Dream House is out today

 As part of a group of books (15 to be exact), I am publishing Dream House today. The series is called Chasing Serendipity (you can find all the books here) and the common premise of the stories is that they al take place on New Year's Eve and all recount the beginning of a love story. 

My story turned out to be something of a sequel to my story "Fake Out" although it's totally stand alone. I'm looking forward to reading the other stories in the series. I fell in love with a couple of my new characters--which is a problem I have as a writer. I'm much more character-driven than I am plot driven, so my stories often read like episodes in a long-running television show that keeps adding new characters to keep things fresh.

I love my Pacific Northwest town of Silver Birch and wish I could live there for real instead of just in my mind, although I do tend to like sunnier weather.

Seeking a Plus One by Tabitha Bree

 

Seeking a Plus One by Tabitha Bree

We meet our heroine Alexis in the middle of a job review from hell and she is instantly relatable. And that’s even before she has to deal with the entitled coworker who spends his days writing features and playing ping pong with one of his bros while she’s toiling in the obit department of their online newspaper and proofing ads on the side for barely minimum wage. She’s worked at the paper for seven years, working her way up from intern but because he’s the son of the owner…he walked right into a cushy, high paying job. She hates Robbie Marshall. And when she realizes, as she writing up an obit for a woman who lived a rich full life, that she’s jealous of her. It’s a new low, she thinks, even for a Monday. Then she gets the bad news about her beloved dog Wilson.

This is an enemies-to-lovers book and it’s pretty satisfying. It’s both cozy and steamy (without being clinical) and it touches on some serious issues, like catastrophic medical debt and the hard choices people who are underpaid and underemployed have to make. 

As a pet owner who has faced similar experiences at the vet, I don’t quite buy that the doctor wouldn’t do the life-saving surgery before being paid in full—my vets have always worked with me—but we like where Alexis’ priorities are. 

This short read is enjoyable and breezy. And the story continues! You can buy it here.

A Visit From St. Nicholas...Day Twenty-four

 I always thought that this poem by Clement Moore was actually called "The Night Before Christmas" but officially, it is "A Visit From St. Nicholas." It was published anonymously in 1823 (how mind-boggling is it that 1823 was bearly 200 years ago?) and claimed by Moore in 1837. Moore is a family name on my maternal side and I've always wondered if I might be related to the poet. Probably not, becuase he was born in New York City and none of my relatives ever left Virginia until my father went away to war in 1941.

This poem is an absolute classic and I have friends who collect the variously illustrated versions, of which there are many. Here's one.

Letters From Father Christmas...Day Twenty-three

 J.R.R. Tolkien, creator of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, was a fond father, and this is a collection of the notes he wrote to his children on Christmas. Here's the blurb:

Every December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R.Tolkien’s children. Inside would be a letter in strange spidery handwriting and a beautiful coloured drawing or some sketches. The letters were from Father Christmas.

They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how all the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place; how the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas’s house into the dining-room; how he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden; how there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house!

Sometimes the Polar Bear would scrawl a note, and sometimes Ilbereth the Elf would write in his elegant flowing script, adding yet more life and humour to the stories. No reader, young or old, can fail to be charmed by the inventiveness and ‘authenticity’ of Tolkien’s Letters from Father Christmas.

You can purchase this book in all the formats here. I love this cover...

Katherine Moore is now a USA Today bestselling author!!!!

 We interrupt this Advent calendar for some spectacular personal news. My Christmas collection, Secret Santa, made the USA Today bestseller list. (They take the 150 top sellers for the week a book is first published. One week, that's all you get to make the list een if you later show up on it. It's that first week that means everything. We came in at #144 and could not be prouder.) 

I'm particularly pleased because this was my fourth try. My previous "list runs" have been with my pseudonym Kat Parrish. I write UF, Sci Fi, PNR, and genres in between under that name, Horror and mystery and nonfiction under my real name. 

I love love love Urban fiction, but lately I've been drawn to romance and to Paranormal Women's Fiction and to all things cozy. I used to write dark, noir-ish things as a way of dealing with the sheer L.A.ness of living in Los Angeles. For a long time after my little sister died, I poured my grief in there too. I was just so sad.

But once I started writing cozy, especially the Silver Birch stories, I found I could escape into a kinder, gentler world of my own making. And I liked it there. And also, my sales improved. So going forward, there will be more books from Katherine Moore and fewer from Kat Parrish. 

A Christmas Story...Day Twenty-two

 I actually read a couple of these pieces before the movie based on them came out. The leg lamp that the "Old Man" was so proud of is one of my favorite bits. And Peter Billingsley was a dead ringer for my little brother, so that always made me smile too.

