Debra St. John Offers a Challenge About Her Holiday Book - New Year's Eve at The Corral

Please welcome my good friend and guest, Debra St. John, who happens to have just released a great holiday book called New Year's Eve at The Corral

First, here's what Debra has to say about her new book:

Tina Perkins thinks falling in love with your best friend is a tired cliché. She's had a flirty friendship with Nick Jameson forever, and she likes it that way. Until she's dared to sleep with him and suddenly can't stop thinking about what it would be like to cross that friends to lovers line. 
 
Nick wants Tina. Badly. New Year's Eve is the perfect time to make a resolution to get her into his bed. He doesn't want to ruin the friendship they share, but adding 'with benefits' to the label would make things perfect. 
 
As the clock ticks closer to midnight, there's a lot at stake. Will a night of passion ruin everything or lead to a lifetime of love?

AND NOW HERE'S DEBRA'S CHALLENGE:

When I submitted this story, my editor told me books of this length don't sell well. My immediate thought was how fun it would be to prove her wrong. (In the best way possible!)

Almost immediately an idea began to form. As crazy as it sounds, I decided to challenge myself to sell a thousand copies of this book.  Why a thousand, you ask? Simply because a hundred didn't seem like enough (LOL).

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee (and I'm not even talking about one of those fancy frou frou ones) you can help me win this personal challenge. All you have to do is buy a copy of the book.  (Passing word of the challenge along to your reader friends would be appreciated, too.)

You might be thinking: What's in this for me? Well, I'll tell you...First, you get to read a great story! You also have the chance to win  some prizes. (And who doesn't love prizes?) If you buy a copy of the book, if you tell a friend (or two or three or ten....you know, like those old commercials: And she told two friends and she told two friends and so on and so on...), if you Tweet about the challenge or post about it on Facebook, or if you leave a comment here, you can earn Rafflecopter entry points. The winner of the Rafflecopter drawing will get a paperback set (autographed of course!) of the original Corral series: This Time for Always, This Can't Be Love, and This Feels Like Home (If you're outside the continental U S of A the set will be digital.) AND digital copies (in the format of your choice) of the first four books in the Holidays at The Corral series (Christmas, Valentine's Day, Fourth of July, and Halloween).

So, what are you waiting for? Go grab a copy of New Year's Eve at The Corral !

TWRP: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4728-new-year-s-eve-at-the-corral.html             

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MEEI0NN?tag=thewildrosepr-20

B & N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/new-years-eve-at-the-corral-debra-st-john/1124933779?ean=2940156932573

Happy Reading and many, many thanks for participating in my challenge!

Rafflecopter Links:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/017cafc21/?

Twitter hashtag: #sellathousand

P.S. If you can't wait to find out if you've won copies of the holiday books, they are on sale for half price for  most of the month of January 2017.

The Christmas Card List by Morgan Mandel

This is a revised version of a short story I wrote in 2009 for a friend's blog. Since it's one of my favorites, I'd like to share it with you this Christmas Season.

Although this is a work of fiction, some of its aspects still ring true for me and many others who send out Christmas cards each year. I hope you enjoy it.

Abby frowned, as she set the Christmas cards on the kitchen counter and reached for her pen in the junk drawer. What used to give her joy now filled her with sadness. Once she’d groaned at the money she’d spent on cards and stamps. She wished that were still true.

Time marches on. Many of the people who’d touched her life were gone. Some had moved on and left no forwarding addresses, but too many others now resided where no mail could reach them.

“I miss you,” she said aloud to the empty kitchen.

A wintry afternoon snow/sleet mix pelted the windows. The wind howled, reinforcing Abby's feelings of abandonment.

Christmastime was supposed to be a happy season, but she couldn’t shake off her melancholy. She should be grateful for those who were left, and she was. Still, she longed for the one’s she’d never see again. Mom and Dad, sis, her niece, Nancy, her good friends, Judy and Maureen, and so many others were not around anymore. At times like this, she regretted not finding someone to share her life. Then again, maybe he’d have gone the way of the others.

