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Writing Christmas Romances in July @AyalaRachelle

Baby, it’s HOT outside. The sun is shining and the beach is beckoning. But inside my writing den, it’s cinnamon spiced and Christmas scented with jolly Christmas music jingling and the click-clacking of keyboards popping. July and August are Christmas time for me and my Author’s Billboard buddies–busy little bees tapping out Christmas all summer long.

Christmas hits our house early in the year. Shortly after the New Year, while the confetti’s sprinkled on the floor and the empty champagne bottles hit the recycling bin, Christmas is already a sparkle in my eye. Our Author’s Billboard team starts thinking about our Christmas boxed sets. We brainstorm themes and concepts and comb through our series looking for characters needing a merry, ho, ho, ho, and love under the Christmas tree.

Tentative titles are jotted down, covers made, and the ideas go into hibernation until June, July, or August. Then it’s crank up the Christmas playlists, browse for Christmas photos, stream Christmas movies to get into the mood, and sample Christmas recipes and research Christmas traditions and decorations. While the weather is hot outside, snow and evergreen trees swirl in my mind. My son comes downstairs and ask, “What’s with the Christmas songs? What’s going on?” My husband wonders why Christmas paraphrenalia are showing up at the door: a snowglobe here and an ornament there. It’s all part of living with Christmas all summer long.

This year, I’m writing three Christmas romances. Two of them are with my editor and the third one is just getting started. You’d think I’d be sick of Christmas by now, but I love it. It’s a season of joy and cheer, of family and friends, of giving and forgiving, and of love and re-loving. It’s the magic of a child’s wishes, a grandmother’s care, a friend’s suggestion, and a stranger’s yearning–a season for belonging and a reason for welcoming. Some common themes are: coming home, finding a friend, going from Grinch to elf, turning charitable, warming up the grieving, and blessing the poor in spirit. An outsider is brought into the fold. An estranged relationship is restored. Or an unexpected distraction turns into attraction. These are some of the fun Christmas romance themes to write about–all year round.

Rachelle Ayala’s 2021 Christmas Romances

Preorder for 99c: [Sweet] Dashing Through Christmas, Misty Jolly and Dash Weston play guessing games while rushing through a Christmas project with no help from Westie, a “talking” dog.

Preorder for 99c: [Sweet] Dottie’s Christmas Wish, All Merry Jolly wants is to make Dr. Colton Dale smile. All his daughter, Dottie, wants is a dog. Will Christmas wishes come true for three lonely hearts?

[Sassy] Santa on Strike, Bette’s bar is on the ropes when her biggest attraction, the barroom Santa, goes on strike a few days before Christmas.

Be sure to sign up for my Newsletter (get two free ebooks) to be notified of our upcoming Christmas boxed sets for a fun festivities and romance in the air.

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Fun Trip to Chinatown to do Research on a Chinese Paranormal Romance

 

I visited San Francisco’s Chinatown yesterday to spend some time with my sister who was in town for a study session. We had dim sum at the Hang Ah Dim Sum Tea House, the oldest continuously run dim sum house in the US, established in 1920. After eating a variety of tasty dishes, we decided to walk off the calories by going up and down the various streets and of course, taking pictures to get a feel for the neighborhood and enjoy the sights and sounds.

My first paranormal romance is a sweet romantic comedy set in San Francisco Chinatown. My heroine is an ordinary everyday woman who works as a greeter at a bank, and my hero is the Son of the Kitchen God, whose job is to fight kitchen fires, especially ones that start during cooking.

I got my idea from cooking in my wok and accidentally igniting it on fire when I let the oil get too hot. I didn’t take a picture because I was too busy pulling the wok off the gas range and stopping the fire myself. I didn’t have the help of a supernatural demigod who’d jump out of the wok and put out the fire by pushing the flames around with his hands until it turned into a tiny ball. His name is Johnny Wok, the cosmic firefighter, and hero of my story.