Do yourself a favor and grab this collection of gentle, hilarious stories. You can buy it here.

Here's the blurb:

A beloved, bestselling classic of humorous and nostalgic Americana—the book that inspired the equally classic Yuletide film and the live musical on Fox.

The holiday film A Christmas Story, first released in 1983, has become a bona fide Christmas perennial, gaining in stature and fame with each succeeding year. Its affectionate, wacky, and wryly realistic portrayal of an American family’s typical Christmas joys and travails in small-town Depression-era Indiana has entered our imagination and our hearts with a force equal to It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street.

This edition of A Christmas Story gathers together in one hilarious volume the gems of autobiographical humor that Jean Shepherd drew upon to create this enduring film. Here is young Ralphie Parker’s shocking discovery that his decoder ring is really a device to promote Ovaltine; his mother and father’s pitched battle over the fate of a lascivious leg lamp; the unleashed and unnerving savagery of Ralphie’s duel in the show with the odious bullies Scut Farkas and Grover Dill; and, most crucially, Ralphie’s unstoppable campaign to get Santa—or anyone else—to give him a Red Ryder carbine action 200-shot range model air rifle. Who cares that the whole adult world is telling him, “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid”?

The pieces that comprise A Christmas Story, previously published in the larger collections In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash and Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories, coalesce in a magical fashion to become an irresistible piece of Americana, quite the equal of the film in its ability to warm the heart and tickle the funny bone.

Polar Expres...Day Twenty-one

 

Not sure what happened to my beautiful post from yesterday, but it was about the lovely picture book Polar Express, written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. I love the illustrations. Made into a movie, and the inspiration for many, many Christmas train-ride excursions.

Here's the blurb:Van Allsburg also wrote Jumanji. You can get the book on Kindle for just a skosh under $10 or the hardcover (go for the hardcover) for a little less than $12. You can buy it here.

Jennifer YOungblood's Christmas Collection...Day Twenty

 Jennifer Youngblood is a USA TODAY bestselling author of clean, sweet romance an romantic suspense. This collection is one of a bunch she's released this holiday season. You can see them here. This consolidates three novellas and is priced at only 99 cents. Buy it here.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!...Day Nineteen

 I am pretty sure my father read How the Grinch Stole Christmas! to me when I was a child--he read to me and my siblings every night before bed. And then when I was fourteen, the animated version came out, narrated by Boris Karloff. I have watched that every single year of my life since then.

I have never actually seen the live-action Jim Carrey Grinch, despite all the talent involved. (I'm a hauge Ron Howard fan) becuase I love the original so much. Universal Music group has made the original available on YouTube. You can watch it here. Boris Karloff died two years after making this, and he was so prolific that they were still releasing his movies three years after he died. One of his last roles was on a show called Fame is the Name of the Game, which was a arotating trio of stories under one umbrella. His episode, "The White Birch" was about a group of crusading reporters and a Russian dissident, played by Karloff. I was blown away by his performance. I'd never seen him in anything but the monster movies. (His Mummy remains one of the most chilling I've seen.) Anyway, he was sadly miscast after the monster movies.

The kindle version of the book is actually nine cents more expensive than the hardcover, so I'd go with the hardcover. I had all my childhood Seuss books until a few moves ago when I left Los Angeles. You can buy it here.

Just FYI...we're very proud and grateful.

 

Jingle Spells...Day Eighteen

 This is a fun holiday novella from Christine Pope and it is part of her Hedgewitch series. Here's the blurb: 

Sweet baby Jesus, someone’s stolen a lot of Christmas dough!

All is calm and bright as Globe, Arizona’s holiday celebrations approach. Selena Marx should have known it wouldn’t stay that way. The painted snowflakes on her shop window are barely dry when her best friend, Josie Woodrow, bursts in with news that the baby Jesus is missing from the crèche in front of St. Ignatius.

Selena has enough on her mind without having to use her psychic powers to suss out the culprit. Her boyfriend Calvin Standingbear’s parents are still on the snow-covered fence about accepting her, which throws a dimmer on the town’s highly anticipated Festival of Lights. And when Calvin springs a surprise on the solstice, Selena realizes she has some work to do to reconcile the two men in her life: Calvin, and her cursed cat, Archie.

The last thing she needs is a spontaneous vision that indicates the baby Jesus theft was more than just a prank. And if someone doesn’t spill the beans soon, someone’s getting away with…well, not murder (this time), but a whole lot of dough — and we’re not talking cookies.

