Kathleen Paulson is snowed under running her library and caring for her extraordinary felines, Owen and Hercules. But when a holiday fund-raiser turns deadly, she’ll have to add sleuthing to her already full schedule... Winter in Mayville Heights is busy and not just because of the holidays. Kathleen is hard at work organizing a benefit to raise money for the library’s popular Reading Buddies program. She has her hands full hosting the event. And when a guest at the gala drops dead, her magical cats, Owen and Hercules, will have their paws full helping her solve a murder. The victim is the ex of town rascal Burtis Chapman, but she hasn’t lived in the area in years. And though everybody is denying knowledge of why she was back in town, as Kathleen and her detective boyfriend, Marcus, begin nosing around, they discover more people are connected to the deceased than claimed to be. Now Marcus, Kathleen, and her uncanny cats have to unravel this midwinter tale before the case gets cold.
READERS LOVE CHRISTINA JONES' MARVELOUSLY MAGICAL NOVELLAS! 'Another thoroughly enjoyable read from my favourite author... Light hearted, humorous and fun' ***** Reader review 'Definitely a winner. I loved this book from start to finish and it has left me wanting more... Although this was a short story it was a terrific read and I loved it' ***** Reader review 'Marvellous & wonderful story... Thanks for this Christina! Love your books' ***** Reader review 'Loved it!! Brilliant short story which makes you very eager to read the next book... Well done Christina yet again another great read' ***** Reader review 'Heart warming story. Loved it!' ***** Reader review ___________________________________________________ A Hazy Hassocks Winter Story. In the cold, dark, and surprisingly snowy days of early December, Mitzi and Joel are planning a secret wedding with minimum fuss in a luxury hotel in the nearby village of Apple Hinton. After sneaking off guiltily one Friday afternoon, disaster strikes when their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and they're forced to seek shelter in the rural hamlet of Pedlars Puddle. Mischief abounds as the snow gets thicker - will Mitzi and Joel even make it to the church on time?___________________________________________________ Love Christina Jones' charming romances? Then check out the fabulously joyful Summer at Sandcastle Cottage and Christmas at Sandcastle Cottage. You won't be disappointed!
The Honorable Edmund Rookwood needs to get married. By Midwinter. Or his father will disinherit him. Edmund has always tried to be a loyal son and dutiful heir -- unlike his scandalous younger brother. But his father’s ultimatum seems impossible. Edmund has never fallen in love easily, and -- according to his father -- he’s a disappointment, inadequate, never good enough. Who would ever say yes to him? Sebastian Melior, the Duke of Morinbrough, mathematician and inventor and Edmund’s best friend, offers to help. After all, Sebastian’s also unmarried, and they’ve known each other for years. So Sebastian’s proposal is a logical solution ... But this Midwinter marriage of convenience stirs up unexpected emotions. And Edmund and Sebastian just might discover they’ve been each other’s answers all along.
Father Andrew M. Greeley, one of America's most popular and trusted storytellers, has long charmed readers with his chronicles of the crazy O'Malleys, an irrepressible and resilient Irish American family caught up in the rush of modern American history. A Midwinter's Tale is the first book in the Family Saga series Stationed in Bamberg, Germany, in the chaotic aftermath of WWII, pint-sized Charles "Chucky" Cronin O'Malley can't seem to keep himself out of harm's way. Whether it be with black marketeers, border patrols, or even his commanding officer, Chucky always seems to land in impossible scrapes, relying on a quick wit and blind luck (or is it Heavenly intervention?) to save his hide. And until the day he meets beautiful seventeen-year-old Trudi, a girl on the run from smugglers and the U.S. Army, he manages to keep himself in one piece. Trudi needs Chucky's help. If he isn't careful though, she may also make off with his heart. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
It’s the wedding of the year… But who will get to host it? In Heart’s Landing, Evelyn wants to prove she’s a good manager of the Captain’s Cottage by the bay—a favorite place for weddings. Meanwhile, Ryan has invested his life savings to remodel the town’s old boatworks into a brand-new wedding venue. When a Marine and his bride win the Wedding in a Week contest, they have seven days to put together a romantic, all-expenses-paid event. It’ll be written up in Weddings Today magazine. But will they choose Evelyn’s cottage or Ryan’s boatworks? The rival business owners cozy up to the bride and groom, helping them plan their military wedding. And even though Evelyn and Ryan both grew up in Heart’s Landing, they learn they never truly knew each other until now. But can they trust each other when only one of them can win? This sweet, heartwarming romance includes a free Hallmark original recipe.
