Book Blast: Winter's Embrace

 

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A print copy of 'Winter's Embrace,' autographed by author Jennifer Patricia O'Keeffe. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Embrace the joy of Christmas and some yuletide cheer in this collection of five sweet holiday romances from four of today’s most entertaining authors! Featuring brand new stories from Pamela Ackerson, Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe, Cindy Lewis Smith, and Jae El Foster, this anthology will help you hold the spirit of Christmas and the magic of true love in your heart the whole year round. Meant to Be by Pamela Ackerson: Single and starting over in tiny Lorman, Mississippi, teacher Faith Anjos dives into home renovations with tools in hand and a boat from herlate dad's fishing Sundays. Realtor Gabriel White becomes her unexpected ally, sharing lunches, family barbecues, and stolen kisses under patriotic park lights. But when a sassy ex-roommate stirs trouble and life's curveballs hit hard, Faith learns that true love thrives not just in perfect houses, but in the messy magic of Christmas cheer and forever promises. Window Shopping by Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe: Single and sentimental, Whitney dives into downtown's dazzling displays—animatronic toys, frosted windows, violin carols—chasing Christmas cheer alone after helping coworker Chad remotely. Fate intervenes with a literal bump into charming Chad, leading to diner laughs, Santa's lap shenanigans, and hand-holding revelations. As they embrace kid-at-heart traditions amid bustling streets and Santa's sly matchmaking, a parade invite blossoms into dinner-and-movie dreams. Proving the season's sparkle uncovers love when least expected. Mr. Hollister’s Christmas by Cindy Lewis Smith: Thirty-three and resigned to spinsterhood in Goldfield, Josie channels her Georgia Christmas memories into a perfect Eve nuptial for Rose and Hank, footed by taciturn rancher Clint Hollister. Their prickly partnership blooms amid pine boughs, fiddle waltzes, and whispered regrets from a saloon-fueled mail-order mishap. When a wheel-wrecked ride home unveils Clint's hidden role in her arrival—and his lingering loneliness—snowy revelations ignite a romance as timeless as the stars above the Llano River. What the Snow Blew In by Jae El Foster: Snowbound in Deerborne, Connecticut, during a record-breaking blizzard, editor Carina Whitaker hunkers down with wine, her cat Tom Boy, and cherished Christmas ornaments—until a shivering mailman named Jerry delivers a package and seeks refuge from the storm. As power flickers out and drifts bury her home, candlelit evenings spark unlikely conversations, shared meals, and cozy traditions that warm more than the gas fireplace. Amid reading aloud by firelight and piano carols, holiday magic proves that what the snow blows in might just be the love she's been waiting for. The Magic of Mistletoe by Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe: Sarah's winter break turns into survival mode: dodging doll-throwing dollops, sweeping glass shards, and sacrificing her office sanctuary for peace between battling children. Amid cold coffee confessions and contract close-calls with hubby Thomas,reluctant photos—test their bond. Yet as grilled cheeses soothe tears and starry-eyed surprises arrive post-midnight, mistletoe weaves its spell, transforming holiday havoc into heartfelt harmony and impossible dreams come true.

Read an Excerpt from Meant to Be by Pamela Ackerson

Faith Anjos pulled into the driveway of the house she recently purchased. She groaned when the tires hit a deep hole. Her truck responded in kind, letting her know it objected to the rut she’d drove it through. The boat she was pulling didn’t exactly like the driveway either. She white knuckled the steering wheel as the hole rocked both vehicles.

Faith gritted her teeth. Just what she needed. Give the new neighbors a show of incompetence as her boat tipped over.

Bloop. Bye, bye boat.

Nope, not going to happen today.

Pulling back out, she turned the vehicle around and backed the boat onto the grass on the side of the house.

She stood on the walkway, leading to the front door staring at the wood-framed structure. Her dark hair pulled in a ponytail, swayed in the welcoming wind.

This was hers.

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Release Blitz: A Doggone Driftwood Disappearance

 

Title: A Doggone Driftwood Disappearance Author: Heidi McLaughlin Genre: Cozy mystery, Coastal, Small town Release Date: December 16, 2025 Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

When driftwood artist Marnie Lane’s one-of-a-kind Christmas star vanishes just days before the Seacliff Haven Christmas Market, the last thing she expects is a cryptic note warning her to “forget the past.” With the help of her lovable giant schnauzer, Finn—who has a nose for more than just seashells—Marnie stumbles onto a trail of buried secrets, seaside clues, and a mystery tied to her late father’s legacy.

As the festive coastal town prepares for its biggest event of the year, Marnie teams up with her former rival, the brooding yet talented Sid. Together, they must untangle a treasure map, outwit a secretive saboteur, and discover the truth hiding beneath the sand and snow.

