They’ve experienced all kinds of things but with each other, their families, prayer, and God; they’ve made it through 2019, to the month of December. But not every relationship salvaged will make it to the future. In this Holiday Short Story, Special Edition of When the Vows Break, you’ll get to peek into the lives of these friends and see how they’re spending their Christmas holiday. Will the past they’ve endured affect their present, attempting to shatter their future? Or has the past given them instruction to treasure the present while preparing for the future? You’ll have to read to find out.

     A short story by A.L. Jambor When Meg’s sister dies, she is devastated. The last of three children, Meg misses her siblings and has never felt so alone. She’s an author, but her emotional state hinders her ability to write, and she can’t sit in front of her computer without trembling. A trip to Port Revere, MA recalls memories of the summers spent there with her family when she was a girl, and Meg decides to buy the Christmas Cottage, an abandoned little house on a bluff near town. She refurbishes it, and with the help of her nephew Zack, starts to come out of her shell. But then the holidays, a time for families and celebrations, arrive, and Meg must again face her loneliness, and guilt over something she can't forgive herself for – she wasn’t there when her sister died and never had a chance to say goodbye. With the cottage almost completed, Meg has one last thing to do; she has to find out if her plumbing is up to snuff, and arranges for a plumber to visit the cottage. On Thanksgiving Day, she is sipping a cup of coffee when someone knocks on the door. She looks out the window and sees an old man, an old truck, and an old dog. Lettering on the truck announces that Angus O’Malley, Plumber Extraordinaire, is standing on her doorstep. What she doesn’t know is that Angus is on a mission and that his appearance heralds the beginning of something wonderful, and the best Christmas Meg has ever had. The Little Cottage by the Sea was formerly published as The Christmas Cottage. The content has not changed. It is a short book of 20,000 words.

    In fact, they are from the same small town, and Nicole has been enamored with Julien since she was an awkward teenager. However, Julien’s grumpiness is keeping them apart. But with the help of little holiday magic, the two of them find themselves falling in love.

     Love on the Rebound Add a little Aloha to your Christmas this year! When Everly Watson takes her young son Jordan to Hawaii, she’s not just celebrating Christmas but also searching for answers surrounding a tragedy from her past. She doesn’t expect to be faced with a tsunami threat her second day on the island. Nor does she count on meeting the famous Christian Ross, superstar of a hit action-movie series. Sparks fly as Everly and Christian have an instant attraction. But things spiral out of control when Everly realizes someone is following her and watching her every move. Christian soon finds himself drawn into Everly’s complicated world of betrayal and deceit and feels the need to protect her from a perilous threat. Can Christian and Everly’s newfound love withstand the growing obstacles? Or are they doomed to keep reliving the heartaches of the past? Loving the Movie Star Actor Blade Sloan gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he lands a leading role in the new Jase Scott action movie, co-starring with Hollywood megastar Christian Ross. Too bad Blade’s having stress issues brought on by a longtime stalker who’s getting more aggressive. If Blade can’t find a way to loosen up on set and perform to the best of his ability, he’ll lose everything he’s worked so hard to achieve. Dani Fairchild is trying hard to turn over a new leaf and transcend into adulthood. Yes, she may have been irresponsible in the past when she jilted billionaire Liam Barclay and ran off with a surfer, but that’s all behind her. Dani has a food blog she wants to take to the next level, and she’s holding down a full-time job. Granted, being a receptionist isn’t her dream job by any means, but hey, it’s a start. Too bad she can’t keep her big mouth shut and gets fired when the boss acts like a jerk. An unlikely encounter on the public bus brings Blade and Dani together where sparks fly and attraction sizzles. But Dani isn’t having it. No matter how charismatic Blade is or how good he looks with his chiseled abs and piercing blue eyes she’s vowed to never again get involved with someone who doesn’t live on the island permanently. Long distance relationships are a kick in the pants, and she’s tired of being hurt. Home alone for Christmas while Samantha and her family go to the mainland, Dani settles in for a quiet, predictable holiday. But fate has other plans when Dani and Blade are unwittingly thrown into a cycle of events that lead to a heart-pounding climax. Can Dani and Blade find a strong enough love to sustain them in the face of danger? Or will the stalker win in the end? False Identity Believe in miracles … believe in hope … believe in love. It's Christmastime, and Chancy Hamilton can’t bear the thought of spending the holidays without her late husband Max who died in a plane crash. When Chancy and her teenage son, Travis, have an argument, Travis storms out of the house and ends up in the wrong part of town where he is attacked by a group of thugs. When a homeless man comes to his rescue, he invites the man home to have a meal with his mom and little sister. Gabe Jones is not like any other homeless man Chancy has ever seen—he’s confident, intelligent, and devastatingly handsome. Jake, Chancy’s boyfriend, takes an instant dislike to Gabe and warns Chancy to stay away from him.

    

    

    For a limited time the book is under dollar or free on KU.

