When driftwood artist Marnie Lane’s one-of-a-kind Christmas star vanishes just days before the Seacliff Haven Christmas Market, the last thing she expects is a cryptic note warning her to “forget the past.” With the help of her lovable giant schnauzer, Finn—who has a nose for more than just seashells—Marnie stumbles onto a trail of buried secrets, seaside clues, and a mystery tied to her late father’s legacy.
As the festive coastal town prepares for its biggest event of the year, Marnie teams up with her former rival, the brooding yet talented Sid. Together, they must untangle a treasure map, outwit a secretive saboteur, and discover the truth hiding beneath the sand and snow.
With hot cocoa, holiday cheer, and a touch of seaside romance, Doggone Driftwood Disappearance is a heartwarming, murder-free mystery perfect for fans of clever pets, crafty sleuths, and Christmas by the sea.
Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.
Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs.
In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl.
Heidi's first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018, and is now available on DVD & Digital.
Jessica Coulter Smith is here to tell us about Furs, Fangs & Mistletoe, Christmas romance in a small town with shifters.
Read on for details...
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Christmas Romance, Shifters, Small Town
Date Published: December 12, 2025
Escape to Christmas Cove, a cozy small town where magic, shifters, and
holiday romance collide.
After a painful breakup, Riley is ready for a fresh start in Christmas Cove.
All she wants is a peaceful life for herself and her two-year-old daughter,
Sabrina. Love isn’t on her holiday wish list. When she’s stuck in
a blizzard, help arrives in the form of Alex Conors -- a protective, brooding
werewolf.
Snowed in with a grumpy shifter and a crackling fire, Riley begins to see the
gentle heart behind Alex’s fierce exterior… and Alex finds
himself falling for the brave single mom who awakens something he thought he
lost long ago.
Hot cocoa and toddler giggles turn strangers into something more. But when
Riley’s past resurfaces and threatens the safety she’s found, Alex
will have to prove that loyalty, love -- and pack -- are forever.
A warm, emotional holiday romance filled with shifter charm, second chances,
and the magic of Christmas. Ideal for fans of protective alphas, found family,
and heartfelt happily-ever-afters.
EXCERPT
The sedan’s engine rattled -- a sound Riley had learned to distinguish
from its other mechanical complaints over the past three states. This
particular rattle meant she’d make it another fifty miles, maybe more if
she kept her speed steady. Her knuckles had gone white on the steering wheel
somewhere around the state line, and she couldn’t remember now how to
relax them. The GPS showed their arrival in Christmas Cove, and Riley’s
shoulders tensed further, an automatic response to any declaration of reaching
a destination.
Dusk had settled over the town. Main Street stretched before her, lined with
Victorian storefronts that belonged in a Thomas Kincade painting. White lights
twisted around lampposts, and wreaths hung at precise intervals, each
decorated with the same combination of pinecones and red ribbon. Fresh snow
dusted the sidewalks in a way that seemed too perfect, too deliberate. Riley
checked her rearview mirror again -- the same compulsive glance she’d
made every thirty seconds for the past six hours. Empty road. No one
following. No one cared where she went.
The residential streets branched off from downtown. Riley followed the GPS
directions, checking the crumpled paper in her cup holder against the street
signs and the directions from the GPS. One too many times, it had taken her
the wrong way. Oak Street. Maple Avenue. Someone had named these roads with an
almost nauseating wholesomeness, as if determined to prove the town’s
charm. She turned onto Pine Ridge Road, where the houses grew sparser and the
forest pressed closer to the road.
A small sound from the backseat made Riley’s gaze dart to the mirror.
Sabrina stirred in her car seat, her head rolling to the side as she woke from
the nap that had mercifully consumed the last hour of driving. Riley watched
her daughter’s eyes flutter open, adjusting to the darkness and the
strange lights outside.
“Mama?” Sabrina’s voice carried that quality of toddler
confusion. Not quite upset, but teetering on the edge of it.
“We’re here, sweetie.” Riley forced warmth into her voice,
though her jaw ached from clenching. “Look at all the pretty
lights.”
Sabrina pressed her mittened hands against the window, leaving tiny smudges on
the glass. “Lights!” She bounced in her seat as much as the straps
would allow. “Pretty, Mama! Pretty!”
“Very pretty.” Riley’s smile felt tight on her face. She
wanted to share her daughter’s uncomplicated joy, but she kept scanning
the streets, cataloging escape routes, noting which houses had lights on and
which sat dark. Old habits. Necessary habits.
