During the Month of December, You Can Get the E-books of TUFFY CLAUS and BABS CLAUS, Contemporary Fantasy Holiday Romances by Linda Mooney, for Just 99c Each!

 

During the month of December, you can get these contemporary fantasy holiday romances by Linda Mooney for just 99c each!

But only on her website!

(Just click on "Buy ebook from my site.")

Use Discount Code Word: TUFFY

New! BABS CLAUS, Tuffy Claus, Book 2, a Contemporary Fantasy Holiday Romance by Linda Mooney

New!

BABS CLAUS
Tuffy Claus, Book 2
Contemporary Fantasy Holiday Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count: 24.4K
$2.99 e

Tuffy Claus and Babs are back, and despite Dominik’s protests, his wife is coming along for the ride. Being previously in law enforcement, she won’t be playing the obedient housewife while waiting for him to get home. No, she’ll be out chasing the bad guys as well. But can she handle the heart-wrenching jobs she’ll have to take on?

Their newest case tests Babs to her limits, making her wonder if she’s really cut out for this. Short answer? Yes. When it comes to the children, she’ll do whatever it takes. But when things quickly take a turn for the worst, leaving Babs on her own, she realizes how important her job really is.

It’s then that a thought hits her, and Dominik and Kris realize there could be a whole group of kids that are being overlooked—those who can’t write a letter to Santa. Those who can’t ask for help. And they wonder how many children have suffered through the centuries because of their oversight?

The Kringles know they can’t possibly save them all, but they’re gonna damn sure try. 

Warning! Contains peppermint schnapps; jingle bell communications; a baseball bat; powdered donuts; bullets; gut instincts; and a warm, contented, and loving Christmas Day.

Excerpt and Buy Links

Holiday Catch-up

 I know a lot of people hate the pre-holiday buildup--shopping, mailing, wrapping, baking, planning, decorating, traveling (ookay, maybe not that so much, this year, but in general!) STRESSING. And I get that. But, for me, all of that is balanced by the FUN of it all. The music, the lights, the decorations, the anticipation, the cookies, the drinks. 

Yeah. I needed A LOT of those this year. But now it's over (well, almost, tonight is Twelfth Night, after all, and we still have Epiphany coming up, but still!) and, no matter how you look at it, taking down a tree is just never going to be as much fun as putting one up.

Not that I'm able to do that yet. We're watching our grandson while his parents get a much needed break, and NOTHING is getting put away until he goes home even though the CLUTTER is starting to get to me. 

So, since I can't get any actual house cleaning done, I'm playing catch-up online. 

My Holiday Book Sale will run 'til the end of the week. After that, Finders Keepers, Iron and Oak all go back to their everyday prices.

My FREE For the Holidays Web Page is going away until next year as well. If you'd like to read "Counting On Christmas" sometime THIS year, now's your last chance. 

The Nine Naughty Novelists are closing up shop within the next week or so, so this is your last chance to get Nine Nights in New Orleans EVER.

BUT...

If you're a member of my FB Readers Group The Crone's Nest, I have two holiday presents for you. Okay, one's, technically, still in the works, but ANY DAY NOW. 

Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheCronesNest

The first present is the NEWLY COMPLETED Prologue to the upcoming Winter Hearts series (which I'm calling Winter of Our Discontent). 

October 1870 

 As the world mourns the loss of brilliant inventor Dr. Charles Winter (known affectionately to his friends as the professor) most remain unaware of the great technical advances he had made in the areas of cloning, artificial intelligence and mechanical life-forms. Sadly, this ignorance of so much of his most far-reaching and astonishing work extends even to the professor's own family, which includes his four adult children, the product of his marriage to the late Millicent Pearson Winter. 

 The younger Winters are quirky and independent, dedicated to social justice, rational science and intellectual achievement. Inculcated from earliest childhood with their mother's Quaker beliefs and their father's dedication to progress, the four siblings are tireless in their pursuit of whatever personal goals they happen to set for themselves. 

 At the time of their father's death, the siblings had yet to discover the fact that their supposed half-sister, Ophelia, was not the result of their father's infidelity as they'd long supposed. This ignorance precipitated a crisis for Ophelia, as is documented in the series prequel, This Winter Heart.

