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Judith Sterling

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Judith Sterling

Tag Archives: holiday read

Holiday Gift Guide ~ TRIP THE LIGHT PHANTASMIC

09 Wednesday Nov 2022

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cozy mystery, excerpt, gothic paranormal mystery, holiday gift guide, holiday gifts, holiday read, holiday shopping, N. N. Light's Book Heaven, sneak peek, The Gothic Gwyn Mysteries, Trip the Light Phantasmic, upcoming release

Good morning! N. N. Light’s Book Heaven has already featured some wonderful titles in their 2022 Holiday Gift Guide, and there are more to come! Today’s guide is for mystery lovers, and my upcoming release, Trip the Light Phantasmic, might be just what you’re looking for. Check it out here!

Only two more days until the worldwide release of the book! Here’s a first look inside it:

I stepped out into the crisp, fresh air of an autumn evening and inhaled deeply. To my eyes—and lungs—the terrace was Heaven, illuminated by electric lights whose glow reached partway down a wide stone staircase. Darkness hid the rest of the grounds and whatever else lay beyond.

I turned to my savior as he closed the doors to the dining room. “How can I thank you enough?”

“By telling me the real reason why you wanted to leave.” He closed the distance between us. His broad shoulders looked sturdy, dependable.

“I’m not sure you’ll like it.”

“I still want to know.”

“I’m sensitive to cigarette smoke. I was okay with it for a while, but then I had to get out of there.”

He performed a little smile. “You sound just like…”

I held my tongue, expecting him to elaborate, but the wait was wasted. “You were saying…”

He shook his head as though shaking off a memory. “Never mind. Why didn’t you tell the truth?”

“I didn’t want to seem rude. But I suppose I did anyway.”

“You’ll have to forgive Mother. She’s had her share of tragedy.” He took a deep breath, then sighed. “She was once a prima ballerina…world-famous. Until she married my father. They were happy for a time. Then she had an accident and was paralyzed from the waist down.”

“How horrible.”

He nodded. “Being confined to a wheelchair is…difficult for her, perhaps harder than for most.”

Out of nowhere, an icy gust swiped me. I shivered and rubbed my bare arms.

“You’re cold.” He removed his jacket and placed it around my shoulders. Though haunted by the smell of smoke, it infused me with his warmth and an odd sense of intimacy. He lingered behind me.

“Thank you.” Twisting around, I looked up into his finely chiseled face and detected a hint of interest.

His pupils expanded. “It’s the least I can do.”

Oh yeah? What more could you do if I let you? Best not to think about that.

A slight movement at one of the windows caught my eye. Penny, the maid, watched us from inside the house. Before I could acknowledge her presence, she dropped the curtain, hiding herself from view.

Okay. That was interesting.

Edgar followed my gaze. “What is it?”

“We had an audience.”

“Oh?”

“Penny was watching from that window.” I pointed to the one in question.

“Ah, Penny. I’ve known her a long time, and she’s a curious girl. Of course, it wouldn’t surprise me if she had company.”

I turned to face him. “Meaning?”

“This house has many eyes, and they’re always watching. You’d do well to remember that.”

Dude, you just upped the creep factor by half. “I’ll try.” I doffed his jacket and handed it back to him. “Thanks for this. I’m going now.”

“Where to?”

“My room. I know it’s early, but—”

“You’ve had a long day.”

You have no idea. “Yes. Should I go back through the dining room?”

“Better not. Roland will still be smoking. Go through the drawing room, over there.” He indicated the other set of French doors. His eyes held understanding, and if I wasn’t mistaken, regret. “Good night, Gwyn.”

“Good night.”

That’s all for now. Have a beautiful Wednesday! 🙂

2022 Holiday Gift Guide ~ N. N. Light’s Book Heaven

01 Tuesday Nov 2022

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holiday gift guide, holiday gifts, holiday read, holiday shopping, Judith Sterling, multi-genre book event, N. N. Light's Book Heaven

Need a hand with holiday shopping this year? I’ve teamed up with several award-winning/bestselling/top-rated authors of varied genres to bring you the ultimate holiday gift guide for any booklover. The best part: it’s an online store. Scroll away and do all your holiday shopping in one place. Who knows? You might even find a few books you’d enjoy for yourself. More titles will be added throughout the month.

