Wednesday, December 12, 2012

A Christmas Novella Extravaganza

Update: 
The winner of a downloaded book of their choice from The Pelican Book Group is: 
Mary Ann Diorio! 

by Suzie Johnson
I remember when Harlequin and Silhouette first started publishing novellas. There were three in a collection and they had a variety of special collections. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas were among the most memorable. Anthologies to me were like striking gold. Perfect for quick reads when there wasn’t time to read an entire book but you wanted to reach The End  before falling asleep for the night. And there was something satisfying when reading a themed anthology.

That was many years ago. Today, novellas and anthologies are still going strong and experiencing a new rise in popularity. I love them as much as ever. My publisher, The Pelican Book Group, publishes one Christmas novella for each day in December, although you don’t have to wait until a specific day to get the one you want. Each novella is available now. There is something for everyone and they remain available all year. If you feel like reading Christmas stories at a different time of year, or are unable to buy all of the ones you want right now, you can download them any time you’d like.
Today I’d like to share a few of those novellas with you and hope you’ll find something that intrigues you.

Christmas Forever by Robin Bayne
Jason hasn’t seen Cami in three years. Now she’s back, with the son he’d wanted to claim as his own. Can he believe her newly found faith or will she desert him, and God, again?

Cami Jones is nervous about spending Thanksgiving with the Becker family, because she knows her old and dear friend Jason will be there. The friend, and employer, she’d deserted three years ago to run away and start a new life. Ashamed of things she’d done before finding faith, Cami reluctantly agrees to start a temporary job for Jason once again.

Still hurt that Cami had taken the son he’d helped deliver and fled, Jason finds it hard to believe she’s now a Bible-believing Christian. But the old spark is still there and he finds himself weaving into Cami and Robbie’s life again. When his new accountant turns out to be Cami’s ex, they panic they may lose custody of Robbie. Admitting he wants Cami and Robbie forever is the best Christmas present he could ever imagine.


Breath of Christmas by E.A. West
When Esther Beauchamp agrees to drive a snowmobile during the Santa Snow Challenge, she expects a problem-free weekend of transporting snowboarders. What she gets is the task of transporting a single snowboarder and babysitting his service dog while he’s on the slope.

Robbie Kendrick is instantly attracted to the pretty staffer who volunteered to help him during the competition. While she’s clueless about asthma, he appreciates her efforts to understand how it affects him and his snowboarding. Best of all, she treats him like a man who isn’t disabled and gets along great with his medical alert dog.

But when Robbie’s ability to compete is called into question, is it in God’s plan for him to give up the career he loves, or will his competitive spirit cause him to lose his chance at a future with Esther?



Dr. Noah and the Sugar Plum Fairy
by Carla Rossi
College senior and not-so-ex-ballerina Jane Trumbull is home for Christmas break. She welcomes the joyful chaos of a happy family holiday – then the rollercoaster of emotions begins.
    
Veterinarian Dr. Noah Barron hopes his return to Texas and his new clinic will help him forget about his dark days in California. But he can’t outrun unresolved issues and doesn’t know how lonely he really is – until he meets slightly clumsy Un-Plain Jane.
    
Can Jane and Noah learn to share who they really are and what they really want? And can they allow God to send joy after sorrow, hope for hidden dreams, and healing for past wounds?




Finding Home by Marianne Evans
A Christmas voyage to London…

Six months ago, Alexa Gordon’s engagement transformed from happiness to betrayal. Christmas is on the way. The last thing she wants to do is spend the holiday in mourning for being so foolish with her emotions. A spontaneous, soul-reviving trip to London is just what she needs.

Becomes a mission of the heart…

Peter Colby, a treasured friend from Alexa’s study abroad term in England years ago, welcomes her back to the UK with open arms. He knows she’s still reeling, but he’s determined to show her a proper, fulfilling love that will keep her at his side forever.

And God’s plan unfolds.

But they live half the world apart, and Alexa is shattered by past pain. Can Peter help her find the courage she longs for? Can he convince Alexa that finding home isn’t just about logistics, it’s about the power of the heart?




One Christmas Eve by Robin Patchen
Movie star Blake Carmichael found more than just freedom from his drug addiction in rehab. He found God. And he has just one wish for the first Christmas of his new life: reconciliation with his teenage son, Eli. But after eight years of hardly hearing from Blake, Eli wants nothing to do with his father. So when his mother forces Eli to stay with Blake during the Christmas holidays, Eli sneaks out of the house.