See that wok that is darker than the rest? It is seasoned, meaning there is a polymerized layer of oil that has been chemically bonded to the bare metal. A wok like that is basically nonstick without the use of too much oil, and it is a joy to cook in it. In my story, Sapphire Sing, the heroine is trying to find out her grandmother’s matchmaking skills and she believes it has something to do with a magic wok. While seasoning her grandmother’s wok, she starts a fire that attracts Johnny Wok.

Chinese mythology is so rich in gods, goddesses, magic, and symbolism, that there was literally too much to cram into my story. I had to be satisfied in sticking to only a few of the gods and goddesses, a few demons, and of course magical animals to make the story work. Ultimately, though, it is a romance and a love story, this time between an ordinary woman and a demi-god. It is a sweet romance with no steamy scenes other than hot food.

 

When ordinary you and the Son of the Kitchen God are all
that stand between a playboy apocalypse and innocent hearts yearning for love.
Sapphire Sing is in desperate need of her grandmother’s
matchmaking skills. She’s stuck on a not-so-merry-go-round of second-hand men
while wedding bells ring for her snooty stepsisters.
Sapphire sets out to discover her grandmother’s secrets but
runs afoul of Johnny Wok, the Kitchen God’s Son. When Sapphire’s friends steal
the magic wok, one reputed to cast love spells, she is hurled into an ancient
conflict between love and evil.
What’s a girl to do when a playboy demon and a seriously
hunky demigod both want your heart … and your wok?
—
Why does visiting the location of a story help a writer when most of it won’t make it into the book? I took lots of pictures, saw a lot of sights, tasted food, bought dishes and bowls, and spoke to shop owners. Did a lot of research, but most likely only a few small details will make it into my story.
It is those details that give the reader the few that your story is authentic, and some of it cannot be found online. Examples are the barbed wire around freeway signs in LA, and the poems on the sidewalks in Berkeley.
There were a lot of details I saw while walking around Chinatown that someone who only did Google Maps would not have noticed. For example, in the Portsmouth Square, there were many groups of elderly people sitting around playing games. One would assume they were playing Chinese chess or maybe some kind of Chinese game with tiles and cards. But it turns out they all had decks of playing cards, the type with hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds, and everyone gathered around were in rapt attention at the games going on. Since I’m no good at card games, I couldn’t tell what was being played, only that many, many people spent their day sitting in the square playing cards. Maybe I’ll mention this when Sapphire and Johnny visit Chinatown on their shopping trip. Maybe not. But my sister also noticed something carved on one of the foo dogs. “Made in Free China” and I noticed that one of the dogs had a ball under his foot and the other one had a little dog under her foot.
I hope I’m not boring you, but it is fascinating to find tiny details and learn things while doing research for a book. And I do hope you’ll also visit Chinatown someday, either in person or by reading Black Tied where Sapphire and Johnny not only visit Chinatown, but also Twin Peaks summit and the Inner Sunset District.
—
Watch for Black Tied to come out in a boxed set with 5 other paranormal romances, as well as in paperback.

—

Be sure to check out my Sweet Romances at my website: https://www.rachelleayala.net/sweet-romance and or sign up for my Sweet ONLY newsletter: http://smarturl.it/SweetRachelle and get two free sweet books. I’ll also have a new sweet series after my Hart Family is done, and will be announcing it later this summer.

—

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I’m a #USAToday Bestselling Author! Dream Come True @AyalaRachelle

When I published my first book four years ago, I didn’t even know about the USA Today bestsellers list, much less dream that I would one day be an official USA Today bestselling author. But it’s finally happened! The multi-author anthology I’m a member of, Love, Christmas, made the October 27, 2016 USA Today Bestseller’s List.