She padded on her fuzzy slippers to the wooden table, pulled out the matching chair and began penning notes inside the cards.

It was hard to make her stiff fingers move right, with the arthritis taking over, not to mention she was more used to typing than writing in cursive.

Forty years as an administrative assistant, first on a typewriter, then a computer, did that to a person. Five years after retirement, she still hardly wrote, choosing to use a keyboard instead.

That reminded her. She hadn’t checked her e-mail and blogs. She’d do it after she finished the cards. Her heart lifted at the thought.

All too soon she’d stamped the few cards, placed Christmas seals on their backs, and secured them with a rubber band. She’d mail them tomorrow. For now, she’d switch on the laptop computer on her kitchen desk and see what everybody in the cyber world was up to.

The usual mass of e-mails awaited her from e-groups she’d joined over the years. Also, she hadn’t gone through her blog roll yet to see what was going on there, not to mention the Facebook and Twitter posts.

Smiling, she entered the world of her cyber friends, and commiserated and/or cheered, according to what was appropriate. Janet had had a baby girl and both were doing fine, Sue’s dog was eating chair legs, John wanted suggestions for an inexpensive, caring Christmas gift for his girlfriend.

When Abby started to get hungry, a glance at the monitor’s clock surprisingly told her two hours had passed. 

The time had been well spent. Though she’d only met one or two of them in person, her online friends were real and important to her. Every day they shared secrets, triumphs and sorrows with each other. Wasn’t that what friendship was about?

She wasn’t so alone after all. A feeling of warmth stole over her, kind of like when she drank a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day. Her snail mail list may have diminished, but her Internet friends had grown. 

She was truly blessed. Smile widening, she got up to fix dinner.

Merry Christmas, Cyber Friends!

Morgan Mandel

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/morgan.mandel

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/author/morganmandel

OUR FUR BABIES - THE JOY AND PAIN OF LOVING DOGS - NOW AVAILABLE ON KINDLE!!!

I'm excited to announce that my first non-fiction ebook has been released!!!
It's about a subject very dear to my heart, and that of many others: Dogs.

OUR FUR BABIES IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON AT: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTS3RVR

WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
In the 44 years since my husband, Paul, and I have been married, we've been graced with the presence of 5 separate dogs in our lives: Sadie, Missy, Morgan (from whom I got my pen name), Rascal, and Buster, our present fur baby.

In this book, I take you through the happy and sad times we experience, as each dog enters our home and our hearts. Lots of photos are included. In the cover photo, the two of us pose with our first dog, a basset hound named Sadie.

As the book progresses, for some odd reason Paul and I look older in the photos, but it's still us!

Maybe you'll relate to our experiences, or maybe by reading about them you'll be inspired to adopt a fur baby of your own!

                                             https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTS3RVR

Finally, Hailey's Chance is Ready and Out!

Hailey's Chance is now ready for your reading enjoyment at:
 http://www.amazon.com/Haileys-Chance-Will-Baby-Deerview-ebook/dp/B013D2FB78




Here's what this Christian Women's Fiction story is about:

 Bursting with anticipation, Hailey awaits the arrival of her first child. Then, one morning, the unthinkable happens, turning her joy to grief.

 When her neighbor offers a startling suggestion, Hailey’s torn. Should she take a chance? The offer is tempting, yet if something goes wrong, she’d be wide open for more heartbreak.

This standalone novella is a prequel to the previously released Christmas Carol. Both are set in the fictional small town of Deerview, Wisconsin.

 

 

 

**HERE'S AN EXCERPT FROM HAILEY'S CHANCE: WILL BABY MAKE 3**

                   

                   CHAPTER ONE - JUNE 27

 

Will this day ever end?

Hailey Burke shifted her weight behind the checkout counter at Deerview Foods and turned to the next customer. At sight of the tight tank top, short shorts, and tats running up and down the arms of her former classmate, Lynn Manning, Hailey flashed a welcoming smile.