My second gift is Winter World of Love, which is a sequel to This Winter Heart. That's the one that's late. But it's definitely coming soon! And if you want it, join the club...in a manner of speaking. lol!

December 1871 

 Just one short year ago, Ophelia Leonides returned to New Texacali hoping to reconcile with her husband. And, for a while, it seemed that most, if not all, her dreams were coming true. But as the holiday season approaches, Ophelia can’t help but notice that Dario has begun to brood. He says it has nothing to do with her, but trust, once lost, is hard to regain. 

 Dario is frustrated by his inability to give Ophelia the life he knows she deserves. Now, as old ghosts from his past draw close, and the bright future he’s promised his wife grows increasingly dim, he’s on the brink of making a last, desperate gamble--one that might destroy everything they've been hoping to achieve.

I'm having so much fun with this series. I hope you'll join me as the Winter Hearts journey continues!

Bring It Back(list) ~ IRON by PG Forte

 

IRON

Nineteenth century Ireland. Blacksmith Gavin O'Malley is a bitter man, with a heart as hard as the iron he forges. He wants his life back--the one that was stolen from him the day his wife died in childbirth, taking their firstborn son with her. 

When Aislinn Deirbhile, an immortal, shape-shifting fae, arrives on his doorstep, he knows he's in luck. For Aislinn can give Gavin everything he's been missing: A devoted-seeming wife in the image of his beloved Mairead, and children who are sure to outlive their father. Now, all he has to do is find a way to keep her--without losing his immortal soul in the process.

But Aislinn has an agenda of her own. On the run from a vengeful fae lord who's vowed to either make her his or end her existence, she knows the iron that allows Gavin to take her captive will also keep her pursuers at bay. In order to put herself permanently beyond her enemy's reach, however, Aislinn will need something more. She'll need to win Gavin's heart and convince him to willingly part with a piece of the very soul he's trying to save.

Buy links at: https://www.pgforte.com/celtic-legends

EXCERPT

That Christmas was the happiest Gavin had known since childhood. He was up early for Christmas Mass, leaving the house shortly before dawn, and leaving a pouting Aislinn in his bed with the promise he’d be back within a few hours time to fix breakfast for her.

While the world lay silent and cold, he made his solitary way into town, his path lit only by the stars that sparkled overhead and the Christmas candles that burned in the front window of every house he passed. And a thought occurred to him, as he walked along the empty lane, that each flame was a sign of hope for the future—and that, perhaps, he could feel an answering flicker, newly kindled in the darkness of his own heart. And he laughed at himself then, for putting on such airs and for the absurdity of his thoughts and his breath puffed out in little white clouds that melted away in the frosty air. 

When he got to Saint Ita’s he found a seat in the very last pew, where he’d be sure of being among the first out the door when mass ended. He didn’t take Communion, although he’d made his Confession just the day before and he was sure Father Cullen would remark on that fact the next time he saw him. But too much had happened between then and now and his soul did not feel easy with the thought of it. Although he’d still have sworn to anyone who’d asked him that the woman he’d made love to the day before had been his wife, a small part of him doubted whether the Church—or Mairead herself—would choose to see things in quite the same way.

Not that he regretted his actions of the day before. To the contrary, he felt more at peace with himself that morning than he had in many a year. But his mind was so consumed with thoughts of repeating the act he barely heard a word of the service and hurried off as soon as it was over, before anyone could engage him in conversation, or take notice of his agitation.

Then it was home again, where breakfast and a sulky fae awaited him. Aislinn was wearing her own, repaired green dress and, at Gavin’s request, she once again resumed her impersonation of Mairead. It was obvious she was less than happy about it, however. But Gavin was in a good and generous humor so, once the goose was cooking, he took a few minutes to tease her out of her bad mood. He sat her on his lap, just as if she were his bride in truth, and fed her pieces of orange, tickling her as she tried to eat them until she laughed and then licking at the juice as it ran down her chin, until, finally, her smile was restored. And she rewarded him with several songs while he saw to the rest of the meal.