I’m truly grateful to all my fans, followers, fellow authors, and friends who’ve supported my writing endeavors and hung around with me all those years from Critique Circle to Romance In a Month to Mimi’s Gang and Author’s Billboard. Many thanks also to my Readers’ Club who beta read, critique, and give me companionship as I write and create stories to entertain and maybe enlight your lives.
It truly takes a village! And I’m both grateful and humbled by this honor.
My contribution to Love, Christmas is Deck the Hearts, a story set to the Christmas carol, Deck the Halls.

Description

Holly Jolly lives for Christmas. It’s the only time of the year, as far as she’s concerned.
Gordon Gills doesn’t need a reason to hate the holiday season. He doesn’t see the point.
Gordon returns to the mansion he inherited and finds Holly making a mess with her Christmas decorations. Unfortunately, his great-aunt’s will stipulates that he must make merry every Christmas if he wants to keep his inheritance.
Holly is determined to infect the grouchy Gordon with every dose of Christmas cheer she can muster and show him what Christmas is really about.
Will Gordon prevail and turn Holly into a Grinch, or will a sprinkling of Christmas magic show Gordon that there’s no fighting love, especially when it’s wrapped up in a gorgeous redheaded package of jolly holly?

You can get Love, Christmas [limited time only]
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
-or-
Deck the Hearts for 99c
Kindle, Nook, Apple, Kobo, Google, Scribd, Paperback, Paperback-Large Print
Thanks for all your support, and may you and yours have a very, Merry Christmas!
Love, Rachelle
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It’s Always Christmas – Eleven Christmas Love Stories from Rachelle Ayala #HolidayReading

Dear readers, It’s always Christmas with me. This year, I started writing Christmas stories in April. Can you believe Christmas carols streaming on my computer, visiting Christmas Pinterest sites, envisioning pine forests and snow, and diffusing Christmas scents in the summer?

So… I’m proud to present my latest Christmas novel, A Wedding for Christmas. Available now at Google Play, and for pre-order from Amazon [releases December 20] for a special price of 99c.

In early December, I also released Deck the Hearts, a small town Christmas romance set to the lyrics of the Christmas Carol, Deck the Halls. In a contest between Christmas lover, Holly Jolly, and Grinch Gordon Gills, whose heart wins?

Here is my list of Christmas romances from newest to oldest. Pick up one or all and have a very Merry Christmas!

A Wedding for Christmas (A Veteran’s Christmas, #3) A Christmas wedding seemed perfect for Kelly and Tyler, until a female soldier from Tyler’s past and a donor from Kelly’s past make requests that cannot be ignored. [Amazon, Google Play, Kobo, Scribd, Nook]

Deck the Hearts (A Christmas Creek Romance, #1) Can Holly’s jolly Christmas spirit help Grinchy Gordon Gills save the town of Christmas Creek? [Amazon, Google Play, Nook, Apple, Kobo, Scribd, Paperback, Paperback-Large Print)

Going Toe to Mistletoe (Sapphire Falls) An unemployed dance instructor finds herself on a Christmas scavenger hunt with a hometown hero who’s always stepping on her toes. [Amazon]

 Bad Boys for Hire: Nick (Bad Boys for Hire, #3) This Christmas, paraplegic Carol Cassidy is caught between the naughty and the nice: a hired Santa and a disabled firefighter. [Amazon, Paperback]

Her Christmas Chance (A Christmas Creek Romance, #2) A woman with cerebral palsy and her tomcat disagree about the attractive ex-con next door. Will a dose of Christmas magic reach through his dark secrets? [Amazon, Paperback, Paperback-Large Print]

Santa’s Pet (Jingle Belles Christmas Romance, #2) A brilliant girl genius plays elf to a substitute Santa and turns both their lives upside down when he is charged with a sex crime and she loses her company to hackers. [Amazon, Paperback]


Christmas Lovebirds (Have a Hart Romance, #1) Can two little lovebirds and Christmas cheer open Melisa’s heart to giving Rob another chance? [Amazon, Nook, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, Paperback, Paperback-Large Print]

