Christmas in July - New Book Launches, Giveaways, Prizes, and Discounts!

I’m not sure who kicked off the tradition of celebrating Christmas in July—was it the Hallmark Channel, rolling out heartwarming holiday movies to break up the summer scorch? Or was it authors like me, bringing out our festive book promotions to sprinkle a little snow on the season? Either way, I’m all in. Even if I’m sipping iced tea instead of hot cocoa and swapping fuzzy socks for flip-flops, there’s something irresistibly cozy about diving into stories filled with twinkling lights, sweet romance, and the magic of Christmas—no matter the month.

Drum roll, please!  This month I’m celebrating two new Christmas themed book launches. The first is a sweet romance entitled, Falling In Love Despite Christmas Miscalculations. Here are some details… Natalie Baynton Is a working class American trying to climb up the ladder of success as a fashion buyer.

Alexander Davies-White is a British aristocrat and soon to be CFO of the high fashion resort town store where she's employed. Only Natalie doesn't know that. She thinks he's just a personal shopper. When they meet, there’s an instant attraction. But Alexander chooses to keep his identity a secret.

If you love sweet romance with secret identities, workplace sparks, and a heart-melting friends-to-lovers twist—let this enchanting love story sweep you away.

For this book release, I've teamed up with a group of other Christian writers for special prices and discounts. Here is the link for that one: https://books.bookfunnel.com/celebratechristmasinjulywiththesechristiancleansweetreads/i3ig65bgba

My second book launch is for a children's picture book. It's called The Innkeeper Son: Witness to a Miracle. Is told through the eyes of a young boy who thinks nothing ever happens in Bethlehem. But on that one special night, his life will be changed and will affect him for the rest of his life.

For this book release, I've teamed up with a group of other Christian writers to offer prizes and several free e-Books. Here is the link for that one: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54201/

Hope you will take a look at my books as well as several others. I'm sure you'll find some that will delight and inspire you.

Follow this blog, and you'll get updates on the other special promotions that will be coming up later this month.

A Pun-ful Take on Autumn

According to the calendar, tomorrow is the first day of autumn. That's hard for me to comprehend living in Florida where our weekend temperatures are expected to be 90 to 91 degrees. However,  I know other parts of the country are beginning to experience the change of colors which represent autumn. As I haven't lived in a climate with four seasons since I left college, I can only picture it in my mind or perhaps write about it.

So here's my pun-ful flash fiction about an autumn conversation using words associated with the season… A slight breeze ruffled the straw hat of Steven scarecrow. He turned to his friend Peter pumpkin and sighed. “The twilight sky mirrors my fall’n feeling. My cornucopia of love for Sally Scarecrow doesn't seem enough for her. The nutmeg and ginger colors of Harvest Moon have stolen her heart.”

“Corn-cider not the brilliant rays of the harvest, her fall is only a temporary attraction. There is no bonfire of love for him. You can stake your life that she'll never leaf you.”

I would love to hear some of your puns using words relating to autumn. Add them to the comment section below.

Before I go, let me share a bit about my autumn-themed novel, The Sweetest Delights in Life. It’s set in a charming fictional town inspired by Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country. The story follows the budding romance between a talented baker and an exacting food critic. As they navigate misunderstandings, the chaos of a TV cooking competition, and the threat of an autumn storm, their second chance at love hangs in the balance. I hope you'll check it out and explore my collection of books for kids as well! Here’s the link:  https://www.amazon.com/Sweetest-De lights-Life-Christine-Henderson/dp/B0BJ82S87G

And here's a couple more sweet autumn themed eBooks that are free for a short time.
https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Yesterday-Harkness-Romance-Standish-ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Turkeys-Thanksgiving-Pelican-Short-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08NDSZWNL

Writing and Publishing Take work: Author Interview with Jessica Parker

You have now published 20 books, but what inspired you to write that first book?
Each book has their own spark of inspiration, but my first one.... that one was born as I sat on my couch. The TV had a commercial for The Bachelor playing, while I read The Hunger Games, and I wondered. What would happen if the women had to fight for a chance to marry a prince? I had to add magic because magic is awesome. I love and hate that book now. I love the idea behind it, but I hate that I was so inexperienced when I wrote it. The story is still so much grander in my head, and it didn't come out on paper the way I wanted it to.

Confession it doesn't feel like twenty books because I got the marketing wrong on a few of them. So I had to unpublish and redo the covers, titles, etc. to fit better, but they still show up online under the old covers and titles. I also explored shorter and longer stories before deciding which direction I wanted to take.

