Happy 2026

 

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

        Happy New Year! I am hoping that 2026 will be a good year, and I seem to have started it off with a bang (a muted bang…the dogs and I are tired of the fireworks they’re shooting off around here. They’re still doing it although New Year’s Eve is long over).

        Why do I say I started off with a (muted) bang? Because I finished the first draft of The Madam and Mr. MacLean! Yay! That was a goal I set for myself at the beginning of 2025 (I’m a slow but steady writer with limited time so I’m pretty pleased with myself). It’s almost ready for my edit (it’s still going through critique) then off to my beta readers.

        The other thing that made this New Years great? I signed a contract with my publisher (LOVE my publisher) for four more books – two more in the Wives of Bravado County series and two more in the Matchmaker Mischief series. I’m excited and so happy and yes, I have started all four stories because that’s just how I roll.

        It’s my favorite part, actually. I love the start of a new story (the middle is where I run into problems, but the beginning? It’s totally fun). I love creating the setting, and the plot points and most especially, my characters. If I’m really lucky, my characters will tell me who they are, what they stand for (i.e., what they will or will not do), and what their goals are. Sometimes, they talk to me. No, I’m not crazy but I do have voices in my head…such is the life of a writer! I kinda consider it crazy if I don’t have voices or scenes or dialogue running through my head.

        Speaking of scenes, I just got an inkling of a new one so I’m gonna go write.

        Stay well! Stay safe! Have a beautiful 2026 and remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore

Hating Christmas is the best reason to read this story right now.  

Kira North hates Christmas and unbelievably buys a Christmas tree farm with a quaint farmhouse that needs a lot of work including heat.  It's a few weeks before the hated holiday, and people in Dream Harbor think she's open for business.

Her new house is falling apart, and she has no clue on how to cut and sell the fields of growing pine trees.  The townsfolk stop by to greet her without an invitation.  Bennett Ellis has the audacity to walk his (adorable) dogs in her fields.  If it weren't for the dogs sniffing, licking, and being cute, she probably would've shot him.

She doesn't have a gun, and her hands are too cold to aim anything, so a severe ousting is what Ben gets.  Pleasant and good looking isn't a pass to walk on her land.  

Ben is visiting his sister and looking for something to do or something to fix.  Sitting idle sends him outdoors where he meets Kira and soon realizes she needs heating, plumbing, and several other extreme fixes to live in her house in the winter.  

As Ben eases his way into her home and heart with acts of kindness along with the townspeople, Kira finds her icy heart thawing.  Her home becomes livable, her trees get cut, and people talk to her.  

Having a few friends could be nice.  Enjoying the hot cocoa, twinkly lights, farm fresh trees, and a spicy relationship may change Kira's mind on a lot of things.  Ben's invitation may not be written, but it certainly is open.

Happy reading,  

Dawn

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

        Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

        It’s that time of year when we are inundated with holiday commercials and movies, particularly those Hallmark Christmas movies, which I am totally addicted to. I will admit that I’ve watched quite a few, when I’m not busy doing the hundreds of other things that must be done. And it’s all good. I’m one of those romantics who gets tears in their eyes with that happily-ever-after (and I hope you feel that way when you read one of my stories).

        I have taken another week off (I have a lot of PTO that I need to burn before I lose it and yes, I’m going to pay for it when I get back to the office but that’s okay, too) so this week is perfect for catching up on things I haven’t had time to do. I don’t have much planned for the holiday. It’s just the DH and myself (and the dogs, of course), but that’s okay and with the time off, I’m hoping to finish the first draft of The Madam & Mr. MacLean. That’s my goal and I’m so close, I can taste it.

        I’m also going to make a big batch of spaghetti sauce with meatballs and sausage then make lasagna (yum) and baked ziti and of course, cheesecake, because that’s what I do for the holidays, whether I have company or not.

