FUN CHRISTMAS-THEMED READS

Get into the spirit with these 

awesome holiday reads.

A Spirited Season by Karen Cantwell, Misha Crews, and Laura Lucas

Anthology, $1.99 Kindle, Nook, Kobo

What's a holiday without a little spirit? Join authors Karen Cantwell, Misha Crews, and Laura Lucas for half a dozen comical, fun, and warm-hearted Christmas tales. Soccer mom, Barbara Marr, is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Scary in "A Christmas Peril." Delaney Pearce isn't looking for a magic genie, but she finds one in "Make My Wish Come True." An antique ornament brings two lonely souls together in "Two Turtledoves." A jealous husband gets an unexpected surprise when attempting witchcraft to solve his marital problems in "Squawkin' Around the Christmas Tree." Something just isn't right when the lights go out during Kendall Rhodes' Christmas Eve party in "Jingle Spells." A rough-around-the-edges cell tower repairman discovers love in the least likely place in "O Christmas Tree."All profits from the sales of A Spirited Season will go to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals because everyone deserves a miracle.

A Bibliophile Christmas by Karen Wojcik Berner

Short Story, 99¢, Kindle, Nook, Kobo



From the author of A Whisper to a Scream (The Bibliophiles: Book One) and Until My Soul Gets It Right (The Bibliophiles: Book Two) comes a heartwarming holiday tale of friendship and family. Sarah Anderson and Annie Jacobs have not had the best of years. And now, here come the holidays. Great. Sarah's husband Tom is stuck in Boston after a nor'easter dumps a foot of snow on the day he is scheduled to leave for home. And Annie is working hard at picking up the pieces of her life after a painful divorce. But, maybe with a little help from their friends, Christmas won't be a total wash after all.



This holiday season, take a break from all the hustle and bustle, pour yourself a beverage, and have A Bibliophile Christmas.

It's a Dunder-Bull Wife by Karen Cantwell

Short Story, 99¢, Kindle, Nook



Dunder-Bull – the perfect little town bordering Barbara Marr’s not-so-polished Rustic Woods. Everything in Dunder-Bull is five-star rated, including the wives. As Barb puts it, “Dunder-Bull Wives make Stepford Wives look like couch potatoes.” Succumbing to the need to “measure-up,” Barb decides to prepare a grand and luscious Christmas feast for a party of twenty. The problem? Barb can’t cook her way out of a turkey-roaster bag. In usual Barbara Marr fashion, chaos ensues. Will she survive? Will her family fall victim to salmonella food poisoning? Will Martha Stewart ridicule her publicly?



A Barbara Marr Holiday short story, sure to tickle your funny bone and touch your heart at the same time. All profits from the sales of this short story go to the charity, Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Mistletoe in Manhattan by Talli Roland

Novella, 99¢, Kindle



As Little Missington's first Christmas baby in fifty years and the daughter of Christmas When You Like It party-planners, Holly West has been surrounded by the holiday spirit since birth. Trouble is, she's not exactly filled with festive cheer. In fact, Holly can't wait to ditch the tinsel and Santa suits for champagne and celebs, and become a party-planner to the stars.



When British TV star Dean Layton hires her parents' company to throw his holiday bash in Manhattan, Holly jumps at the chance to help, confident she can handle a little Christmas in exchange for access to Dean's exclusive world.



But New York and Dean's over-the-top demands are more than Holly bargained for. Can Holly deck the halls and make it a party to be proud of, or will this Christmas be one she'll never forget . . . even if she wants to?

One Snowy Night Before Christmas by Pamela Fryer

Novel, $2.99, Kindle



Jessica Jeffries hates Christmas. With all the commercialism, stress and chaos, there are a lot of people who feel the same way. But Jessie has more reason than most for hating it. She’s been robbed, dumped, caught pneumonia, broken her leg, and this year she ran over Santa Claus with her truck.