The GPS announced their final turn, and Riley’s breath caught. The
cottage stood at the end of a short gravel drive, a small structure
someone’s grandfather had most likely built and barely maintained enough
to keep standing. A single porch light illuminated the front door, and beyond
it, the forest loomed.
Riley pulled into the driveway and killed the engine. The sudden silence felt
heavy, broken only by Sabrina’s humming as she kicked her feet against
her car seat. Riley sat motionless, her hands still gripping the wheel, and
studied their new home.
The cottage was smaller than the photos had suggested. Single-story, with a
chimney that leaned slightly to the left. The windows were dark, revealing
nothing of the interior. Snow had drifted against the front steps, undisturbed
except for what looked like animal tracks, probably a deer or raccoon. The
porch railing needed paint, and one shutter hung at an angle.
But for now the house was theirs. For six months, at least, with the first
month paid in advance with money Riley had saved from extra shifts and skipped
meals. Six months to figure out what came next. After that, she’d have
to either renew the lease or move on to another town.
“Out, Mama!” Sabrina had moved past patient and into demanding.
“Out now!”
“Just a minute, baby.”
Riley scanned the neighboring properties. The nearest house sat quite a
distance down the road, its windows dark. On the other side, nothing but
forest. The isolation should have comforted her. Fewer people meant fewer
questions, fewer chances of being found. But instead, it made her hyperaware
of how alone they were. No witnesses if something went wrong. No one to hear
them scream.
She shook her head, dislodging the thought. Nothing was going to go wrong.
This was a fresh start in a quiet town where nobody knew her name or her
history. Where Sabrina could grow up without her mother constantly looking
over her shoulder.
Riley checked the mirrors one more time, then opened her door. The cold hit
her immediately, sharper than she’d expected. Mountain air, clean and
biting. She pulled her jacket tighter and circled to Sabrina’s door, her
boots crunching in the gravel.
“Cold!” Sabrina announced as Riley unbuckled her.
“Very cold. That’s why we’re going to get inside quick,
okay?”
She lifted her daughter out, settling Sabrina on her hip with the ease of long
practice. Sabrina immediately buried her face in Riley’s neck, seeking
warmth. Riley grabbed the diaper bag and her purse from the front seat. The
car’s trunk held everything they owned -- three suitcases, two boxes,
and a garbage bag of toys. After struggling to pay the bills and stay one step
ahead of her ex, she didn’t have a lot left over for extras.
Riley approached the cottage slowly, her eyes adjusting to the darkness beyond
the porch light’s reach. The forest was quiet -- too quiet, maybe, but
she didn’t know enough about forests to judge what was normal.
She’d grown up in the suburbs and spent the last two years in a city
apartment. Trees and wildlife were outside her experience.
The lockbox hung on the doorknob as promised. Riley shifted Sabrina’s
weight and worked the combination with icy fingers. The key fell into her
palm, small and ordinary. She fitted it into the lock and felt the deadbolt
slide open with a solid click.
“New house, Mama?” Sabrina lifted her head, looking at the door
with wide eyes.
“New house,” Riley confirmed. “Our house.”
The words felt like a promise and a lie at once. This wasn’t really
theirs, just borrowed space, a temporary shelter. But Sabrina didn’t
need to know that. Sabrina needed to believe in stability, in permanence, even
if Riley couldn’t.
She turned the knob and pushed the door open, reaching inside to find the
light switch. Yellow light flooded a small living room, revealing worn
furniture and walls badly in need of fresh paint. Still, the space felt clean.
Warm air drifted out from inside, proof someone had turned on the heat before
their arrival.
Riley stepped over the threshold, carrying her daughter into their new life,
and tried not to think about all the ways this could go wrong.
About the Author
Jessica Coulter Smith is an acclaimed romance writer with a passion for
storytelling. Her works showcase the power of love and its ability to
transcend boundaries, capturing the hearts of audiences worldwide. With a
unique writing style and perspective, Jessica continues to inspire and
entertain readers from all walks of life.
AK Nevermore is here to tell us about Weres and Witchery, a spicy small town paranormal romance.
There's also a great giveaway.
______________________
Magic happens and
sparks fly when a sassy witch with curves for days crosses paths with an
irresistible alpha shifter.
Weres and Witchery
by AK Nevermore
Genre: Spicy Small Town Paranormal Romance
Karma's a witch.