He did nearly spoil things again, though, before the food was even on the table for he would speak mockingly of the fae and their heathen ways, and question the usefulness of a woman who couldn’t even cook a decent meal for herself, just to watch her eyes smolder. And, also, to remind them both that she was not Mairead. But when at last he bowed his head to make his prayers—over Christmas dinner, at his own table, and with the semblance of his wife seated across from him, once again smiling at him indulgently—he was all but overcome with gratitude. Even knowing it to be an illusion, and a short-lived one at that, he still felt as though he’d been granted a taste of the life he’d once hoped would be his and he felt anew the wonder of the day.

HOLIDAY SALE! 

I've put several of my holiday-themed books on sale between now and the end of the year. IRON, OAK, Finders Keepers and This Winter Heart are all available for only .99 each. 

OAK

Previously published as The Oak King.

Twice each year, Aine Murphy ventures into the woods to hold ceremonies to honor the Oak King and the Holly King, never dreaming these Lords of the Forest could be anything more than myth. When the legends spring to life in front of her, how can she help but fall for the sexy demi-gods she's loved all her life?

From midwinter to midsummer, Fionn O'Dair rules the Greenworld as the Oak King--a role he feels is beyond his abilities, and one that dooms him to a loveless future, forever craving the one man he can never allow himself to have. How can he resist what Aine offers--the sweet devotion that soothes his aching soul, and the slim chance to live a "normal" life as her husband, if only for half a year?

Holly King Kieran Mac Cuilenn never desired a human lover--until now. Seeing Fionn and Aine together fills him with longing for the love he threw away and awakens feelings he thought he'd buried with the last Oak King. Is there enough magic in the solstice to correct the mistakes he made years ago? Or is he doomed to be forever left out in the cold?

Buy Links at: https://www.pgforte.com/celtic-legends

Finders Keepers

Sometimes finding what you want is the easy part.

Caleb is a bionic soldier with little-to-no memory of his past. Aldo's an undercover cop who's searching for the man who got away. Then there's Sally, an ER physician who used to be married to Aldo's late partner, Davis. Sally's just looking for a reason to keep on getting up every day.

This holiday season, chance will bring them together and give them an opportunity to help one another find what they each want most. But every gift comes with a price. And keeping what they've found once they've found it? 

Yeah, that's gonna be the hard part.

Buy Links at: https://www.pgforte.com/finders-keepers

This Winter Heart

Eight years ago, Ophelia Leonides's husband cast her off when he discovered she was not the woman he thought she was. Now destitute after the death of her father, Ophelia is forced to turn to Dario for help raising the child she never told him about. 

Dario is furious that Ophelia has returned, and refuses to believe Arthur is his son - after all, he thought his wife was barren. But to avoid gossip, he agrees to let them spend the holidays at his villa. While he cannot resist the desire he still feels for Ophelia, Dario despises himself for being hopelessly in love with a woman who can never love him back. 

But Dario is wrong: Ophelia's emotions are all too human, and she was brokenhearted when he rejected her. Unsure if she can trust the man she desperately loves, she fears for her life, her freedom and her son if anyone else learns of her true nature...

Buy Links at: https://www.pgforte.com/winter-hearts

HERE BE NEWS for December 30, 2019 - and Happy New Year!

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It's a CRAZY-busy time of year! From pirates to Yule monsters and from new releases to holiday romances, here's a list of our posts from December that you might want to catch up on ...  as soon as you catch your breath!

Tuesday, December 3 -

"EXCERPT FROM FERAL" - read a sample of the latest shapeshifter release from Nicole Luiken. 

Saturday, December 7 -

This week's Bring It Back(list) feature is “THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT”, a Paranormal Christmas Romance by Dani Harper.

Tuesday, December 10 -

"A HOLIDAY TOAST" - Some gifts don't come in boxes. Author Shawna Reppert shares memories and a toast to readers.

Wednesday, December 11 -

“THE ‘LURE’ OF THE PIRATE LIFE” –  Author Ruth A. Casie explores the history of pirate Bartholomew Roberts, and the reasons why many like him chose such a path.

Thursday, December 12 -

"COFFEE IN THE SHOWER" - What do YOU do when you're too tired to think anymore? Author Linda Mooney reveals her brain revival secret. 