        That aside, there’s a new year headed our way, a new beginning so to speak. I have a few goals. They’re not resolutions as I find I fail at those, but goals, things I know I can achieve with hard work…and a little time. One of those goals is to write another story in the Wives of Bravado County series. We’ll be going back to the little town of Possibility, Texas, where everything is possible, even second chances. I have my characters all lined up as well as several plot points and I’ve already written the opening scene (hahahaha, it came to me out of the blue…I hadn’t even been thinking about this story when the heroine spoke to me while I was doing dishes). Of course, I had to write down her idea right away and those dishes had to wait.  

        Anyway, 2026 is right around the corner so….my wish for you: I hope you find peace. I hope you find joy. Most of all, I hope you find love (if you haven’t already). What kind of romance writer would I be if I didn’t wish that for you? May your days be merry and bright (yes, I stole that from the famous song) and may all your New Years’ wishes come true.

        Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go! 

Marie

SCOTTISH SPIRITS OF CHRISTMAS boxed set by Lexi Post has Released!

Scottish Spirits of Christmas boxed set 

by Lexi Post 

has Released!

Love in the afterlife never felt so good…nor so dangerous.

Amazon | AppleBooks  | Barnes& Noble | Kobo | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA

When Cameron Douglass dies chasing yet another adrenaline rush, he leaves his young widow, Holly, devastated. Luckily, he's put in charge of the Scottish Spirits of Christmas, and assigns two spirits of the past, present, and future to show Holly a way forward, helping these spirits learn something for themselves. He's not surprised that they don't get along very well, but he is surprised to find that when it's finally time to let Holly go, it's not as easy as he'd hoped. Can he bend the rules one more time, or is it finally time to pay the piper? 

Pleasures of Christmas Past - Though Jessica Thomas is thrilled to land the job of novice Spirit Guide, she’s been assigned a hot, arrogant Scottish mentor who confuses her heart. But what should concern her more, is will he protect her soul?

Desires of Christmas Present - Kentucky born and bred Coco Baker has just been given the assignment of her spirit guide career, but she’s forced to partner with a Scottish upper class snob. Despite him, she’s determined to do well on this case and find out what the arrogant man is hiding. Unfortunately, she discovers that sometimes not knowing is better…for everyone.

Temptations of Christmas Future - He set out to prove the future was far worse than she imagined. Now he wished it wasn’t. Joy is paired with a problem Spirit Guide who tests her positive outlook beyond its limits. Will she persevere, or cave to her weakness for him?

One of a Kind Christmas - To reach her heart, he must face a spirit, an angel…and himself. Though Ethan Stewart loved his best friend like a brother and will do anything for his widow, as he’s pulled into the spirit world, he discovers not all is as it seems. If he doesn’t figure it out soon, none of them will have a Merry Christmas…ever.

About Lexi

Lexi Post is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of romance inspired by the classics. She spent years in higher education taking and teaching courses about the classical literature she loved. From Edgar Allan Poe's short story “The Masque of the Red Death” to Tolstoy’s War and Peace, she's read, studied, and taught wonderful classics.

But Lexi's first love is romance novels so she married her two first loves, romance and the classics. Whether it’s sizzling cowboys, dashing dukes, hot immortals, or hunks from out of this world, Lexi provides a sensuous experience with a “whole lotta story.”

Lexi is living her own happily ever after with her husband and her two cats in Florida. She makes her own ice cream every weekend, loves bright colors, and you’ll never see her without a hat.

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A Very Irish Christmas by Debbie Johnson

 Cassie O' Hara is in a rut.  Keep lamenting the lost groom-to-be, as she is doing, or move on.  So far, this Christmas season she's chosen to keep reminding herself of her loss by watching her almost wedding video.  Right up to when her fiancé, at the altar of course, said he couldn't finish the nuptials.  

Worthless, that's how she feels.  Her sister and her mom aren't any help with their constant reminders of her uselessness.  Cassie comes up with a great idea, egged on by her BFF, and decides to skip the Manhattan Christmas.

With a small inheritance from her grandmother, Nora, she books a trip to England for a month with hopes of a vintage and magical Christmas.  Her reservation at Whimsy Cottage should do it.

Whimsy cottage is cold, dusty, and with sheets over the sparse furniture.  Now what?

The nearest pub should be warm and offer food.  If the dog stalking her on her trek down the street signifies the coming month in England, she might be in trouble.

