Hudson House Holiday Series

 

Way back in January, I’d planned to write four sweet romances in a generational series that begins in 1892 and ends with a modern-day story. It didn’t happen. Then I thought I’d get started writing them when CC and I went out of town for a week for Valentine’s Day. I got so entranced watching snowflakes fall in the woods from our hotel window, I didn’t write a single word. Before I knew it, it was June and I still hadn’t started on the series, although I did have my beautiful covers. Eventually, September was half-way gone and I realized if I didn’t get busy the books were never going to be more than words floating through my thoughts.

So, in five weeks of writing, I cranked out the four books that are the Hudson House series. I hope you’ll enjoy them even half as much as I loved writing them. I hope, too, if you read them, you’ll find that Hudson House isn’t just a setting, but one of the characters in the books. It was inspired by the beautiful Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, and the Pittock Mansion in Portland, Oregon!

Hudson House

Four generations find romance and joy during the holidays at a home filled with wonder and love.

The first book in the series, A Christmas Dream, released last week, and A Christmas Spark debuts tomorrow!

He came to build the house of his dreams, but found a home for his heart.

After an extensive search for the ideal location to build a house he’s spent years designing, Brant Hudson knows he’s found the perfect site the moment he sets foot on the land near Silver Bluff, Oregon. However, frustrating delays leave him laboring alongside the very crew he hired to finish the house in time for Christmas. His work leads the woman who catches his eye to believe he’s a carpenter rather than the owner of the grand manor.

Holland Drake grew up on a farm, but she aspires to secure a position as a housemaid at Hudson House. While delivering lunch to her brother at the worksite, the door opens to a job when Holland encounters a strikingly handsome carpenter whose charm captivates her. Soon, Holland discovers the enchanting man is none other than the owner of the house and her new employer.

As the holiday season arrives amid a flurry of excitement and possibilities, Holland and Brant face choices that could change their lives forever. Will fear hold them back from stepping into the future together, or will their Christmas dreams of love come true?

A Christmas Dream is the first book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.

Will hope spark a holiday romance?

After losing his brother and part of himself on a French battlefield during the Great War, Kase Hudson seeks refuge from the haunting memories at his childhood home. He finds solace in carving wooden Santa figurines in his workshop in the stables that he sends to gift shops to sell. Kase distances himself from his family’s unwanted sympathy until his sister, Sarah, arrives for the holidays with her vibrant friend. He never expected beautiful Dori to breathe warmth and joy into the house right along with his heart.

With no family of her own, photographer Dori Stanford eagerly accepts Sarah Hudson’s invitation to join her for Christmas at her family’s home in Oregon. The two friends travel from their college in California to Silver Bluff, excited to spend the holidays at Hudson House. Once they arrive, Dori makes it her mission to connect with Sarah’s sullen brother, Kase, and draws him into the wonder of the season.

Will her persistence and encouragement be the spark Kase needs to step out of the past and into his future—possibly one that includes Dori?

A Christmas Spark is the second book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.

Will a Christmas romance lead two searching hearts to a lifetime love?

Bound to the Hudson House family estate, Vienna Hudson strives to uphold the legacy her grandparents established. When she’s not busy preserving her heritage or managing the family corporation, she steals away for horseback rides across the sprawling grounds—until a chance encounter with a handsome stranger turns her world upside down.

Surveyor Sam Bishop is tasked with plotting a new interstate through the Silver Bluff area. He faces a significant challenge when his calls to an elusive landowner go unanswered, prompting an impromptu visit to Hudson House. Excited to explore the beautiful acreage, nothing could prepare him for Vienna's fiery welcome—armed with a pistol and a courageous spirit.

As holiday bells ring across the estate, Vienna and Sam work together to navigate the complexities of both the road project and the ever-evolving feelings dancing between them. Will the pair find a way to embrace their unexpected connection? Or will the pressures of responsibility and ambition tear them apart before they realize love is the most precious gift of the season?

A Christmas Love is the third book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.

A heartfelt holiday tale of a family’s legacy that leads two hearts to love.

Reeling from the recent death of his father, Alex Hudson returns to Silver Bluff to protect his family's legacy. Upon reaching Hudson House, he discovers the once-vibrant estate all but abandoned. On top of that, his conniving aunts seem intent on seizing his inheritance. In search of support, Alex turns to a local attorney. There, he meets a woman who becomes an ally, friend, and the one person who can give him hope and a place to belong.

Nori Laroux enjoys working as a partner at her father's law firm. However, when he entrusts an important client to her care, Nori finds herself grappling with her feelings for Alex Hudson from the moment they meet. Committed to protecting his inheritance, she is determined to help Alex preserve the legacy of Hudson House, even if it means risking her own heart in the process.

