Washington Island Christmas Series - FREE on Kindle Unlimited

 

Washington Island Christmas Novella Series

Are you a Kindle Unlimited subscriber? If so, you can read two of my series for free!

Here's more information about my Washington Island Christmas series:

Visit Puget Sound and the Salish Sea islands in this series of holiday novellas! Enjoy getting to know new characters, with some cameo visits from previous friends. Here, you'll find heart-warming scenes, layered family dynamics, romance, and hope in Jesus.

These Christmas novellas are sequels to my Washington Island Romance trilogy of novels. Most of my books may be read as stand-alones, in any order. But I recommend reading my Friday Harbor novel ahead of reading A Christmas Gift. Here's a link to that novel--available in print, audio, and of course, Kindle Unlimited:

Finding Love in Friday Harbor, Washington

A Christmas Gift picks up with the Cahills reuniting at Christmastime, seven years later. 

Find all six of these books on Kindle Unlimited (those above and these below):

Washington Island Romance Novel Series

Companion books are:

Finding Love on Whidbey Island, Washington and A Christmas Duet

Finding Love on Bainbridge Island, Washington and A Christmas Romance

Finding Love in Friday Harbor, Washington and A Christmas Gift

Happy reading!

E-book Deals October 9th - 13th!

In celebration of my new release coming October 10, 2023, we have three sales this week! Head over to my author page on Amazon to find the deals! 

Before 10/10/23, you can preorder A Christmas Romance, and it will auto-deliver on release day.

Each of these stand-alone books is free on Kindle Unlimited!

Here's more info for each one:

 

 A Christmas Duet: Book One in the Washington Island Christmas novella series. It's ✨free✨ this week! Previous included in the boxed set, Melodies of Christmas Love (2020), now a stand-alone ebook.

A professional cellist.
A widower pianist.
And the duet that brings them together. 

 

 Finding Love on Bainbridge Island, Washington, is Book Two in the Washington Island Romance novel series. This award-winning story is on sale for ✨$0.99✨ this week! 

A broken therapist.
An abandoned son.
And the zany aunt who wants to see them together.
A novel of humor, healing, hope, and second chances.

 

And it's release week for this all-new novella:

A Christmas Romance: Book Two of Washington Island Christmas novella series. This is the sequel to my Bainbridge novel (above). On sale for a limited time at ✨$1.99✨.

A wannabe novelist with writer's block.
A best-selling children’s book author with a knack for story.
And the romance they brainstorm together.

 

All-new Release coming October 10, 2023!

 

A Christmas Romance

A wannabe novelist with writer's block.
A best-selling children’s book author with a knack for story.
And the romance they brainstorm together.

Hi, friends!

I have a brand new book to share with you! The second book in my Washington Island Christmas novella series arrives on October 10th! This is also the sequel to my award-winning novel Finding Love on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Remember Auntie Mat? There's a chance she makes a cameo in A Christmas Romance.

Here's a little more info:

Bookshop owner Peyton McKinley lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington. An inspired reader, she writes wholesome romance novels, dreaming of publication. Unfortunately, a past breakup has soured her on relationships. When a literary agent wants to see her manuscript as soon as she can finish it, writer’s block stalls her progress.

Best-selling picture book author and illustrator Eli Jaxon has relocated to Puget Sound to be nearer to his family. He’s on deadline for his next Prescott the Proper Peacock volume, but worry for his niece distracts him. Past mistakes keep him closed off to dating.

When Peyton needs help with her story, previously married Eli volunteers to help her brainstorm. Can they deny their attraction, or will they live their own Christmas romance?

Join them near picturesque Puget Sound at Christmastime for a delightfully bookish love story.

If you love bookshops, Christmas, and holiday novellas, this one's for you!

Preorder now for $1.99.

Colors of Christmas by Olivia Newport

Colors of Christmas by Olivia Newport

Let’s begin with the summary for each of the novellas in this compilation:

Christmas in Blue
In the wake of a personal loss deeper than anyone realizes, Angela plans to bypass as much of the season as possible and get through her duties as the church organist by going on autopilot. Instead, she finds herself in charge of the town’s celebration. After a mysterious young man arrives, townspeople suspect he is the reason that one set of plans after another disintegrate until little is left of their traditions. Yet Angela warms to Gabe because she suspects they share a secret—his real reason for coming to town. Even when all they have to work with is a garish supply of blue Christmas decorations, Gabe helps Angela discover the hidden beauty of hope.

Christmas in Gold
After eighty years, change is nothing new for Astrid. By the time she was twenty, she survived the destructive Nazi regime, caring for her family under brutal circumstances, moving to America, and losing her husband. At forty she was widowed again and left to build a new life with her children. Now, when she faces a move into an assisted living community and meets a young woman on the brink of despair, she resolves to stir up hope through tragedy one more time.

