CHRISTMAS WISHES: WHERE WISHES DO COME TRUE IN HOPEFUL, COLORADO! #prize

We've done it! We've released our box set titled CHRISTMAS WISHES; Wishes Do Come True that takes place in Hopeful, Colorado. The 15 stories revolve around the wishing well in the center of town. The set is filled with love, miracles, and wishes. Some stories are historical and some are contemporary. Some are sweet and some are a little spicier (nothing erotic). There is something for everyone in this box set that is available for a limited time and is only 99 cents! How could you resist, right? We hope you'll give into a craving for Christmas stories and get your copy at Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, or Apple.

***All day on Wednesday, November 13, we'll be giving away prizes on our Facebook group page at http://www.Facebook.com/christmaswishesinhopeful/ Come join the fun! 

Here are a couple of the purchase links:

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Wishes-Where-wishes-come-ebook/dp/B07XXJPMW9/

Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-wishes-raeanne-hadley/1134733205?ean=2940163652334

My story in the boxed set is the sweet historical WINTER WISH that takes place in 1880 and is the first story in the boxed set.

Here's the blurb for WINTER WISH:

None of the men in Hopeful, Colorado appeals to Serena Winters. Working at the mercantile owned by her aunt and uncle, she meets everyone in town. Her aunt warns her against falling for a prospector as they always leave town in spring—and seldom return. One full moon at Hopeful’s well, Serena wishes she could attract an interesting man.  She should have been more careful about wording her wish.

Brent Adams has filed on his claim and brought gold with him to the assay office in Hopeful. He fears taking it closer to his claim will draw claim jumpers and robbers. He’s immediately charmed by Serena. He fears incurring her anger when she learns the secret he’s withheld.

When Serena is lost in freezing weather, Brent saves her.  Will she overlook his omissions and find lasting happiness with Brent?

Here’s an excerpt of Serena and Brent’s first meeting:

Serena Winters stocked cans of peaches on a shelf at Casey’s Mercantile. She wished her Aunt Esther would get busy and stop lecturing her. Why didn’t her aunt go help Uncle Willard in the back stock room?

Her aunt straightened the men’s shirts. “Stop wasting your time wishing on a well that will give you nothing but water. Instead, you should choose one of the acceptable men in Hopeful. You’ve become too picky. Serena, you have to realize you’re not a girl any longer. High time you made a choice and settled down.”

“You may think so, but I don’t know any interesting men.”

Aunt Esther paused and gaped at her. “How can you say that? Tom Lawson is a handsome man and well-respected. Moses Riley has a nice home. Both have shown interest in you and you’d do well to latch on to either man.”

She resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. “Tom Lawson uses too much pomade. He’s controlling and says ‘reading novels gives women the wrong ideas about life’. Moses Riley is a generation too old for me. Besides, all he talks about is himself. I want someone closer to my age who values my opinion.”

Aunt Esther laid the shirt she’d refolded on the stack she had straightened. “Harrumph, no man wants to listen to his wife’s opinion on anything but curtains and menus. Your husband will guide you to have the right beliefs and outlook on important things.”

As if she were too stupid to form her own. Serena vowed that would not be the case. “I’d rather be an old maid than be treated as a puppet.”

Her aunt sent her a sorrowful glance. “Spinsterhood is looming—or already here. At twenty-two, many in Hopeful consider you on the shelf.”

“I’d rather be on the shelf than married to the wrong man.”

She finished restocking the grocery section shelves and started dusting further away from her aunt. The bell on the door dinged and she looked up to see who had entered. Not someone she recognized but he looked… interesting.

He was tall with broad shoulders and dark hair that was a little too long. He scanned the store and caught her staring. His blue eyes lit up and he dipped his head in a nod.

Her cheeks heated in embarrassment. No doubt she’d hear about her gawking from Aunt Esther.

Her aunt stared at the newcomer. “May I help you with something in particular?”

“Do you have books in stock?”

Her aunt’s nose pointed in the air and her mouth puckered as if she’d just eaten a lemon. There was no doubt about her opinion of those who read books—especially men. “They’re near the corner on your right at the back of the store.” Her aunt strode to the front counter.

Good. The books were near where Serena worked. She dusted closer to them.

The newcomer ambled her way, appearing to scan the merchandise. Once at the books, he picked up a copy of Les Miserables but returned it to the shelf.

She tapped her feather duster against a book. “We have the new Jules Verne book if you’re interested. Also the latest of Mark Twain’s work.”

“Great.” He selected the Verne volume and opened to the title page. “I’ve read Tom Sawyer. Somehow I missed this copy of Verne’s The Mysterious Island.”

“Nothing here is recently published. By the time we receive books they’ve been released for some time. In fact, you’ll see some are used copies we’ve purchased or traded with customers.”

“At least you stock books while many places don’t or only have badly worn copies with missing pages or torn covers. I’ll be in town for a few weeks and need reading material to help pass the time.” He chose a copy of Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Maddening Crowd and kept The Mysterious Island.

“Would you like for me to put those at the counter so you can look around the store unencumbered?”

He handed the two tomes to her. “Thank you, that would be of help. I need a few more things. By the way, I’m Brent Adams.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Adams. I’m Serena Winters, niece of the owners.” She caught her aunt glaring and hurried to the store’s counter.

Her aunt whispered, “No need to be so friendly to a strange man.”

She laid the two books for her aunt to handle. Leaning forward, she whispered, “He’s not half as strange as Tom Lawson or Moses Riley.”

I’ll give a $5 Amazon gift card to one person who comments on this post.