Happy shopping, and happy November! 🙂

Christmas and Holiday Book Festival ~ SOUL OF THE WOLF

08 Wednesday Dec 2021

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Amazon gift card, Christmas and Holiday Book Festival, giveaway, holiday read, Judith Sterling, medieval romance, N. N. Light's Book Heaven, Soul of the Wolf, The Novels of Ravenwood

The Christmas and Holiday Book Festival continues at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven, and today, Soul of the Wolf is a featured title. Check it out here!

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a $75 Amazon gift card here. Wishing you the best of luck and a beautiful holiday season! 🙂

Christmas and Holiday Book Festival

01 Wednesday Dec 2021

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Amazon gift card, Christmas and Holiday Book Festival, giveaway, holiday read, holiday traditions, Judith Sterling, medieval romance series, N. N. Light's Book Heaven, Soul of the Wolf, The Novels of Ravenwood

Calling all readers! If you enjoy holiday-themed books–or simply books which take place during the holiday season–you’re in luck. We’re celebrating all month long at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven’s Christmas and Holiday Book Festival. 34 holiday-themed books featured, plus a chance to win a $75 Amazon gift card.

I’m thrilled to be a part of this event. On December 8th, the spotlight will be on Soul of the Wolf, the second book in The Novels of Ravenwood medieval romance/time travel series. I’ll be sharing one of my family’s holiday traditions and an excerpt from the book. Other participating authors will do the same.

Bookmark this event and come back every day:

https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/christmas-holiday-festival

Enter to win the gift card here! The giveaway is open internationally, but you must have an active Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to be eligible. The drawing will be held on January 3rd, 2022.

Good luck, and happy December! 🙂

SANTA BABY by Peggy Jaeger

07 Monday Jun 2021

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Christmas, contemporary romance, holiday read, holiday romance, New England, new release, novella, Peggy Jaeger, prequel, Santa Baby, sweet romance

Congrats to Peggy Jaeger, whose new release, Santa Baby, is out today! If you love holiday reads, you’ll want to snap up this sweet romance novella. It’s the prequel to a full-length Christmas book releasing this November. Here’s a little about the story:

It’s Christmas Eve morning in the tiny New England town of Dickens.

Santa’s arrival is imminent, and a hint of snow is in the air.

Amy Dorrit is just about to open her popular diner for the breakfast rush when she discovers an abandoned baby on her back doorstep.

Amy knows she should call the authorities and turn the infant over to them, but she just can’t. Thoughts of her own abandonment as a baby flood through her and she wants to keep the little one out of the hands of the authorities until the mother – hopefully –returns.

But will the mom come back? And if she doesn’t, what is Amy prepared to do about the baby who has, already, claimed her heart?

A peek inside:

As she moved through the breezeway connecting the diner to her apartment, Amy heard a mewling sound at the back alley door. Her cook, Willie, often left scraps out for strays, especially in winter, and sometimes when she took the trash out at the end of the day, Amy would find a mamma cat searching for something to feed her kittens.

Amy opened the door, expecting to see a hungry animal looking for a handout, and got the shock of the century when she found a baby carrier, complete with a crying infant nestled in it.

She gasped, her head flicking right, then left, to find the person responsible for leaving a baby out in the frigid night air.

“Hello? Is anyone here?”

The still sleeping and silent town surrounded her as shoe impressions in the fresh snow indicated the baby hadn’t been there for long.

The infant’s howl echoed in the quiet.

“Oh, you poor thing. Let’s get you out of the cold.”

Watch the trailer:

Buy the book here!

About Peggy:

Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes Romantic Comedies about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them. If she can make you cry on one page and bring you out of tears rolling with laughter the next, she’s done her job as a writer!

Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, she brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she’s created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

When she’s not writing Peggy is usually painting, crafting, scrapbooking or decoupaging old steamer trunks she finds at rummage stores and garage sales.

As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go “What??!”