You can buy the book wherever ebooks are sold:

Apple Books

Amazon Kindle

B&N Nook

Google Play

Kobo

Radio Christmas ... Day Seventeen

 Today's book is by Aussie Author Joanne Dannon who writes a LOT of holiday-themed romances. She was suggested to me by one of my readers (shout out to Tonya) and I immediately ordered some of her books and "followed" her on Amazon. (You can do the same here.)

Radio Christmas is the first book in a new series and set "down under."  (A Christmas in July party is central to the plot ifyou're wondering why there's a snowy cover when Christmas is in the middle of Australia's summer.) 

This one has everything--best friends. A handsome mystery guest. Humor (always appreciated) and a happy ending. (Do I really have to say "spoiler alert?") Buy it here.

Gingerbread & Gravediggers ... Day Sixteen

 

Today's book comes from Katherine Brown. You can sign up for her newsletter here.

Here's the blurb:

Tis the season to deck the halls and...dig up graves?

Apparently someone thinks so.

Charity Basham is back in this Christmas holiday mystery.

With late-night gravediggers haunting the church graveyard, to surprise gifts, and a gigantic gingerbread contest that gets out of hand, Charity is up to her Santa hat in Christmas chaos.

When Margo and Rita insist they need her help to find and stop the gravedigger, will Detective Sota understand why Charity has to take the case, or will she be in big trouble for getting in the middle of police matters?

Join Charity and her fluffy feline Jinx in this fun-filled holiday cozy mystery today! You can buy it here. Click here for more information on the holiday-themed cozy mystery series.

Be sure to stalk Katherine on social media:

Facebook

Instagram

Amazon

Goodreads

Bookbub

Skipping Christmas...Day Fifteen

 John Grisham changed things up with this Christmas novel (which was turned into a movie called Christmas with the Kranks). It's funny and touching and extremely satisfying. You can buy it here.

Here's the blurb:  Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That’s just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty, they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash, they aren’t even going to have a tree. They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences—and isn’t half as easy as they’d imagined.

A classic tale for modern times, Skipping Christmas offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become part of our holiday tradition.

Secret Santa...Day Fourteen

It's here! A year in the making. Secret Santa: A limited edition holiday romance collection. It's now available at all the online retailers, and net proceeds will go to the Ronald McDonald house. Also, the writers in this collection--including me writing as Katherine Moore--hope to reach the USA Today bestseller list. That accolade carries some weight when you're trying to sell books and it would be nice to sell some more books!! But this one--it's all about helping the families. You can buy it here.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever...Day Thirteen

 

Yes, this is a Middle-Grade novella and I'm not sure how I came to read it but it is both hilarious and touching. And has a real message. I lost my copy in a move and I have to replace it. Buy it here.

Here's the blurb:

This year’s pageant is definitely like no other, but maybe that’s exactly what makes it so special.

Laughs abound in this bestselling Christmas classic by Barbara Robinson! The Best Christmas Pageant Ever follows the outrageous shenanigans of the Herdman siblings, or “the worst kids in the history of the world.”

The siblings take over the annual Christmas pageant in a hilarious yet heartwarming tale involving the Three Wise Men, a ham, scared shepherds, and six rowdy kids. You and your family will laugh along with this funny story, perfect for independent reading or read-aloud sharing.

Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie, and Gladys Herdman are an awful bunch. They set fire to Fred Shoemaker’s toolshed, blackmailed Wanda Pierce to get her charm bracelet, and smacked Alice Wendelken across the head. And that’s just the start! When the Herdmans show up at church for the free snacks and suddenly take over the Christmas pageant, the other kids are shocked.

It’s obvious that they’re up to no good. But Christmas magic is all around and the Herdmans, who have never heard the Christmas story before, start to reimagine it in their own way.

Holiday Hijinks...Day Twelve

 This cozy Christmas romance is definitely for movie lovers. Buy it here. 

Here's the blurb: It’s Christmas, and this year Emily Halliday is trying something new at the struggling revival movie theater she runs for her great-grandmother. After all, how many times can you show It’s a Wonderful Life?

Emily was hoping to make a little profit on “Holiday Hijinks,” her “counter-programming Christmas” event. What she never expected—plot twist—is that an unexpected guest will turn her own life into a romantic comedy.
Holiday Hijinks is the first in a new series of cozy romances set in the small Pacific Northwest town of Silver Birch, Washington. A short read (15K) for a busy time, Holiday Hijinks introduces a whole new cast of characters while bringing back “cameos” from the “Meredith Manor Hotel” books, which are also set in Silver Birch.

If you love movies and food and romance as cozy as flannel jammies, Holiday Hijinks is the Christmas read for you.

