Friday, December 18, 2020

MEG, NEW RELEASE!

 I’m excited to share with you that MEG, book 20 in the Angel Creek Christmas Brides Series, released today! I hope you’re one of the many who had it preordered so that you already have the book on your e-reader.  It’s also available in print and is free in Kindle Unlimited. 

I admit I'm pleased at how this book turned out. Beta reader reports have been very favorable. I hope you will read and enjoy Meg and Curtis' story. 

Having children as secondary characters is something I enjoy. How an adult reacts to a child tells a lot about the person. You’ll see what I mean in MEG when Curtis McClain has to adjust to two surprise orphans Meg brings with her to Angel Creek in Montana Territory.

Curtis grew up in a cold-mannered family and doesn’t know how to show affection. Meg has to teach him what being a family means. She’s just the feisty female for the job.



When Meg Todd learns her bullying brother-in-law has horrifying plans for her future, she asks an attorney family friend for help escaping. Meg wants her own husband and home and is willing to move over halfway across the country to achieve her goal. Along the way she agrees to take two children for their dying mother. Is she too impulsive? Will Curtis and the children become the happy family of Meg’s dreams?

Curtis McClain has to be careful with his small savings or it won’t fund his dream of his own newspaper. He wants a wife—and he needs someone to help him with the newspaper. If he can combine the two, then he’ll be all right. In a few years, they can start a family. But, will a woman want to move to the middle of nowhere on those terms? Will she grow to care for him in spite of his reserved nature?

He is slightly annoyed when his wife shows up with two orphaned children. When he learns the amount of her inheritance, he decides she won’t be content to stay with him. What does she need with an almost penniless newspaper owner when she has two children and the money to live wherever she chooses? The boy and girl are well-behaved but he still isn’t certain he could accept them as his own. That is, until a terrifying event occurs that forces him to make a decision and take quick action.


 

When he stepped forward, he was wearing a frown. “I’m expecting Meg McClain.”

He was tall with dark brown hair and startling bright blue eyes. Not Greek god handsome, he was ruggedly attractive. His posture gave her the impression he was ill at ease.

“Hello, Curtis. I’m Meg and these are now our children. Penny is four and Tom is six. How they came to be ours is a long story. Perhaps it can wait until we’re somewhere warm.”

Poor little Tom’s face clouded with worry. “I sure hope you’re not gonna be mad at us or our new Mama, sir.”

“New Mama?” Curtis’ eyebrows raised.

Before she could add anything, Tom added, “We’ll be real good and I’ll do all kinds of chores and help you. I reckon I look small but I’m strong.” He raised his little arm as if he expected Curtis to test it.

Curtis’ gaze turned to Tom and his frown softened. “You’re a hard worker, are you? I can probably find things that need your help.”

“You won’t be sorry, sir.”

Meg cuddled Penny’s head on her shoulder while she repeated her request. “I wonder if we can get inside? I’m sure we’ll be able to tolerate the weather, but we’re not yet used to the cold.”

He handed Tom the valise and then picked up the two suitcases that belonged to the children. “I’ll arrange to get the trunks later. Looks as if there are several.”

Carrying Penny, she followed, glancing at Tom to make sure he could keep pace. “I brought as much as I could. I didn’t know how much in the way of household supplies a bachelor would have. Plus, many are family things I wanted to save.”

“The answer to the first is not much. I only brought a few personal items and the rest was newspaper equipment. It’s heavy and cost a lot to ship.”

“I imagine getting it here safely was complicated as well. Is it far to your house?”

He actually chuckled. “Across town, or what there is of Angel Creek. I recently bought the house from folks who were moving to the southwest.”

The Universal Buy Link is https://mybook.to/McClain  




 The following recipe is included in my newsletter which went out this morning. In the book, Meg gets the recipe for an Apple cake to publish in the newspaper. Although the following recipe uses cooking oil instead of lard or butter, this is the type cake served.

FRESH APPLE CAKE

 

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups cooking oil

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups peeled, cored, and chopped raw apples

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup pecans, chopped

             Cream sugar and oil. Add eggs and then dry ingredients. Mix and add fruits and nuts. Mix again. Cooked in greased and floured pan. Makes 2 large loaves or 1 Bundt cake or 4 small loaves. Bake at 350° F for 1 hour and 15 minutes for Bundt cake. Adjust baking time for loaf pans. Cool in pan. Serve warm or cold.

 VARIATIONS

            Add 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries to batter for color (and flavor) for a holiday cake.

            This cake is also very good served warm with hot spiced apple cider for an afternoon tea or winter evening treat.

Small loaves make great token gifts for friends (especially if accompanied by cookies and perhaps a few pieces of candy).  

My mom used caramel icing on her Bundt apple cake. She made wonderful caramel. I didn’t get that DNA because I have trouble not scorching the sugar.

 


Please remember that CHRISTMAS COMES TO DICKENS is only available for a short time now. My novella in the contemporary anthology is HOLIDAY HEARTS. I love this anthology and hope you will too. Only 99 cents for ten original stories set in a perfect town. The universal buy link is at https://books2read.com/DickensChristmas

 


Also still on sale are the Yours Truly: The Lovelorn historical romances. Mine is DESPERATE IN DELAWARE. They’re 99 cents each through the end of December. It’s at https://mybook.to/Mina


Do you have social-distancing (new 2020 phrase) plans to celebrate the season? Our youngest daughter took me to look at Christmas lights yesterday evening. So many gorgeous displays! One area of a nearby city has a contest and traffic-stopping yard displays. We try to go each year.

Don’t miss the aligning of planets on December 21 on the Winter Solstice. We plan to view them. I expect to get an idea of what drew the wise men to Bethlehem when Christ was born.


As the year draws to a close, I tend to take stock of my year as well as make plans for the upcoming months. I have books scheduled for 2021 and a couple already planned for 2022.

Whether you’re Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Moslem, or any other religion, I hope you receive peace in your heart. No matter how you’re coping now, my hope is the coming year brings you joy, peace, good health, and prosperity. 

This has been a stressful year, but also one filled with blessings. I’m grateful for many things—my faith, my family, my pets (who are part of the family), and for you!

 


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