Saturday, December 14 -

This week's Bring It Back(list) features THREE sweet Christmas romances by Linda Mooney: The 13th Gift of Christmas (Contemporary Fantasy Romance), Breath of Christmas (Contemporary Fantasy Romance) and Sand Castle (Contemporary Romance)

Tuesday, December 17 -

"THE MANY MONSTERS OF CHRISTMAS" - Ghost Horses, Giant Cats, Demons and Werewolves – the Christmas season is both magical and strange. If you thought scary things only come out at Halloween, read Dani Harper's latest post! 

Wednesday, December 18 -

"TAKING IT TO THE MAT" - Author PG Forte finds meaning in yoga and some unexpected similarities to writing. PLUS she has a gift for readers: two Christmas stories that you can READ FOR FREE this holiday season.

Thursday, December 19 -

"JUST PRESS PAUSE" - Many of us feel like we're living our lives in 'fast forward' and would like to hit RESET. But a good story needs exactly that kind of momentum. Author Maureen Bonatch offers tips on both.

Saturday, December 28 -

This week's Bring It Back(list) feature is “OAK”, a Celtic Legends romance by PG Forte. Featuring both the Oak King and the Holly King, it's perfect for Yuletide reading! Check the blog post HERE for an excerpt.

And to wrap up our list for December, a brand new holiday love story:

TUFFY CLAUS
Contemporary Fantasy Romance
by Linda Mooney

Warning! Contains German chocolate cake, a modified red Harley, Sadie, justice served, a child's letter to Santa, a coffee date, and the promise of love when no hope of love had ever existed.

Excerpt and Buy link

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bring It Back(list) ~ Oak, by PG Forte

Happy Winter Solstice everyone! I posted a few days ago about yoga and how similar a yoga practice is to the act of writing, but I was in class again today—on the Solstice—and we did several variations of Tree Pose, which took my mind right to OAK. For those of you who don’t know this book (which was previously released under the title The Oak King) it’s a reframing of the Oak King, Holly King story as a Solstice-centric, MMF, holiday ménage romance, set in 19^th century Ireland.

Because who doesn’t love a little genre blending? And it just wouldn’t be the holidays without a Holiday Menage (I’m looking at you, Finders Keepers).

Anyway, back to yoga. Several of us were having more problems this morning than usual with our balance (in life as well as on our mats, I think!) and so my teacher spent a lot of time discussing the importance of finding the balance between alertness and relaxation. While we were in Reclining Tree Pose she also talked about how the mind has a tendency to drift away from the body…

Which was when my mind left the room entirely, and went directly to this scene at the end of Oak. It’s the morning of the Winter Solstice, and Fionn has just begun his six-month reign as The Oak King:

The world was not what it once was. Of that Fionn O’Dair was certain. It was a bright and beautiful place this pristine morning. A world reborn. Though it still slumbered in its snowy bed, he could feel the life within it. Curled up and folded in upon itself, it was like a seed in the dark, awaiting the light of the sun’s rays to quicken it and bring it forth. As his mind expanded outward, Fionn was aware of the joy that lay at the center of all creation. He could feel it aching to break free and explode into the world in swollen creeks after a spring thaw, in sweet-scented blossoms unfurling on a leafy branch, in newborn lambs dancing in the meadow.

He felt like dancing himself, if only that were possible. It was not, however. It would be several long months before he could dance again. This morning, even that was all right. He was content to stand here, tall and proud, ruling over the woodlands, protecting all that he held dear…

the Oak King’s thoughts drifted and spread, traveling throughout the forests and the woodlands, all across the Greenworld; life calling to life. Far and wide his thoughts went, to the ends of the earth and back again, whispering the world awake on this perfect winter morning.

* * * * *

Twice each year, Aine Murphy ventures into the woods to hold ceremonies to honor the Oak King and the Holly King, never dreaming these Lords of the Forest could be anything more than myth. When the legends spring to life in front of her, how can she help but fall for the sexy demi-gods she's loved all her life?

From midwinter to midsummer, Fionn O'Dair rules the Greenworld as the Oak King--a role he feels is beyond his abilities, and one that dooms him to a loveless future, forever craving the one man he can never allow himself to have. How can he resist what Aine offers--the sweet devotion that soothes his aching soul, and the slim chance to live a "normal" life as her husband, if only for half a year?

