Special presents are wrapped beneath the tree, mistletoe is hung, the smell of cookies is in the air, but what if you don't have someone special to share it all with?Will the magic of Christmas reach these characters? Or will they end up being a bunch of lonely grinches?Three up-and-coming young adult authors share their Christmas stories about hope and joy during the holiday season.Contents:Dirty Santa, by Kayla Tirrell.The Christ Redeemer Christmas Spectacular, by Daphne James Huff.The Night Sale, by M.F. Lorson.

    . . No one said anything about a friendly camel or a hunky mechanic Cedar Haynes has a choice: change her high-pressure lifestyle, or end up dead by the time she’s thirty. Not one to do things by half measures, she quits her demanding corporate job, swaps her sports car for an SUV, and moves to the peaceful mountain community of Faraday. She envisions a quiet, peaceful Christmas, surrounding by silence and sparkling snow. When a camel takes up residence on her porch, she realizes small-town life may be more quirky and complicated than she imagined. Thankfully, the local mechanic seems to have all the answers - plus good looks, bad-boy charm, and a mysterious aura that leaves her wanting to know more. Rhett Riggs left big city life behind the moment his small-town uncle needed his help. To make ends meet, he takes over Faraday’s one and only garage and gas station. He gets more than he bargained for, though, when Uncle Will passes away, leaving Rhett a run-down farmhouse, a wacky camel named Lolly, and a deep-rooted love for the community he considers his home. With the holidays approaching, he watches with interest as a new neighbor moves in next door. He waits for Lolly to send the woman running, like she has the last handful of residents. Only this time, if his beautiful neighbor leaves, she’ll take his heart with her.Between spilled secrets, mistaken identities, and a camel determined to spread a little love, it will take more than mistletoe and holiday magic to help Rhett and Cedar find their happy ending.Come along on a sweet Christmas romance adventure sure to uplift the spirit, touch the heart, and imbue the warmth of the holiday season. ˃˃˃ Read all four sweet romances in The Friendly Beasts of Faraday series! * Scent of Cedar (Book 1) - A woman in need of a new beginning finds herself tormented by a camel and captivated by the town's bad boy. Can she overcome her fears to embrace a sweet holiday romance?* Tidings of Joy (Book 2)- Only one woman can draw a shy mail carrier out of his shell, but it will take the help of her donkey and puppy to make it happen.* Boughs of Holly (Book 3)- A free-spirited nurse winds up on a ranch with a stubborn cowboy and his matchmaking grandpa. Will love triumph over her need to roam?* Wings of an Angel (Book 4) - Will a fun-loving teacher convince a woman sworn off romance to give love a second chance? He'll need a hand from her son and his furry, feathered friends. ˃˃˃ The inspiration for the stories. . . The Friendly Beasts Christmas carol mentions a camel, a donkey, a cow, a sheep, and a dove. That sweet carol is what sparked the idea for this series, along with a steal-the-show camel at a live nativity performance. Start reading this heartwarming holiday series today!

    Then her happy world crashed in around her, leaving her reeling and wondering if she’d survive.That was three years ago. The pretty nurse has pulled herself up from the ashes and built a solid life for herself. As a nurse. As a volunteer. As a temporary foster mom.When ex-baseball sensation Derek Rossi shows up in Jackson Hole for much needed R&R, love is the last thing on the sexy superstar’s agenda. With three broken engagements under his belt, he’s pretty much given up on the whole happily-ever-after thing.Neither he nor Rachel is ready for romance. But they’re not the only ones with skin in the game. When love blooms, thanks to Joy and the power of a perfectly aimed baseball, Derek and Rachel are forced to face their fears. Will they slide into home plate together? Or walk away?~This story was originally published as The Christmas Proposition (as noted on the copyright page) It was updated (WOW-has technology changed in ten years!) as well as some of the writing was tightened and a name was changed. What hasn't changed is this is a heartwarming story that you're going to absolutely love!~

    But when his interfering siblings hire Molly Abbott, a successful food entrepreneur and his high-school sweetheart, he’s livid. The way their relationship ended wasn’t pretty. And although Molly never married, she’s the single mom of an eleven-year-old daughter conceived right about the time of the breakup. Molly’s ideas about farm-to-table, health-conscious Mexican food conflict with Javier’s strong sense of tradition, even as her joyous faith convicts him about his own lapse from the church of his youth. Can a reunion romance bring happiness to two lonely souls who never forgot each other… or will their relationship be derailed by the secrets they both carry in their hearts? Secrets of the Heart is Book Four of the Arcadia Valley Romance series. These inspirational Christian romances all take place in the same Idaho town, with characters you'll come to love and a farm-fresh, sustainable foods focus. Look for a new book each month, including more books about the Quintana Family and El Corazon.

