Conceit


Alana Albertson - 2014
    Five hours a day I've trained to go undercover to learn the truth.Four plastic surgeries to transform into a pinup to gain access to their world.Three shots of tequila I down before I take off my clothes to dance for the SEALs.Two years since I'd left my soul mate Grant, the only man who can help me now.One dead stripper found strangled and drugged.Zero room for error. I'm Joaquín's only hope for freedom. No sin is too depraved, no challenge is too great. Even if it means destroying my soul.Conceit is a novella of 25,000 - the first of Se7en episodes in the Se7en Deadly SEALs series.Chronic: Se7en Deadly SEALs Episode Two releases February 2015

Christmas Bells are Ringing


Lesley Ann McDaniel - 2015
     Having recently relocated to Seattle, Shelby longs for someone special in her life. When a handsome green-eyed stranger walks into the coffee shop where she works, her interest is piqued. Later, she finds a bag containing five beautiful hand-painted Christmas bells on the cream and sugar table. No one comes back to claim it, so she decides to do a little detective work. Does she dare hope that it will lead her to the stranger with the magnetic green eyes? Chris Bertone loves his job at Impact Ministries, but working day and night has prevented him from having much of a social life. On a whim, he stops for a cup of coffee and is instantly smitten with the beautiful barista. Now, even with everything he has to take care of at work, all he wants to do is find time for another coffee break. But things are so hectic this holiday season, how can he manage to get to know her better without being too overbearing, or breaking his budget on coffee? Holiday Hearts…seasons of love.

All I Want for Christmas is You


Lisa Mondello - 1999
    Lauren Alexander is raising her daughter alone. Abandoned by her family for her decision to keep her daughter Kristen, she has done a pretty good job for the last six years. Or she thought she had. That's why she is crushed when little Kristen gives up her wish for a toy or goodie and instead asks Santa for a present for her mother. But delivering Daddies isn't Santa's bag. But this Santa has a plan... Kyle Preston knows what it is like to be abandoned too. Luckily he found the support of loving adoptive parents and has turned himself into one of the most successful Real Estate developers in town. Building a house is easy. Building someone's trust is a whole other story. But a little Christmas magic can make all the difference in the world.

All I Want for Christmas


Nora Roberts - 1994
    Their father, Mac Taylor, is a builder who fixes up old buildings in their small town, and the boys are afraid he'll be too busy to help them out with the new demands of their school. They decide to write to Santa and ask for a mother. When they see the new music teacher, Nell Davis, at school, she meets all their requirements, and they realize this is the mom they've requested. Mac is attracted to Nell, but is reluctant to pursue her, as his wife had walked out on him, and he doesn't want to risk hurting his children. The romance blossoms despite his fears, and the story is filled with the joy and anticipation of Christmas as the magic of the children's wish comes true.

Merry Christmas, Baby


Jill Shalvis - 2014
    . .SEASON'S KISSESWild child Chloe Thompson can't believe how much things have changed. She still can't get enough of her sexy husband Sawyer, but he seems to prefer working to thinking about impending fatherhood. So tonight, a very pregnant Chloe is escaping her troubles at the town Christmas party.Sheriff Sawyer Thompson hopes surprising Chloe at the party will give him a chance to set things right. But as the snow begins to fall and the wind rages, he wonders whether he can make it back in time. While mother nature conspires to keep Sawyer and Chloe apart, an unexpected arrival will require them to kiss and make up . . . and ring in the happiest holiday Lucky Harbor has ever seen. 13,000 words

All She Wants for Christmas


Jaci Burton - 2010
    So she never would have known that the man who broke her heart at eighteen—causing her to flee to Nashville—was now a widower with a seven-year-old daughter. Riley has ten years of angst-filled hit songs and Grammy awards to prove she doesn't need Ethan Kent. But suddenly, she can't help thinking of all she gave up by running away...Ethan Kent knew Riley had the talent and the drive to make it as a singer. He also knew she wasn't going anywhere if she stayed in their nowhere town for him. Then one night and one huge mistake sent her running on the road to fame. Which doesn't mean he ever stopped loving her...But with so much separating them, can Riley and Ethan find their way back together one magical country Christmas? Book 1 of the Kent Brothers Trilogy 30,000 words

Scrooged


Vi Keeland - 2018
    It was bad enough I was on my way to court for the gift of eviction.Although maybe today wouldn't turn out so bad after all.The Sexy Scrooge and I started to connect as we trudged our way through a storm. Our ride was about to end. But would I ever see him again?"THE MERRY MISTAKE"Note to self: Ask Santa for glasses this year. When I accidentally mistook a gorgeous man resting outside my building for a homeless person in need of a lunch, we got into it. I'd only been trying to do a good deed around the holidays, but he called me righteous. I called him something far worse. If only I didn't have to see him again. But fate had other plans."KISSMAS IN NEW YORK"It was just supposed to be a simple kiss with a stranger. I'd done it to prove a point - that I hadn't lost my sense of adventure. But you know what they about the best laid plans. Maybe I'd get something in my stocking after all this holiday season. . .