Third Party...Day Eleven

Want a little steam with your Christmas cookies??? (Besides the fragrant steam rising from your cup or coffee or hot chocolate, that is.)

Then you need to check out Third Party!

Here's the blurb:

A dog gone video game drove them apart. Can a virtual reality add-on of the same game (and a meddling Nana forcing them to finish her Christmas present) get them kissing faces again?

★★★★★

"Danika Bloom books have now hit 'don't need to know about the book, just need to get it!' status in my TBR lists." ~Amazon reviewer

Josh Rhodes has finally made his mark in the gaming world, an investor threw him a bone and bought his family-friendly dog game for millions. After years of living on ramen noodles he finally feels ready to ask his longtime girlfriend, Paige to marry him.

Paige Verbeck-Reid has only ever loved one man, Josh Rhodes. And as happy as she is for his success, with her own career as a dog trainer floundering, his massive success has her on the run: she’s seen what happens when a woman is financially dependent on a man. She gets stuck. Stays when she should leave.

As Josh’s success breeds more digital dogs and an exploding population of dollars in his bank account, he fears Paige will never come home. When Nana forces the pair to finish a Christmas present they made for her two years earlier, Paige has to resolve what she believes with what she feels.

Will their decade-long love stay in the dog house, or can they train their emotions to learn new commands?

~~~

Third Party is a stand-alone in the steamy, Mixed Six-Pack contemporary rom com series. If you like witty banter, grandma matchmakers, holiday weddings, quirky family dynamics and pet lover, steamy romance, you’ll adore Danika Bloom’s emotional love story. No cheating and a guaranteed HEA.

Christmas Wishes...Day Ten

 Christmas Wishes is now Live!

Have you gotten your copy yet? Grab your copy here- https://books2read.com/Christmas-Wishes-A-Christmas...

Twas the night before Christmas and all across the world, thirteen authors gathered to share stories untold.
From comedy to dark romance they cover it all. So sit by the fire with your piping hot drink and read the stories brought to you by ST Nick.

This is a multi-author anthology, stories may end on a cliffhanger or come with a trigger warning. Please beware before reading.

In a Holidaze...Day Nine

 

Over on Facebook, I took an informal poll of favorite Christmas stories and this book by Christina Lauren was the clear winner out of around 100 people who responded. Youi can buy it here.

This is the blurb.

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.

But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.

The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.

Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

Under the Mistletoe...Day Eight

 A whole collection of Christmas stories for you, free on Book Funnel.

Here's the blurb:

In this limited edition Christmas romance collection love blooms underneath the mistletoe as holiday wishes of the heart come true. Get into the Christmas spirit by diving into these stories where anything can happen through the magic of Christmas—and love.

A Christmas Wish by Samantha Baca...day Seven

 The cover on this fun and flirty Christmas book reminds me of one of my favorite books (now sadly out of print), Patrick Dennis' Joyeuse Noel. (If he sounds familiar, it's because he created Auntie Mame, based on his own childhood.

Christmas Wish is out today, and if you head over to Facebook, she's having a release day party with lots of giveaways and fun. I'm on at 10:30 EST and will be giving away copies of books and other goodies.

Christmas Wish is only 99 cents. Here's the blurb:

All I needed was a date.

One measly date to go with me to my company’s Christmas party to show my ex— and current boss— that I was over him and had moved on. It wasn’t like they had to love me— heck, they didn’t even have to like me. They just had to show up.

When I got stood up on ANOTHER blind date, I was starting to panic until a gorgeous stranger swooped in and pretended to be my boyfriend. Luckily for me, my ex and his new girlfriend just happened to be there to see it.

Pretending to be in a relationship with the beautiful man wasn’t hard. In all honesty, it felt pretty natural. Soon, we had everyone convinced that we were the perfect couple. In fact, we were so good at pretending that we almost fell for it ourselves.

Everything about him felt too good to be true. And one thing that I’d learned quickly was never to trust a man who promised he could make your wishes come true, even if it was something as simple as a Christmas wish.

***This is a steamy novella that will likely get you banned from the nice list if you read it. Intended for mature audiences that like their holiday romance with a little bit of spice.***

An Enchanting Regency Christmas Collection...Day Six

 Did you love Bridgerton? Have you read Pride and Prejudice so many times you know it by heart?

Then this is the Christmas collection for you.

Here's the blurb:

