Spotlight: A Family for Christmas by Nola Cross

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He never thought he’d have a real family Christmas…

For the past eight years, Bill Smith has been unable to set down roots. But he never forgot the magical night he spent with an auburn-haired beauty in Last Stand, Texas. When she finally tracked him down, he was more than happy to donate a kidney to AJ, the son he never knew he had. But now that AJ is better, Bill wants more time with him and his mother. He wants a family.

Annie Burleson can’t help but be grateful to this almost-stranger for saving AJ’s life. Still, she’s a little wary. AJ has already been through so much—what if Bill leaves again? And with Christmas in full swing, it’s difficult to discern which emotions are festive and which are forever.

As Annie and Bill’s lives collide, their mutual love for AJ makes this more than a marriage of convenience. But is it enough to give them the family Christmas they all deserve?

Excerpt

That night after the fishing expedition, Bill found himself lying awake, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the boy’s request for a brother. It was a natural thing for a child to ask about, but he himself had managed to push all thoughts of sex with Annie deep to the back of his mind. Now that he allowed the idea to bloom in his head, the memories of their one time together, all those years ago, came flooding through him. 

This time he let himself remember everything: the silk of her skin, the scent of her hair, the plaintive sounds she made as he touched her. The way she had moved beneath him, welcomed him inside her. The more he let himself remember, the worse his body ached. Then Lucky began to snore, two beds away, and Bill knew all possibility of sleep was gone. 

He stood up and took his jeans from the chair beside the bed, pulled them on, and put on his boots and jacket. Then he quietly made his way to the door. Outside, the Texas sky was black and clear and lit with a million stars. The land rolled, dark and mysterious, for more miles than he could see. Up on the ridge, a coyote began to sing, the eerie notes quivering as they echoed against the barn. He shivered. He knew how that coyote felt. He’d been alone for a good part of his life. But now he had the chance for something different. He had a son. And next Saturday he’d have a wife, too, if in name only. 

Is that what he wanted?

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About the Author

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I remember as a small girl being fascinated with the idea that people could make up stories and the stories became books. I began writing my own stories before I even started school, and won my first writing contest at the age of nine. It’s always been my dream to be a published author. The road was a long and twisting one, but I finally made it. I’m proud to be a two-time Golden Heart finalist, and several of my stories have been Amazon best sellers.

For a while I penned erotic fiction under a pseudonym. Although it was fun to explore my “darker side”, I am now answering the true call of my heart: to write bigger stories that focus on emotion, loss, spirit, and true love, stories I hope my readers will relate to and want to read more than once. Small town America is my favorite fictional setting. I’m particularly enjoying my recent foray into writing Cowboy romance.

Connect:

Link to Author Website:   http://www.nolacross.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nola-Cross-Author-174971689198712

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ NolaCross

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nolacross/the-everfield-series/

Spotlight: A Double Play Summer by l.m. richardson

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What starts as the best summer ever, quickly turns into a foul play. D.J. has to give up her bedroom, and the most important softball tournament of her short career, for Gran. Without D.J. the team isn't confident they'll be able to make it past the Summer Softball Showdown for a shot at Nationals. Being at Gran's turns out to be more rewarding than D.J. could have imagined. Unexpectedly, Gran becomes her biggest advocate and cheerleader.

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About the Author

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What starts as the best summer ever, quickly turns into a foul play. D.J. has to give up her bedroom, and the most important softball tournament of her short career, for Gran. Without D.J. the team isn't confident they'll be able to make it past the Summer Softball Showdown for a shot at Nationals. Being at Gran's turns out to be more rewarding than D.J. could have imagined. Unexpectedly, Gran becomes her biggest advocate and cheerleader.

Connect: AUTHOR SITE | FACEBOOKTWITTER | INSTAGRAMAMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Spotlight: The Overly Honest Teacher: Parenting Advice from the Classroom by Meredith Essalat

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As both a teacher and school principal, Meredith Essalat has lived the daily challenges of helping children navigate through their young lives. She has seen the struggles that parents have as they balance longer working hours with the demands of home life. Essalat offers hard-won pointers, enabling parents, teachers, and students alike to encourage one another while holding everyone accountable for their actions.

Combining humor with straightforward, practical advice, “The Overly Honest Teacher” is a fresh take on 21st century child-rearing and development. The results will be well-adjusted, positive, enthusiastic young adults ready to work hard and take on the world. And isn't that what we all want for our children?

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About the Author

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Meredith Essalat is a K-8 school principal in San Francisco, Calif. and author of “The Overly Honest Teacher.” With a career in academia that has spanned more than 17 years, she started off in collegiate student activities before moving into both elementary and secondary academic communities. She spent nine years in middle school education as both teacher and Dean of Middle School Curriculum. In each of these opportunities, she witnessed the gamut of the scholastic, social, and developmental experiences of today's student. She possesses a BA in Mass Communication, a California-Clear Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, and a second M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. Essalat resides in California with her husband, Cameron. Follow her on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter for valuable lessons learned both inside and outside the classroom.

Spotlight: Crash Into You by J. H. Croix

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Release Date: October 13

An ex-military pilot and a Southern chef looking for a fresh start collide in the wilds of Alaska.

The first time I met Daphne involved three things: a cute skirt, a bear, and mud. Lots of mud. Daphne is everything I don’t need, and she makes me crazy in all the wrong ways. This princess does not belong in the wilderness. Or, so I think. But then, thought is hard to come by around Daphne.