And now, my review:

I enjoy reading Christmas books/novellas at Christmastime. I was hoping I had found two Christmas romance novellas, written by an author I respect. Unfortunately, I found two women’s fiction novellas (or if there was romance, I didn't see it in the pages I read), which didn’t interest me. The story is full of redundancies and I didn’t feel the pacing worked, probably due to the repeated information. 

These two novellas weren't for me, but I plan to read more books by this author in the future.

Book Review: Sleigh Bells Ring

Sleigh Bells Ring novella compilation

Sleigh Bells Ring by Sandra D. Bricker, Lynette Sowell, Barbara J. Scott, and Lenora Worth

Let's begin with the summary:

Santa Claus is coming to town, and so are the Tucker sisters.

Never mind a pony. The Tucker girls have inherited their father’s horse farm for Christmas. Make that . . . a run-down horse farm. It needs some serious TLC in order to make it sell-ready. Joanna knows that by recruiting her sisters and one handsome ranch hand they can fix up the place and even celebrate one last Christmas while they’re at it. However, to Isabella, returning to their home in Kentucky bluegrass country for Christmas seems like an impossible hurdle. Can her Chicago boyfriend make life merry and bright again?

One thing’s for sure—nothing is peace on earth for Sophia as a new beau brings up old wounds. And when the fate of the horse farm is put in jeopardy because Amy accidentally fraternizes with the enemy, tensions rise. But it’s not like the land developer stole Christmas . . . just her heart.

Can the Tucker sisters have themselves a merry little Christmas?

And now, my review:
 
This is a delightful Christmas novella collection, featuring four sisters during the Christmas season. One of the authors, my friend Sandie Bricker, recently passed away. But before she did, she asked if I'd be willing to read this collection for review. I really enjoy reading Christmas novella collections this time year, and I gladly accepted.

Sandie's book is first. We see the launch of the struggle to get all the sisters together for Christmas. They've just lost their father, but they had complicated relationships with him. Plus, they have their own lives now, so coming back to the house where he lived, and where they grew up, isn't something they are eager to do.

I liked the reunion romance aspect of this set, as well as the peaceful rural setting. There's something idyllic about breaking away from the big city and the hectic lifestyle to focus on family and Christmas and even revisit the past for a season. There's healing in that. Readers will relate to this.

I also liked that this was a compilation of contemporary stories. They're each novellas (about 20K words each), so they read quickly, which is helpful during this busy time of year.

Another bonus of reading compilations like this is getting to know knew-to-you authors. This set gives readers a taste of four different authors' writing voices and styles. Yet they blend together well. Pick up this compilation. You'll enjoy it! And you might even find another favorite author or two.

One Enchanted Christmas by Melissa Tagg

One Enchanted Christmas

 

I watched the updates from Melissa on FB about this book from beginning to end, wondering what she was up to. Then, the book came out and I couldn’t wait to read it.

And look at that cover! Matt Jones from Jones House Creative designed it. Love it! 

Read on for something fun! (A freebie you won't want to miss.)

Let’s begin with the summary:

Last December, mystery author Maren Grant had the most perfect night of her life. On a glimmering winter evening, she got to watch the photo shoot for her very first book and ended up on a magical date with the cover model himself—Colin Renwycke.

Fast forward one year. This December, with a looming deadline, restless spirit and her creative spark long since gone, Maren is desperate to get unstuck. And she can’t get Colin out of her head…or his year-old open invitation to spend a couple weeks writing at his family’s farm.

Drew Renwycke never planned to come home and take over the Renwycke family farm. But he’s spent too many years watching his siblings unravel, including his brother, Colin, after one terrible family mistake. If moving to Maple Valley, Iowa, renovating an old farmhouse and switching careers is what it takes to put the Renwycke family back together, he’ll do it.

But his simple plan upends when a scrappy author lands on his doorstep. And she just might be the key to coaxing his brother home. But what if he wants her all to himself? Drew will have to choose between his Christmas wish and the enchantment of a holiday romance that just might be the happy ending they all long for.

And now, my review:

Melissa’s prose is fun, as always. And her premise for this novella is a hoot. Melissa didn’t take us down a predictable route with this storyline. And because she self-pubbed this story, she had leeway to bring in a narrator. Very creative with a quirky, engaging voice. Loved that.

I liked reading about a writing heroine, since I’m a writer. Which is another reason I liked the narrator jumping in and giving readers a heads-up. It’s tricky to do this well, but Melissa made it work. This only happened a few times, and mostly near the beginning of the story when we might have been lost without a guide.

For readers who’ve been reading Melissa’s series set in Maple Valley, you’ll find a familiar and comforting setting with some familiar characters.  

Melissa’s sense of humor and the light, enjoyable flavor she gives her stories, especially this story, were a Christmas treat.

Highly recommended!

~~~~~

And now, for the freebie: go to Melissa's website and get One December Night, another short Christmas story, FREE. More details here: http://www.melissatagg.com/books/one-december-night-free-e-short.