When Alex suggests the idea of reopening the historic home for a Christmas celebration, Nori and her family eagerly step in to help deck the halls and fill Hudson House with cheer.

Will the holiday season bring Alex and Nori to the discovery that hope is a special gift and that love is the most treasured of all?

A Christmas Hope is the fourth book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.

Merry Christmas!

USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield grew up on a farm where her childhood brimmed with sunshine, hay fever, and an ongoing supply of learning experiences.

Today, Shanna draws on her rural roots to create sweet and wholesome romances filled with hope, humor, quirky small-town characters, realistic heroes, and women of strength. Her historical westerns have been described as historically accurate, blending facts with engaging fiction, while her contemporary works have been called laugh-out-loud funny, swoony, and heartwarming.

When this award-winning author isn’t writing or testing out new recipes (she loves to bake!), Shanna hangs out at home in the Pacific Northwest with her beloved husband, better known as Captain Cavedweller.

To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website.

History of Lemons in the United States by Zina Abbott

 

One common error I often see in American historical novels set in the latter half of the 1800s is the frequent use of lemonade being offered as a popular drink year-round. Whatever many pioneers—especially in the West—might have offered as a cold, non-alcoholic alternative to coffee or tea, it was probably not lemonade. Perhaps fresh or bottled juice or apple cider? Lemons—like all citrus fruit—were grown in Florida, the Southeastern citrus growing states, and California, or shipped by steamboat from Europe. No matter where one lived in the United States then, lemons were expensive.

In addition to lemons not being grown throughout the United States, they also had a limited growing season. Peak time for lemon harvest was from December through February, although, in some places, a small, secondary harvest period might last until June. Although there were ice houses in larger cities, and many farmers/ranchers preserved ice in dugouts to last most of the year, the capacity to preserve food through long-term freezing did not exist. The chances that our Western ancestors served iced lemonade made from fresh lemons in July or August was limited to non-existent. Lemon availability increased throughout the West only after the 1869 completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. The cross-country railroads made shipping from Florida, the Southeastern citrus growing states, and California to other parts of the country possible.

WHERE DID LEMONS COME FROM, ANYWAY?

Tomb of Nakht

It is believed the lemon (Citrus limon) is a native of northeastern India or Burma. They were known in Egypt. The earliest references lemons can be found in Sanskrit and Chinese literature. The Moors carried the plant into Spain, and Crusaders brought the plant back to Italy from Palestine and Turkey.

During his second journey to the New World in 1493, Christopher Columbus carried lemon seeds and introduced citrus on the island of Haiti. From the West Indies, the lemon migrated to the mainland where it grew wild, since the climate was somewhat like that of southeast Asia. Records show that these citrus trees were well established in the American colonies in about 1565 at Saint Augustine, Florida, and in coastal South Carolina. In Florida the Indians are said to have used citrus and aided in its dissemination.

The Spanish Conquistadores and mission fathers furthered the spread of this and other varieties of citrus wherever they went in the Americas.

During the 19th century and in the first decade of the 20th century Italian fruit growers held a virtual monopoly on the sale of lemons in the United States. Fruit grown in Florida and in California was considered to be of poor quality and could not compete with Sicilian fruit. It took time for Southeast states and California to develop varieties that favorably competed with the fruit shipped from Europe.

ATTEMPTS TO GROW LEMONS IN SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

Commercial production of citrus in the Southeast was not significant until after the American annexation of Spanish territory in 1821 when the Spanish gave up their groves to the United States. Florida growers who took over those groves began shipping oranges, grapefruit, limes, and lemons to Philadelphia and New York by railway and ships in the 1880’s.

Settlers from the United States took over Spanish plantings and the groves of trees which grew wild and began to ship citrus to other parts of the United States. Prior to the 1860's the commercial citrus crop of Florida was limited to the output of a few small groves in the northern part of the state. Most of the groves were located along the banks of the St. Johns and other rivers, since practically the only means of transportation was by river boats. The methods of culture, harvesting, and shipping were very crude, but in spite of the many handicaps the pioneer growers prospered. The building of railroad lines into the area in the early sixties brought about a rapid growth of the industry. According to a U. S. Department of Agriculture report published in 1887, by then, lemon culture in south Florida was making rapid strides. Although it was earlier believed by most people that a sweet rind, first-class aced, medium size lemon could not be produced on Florida soil, five varieties of commercial lemons began attracting attention.

BEGINNINGS OF COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA

The first plantings of citrus in the American Southwest were at the Spanish missions in Arizona between 1707 and 1710, and it is known that the lemon was growing in Baja California as early as 1739.