You currently have a 3 book series that is a hockey romance. What drew you to writing a series around hockey. Will there be more books in that series?
I love romance, give me a good happily ever after and I'll be happy. When I went to my first hockey game I knew as I sat in my hard plastic stadium seat that I needed at least one book with a hockey player. Then as I wrote that story, I fell in love with the other characters too. Those characters needed their stories told as well. There are still characters I want to write about in Glacier Bay. I will absolutely write more books in the Hockey Book Club series.

You also have written several reimagined fairy tales for adults. Why did you pick the stories you did?
Fairytales were my favorites as a kid. Starting with the picture books, I'd look over the pictures and then as I got older read those books over and over again. I love the fight between good and evil, the magic, the variety of people and places and things. The lessons learned and how everything comes together.

Snow White & Rose Red is not as well known but it's my favorite which is why I chose it as one of the stories I wanted to retell in my book, Rose Red. I took some liberties to make the characters older than in the original fairytale, and of course more romance. A judgemental village, magical curses, mystery, unrequited love, and a happily ever after in jeopardy.

My Sea Princesses of Eventyr fairytales were not something I planned on writing. The ocean was scary to me for a long time thanks to movies like Jaws. It took a long time getting over that. Part of that journey was learning to scuba dive and I fell in love with the water. So much so, I became a scuba instructor to better understand it. Diving in the ocean feels like being on another planet sometimes, and it keeps giving me ideas for mermaids. The Little Mermaid and her sisters needed their stories told.

Snow White's Witch is a story where I wanted to explore how villains are the "Hero of their own story". It's a quote I heard a lot at a writer's conference and what better way to challenge that than with a classic villain? So I asked myself, what if Snow White lied?

You’re an indie author, which means you’re in charge of everything from writing to publishing and marketing. Other than writing, what other parts of the process do you personally do or hire others to do?
Hire: editor and cover designer.

Me: Social media, newsletters, writing, answering emails, arranging book signings, figuring out this business thing. That's just me and I do sometimes have to pause the marketing side while I write, etc. so I can make sure I spend time with my family and get my day job stuff taken care of. As my business grows I would like to hire out some of the other things, but I'm not to that point yet.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
Every author has their own process. Figure out what works for you and your readers, and take it one page at a time.

Marketing is the biggest key to making sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produced more sales rather than just clicks?
I'm still figuring out marketing. I've been experimenting with posting to various social media sites and some are better than others. I like analyzing data and it's been interesting to see how some of my books do better on TikTok vs Facebook. I decided a couple of years ago that I would put more effort into getting more books out so I'd have a bigger backlist to make marketing more cost-effective. Then along the way I also decided that I'd just do one thing better than before. One more post a week, then a day, etc.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
There's no magic answer. Writing and publishing takes work just like any other job. However, I find this work more rewarding.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Keep going, and back up your files.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
There will be a million reasons not to write, not to publish. Write because you love it. Each author I've met has had their own journey and process. There is no "one way" to do it, just your way.

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
My next book is a short story, The Mistletoe Goal and it comes out November 24th.

This is a hockey romance between Dan and Alexis. They're best friends, and Dan is stuck in the friend zone even though he'd like to be much more. He convinces Alexis to spend the hockey team's Christmas Break with him in a small town. He has one goal in mind, catch her under the mistletoe, and prove they should be more than friends.

That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Jessica's books, here are some links to get you started.
https://jessicaparkerstories.com/
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jessica-Parker/author/B01DQZYR4K

And here's a bonus for my readers, leave a comment on this post and we'll pick one reader who'll receive a copy of one of  Jessica's eBooks. So do that now. It can be as simple as I want to be in the giveaway. We'll chose a winner next Friday!

Writing From the Headlines: Q&A with Carmen Amato, Suspense Thriller Author

Carmen AmatoYou’ve now published two book series and a few stand alone books, but what inspired you to write that first one?
My first book was the political thriller THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY. After living there for several years, I wanted to expose Mexico’s social disparity and gender inequality. It’s baked into the culture in so many ways and was often a topic of conversation with expatriate friends who hailed not only from the US but from all over the world. We saw Mexico’s social ladder for what it is: virtually impossible to climb.

THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY is both a Cinderella story and an exposé of how drug money reaches the upper levels of government. It was longlisted for the 2020 Millennium Book Award. After 17 books, it’s still my favorite.

Your Emilia Cruz series features a strong leading female detective. How did you research the workings of a police force to make it believable?
I was a US intelligence officer for 30 years, focusing on counterdrug issues for a large portion of my career, so I knew how Mexican police services operate before beginning the series. There are significant differences between US and Mexican law enforcement and judicial systems. Even more startling is the amount of corruption of civil authority in Mexico, which affects how a crime gets investigated. There’s just so much drug money swimming through the system.