     It’s into this white-gloved arena that Clarissa Stamos, a reclusive, midlife romance writer is thrust when she decides to write a country-western romance. The only problem is—she’s never been on a horse. Clarissa signs up for riding lessons and finds relief from her troubled marriage and her darkest secrets in the company of horses who offer an intoxicating sense of freedom and daring. Before long, she impulsively buys an ex-rodeo horse who spurs her to take charge of her own destiny—or wind up in the dust. Complicating matters is an intriguing, Argentinian dressage trainer with secrets of his own. One part romance novel, one part literary fiction, one part love-affair-with-horses, Ephemeral is told from the viewpoint of a quirky, old cow horse who not only invites you into his world, but also shares his sensible and soulful outlook on human hearts and the meaning of true horsemanship.

    She’d been emotionally scarred from her last relationship and has just managed to pay off the mountain of debts she was saddled with.Now all she wants for Christmas is to rediscover Christmas joy—no love in the equation, and what better place than her hometown Dexington where she recalled spending the happiest times of her life. She is determined to stick with her plan and not even a chance encounter with Phillip—billionaire hospital heir and inventor, and the town’s most eligible bachelor—can change her mind.Until she discovers he is the boy she kissed in high school.Phillip Dexington is finally about to launch a new medical device after having his last invention stolen by his former girlfriend and sold to his archenemy. He’s determined that nothing must go wrong this time around—which means avoiding a relationship at all costs—and is content with spending Christmas with the children at the orphanage.But when Phillip runs into Sarah Nash, the girl who stole his heart in high school, his world flips upside down. She’s only in town for Christmas, and the time before the launch party is Phillip’s only chance at determining if she is the one.Will they open their hearts to the fullness of Christmas and give love a second chance, or will their trust issues rob them of a happily ever after?This is a sweet/clean emotional scars Christmas medical billionaire romance with no cliffhangers and a guaranteed HEA.

    No reason to stay for more than a few hours. He's been in self-imposed exile from his family after a tragedy 12 years ago. It's better this way. He can't harm people he never sees. Billy soon finds that his family isn't better off without him, in fact he's the only one who can help them. Billy is forced to fight through his tormented past to make a better future for those he loves. He is guided on this journey by a woman from his past, who he quickly realizes was the one who got away.For Billy, it's more than a second chance, it's his last chance to get it right.

    Christmas has brought nothing but grief and loneliness for the past decade, after she lost her beloved husband to a fatal car accident. Hearing holiday music day after day during the first few months of the school year is like constantly ripping the scab off an unhealed wound.Determined to keep her husband in her heart, she has kept a fortress around it, allowing only one woman in as a true friend, and avoiding anything more than a passing acquaintance with any man.Until Timothy Fielding, the maintenance man at the apartment complex where she lives, comes along. He happens to love the Christmas season. When circumstances – and Janice’s best friend, Kayla – draw them together, he struggles to keep his growing feelings for Janice at bay. He has his own secret past that he’s sure would repel any woman, once she found out about it.But his desire for love and companionship win out, and he does his best to knock down the walls around Janice’s heart. But even when she finally relents and agrees to spend more time with him, she continues to resist opening her heart back up to Christmas.Because the death of her husband is only the beginning of the tragedy surrounding the day.In the meantime, Lucille Masterson, the great-grandmother of Janice’s star pupil, makes a shocking discovery that almost causes her to ruin Christmas for her family. Again. But then she realizes that if she would face her fear, she could finally release the burden she’s been carrying for the past ten years. What she doesn’t know is that it would release a horrible burden for the very person she’s afraid to face…**********“Christmas Mercies” is the first novel in Emily Josephine’s Christian holiday romance series, “Little River Village Christmas Romance.” A clean and wholesome romance novel, it will warm your heart, build your faith, and leave you feeling refreshed and hopeful.