Citrus fruits were introduced in California by the padres around 1769. The first recorded citrus orchard was planted in 1804 at the San Gabriel mission, east of Los Angeles. In the early years, citrus were mainly grown in the missions from San Diego in the south to San Jose in the north and in garden plantings in the Los Angeles area.

The first commercial orchard was planted by William Wolfskill in 1841 near what is now the center of downtown Los Angeles.

Following the discovery of gold in California the influx of population resulted in a greatly increased demand for food of all kinds. The demand for an acid fruit was met by imports of lemons and limes from Europe and by an increased production of both these fruits within the state.

 

Prior to 1848 there had been little planting of citrus in the northern counties since most of the Spanish settlement had occurred to the south of the San Francisco Bay area. During the 1850's and early 1860's commercial plantings in these northern counties remained few in number for several obvious reasons. First of all, most of the people were engaged in a search for gold and were not interested in agriculture. Secondly, a large percentage of the gold miners came from the eastern part of the United States and from Western Europe and had no background in citriculture.

California Lemon Growing Districts

 

Starting in the 1870, the citrus industry expanded quickly. The bulk of California's citrus production was from Los Angeles County. While it was based on some 90,000 trees in 1875, this number had increased to approximately 2 million trees in 1885 and to 4.5 million trees in 1901. Commercial fruit production was concentrated in the three Southern Californian counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego. (Personal note: I started First Grade in a San Diego County town named Lemon Grove.)

Golden Spike Ceremony-Transcontinental Railroad

The completion of the transcontinental railways greatly promoted this boom. The Southern Pacific Railroad did not connect Bakersfield until 1874 and completed its connections between California and El Paso, Texas in 1881. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad did not reach Los Angeles until 1887. Before then, for lemons grown in Southern California to reach the Central Pacific (Later Southern Pacific) line that joined the Transcontinental Railroad, they had to be shipped north to either San Francisco or Sacramento.

The completion of the Transcontinental Railway further stimulated the citrus industry, since citrus could be rapidly sent to eastern markets. Competition among the railroads led to lower freight and passenger rates to and from California. Prior to 1885 it cost as much at $1000 to ship a carload of produce to Chicago. Early in 1885 this dropped to $400 a car. With the completion of the Santa Fe the freight rate between Los Angeles and Chicago fell to $200 a car. Later improvements of refrigeration helped to increase citrus growing and planting, mainly oranges, lemons, and limes throughout the world in 1889.

Very gradually California growers overcame their production and marketing problems and captured a larger and larger share of the world lemon market. Their share of lemon sales in the United States rose from a few percent in the 1880's to 18 per cent in 1900. By 1920 their share had increased to 75 per cent.

In spite of the lower freight rates foreign fruit could be delivered to the major eastern cities at a lower cost than could California fruit. There was still a freight rate advantage enjoyed by imported fruit in the eastern markets.

The domination of citrus production in the United States by Florida continued until several devastating freezes in 1894 and 1899 severly damaged citrus production. They virtually wiped out certain citrus varieties in the Gulf States. Again in 1916, a hard freeze heavily damaged the Florida and Gulf Coast citrus production. It was then citrus production of the United States began to shift from Florida to California. This lasted until just after World War II when the citrus crops in California developed disease. More citrus growth shifted back to Florida.

 

In my recently published Christmas romance, Lemon Cookies by Lisbeth, part of the Old Timey Holiday Kitchen series. One of the challenge she faces is the wait until lemons are readily available for sale at a decent price in her 1882 Rocky Mountain community. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

 

 

My second Christmas romance for 2024 is Phoebe, part of the Christmas Quilt Brides series. Set in 1896 New Ponca, which was built along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe tracks, not only would lemons be more available, but by that point in time, the lower shipping costs would have made them more cost-effective. To find the book description and purchase options, 

please CLICK HERE

 

My third and final Christmas romance for 2024, published two days ago, is A Surprise for Christmas. Set in 1867 Kansas, the Transcontinental Railroad was barely getting started in Nebraska, and the connections between the Kansas Pacific and Union Pacific had not yet been made. In this book, the hot-weather drink was either water or switchel, a concoction made from water and two pantry staples—vinegar and molasses. To find the book description and purchase options, 

please CLICK HERE

 

 

 

Sources:

https://www.tytyga.com/History-of-the-Citrus-and-Citrus-Tree-Growing-in-America-a/381.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon

https://apps1.cdfa.ca.gov/FertilizerResearch/docs/Citrus_Production_CA.pdf

https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/m613n230z

Wikimedia Commons

Santa Was A Yankee- How a Civil War Cartoonist Transformed Santa into a Full-Fledged Union Supporter

 

The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," first published anonymously in 1823, captures the magic and warmth of the Christmas season. It features some of the most memorable and beloved lines penned by an American poet, bringing to life the enchanting figure of Santa Claus.

