the 1930s, too. I grew up knowing a lot of old songs. 

     One summer, I took accordion lessons. My parents rented a small twelve bass accordion and for ten weeks, they paid for me to learn music. When we went out to Pennsylvania that summer, the accordion went with us. I sat all the way in the back of the car with the luggage and played the accordion. That year, we all had accompaniment for our singing.

     The accordion lessons didn't last past the ten weeks. After that, the accordion school insisted my parents had to buy a huge 120 bass accordion for me. It was very expensive and also very heavy. My parents could not afford it. Also, my father took one look at the accordion and did not believe skinny little me could ever manage it. 

     So the next trip out to Pennsylvania was again a cappella, which was fine. We sang all of Mom's favorites and learned them by heart. 

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Health Care in the Old Days

      That’s my brother in front with the airplane and the cowboy boots. I’m right behind him with similar cowboy boots. This photo was taken in Jersey City—before we moved to Cliffwood Beach. It was also taken before my brother, at the age of 5,  jumped off the porch one day imitating Superman. He didn't fly. He broke his arm. My family had hospital insurance, so the broken arm was fixed. However, back in the old days, the only health insurance we had was for a visit to the hospital. Any visits to the doctor for illnesses or well check-ups were not covered. 

     The pediatrician who cared for me and my siblings charged $3 for an office visit and $5 for a house visit. Once I heard him compliment our family by calling us "God-fearing" people. As I child, I wasn't quite sure about that term but I knew we had to behave ourselves. 

     The pediatrician was a good diagnostician, too. When one of our neighbor's daughters became very ill, my mom told the family to take the child to our pediatrician. He knew what the problem was. While the young girl went through a long recovery, she did get better. Of course, Mom made cream puffs for the family so I'm sure that cheered them up. At least, a bit. 

     For the most part, we didn't see the doctor unless we were quite sick. Three dollars doesn't sound like a lot nowadays, but it was a lot in the 1950s. (You can see a list of the cost of other items here.) Of course, salaries were far less back then, too)

     Mom always had clean rags and oatmeal poultices to cure cuts and scrapes. Most of the time my siblings and I had the usual childhood diseases. We also had our tonsils removed. On some occasions we needed antibiotics and then we had to see the doctor. But our pediatrician was a kind and understanding man. When my youngest sister developed pneumonia from the measles, he did not recommend the hospital for her since he knew it would be a traumatic experience for one so young. She was a sensitive child. The doctor had a nurse come to the house and care for my sister. I have no idea how much that cost. But my poor mother needed some sleep, so it actually helped the entire family.  

    That pediatrician was a real hero, in my point of view. Our family was very blessed to have such a wonderful doctor caring for us.

     ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

    

In The Old Days

     There are people who believe the old days were the best. Since I am now 75, I look back at growing up in the 1950s and remember not everything was rosy in those days. Some aspects were positive, especially since it was a relatively peaceful time in the world, but there were still difficulties, especially for women.      

     My mother and father were married in 1947. My brother was born in 1948. A year and ten days later, I was born. My mother had Rh negative blood. My blood was Rh positive, so I’m lucky I’m here. Nowadays, there is an injection (RhoGAM) available to women who are Rh negative so that their antibodies do not attack the Rh positive baby in their womb. My mother gave birth to another little girl in 1952, but that baby died only a few days afterward. 

Polio was a terrible scourge at the time. At the age of three, I was suddenly unable to walk. My parents took me to the hospital where I was put into isolation, since the doctors thought I might have polio. Being in a large empty room, in a crib, is one of my first memories. Fortunately, whatever I had vanished with the aid of antibiotics. 

Mom gave birth to another girl in 1954. She was healthy. 

My brother and I started school and proceeded to be sick much of the time with measles, chicken pox, and other diseases. Fortunately, the polio vaccine became available and we were spared from getting that horrible disease.

Mom and Dad bought a very unfinished house. It was what they could afford on a journalist’s salary. It needed interior walls, insulation, and sheetrock to make it livable. Dad took my brother with him on weekends for assistance. My brother was seven, but he could hand Dad nails and such. We moved into the house in 1955. 

Mom became pregnant again. This time she started bleeding and the doctor feared she would lose the baby due to a miscarriage. My mother spent the rest of that pregnancy sitting down with her feet elevated. It was at that time my mom taught me to embroider and crochet. Mom was an artist and she liked being busy. She decided on a taking a mail order course to become an interior decorator. She finished the course. My youngest sister was born in 1958. 