Blue Christmas


Diane Moody - 2011
    When a last-minute customer brimming with holiday spirit invites her to a candlelight service and a late-night family dinner, Hannah reluctantly accepts. She has no idea this kindhearted woman is the mother of Jason McKenzie - leader singer of Out of the Blue, the hottest band in the country - and Hannah's childhood idol. The evening ends with an innocent kiss (sans mistletoe) as Hannah is swept away by Jason's unpretentious manner.Over the holidays Hannah and Jason's relationship grows, but when turmoil and tragedy strike at the very heart of his famous band, their newfound love is put to the test in the glare of the paparazzi spotlight. Throughout her rollercoaster of experiences with Jason and his friends, Hannah comes face to face with her own beliefs. Who knew she could learn more about prayer and faith by hanging out with a bunch of rock stars than she ever learned in church?The author first wrote Blue Christmas as a gift for her then-teenage daughter in honor of her affection for a wildly popular band in the late 90s. The short story grew into a full-length novel, eventually surfacing on one of the band's fan fiction websites where it became quite a phenomenon. More than 80,000 readers stopped by to read the story, with over 1000 of them sending personal emails to the author who still enjoys reading them today. Though the story's details have been changed, its band and all characters now fictional, the story line remains the same. Author Diane Moody has dedicated Blue Christmas to her now-grown daughter, Hannah Moody Schmitt.

The Christmas Throwaway


R.J. Scott - 2012
    Thrown out of his home for being gay, he is left without money or, it seems, anywhere to go. Until a stranger shows him that some people do give a lot more than a damn.Ben Hamilton is a rookie cop in his small home town. He finds a young throwaway, fresh from the city, sleeping on a bench in the churchyard on a snowy Christmas Eve. Can he be the one to give Zachary his own Christmas miracle?* * * * *First published December 2010

His Christmas Wish


Melissa McClone - 2008
    But now, six years later, her family needs her. Carly returns home to face her past and give her niece and nephew the best Christmas ever.Burdened with guilt, Jake Porter believes he could have saved his two friends on that fateful day and kept Carly from experiencing such a heart-wrenching loss. When she arrives in town, Jake wants to make amends so they can both finally move forward with their lives.As Jake helps Carly experience the magic of Christmas so she'll embrace the holiday again, will he also be able to open her heart to something else she’d given up on…love?Previously published as Rescued by the Magic of Christmas.Mountain Rescue Romance seriesBook 1: His Christmas WishBook 2: Her Christmas SecretBook 3: Her Christmas KissBook 4: His Second ChanceBook 5: His Christmas Family

Silent Night


Natasha Preston - 2014
    Join Cole, Oakley and their family for Christmas day in this 7,000 word short story.

A Simple Amish Christmas


Vannetta Chapman - 2010
    As her time of rumschpringe is about to come to an abrupt end, bringing for Annie an overwhelming sense of loneliness. She returns home and finds herself face-to-face with a budding romance with an Amish farmer and important choices to make.

Blame it on Mistletoe


Noelle Fox - 2015
    But those delivered to North Pole are actually answered by a group of dedicated volunteers who call themselves "the Elves." JD Baxter’s letter to St. Nick asks for just one thing: His father didn’t make it back from Afghanistan, and JD wants Daddy home again. Saints can do miracles, right? But since last year’s letter went astray, JD decides to stow away to North Pole and ask for his miracle in person. In North Pole, he encounters a postmistress who looks exactly like Mrs. Claus, a man named Rudolph with a red nose and a herd of reindeer, as well as enough toys, candy and Christmas cheer to make anyone feel good. He just can't find St. Nick. Abby Baxter has spent the year since her husband's death trying to hold on. When she discovers her son is missing, her entire world trembles— until her husband's best friend appears at her door, offering a steadying hand.Frank Machado couldn’t save David Baxter’s life in combat. Worse, for years he's been secretly in love with David’s wife. Now that their son is missing, Frank is determined to see the child back in Abby’s arms. But during their unpredictable, impulsive trip into the wilds to search for JD, the problem becomes staying out of those arms himself. Sparks fly, hearts warm, love—and Christmas—are in the air. Should they Blame it on Mistletoe?

Merry Christmas, Lincoln (A Take Care, Sara Christmas Novelette)


Lindy Zart - 2013
    Sara is keeping something from him, something big, and every day that she remains close-lipped about it is a day he wonders if her love for him is fading, if she regrets being with him.Sara reaffirms her love for Lincoln with the greatest Christmas gift of all, a blessing so tiny, yet so significant. She shows him it is their time now, that no regrets have a place in their love, and that he will always be hers, just as she will always be his.

Holiday Sparks


Shannon Stacey - 2010
    Fortunately, there's an electrician in town who can get the job done by the holidays.Scott Quinn has wanted to get his hands on the Burkes' wiring for almost as long as he's wanted to get his hands on their daughter. Chloe didn't notice Scott back in high school, but she's noticing him now, and soon they're indulging in a little festive fun: no strings, no expectations. After all, Chloe plans to get out of this goldfish bowl of a town and back to her real life in Boston by New Year's.But Chloe and Scott discover they enjoy each other's company just as much out of bed. Could their holiday fling turn out to be the real thing?