https://teachersnotes.net/2021/12/09/twas-the-night-before-christmas-poem-read-aloud/

Often referred to as "The Night Before Christmas," this charming poem significantly inspired our modern view of Santa. It shaped the gift-giving tradition during the Christmas holiday and added a festive spirit to the occasion. However, Civil War Cartoonist Thomas Nast created the image portrayed of Santa Claus that we recognize today.

https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/thomas-nast-santa-claus

The image of Santa that many people recognize today originated during the Civil War, inspired by Cartoonist Thomas Nast, an artist renowned for his powerful Civil War illustrations. As a German immigrant, he pulled details from legends he heard as a boy and from New York's Santa Claus
traditions. Nast's Santa was an elf with a white beard, fur coat, and big buckle. He was the first to show him living at the North Pole.

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1929, via Metropolitan Museum of Art under CC 1.0

Cartoonist Thomas Nast first drew Santa Claus in January 1863 for Harper's Weekly. Nast’s first image of Santa was mainly a form of propaganda and appeared on the cover of the January 3, 1863 edition of Harper’s Weekly. Santa is seen sitting on his reindeer-pulled sleigh, distributing gifts to Union troops. An American flag flies above him, and a star-topped sign nearby reads, “Welcome, Santa Claus.” The letters “U” and “S” appear in the top corners, and copies of Harper’s Weekly lie scattered about for the soldiers’ reading enjoyment.

To clarify Santa's position during the Civil War, he is dressed in a star-patterned jacket and striped pants. He holds a puppet resembling Jefferson Davis, with "JEFF" written on its chest. An explanation states, "Santa entertains the soldiers by predicting Jeff Davis' future. He is tightening the rope around the puppet's neck, and Jefferson Davis appears to be struggling against his fate."

The image from Christmas 1863 shows the hopeful mood in the North after important victories in Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga. The central scene features a soldier on leave returning home to celebrate Christmas with his family.

In the top left, Santa checks to see if the children are asleep before delivering toys from his sack. In the morning, shown in the top right, the children wake up excited to check their stockings and open their gifts. At the bottom left, a light shines on baby Jesus in a manger, highlighting the holiday’s meaning. The bottom middle shows a family gathering around a table, enjoying Christmas dinner. Finally, in the bottom right, people wear their best clothes and greet each other as they go to church to celebrate Christ’s birth. 

From 1863 to 1886, Thomas Nast created 33 illustrations of Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly, significantly shaping the modern image of Santa that we recognize today. In his drawings, Nast depicted Santa coming down chimneys, filling stockings, and watching over sleeping children. Many of these illustrations were published during the Civil War and served as political propaganda. Not surprisingly, Nast strongly supported abolition, civil rights, and the Republican Party. Even after the war ended, he continued to use Santa Claus to convey important political messages.

Thomas Nast’s “Merry Christmas to All” illustration in Harper’s Weekly, published December 29, 1865

KNACK OR PEANUT CRACK: Peanut Brittle at Christmas by Marisa Masterson

Sticky, icky, or absolutely delicious. People have different reactions to peanut brittle. For me, it is a part of my memories of Christmas. 

My grandmother always included it on her candy tray. This sat on the table, inviting me to grab at what I wanted. It was the time of year when a child did not have to ask before taking a candy. 

https://easybudgetrecipes.com/
homemade-peanut-brittle/

https://www.aboutpeanuts.com/
all-about-peanuts/origin-history-of-peanuts

Perhaps you have similar memories of peanut brittle at Christmas? When I researched the tradition, not much shows up about it until after the 1930s. It has consistently been a relatively cheap treat to make. At one time, people would bag up the homemade candy or put it in a pretty tin to give to neighbors as a gift. 

From my research, it appears that peanuts became popular throughout the United States after the Civil War. Believe it or not, most states were growing peanuts after soldiers returned from the war. The men discovered the boiled treat when their units pushed into the South. It was a tasty source of protein during lean times.

(Read more about peanuts and that war at https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-legumes-of-war-how-peanuts-fed-the-confederacy-70737510/.)

https://thebestrecipefor.com/
knack-kola-swedish-christmas-toffee/

Because they were cheap and available, peanuts replaced other nuts that were traditionally used in toffee for the holiday. Take the family in my latest release. These Swedish immigrants would have enjoyed knäck for Christmas. The toffee includes almonds. If you substitute the inexpensive peanuts for the almonds and the cheaper corn syrup for the golden syrup in that recipe, you get peanut brittle.

