Merry Little Wishing Spritz by Cherie Colyer

 

Up today is my witty paranormal romance, Merry Little Wishing Spritz. 

What readers had to say...

Merry Little Wishing Spritz made me smile, grin, giggle and thoroughly entertained me. 

~ Long and Short Reviews

A perfect holiday romance that will make you laugh, smile, and perhaps even swoon. 

~Sydney Winward, author

A warm and enchanting holiday romance… Just perfect for curling up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate, and maybe a cookie or two! 

~ Laura Strickland, author

I finished reading Merry Little Wishing Spritz and I wanted to read it again and again... It’s going on my annual holiday reads list. Highly recommend! ~ N.N. Light

Blurb

Modern-day witch Cassie Moore’s cozy life turns upside down when her friend foresees the wrecking ball that threatens to destroy Cassie’s home and workplace. But Cassie isn’t giving up without a fight. She casts a well-intended spell meant to save her apartment and her job. But magic is unpredictable, especially when her friend casts a little charm of her own that has Cassie lusting after the man she desperately wants to despise.

Jack Quinn has had his eyes on Lakeside Books for years, and he couldn’t be happier the owner is finally ready to sell. He has big plans for the cozy waterfront property, but he didn’t expect to care about the store or its employees. And he never imagined he’d be drawn to a certain brown-eyed saleswoman.

As if by magic.

Read it today

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Peek between the pages

​​“He’s convincing,” one of the women who worked there whispered. “And sexy. Where’d you find him?”

It was the darn suit. The sleeves strained against muscle when he lifted gifts and the pants practically drew the eye to his thighs when he squatted to talk to the smaller children. It fit too perfectly. Maybe Peyton had spelled it to adjust to the wearer?

“He found us.”

“Well, you’re a lucky woman—”

“Oh, he and I aren’t together.”

“Really? The two of you keep sneaking glances at each other.”

If we did, it was only because we were working together. “I assure you, we’re not a couple.”

“Hum, well then.” She eyed Jack. “If I wasn’t married…” She cackled. Actually cackled! “Don’t just stand there, girl.” She nudged me. “Bring him a bottle of water.”

It was the least I could do. I grabbed a bottle and rejoined Jack.

“I thought Santa might be thirsty.”

“Ho ho ho! Thank you.” Jack grabbed my hand along with the water and twirled me around once. Heart racing and a bit off-balanced I bumped into him. His free hand settled on my waist. “You’re lucky you’re not dressed as Mrs. Clause,” he whispered.

His eyes twinkled. My breath caught. “Why’s that?”He glanced up. I followed his gaze to the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling.

Stop back regularly to discover more holiday novellas in The Wild Rose Press' Christmas Cookie series.

Macaroons by Moonlight by Annette Miller

 

We continue our 25 Days of Christmas with Macaroons by Moonlight by Annette. This novella is such a fun holiday romance filled with the magic of Christmas. It’s the perfect book to usher in the holiday spirit. Check out my full review on Goodreads.

Blurb

When Joanna Robillard’s car breaks down in front of the Heavenly Bites cookie shop, it’s just another part of the string of bad luck since she started her trip west. Her money’s almost gone, now she needs repairs and a place to stay. When the owner of the shop comes out, she’s struck by his resemblance to the tall elves in fantasy movies.

Davin Mines owns the shop where Joanna’s car breaks down. He offers her a temporary job to help her earn money to get her car fixed. But the longer she’s there, the more he thinks she belongs with him. However, he has his own magical secret to fulfill the promise of the holiday season.

Read it today

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Peek between the pages:

Joanna picked up her fork and poked at the crust. “Can we stop all the discussions about me before I get even more depressed? I’ve made a complete mess of my life.”

“Not true,” Davin said. “After all, you got to meet me.”

She glanced up and smiled at the twinkle in his eyes. “You’re quite full of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Nope. I only speak the truth.” He frowned. “Unless you don’t care for my company.”

A laugh escaped her before she could stop it. “I do care for your company. You and Isaac and Ms. Warner have all been very kind to me. I didn’t think nice people existed anymore.”

“They do. You just have to look a little harder to find them these days.”

Joanna gazed into his eyes. When she first met him, they looked ice blue. Now, the color looked more like the blue shadows the sun would cast on snow. Her heart did another little dance. Maybe Davin Mines was an elf and had cast a spell over her. Magic was the most logical explanation for the rush of blood to her head and the butterflies in her stomach.

Come back tomorrow to discover more Christmas novellas.