A Pet for Christmas (A Veteran’s Christmas, #2) A veteran suffering from PTSD fights to return from Afghanistan and give his family their Christmas wishes. [Honorable Mention, 2016 Readers’ Favorite] [Amazon, Nook, Apple, Kobo, Google, Scribd, Paperback, Paperback-Large Print]

A Pet for Christmas is now in Italian, Un Cucciolo Per Natale, translated by Irene Aprile (Nook, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, Amazon, Paperback)

Christmas Stray A couple grieving for their son is snowed in with a stray puppy and a little boy. Is there room in their hearts for a Christmas miracle? [Gold Award Winner, 2016 Readers’ Favorite] [Amazon, Nook, Apple, Kobo, Google, Scribd, Paperback, Paperback-Large Print]

Christmas Stray is now in Italian, Fuga di Natale, translated by Irene Aprile (Amazon, Nook, Apple, Kobo, Scribd, Paperback)

 Christmas Stray is now in Spanish, Aislada Navidad, translated by Cinta Garcia de la Rosa (Amazon, Nook, Apple, Kobo, Scribd,  Paperback)

Christmas Stray is now in Portugeuse, Um Rafeiro de Natal, translated by Vera Christina Neves (Kobo)

Christmas Flirt (Jingle Belles Christmas Romance, #1) Bad girl Lacy Reed gets more than she bargained for when her naked selfies turn up on her boss’s phone. [Amazon, Nook, Apple, Kobo, Google, Scribd, Paperback]

A Father for Christmas (A Veteran’s Christmas, #1) Sweet romance between a homeless veteran and a single mother whose daughter asks Santa for an unusual gift. [Gold Award Winner, 2015 Readers’ Favorite] [Amazon, Nook, Apple, Kobo, Google, Scribd, Paperback, Paperback-Large Print]

A Father for Christmas is now in Italian, Un Padre per Natale, translated by Irene Aprile (Nook, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, Amazon, Paperback)

 A Father for Christmas is now in Spanish, Un Padre para Navidad, translated by Cinta Garcia de la Rosa (Kobo, Apple, Nook, Scribd)

Wishing a wonder Christmas to you and your family!
Rachelle

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Summer Heat – 16 Author Boxed Set

16 All New SCORCHING HOT Romances from NY Times, USA Today, and International Bestselling Authors!!!

Don’t Wait! Order NOW from:


 Amazon ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Amazon UK ~ Google

 Guaranteed to make your blood run hot. Passion, steamy nights, excitement, and suspense. Something to suit every reader’s taste. Grab a cool drink (you’ll need it!), find a hammock, and curl up for an unforgettable escape. 

1: Caridad Pineiro, Under the Boardwalk – A passionate night under the boardwalk brought them together, but can Chase and Natalie rekindle that lost love in just one night? 

2: Nina Bruhns, Fast and Flirty – The top-secret package STORM Corps transporter Kade Maddox is hired to deliver turns out to be way more trouble—and a whole lot sexier—than he ever anticipated. 

3: Rebecca York, Outlaw Justice – Will a surprise reunion with her old lover save her life when she flees from a homicidal husband? 