Where to find her:

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | YouTube | Instagram | Pinterest | LinkedIn | Amazon | Triberr

All the best, Peggy! Wishing you great success with the book!

Christmas and Holiday Book Festival ~ SHADOW OF THE SWAN

10 Thursday Dec 2020

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Amazon gift card, Barnes and Noble gift card, Christmas and Holiday Book Festival, excerpt, giveaway, holiday read, holiday traditions, Judith Sterling, N. N. Light's Book Heaven, Shadow of the Swan, The Novels of Ravenwood

The Christmas and Holiday Book Festival continues at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven! Today, they’re featuring an excerpt from Shadow of the Swan, the third of The Novels of Ravenwood. I also share a family holiday tradition. Check it out here!

 

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway! You could win one of 5 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift cards. Wishing you luck and a joyous holiday season!  🙂

 

CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAY BOOK FESTIVAL ~ N. N. Light’s Book Heaven

01 Tuesday Dec 2020

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Amazon gift card, Barnes and Noble gift card, Christmas and Holiday Book Festival, giveaway, holiday read, holiday-themed books, Judith Sterling, N. N. Light's Book Heaven, Shadow of the Swan, The Novels of Ravenwood

N. N. Light’s Book Heaven is celebrating Christmas and the holidays all month long with their Christmas and Holiday Book Festival. 48 books featured–many of them holiday-themed–plus a chance to win one of the following:

~ $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

~ $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

~ $25 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

~ $15 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

~ $10 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

I’m thrilled to be a part of this event. My book, Shadow of the Swan, will be featured on December 10th.

Each author will share a family holiday tradition, including me. You won’t want to miss it.

Bookmark this event and come back every day:

https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/christmas-holiday-festival

Enter to win here!

Open internationally.

Runs December 1 – 31.

Drawing will be held on January 4.

Good luck!  🙂

An Interview with Jennifer Wilck, author of WAITING FOR A MIRACLE

19 Thursday Dec 2019

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Author Interview, Hanukkah, holiday read, Jennifer Wilck, Judith Sterling, The Wild Rose Press, Waiting for a Miracle

I’m thrilled to have a sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) here today to talk about her life as an author and her new release, Waiting for a Miracle.  Please welcome Jennifer Wilck!

At what age did you write your first story?

Oh my gosh, I’ve been writing since I was a little girl. But my first book was published by Whiskey Creek Press when I was thirty-six years old.

Which genre was the first to hook you?

I’ve always loved writing romance. I grew up reading Danielle Steele, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Judith McNaught, etc., so when I decided to start writing, that’s the genre I turned to.

What was your first published book?

A Heart of Little Faith, published by Whiskey Creek Press. They went out of business, and I eventually self-published it. It’s available now as an e-book only on Amazon.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process? Brainstorming?  Research?  Outlining?  Writing?  Editing?

I love when a character starts talking to me and I’m compelled to write it down.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on several projects. I was approached by a group of authors to join them in a self-publishing venture—we all write our own books but they revolve around a similar theme and legend. Mine comes out in the fall, so I’m busy writing right now. I’m also in the middle of editing a series of books that I need to figure out what to do with.

Of all the settings you’ve used (or created!) for your books, which is your favorite? Why?

I write a lot of Jewish characters, so many of my books are set in New York City or the surrounding area. It’s what I know best, so it comes easily to me.

Have you ever dreamed about a character you created?

All the time! I still dream about Gideon from A Heart of Little Faith.

Awesome! If you could have a conversation with anyone—dead or alive—who would it be?

I’ve always been intrigued by Thomas Jefferson. I’d love to talk to him about his inventions. And I’d love to talk to my grandmother—I have some serious questions for her!

My husband and I used to work for Colonial Williamsburg, so I agree with you about Thomas Jefferson. He’d be a fun guy to talk to. If you could travel to any time and place, when and where would that be?

So many places and time periods! I’d love to go to Scotland in the middle ages, the US during the Revolutionary times, Jerusalem during Biblical times…

Cool choices! If you could step inside any book or series and live there for a week, which would you choose?

Lynn Kurland has two series that intertwine—the dePiaget Family and the MacLeod Family. They are time-travel romances and I’d love to explore them for at least a week if not longer.