Magic and Midnight Mint Bars by Iona Morrison

 

Magic & Midnight Mint Bars by Iona Morrison has just the right amount of holiday spirit, friendship, romance, and hope. If you're in the mood for an inspirational story you won't be disappointed with this one. You can read my full review on Goodread.

Blurb 

Months after a bitter divorce, Sally Mansfield is spending Christmas with her best friends at the Blue Iris Inn. Fifty pounds thinner than the last time they were together, she is excited for her friends to see the change. She might still be wounded, her self-esteem at rock bottom, but Sally is determined to have a fun holiday with her friends.

Read it today!

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Peek between the pages

A recent broken engagement brought Chad Bennett back to Blue Cove. Intrigued by Sally, he is interested in learning more, but she remains a closed book and truthfully so is he. Is it possible with the help of a little Christmas magic, a winsome sprite named Elida, some chocolate goodness, and friends, two lonely souls can find friendship and the possibility of a lot more over the holidays?

Snippet: “You may as well open your eyes, sweetie, and stop rubbing them because I’m not going anywhere soon. I’ve come in response to your request.” The light seemed to pulsate from the creature as she spoke.

“I didn’t ask you to come. I made no request.” Sally lifted the cover to her chin as she sat up.

“Humor me.” Her small foot tapped against the footboard as she hovered in the air. “Did I not hear you ask for a little magic for your life?” She looked directly at Sally. “That would be me. I’m your answer.”

More Christmas Cookie novellas to come, so be sure to stop back by!

Red Velvet Crinkles and Christmas Sprinkles by Maria Imbalzano

 Today's spotlight is Red Velvet Crinkles and Christmas Sprinkles by Maria Imbalzano, a cozy holiday novella.

Blurb 

Competitive, work-obsessed Bella Simonetti has just been fired from her high-paying job at a Manhattan law firm. At an all-time low, she returns home and helps her parents at their small-town gift shop, but the business is failing and may not make it past the Christmas holidays.

Successful landscape architect Dean Jackson is like a son to Bella's parents. But he's a persistent annoyance to her—he seems to have forgotten his unforgivable blunder thirteen years earlier.

When Bella transforms her parents' gift shop into a cookie cottage, Dean's generosity and magnetic smile are hard to resist, and those feelings of unrequited adolescent love come rushing back. But can Bella let go of the past and accept Dean for the man he is today?

Grab your copy

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Goodreads  |  Bookbub

Peek between the pages

She ignored the little voice in her head encouraging her to come clean. Especially since she planned to live in her parents’ house until she could find a job. Maybe she’d share at dinner tonight. After a bottle of wine.

The back door squeaked open and a gust of air blew in before the door was firmly closed. “Good morning, Barb. Clive.”

The guest came in and gave her mom a kiss on the cheek before slapping her dad on the back. Bella’s mouth flew open as she watched the scene, a tiny gasp escaping.

Dean Jackson! What is he doing here?

“Honey, you remember Dean don’t you?” Her mom’s smile grew much bigger than it had been all morning. “Your brother’s friend from high school?”

“Of…of course I do.” Bella buttoned the top button of her pajamas before her hand flew up to assure her messy bun was still on top of her head. Fire flamed her face as she puzzled out the reason for his presence at seven-thirty a.m. on a Wednesday morning. Or any time, for that matter.

“Dean’s been like another son to us,” her dad beamed. “Ever since your brother took that job in Boston, he’s helped us do whatever needs to be done around here or at the store. And he’s my golf buddy.”

Dean’s gaze zeroed in on her, and her thoughts fuzzed. She would have loved to slink upstairs, but no way was she going to get out of this chair sporting flannel pajamas and bunny slippers. Was nothing sacred around here?

Stop back regularly to discover more holiday novellas in The Wild Rose Press' Christmas Cookie series.

Luring the Lykán with Almond Macarons by Leslie Ann Brown

I'm kicking off December with 25 days of cookie novellas from The Wild Rose Press. I'll be spotlighting one a day until Christmas, so check back often because there's a wide selection of great books to curl up with this winter. 

Today's book, Luring the Lykan with Almond Macarons by Leslie Ann Brown has great characters, suspense, and a sweet holiday romance. Read my review on Goodreads.

About the book

About the book:

When a reclusive dryad meets a grumpy shifter, crumbs will fly.

 

After waking from a healing sleep of seventy years, Joanna Kourakis doesn’t fit in anywhere, not with her fellow dryads in their Florida Grove, and certainly not with humans and their technology. When she’s sent to a small town in Northern Ontario to be a camp counselor for shifters who won’t shift, Jo decides to make the best of it, and keeping to herself is what she does best. But it’s awfully hard to ignore the handsome lykán wolf shifter who runs the camp, or the human hunters who want to bag themselves a wolf or two for Christmas.