The long-awaited second anthology of Edith Layton's Regency romance Christmas stories includes four heart-warming tales. Originally published in separate anthologies, and out-of-print for many years, these holiday novellas by legendary Regency romance author Edith Layton are in one volume for the first time ever! This collection includes the following stories:

The Earl’s Nightingale
The Hounds of Heaven
The Rake’s Christmas
The Dark Man

It's a Facebook Christmas Book Blog

 Welcome to the Sweet Romance Reader’s Group Christmas Hop 2021. We are so happy to be taking part, and to have you join us!

For those of you who have never played before, the rules are simple. You start at the Sweet Romance Reader’s Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/sweetromancereadersgroup) and write down the codeword, then simply follow the link to the next group and so on until you have gathered all 23 codewords.

Once you have all of the codewords, please follow the directions in the last group post on how to enter our grand giveaway to win yourself $500 in time for Christmas!

The grand prize giveaway closes and is drawn on 11 December 2021, 9am. Please check the individual group posts for details on when their group giveaways close. Giveaway not endorsed by Facebook, it is privately run.

Sugar Plum Kisses...a sweet Christmas collection..Day Five

 This is a fabulous collection of short and sweet Christmas stories. It has a 4.8 rating from 33 reviewers.

Here's the blurb:

o you hear the sleigh bells ringing?

Join over a dozen bestselling authors as they bring you an exclusive collection of Christmas-themed holiday romances. From small town coffee shops to cozy cottages, this set has everything you need to curl up in front of the fire with some hot chocolate or a pumpkin spice latte.

If you're looking to be swept up in the magic and romance of the holiday season, look no further. We are here to make this and every Christmas merry and bright.

So sit back, relax, and one-click this cozy Christmas collection, because baby, it's cold outside.

Featuring works from the following authors:
Samantha Calcott (aka USA Today bestselling author Lily Luchesi)
Monique Brasher
USA Today bestselling author H.M. Shander
USA Today bestselling author C.A. King
Melodie March
Donna Wright
Kristin MacQueen
Laurie Treacy
Amy Stephens
Alys Fraser
Rebecca Lovell
Raquel Anne & E.S. McMillan

Tis the Season for Romance...Day Four

 

There's just something about Christmas romance that feels so cozy. Cue the Lifetime and Hallmark moves. Bring on the book covers with a couple and Santa hats! We're there. Today's book is another anthology of sweet (like Hot Chocolate) Christmas romances. 

Here's the blurb:

Tis The Season For Romance is an abundance of heartfelt wishes, a touch of Christmas magic, and a guaranteed happy ever after, all while celebrating this most joyful time of the year.

Bestselling and Award-Winning authors fill your holiday stocking with novellas ranging from sweet to sassy, bursting with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming Christmas holiday.

Here's where you can pick up the collection. Only 99 cents!

JINGLE MY SNOWBALLS...Day Three

 Is it cold where you are? This steamy anthology will warm you up. Here's where you can get it for only $2.99.

Here's the blurb: 

 Get ready to be swept off your feet, because Santa is coming down the chimney tonight.

‘Jingle My Snowballs,’ is a compilation of short stories that thrive on the magic of Christmas night. You’ll be introduced to second chances, hidden desires, mistletoe kisses, forbidden romances, and more!

Sweet Treats...Day 2

 

This is a collection of short, cozy Christmas stories, some with recipes (mine has one). The proceeds are all going to a charity that supports mental health. It's only 99 cents so you can buy it with your couch cushion money! Here's the link. 

My story in the collection, "Cocoa Loco" is actually a middle-aged romance built around a recreation of the Christmas story set at a truck stop outside Bethlehem, Tennessee. I am really happy with the way it turned out.

Here's the link to Beyond Blue, the charity that'll be receiving our funds. 

Read some stories.

Bake some cookies.

And know that your purchase helped fund a really good cause!

Here's the blurb:

Warm the cockles of your heart, and experience the true magic of Christmas with SWEET TREATS, a Limited Edition collection of short holiday romances!

If you love sweet romance then you're in for a treat. From snowy ranches in the United States, to the small country towns in Australia, this collection will leave you sighing dreamily, and believing in the simple, and beautiful miracles of the festive season.

So sit back, relax, and be swept away in a flurry of snowflakes, red dust, and romance; and it's all for a good cause! Proceeds of this collection will be donated to Beyond Blue, anxiety, depression and suicide prevention, to help those that need it most. Visit their website to learn more about this important organisation: www.beyondblue.org.au

Featured Authors:

Katy Rose

Sofia Aves

Anna G Berry

Natalie-Nicole Bates

RK Phillips

Monique Brasher

Alys Fraser

Laurie Treacy

Tracy Broemmer

Brigitte Ann Thomas

Sunny Abernathy

Ainsley Jaymes

Katherine Moore

Kimberly Gray

Pandora Snow

Maya Lemaire

E.S. McMillan