    Cozy up to these swoon worthy romances that are sure to give you all the warm fuzzies you’ll need to keep yourself heated on a cold winter’s night. This boxed set includes: Two Christmas tales and two winter hijinks. Happy holiday reading! From New York Times Bestseller, Addison Moore Books included: Just Add Mistletoe, Tender Kisses (3:AM Kisses), Winter Kisses (3:AM Kisses), Naughty by Nature Just Add Mistletoe Graham Holiday has always had the ability to set any girl’s heart aflutter. Tall, dark, and vexingly handsome—he is well aware of his superpowers and he isn’t afraid to wield them. Missy Winters, Gingerbread Colorado’s unofficial matchmaker, is busy running her bakery when her brother’s best friend, Graham, waltzes back into town. With only weeks until Christmas Eve, Missy needs to work harder than ever to fill her holiday orders. The last thing she needs is obnoxious Graham Holiday getting in her way. To top it all off, Sabrina Jarrett, her longtime nemesis is threatening to have her father hike the rent on the bakery. In a vindictive yet highly therapeutic move to rid herself of both unwanted parties, Missy schemes to pair Sabrina and Graham—determined to crown them as Gingerbread’s newest power couple by the time Santa takes flight. But a curveball gets thrown her way, and she ends up seeing far more of Graham than expected. Suddenly, Missy isn’t so hot on giving Graham to Sabrina with a shiny red bow. There are some gifts that Missy might want to keep for herself. Tender Kisses (3:AM Kisses) Nolan Knight is the personification of a hot billionaire stud. Broad shoulders, bedroom eyes, a mouth that knows how to navigate its way around the female anatomy—Nolan Knight has all of the sexual bases covered. But he broke my heart years ago, and now we’re both back in Evergreen Lake at the scene of the crime. I’m not looking for anything from Nolan—with the exception of him staying out of my way. But that’s one thing he doesn’t seem capable of. It just takes one look, one touch, and I know I’m in trouble. The only steadfast rule I have is—do not let Nolan Knight anywhere near my heart. That should be easy enough. The problem is, Nolan never left that sacred place. Now if I could only figure out a way to evict him… Winter Kisses (3:AM Kisses) Ryder Capwell crushed her heart. When Laney is auctioned off as a prize at the drama department fundraiser the last person she expects to trade cold hard cash for her company is Ryder. Laney Sawyer used to believe in love and all of the trappings that happily ever after could provide until Ryder Capwell is in love with Laney Sawyer. One year ago she walked out of his life and took the light of his world right along with her. Ryder would do anything to have another chance with Laney, including purchasing her for the evening courtesy of Whitney Briggs University, and he does just that. One thing leads to whiskey, which leads to a one-night stand. Things can only go wrong from here. Naughty by Nature One look from Jax Stade promises to land even the nicest girl onto the naughty list. Jax and I used to be best friends right up until he broke my heart. Everyone knows that both Jax and his overinflated ego are well beyond naughty—that face, those eyes, don’t get me started on that body made of steel. Every last part of me is bent on revenge.

    Jesse is enjoying huge success in New York after denying where he came from, while Michaela treasures the quiet life in their hometown, Starling. Who they are may have changed but their love hasn’t.A school reunion forces them to meet again, and after a passionate night together they can’t bear to be apart. Faced with problems, past and present, the pair try to pick up their relationship where they left off. But when Jesse has spent the last ten years running from his troubled past he finds the journey home, to his true love, harder than anything he has ever done. Michaela is rooted there by her son and her family, both of which present problems for Jesse, but after building a life in Starling off of her own determination and strength, Michaela isn’t willing to throw that away...for anyone. After everything this couple have faced, is compromise the biggest test of all?

    In Nashville, Alex is shocked by their instant attraction and the sense of home she feels with a man she hasn’t seen in ten years. Luke’s time in the Army has made him even more beautiful, even more interesting, even more appealing than ever. But the more they’re together, the more Alex fears she’ll have to sacrifice everything she thought she wanted.

