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Friday, August 1, 2014

So Long, July—and a Giveaway

By Kathleen Rice Adams

Where did July go? Like the other summer months, July is sneaky. Even inside a locked room with no windows, June, July, and August will find a way to slip through a tiny crack in the wall and disappear before anyone notices the devious glint in their eyes.

Along with July, Prairie Rose Publications’ Christmas in July heroes and heroines rode off into the sunset, secure in the knowledge they had found everlasting love. The Prairie Roses enjoyed what we trust will become an annual event. We hope readers did, too.

Before the characters and the month disappear over the horizon, though, we'd like to applaud two more authors and their books. Without its authors and their fertile imaginations, PRP would be no more than a dream. Thankfully, some dreams come true.

Phylis Miranda—living proof that not all Texans are as wild and woolly as the still-untamed land in parts of the Lone Star State—resides in the Texas Panhandle. She sets her stories there, bringing to life an area with some of the state’s rawest, most breathtaking scenery. A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Phyliss collaborated with Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday, and Dewanna Pace to produce six western historical romance anthologies published by Kensington. Those anthologies introduced me to Phyliss, Linda, and Dewanna, and I became a fan of their work.

That’s the magic of anthologies: Readers “meet” authors with whom they’re unfamiliar, and thus begins a love affair with tales that otherwise might have gone unnoticed.

Phyliss is one of the original Prairie Roses: Her heartfelt “A Christmas Miracle” appeared in PRP’s debut anthology Wishing for a Cowboy, which bowed in November 2013. A Christmas Miracle is now available as a standalone novella.

Mattie Jo Ashley has lost too many people she loves. First, her outlaw father then her mother. She is determined not to lose her baby sister to a mysterious disease.

Because she feels shamed by the problems her father forced upon the townspeople of Carroll Creek, Texas, and now suffers their disdain, Mattie Jo cannot turn to her community for help. She has no choice but to seek aid from the shy, but skilled local doctor.

Dr. Grant Spencer has every confidence in his abilities as a third generation doctor, but is sorely in need of self worth in other areas of his life.

When Mattie Jo unleashes havoc in the community and takes Grant to the brink of testing his courage and fortitude as both a doctor and a man, all discover the true Christmas spirit and the power of genuine love and acceptance.

Tanya Hanson is another of the original Prairie Roses. She and her husband always seem to be gallivanting off to some exotic location. She’s a native Californian, so she’s a little wacky around the edges…but if there’s one thing the Prairie Roses embrace with unrivaled gusto, it’s wackiness. We may seem staid and proper in public, but no one would believe the kinds of shenanigans that go on behind the scenes.

In addition to western historical romance, Tanya also writes inspirational romance. Her alter ego, Anya Novikov, writes young adult novels. “Covenant,” her first story for Prairie Rose Publications, appeared in Wishing for a Cowboy and now is available as a novella in its own right.

Alone, abandoned, struck with guilt and grief, mail-order bride Ella Green refuses to celebrate their first wedding anniversary by herself on the Nebraska homestead. Her fault Charlotte died. Her fault her husband couldn’t stick around. So it’s back to Pennsylvania. Until the snow hits.

But do the springerle cookie molds depicting her life–Carsten’s hand-carved courtship gifts to her across the miles–still have more story to tell? Or is it truly The End?

Widower Carsten Green took on a bride merely to tend his little daughter. Unbeknownst to Ella, he gave her his heart instantly. Yet he believed she’s got no reason to stay after the child’s death. So he’s left her first.

How can the Christmas blizzard separating them warm their hearts, brighten their future, and ignite love gone cold?


The women who formed PRP’s “foundation stock” are all charming, warmhearted, hardworking ladies, and those traits show in their fiction. No matter the characters or the challenges they face, every story ends with a sigh-worthy happily-ever-after ending.

Just like July.

Our most sincere thanks go to everyone who joined us on the first Christmas in July adventure. As a gesture of appreciation, we’ll give away two more e-books today: one copy of A Christmas Miracle and one copy of Covenant. Be sure to leave an email address with your comment!