4: Jennifer Lowery, The Fall (Book #2 ATCOM series) – The last thing ATCOM agent Brendan Devayne wants is to settle down, but Mia Lawrence makes him think twice… 
5: Taylor Lee, Jared: (Book 1, The Justice Brothers Series) – The rookie cop learned the hard way that when tangling with the Justice Brothers, Justice—like Love– isn’t always fair or easy. 
6: Traci Hall, Festival by the Sea – Al Cooper’s too bad to be a cop and too good to be a crook; Darcy Smith can’t get enough. 
7: Stephanie Queen, Beachcomber Heat – This summer’s heat wave on Martha’s Vineyard is breaking records, but so is the crime wave. The combination is causing a wave of red-hot dangerous desire between Dane and Shana. 
8: Kathy Ivan, Sex, Lies and Apple Pies – A televised baking competition brings them together. But deceit, intrigue and revenge are on this menu. Can their love survive? 
9: Jackie Ivie, The Hunted – LeeAnn’s got business in Miami. Bring on the sun. Sand. Sexy men to look at. The last thing she expects is to be someone’s target. 
10: Michele Hauf, The Geek Gets The Girl – Mistaken for the IT geek? This sexy CEO is about to learn the intimate operations of his company—up close, and personal. 
11: Rachelle Ayala, Bad Boys for Hire: Ken (Bad Boys for Hire Series, #2) – After Jolie Becker is left at the altar, her friends secretly hire a hunky beach bum to cheer her up. 
12: Katy Walters, Sands of Seduction – Clary escaped to a place of sea and sand, a place of passion and seduction. 
13: Melissa Keir, Protecting Her Pigg – Arson and fire bring them together, but what will cause the most damage…the arsonist bent on revenge or their own stubborn ways? 

14: Dani Haviland, Pool Boy Wanted (No Experience Preferred) – He’d never known a woman before, and that’s just how she wanted him. 


15: Jacquie Biggar, Summer Lovin’ – Can two mismatched lovers find a way past their mistakes, or will they keep their lonely hearts forever guarded?


 16: Angelique Armae, Dark Wolf – When Highland wolf Callen MacHendrie catches intern Miranda Kendrick stealing his prized sword, the term wild romp takes on a whole new meaning.

 These stories are all EXCLUSIVE to SUMMER HEAT: LOVE ON FIRE for one month, so what are you waiting for? Order Today! [LIMITED TIME OFFER 99c for 16 romances, what’s not to love?]

Amazon ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Amazon UK ~ Google

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Joey Martin Feek “A Life Well Loved” has Flown Away #lovestories @joeyandrory #JoeyFeek

On March 4, 2016, Joey Martin Feek claimed victory over her cancer battle and flew away. She lived a charmed life, fulfilled all her dreams, worked hard to inspire, educate, and entertain, and shined a light for Jesus Christ. She also lived a well-loved life, leaving behind three precious daughters, Indiana, Hopie, and Heidi, and a loving husband, Rory, whose extraordinary blog (This Life I Live) has brought millions of people to love and pray for her.
Our hearts are broken, but our spirits are not broken. And even though we’ll miss Joey and her angelic voice this side of Heaven, we know she is singing praises to our Lord and walking by the side of her Saviour.
We prayed for her and her family. We shared her story and we were blessed by her song and her life. And now, we grieve for her family, and lift up Rory and their daughters in prayer for comfort, peace, and hope that when we all get to Heaven, we’ll sing and shout the victory.

Joey+Rory demonstrated love, obedience, and charity through their songs, work, and sharing their story to help others. I, also, strive to live a life well-loved, and hope to leave the world a better place because of my actions of obedience and charity. So, hug your loved ones a little tighter, pepper your conversation with kind words, and show your love by doing good things for others. JOY is Jesus, Others, You, and Joey+Rory have blessed us with their courage and story. Carry on, Rory, Indiana, Hopie, and Heidi! We love you and pray for you.

I’ll let Rory’s pictures and Joey’s song speak to you. God bless you all!

In God’s Hand Now.

w7 hour layover in Newark…. Nothing to do but take funny pics of my bride
Posted by Joey+Rory on Sunday, November 15, 2009

A True American Couple

Do you recognize anyone in the Silpada advertisement in the latest issue of Country Weekly? Joey + Rory! Swing by http://silpadacountry.com/ for more information on this great line of jewelry.
Posted by Joey+Rory on Wednesday, May 12, 2010

See ya, Joey!

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Love Story written in Song – Pray for Joey+Rory

Joey and Rory Feek [courtesy of joeyandrory.com]

Joey Martin and Rory Feek (Joey+Rory) are a country duet, but much, much more than that, they are a real, true-to-life, love story. Recently, I’ve been praying for them, binge reading their blog, and listening to their songs. Joey is in a battle for her life, fighting to see each new day, staying strong for her husband and darling little two-year-old daughter, Indiana.