Tom Dunham’s holiday is turning out to be pretty awful. Not only is he suddenly responsible for a six-year-old daughter he hasn’t seen since infancy, but Amy holds him personally responsible for uprooting her, making it impossible for Santa to find her on Christmas morning.



Things go from bad to worse when Tom’s car breaks down on a freezing mountain road, but he gets a reprieve when a young woman who looks more like a Victoria’s Secret model than a tow truck driver comes to his rescue. Suddenly things are looking up—until she runs over an old man with an eerie resemblance to St. Nick.

The Billionaires' Christmas Club by Theresa Ragan & D.D. Scott

Novella, $2.99, Kindle, Nook



Grayson Hawk is a self-made billionaire. Although he dates a string of beautiful women, his work and fear of commitment keep him from forming any sort of lasting relationship. But a bet with good friend, Roswell Bellesconi, just might change everything: Grayson must temporarily trade his Manhattan penthouse for the streets of Brooklyn, NY, to find out if his Christmas donations make a difference at The Next Step, a non-profit organization that helps the homeless find jobs. Within hours of being dropped off, things go from bad to worse when Grayson tries to stop a purse snatcher in action. Hit over the head, Grayson wakes up in a strange new place where he is forced to see the world through new eyes.



Roswell “Ross” Bellesconi was born into an Italian royal family worth billions, and he’s spent his entire adult life protecting those just like him as a Personal Security Expert. He knows money and power, and he knows how to protect those who have it. What he doesn’t know is the first thing about women. So, when his bet with his buddy Grayson Hawk, leads him to serve From Dreams to Reality, an organization that helps women realize their dreams of owning and running successful businesses, Ross is in way over his royal head.

Murder Trims the Tree by Deb Baker

Novella, $2.99, Kindle, Nook, Kobo

When Gertie and her cohorts decide to do their court-ordered community service at the local assisted living home during the Christmas season, they get more than they (plea) bargained for.

The Christmas Grandma Ran Away From Home by Nancy Warren

Short Story, 99¢, Kindle



For every woman who's ever felt overwhelmed and under-appreciated at Christmas comes the story of a decent woman, a widowed grandmother, respected matriarch of a big, noisy family who snaps one holiday season and decides to run away for the holidays. Little does she realize what adventures are in store.



Long time widow Sandy Forbes is breaking out this Christmas. In her 71 years on earth she has stuffed and cooked 55 Christmas turkeys, baked hundreds of pies, turned out thousands of shortbread cookies and hoisted enough pine trees in her living room to reforest the Amazon. Her family love her. They come to her for every occasion, eating, drinking, squabbling and then leaving her with a mass of dishes andcrumpled holiday wrap. But this is the year everything changes. When she wants someone else to take over for one year, the family lays a big guilt trip on her and Grandma rebels. Sandy’s giving herself a gift this Christmas. She’s running away from home for the holidays.

Buffalo Nickel Christmas by Larry Enright

Novel, $2.99, Kindle



It’s Christmas Eve in sleepy little Gambier, Ohio, and a massive snowstorm is giving the rural town more than just a white Christmas. Roads are closed, everything is shut down, and the monster outside is angry, rattling the windows and howling in the chimney.



Harry Ryan has decided to stay at school over winter break to finish his term paper, but it’s not going well, and now he regrets the decision that has left him stranded so far from his family. You see, as well as being Christmas, December 25th is also Harry’s birthday.



As he looks out his window at the stark and beautiful campus, at the icicles on the bushes along Middle Path, and the snow pasted on the windward sides of trees, and the layers of vanilla icing covering the world’s chocolate cake, it reminds him of a Christmas a long time ago.

Hope for the Holidays by Dana Taylor

Anthology, $1.99, Kindle, Nook





Raise your spirits with these three stories of hope, family, and a touch of the angelic.



"Shiny Green Shoes"--1935 was a hard year on old Route 66. The unlikely friendship between a young, black girl and an aging white actress brings hope to a town down on its luck.



"Refiner’s Fire"--Nestled in her beautiful home in the San Diego hills, Dina Stein is determined to celebrate Hanukkah even without her ungrateful daughter. Getting caught in a natural disaster isn’t on her agenda.



