Category: Guest Post

A Moose Springs Secret Santa by Sarah Morgenthaler | Author Guest Post

Posted December 17, 2020 by Jana in Bookish Little Christmas, Guest Post / 7 Comments

I’m so so SO excited to have one of my favorite authors, Sarah Morgenthaler, to the blog today to share what the people in Moose Springs gifted each other for Christmas this year! I have read and loved all three of the Moose Springs novels this year, and they have been the perfect escape. I would LOVE it if this trilogy became a series (you hear that, Sourcebooks?? I don’t want to leave Moose Springs yet!).

Thank you for inviting me to guest post today for A Bookish Little Christmas! My name is Sarah Morgenthaler, and I’m the author of the Moose Springs, Alaska series. Moose Springs is a tiny, picturesque mountain town in Alaska, where the moose and the tourists run amuck while the quirky locals just try to get through the holidays. In true Secret Santa style, I pulled random names for each of the main characters. The rest was entirely up to them. :)

My Alaskan Christmas romcom MISTLETOE AND MR. RIGHT is available now. I hope you check it out!

A MOOSE SPRINGS SECRET SANTA

Graham Barnett

They’ve been best friends their whole lives, so when Graham draws Easton as his Secret Santa, he’s tempted to tease the quiet mountain man with a joke gift. Instead Graham works every night for a month on an intricate chainsaw carving of Easton’s favorite place on the mountain. He wordlessly leaves it on Easton’s truck bed with a six pack of beer. They never talk about it, but the carving is the most prized possession Easton will ever own.

Zoey Caldwell

Rick’s been a little down because his cat Roger has been particularly disdainful of him this holiday. Zoey gives him a self-help book called “My Cat and Me, A Journey to Becoming Your Cat’s Best Friend” for Christmas, even though Zoey thinks Rick’s great just how he is.

Lana Montgomery

Lana has a habit of worrying too much about picking a good Christmas gift for her best friend. Zoey knows this, and while she’s happy with just a hug, it means more than she can say when Lana brings Zoey’s grandmother to visit her for a surprise Christmas present. Time with family and friends is the best gift.

Rick Harding

True to form, nothing goes right in Rick’s quest for the perfect Christmas gift for Lana. He decides to swallow his pride and puts on the too-tight Santa suit. After a few glasses of eggnog, he doesn’t even mind how often she pinches his rear end or how hard his nephew is laughing at him.

Jake Barnett the Border Collie

Somehow Jake always ends up pulling Graham for his Secret Santa, but he’s a good dog and he orders (with a little help) a mug covered with pictures of himself. After all, Graham will only drink his coffee from a “Happy Jake Mug” and they both know better than to steal Zoey’s favorite coffee cup.

Easton Lockett

Having drawn Ulysses the moose, Easton feels like this year they might be taking the Secret Santa thing a little too far. Still, he dutifully buys the moose a bun at Frankie’s and hikes halfway up a mountain in the snow because it’s less work than listening to Graham complain about Ulysses getting forgotten this Christmas.

Ulysses the Moose

No one knows how Ulysses draws Ash when he wasn’t even a part of the official Pre-Secret Santa Planning Committee, but his taste is impeccable. She’s not really sure what to do with the three gift-wrapped pine cones she finds on the porch but the plushy moose sitting with them is pretty cute.

Ash Lockett

Everyone wants to get Jake for their Secret Santa, but there can only be one winner. Ash might have cheated a little, but he’s completely worth it. She’s not sure what’s better: buying Jake untailored clothes that’ll drive Graham nuts or spending Christmas with the blind border collie in her lap, both of them munching on holiday treats and happy to be with the people they love the most.

Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler
Series: Moose Springs, Alaska #2
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on October 6, 2020
Add to Goodreads • Amazon • IndieBound

How the moose (almost) stole Christmas.

Lana Montgomery is everything the quirky small town of Moose Springs, Alaska can’t stand: a rich socialite with dreams of changing things for the better. But Lana’s determined to prove that she belongs…even if it means trading her stilettos for snow boots and tracking one of the town’s hairiest Christmas mysteries: the Santa Moose, an antlered Grinch hell-bent on destroying every bit of holiday cheer (and tinsel) it can sink its teeth into.

And really…how hard could it be?