A pet-care tycoon is felled by a pair of grooming shears in this cozy mystery set in a small Pennsylvania town. Professional pet sitter Daphne Templeton loves the holidays in Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania. And nothing gets her into the spirit more than the town's annual Bark the Halls Ball. The whole community will be there to wag their tails, especially this year's special guest—Celeste “CeeCee” French, founder of a national chain of pet care franchises, who's returning home to announce plans for a bright new flagship store. But not everyone's celebrating CeeCee's homecoming. Daphne's friend Moxie Bloom, owner of Spa and Paw, a unique salon for people and their pets, has plenty to growl about. So when CeeCee is found face down under Sylvan Creek's town Christmas tree, stabbed with a distinctive pair of professional-grade pet shears, suspicion lands squarely on Moxie. Despite Daphne's promises to Detective Jonathan Black, she quickly reprises her role as amateur sleuth. Ably assisted by her basset hound sidekick, Socrates, she must hurry to prove her friend's innocence before a killer barks again . . . Includes recipes for homemade pet treats! “Doggone charming from start to finish!” —Cleo Coyle, New York Times bestselling author on Death by Chocolate Lab
It was supposed to be a holiday of a lifetime... But when Jen’s boyfriend David suddenly cancels their romantic Paris trip, needing to urgently travel to Athens for work, it’s best friend Bonnie who suggests they surprise him. Having already booked the time off from her events company – Christmas Every Day – Jen decides an impromptu and romantic gesture might be just what their relationship needs. Arriving in Greece and finding David is not there, Jen has a lot of questions. And when she gets her answers she has a choice – should she go home or should she stay awhile? With the help of Astro, the handsome yet Christmas-hating waiter from the local bar, she sets about a little Greek Christmas research. But what starts as a ‘business trip’ soon turns into something more... Praise for Mandy Baggot: 'Mandy Baggot at her best - equal measures heart, humour and romance. A must read.' Sandy Barker, author of A Sunrise Over Bali 'Mandy Baggot is the queen of sexy, fun, Greek-set stories.’ Isabelle Broom 'A delightful escapist romance packed with sunshine, second chances and an utterly charming cast of characters.' Nina Kaye 'A sizzling summer read full of romance, drama and Greek sun! ... Mandy Baggot just gets better and better!' Katie Ginger 'This book is so cute. I love Eve and Gianni so much. I recommend this book to people who want a good summer holiday romance read' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review 'This gorgeous summer read has everything you need to cast your cares aside and simply bask in the warmth of the Greek sun, warm characters and totally absorbing storyline. Love it!' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review 'What a bountiful banquet this book is!' NetGalley Reviewer 'Beautifully written, this lovely story made me smile, laugh, and left me with a lovely, warm glow.' NetGalley Reviewer 'A delightful read from start to end; one that left me smiling long after I finished the last chapter.' NetGalley Reviewer 'This book is heart-warming and hilarious. I would give it six stars if I could! NetGalley Reviewer 'Tempting, tantalising and tasty. This book was a one-sitting read for me.' NetGalley Reviewer
An eclectic collection of short stories and tales from Wales exploring the human condition, humorous tales, short stories with a twist and stories in time. All profits from sales of 'The Turnings of the Years' are going to Llandovery Youth and Community Centre. 'The Turnings of the Years' is a compendium of thirty-three classic tales from more than twenty different authors, some established names, others just starting their literary adventures.
“I believe we all carry grief that has gone unnamed and unmourned,” writes best-selling author Christine Valters Paintner. “Nothing in our culture prepares us to deal with darkness and grief. We are told to cheer up and move on, to shop or drink our way to forgetting the pain we carry. Yet I believe that being faithful to our own dark moments is the path of true prayer.” In her book, A Midwinter God: Encountering the Divine in Seasons of Darkness, Paintner offers an invitation to enter the wisdom of holy darkness and to find there a path toward hope and spiritual maturity. Paintner has experienced multiple journeys through grief that have brought her face-to-face with what she calls the “midwinter God”—the seeming absence of the God of life in dark and fallow seasons of loss. She has learned to confront her own terror in that darkness and to approach it with curiosity to see what it has to teach her. This endeavor has illuminated a path for her to embrace a life of profound depth, one that honors both the trials of suffering and the richness of joy. With her characteristic integrative and creative practices, Paintner, abbess of the online Abbey of the Arts, guides her readers to view darkness as a place where seeds of holiness begin to germinate. Each chapter of this book unfolds as an invitation to grow in understanding of holy darkness and also meditate, reflect, and create with these elements: Paintner’s reflections on various themes of loss and acceptance Insights on a scripture passage written by Paintner’s husband, John A guided meditation to bring the teachings into your heart Prompts for an expressive arts practice to process these insights through creativity Reflection questions to integrate what you have experienced Writing samples from people who have worked through this material in an online retreat Autumn and winter are vital to the health of nature and to our own bodies. It is a time of releasing and letting go—a season that invites us to slow down, to welcome the growing darkness, and to grow stiller and quieter. Darkness can be an uncomfortable and uneasy place, but it is also a place of profound incubation and gestation, a source of tremendous and hard-wrought wisdom. With Paintner as our guide, we can encounter this midwinter God with vulnerable courage that leads us to hope-filled wholeness.