"Patty’s Angels"--Los Angeles, 1960. California is a state of growing contrasts. Downtown LA and the suburbs are only minutes, yet worlds, apart. A little girl named Patty brings people together, with the help of her celestial best friends.

For a chance to win all of these festive stories, click here. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SNEAKING IN A THEME FOR READERS

Me, very embarrassed

I am supposed to have a blog today on "The Next Big Thing," but I must postpone. Most sincere apologies to my friend, author Susan Macatee, who tagged me with this opportunity.

Once again, life interfered in a big way. I’ll share "The Next Big Thing" on December 3rd.

In the meantime, you can find Susan at her excellent blog, http://susanmacatee.blogspot.com.

THEMES AND UNIVERSAL TRUTHS

Writers use universal truths to create stories that entertain. True, most of our stories hold moral lessons. We champion the good in men and women, and punish the shallow and senseless.  Not that the lessons can be obvious. Nope, we hope to sneak them in when readers are concentrating on the plot. ☺

While I try to vary plots with each book, my books tend to have several common themes: redemption, good defeats evil, love overcomes obstacles, and characters achieve personal fulfillment. But I don’t want readers to dwell on them, other than to sigh with relief when love conquers all, the broken heart is healed, the hardened heart cracks and welcomes love, characters achieve fulfillment, and those obstacles blocking characters’ happiness have been defeated. What I desire is that readers fall in love with my characters and think of them as real people, as they are in my mind, and want to read my next book. Nothing makes an author happier.

One of my most popular books, THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE, dealt with good triumphing over evil. Often evil doers believe themselves above the law and unconquerable. In my books, those people are always caught...eventually. I wish that were always true in life, but it sometimes happens. Let’s go with that, shall we?

THE IDEA SOURCE

THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE is about a marriage of convenience that blossoms into a true love match. The idea for the book came from a tiny kernel in the form of a story my grandmother once told me about a girl in her hometown who quit school because of all the rumors and teasing she was forced to endure. Although my grandmother didn’t know what happened to the girl, I wanted the poor girl’s story to end well. Each of us deserves happily ever after, right?

If you’ve ever lived in a small town, you know there are no secrets. Sometimes a person with evil in his heart forgets that fact and does terrible things to conceal a fact everyone already knows.

Texas Rancher Drake Kincaid
back from his cattle drive

BLURB FROM THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE

Wanted: one completely improper bride.

Even if Drake Kincaid had placed such an advertisement in every paper in the country, he couldn’t have found a better candidate than Pearl Parker...which is fine with him. His parents’ will stipulates only that he marry by his thirtieth birthday to retain his Texas ranch, not that he marry well. He vows that on his trip east to buy horses, he will find the most unsuitable woman possible, marry her, and leave her in town with his grandfather. And no one--including Drake’s grandfather, the man determined to hold him to the ridiculous provision--could possibly think tall, bossy Pearl with her ragtag siblings and questionable “cousin” Belle will make a good wife. He's angry when he sees how beautiful she is without her shabby disguise. And then he realizes a generous soul shines from her startling eyes.

Pearl Parker

Pearl Parker has raised her two half-siblings, Sarah and Storm. She conceals her beauty with a drab disguise as she sells her baked goods in town and uses her herbal healing skills to call on the ailing. Until recently, Pearl was able to protect and care for her family. Now vandalism and rumor threaten and have her eager to escape from their tiny Tennessee village and she's not certain how long the declining sheriff can protect her family. When Drake Kincaid proposes and agrees to take her siblings with them to Texas, she accepts. She falls in love with the handsome rancher, but refuses to let anyone push her around or aside.

Their life together may not have started with hearts and flowers, but Drake and Pearl will soon learn that real love--with a breathtaking dose of passion--will make their marriage a true romance.