The last few years have been tough on Rick Harding, and it’s not getting any easier now that his dream girl’s back in town. When Lana accidentally tranquilizes him instead of the Santa Moose, it’s clear she needs help, fast…and this could be his chance to finally catch her eye. It’s an all-out Christmas war, but if they can nab that darn moose before it destroys the town, Rick and Lana might finally find a place where they both belong…together.

About Sarah Morgenthaler

Geologist and lifelong science nerd, Sarah Morgenthaler is a passionate supporter of chocolate chip cookies, geeking out over rocks, and playing with her rescue pit bull, Sammy. When not writing romantic comedy and contemporary romance set in far-off places, Sarah can be found traveling with her husband, hiking national parks, and enjoying her own happily ever after. She is the Indie Romance Bestselling author of THE TOURIST ATTRACTION.

Find out more at: www.sarahmorgenthaler.com

Header photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

2021 Resolutions for Readers by Melinda Curtis | Author Guest Post (+Giveaway)

Posted December 13, 2020 by Jana in Bookish Little Christmas, Giveaway, Guest Post / 3 Comments

I’m happy to welcome Melinda Curtis, author of A Very Merry Match, to the blog today to share her 2021 resolutions for readers! Who can relate to these??

2021 Resolutions for Readers by Melinda Curtis

I will do other things than read on weekends. Like watch movies and TV shows made from books, such as:

  • Bridgerton (Netflix) based on the Julia Quinn Bridgerton series
  • Virgin River (Netflix) based on the Robyn Carr Virgin River series
  • Love in Harmony Valley (Up TV) based on the book Dandelion Wishes

I will show up extra early for appointments in January. And finish reading all the holiday books I didn’t get to or may have missed, like…

  • Season of Joy by Annie Rains
  • A Very Merry Match by Melinda Curtis
  • A Christmas to Remember by Jenny Hale

I will trim off excess books weighing down my bookshelf. Of course, I’ll do a book exchange with a friend, sharing books I enjoyed and putting books she enjoyed on my TBR. (TBR piles don’t weigh down bookshelves if they aren’t mine.)

Suggested trades:

  • Can’t Hurry Love by Melinda Curtis for Starting Over at Blueberry Creek by Annie Rains
  • Second Chance on Cypress Lane by Reese Ryan for A Very Merry Match by Melinda Curtis
  • The Happily Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez for Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

I will be adventurous and expand on the types of books I love to read. One of the things I enjoy about small town romance is the sense of community, which you can also get in other romances, such as medical romances, sports romances, or a “community” of sisters/girl friends.

  • The Single Dad’s Holiday Wish by Susan Carlisle (medical)
  • Just a Boyfriend by Sariah Wilson (football)
  • The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon (girl friends)

A Very Merry Match by Melinda Curtis
Series: Sunshine Valley #2
Published by Forever on September 29, 2020
Add to Goodreads | Amazon

This holiday season, kindergarten teacher Mary Margaret Sneed never imagined she’d be unwrapping…herself. But a burlesque side gig is the young widow’s only hope of paying off her late husband’s substantial debt. With her reputation and career on the line, she performs in disguise, under the stage name Foxy Roxy. But her secret identity is threatened when Roxy’s biggest fan turns out to be Mary Margaret’s biggest crush — the handsome-as-sin mayor of Preston!

Newly divorced single dad Kevin Hadley is prepping to make the jump from mayor to state assemblyman. He knows he should be settling down with someone quiet and practical, someone like Mary Margaret Sneed. The last thing Kevin needs right now is a steamy scandal. But he just can’t stop thinking about Foxy Roxy…and if Preston’s matchmaking Widows Club has their way this Christmas, Kevin won’t have to…

About Melinda Curtis

Prior to writing romance, award-winning, USA Today Bestseller Melinda Curtis was a junior manager for a Fortune 500 company, which meant when she flew on the private jet she was relegated to the jump seat—otherwise known as the potty. After grabbing her pen (and a parachute) she made the jump to full-time writer. Between writing sweet romance and sweet romantic comedy, Melinda finds time to bond with her husband over home remodeling projects. She recently came to grips with the fact that she’s an empty nester and a grandma, concepts easier to grasp than jet-setting on a potty.