Holly King Kieran Mac Cuilenn never desired a human lover--until now. Seeing Fionn and Aine together fills him with longing for the love he threw away and awakens feelings he thought he'd buried with the last Oak King. Is there enough magic in the solstice to correct the mistakes he made years ago? Or is he doomed to be forever left out in the cold?

https://www.amazon.com/Oak-Celtic-Legends-Book-2-ebook/dp/B07GJCYKTL

* * * * *

Just as a reminder, I'm still offering these Free Reads for the Holidays! Also, I'd like to invite you to join my Facebook Group, The Crone's Nest. I'm not sure yet what I'll be giving away to my group this year, but join it and find out! 

Free For The Holidays

This Winter Night

Winter Hearts 0.25

Newlyweds Dario and Ophelia Leonides are passionately in love. There are only two things marring their happiness this holiday season—Lia's homesickness and her continued inability to conceive a child.

Dario would do anything to make his wife smile again. He's hoping to use the miraculous technology his father-in-law has pioneered, combined with the magic inherent in his native land. But calling upon the forces of Kokopeli may have unintended consequences. 

This prequel to This Winter Heart is available as a FREE READ.

Click HERE  to download.

Counting On Christmas

An Ugly Christmas Sweater Story

​

This Ugly Christmas Sweater short story features the characters Mike and Claire from Let Me Count the Ways (LA Love Lessons, book 3). Mike's been a very good boy this year and Santa Claire has the perfect present picked out for him--one that's both naughty and nice!

​

***This story was originally released as part of the Nine Naughty Novelists' Ugly Christmas Sweater story collection ~ Volume I***

​

Click HERE to download.

HERE BE NEWS for December 16, 2019

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Monday, December 9 - 
"HERE BE NEWS" - All the latest from the gang at Here Be Magic.

Tuesday, December 10 -
"A HOLIDAY TOAST" - Some gifts don't come in boxes. Author Shawna Reppert shares memories and a toast on Here Be Magic.

Wednesday, December 11 -
“THE ‘LURE’ OF THE PIRATE LIFE” –  Author Ruth A. Casie explores the history of pirate Bartholomew Roberts, and the reasons that many like him chose such a path.

Thursday, December 12 -
"COFFEE IN THE SHOWER" - What do YOU do when you're too tired to think anymore? Author Linda Mooney reveals her brain revival secret on Here Be Magic. 

Saturday, December 14 -
This week's Bring It Back(list) feature is a HOLIDAY EBOOK SALE by author Linda Mooney. Take your pick of three sweet Christmas romances for just 99c each! (Or get all three!) Scroll below to SALES ON EBOOKS for all the details.

This week's Bring It Back(list) feature is also a terrific Christmas sale! Take your pick of three sweet holiday romances for just 99c each! (Or get all three!)  Excerpts and buy links are at https://lindamooney.com/choice.htm

THE 13th GIFT OF CHRISTMAS
(Contemporary Fantasy Romance)
by Linda Mooney

  The greatest joy is giving joy to others.

Being the daughter of THE big man in red, Nicolette knows the power of faith and magic. The power of believing. But according to her father, when that faith is lost, there’s no hope left. She doesn’t believe that, though.

When Nika encounters a soul so dark and depressed it breaks her heart, she’s determined to fill him with Christmas cheer once again. What she didn’t expect was to fall for the human along the way.

Terry Janssen’s life has been a lonely struggle. Raising his sick sister alone and working two jobs to pay the bills, the holiday season just isn’t looking too bright for him. But a chance meeting with a beautiful soul has helped left his spirits. There’s just something about her...

Is Nika part of the Christmas magic, or a Christmas miracle?

~ ~ ~ 

BREATH OF CHRISTMAS
(Contemporary Fantasy Romance)
by Linda Mooney

After being gone for months, there's nothing like being home for Christmas. Although Brindle has no family there to welcome her back, and the little town has grown since she left, it's still home to her and exactly where she wants to be in these final days.

With a little help from a generous stranger full of the Christmas spirit, the holiday is sure to be perfect for Brindle. Full of love and memories, both old and new.

She just prays she's able to enjoy it before she runs out of time and breath.