Imagine the scene with the hardworking Swedes on Christmas Eve from my book:

A plate of peanut brittle made the rounds before Inge returned it to a side table. Then she hummed a familiar tune. While Lucinda’s ears had grown accustomed to hearing Swedish, the words seemed wrong somehow when her mother-in-law sang, “Stilla natt, heliga natt…” She didn’t join in but listened instead as Maggie joined the older woman. 

Could you guess the song the older woman sang? Silent Night was a well-known carol by this time in the 1800s.

I buy peanut brittle rather than make it at home. With my peanut allergy, it's safer that way. It does not go on the candy tray but sits separate and away from anything I eat. 

But I don't know why I bother. My kids don't think of it as anything special. They want peppermint bark--something my grandmother never made or served. I suppose, for my family, the peanut brittle tradition has been replaced.

One last thing. If you would like to learn more about Swedish toffee, I suggest visiting the Swedish Spoon website. https://swedishspoon.com/knack/

Merry Christmas!

Marisa

LATEST RELEASE!

Three ladies connected to the name Lucinda in entwined stories of convenience, marriage, and love.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DLGMSY9P

From a pie auction to a mail-order bride mix-up, follow these women as they navigate unexpected romances and dangerous threats. And just when all three believed that life had settled into the ordinary, a Christmas Eve to Remember brings back old enemies and new surprises. Don’t miss this heartwarming collection with each story building on the one before it.

Lemon Pie by Lucinda

Lucy never imagined that Ty Goodson would bid on her pie at the auction. But after a night spent in a cave and a shotgun wedding, Lucy finds herself in a forced marriage with a man who longs for a different woman. Will she win his love and escape the men chasing them?

 Mail Order Lucy

Lucinda's father sends her on a train to New York to prevent her from breaking up Ty and Lucy Goodson's marriage. But after meeting a fellow passenger, the two switch places. Lucinda finds herself on a poor farmer's doorstep, pretending to be his mail-order bride. Can she convince Andy to become a rancher and find happiness with a man who ignites a passion in her heart?

 A Match for Maggie

Maggie—the fake Lucinda--in danger when her past comes back to haunt her. But with the help of handsome US Marshal Reg Parker, she discovers safety and love. However, life twists for her when Reg sends her to Denver as another man’s mail-order bride. There. she discovers her groom is missing. Will she be safe in Denver, and who will be the man to marry her?

 A Christmas Eve to Remember

 Lucinda and Maggie must rely on their loved ones for support. But when Reg is arrested, will he and Maggie spend Christmas apart? And with the return of a dangerous threat, will Maggie and Lucinda make it through the holiday unharmed?

 

If you enjoy heartwarming historical romances with a hint of suspense, you'll love these stories of three women braving life in the West. Buy now and enjoy the romance!

Look what our authors published in November!

 

Our authors have been busy writing your next favorite story.

Look what we published in November!

 

Custard Pumpkin by Claire: Old Timey Holiday Kitchen Book 34

By Marisa Masterson

      Their joint cause allows them to drift apart. Can a mystery create a bond of love between them?
     For Claire's small German village, it is a black summer. Typhoid hits the townspeople and surrounding farms with a vengeance. With Claire's parents dead, she struggles to know how she will survive.
      When a call for volunteers goes through her part of Germany—a chance to settle in Michigan and Christianize the local tribe—she seizes the opportunity. She hopes to forge a new future--one filled with possibility rather than starvation.
     As a single woman, she must travel as the unpaid servant to the only other couple going from her village, the young preacher Hans Mueller and his wife. Unfortunately, Claire's prospects change radically when the man's wife perishes in the epidemic. The reverend offers marriage as a way for Claire to travel with him. Reluctant but determined, she agrees.
      She and her husband arrive in a new land carrying their old grief. Hans has not left behind his grief for the wife he so recently lost. He throws himself into the work of building the settlement for their community. Claire is at a loss on how to be a wife to a man who does not want one. Instead, she spends her time with women from the Chippewa tribe.
      Mischief and then outright vandalism threatens the settlement. Are the Chippewa—the people Claire views as friends—responsible? What can stop the sudden surge of hate that springs up in the missionary community founded to spread the love of Christ?
      Finally, Claire and Hans are united in a way not even marriage had brought about. They are determined to discover who wants to drive away the German immigrants, but at what cost? Perhaps one or both of their lives.
     Discover how custard pumpkin plays a role in not only bringing peace and forging a bond between the Chippewa and the settlement but also winning the heart of Claire’s groom. Sink into a comfy spot and enjoy this sweet historical romance today.