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How to Make a Tomato Cage Christmas Tree by Annie Rains | Author Guest Post (+Giveaway)

Posted December 12, 2020 by Jana in Bookish Little Christmas, Giveaway, Guest Post / 5 Comments

I’m so excited to have Annie Rains, author of the Sweetwater Springs novels, on the blog today to share with us how to make Christmas trees out of tomato cages!

‘Tis the season for Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes, colors and décor! In my new novel SEASON OF JOY, the hero Granger Fields is a down-on-his-luck Christmas tree farmer. Half his farm burned down in the spring and now he’s struggling to make ends meet while raising his two little girls. Enter my heroine Joy Benson, who agrees to help Granger care for his girls during the farm’s busiest season. She also comes up with an idea for a Christmas Tree Workshop to allow the folks of Sweetwater Springs to make their own special tree this year.

The tomato cage Christmas tree is so easy to make and the results are beautiful! Here’s how to make your own tree without having to head to Merry Mountain Farms in Sweetwater Springs to do so (although if you want to take a trip, you can find SEASON OF JOY on a shelf near you).

How to Make a Tomato Cage Christmas Tree:

Needed:

– Wire tomato cage

– Garland

– Decorations, accessories, lights

– Hot glue gun/glue sticks

– Wire or zip tie

– Optional: festive holiday music to get you in the Christmas mood.

Step one: Find a tomato cage. They’re easy to locate in the spring when gardeners are growing tomatoes. You can locate them on Amazon year-round as well. Tomato cages are just the wire contraptions that are placed around a growing plant.

Step two: Flip the tomato cage over and gather the loose wires at the top with a zip tie or another piece of pliable wire. This should give you the Christmas tree’s conical shape.

Step three: Use a hot glue gun to apply glue to the garland and adhere to the wire every few inches as you wrap, starting at the top and working your way toward the bottom.

Step four: Now for the fun part! Get creative and add ornaments, poinsettias, holly branches, strings of beads, velvet bows, or whatever festive items you have lying around in your boxes of decorations. Don’t forget the lights!

Voila! Now you have a tree that you can pull out every year to add to the merriment of your home. These make great gifts as well!

Wishing you all a merry holiday full of family, friends, & good books!

Annie Rains

Season of Joy by Annie Rains
Series: Sweetwater Springs #6
Published by Forever on October 13, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance — Christmas
Add to Goodreads | Amazon

Tis the season for love

For single father Granger Fields, Christmas is his busiest and most profitable time of the year. But when a fire devastates the Merry Mountain Tree Farm, he fears the season won’t be holly or jolly unless he can convince free spirit Joy Benson to care for his two rambunctious daughters. Yet while Granger wants to focus on saving his business, Joy seems determined to shake up his family’s Christmas with her festive ideas and merry making.

Joy is counting down the days until she can open her own art gallery. Babysitting Abby and Willow will help her reach her goal, and when inspiration strikes, Joy convinces Granger that her craft classes can bring even more holiday cheer to the farm. As crowds return and Joy’s creative side flourishes, life with Granger and his girls begins to feel like home. But with Christmas coming nearer, can Joy convince Granger to open his heart again? Or will their newfound happiness be as fleeting as the newly fallen snow?

About Annie Rains

Annie Rains is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America’s largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her husband and 3 children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.

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Header Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash

Traditions & Christmas Trees by Estelle Hallick | Publicist Guest Post

Posted December 10, 2020 by Jana in Bookish Little Christmas, Guest Post / 3 Comments

I’m excited to have my friend, Estelle (of Forever), here on the blog today to talk about some of her Christmas traditions and her love of Christmas trees! The tree is my favorite part of Christmas, for sure, so this post makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Christmas trees have always been my thing — specifically real Christmas trees.

When I was a kid, I would go with my dad to pick up a tree near where we went to church. I designed a hat that looked like a tree for a hat contest in grade school. Every Black Friday, my family and I would take the train into New York City and stare at the still unlit tree at Rockefeller Center. When I got married, I was happy that my husband shared my affinity for real trees so while there were a lot of compromises to be made when it came to holidays, the tree was never one of them. My parents brought me up to be a person who really believed in the importance of tradition – the trip to NYC once a year after Thanksgiving, when we hosted holidays and went to other people’s homes, our annual summer vacations to the same beach and then later, Disney World. All of these moments – big and small – were cornerstones of my childhood and also shaped so many of the ways I do things as an adult. But I’ve realized that while we don’t adhere to some of our traditions anymore, it’s not because my parents decided to do something different – it’s because our places or circumstances have changed. I truly think if my parents had it their way they would keep things the same forever. I don’t blame them; change is hard for me too.