    A fading magician encounters his former mentor performing a terrifying new act. A party-goer ducks out early and is pursued by a creature of bent on cruel malevolence. Winged creatures of unknown origin terrorize a small town. A disgruntled employee works his dark magic on a new breed of middle managers. A radio stunt shatters the sanity of a DJ. And a father talks his young daughter through a cataclysmic apocalypse. The Stay Awake Men and Other Unstable Entities. Seven new tales of terror by Matthew M. Bartlett.

    When they finally hook up, her lust turned love consumes her thoughts and all that she can think about is being with him. The dilemma…Keva has a man and doesn’t know how to tell him that she’d rather be with someone else. Damarion Sanders is the ultimate bachelor and in no rush to settle down. He’s been in a situationship for several months but only because he can’t have who he really desires. But after succumbing to his attraction to Keva, his best friend’s sister, making her his forever is the only thing on his mind, except…he promised his best friend that he’d stay away from Keva. Will Keva and Damarion find a way to be together? Will Keva risk her relationship and take a chance on giving Damarion all of her love? Will Damarion break the promise he made to his best friend and risk eighteen years of friendship for the woman he’s come to love?

    If it comes back to you, it’s yours. If it doesn’t, then it was never meant to be yours.Because of a misunderstanding, college sweethearts Ryan Rogers and Chrissy Underwood were torn apart. A year later, they reconnect at a Valentine’s Day Masquerade Party. With the lights low, the music humming and their faces hidden underneath a mask, they’re still able to recognize one another. And the love they once felt is still there and strong as ever. As they sway to the music and reminisce, Ryan is able to clear up the misunderstanding that forced Chrissy to leave.However, will Chrissy have the guts to reveal the secret she left town with?

    You won't want to miss this comedic unraveling. Bonus Material Inside! Spend the holidays with your favorite family, or get to know them for the first time.

    Everybody wins! Old Christmas: When professional chef Casey Gray returns to the southeast Texas town where she grew up, she doesn't expect to feel anything for her former lover Kalin McBride. It will take every bit of determination Kalin has, plus a little help from the magical spirit of the holiday, to convince Casey that her future lies with him. Sutherland's Pride: Pride Donovan's former lover, Flynn Sutherland, does not recognize her little boy as his when she returns to the Texas Gulf Coast town of Anahuac. But he definitely wants his Pride back - can their second chance withstand the bombshell she's about to drop into his life? Georgie's Heart: Georgeanne Hartfield, author of the explosive nonfiction book Faking It, never counted on meeting a man like Zane Bryant, who makes her feel like a woman for the first time in her life. But if he ever discovers she's behind the infamous Fritzi Field pen name, how could he possibly believe that her response to him is the real thing? The Counterfeit Cowgirl: Felicity Clayton has carefully cultivated her fashion-house cowgirl image, so she's astonished to find the citizens of Foxe, Texas, dislike her almost before she steps out of her Dodge pickup. Aaron Whitaker, a local rancher, has no use for a flashy, fake cowgirl - so why is he beginning to feel an unwanted attraction to her? The Look-Alike Bride: Leonie Daniel leads a double life, often standing in for her glamorous older sister who works as a government agent. All Leonie has to do this time is spend a few weeks in Zara's lakeside cabin near Hot Springs, Arkansas, behave like Zara, and avoid Adam Silverthorne, the man her sister is interested in. But now Adam is falling for Leonie . . . or is he? Bride by the Book: Small-town Arkansas attorney Garner Holt badly needs an assistant to sort out his cluttered office, but he didn't expect a super-secretary like Miss Angelina Brownwood. She's perfect until an online search reveals a flaw: Angelina isn't a secretary. But does her secret mean she's also not the girl for him? Sensuality Level: Behind Closed Doors

    Fate brought them together again, at Christmas, no less. But this time, she’s determined to safeguard her heart. Breona Ten years ago, he stole everything from me. We used to be friends. We could have even been more than that. Until he left me behind for good, ruining my life in the process. But backstabber or not, we’re both part of a wedding party. Together. At Christmas. It might be a season of love, magic, and second chances, but not for us. We’ll be lucky if we make it through the wedding without killing each other or setting the place on fire. Karsyn Okay, there’s no denying it: Breona Smyth is the most obnoxious, beautiful, enchanting woman I’ve ever met. She’s also clinging on to the notion that I ruined her life. Ten years later, she’s just as obnoxious, beautiful, and enchanting. I don’t want to ruin my best bud’s wedding, but I’m determined to make her see reason. I just don’t know if she’ll really listen. Or if I can keep myself from falling in love with her all over again. **** This is a standalone Novella with a touch of steam and HEA. ****

    

    Jillian Sayles saw the concept one random night where insomnia was present while strolling Pinterest. She asked her friends to fly in for dinner and surprisingly, everyone obliged. This short story by National Best-Selling Author, Nako is pleasantly sweet and to the point. NAKO sheds light and emphasis on the importance of friendship centered around black women. If reading short stories are not your thing, please pass over this story. Happy Thanksgiving!