EXCERPT FROM THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE

Set up: Drake and Storm have returned from a cattle drive where they sold Drake's cattle as well as the herds of several elderly ranchers. When he arrives at the home of his grandfather, her learns that Pearl isn't there and that she moved to the ranch. He didn't stop to hear the rest of his aunt's explanation before he bolted for his ranch:

On the road, he slowed his horse and tried to think. Storm had been right, Pearl apparently got fed up with Lily. Why hadn't he seen it?

Maybe he should have made different arrangements for her before the cattle drive. Damn, it looked like a man could depend on his wife waiting for him. All she had to do was just bide her time. How hard could that be?

When the ranch house came into view, he slowed even more. It looked different.

Storm saw it too. "Things been fixed up some."

Drake noted the gate now hung straight, bright flowers bordered the walk and porch. A bushy fern stood on the porch near the rocker he liked to use of a summer evening. He dropped the reins over the hitching post and bounded up the steps. The door opened before he could reach it.

"Señor Drake, how wonderful you are home.” Maria beamed her cheerful smile at him. "Señora Pearl will be so happy."

Inside the front door, Drake stopped in his tracks. Three people sat on a bench in the foyer, a bench that hadn't been there when he left. As he entered, they stood and nodded their heads in respect.

The eldest, a man he recognized as Vicente's father, spoke. "Welcome home, Señor Jefe, Chief. Your trip went well?"

"Yes, very well. Vicente brings our remuda and men back. He and the rest of the men will be home soon.” Feeling as if he overlooked an important factor here, he asked, "Is there something I can do for you?"

The three shook their heads in unison. "No, Señor Jefe. We wait for La Curandera."

Maria hastened forward. "Señora Pearl has helped so many with her medicines. People come from all over the county to see her. She lets them wait here until she can see them."

Storm said, "She likes to help people. Pearl's real good with her healing."

Close to snapping, Drake spoke slowly and clearly, "Maria, where is my wife?"

Surprise showed on the housekeeper's face. "Why, she is still in town at her restaurant, of course."

Hoping he hid his own surprise, he said, "I see.” But he certainly did not see. Not at all. What restaurant?

Still beaming at him, Maria continued, "At this time she's serving lunch to her customers. You can find her there, but she usually comes home about four with Señorita Sarah. Shall I find lunch for you and Señor Storm?"

"Yes, please.” Storm said.

"No.” Gesturing to his brother-in-law, he said, "You go ahead, Storm."

"Señor Storm, my Carlotta will find food for you if you will go into the kitchen. Or, you could come with us to see the changes in your home. Come, let me show you the many things Señora Pearl has done for you.”

Maria tugged at his arm, leading him on a tour of his own home with Storm trailing along. "You see how she has used the pieces stored by your family to make this place welcome you. She has worked very hard.”

He took in the rugs on the floor, the additions to the furnishings. He noticed little things like the placement of serving pieces on the buffet that used to sit in his mother's dining room--until she hired that fancy decorator.
Drake had always liked that old furniture better than the ornate stuff the decorator ordered from all over the world. He wandered through the house taking in the changes as Maria chattered on and on reciting Pearl's virtues.

In the door way of his study, he stopped dead in his tracks. The old rocking chair made from cattle horns stood waiting beside his desk. Though wood comprised the rockers and supported the thickly padded seat and back, a craftsman had used matched pairs of horns to form the legs, arms, splats, and a decorative fan across the top.

Maria smiled and patted his arm. "Ah, I knew that would please you."

"I thought Mother had it burned.” Although he and his father loved that chair and laughed about the eccentricity of it, his mother had called it an abomination and refused to have it in her house.

Maria adopted her inscrutable mask. "It is possible Miguel misunderstood her. He stored it in a barn with other old furniture and covered it with heavy cloth to protect it." She shook her head. "Then, it seems, he forgot about it. But Señora Pearl found it. Oh, she laughed and laughed when she saw it."

"She--she laughed?"

"Oh, sí, yes. She said it was perfect for a rancher's home. I told her how you used to sit in it when your feet were barely long enough to touch the floor, how you would laugh at your longhorn chair.”