Between flying tourists all over Alaska’s skies, hotshot firefighting on the side, raising my sixteen year old sister who has enough attitude to run the world, and fending off demons from my days in the military, I don’t have time for women.

But time’s been laughing at me ever since Daphne showed up. I can’t get her out of my mind, and my control has fled the building. Oh, and I’m her boss.One night, just one night, I let things go too far. Now, all bets are off.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RLlfa1

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Meet J.H. Croix

USA Today Bestselling Author J. H. Croix lives in a small town in the historical farmlands of Maine with her husband and two spoiled dogs. Croix writes steamy contemporary romance with sassy women and rugged alpha men who aren't afraid to show some emotion. Her love for quirky small-towns and the characters that inhabit them shines through in her writing. Take a walk on the wild side of romance with her bestselling novels!

Connect with J.H. Croix:

Website: https://jhcroixauthor.com/

Newsletter: https://jhcroixauthor.com/subscribe/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jhcroix

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jhcroix/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JHCroix

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3mCNoye 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9972333.J_H_Croix 

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-h-croix 

Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CroixCrew

Spotlight: I Love You Always by LaBena Fleming

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“I Love You Always” introduces you to Lottie Mae Polk Berry, a self-proclaimed badass who battles Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia for years, hoping to make it to age 90. Her daughter, LaBena, gives a detailed account of Lottie’s life from her teenage years, through diagnosis and beyond. 

“I Love You Always” will have you on an emotional roller-coaster as Lottie’s wit and antics send you into hysterical laughter one moment and leave you silently sobbing the next. Calm, turbulence, and laughter are recurring themes throughout. 

Her children struggle to see that she receives the best medical care while hoping, in spite of her condition, that she makes it to her 90th birthday. LaBena shares valuable caregiver tips she’s learned, in the form of “lessons” throughout the book as well messages of faith in the form of beloved biblical passages. Believers and non-believers alike can benefit from reading this story. 

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About the Author

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LaBena Fleming was born in Detroit, Michigan, raised in Ravenna, Ohio, and presently resides in Richmond Heights, Ohio with her husband. LaBena received her bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Development from Notre Dame College of Ohio. She went on to earn master’s degrees in Education and Educational Administration from Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio. A former insurance industry professional, school teacher/administrator, and community education and outreach coordinator for an organ and tissue procurement organization, LaBena retired from her position as Provider Relations Manager/Community Outreach and Education Coordinator with Hospice of the Western Reserve in 2017. Retiring afforded LaBena the opportunity to serve as one of the caregivers for her mother, who had Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia. 

LaBena currently enjoys spending time with her husband, daughters, and granddaughter, public speaking, gardening, cooking, traveling, reading, and of course writing. Although she has always “dabbled” in writing; having written multiple poems and freelancing for a few greeting card companies, I Love You Always is her first book. 

Connect:

Website: https://www.labenafleming.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author-LaBena-Fleming-113068070448859/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LabenaF 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/labenaf 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/labena-fleming-dementia-dtr/ 

Spotlight: Clouds by Laura Sobiech

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Originally published as Fly a Little Higher and now updated and revised to coincide with the film release of Clouds, Laura Sobiech tells the amazing, true story behind the song and the movie.

“Okay, Lord, you can have him. But if he must die, I want it to be for something big. I want someone’s life to be changed forever.” This is what Laura Sobeich prayed when she found out her seventeen-year-old son had only one year to live. With this desperate prayer, she released her son to God’s will.

At that point, Zach Sobiech was just another teenager battling cancer. When his mother told him to think about writing goodbye letters to family and friends, he decided instead to write songs. One of them, “Clouds,” captured hearts and changed lives, making him an international sensation.

This story is a testament to what can happen when you live as if each day might be your last. It’s a story about the human spirit. It shows how God used a dying boy from a small town in Minnesota to touch the hearts of millions—including top executives in the entertainment industry, major music artists, news anchors, talk show hosts, actors, priests and pastors, and schoolchildren across the globe. And above all, it’s an example of the amazing things that happen when someone shares the most precious thing he has—himself.

Buy on Amazon | Audible

About the Author

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In 2009 Laura Sobiech was living a very average life. She was married to her husband, Rob, for 20 years, had four children and was working two part-time jobs and volunteering as a firefighter/EMT at her local fire department.

Then, on a gloomy day in November 2009, everything changed. Her fourteen-year-old son, Zach, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of pediatric bone cancer. As Zach battled cancer, Laura blogged about it on their Caring Bridge website.

In May 2012 Zach learned he had only a year to live and, as a way to say “goodbye” to his family and friends, he wrote a beautiful song called “Clouds.” The song touched not only family and friends, but through the help of a team of people who believed in Zach’s music and message, it reached millions of people across the globe.

In May 2013 a documentary called My Last Days: Meet Zach Sobiech was released on the Soul Pancake YouTube channel. The video went viral and reached over 12.3 million people within months of it’s release. And the numbers continue to grow.

The week of Zach’s death, on May 20, 2013, his song reached #1 on iTunes and made it’s way up Billboard’s Top 100 chart, debuting at #26, and topping the Rock Digital Downloads at #1.

Laura’s memoir, FLY A LITTLE HIGHER, How God Answered a Mom’s Small Prayer in a Big Way, is about her family’s amazing, joyful and heartbreaking journey with Zach through cancer and his incredible last year of life.

Learn more about Laura, Zach and the book at flyalittlehigher.com. #flyhigher