Release date: November 5, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCT43RHY

 

Ivy: Christmas Quilt Brides Book 18

By Jo-Ann Roberts

     Years ago, Lily Sutton was drawn to the new orphan boy in town. Unfortunately, she soon became the unfortunate victim of Grady Walsh’s mischievous deeds in school.
    Lily is back home in Harmony, Kansas for good but is she willing and able to forgive the boy who made her childhood unbearable?
     Grady Walsh lost his heart to the sweet girl the day she gave him a quilt. Can this boy-turned-man make up for the reckless actions of his youth?
     Or will another steal her away before they have a chance to discover a kind of love that might just heal the pain from the past?

Release date: November 8, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DG4LTGGC

 

A Christmas Dream: A Wholesome Holiday Romance (Hudson House Holiday Book 1)

  By Shanna Hatfield

He came to build the house of his dreams, but found a home for his heart.

     After an extensive search for the ideal location to build a house he’s spent years designing, Brant Hudson knows he’s found the perfect site the moment he sets foot on the land near Silver Bluff, Oregon. However, frustrating delays leave him laboring alongside the very crew he hired to finish the house in time for Christmas. His work leads the woman who catches his eye to believe he’s a carpenter rather than the owner of the grand manor.

     Holland Drake grew up on a farm, but she aspires to secure a position as a housemaid at Hudson House. While delivering lunch to her brother at the worksite, the door opens to a job when Holland encounters a strikingly handsome carpenter whose charm captivates her. Soon, Holland discovers the enchanting man is none other than the owner of the house and her new employer.

     As the holiday season arrives amid a flurry of excitement and possibilities, Holland and Brant face choices that could change their lives forever. Will fear hold them back from stepping into the future together, or will their Christmas dreams of love come true?

     A Christmas Dream is the first book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.

Release date: November 14, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DLBTDWGN

 

Phoebe : Christmas Quilt Brides Book 19

By Zina Abbott

     After Phoebe Wilton’s days as a student at the Calloway Girls’ Academy in New Ponca, Oklahoma Territory, ended, she knew she would not be welcomed home to live with her parents. In recent years, they kept their social and travel calendar busy to the point that they only managed to bring her home one month of the year. Undecided about whether or not she wishes to attend a co-educational college or a normal school to train as a teacher, she accepts the position of teaching assistant at the academy. At least for the present, she continues to live and work with people who appreciate her contributions and with whom she has developed deep friendships.
     Increasingly, Phoebe wonders about her future. One thing she refuses to allow is for her parents to foist her off on a son of one of families in their social set in order advance her father’s business interests and her mother’s social standing. Is she destined to live out her life as a spinster schoolteacher? Or, can she someday hope for love and marriage with a man of her choosing?

Release date: November 15, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DG31SDXD

 

A Rancher for Christmas: Confederate Widows, Spinsters, and Proxy Brides

By Linda Carroll-Bradd

Dunn MacDoughall faces a dilemma more ornery than a stubborn bull. To meet the stipulations of his granddad’s will and receive the deed to his three-thousand-acre Montana ranch, he has to marry by his twenty-eighth birthday. With only four months until the deadline, he resorts to using the services of a matchmaker. He’s desperate enough to put no restrictions on the woman’s background and agrees to a proxy marriage—as long as she arrives before fall roundup.

Ex-cotton heiress, Angelina Beauregard can barely rub two nickels together as a seamstress in post-war Bossier Parish, Louisiana. The war stole her father, brothers, and fiancé, but Angelina is determined its aftermath won’t steal her future. She seeks a proxy marriage with a man far away from her Southern homeland so she can finally get rid of memories that haunt her. But when she arrives and discovers her groom is a Yankee, is Angelina’s heart big enough to accept their fundamental differences?

Release Date: November 20, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D1DYHV3B

 

A Christmas Spark: A Wholesome Holiday Romance (Hudson House Holiday Book 2)

By Shanna Hatfield

     Will Christmas spark a romance that blooms into lasting love?

After losing his brother and part of himself on a French battlefield during the Great War, Kase Hudson seeks refuge from the haunting memories at his childhood home. He finds solace in carving wooden Santa figurines in his workshop in the stables that he sends to gift shops to sell. Kase distances himself from his family’s unwanted sympathy until his sister, Sarah, arrives for the holidays with her vibrant friend. He never expected beautiful Dori to breathe warmth and joy into the house right along with his heart.
     With no family of her own, photographer Dori Stanford eagerly accepts Sarah Hudson's invitation to join her for Christmas at her family’s home in Oregon. The two friends travel from their college in California to Silver Bluff, excited to spend the holidays at Hudson House. Once they arrive, Dori makes it her mission to connect with Sarah’s sullen brother, Kase, and draws him into the wonder of the season.
     Will her persistence and encouragement be the spark Kase needs to step out of the past and into his future—possibly one that includes Dori?