When witch Jena Seymore returns home to Havers-by-the-Sea to
care for her dying aunt, old town politics and prejudices are rekindled.
Between the local Westside Pack’s vendetta against her family and the coven
pressuring Jena to become guardian of the magical node outside of town, she has
enough problems without adding Chase Montgomery to the mix. Especially after he
broke her heart by starting the devastating rumor that sent Jena running from
town in the first place.
But Chase has plenty of problems of his own, and how to make
amends with Jena and win her heart is at the top of the list. Unbeknownst to
his pack, Jena is his fated mate, and after her leaving town the first time
almost killed him, he’s not letting her get away again—no matter what the
backlash might be.
And meanwhile, the node is turning wild, jeopardizing
Havers-by-the Sea's existence as tensions threaten to tear it apart from
within. Deep-seated small town secrets could hold the key to its future—but
only if they’re discovered before Samhain, when the blue moon rises.
“I loved this
story! It has everything I like in a good book, angst, anger, laughter, tears,
fun, heat, love, loyal best friend, quirky side characters and an HEA. It
doesn’t get any better than that. The storyline is solid, engaging, the world
building is multi-dimensional and once you start you won’t want to put it
down.” - @sunshinewhispers
“Wow, what a cracking book this is. Twists, turns and
lots of magic so what’s not to like. I couldn’t put it down till I’d finished
it, I was completely engrossed. I loved it.” - @sbanacek
“I started reading this book at 9pm and read straight
through to 4am. … FOUR. A. M. Crazy, right?! Let me tell you, this book had me
hooked from the start with its humor, drama, character chemistry, character
personalities, drama, romance, banter, action, and spice. ‘Weres and Witchery’
is among one of the best escapes I’ve had in a while.” - @Morally_Gray_Nola
AK Nevermore enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and
gives up sarcasm for Lent every year. A Jane-of-all-trades, she’s a certified
chef, restores antiques, and dabbles in beekeeping when she’s not reading
voraciously or running down the dream in her beat-up camo Chucks.
Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become
medicated, she writes Science Fiction and Fantasy full time.
She pays the bills editing, wielding a wicked hot pink pen and writing
a column on SFF. She also belongs to the Authors Guild, is a chapter treasurer
for the RWA, teaches creative writing, and on the rare occasion, sleeps.
Positions as an instructor and rodeo coach at the local university in South Carolina aren’t enough to keep Jensen Strader in town after he’s abandoned at the altar, so he grabs a trailer and his horses and heads out on the rodeo circuit. Buckles? Sure, he’d love a few. Buckle bunnies? Not interested.
That changes when he meets Shyanna Owens. She’s been picked on, spat on, cussed out, slapped, and punched by people who were supposed to love her, and by male competitors who feel threatened by her. All she wants to do is ride bulls and broncs, and she’s made it clear that no one will run her off. She’s never been tossed one scrap of respect as a human being. Fortunately, she finds a different kind of cowboy in the kind, gentlemanly Jensen. Together, they form the perfect team … and the perfect couple. It’s an alliance that buys Shyanna friends and camaraderie within the rodeo association, safety, and a love that’s true and deep.
But just as Shyanna begins to get the recognition and respect she deserves, one of them stumbles into something dangerous and sinister within the association. It’s no longer about competition. It’s about bitterness and corruption on a collision course with death, and it could stop the beating heart of their relationship unless a determined rough stock rider has her way.
Well, you know what they say: Cowgirl up, ladies—the rodeo is coming to town.
The Small Town Southern Boys series is a collection of independent novels, each in a different southern state with its own flavor and designed so you can jump in anywhere. Discover a world of hunky home-town sexiness that just won’t quit and see for yourself why the temperature’s always hellahot when there’s a drawl coming from those lips with a slow, charming smile.
“Hey,” he said, using his friendliest tone, “I haven’t seen you around. My name’s Jensen Strader.” He extended his hand and waited.
She glanced at his gesture and ignored it as she growled, “Whaddya want?”
Jensen pulled his hand back, afraid she might slap at it. “Just wanted to say hello. I try to get to know as many of the guys on the circuit as I can.”
“Do I look like a fucking guy to you?” she snapped, then took another sip of whiskey.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like … Look, I just wanted to come and say hello, welcome you to the circuit, that’s all. Sorry if I bothered you,” he said. The bartender brought his bottle and he decided maybe it was time to give up and move away. She obviously wasn’t interested in getting to know anyone, and he couldn’t blame her after some of the stories he’d heard.