With hot cocoa, holiday cheer, and a touch of seaside romance, Doggone Driftwood Disappearance is a heartwarming, murder-free mystery perfect for fans of clever pets, crafty sleuths, and Christmas by the sea.

AMAZON

Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.

Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs.

In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl.

Heidi's first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018, and is now available on DVD & Digital.

To stay connected with Heidi visit www.facebook.com/authorheidimclaughlin or heidimclaughlin.com

 

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Book Blast: The Art of Human Connection

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Adir Biniamini will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In an age of extreme technology and growing separation, we've lost our way. We've traded authentic human connection for a world of aggressive tactics, self-serving behaviors, and fleeting transactions that leave us feeling isolated and unfulfilled.

The Art of Human Connection offers a powerful and ethical alternative, a return to our shared humanity.

This educational book is your essential guide to mastering the simple yet profound skills that form the bedrock of true success. Through a series of practical insights and transformative principles, you will learn how to:

Cultivate Self-Awareness: Understand your own emotional landscape and its impact on every interaction.

- Build Authentic Relationships: Master the art of empathy and genuine communication to forge instant rapport and build lasting trust.

- Navigate with Confidence: Learn to move through professional and personal challenges with less friction and more grace.

"The truest version of a person is never who they perform to be, it is who they become when they forget to perform!"

This is a powerful call to action, inviting you to reflect on your own experiences and visualize a clear path to improvement. By embracing this approach, you will discover a liberating truth: your greatest success and most profound connections begin the moment you stop performing and simply start being.

Read an Excerpt

The Ultimate Hack to Connecting: Forget the Script and Just Be Real

I remember a colleague sharing with me about the recent time walking into a boardroom once where the air felt heavy. Everyone sat stiff, guarded, waiting for the “pitch.” You could almost hear the silent checklist in their minds: Is this person credible? Are they trying too hard? Can I trust them? In that moment, he felt the old instinct to perform, to tighten my shoulders, polish my words, and deliver the perfect script. But then he remembered a truth from The Art of Human Connection:

“The truest version of a person is never who we perform as, it is who we become when we forget to perform.”

So, he dropped the act. He softened his posture, smiled, not the rehearsed kind, but the kind that comes from seeing the people in front of him. He asked a question and let thesilence linger. And something shifted. The room exhaled. People leaned in. The barrier dissolved.

That’s the real hack to connection: not perfection, but presence.

Drop the Act: Your Silent Superpowers

Before you speak, your body and voice are already telling your story.

• Body Language: Open posture, relaxed shoulders, and a genuine smile signal honesty and collaboration. When you’re real, others mirror it back.

• Voice: Let your tone carry warmth and variety. Use pauses like punctuation, moments that invite attention and reflection.

The Detective Mindset: Reading the Room

Connection isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you notice.

• The Pause: After asking a meaningful question, resist the urge to fill the silence. Watch what emerges in the stillness.

• The Cues: A drop in energy signals resistance. A nod and steady eye contact?

That’s your green light to go deeper.

You don’t need to be flawless. You just need to be real.

When you stop performing and start observing, when you trade polish for presence, you become magnetic, not because you’re perfect, but because you’re human, and in a world full of scripts, nothing is more refreshing than someone who simply shows up as themselves.

Ditch the Baggage: Forgive Past Flops

Everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes, a conversation just feels clumsy. But dwelling on past perceived failures leads to Self-Condemnation and overthinking, hindering your ability to connect now. The solution is simple but hard: don’t let past perceived failures sabotage your present interactions. Remember, failure happens only when we quit.

About the Author:

Adir Biniamini is a visionary coach and the author of The Art of Human Connection. His journey into coaching began after a long and successful entrepreneurial career where he learned firsthand that genuine connection is the cornerstone of success.

From working at a flea market as a teenager to launching multiple businesses, Adir quickly discovered the power of authentic communication. A pivotal piece of advice, "Be exactly who you are . . . real, friendly, inviting," became his guiding light. Thirty years and successful businesses later, this commitment to genuine human connection remains the cornerstone of his sucAdir's unique philosophy, forged from a lifetime of business and personal challenges, is built on the belief that a deep connection to ourselves is the key to creating meaningful relationships with others. Through his work, he helps clients master the essential skills of emotional intelligence and rapport, empowering them to navigate challenges and create lasting success in every facet of their lives.

Website: https://adirbiniamini.com/
Goodreads: https://www.g oodreads.com/author/show/60102851.Adir_Biniamini

cess.

The Liberating Truth

VBT: True Target

 

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Austin S. Camacho will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Skye Maddox is a contract assassin driven by both personal demons and professional discipline. Hired by grieving father Milo Williams to hunt down the chain of men responsible for his son’s death, Skye takes on a mission that escalates into a war with Washington, D.C.’s most dangerous underworld figures led by a man known only as Hetman. As she climbs Milo’s ladder of revenge, Skye uncovers a web of corruption that links drug dealers, judges, mobsters, and even international crime syndicates.