Release date: November 21, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DMFXWHVQ

 

Holly In His Heart : Christmas Stocking Sweethearts Series (Sweet Historical Western Romance) Book 4

By Jo-Ann Roberts

Will a dose of Mother Nature’s magic and a bit of divine intervention make a little boy’s Christmas wish come true?

What is a boy to do when he is trying to play matchmaker for his father? Seven-year-old Danny Stone is working hard to help his lonely widower father find love again. When a pretty, new teacher moves to Angel Falls, Danny believes she is the perfect choice. But his matchmaking attempts have not been successful until a snowstorm hits and strands Miss Holly at their farm.
Fleeing an ill-fated relationship, Holly Ross accepts an interim teaching position in Angel Falls, Kansas. During the first week, she is knocked down by a stranger, and his rude behavior raises her annoyance when he insists he saved her life...not that she believed she needed saving. When she discovers Jesse Stone is the father of one of her students, she vows to give the man a wide berth. But when Danny leaves behind a scarf belonging to his late mother, she makes a decision that will alter her Christmas plans…and her life.
Since his wife’s passing, Jesse Stone has no interest nor the time for romance. With a herd, a ranch, and a seven-year-old son to raise, the last thing he needs is ungrateful criticism from a woman he saved from being hit by a wagon. His irritation grows when he discovers Holly Ross is the new teacher his son keeps praising…and the feeling is mutual. So, she is the last person he expects to see at his door at the start of a blizzard.

Release date: November 30, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DMKV4L9R

 

A Child for Christmas: Christmas Stocking Sweetheart Series: (Sweet Historical Western Romance) Book 6

By Kit Morgan

A woman on the run.
A man that doesn't want to be found.
And the child that brings them together...
     Widow Abbey Harper has a choice to make. Either give up her baby girl to her deceased husband's wealthy father and stay out of her life, or make a run for it. She chooses to run, and she does it as a mail-order bride! Anything's better than giving up her precious child. But will she be going from the frying pan into the fire?
     Wanting to forget his gunslinger past, Wyatt Reeves escapes to Apple Blossom, Montana where he hopes to make a fresh start. And boy, does he get one! The town preacher takes it upon himself to order him a mail-order bride, and she came with a baby! But what woman (let alone one with a baby) would want to saddle herself with the likes of him? Yet the more time he spends with the woman and her child, makes him wonder if he could be more than protection from the threat hunting them. Will two lonely hearts trying to protect a precious little find each other? Find out in this heartwarming western romance!

Release date: November 30, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DM6ZDVCT

 

 

Not all of our authors make their books available on pre-order. However, for those who do, those advance sales go a long way toward boosting their sales rankings. 

Here are future releases:

 

December Pre-orders:

 

What's in a Name?: Love for 3 Lucindas (Love in the West)

By Marisa Masterson

Three ladies connected to the name Lucinda in intertwined stories of convenience, marriage, and love.
Lemon Pie by Lucinda
Lucy never imagined that Ty Goodson would bid on her pie at the auction. But after a night spent in a cave and a shotgun wedding, Lucy finds herself in a forced marriage with a man who longs for a different woman. Will she win his love and escape the men chasing them?
Mail Order Lucy
Lucinda's father sends her on a train to New York to prevent her from breaking up Ty and Lucy Goodson's marriage. But after meeting a fellow passenger, the two switch places. Lucinda finds herself on a poor farmer's doorstep, pretending to be his mail-order bride. Can she convince Andy to become a rancher and find happiness with a man who ignites a passion in her heart?
A Match for Maggie
Maggie—the fake Lucinda--in danger when her past comes back to haunt her. But with the help of handsome US Marshal Reg Parker, she discovers safety and love. However, life twists for her when Reg sends her to Denver as another man’s mail-order bride. There, she discovers her groom is missing. Will she be safe in Denver, and who will be the man to marry her?
A Christmas Eve to Remember
Lucinda and Maggie must rely on their loved ones for support. But when Reg is arrested, will he and Maggie spend Christmas apart? And with the return of a dangerous threat, will Maggie and Lucinda make it through the holiday unharmed?

Release date: December 2, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DLGMSY9P

 

A Pony for Christmas: Western Christmas Magic

by P. Creeden

     Will hope, love, and peace make its way to the western frontier this year and help someone in desperate need of the spirit of Christmas?

     Little Susan Price has never spoken a word. Her father, Wayne Price, has never quite understood how to bring his child out of her shell, but has fully accepted her as she is. But at five years old, he’s worried how other children will respond to little Susie’s silence. Christmas is coming, and he really doesn’t even know what he might get her for a gift. Through it all, his stalwart mother has plans to help both his son and granddaughter. Perhaps finding a wife and mother might be the cure to all their ills.