~ ~ ~

SAND CASTLE
(Contemporary Romance)
by Linda Mooney

Terrie Myers didn't believe life would give her a second chance at love. She had managed to survive cancer, but she had lost the man she thought she loved.

Returning to her parents' vacation house on the Texas gulf coast, she never expected to fall for the man living in the bungalow next door. Sadly, he was already married. Still, she couldn't help the way she felt, or deny the joy of living he gave her.

With Christmas hours away, can the magic of the season make dreams come true?


Excerpts and Buy Links for all three books.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Paranormal Christmas Romance - THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT by Dani Harper

This full-length novel is Book 1
of the Haunted Holiday Series 

Bring It Back(list) Feature:

An excerpt from
The Holiday Spirit

a paranormal romance 
by Dani Harper

“Okay, I admit it. You’ve won your ten bucks, hands down.”

Kerri stared up at the glittering tree, the charred block of firewood in her garden-gloved hands temporarily forgotten. She’d brought the Yule log inside, the small remnant of last year’s Solstice blaze, and was on her way to the fireplace when the sight of the fully-decorated tree had stopped her in her tracks. 

The transformation was nothing short of astonishing. There wasn’t a square inch that didn’t feature a sparkling ball or a loop of garland, and hundreds of lights twinkled from deep within the spruce as well as from the tips of every branch. She was certain that the evergreen itself was standing a little straighter as if proud of its finery.

“You’re just in time for the finishing touch,” said Galen.

“More? It’s already gorgeous.”

“You’ll like this, trust me.” He stood back with Kerri and she could feel the warm tingle of energy as he put an arm around her shoulders. “Go for it, Everett."

The old ghost looked nervous, but reached for a palm-sized ornament on the coffee table. It was a unique piece, half silver moon and half golden sun, the perfect symbol of the Solstice. Its braided ribbon rose by slow degrees, following the direction of Everett’s gnarled fingers, until the decoration itself bobbed in the air. 

Kerri held her breath…but she needn’t have worried. The ribbon looped neatly over a branch, and the ornament hung securely. “Omigod, Everett, you did it!”

“Guess I did, didn’t I?” he said, and hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. “I wouldn’t have tried it at all if you hadn’t replaced all the decorations with plastic ’cause of Waldo.” He shrugged. “It’s not so scary when you know you can’t break anything.”

“Um, right. Good thing I did that.” Then and there she decided she wasn’t going to tell her friend that the Solstice ornament was handmade—and the one thing made of glass that she had kept. Instead, she smiled up at Galen. “My pug used to think that all the things on the tree were toys for him.”

“Yeah, well he still does. We would have been done an hour ago if it hadn’t been for chasing Waldo. He even dragged the star under the couch when we weren’t looking.” The pug waggled his curly-tailed butt at the mention of his name, completely unrepentant.

“Speaking of things dragged, I almost forgot I brought this in,” she said, indicating the wood she still held in her hands. “It’s been in the yard under the porch since last year.” Kerri knelt by the fireplace, laying the small log carefully on top of a stack of kindling that a boy scout could be proud of. 

Of course, it wasn’t strictly necessary to have a big blaze at Yule. These days many people simply decorated logs with candles and pine cones. But for Galen’s sake, she wanted every ounce of Solstice magic she could possibly attract. The words came straight from her heart:

“The Wheel of the Year has turned again,

The earth will slowly warm.

Darkness must give up its hold

And shadows lose their form.

Welcome all that brings new life.

Welcome sun and daylight bright.

The Wheel will turn, and fire burn,

And warm us all with inner light.”

The kindling was just beginning to catch fire when the front door flew open with a crash.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT

(Haunted Holiday Book 1) 

by Dani Harper

• “An excellent combination of sizzle and emotion.” NIGHT OWL REVIEWS
• " Absolutely one of the most memorable stories I've read.." JUST LOVE MY BOOKS
• "Action, adventure, and a whole lot of love inside." REDZ WORLD
• “One of my top ten holiday romances ever.” READING BETWEEN THE WINES
• Named a Book of the Week by BOOKWORKS

Available in ebook or paperback at

https://www.amazon.com/DP/B013Z0F31M