The story escalates through brutal shootouts, betrayals, and psychological games, as Skye pushes deeper into Hetman’s empire. becoming just another expendable weapon in someone else’s war.

Read an Excerpt

When Jayla stood, Skye raised a palm to stop her. “Yes. Yes, all right. I just finished an assignment, but it was part of a larger contract so I’m feeling like both the situations you mentioned. I’m on the job, and I just took a player off the board.”

Jayla jotted in her notebook. She always collected the euphemisms Skye used for her profession. “So, tell me about this latest assignment. How do you feel about this player you’ve taken off the board? Was it, in your mind, a just action?”

“You always want to go there,” Skye said, shaking her head. “What did I tell you? The first rule of the assassin’s doctrine. The target has got to deserve it.”

“Oh, yes,” Jayla said with a half-smile. “Your job, while criminal, does have rules

“I misspoke earlier,” Skye said, sliding a slim dagger out of her boot. “It’s not a job. It’s a profession. All professions have their rules. For doctors, rule number one is ‘do no harm’, right? For an assassin, it’s that the target has got to deserve it.” Skye began to absently flip the dagger in the air, catching it by its tip each time. “In this case, this bastard kidnapped my client’s son. I don’t know how they got him. My client kept his family totally under the radar. But once he got the ransom demand, the client agreed to pay, and the ransom money was in transit but not fast enough to suit the kidnappers. They killed the boy, I think just to make a point. Just to be snotty. The action took place overseas and no way the police would ever have gotten close to the killer.”

Jayla nodded. “I think I understand. So, you were hired to…”

“Correct the balance,” Skye said, standing.

About the Author:

Austin S. Camacho is the author of eight novels about Washington DC-based private eye Hannibal Jones, five in the Stark and O’Brien international adventure-thriller series, and the detective novel Beyond Blue. His short stories have been featured in several anthologies and he is featured in the Edgar nominated African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey. He is a past president of the Maryland Writers Association, past Vice President of the Virginia Writers Club, and one of the creators of the Creatures, Crimes & Creativity literary conference.

Guest Post

Topic: In the course of writing our books, there is always a fascinating piece of research 

that we stumble on and it may, or may not make it into our stories. Really good research 

should, of course, never be intrusive so here is your opportunity to let that little piece of 

trivia or major research point have its moment in the sun. 

For your post, it would be 

wonderful if you could share a “Fun Fact”. 

I suspect my research has me on some sort of FBI watch list. When I decided to create 

a series about a professional assassin I knew I’d want her to be creative in doing her 

work. That launched a lot of research into how to kill someone. 

I discovered, for example, that you can end a life with a simple shot of the barbiturate 

lorazepam. Of course, if the medical examiner who gets that body is any good at all he 

will notice the puncture wound, and a blood test will reveal the barbiturate. But if you 

want a death to appear to be of natural causes you would have to use a tiny .50-gauge 

needle to inject something like adenosine into the semilunar fold on the inside of the eye. 

But many of the most effective poisons are hard to come by unless you happen to be a doctor. It 

was specifically researching how to get deadly substances and where they come from that I 

stumbled upon a surprisingly common source of one of the deadliest of all substances.

Ricin is a toxic protein Just inhalation of this substance can cause a cough followed by nausea, 

diarrhea, and aches and pains all over the body. If the dose is big enough, say through an 

injection or swallowing the stuff, death will occur from damage to the heart and blood vessels. It 

is feared like nerve agents are feared. Naturally you can’t just pick up ricin at the drug store. But 

as I learned, the source is easy to obtain.

Ricin comes from the castor bean plant. It is in fact a pretty plant. In Africa it is a common 

ornamental house plant. They make castor oil out of the bean of this plant, so it has a commercial 

use. However, those beans also contain ricin. And the beans are not controlled substances in any 

way. In fact, like almost everything else, you can order the seeds of the castor plant on Amazon. 

Of course, a certain amount of work is required to get from those seeds to beans to a liquid 

distilled out of the beans. Following this research down the rabbit hole revealed that it could all 

be done fairly easily with no special equipment. 

I’m not sure how easy it is to own ricin is a “fun fact” but for this thriller writer, it was both 

interesting and useful in my books.

Website: https://ascamacho.com/
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Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ascamacho 135
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-camacho-1a5a622/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FV6 FYVZK
B & N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/true -target-austin-s-camacho/1148461145?ean=9798988533351/br>
ach success makes her a bigger target.