And as I listen to their songs, I realize that their amazing love story is all written in the songs that Rory writes and Joey sings. The experience of saying goodbye to someone you love, the yearning for a loved one after they’re gone, the simple farmhouse life they come from, and the places they’ve gone.
While I’m writing, Joey sings The Life of a Song. In it, she wishes she could change the world through a song. Her song lives forever, and as she says, it never dies, it touches many lives. Joey may not know it, but she IS living the life of a song.
If you’re not praying for her and her family, please ask God for a blessing on their behalf. God is the God of miracles and most of all, the God of love. I’ve been reliving their journey through their blog and Facebook page, thanks to Rory, the writer and husband who loves his wife as Christ loves his church. Every word, every picture, every video he posts speaks of his great love and care for his wife. I don’t know about you, but every woman is blessed to be loved like that–and you know what? We are, because we are loved by our God, more than we can ever know.
Here is a picture of the two lovers starting their fantastic journey. The wonder and excitement of touching so many lives is in their eyes.

CMA week has been busy… now we’re flying to Europe! We’re playing shows in Scotland and Ireland this week.

Posted by Joey and Rory on Sunday, November 15, 2009

Every day she is here with us is a miracle, but someday, she will fly away, free as a bird. Her life and legacy stays with us forever, not only in a three minute song, but in the chords of our hearts. She asks, “If I were to leave here tomorrow, would you remember me?”

What Was by Rachelle Ayala
[dedicated to Joey Martin Feek]

Before there was ever a song
there was love.
Before there was ever a story
there was love.
Before there was ever a life
there was love.
And before there was love
there is GOD.

Joey+Rory’s newest album is out with the Hymns that are so meaningful to them debuted on Billboard’s #1 for Country Album as well as #1 Christian Album. To God be the Glory!

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EXCERPT – Valentine Hound Dog by Rachelle Ayala – VALENTINE PETS & KISSES BOXED SET

Valentine Hound Dog by Rachelle Ayala
Former fireman Larry Davison covers his burn scars well, by working at an elementary school as a custodian where he finds a lost hound dog behind the dumpster. Fashion designer Jenna Hart is in town to do a charity fashion show when she loses her top model, Little Treat.When Larry turns up with the puppy, she asks him to be in the show and bachelor auction. Larry’s not sure he belongs in a fashion show and balks at being her good deed. Can Jenna convince Larry beauty is never skin deep and love’s arrow strikes not only the beautiful, but the bold?