13 comments:

  1. Kathleen,
    There is this love/hate relationship with July. The heat can sometimes be overwhelming, yet the joy of the sun and plant life is so inspiring, much like the Christmas in July event. It was awesome to meet the authors and read their stories. As I've said before, I am a reader who loves to see what people have imagined.

    I also want to compliment you on the cover rotation on this post...so cool. Here is to many more stories and can't wait for July 2015. Doris

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    1. Doris, we're so glad to have you among the Roses. You're always so upbeat and insightful. Here's to many, many more Julys! :-)

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  2. Well, it was a fun ride. Thanks to Cheryl for introducing me to PRP. I've made new friends, I've discovered a bunch of authors... and I will need to break my piggy bank once it's filled so I can buy tons and tons of books. Methinks I will need more bookcases...

    Thanks also to all of you for making me laugh so often with your crazy comments.

    Hibouperché is clapping her wings and winking at the other Owl out there.

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    1. Liette, we're all so glad to have met you. The next time any of us needs the proper French term, guess who we're going to round up? ;-)

      BTW: I checked on your shipment of books. Amazon said to give it about another seven days. Who expected it to take THAT LONG for something as innocuous as books to get across the border? **blink, blink** (I'm still wondering why Amazon doesn't have a warehouse in Canada... :-| )

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    2. I'm glad to be here and no problem re: helping with French. I'll be glad to help in any way I can.

      Oh great. I'm happy to learn that it hasn't been lost. Almost had a heart attack last Wednesday - there was a key left in our mailbox which opens two larger boxes. Sadly, it was something for my husband. :)

      He orders stuff all the time from Amazon and other online stores and so far he's never had any problem for deliveries. Sometimes, it's a matter of a few days before he receives his order and sometimes, it's longer but rarely more than two weeks.

      Thanks for checking.

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  3. Kathleen, I love the cover rotation, too!

    I've enjoyed our first Christmas in July so much! We have tried our best to introduce everyone to the authors behind the stories, and make sure that we've had plenty of giveaways to go around.

    If you DIDN'T win anything, don't be discouraged! We do a lot of giveaways here. And there's always something interesting going on. We hope everyone will continue to come to the blog and visit us on our FB pages, and our soon-to-be unveiled website(s) that will be coming along any day now!

    Thanks for participating this week and making our Christmas in July event a huge success!

    Cheryl

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    1. Hear, hear, Okie! This Christmas in July thing has been a LOT of fun -- especially for all of us pasty-skinned authors who don't get out much. I'll swear, the only thing we all need to look like a bunch of convicts is stripes and leg irons. ;-)

      Thanks to everyone who joined us! Y'all might want to keep your eyes peeled, though, just in case the posse catches up.

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  4. Thanks for the shout out, PRP. It's such an honor to be here with all y'all. Hugs and here's to many many more!

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    1. Hugs right back, sweetheart! I'll second your toast to many more PRP celebrations!

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  5. This Christmas in July was great fun!! Look forward to it next summer, but first...real Christmas is coming, and I know that will mean NEW anthologies. Look forward to those as well. Since I'm not trying to write one, I can kick back and just enjoy them. :-)

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    1. WHAT?! Kristy, who gave you permission to sit this one out? You know there's going to be a spicy Christmas anthology, right? Twisting my arm will do you no good -- that's all I'm saying...except you'd best get to writing, or you're liable to find a lynch mob hiding behind the saguaros in your front yard. ;-)

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    2. Kathleen,
      Not all of us can write 5 short stories so quickly! You're a maniac. My creative coffers need longer to recoup. Are you sure you're not a vampire?

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  6. Kristy, why aren't you going to participate in the Christmas anthology? I get that it's hard to write for every anthology. I'm slow at writing, so I couldn't write for all the summer anthologies. I hope you change your mind about the Christmas anthology.

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