    The Georgia townsfolk’s true Southern charm is the unexpected prescription needed to heal her soul, and the sexy carpenter who touches her heart are distractions she didn’t plan on, but they might offer her a chance at a new life, if she can let go of her past. Town heartbreaker Spencer Malloy isn’t looking for anything serious. His days are perfect working as a contractor, attending his nephew’s baseball games, or taking him fishing. He never expects to fall for the big city girl, Samantha. She’s not his type, timid and closed off, but in her unguarded moments, he’s intrigued by the woman he can’t get out of his mind. The urge to get closer to her grows stronger each day, and when the shadow of evil resurfaces, he vows to protect Samantha, even if it means abandoning his home and joining her on the run. When confronted by the man who’s bent on revenge, Samantha must choose between running again to save the people she loves, or, if she has the strength, to stay and fight for her new life.

    The inhabitants of Kissing Bridge are so adorable. This is exactly what I was looking for in a Christmas book! I wish I could give it 10 stars!” S.Stevens - Kindle Good Books“Within a matter of pages I was laughing my socks off and immediately fell in love with the slightly crazy Summer … Linda West has such a knack for the humorous side of characters … Her writing style is so upbeat and unique I hope to see more of these characters I’ve come to love - can’t wait to see what happens next in this sweet town of Kissing Bridge!”M. Sinclair This is a hilarious light hearted and charming romance about a delightfully funny family and their determination to win the prestigious Christmas cookie competition against all odds. It's sure to bring a smile to your face and uplift your heart and make it a truly magical blue ribbon Christmas! Los Angeles super model, Summer Landers, finds herself stuck going home for Christmas after ten years of avoiding the heartbreak she left there. After a snowstorm hits closing most of the airports, she is forced to fly back to Christmas-obsessed Kissing Bridge Mountain where people take their holidays, and cookies seriously. Upon arrival Summer finds her family legacy in shambles. Despite the Landers winning the blue ribbon every year for decades at the Christmas Fair Cookie Competition, somehow they had been unthroned by their neighbor Mrs. Beaverton! The Landers women, with their family curse and strange and unique talents, now must struggle to find a way to best their competition who has secretly employed the help of the Evil-Martha Stewart. Besides dealing with the crazy antics of the town people,Summer must also avoid her ex boyfriend Brad, who has returned home for the Christmas holidays as well. Now she is confronted with her feelings and the truth about that fateful night under the mistletoe so long ago.. Mistletoe kisses and cookies are too much to deal with, and try as she might it looks like Summer is destined to relive the worst nightmare of her life. Luckily, Christmas brings miracles and Kissing Bridge is full of them so anything can happen... This is a recent newly edited edition. A charmingly funny and delightful Christmas romance book that is good for the whole family. "The perfect feel good book when you want to lift your spirits! It made me laugh the whole way through. Thank you for the true holiday cheer!"S. CagesTags: Christmas, Holiday, Romance, Humor, Cozy, Clean

    The slightest bump into someone makes her cringe and she avoids handshakes as much as possible. She can't even touch her close friends and family. It seems she will never be able to overcome that terrible, life-changing day. Until one day, she sees a man that may change everything for her. This man seems so familiar and without even thinking it through she has an undeniable urge to touch him. Where does she know him from? Will this handsome stranger be able to help her to become the person she was before? Warning-This book contains HOT sex, described in detail. So if that's not your thing then you might not want to read.

    Regardless, she doubts she can guide herself out of a brown paper bag. When her editor suggests she write The Ultimate Guide to Finding Mr. Right, she wants no part of it. To avoid Mr. Right--since she's pretty sure he doesn't exist--and hopefully figure out where the discontentment with her life is coming from, she heads south to research one last ultimate guidebook. The questions and doubts swirling around in her head follow. If she's no longer America's Ultimate Guide Girl, who is she? Would she recognize Mr. Right if he was standing right in front of her? Where does an Ultimate Guide Girl turn for guidance? Her heavenly father who gives wisdom to all who seek it? Or can she rely on herself, the woman with all the answers? This clean contemporary Christian romance is a feel-good, laugh-out-loud story that reminds us sometimes the things we work so hard for don't bring the fulfillment and happiness we're looking for.