Damn. Who would have figured her laughing? Just like he and his father had. Who could understand the woman?

Storm sat in the chair and gave a push to start it rocking. The boy had a silly grin on his face. With a shake of his head to clear his brain, Drake turned and left the room.

BUY LINKS

THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE is Book One of the Kincaids, and is available in Print or e-book from Amazon at
http://www.amazon.com/MOST-UNSUITABLE-WIFE-Kincaids-ebook/dp/B004OR1VOO/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1338514599&sr=1-7

Smashwords in e-book at
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/37683?ref=CarolineClemmons.

Nook at
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/most-unsuitable-wife-caroline-clemmons/1101709833?ean=2940011212437

Thanks for stopping by!

REPLACEMENT GUEST - ME!

The author scheduled to appear on my blog for today had computer problems she couldn’t resolve. Instead of her, you have...drum roll, please...ME!

Today I’m discussing a western historical set in 1885, THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE, available in e-book and in print. The cover is one I especially like and I hope you share my opinion. The model on the cover demonstrates how I was supposed to look, but somehow Fate made a mistake and this woman got my gorgeous hair and beautiful features. Fate’s a bummer sometimes, isn’t it? Sigh.

How I wanted to look but
life is so unfair!

***I’m giving away an e-book download to one person who leaves a comment this weekend. Please be certain you leave your email with your comment so I can contact you if you win.

THE TEXAN'S IRISH BRIDE has received excellent reviews.

"Just when you thought a happily ever after was just around the corner, another corner appears...I want more!" Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick for The Texan's Irish Bride.

"Ms Caroline Clemmons has written a book that was so good it was hard to put down. She had my attention from the first page." The Romance Studio, 5 Hearts♥♥♥♥♥ for The Texan's Irish Bride.

Here’s how I came to write this book. I love Texas history and especially love this time period. I live in cowboy country here in North Central Texas, but still love visiting Central Texas. That’s where THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE is set, near Bandera and Medina. That area appeals to me and is the location of real ranches and some fairly famous dude ranches. Years ago, our family stayed at the Mayan Dude Ranch and loved it.  In fact, I can’t get the experience out of my head. So, I decided to write about it and these characters decided to share my head while I did. Yes, writers are a bit odd, but we tend to be harmless. After all, when we get angry, you’re safe because we only kill you in a book. ☺

Medina River
Photo by the author

Also mentioned prominently in the story is the Lost Maples State Natural Area. The steep walls of the beautiful valley create what seems to me an almost cathedral atmosphere. I love the numerous maple trees, which are only native to this one spot in all of Texas and are especially lovely this time of year. This valley used to be a trail for renegade Indians and rustlers to transport stolen cattle. Darling Daughter 2 and I once went through Lost Maples Natural Area on the way home from San Antonio. If you look on the map at San Antonio then follow it to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, you might notice that Lost Maples is sort of out of the way (as in very out of the way), but this is more of that odd author behavior I mentioned. We can’t resist a chance to visit a book setting.

Lost Maples Natural Historic Area
Photo by the author

Here’s a blurb from THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE:

Cenora Rose O’Neill knows her father somehow arranged the trap for Dallas, but she agrees to wed the   handsome stranger. She’d do anything to protect her family, and she wants to save herself from the bully Tom Williams. A fine settled man like Dallas will rid himself of her soon enough, but at least she and her family will be safely away from Tom Williams.  

Dallas McClintock
Photo purchased from iStock

Texas rancher Dallas McClintock has no plans to wed for several years. Right now, he’s trying to establish himself as a successful horse breeder. Severely wounded rescuing Cenora from kidnappers, Dallas is taken to her family’s gypsy-like Irish Traveler’s wagon to be tended.  He is trapped into marrying Cenora, but he is not a man who goes back on his word. His wife has a silly superstition for everything, but passion-filled nights with her make up for everything—almost. What is he supposed to do with her wild Irish family?