 

Release Tour: Every Other New Year's Eve

 

When two strangers meet in a bar that exists for only a few magical hours every two years, their lives become entwined across time. Every Other New Year’s Eve by Michelle Dayton is a poignant exploration of love, fate, and the moments that refuse to fade. Readers who enjoy Rebecca Serle and Ashley Poston will fall head over heels for this steamy, friends-to-lovers, magical realism romance.

Purchase at Your Favorite Retailers!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/49q4078 

iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/yn26ycav 

Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/5d2fde3r 

KOBO: https://tinyurl.com/6jrd7n53 

Google Play: https://tinyurl.com/57zv7unp 

Tule: https://tulepublishing.com/authors/michelle-dayton/ 

The point of magic is not to understand it. The point is not to waste it…

Paige Larsen is riding high on her future when she drops into a bar on New Year’s Eve 2019 for a celebratory drink. Will Weber, too, is excited about his life’s direction. Despite clashing personalities—and unexpected physical attraction—they quickly become friends while grooving to 1970s music in this unique joint.

But when Paige and Will each try to find the bar the following day, they realize the night was even more magical than they believed. It seems this bar appears for only a handful of hours every two years in an abandoned city lot on December 31. What’s more, Paige and Will are living in different timelines two years apart.

Over a span of eight years and a multitude of life changes, Paige and Will connect deeply in a fantasy situation that allows them to be their messy, imperfect, vulnerable selves.

Then suddenly, the enchantment—and the bar—disappear for good. Can love offer the magic they need to create a real-life happy ever after?

Every Other New Year’s Eve is a tender, heartwarming romance with a magical twist, perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle and Ashley Poston.

Excerpt 

Copyright 2025, Michelle Dayton

“I miss kissing,” she blurted. Under her hands, Will’s shoulders leaped an inch, like she was scaring him out of his skin. “Sorry.”

Will did not relax. Pressed against her on the dance floor, from chest to toes, she could feel how tense and tight he was. Experimentally, she squeezed his shoulders, willing him to loosen. His eyes fluttered shut, like the brief massage felt good. When he opened them again, his pupils had expanded, darkening his blue eyes almost to black.

Oh.

Her breath caught in her dry throat, and she licked her lips. Oh. Now she felt the drumbeat between them. A thready pulse of . . . oh wow, was it lust?

Their gazes caught, held.

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She fought a sudden urge to press her face into his neck and taste his skin with her tongue. Yeah, oh yeah—it was lust.

She wasn’t exactly shocked. She’d admitted at the NYE countdown two years ago that Will was a kissable guy. And that was when he’d looked so much younger, puppy-like. Now he was a more mature, carved version of himself. Too skinny by a long shot, but without any roundness or hair, she could really see him. His noble cheekbones, long nose, broad jaw. Topped with those blue eyes, always radiating sincerity and kindness. There was no way to ignore how arresting he was.

The breathless stare went on for another beat. They had lingered too long in the moment now to pretend it was anything other than what it was. Paige had forgotten how powerful these magnetic connections could be. How undeniable. They both knew what the thickness in the air between them meant.

Paige was positive that any second now, sweet Will would flee for the safety of the bar.

Instead, he cocked his jaw slightly and rasped, “I miss kissing too.”

She went numb in her knees.

He lowered his gaze and focused on her mouth. Paige rose on her toes. Her breathing had gone shallow, and there was a fluttering sensation in her chest. She couldn’t even hear the jukebox anymore.

Will lowered his face until it hovered just a breath above hers. “Can we?” he whispered.

“I want to,” she said hoarsely. “But I don’t know if it could mean anything.”

A ghost of a smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. “Right now I don’t know who I am or where my life is going tomorrow. And you’re in your own mess, I think. All this kiss would mean is that we want the comfort of each other. An escape.”

He grew bolder, sliding his hands from her hips to the small of her back. “I don’t know if anything counts in a mystical little pocket outside of time anyway.”

It felt so good to be closer, to feel his body—the strength of his hands, the broad, hard line of his shoulders. She slid one hand to the nape of his neck and dropped the other to the back of his belt and tugged. “You’re right.” She scraped his neck with her fingernails. “Kissing in this place would be like kissing in a dream.” No consequences.

Behind them, at the bar, Sam rang his bell and announced that it was almost midnight. The crowd began to shout the countdown. “Ten!”

Ah, perfect timing. As soon as she heard ‘One! Happy New Year!,’ she would plant one on him.

Will did not wait.

About Michelle Dayton 

There are only three things Michelle Dayton loves more than sexy and suspenseful novels: her family, the city of Chicago, and Mr. Darcy. Michelle dreams of a year of world travel – as long as the trip would include weeks and weeks of beach time. As a bourbon lover and unabashed wine snob, Michelle thinks heaven is discussing a good book over an adult beverage.

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