By that time, I was eight years old and my poor mother was worn out. I was old enough to reach the knobs on the stove, to hang out the laundry on the line to dry, to change my sister’s diapers, and do a myriad of other household chores. 

Meanwhile, my maternal grandfather came for a visit and encouraged my father to dig out a basement under the house. That project lasted for many years. Obviously, my father still had a full time job at the newspaper, but on weekends he used a pick ax to dig through the solid clay under the house. Often, my brother helped Dad by taking wheelbarrows full of clay out of the basement and dumping it on the hill. I helped by bringing Dad large mugs of coffee. Sometimes, I played with the clay as did my sisters.

This division of labor worked quite well. Now and then my brother and I would get some time off to go on adventures. We considered our younger sisters “the kids.” My brother built a small go cart, which we called a buggy, from leftover nails, old baby carriage wheels, odd pieces of scrap lumber, and a rope. Most often, I was the engine, which I deemed quite unfair. My brother decided the solution was for both of us to ride our buggy down Cinder Hill, an unpaved street with a steep incline that went right to the edge of the bay. 

As we started to zip down the hill, a car came up the hill towards us. My brother made a sharp turn to the right. I was thrown into the gravel at the side and my brother landed underneath the buggy. We were scratched up but nothing was broken. However, that was the last time we went down Cinder Hill.

Did you grow up in the 1950s? What were some of your youthful experiences?

A Christmas Excerpt from SEA OF HOPE

     SEA OF HOPE was my first published book and a 2002 EPIC Award Winner for Best Inspirational Novel. It is set in a small New Jersey fishing community. The heroine's father passed away and his fishing trawler, the Merrichase, has been willed to a stranger. The heroine's uncle is the pastor of the local church in that community where she grew up. Below is her uncle's Christmas homily.

     Then Uncle Walter reminded his congregation of the joy everyone should have in their hearts at the celebration of the birth of their Savior. “Christmas is not about who gets the biggest and best toys,” he whispered close into the microphone and then paused again. “It’s about eternal life, God’s great gift to us all,” his voice grew in intensity. “And it is about forgiveness. You are saved by the grace of God who sent His Son to wash away your sins with His blood.” 
     Uncle Walter’s words thundered through the speakers and filled the church. For a moment, her uncle stopped speaking. Total silence reigned in the nave. Then, slowly, he drew in a great breath, an act made more dramatic by the amplification. “Thank Him,” Uncle Walter spoke softly. “Thank Him with all your heart.” 

     Doria dared to glance up in time to see him turn and walk heavily back to his chair to sit. A hush gathered over the people as Uncle Walter’s words sank into their usually cluttered minds. With bowed heads they mulled over their pastor’s message. The tightness grew in Doria’s throat. Her uncle’s words had touched everyone, even her. How could she have stayed away from church for so long? How could she have ignored the truth? She needed the Lord in her life. He was her only hope. Especially now.

     I've heard many, many Christmas homilies over the years and while the one in Sea Of Hope is brief, I hoped to convey in it the conversion of the heroine's heart. 

     Christmas is over in the minds of many people. The gifts have been opened, the cookies eaten, and the family visits are completed. But Christ can always be in our hearts all year long. The true gift of Christmas is His love for us. 

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Newest Review for MAKING CHRISTMAS AGAIN!

I received a wonderful review for Making Christmas Again from Lynn Goodwin at Reedsy Discovery. She said she, 

"Loved it! 😍 

With a warm tone, well-rounded people, and a plot that won’t stop churning, the author skillfully lets you into the character's lives."

Visit:

 https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/making-christmas-again-penelope-marzec#review

You can read the entire review AND a preview of the book. 

The Galley for Love’s Gift

 

A few day ago, I received the galley for Love’s Gift, my historical romance, which is due to be released in March. I was very excited and told some friends of mine who aren’t authors. They never heard of a galley in reference to a book.

The word galley goes back a long way, from the ancient days of printing. Before computers, printing was done with metal pieces of the alphabet set in lines and placed into a metal pan, which was called a galley. Despite the advances in printing, the word continues to be used.

Since my father was a journalist, I had the advantage of seeing printers using hot lead to set the news stories for the day. It was rather fascinating, but definitely time consuming and working with hot metal type seemed dangerous to me, but that’s how it was done before computers took over.