Sure, the dishwater blonde’s coal black eyeliner and matching lips seemed extreme, but appearances were deceptive. Inside lurked a sweet and loyal soul. Too bad Lynn had chosen troublemaker, Billy Wallace, as the object of her affections.

Thinking back to their high school senior year, when Billy had tripped the fire alarm to get out of taking a math test, Hailey resisted a chuckle. He sure was a character. It’s a wonder he’d graduated with the rest of them.

Five years had passed since then, yet nothing much had changed. Enough tourists drifted into town to keep businesses going, but not enough to make anyone rich. Jobs might be scarce, but Deerview was where Hailey was born and would stay, alongside her hubby, Ryan.

“How’s it going, Lynn?” Hailey pretended not to notice the home pregnancy test sliding past her on the conveyor belt between the frozen pizza and the cold cereal.

“Same old, same old,” Lynn said, her eyes lingering on Hailey’s belly. “Say, aren’t you about due? How much longer?”

“A month, give or take a few weeks.” At the thought of finally seeing and touching her baby, Hailey’s heart soared and her smile widened.

“Looks like you can hardly wait.”

“You’ve got that right. It’s no fun carrying this extra load, but it will all be worth it.”

“Your child will be so lucky.”

“No, we’re the lucky ones.”

At Lynn’s wistful look, Hailey felt a pang of pity. If Lynn’s test proved positive, life would not be easy for her. She’d get small support from her single mother, who existed in a drunken haze, nor knucklehead Billy, the likely father.

 

This book is available for Amazon Kindle purchase, or borrow from Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited at

http://www.amazon.com/Haileys-Chance-Will-Baby-Deerview-ebook/dp/B013D2FB78

 

Short Link: http://amzn.com/B013D2FB78

 

Find all of Morgan Mandel's Romances, Mysteries,

Thrillers, and Women's Fiction on Amazon on;

 

http://www.amazon.com/author/MorganMandel

 

Excerpts on:

http://morgansbooklinks.blogspot.com

 

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/morgan.mandel

 

Twitter:

@MorganMandel

 

 

 

CHRISTMAS CAROL FREEBIE HAPPENING THRU CHRISTMAS EVE

You may already know this. I have been saturating many sites with the news that my Christmas book, called Christmas Carol, is out and free through Christmas Eve. In case you don't know, and would like your freebie, here's the link:: 
http://amzn.com/B00R20N0B2 

I had begun this book last year, but started it late, and got so busy with Christmas happenings, I never got a chance to finish it. This time, though I remembered it late, yet cracked down on myself and did get the book done!

WHAT CHRISTMAS CAROL IS ABOUT:

A stranded big time author learns the meaning of life and love from a small town waitress named Christmas Carol.

Blake Dugan's car gets smashed in a snowstorm and he's stranded in a small town. At first, he's annoyed by the tone-deaf singing of a local waitress. That's before he learns the terrible secret compelling her to try and forget the unforgettable.

Can he help her forget? When his car’s ready, should he go, or should he stay?

Find all of my books at
http://www.amazon.com/author/morganmandel 

Excerpts at:
http://morgansbooklinks.blogspot.com 

Facebook:
htttp://www.facebook.com/morgan.mandel

TWITTER:
@MorganMandel

Do No Harm

I believe part of the Hippocratic oath is to do no harm. I also believe that's a good motto for an author to follow when writing.

Without giving anything away, I'll just say my new release, A PERFECT ANGEL, which is the sequel to HER HANDYMAN, rights a necessary wrong done to a character in the first book. 

Although each book is independent of the other and can be read separately, for best enjoyment, I recommend reading HER HANDYMAN first, and then A PERFECT ANGEL.

After you've read them both, you'll see what I mean about Do No Harm.