     Eleanor Hunter’s father runs the livery in Golden, Colorado and she’s always been one of his hardest workers. When a black pony comes to town with a man who is ready to shoot it, she stops him and buys the pony for a dollar. Now her father wants to know what she’s going to do with the feral thing. But the more time she spends with the pony, the more she realizes that he just needs confidence, love, and trust. And she’s happy to give him both. If only it were so easy to get the man who she’s been in love with for five years to trust her as well. But then his mother steps in.

Release date: December 09, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFVP33DN

 

A Surprise for Christmas: Confederate Widows, Spinsters, and Proxy Brides

By Zina Abbott

     Analia Cantrill and what remained of her family fled the South as the Yankees approached South Carolina. They took refuge with her aunt’s family in Baltimore. Following her mother’s death, circumstances all but force Analia out. With nothing left to draw her back to the South, she decides to seek a husband in the West—hopefully one who will leave the difficulties of the War Between the States in the past and accept her situation.

     Jeffrey Holden struggles to overcome his hatred for the Southern rebels responsible for the death of his older brother. After corresponding with several women, some stopped writing after he admitted a war injury now required him to walk with a cane. Others he rejected because they were from the South. He decided upon Miss Cantrill from Baltimore. Even though Maryland still allowed slavery during the war years, it stayed with the Union. The woman’s uncle rose to the rank of captain in the Union Army. Surely, she was an acceptable choice.

   Analia feels a sense of unease when, in the same letter with her fare to join him, Jeffrey expresses his happiness over finding a nice Northern bride. She suspects, once he hears her speak and discovers who she brings with her, he will be in for a big surprise.

Release Date: December 09, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D1LVNY3L

 

Minda: Christmas Quilt Brides Book 22

By Linda Carroll-Bradd

     Philadelphia socialite Minda Gayle Harleigh is still in hiding. Wishing to avoid the social shame of being jilted at the altar like her cousin, she embraces a leap year tradition so she can be the one asking. At the summer gala for the Penn Sailing Club Regatta, surrounded by family and friends, she proposes marriage to her beau. Ernst Heinrich III refuses, telling her she has stripped him of his dignity. Now she’s scouring matrimonial newspapers to find someone out West who knows nothing of her background and her inappropriate boldness.
     Montana farmer Kunz Lambrecht has barely won back his standing in the Butte City German community after rejecting a mail-order bride almost three years earlier. No one accepted his rationale that someone with hearing loss could be in danger on a farm. Again, he places an ad in Brides by Mail and is amazed to connect with an Eastern woman who is visiting his town the following month.
     But when the two meet, will they hide behind their past mistakes, or will they see their correspondence connection for the real possibility it presents?

Release date: December 13, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DG6H5486

Mack: Christmas Quilt Bride Book 23

By Angela Raines

     Colin "Mack" McCullough was in the wrong place at the wrong time and at age 14 was sent to prison. Now, eight years later, out of prison, he is offered a shot at redemption: by escorting Myra Aldridge safely to Denver, a high-stakes job that could help him rebuild his life. But the question lingers—was he hired because of his past, or despite it? Either way, danger was bound to follow.
     It wasn’t that Myra Aldridge hated traveling—it was that her father made all the decisions without asking her. At almost eighteen she felt old enough to make her own choices, and the last thing she needed was some hired escort watching her every move and telling her what to do.

Release date: December 20, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKYB6YVL

Trifle by Tilde: Old Timey Holiday Kitchen: Book 36

By P. Creeden

     Tilde Visser has only one dream for Christmas, to live in a house again and bake a Trifle for her mother. Until now, her family has been living with other Dutch in tent communities. But when there’s a robbery in their small town and one of the Dutch are blamed, the whole community lands in an uproar. Then Samuel, the kind baker who has been helping the Dutch, gets involved in the trouble as well.
     Tilde must find a way to clear Samuel’s name before there’s a territory dispute, and help everyone find peace before Christmas. But she might just find love as well…

Release date: December 21, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHV6YL9K

A Recluse for Christmas : Confederate Widows, Spinsters, and Proxy Brides

By Kimberly Grist

Join these Southern Belles on a Christmas journey to bridge the North and the South. Pasts fade and futures ignite amidst prairie snowflakes under western skies. Before each love story can unfold, the bride and groom are wed by proxy—having never met. Wounded souls find redemption in the bitter winter winds, and love’s embrace is the gift that warms their hearts. Find tales of hope, healing, and holiday joy as these Southern Belles, left alone by the war’s harsh realities, navigate cultural differences to forge new lives wed to their western, Yankee grooms. Will every heart discover the true spirit of Christmas and defy expectations? Fall in love right along with every star-crossed couple when you immerse yourself in each of these sweet holiday romances today!

Release date: December 23, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZK49D8B