I think it was a great idea to do away with the hot lead process.  

In today’s publishing world, the galley arrives as a pdf. I read through it, line by line, and make sure there aren’t any mistakes. Unfortunately, there always are things that need fixing. Though at the galley stage, an author cannot make any big changes in the document. When I find an error, I have to record it in a separate document, noting the page number and line number. I cannot make any corrections on the pdf.

After the galley is sent back to the publisher with the corrections, the errors are fixed and the book is ready for publication. So, getting a galley is a huge step toward publication. In fact, you can pre-order the book now at https://www.amazon.com/Loves-Gift-Penelope-Marzec-ebook/dp/B0D49BZ5P4

Reviews for MAKING CHRISTMAS AGAIN!

So far, MAKING CHRISTMAS AGAIN has gotten some very wonderful reviews and I am grateful to those who took the time to write and post their thoughts on this novella. 

A. Klumpers wrote, 

     "'Making Christmas Again' by Penelope Marzec is a heartwarming story, but that doesn’t mean it’s trite or cliche. Before our hearts can warm, they run a gamut of emotions. (Or at least they do if you’re an empathetic reader. If you’re the clinical type who doesn’t jump right into the characters’ skin (or shoes) you can still enjoy a good story told with good writing.)As I was saying—while this is ultimately a tale of joy, it first plunges us into the bleak sorrow of Celeste. Life has thrown her a surplus of grief. Her beloved sister died before she reached her teens. Her father died while still in his prime. And she’s just come home to her ‘lovely, small, unremarkable” hometown because her mother has died. There is nothing for her in Apple Hill, New Jersey. But she’s burned her bridges with her job in Kentucky when she turned whistleblower against her corrupt boss. She is a broken woman and we don’t really know if she has the moral fortitude to get through her grief and anxiety and a man living in her basement.
     Sawyer doesn’t really LIVE in her basement. Just keeps his stuff there and sleeps there when blizzards—which are apparently common in NJ—hit. Sawyer is grieving the loss of his wife, trying to keep his business afloat, and showering love on his adorable little son Glenn. Who, like Celeste’s beloved sister, has Down Syndrome.
     The author has a deft touch with characterizations. Sawyer is a man of faith who struggles with his heartache but is always trying to be the hands and feet of Christ. Celeste is complex—prickly and vulnerable and unreasonable and wise. How Sawyer reconciles his fear of loss with hope for the future, how Celeste finds a strength outside herself that empowers her to be vulnerable, and how the endearing Glenn holds both their hands and hearts makes for a satisfying Christmas story."

C. Revell wrote,

"Celeste returns home in a snowstorm after the death of her mother - to find things have changed without her being informed. For one thing her mother rented out the basement to a stranger named Sawyer and his cute but messy son Glenn, who like her sister has Downs Syndrome. And for another her mother rewrote her will to include Sawyer.

Lots of snow, action and Christmas make this a page turner and a yummy tummy enjoyable read. (Right!)
PS read the book to get the above reference."

Carol J. wrote,

"Making Christmas Again by Penelope Marzec is a heartwarming Christmas romance. After losing her job because she discovered some financial discrepancies at work, Celeste Greenfield returns to her family home. Because her mother recently passed away, she expects the house to be empty. But she discovers her mother has leased the basement to a single father, recently widowed, and his young Down Syndrome son, Glenn. This arrangement causes all sorts of sweet scenarios. Celeste and Sawyer are attracted to each other, yet are afraid to let themselves begin a relationship. He is working through the loss of his wife, and she is working through her loss of faith. But when the whole town comes together to support them by planning a live nativity to make Christmas again, Celeste’s heart softens. The characters are likable and inspiring. Glenn adds so much warmth to the novella. This is a charming and moving story about two broken people who turn their hearts toward God and toward each other."

M. Jean P. wrote,

"Sometimes you find your future in returning to the past. This point is so beautifully illustrated in Penelope Marzek’s Christmas novella, Making Christmas Again. Celeste is no stranger to loss. At a young age she sustained the loss of her father and her younger sister. She’d recently relocated to Kentucky for her dream job only to have it turn into a nightmare. When her mother unexpectedly passes away, Celeste returns to her childhood home in New Jersey to settle her affairs and discovers a man is renting her mother’s the basement. His presence in the house is an inconvenience to say the least. Celeste had hoped to sell the house quickly and get back to her life in Lexington. She doesn’t want anything to do with the handsome renter – or the God that he claims cares about her. The blow is softened when the man’s adorable special needs son, Glenn, steals Celeste’s heart. (He might just steal yours, too!) The author did a masterful job with these characters. I loved Celeste, Sawyer and Glenn."