Excerpt

Unfortunately, now that Connor was promoted to chief, he didn’t hang out as much anymore, which meant Larry was facing a Friday night with a TV dinner in front of a basketball game.
A piercing wind blew as he lifted the dumpster lid, threatening to blow it down. Larry held the lid with one hand and hefted the trash bag into it. Letting the lid slam, he turned toward the warmth of the building.
Something moved near the dumpster, darting behind it. Probably a rat. He should set traps, but not tonight. The wind whined and howled as he opened the door.
Another whine and something furry touched the back of his leg. It was a puppy, likely a basset hound, with a brown and black patchwork face and white paws.
“What’cha doing here, boy?” Larry bent down and held his hand out for the puppy to sniff. There was no collar, but the puppy appeared well groomed and plump. “Did you get lost?”
The puppy licked his hand, and Larry scooped him up. “I bet you’re hungry. Tomorrow I’ll put up a poster. See if anyone lost you.”
He rubbed the puppy’s head and long ears while the puppy licked his jowls and yawned. How could he resist such cuteness?
# # #
“I can’t believe I lost him,” Jenna cried on the phone to her sister, Melisa. “One minute, he was following me to your apartment building, and the next minute he disappeared.”
“Following you?” Melisa glanced at Rob who was driving her home from work. “Didn’t you have him on a leash?”
“The leash and collar were in the shopping bag. I don’t have five hands. I was carrying him and then when I got to the security door, I had to put him down to punch in the code.”
“Couldn’t you have set the bags down?”
“No, that little rascal would have stuck his nose in and stolen a chicken strip.”
“Rob and I are on our way. You stay put and we’ll help you look.”
“Okay, hurry. It’s getting dark, and he’s only a tiny little puppy. I’ve already run all around your building but no one’s seen him.”
“Maybe he went back home. Where did you get him?”
“The rescue center down near where you work. But there’s no way he could have made it back. He’s so tiny and there’s so much traffic.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” her sister said. “We’re almost home.”
“Good. I don’t know how much more stress I can take. What with the show, the firemen not cooperating, and now my model gone.”
“Model? Which one?”
“Little Treat, the puppy.” Jenna couldn’t help pulling at her hair. “He’s my signature piece.”
“Signature piece? Wait? What about the gowns and the outfits?”
“Those are a mess. I need to get back home and sew, sew, sew.”
“Then what are you doing with a puppy?” Her sister’s voice took on a motherly, or was it a teacherly, tone. How was it that Melisa was younger than her and so calm?
“He’s supposed to be Connor’s bribe so the firemen can undress for my show!” Jenna wailed. “Now, the show will be a flop, all because I lost Little Treat.”

About the Author

 

Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Her foremost goal is to take readers on a shared emotional journey with her characters as they grow and become more true to themselves. Rachelle believes in the power of love to overcome obstacles and feels that everyone should find love as often as possible, especially if it’s within the pages of a book. Her book, Knowing Vera, won the 2015 Angie Ovation Award, and A Father for Christmas garnered a 2015 Readers’ Favorite Gold Award.

Valentine Hound Dog is EXCLUSIVE to Valentine Pets & Kisses, so pre-order Valentine Pets & Kisses for 99c today and be the first of your friends to read Valentine Hound Dog by Rachelle Ayala
Amazon US ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Amazon UK ~ Google

ONLY 99c for 14 All-New Sweet Romances!

You’re Invited to the Valentine Pets & Kisses Countdown Launch Party! [Jan 1 – Feb 2]
Chat with the authors and win great prizes! Come join the Fun.

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EXCERPT – 19 Ivy Lane by Aubrey Wynne – VALENTINE PETS & KISSES BOXED SET

 
19 Ivy Lane by Aubrey Wynne
Eloise Kolby steps off the bus and greets Hollywood with high expectations and a smile. Two months later, she’s broke, hungry and rethinking her dream. An offer to house sit provides her with too much time alone, an adopted family of kittens and a sexy postman waiting at her gate.Victor Burnham can’t stop thinking of the beautiful, mysterious woman who just moved into his hometown. She meets him each day at the mailbox, waiting for a letter.
When the envelope finally arrives, they both must face decisions that could make their dreams come true or jeopardize their relationship forever.

Excerpt

Excerpt from 19 Ivy Lane            Four hours later, she bent over her knees, panting like she just ran across the entire MGM studio. She hoped that man really did have her heart because the one in her chest felt like it would explode.
“A bit out of shape, eh?”
She looked up to see Rita Hayworth’s twin grinning down at her. The burnished, copper hair and teasing, blue eyes did not help her mood. How could someone look like that after an afternoon of such torture?
“It’s my first time out on a dance set. I’ll be fine.” With forced energy, she pushed off her knees and straightened to her full height. “But tell me we are done for today.”
With a husky laugh, she agreed. “Yes, ma’am. Officially off duty!”
“Who’s hungry?” called a voice from the group of girls. A jumbled chorus of “me” and “I am” echoed over the now quiet set. Eloise searched the lot for Ross.
“If you’re waiting for Wilson, don’t. He’s as popular as soda at a fountain and everyone wants a drink of him.” The redhead put an arm around her shoulder and gave a squeeze. “C’mon out with us, honey. My treat. You look like you need a good meal without owing some Romeo for it.”
“But Ross said he’d pick me up—”
“I bet he did. Do you believe everything people tell you?” She put a hand on her hip and took a pose like her mother used to when she’d done something foolish. “This is the movie business, sweetie. Don’t go flipping your wig over every sweet-talking man you meet. They’re like ants at a picnic.”