Here’s an excerpt from THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE from the couple's first night at Dallas's ranch:

Dallas tugged Cenora behind him as he raced up the stairs.

“You’re fair dragging me, man. Show a care o’ me leg bones, will you?”

“I have plans for those lovely, long leg bones,” he promised, but slowed his stride.

“Thank you,” she said, fanning her face with her fingers. Then she tugged on his hand. “Saints preserve us, right now all me thoughts of legs are of winding me own around you.”

“How can you expect me to walk slow when you talk like that?” He blew out the candle and scooped her up.

She nestled against him and her sigh fanned her sweet breath against his neck as he hurried to their room.

When they were inside he kicked the door shut behind them and set her on the bed. He closed the curtains and lit the bedside lamp. Soft light played across her perfect features.

“At last we have privacy without cracks the next morning about our creaking wagon.”

“And tonight when we sleep ‘twill be in a bed that fits yourself with room for me as well.”

“That’s the best part, Cenora, you’ll be beside me.”

He meant it and the thought hit him hard. He’d been plenty mad at their forced union. Still was, in fact, no matter how much he enjoyed their couplings. Considering himself a loner, he hated having a crowd around.
But he hadn’t realized how comforting sharing his life with a woman might be.

The right woman, that is. Dang, he hoped Cenora was the right one. Like it or not, and whether or not those vows were legally binding, he was honor bound stuck with her now. It looked as if he had her family as well.

“I didn’t know to bring me night clothes,” she said with a coquettish glance and slid off the bed to meet him.

After he kicked off his boots and socks, he caught her hands in his. “You won’t need a thing.”

If you haven't read this book, I hope you’re intrigued to purchase THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE.

Available from Smashwords in e-book download:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/212689?ref=CarolineClemmons

Available from Amazon in print or e-book download:
http://www.amazon.com/TEXANS-IRISH-BRIDE-McClintocks-ebook/dp/B008V1UG54/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1351832912&sr=1-3&keywords=caroline+clemmons

**Don't forget to leave a comment including your email if you wish to be entered into the drawing for an ebook.

Thanks for stopping by!

SUSPENSEFUL, FUN HALLOWE'EN READING!

Don’t you love Hallowe’en? When we lived in a neighborhood with lots of kids coming by for trick or treat, I loved seeing the children's costumes--especially the young ones. They're so excited to be masquerading and getting treats. Now we live in a rural area and the only trick or treaters we see are those at our church’s Trunk or Treat carnival. Lovely idea, that. Fortunately, now that it’s not so safe for kids to troll neighborhoods alone for candy, many churches host events to allow kids the opportunity to dress up and have a safe and fun evening. Other neighborhoods have events with lots of parents visible in a family atmosphere. My friend's cul de sac neighborhood makes it an annual party.

But I’m here to talk about a fun way to get your spook on. How about reading a suspense-filled time travel? A book with murder, mayhem, dire warnings, and lots of action. MY book, of course, OUT OF THE BLUE. ☺ 

How weird would it be to leap off a cliff in 1845 and land in a lake in modern times? Now, don’t pooh pooh the experience. Strange things happen every day. You have only to watch the evening news to be reassured of that. ☺ And Hallowe'en is the night when the veil between life and the other world supposedly separates. Are you frightened yet? Bwahahaha!

Neighbors think
Deirdre is a witch.

In OUT OF THE BLUE, poor Deirdre Dougherty has grown up the subject of ridicule because she has prophetic visions, a gift to the women in her Irish family. Another gift is the ability to grow and use healing herbs. Tending to a family suffering from influenza is what tragically ended the life of Deirdre’s beloved mom. Worn down by nursing the family day and night, she succumbed to the flu and later died. That was a week before the book begins.

Now to the backstory. Deirdre’s mom was courted by the swaggering braggart, Eoghan Baylor. She chose to marry Deirdre’s father, and Eoghan never forgot nor forgave the supposed slight. He worked alongside Deirdre’s father at the marble quarry near Connemarra. All knew somehow he managed the “accident” that killed Deirdre’s father, but none could prove the charge. Eoghan and his son continually harassed Deirdre and her mother, and incited the community against them.