How do you go about plotting your books? 
I often start with a real crime that makes it into the news, such as the 2014 mass disappearance of 43 students from the city of Iguala, not far from Acapulco, which became the basis for the 6^th Detective Emilia Cruz novel, 43 MISSING. I keep a file of printouts and old newspaper stories, such as a story in The Miami Herald about a random shooting of a taxi driver in Honduras that led to the latest book in the series, NARCO NOIR.

What do you think makes for a perfect murder/suspense story?
As for a perfect murder mystery, I think it has to contain multiple elements: more than one suspect, a few red herrings, and a protagonist who is a complex, layered individual with a fatal flaw or two.
 
What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
Early in my writing career I had the good fortune to be part of the Mexico Writers group on Facebook. Members were all writers either living in Mexico or writing about Mexico.
This was a wonderfully supportive group for many years. I hope that every writer finds a similar community.

What is the best marketing source you've used that has produced more sales rather than just clicks?
Without a doubt, a consistent newsletter has been my #1 most effective marketing effort. Now in its 7^th year, every other Sunday the Mystery Ahead newsletter delivers my top secrets/latest news, an excerpt of what I’m writing now, and a book review of a mystery to read while waiting for my next book. The 3-part format is the secret. Readers always know what to expect.
Most readers subscribe through a link in the back of my Kindle ebooks.

This year I’m also distributing Mystery Ahead via Substack, which reaches a fresh audience. Find it on that platform today: https://mysteryahead.substack.com/
 
What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
The book in my head won’t be on the page until the 3^rd or 4^th draft. Sigh. I’m not the speediest writer.
 
What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Fall in love with the writing process. Write because the story needs to get out.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
Find a role model whose stories you admire, study what makes it resonate, then try to write something of equal or greater quality. Be ruthless in your quest to give readers the best product you can.
 
What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
VIVA ACAPULCO, the next Detective Emilia Cruz mystery is slated for a summer 2024 release. As city elections near, two violent murders in Acapulco lead Emilia to Washington DC where she is stalked by killers determined to make sure she never makes it home alive.

This is the first book that takes Emilia out of Mexico. She’s got no money, no identification, no friends and is on the run in unfamiliar territory. She has survival skills, but will they be enough?
 
That's all for today's interview. Hope you enjoyed learning about Carmen's books, I know I did!

Here's a special bonus she's offering to get you started on loving her books
You are invited to grab a free copy of the Detective Emilia Cruz Starter Library. Two novellas and an exclusive Who’s Who Guide to the series. https://carmenamato.net/starter-library
P.S. Find my Top Secret(s) here: https://carmenamato.net/links
Website: https://carmenamato.net
Instagram: https://instagram.com/authorcarmenamato @authorcarmenamato
 Here's another bonus for my readers... Leave a short comment on this post and you'll be entered to win a free eBook of THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY!

It's Beginning to Read Like Christmas 2023: Wishing You a Merry Christmas

It's been a busy Christmas blog posting for me this year. I started my first post about Christmas books back at the end of October. Since then I've done two postings a week introducing you to various authors and providing many opportunities to easily get free books in the process.

I've also been active with the Facebook group, Clean Christmas Romance Readers. I participated in their 25 Days of Christmas online party where games were played, favorite traditions about Christmas shared, and eBooks were given away. I also was a part of their Christmas in July promotion.

And of course my biggest writing project of the year was working with 11 other romance authors to create a box set of Christmas themed novellas. I’ve enjoyed getting to know them through online chats and getting additional tips on writing as

well. I'll be working with a few of them again with a new Christmas box set for 2024. I just started the book for that one but only have 3000 words of a rough draft so far. My early stages of writing usually have me playing in my head with several different plot lines. I know how I want my book to finish, but I've got to decide which of those plot line routes I'll be taking.

I also have another Christmas book in the final edit. It’s a time travel Christmas romance. I'm not sure if I want to do that as a standalone book or try to place that in another box set with other authors. I had a lot of fun doing the research for that book which starts in the present day and goes back to 1955. That book tells the tale of a young woman who's too much of a workaholic.

She’s transported back to 1955 by Santa and gets to spend time with her beloved grandfather who died when she was young and learns through her time in that era of the importance of valuing friends and family.

During this year, I’ve published a number of books. I hope you'll check them out on Amazon. I've written fun books for kids, sweet romances, devotionals for families, and even a cookbook.  Here's the link so you can find them all and see what's coming next as well. 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Christine-L.-Henderson/author/B09L2Y7XNP

I'm personally not participating in any eBook giveaways at this time, but I’m still going to point to some others as a special Christmas gift. Here's an assortment of free eBook reads from romance, to mystery, to thrillers. Some are Christmas themed and some are not.   https://books.bookfunnel.com/christmas_stories_for_leads

         Merry Christmas and all the best for the coming New Year!