Grab your copy

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Peek between the pages:

Kel crossed his arms. “You’re a strange one. Not anything like Minerva.”

I smiled. “You have that correct. You leave me alone, and I’ll leave you alone. And everyone is happy. Is there anything else you wish to show me?” If not, leave.

“No.” He subjected me to his amber stare a few seconds too long, obviously debating whether to say something else. He gave into the impulse. “Keep out of the woods. The ones who stay in fur can be impulsive.”

I cocked my head to one side. “You’re telling a dryad to stay out of the woods? Did that work with Min?”

“No, but she could take care of herself.”

My shoulders tensed. “And I can’t?”

His shoulders shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s something about you. Something lost. Or sad. It makes you seem like prey.”

I laughed. “Does ‘impulsive’ translate to ‘hunt down and eat lone dryads found in the woods’? Do I need to carry some sort of protection? Like wolfsbane? A rolled-up newspaper?”

More spotlights to come, so check back often!

Chatting with Sarita Leone, author of romance

I’m thrilled to have sister Rose Sarita Leone with me. Her new book Snickerdoodle Snowmen is part of The Wild Rose Press's Christmas Cookie series. Before we learn more about her book and read a tantalizing excerpt, let's get to know Sarita through a speed round of questions.

Let's begin...

Morning or night? Love a pretty sunrise!

Favorite food? Eggplant Parmesan.

Favorite beverage? Pineapple juice.

Coffee or tea? Chai! 😊

Favorite movie? Drop Dead Fred

Wonder Woman or Top Model? Wonder Woman

Stilettos or flipflops or sneakers? Barefoot or sneakers

Cake, cookies, or pie? Cookies—one for each hand!

Favorite TV show? The Big Bang Theory

Favorite vacation? Rome, Italy.

Beach or mountains? Beach for sure.

 

Snickerdoodle Snowmen

Author: Sarita Leone

Genre: Romance

Blurb:

Baker Kris Kringles sends snickerdoodles from North Pole, Alaska, across the globe, spreading holiday cheer like confetti. But she has a secret not dusted with sugar, and an incentive to speak with a slick journalist that isn't half-baked.

Reporter Santos Kloss hates Christmas. How could he not, with a name that makes him the butt of endless holiday jokes? He's got one last assignment to complete before he can begin a new chapter in his life, so he grits his teeth, grabs a parka, and heads to Christmas central.

Both expect the interview to be a snap, but a snowstorm, insistent sisters, and a little holiday magic have very different ideas!

Get your copy

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

Peek between the pages

“You’re the newspaper man, aren’t you?”

Santos stopped the mug an inch from his lips and looked over the rim into the woman’s eyes. They were green—not merely hazel or a watered-down soda-bottle shade, but vibrantly colored, like the office parrot’s feathers. Polly, the newspaper mascot, looked like a beauty but swore like a sailor, courtesy of the newsmen who got their kicks from teaching the bird to talk. He’d even added some colorful Italian phrases to their feathered friend’s vocabulary.

She stared at him with those piercing eyes so long and hard that his heart began to pound. He wondered if she read right into the truth of him. It sure felt that way. As if despite his nonchalant entrance, small talk, and even observing her figure, she realized he wasn’t some fellow off the street, in for a coffee and cookies. He resisted the urge to pull his jacket closed.

Great. Precisely what he didn’t need. A dame with a brain, a killer attribute that never failed to stir something deep within him.

The stirring hadn’t ever proved deep enough to keep a woman, so he tried to steer clear of romantic involvements. But damn, it felt as if she reached into his soul with those incredible eyes.

Santos lifted his shoulders, then let them drop. He took a long swallow of joe before setting the mug on the counter. “Guilty as charged. I’m from the New York Daily, here to do a story on some cookies that I’m told are made in this shop and sent to crazy, obsessed Christmas fanatics all over the world.”

The minute he said it he realized he’d stuck his foot in his mouth. Pretty far down his throat, too.

~ * ~

About the author:
Sarita Leone loves happy endings—in life and on the page.

When she’s not busy writing her next novel, this adventure-loving yoga teacher likes to hike, travel, and dance beneath the stars. She studies languages, enjoys making a mess in the kitchen, and never says “no” to fun.

Finding pockets of peace everywhere she goes, this author plans to make every moment of this journey count.

Catch up on book releases and other fun news on Sarita’s blog or Facebook page. Find her books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, and wherever books are sold!

Find Sarita

Blog  | Amazon

Are you a morning or evening person? Did you enjoy the excerpt?