Miriam T. wrote,

"A touching Christmas story filled with love. This novella does a great job of showing how difficult loss can be, especially near Christmas, but also the beauty God can bring into our lives after loss if we let Him. Celeste’s struggle to forgive and trust God after experiencing so many losses was heartfelt and relatable. I enjoyed the sweet romance between Celeste and Sawyer, as well as Celeste’s relationship with Sawyer’s son, Glenn, an adorable three-year-old with Down Syndrome. This is a sweet story of forgiveness, second chances, and love."

K. Malley wrote,

"When Celeste travels home to New Jersey after her mother’s death, she’s shocked to find a man and his adorable son in her mother’s basement. Sawyer is doing his best raising his son after the loss of his wife, but his faith in God never wavers. Celeste falls for little Glenn, who has Down Syndrome, as he reminds her so much of the sister she lost who had the same condition. Glenn is a wonderful little boy that you can’t help but smile at whenever he enters the story. Making Christmas Again is an inspirational story of Celeste returning to the God she shunned when she lost her sister. This heartwarming tale makes you root for Celeste and Sawyer to find happiness together. Along the way, they deal with blizzards, power outages, and an accident, all made better with the help of cookies!"

S. Baganz wrote,

"Reading Penelope Marzec's book Making Christmas Again is compelling, because sometimes Christmas just doesn't feel like Christmas. Have you ever experienced that?

Celeste has a lot going on. Her mother died so she's gotta leave a challenging job situation to go home to settle affairs. She's the only remaining person in her family which is terribly sad. She also had broken up with a menacing boyfriend/boss and had uncovered his embezzlement and was a whistleblower, only her employer doesn't realize this yet. She also left her mother's faith behind her, focusing more on numbers than the intangible.

She arrives home to find someone living in her mother's basement. Make that two someones! One is a little boy has Down Syndrome which her deceased sister also had, so now she's missing her mom and her sister and there's a snowstorm.

Sawyer is the father to this precious little soul and is also grieving Mrs. Greenfield's death as she had been so helpful to him with his son after his wife died and had encouraged him in his business, even renting her basement space for his work. Celeste hadn't been told. Now he has a new landlord who can't see past her own grief and challenges to trust, much less celebrate the faith her mother held dear.

Death, upheaval, an extra chromosome, snow, and other challenges face these two characters as they find their way through each day to understanding each other and maybe even falling in love. But will Celeste stay in town or will she return to her employer leaving Sawyer's heart broken?

Through all the twists and turns, challenges, and snowstorms, these two people might find a miracle yet and Christmas might once again be cherished and celebrated."

I am so thrilled with the reviews! I hope you'll download the book and find it just as good as these reviewers thought. 

You can find it everywhere!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Christmas-Again-Holiday-Extravaganza-ebook/dp/B0DFD4XM5R

 

Barne&Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/making-christmas-again-penelope-marzec/1146222909?ean=9781522304920

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/making-christmas-again

 

Pelican Book Group: https://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68_41&products_id=1696 (It’s only $0.99 at the publisher’s website until Christmas.)

 

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Guest Post: CHRISTMAS LIGHTS & MOONLIT NIGHTS by Carol James

     My guest today is Carol James, an author of inspirational fiction. She loves creating Redemptive Romance. She lives in a small town outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Jim, and a perky Jack Russell Terrier, Zoe.
     Carol enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, traveling with friends, and serving in the production department at her church. She’s a Frappuccino and soccer aficionado.
     Her father was a career Air Force officer, and she grew up sitting on the arm of his recliner, watching old military and war movies, reading military fiction. So there’s a special place in her heart for “guy stories.”
     And from those moments, Christmas Lights and Moonlit Nights was born. It’s a second-chance story about two people who met as teenagers, but meet again years later when she’s a successful business woman, and he’s a handsome Navy SEAL. Who wouldn’t like that?

What's it about?

     All Leah Davidson wants is to spend a quiet Christmas with her parents on Palm Island. Her father’s recovering from surgery, so she’s volunteered to take over his decorating responsibilities. Plus, it’s a good excuse to get away from her ex-boyfriend. But then she discovers her neighbors have a Christmas visitor, too. One she has a history with.