About the Author

Bestselling and award-winning author Aubrey Wynne resides in the Midwest with her husband, dogs, horses, mule and barn cats. She is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience, and author by night. Obsessions include history, travel, trail riding and all things Christmas. 
Her debut story, Merry Christmas, Henry, was published in November 2013 by Melange Books, LLC and received Best Short Romance in the Preditors & Editors Reader’s Choice of 2013. Wynne’s humorous shorts Pete’s Mighty Purty Privies ( Best Short in the Preditors & Editors Reader’s Choice of 2014 and Top 100 Laugh Out Loud List on Goodreads) and To Cast A Cliché are published with Amazon.

19 Ivy Lane is EXCLUSIVE to Valentine Pets & Kisses, so pre-order Valentine Pets & Kisses for 99c today and be the first of your friends to read 19 Ivy Lane by Aubrey Wynne
Amazon US ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Amazon UK ~ Google

ONLY 99c for 14 All-New Sweet Romances!

You’re Invited to the Valentine Pets & Kisses Countdown Launch Party! [Jan 1 – Feb 2]
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EXCERPT – Your Biggest Fan? by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle – VALENTINE PETS & KISSES BOXED SET

 
Your Biggest Fan? by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle
Noah Patrick, NFL bad boy, has sworn off women, they only seem to want him for his fame and his money. Callie James is such a big Noah Patrick fan, she named her energetic Chihuahua after the man of her dreams. When they find themselves hiding out in the same Brooklyn Brownstone, a crazy blizzard, a never-ending supply of spaghetti, and a dog with identity issues bring them together even though they both have secrets that would tear them apart.
Excerpt

The knock on my door startled me.
I slowly opened the door and stared straight ahead … into the broad chest of a man. He wore baggy jeans and a blue t-shirt stretched across his pecs. He had removed his hoodie on his way to my place.
My gaze took a journey, not up but down. My brain on automatic spied his black leather high tops, his baggy, faded blue jeans, and the way his t-shirt gathered at his hips. His tan biceps flexed in the opening of his short sleeve shirt.
I stalled not wanting to confirm what I already knew. Every fiber of my being fired off signals on high alert for being so close to the man of my dreams.
Callie, this is getting awkward. Look at him.
I pushed my shoulders back, raised my head, blinked once, and gazed in his eyes.
Hi, gorgeous, coffee-colored eyes.
Noah Patrick.
I screamed and jumped up and down like a little girl. Thankfully, I kept my outburst on the inside. On the outside, I maintained a pillar of indifference.
“Hi.”
“Hey,” he said as his eyes narrowed.
I shifted from one foot to the other and leaned on the doorframe studying his face. I should have seen it the moment I laid eyes on him.
The bags under his eyes weren’t as pronounced as before. The cold must have had something to do with that. His kind eyes were more pronounced under the light in the hallway. A little color had returned to his face, and I could see he’d recently had his hair cut by the way it stood up on end.
He was Noah—my Noah—and he was beautiful.

About the Author

Sydney Aaliyah Michelle is a Contemporary Romance writer, a voracious reader and movie fanatic who hails from Texas. 
After surviving 5 1/2 years living in China, she had the courage to finally pursue her passion and become a writer. 
Sydney has been blogging at sydneyaaliyah.com for three years, where she interviews people about their tattoos, discusses her favorite movie quotes, and journals about her writing and editing process. 
Sydney’s novels tackle that dramatic world that is college and professional football and she writes heroines that love their men and the sport that they play. 

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