This leads me back to the Christmas tree. After seven years of living in apartments where we couldn’t control our heat, my husband and I were a little tired of our tree dying before the 25th of the month. IT WAS SO DEPRESSING, especially for two people who like to keep up their tree until February. (It’s true.) This holiday season, the most surprising question popped into my head and wouldn’t let go: “Should we maybe sorta consider buying a fake tree?”

Needless to say, coal did not drop from the ceiling when I voiced this thought. My husband was on board. Everyone on InstaStory was thrilled to tell me why they loved their fake tree when I still had my doubts. Suddenly I found myself purchasing a tall, fake Douglas Fir for the same price of a rather tiny, who-knows-what-kind-of-tree-it-was in our neighborhood.

The tree arrived. We spaced out his branches. (Harder than it looks.) We hung up all of our ornaments. This tree might not have a name yet (we’ve named each of our real trees but it’s harder when the name is permanent) and he might not have that fresh scent, but our scaredy-cat cat who hates strong scents snoozes under it every day. There are no pine needles to clean up, and on Christmas Day, it looked exactly the same as it did on its very first day in this apartment. When I saw my parent’s tree this week, decked out for Santa’s arrival, I did feel a little ping of sadness. But then I remembered that I get to see the Rockefeller Center tree every day on my way to work and then go home to my cozy apartment where I’m in control of how long the holiday continues. (Even if I can’t control the heat in my apartment.)

Estelle is the publicity and marketing manager at Forever, a Muppet enthusiast, and best friend to Santa. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter @thatsostelle.

Header Photo by Aurelio Arantes on Unsplash

Christmas Cards by Andrea S. | Blogger Guest Post (+ Giveaway)

Posted December 6, 2020 by Jana in Bookish Little Christmas, Giveaway, Guest Post / 8 Comments

I’m so happy to have one of my dear friends, Andi, on the blog today to share some of her beautiful holiday card creations! Enter to win what she’s made at the end of the post!

I’m really excited to take part in Jana’s Bookish Little Christmas. For those of you that don’t know me I’m Andi from the book blog Andi’s ABCs. But besides book blogging I also make handmade cards and some other paper crafts. I sell them in my Etsy shop, Cards by Andrea S.. When I signed up for Jana’s Bookish Little Christmas I knew I was going to craft a few items starting with some gift card holders, my new favorite thing to make. I went to my supplies and pulled some stuff out.

I grabbed my new Glitter Paper from The Stamp Market and decided to work with that and with the Bag and Tag die set. The great thing about the Bag and Tag die set if you can make one bag that is the perfect size for gift card and another bag that can be whatever size you want. Once the base was decided I grabbed my favorite Altenew ink in Crimson and the candy cane stamp from the No Peeking stamp and die set.

Taking the glitter paper I die cut the bags and used double sided tape to hold seal the sides securely. When the bags were complete I set them aside and grabbed my Misti Stamping tool and stamped two candy canes. Using my mini die cutting machine and matching die I cut the candy canes into tags.

With the bags and candy canes done I searched my stash and found some red snowflakes I had previously cut. Grabbing two clothes pins, one with an embellishment, I simply attached the the two tags to the bags. Once again looking in my stash of previously made items I found two tags to include in the larger bag.

Then it was time to move to the cards:

I decided to keep the cards pretty simple by within the same theme. Using the Altenew ink I grabbed a small candy cane stamp set. I stamped the message in the corner and used one of the candy canes and created a pattern surrounding the sentiment. Creating a random pattern is the easiest way to make a simple card and I was able to quickly do this. And that is all there is to it.

And there you have it, two gift card holders, two tags, and two holiday cards. And what is the best parr about that? Well they are all up for grabs for you to win. One winner (US only) will receive all of the items I made and a code to save in my Etsy shop should you want to order something in the future.

Thank you so much Jana for having me! It was a lot of fun. I hope everyone has a Happy Bookish Little Christmas!

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