     Navy SEAL Jed  Price is spending Christmas with his aunt and uncle on Palm Island. He wants a relaxing time away from the pressures of his work, and the secluded island seems like the perfect escape. Until he sees his aunt and uncle’s neighbor.

     Jed remembers Leah as the snobby girl next door. And Leah remembers Jed as the immature boy who was afraid of the water. But they’ve both changed.

     Can Leah and Jed move past their earlier issues and work together to make Christmas a joyous time of love and forgiveness?

Read the excerpt!
(Leah is returning home to spend a quiet Christmas with her parents. Their neighbors have come for dinner, and they’re bringing their nephew, Jed, whom Leah hasn’t seen since they were kids.)
 
            When the bell rang right at six, Leah opened the front door. The Cobbs stood there smiling. Leah peeked around the doorjamb. No Jed. Mrs. Cobb clasped Leah’s hand and winked. “Jed’ll be along in a minute. His flight got in late, and he’s just about finished cleaning up.”
            As the Cobbs made their way inside, Leah was left to be the welcoming committee of one. She dropped into one of the wicker chairs on the porch and waited. Eventually, footsteps crunched against the gravel roadway, and then she saw him. Her breath caught. He looked nothing like he had fifteen years ago. Certainly, taller than she was. His orange hair had morphed into a rich auburn color, and he sported a scruffy beard. Normally, she wasn’t a beard-girl, but something about his attracted her. It enhanced his jawline and gave his boyish face an air of maturity and mystery. He might have been forty. He might have been eighteen. He would have made a good spy.
            She stood and offered her hand. “You must be Jed. I’m Leah Davidson. Welcome.”
            “Jed Price.” He shook her hand. “I think we’ve met before…maybe in an earlier life?” He grinned.
            “If you consider childhood an earlier life, then, yes.” 
            Jed nodded. “Well, it sure feels like a different life. A lot can change after those years.”
            That was true, especially in his case. “Well, it’s good to see you again.”
            “Good to see you, too.”
            She doubted he truly meant that…unless he’d forgotten how nasty she and her girlfriends had been to him that summer. How they’d teased him about not being able to swim or even enjoy wading out into the water. Kids could be so cruel. An apology loomed in their near future. But now wasn’t the time.
            She sat, and he followed suit. She watched him out of the corners of her eyes.
            He placed his hands behind his head and, leaning back in the rocker, eased backward and forward.  “Nice evening. Hard to believe it’s December.”
            “I know. It feels more like spring.”
            He nodded. “One thing I love about this part of Texas.”
            “Me, too.” She turned to face him. “So where do you live now?”
            “Virginia.”
            “Does it get cold up there? Get any snow in the winter?”
            “Pretty moderate where I am. We might get a dusting of snow in January or February, but it doesn’t usually last. Melts, and then it’s warm again.”
            “And what is it you do in Virginia?”
            Avoiding her eyes, he stared over her shoulder. “I’m in the Navy.”
            “On a ship?”
            He shrugged. “Sometimes.”
            She nodded. “Sounds interesting. Travel much?”
            “All the time.” He jumped up and held out a hand. “Hey, I’ll bet the others are wondering where we are. Better not hold up dinner any longer.”
            As she grasped his hand and stood, she studied his face. Definitely boy-down-the-block cute, but his broad shoulders and muscled arms confirmed he was no longer a boy. His eyes were the rich, golden brown of maple syrup, but instead of being warm and enticing, they were walled off. Distant. Despite his relaxed manner and easy conversation, his words seemed to be carefully chosen. Rehearsed. Almost as if he’d practiced what to say. And his face was unreadable. If he didn’t want to be a spy, he’d make a great actor.

🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄

Purchase Links:
Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3BKHaIB

Pelican Book Group:  https://bit.ly/3NxBqEL

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-lights-and-moonlit-nights-carol-james/1146222910?ean=9781522304883

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/christmas-lights-and-moonlit-nights

 

Reviews for Christmas Holiday Extravaganza Books

Pelican Book Group offers new Christmas novellas every year. They call it their Christmas Holiday Extravaganza.  I wrote one this year, Making Christmas Again, but I also read many of the ARCs of other Pelican Book Group's authors. I haven't finished reading all the ARCs, but here are a few. I loved them all. 💗

JUST ANOTHER WINTER'S TALE by Clare Revell

I find it fun to read a book by an English author. The differences in American English and British English are interesting. For instance, a jumper in England is a sweater in America. What the British refer to as a biscuit is actually a cookie in America. It almost gives me the sense I have traveled far across the sea while reading.