If a fairy godmother appeared and offered you one thing—anything at all—what would you request?

Happiness for my family.

I want that for mine, too. Now, it’s time to learn some of your favorites!

Sound: My girls’ laughter

Eye color: green

Foreign language (whether or not you speak it!): French

Song: “1000 Years”

Book: Jane Eyre

Movie: Dirty Dancing

TV show: MI-5

Cuisine: Anything I don’t have to cook

LOL. I love it! Cookie: chocolate chip–mine

US location: Block Island, RI

Foreign location: Paris

And finally, list your preference from the following choices:

Tea or coffee? Coffee in the morning, tea at night

Cake or pie? My mom’s apple pie

Nancy Drew or Sherlock Holmes? Sherlock Holmes

Jane Austen or the Brontë sisters? Brontë sisters

A mortal, vampire, ghost, or fae for a lover? Depends on who he is.

English gent, Scottish highlander, European count, or all-American guy? Scottish Highlander

Thanks so much for joining me today, Jennifer.  Waiting for a Miracle sounds like a wonderful read, and I love the cover!  Wishing you all the best with it!

For all you avid readers, here’s the scoop on the story:

Benjamin Cohen, widowed father of six-year-old Jessie, is doing his best to hold it together through order and routine. The last thing he needs is his matchmaker mother to set him up with her next door neighbor, no matter how attractive she is.

Rachel Schaecter’s dream of becoming a foster mother is right within her grasp, until her meddlesome neighbor tries to set her up with her handsome son. What’s worse? He’s the father of her favorite kindergarten student! She can’t afford to let anything come between her and her dream, no matter how gorgeous he may be.

Can these two determined people trust in the miracle of Hanukkah to let love and light into their lives?

A peek between the pages:

Six-year-old bodies were good at many things— bouncing, hugging, and racing. Rachel was thankful they were also good at hiding her surprise. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine her favorite student, and her student’s father, would be at her neighbor’s house the same night she was invited to celebrate Hanukkah.

She met the hard gaze of Jessie’s father across the room. Eyes narrowed as if he suspected her reasons for being here. His broad shoulders were stiff. His jean-clad muscular legs were spread apart in a solid stance. Square hands fisted at his sides, and one of them held a menorah. Did he plan to throw it or club someone with it?

Giving Jessie a last pat, she rose. With an arm around Jessie, she extended her other hand to her father. “Happy Hanukkah.”

“Ms. Schaecter.”

“Mr. Cohen.”

“Oh, please,” Harriet said, “Such formality between you two. Rachel, this is my son Benny. I mean Benjamin.”

Benny. Rachel filed the information away for later, along with his flushed skin at the nickname. Interesting.

“And Benjamin, this is my neighbor, Rachel. We’re not at a school event. You can call each other by your first names.” Harriet pointed at Jessie, who gripped Rachel’s hand so hard, Rachel’s fingers lost their circulation. “Except for you,” Harriet added. “You have to call her Ms. Schaecter.”

Jessie giggled. “Yes, Grandma.”

Buy the book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

More about Jennifer:

Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. Pretty soon, her head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Even as an adult, she thinks about the characters and stories at night before she falls asleep or walking the dog. Eventually, she started writing them down. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong and slightly vulnerable heroes; and her stories always end with happily ever after.

In the real world, she’s the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men she knows. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate.

She writes contemporary romance, some of which are mainstream and some of which involve Jewish characters. She’s published with The Wild Rose Press and all her books are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Where to find her:

Website: http://www.jenniferwilck.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Wilck-201342863240160/

Newsletter: https://www.jenniferwilck.com/contact.html#newsletter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JWilck

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjenniferwilck/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jennifer-wilck

Recent Posts

  • PRG Reviewer’s Choice Nominee ~ TRIP THE LIGHT PHANTASMIC
  • Wintertime Reading Bookish Event ~ NIGHT OF THE OWL
  • New Year New Books Fete ~ TRIP THE LIGHT PHANTASMIC
  • New Year New Books Fete ~ N. N. Light’s Book Heaven
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