Just as he turned to go, he heard her say, “Yeah. Run. Just like all the rest of these fucking yellow-bellied cowards.”
A frisson of fury bolted through Jensen’s body as he spun back toward her. “I’m anything but a coward, but if you’ve got to be so god damn rude, I’m leaving. I’ve learned over the years that there are some people you just can’t be nice to because they’re such assholes.”
“So now I’m an asshole?” she asked, but there was a different quality to her voice. It almost sounded like she found it funny.
“I dunno. Do you wanna be an asshole? Because if you don’t, there are some things you should change pretty fucking fast,” he pointed out.
“Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t. You know who I am. Why the hell would you come over here? Do your little friends over there know where you are?” she asked, tossing her head toward the other guys.
“Oh, yeah. They told me not to come over here but, of course, I ignored them. I’m my own dog. I don’t usually take cues from the people around me, especially if they’re fucking yellow-bellied cowards,” Jensen quipped.
To his shock, a tiny smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “How would they take to you calling them that?”
“If it’s true? Don’t see that they’d have a say in it,” he said, trying hard not to chuckle.
“And you’d take a punch for that?”
“Fuck yeah,” he answered. The only thing he couldn’t fight was the grin that spread across his face.
For the first time since he’d been standing there, she looked up at him and grinned herself. He was shocked again when she held out her hand. “Shyanna Owens.”
The grip she gave him when he took it was a surprise―firm and yet soft. “Nice to meet you.”
About Deanndra:
Deanndra Hall is a working author living in the far western end of the beautiful Bluegrass State with her husband of over 35 years and small menagerie of weird little dogs. When she’s not writing, she’s editing. When she’s doing neither of those two things, she’s having dinner with friends, spending time with family, kayaking, eating chocolate, drinking beer or moonshine, or looking for something that she put in the wrong place and can’t seem to find (which is pretty much everything she owns).
Deanndra Hall is here to tell us about Baby Blue, small town southern boys romance.
Read on for details...
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Title: Baby Blue (Small Town Southern Boys)
Author: Deanndra Hall
Genre: Small Town Romance
Release Date: July 15, 2025
Hosted by:Buoni Amici Press, LLC
Luckless. If ever there was a word that describes Brent “Blue” Wallace, that’s it. Abandoned by drug-addicted parents as a toddler. Abused and mistreated in foster homes. Runaway teen. Working for a man who treats him like garbage and pays him next to nothing. Blue’s only joy is playing in a little cover band in rundown watering holes outside Macon, Georgia, on the weekends and writing the occasional song. Oh, and finding a woman at the bar to spend a night with. His boss hates him. His neighbors hate him and his crappy little house with the overgrown yard and beer cans lying about. Nobody hates him more than he does.
But when an unexpected “gift” turns up on his doorstep, it spins his world upside down. In his eyes, Indigo Darling Wallace is a blue-eyed, shrieking alien life form who leaks from every orifice in her body and terrifies him. He doesn’t want a baby; he can’t take care of one. It feels best to offer her to the neighbor who wears scrubs and already has two kids, until she explains to him that if he doesn’t keep her, she’ll go into the foster system.
Over Blue Wallace’s dead body.
In a six-month time span, Blue learns a lot about life and about himself. And just when he thinks things are finally going right for him, a demon from the bowels of Hell comes knocking to rip his world apart. It’s the challenge of Blue’s lifetime. If he wins, he takes it all. But if he loses, the chance at a happy life with a good woman and three precious kids slips away forever. So, fight or run? It’s time for Blue Wallace to make his own luck. And for the first time ever, he won’t be fighting alone.
The Small Town Southern Boys series is a collection of independent novels, each set in a different southern state with its own flavor and designed so you can jump in anywhere. Discover a world of hunky home-town sexiness that just won’t quit and see for yourself why the temperature’s always hellahot when there’s a drawl coming from between those lips with a slow, charming smile.
Deanndra Hall is a working author living in the far western end of the beautiful Bluegrass State with her husband of over 35 years and small menagerie of weird little dogs. When she’s not writing, she’s editing. When she’s doing neither of those two things, she’s having dinner with friends, spending time with family, kayaking, eating chocolate, drinking beer or moonshine, or looking for something that she put in the wrong place and can’t seem to find (which is pretty much everything she owns).