     In Just Another Winter’s Tale, Vere Idowu is still mourning the loss of his sister who died in an accident in London. Vere took over his father’s greengrocer business in the small town of Wychwood Cross. It has always been his family’s tradition to give newcomers to the town a basket of produce from his shop. So, Robyn Yardley, an author, finds a basket on her doorstep from Vere. When he learns her oven isn’t working, he offers to fix it for her. He invites her to join the choral society and soon a tender romance grows between them. Robyn’s dog likes him, too. With Robyn suffering from a long bout of writer’s block, Vere even gives her some great ideas to help her with the development of her heroine. Everything looks hopeful until Robyn reveals a story from her past. It is at that point Ms. Revell’s talent for Christian storytelling grabbed me and made this tale a Christmas treasure. 

     I received this book as an advanced reading copy from the author though my opinion is my own. 

     Find it at Amazon.

A KRINGLE FAMILY CHRISTMAS by Miriam Thor

 Bethany Kringle has not celebrated Christmas since her mother died. Then her brother, who is in the Navy, comes home for the holiday with his friend Jay. Her brother expects the full Kringle Christmas experience for his friend. 

     Bethany’s mom made everything from scratch and Bethany struggles to do it all alone. Serving bottled dressing at dinner makes her feel inadequate. But she believes she is easing her brother and father’s grief by doing everything as her mother used to do. 

     Jay grew up a foster child. The Navy is the first place where he felt he belonged, but he isn’t sure about enlisting again. Bethany’s brother is the one who brought him to Jesus and now Jay is quite sure Jesus is leading him to leave the Navy. As a cook in the Navy, he sees the strain all the cooking is taking on Bethany, something her brother doesn’t understand. Jay volunteers to help in the kitchen. Then one day he takes her ice skating. 

Bethany appreciates Jay’s help and the two begin to enjoy each other’s company. Jay understands Bethany is still suffering from  her mother’s death. For himself, Jay fears leaving the Navy. To him it’s like jumping off a cliff.

Filled with conflicting emotions, this is a gentle, but sweet drama showing how a family can grow beyond a loss with the help of faith.

                                                   Find it at Amazon.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS & MOONLIT NIGHTS by Carol James

   The last time Leah saw Jed, he was a pudgy, pale boy. She and her friends teased him mercilessly. But when she goes home for Christmas to put up her father’s lavish Christmas light display, she finds Jed is now a very handsome Navy SEAL whose job takes precedence over everything else. 

     Jed promised to make shelves for his uncle. So, he comes and goes depending upon when he is needed at work. Still, he helps Leah hang the Christmas lights. Leah enjoys his company but he can never tell her where he’s been and it unnerves her to know he carries a gun all the time. When he gives a talk to a classroom of students, Leah realizes how enthusiastic he is about the work he does.

     But as much as Jed enjoys Leah’s company, he plans never to marry because he has seen what happens when other SEALS die and the pain they leave behind for their families. 

Carol James has penned a tender tale about true courage bolstered by faith, a perfect Christmas story.

Find it at Amazon.

THE LADY WITH THE ALLIGATOR CASE by Anita Klumpers

     Anita Klumpers has a knack for drawing a reader into her story. So when Jemma wakes up in a hospital bed, handcuffed to the bedrail, I could not stop reading. Jemma’s car went into a ditch during a snowstorm, but in her car was a suitcase covered with alligator skin in which there were rare illegal orchids. Her grandmother asked her to drop them off to a buyer in northern Wisconsin since Jemma was on her way to reconcile with her former boyfriend in that area.

     Instead, Jemma is stuck in Cadwallader with a non-working vehicle,  no money, no ID, not even shoes. However, the police chief of the small town, Elihu, buys her shoes. In fact, Elihu buys a meal for her, too.

     Jemma’s grandmother comes to her aid as well as a family friend who originally had that alligator case in his attic. Someone tries to take the case away from the family friend by force. As the story moves along, it turns out that not everyone is entirely truthful. 

This is an engaging mystery with interesting characters and lots of snow. Well worth reading in my opinion on a snowy day this Christmas. 

Find it at Amazon.

🌲 🌲 🌲 🌲 🌲