A tall, gregarious, and handsome Irish man, Ryan, takes Cassie under his wing, advising her to contact Charles, Lord Bancroft, about a suitable room until the Whimsy Cottage is prepped.

Ryan is the local handyman, and Charles is the local lord.  They both have Cassie's well-being in hand.  She helps Ryan clean the cottage along with deep discussions over a pint or two of Guiness.  Charles offers his mansion during cleanup time including deep discussions and plentiful warmth and food.

Cassie hasn't had a legitimate date in three years, and now two eligible and fine men want her attention.  Who wins her heart and how does he triumph over the other?  Not to mention the country she must choose!  

Love is a wonderful experience surrounded by snow, lights, and decorations of an English Christmas.

Happy reading,

Dawn    

  

Words! Words! Words!

 

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

        So, if you read my least blog, you know that I planned to take some Paid Time Off over the Thanksgiving holiday, knowing full well I’d pay for it dearly when I got back to the day job (OMG, did I ever!!! Seemed like everything was on FIRE that Monday morning and believe it or not, I’m still trying to put those flames out) but this blog isn’t about cleaning up the mess. This blog is about how wonderful it was to take that time off.

        And it really was wonderful! I maintained my schedule and woke at 4:30 like I do every morning and then….I wrote and wrote and wrote…and it was fabulous. Two thousand words one day (I know that’s not a lot for some writers, but it’s a lot for me, as I’m a slow writer), fifteen hundred on another day then four thousand and three thousand—that’s not to say I didn’t cut words. I did. A lot of them because I headed for the cliff of no return a couple times.

        And I didn’t write on Thanksgiving (I was busy cooking) but the rest of the days? Can you tell how much I loved being off!

        It became a game for me. Normally, during the work week when I need to head off to the day job, I average between three hundred and seven hundred words, but this? Having some time off to write as many words as I wanted? How many can I do today (of course, it helps when you’re in love with your characters AND they do whatever they want, even if it’s not what I want)? So much fun! The other thing I learned is that I can get up, do something, like make a cheesecake, then come back and write some more.

        After I ran out of words (because that does happen), I did some stuff around the house and then…then I got to sit down and relax and watch a movie if I wanted. Again, it was wonderful! I got to rest as well as do what I love to do. Win Win!

        If this is what retirement for me can look like, I am so ready! Only two years, two weeks and two days to go! Whoooo-hooo!

        Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go! Marie

Good Elf Gone Wrong by Alina Jacobs

 The perfect story to start off the holiday season!  Atrociously funny and smirk-worthy retribution from the people-pleasing and loveable sister to the opposite sister.

Grace plans everything with an enviable skill, which includes her whole family, her friends', and her work cohorts' events.  She never says no and never fails to perfect all details involved.

Her favorite holiday is Christmas, so it's not a surprise that she plans her wedding for this special and glittery day.  The decorations, food, lighting, music, drinks will all engage the wonderful season, and there will never be too much sparkle.

 That's until Grace finds her sister panting under the Christmas tree with Grace's fiancé.  

Of course, it's Grace's fault.  Everything is her fault because she's the one setting up all activities and gatherings.  It' even her fault when her fiancé proposes to her sister.   

That's the final pinecone from the pine tree.  

Grace is excellent at planning, and the plan is now revenge.

She meets Hudson, the bad boy and not her type, on the bus.  How she got so lucky to hatch a revenge plan with him, she'll regretfully learn much later.  Right now, he's the perfect explosion for her sister, former fiancé, and even her love life.

With all the attributes of the boy who shouldn't meet your mom, Hudson plays the part all too well.  He arrives at Grace's family home dressed in black, uncouth actions, bad language, and cozying up to the sister.  It's all part of the plan.

What isn't part of the plan, is that Hudson likes Grace, yet he has a ghastly second mission that she won't like.  It wouldn't matter, but her heart and mind betray the plan by falling for the bad boy-man.

Now it's time to find out if Grace can get her revenge and if Hudson can fulfill his secondary mission without breaking too many hearts.  Including the melded hearts of the two schemers.

Happy reading,

Dawn