Isn’t it like common folk that they dislike those who are different, yet turn to them in times of need? The Irish potato crop failed for the third year and people are hungry and scared. In this isolated community, people don't realize it's a nationwide blight. Eoghan the Younger, rebuffed by Deirdre as his father was by her mom, convinces the neighbors that Deirdre has put  a curse on the crops. In spite of the fact that she's nursed many sick people, some turn against her. I believe most people are decent, but it only takes a few rotten apples to make a mob.

Cathbad and
a pumpkin

So, after the death of Deirdre’s mom, the harassment reached a dangerous conclusion. Eoghan the Younger, gathered a mob to burn Deirdre's cottage--with her inside! Fortunately, decades before, Deirdre’s Gran had a vision that foresaw the need for an escape tunnel leading from inside the cottage to a group of rocks and brush behind the building and close to the road to Galway City. Deirdre had already planned to leave the tiny community of Ballymish and travel to Galway City where her family had kin. She had her cat Cathbad and her small carryall packed when Eoghan and his mob descended on the cottage bearing torches.

Deirdre scooped Cathbad in her carryall, slipped the handles over her head and arm, and slipped through the tunnel. When she emerged, smoke already billowed from the thatched roof, but she hoped to escape undetected. Someone in the mob spotted her and cried out a warning. Runners blocked her escape. Soon only the cliff was left. She ran to the cliff’s edge. Eoghan almost captured her, but she pulled free and leaped.

Don't think because she prays for deliverance that this is an inspirational novel. Nope, it's rated sensual. Expecting to be dashed into the rocks below, she prayed for Saints Brendan and Brigit to deliver her, and her prayer is answered, Well, I believe all prayers are answered, but hers garners an affirmative.

Deirdre plops down, out of the blue, in modern times into Possum Kingdom Lake, North Central Texas, beside a police detective’s bass boat. Why was she sent to our time? Aha! Read the book to learn how she helps Detective Brendan Hunter solve several murders and prevent others.

Brendan and Deirdre with Possum Kingdom 
Lake Texas's Hell's Gate cliff formation
in the background

One of my favorite characters in this book is Brendan's mom, Blossom Hunter. While Brendan is a by-the-book, squeaky-clean officer, his mom is...well, laid back. Way back, and doesn't mind bending rules when common sense dictates. She is the child of a California commune turned cooperative farm. Her interest in health foods began there, but now--thanks to her son--she owns her own health food store. She's a good

Blossom Hunter and Dave Roan

 businesswoman, but that hasn't changed her nature. She sees the best in everyone and they usually live up to her expectations. She lives on the shores of Possum Kingdom Lake and is in love with a neighbor, Dr. David Roan, and he loves her. They're waiting for Brendan to heal from his near death shooting injuries before the two mature lovebirds marry. I think you'll love Blossom, too. Her optimism and good heart make me smile. And she loves animals, and they love her.  Cooperative farm aside, I'm sure you know people like Blossom who bring joy wherever they go. I know quite a few, thank goodness. Everyone needs lots of friends like Blossom.

Here are the buy links for OUT OF THE BLUE:

E-book from Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/212425?ref=CarolineClemmons

Print and E-book from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/OUT-OF-THE-BLUE-ebook/dp/B008ULBEK6/ref=sr_1_15?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1351298315&sr=1-15&keywords=caroline+clemmons

NOTE: I've recently changed the cover for OUT OF THE BLUE, and will be interested in your opinion of this new version. Does this cover entice you to buy? Please let me know

This is me wishing you a fun and safe Hallowe'en!
What? You didn't recognize me?  It must be the
glasses. I'm not wearing them here.
Um, and my eyes are blue.
Oh, and there's that tiny problem with my hair color.
Otherwise this looks just like me. Sure it does. ☺

Thanks for stopping by!