From the New Hampshire seacoast to the dangerous streets of Boston, Blake searches for his son, desperate to protect Eli from sins Blake knows all too well. But even if he finds his son, will he ever be able to convince Eli of his love?


To learn more about Robin Patchen, visit her website by clicking here.
Click here to read my review of One Christmas Eve.

Southern Fried Christmas by Marian Merritt
Love: purer than Colorado snow, deeper than a Louisiana bayou.

The Colorado Rockies have always been home to journalist Kelly Shepherd, but after the death of her father, and facing her first Christmas alone, she accepts an assignment that leads her deep into Louisiana’s Cajun country.

Since his wife’s death, Denny Labouve has focused his attention on his ten-year-old daughter and the family business, but Kelly sparks the dying embers of his heart even as a Christmas cold front moves through his beloved Cajun country.

Will Denny and Kelly be able to trust God to bridge the span between the Colorado Rockies and the Louisiana bayou?



An Aussie Christmas Angel by Clare Revell
On an extended holiday from the UK, John Connington finds himself in Sydney with nowhere to stay. Only a telephone number from a friend of someone his sister works with offering him a place to stay. Trusting that God knows what He’s doing, John rings and asks a total stranger if he can stay.

Jo can’t believe the audacity of the man, yet when her flat mate knows of this arrangement there is nothing she can do. She’s not prepared for the avalanche of feelings produced by seeing John. Not impressed by God’s sense of humour she fights how she feels until just before John leaves for home, both their lives change forever. 

Can a long distance relationship really work or is God just teasing them both?


All of these and other Christmas novellas can be downloaded from The Pelican Book Group, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Thank you for visiting today. I hope you'll decide to check out this wonderful Christmas collection. To be entered in a drawing for a downloaded copy of one of these novellas please leave a comment below, or on the post where I feature the excerpt from Robin Bayne's novella, or on the post where I review Robin Patchen's novella.

18 comments:

  1. Guess which one I would pick? Yep? The ballerina novel. Cover is so cute! She looks like the Barbie version of Sugarplum.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh my goodness! When I looked it up on Amazon, the full-sized Dr. Noah was way hot! I probably will download that one, just as soon as I find my kindle. Makes me wish I'd thought of it.

    Barb, if Pelican wants another Nutcracker novella next year, sign me up to write one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay for Dr. Noah! ;-)

      Dina, I would love to read a Nutcracker story from you. Sigh.

      Delete
  3. Wow! Tons to choose from. Great for Christmas! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DeAnna, they have *thirty* novellas. And that doesn't count the ones from last year. Christmas with Miss Austen is my favorite.

      Delete
  4. Dina, that's my favorite cover, too. Nicola is a fantastic cover artist.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'd also encourage readers to pick up my Christmas novella, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe (part of this same group of Pelican Group/White Rose novellas). They're all a lot of fun and a quick read during this busy but most special season of the year. Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  6. The Christmas novellas are a lot of fun, and Nicola does a great job with the cover art.

    I may have an acquaintance with more than one of these. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a fun looking bunch of novellas! Dina, I had the same thought about the ballerina cover. I think that's the one I'd read first.

    Waving at JoAnn! Merry Christmas, hon :+)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for promoting these, Suzie. They all look like great reads.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi JoAnne. Thank you for visiting with us. Your book sounds wonderful, too.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Barb, I wondered if you were "related" to any of these. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. They do look fun, Anita, and the ones I've read have been wonderful. I'm reading Dr. Noah next. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Suzie,

    Thanks so much for featuring these! The lineup this years was really filled with fun reads. Proud to be part of such a great group!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you, Marian. And congratulations on your book. You have a gorgeous cover. I can't wait to read your book.

    ReplyDelete
  14. So excited to read this, Suzie, especially since all of these wonderful authors are my Pelican sisters. Yes, brag on them all you can! :)

    Merry Christmas!

    MaryAnn Diorio
    A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
    Harbourlight Books
    The Pelican Book Group

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi, MaryAnn. Thank you so much, snd thank you for stopping by. Your novella is on my TBR. :-)

    ReplyDelete

Share This Post

How Our Giveaways Work: The Official Rules

We, the ladies of Inkwell Inspirations, would love to give free stuff to everybody. Since we can't, we will often have a giveaway in conjunction with a specific post. Unless otherwise stated, one winner will be drawn from comments left on that post between the date it was published and the end of the giveaway as determined in the post. Entries must be accompanied by a valid email address. This address is used only to contact the commenter in the event that he/she is the winner, and will not be sold, distributed, or used in any other fashion. The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. NO PURCHASE, PLEDGE, OR DONATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Pinterest