Find all of Morgan Mandel's romances, mysteries & thrillers at 

her Amazon Author's Page:

http://www.amazon.com/author/morganmandel

For excerpts from all of her books see the Morgan's Book Links Blog:

http://morgansbooklinks.blogspot.com

Twitter: @MorganMandel

HER HANDYMAN FREE ON FRIDAY, SAT, SUNDAY - JULY 18, 19, 20!!!

Celebrating the release of A Perfect Angel,  the 2nd in the 2-Book Perfect Match Romance Series by offering Her Handyman, the 1st in the series free.

Here are the freebie dates:

Friday    -  July 18

Saturday - July 19

Sunday   -  July 20

Click the Book Names or the Pictures to get to each link.

Take advantage of this freebie while it lasts!

Find all of my chick-lit romances at:

http://www.morgandoeschicklit.com

All my romances, mysteries & thrillers are at: http://www.amazon.com/author/morganmandel

Twitter: @MorganMandelhttp://www.amazon.com/Her-Handyman-Perfect-Match-Book-ebook/dp/B0097EVXBK

A Perfect Angel Just Got Released!

Last evening, I took the plunge and finally released A Perfect Angel, the second of the two part, Perfect Match series. The first in the series was Her Handyman. I have some ideas about extending the series, but am not sure yet if that will happen. I have a number of other books to complete first!

If you haven't yet read Her Handyman, I hate to give too much away. I can say I felt sorry for one of the characters in the first book. She was a nice person. I wanted her to get a happy ending, because she deserved it!
.

                                                    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP0EWQM

Read A Perfect Angel and let me know whether or not you agree I did the right thing by her!!!

Morgan Mandel

Find all of Morgan Mandel's books at her Amazon Central Page: 

http://www.amazon.com/author/morganmandel

Read excerpts at http://morgansbook.links.blogspot.com

Twitter: @MorganMandel

A Perfect Angel Is On the Way I Promise!

Events seem to conspire delaying the publication of A Perfect Angel, my sequel to the romantic comedy, Her Handyman. I discovered a flaw which necessitated a rewrite, but am convinced the book is all for the better now.

I hope to have it ready and out by June sometime. When it is, everyone will know!

Morgan Mandel
Find all of my romances and mysteries
at http://morgansbooklinks.blogspot.com

Also, at my Amazon Author Page:
http://amazon.com/author/morganlmandel

Connect on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/morgan.mandel

Twitter:@MorganMandel

St. Joseph's Day and the St. Joseph's Day Table - a Repeat Blog from March 19, 2009

Because I've made some new friends since this was last posted, and also since some of the friends I did know before have a short memory, here's my post about a St. Joseph's Day Table from 2009. Unfortunately, we haven't had any St. Joseph's Day Tables around here recently. The comments still remain here from that post, but you're still welcome to add another.

Okay, here goes:

You'd have to live in a cave not to be aware of March 17, St. Patrick's Day, a day for wearing of the green, when even people who aren't Irish pretend to be.

In passing, I just happened to mention to a few people about St. Joseph's Day, an Italian feast day, celebrated on March 19, a day for wearing of the red. They'd never heard of it before. Also, they'd never heard of a St. Joseph's Day Table.

If you belong to the category of people who have never heard of or participated in a St. Joseph's Day Table, you've missed out on a wonderful event.

The St. Joseph's Day Table is said to have originated in the Middle Ages when a drought struck Sicily and families prayed to God and also to St. Joseph. To stay alive, many of them resorted to eating fava beans. When their prayers were answered and the rains came, the Italians named March 19 as a special feast day dedicated to St. Joseph. They set up a grand table of food to share and celebrate. Since it was Lent, the food was meatless, but plentiful. Flowers and other decorations added to the festivities.

From such roots the present St. Joseph's Day Table was born, traditionally celebrated sometime near March 19, consisting of a massive buffet of meatless dishes, usually with more than one variety of pasta, along with salads, breads, plus almost any kind of pastry you can think of, with lots of flowers and other decorations.

The St. Joseph's Day Table not only provides a grand feast, but also lucky fava beans, a talisman purported to prevent pantries from going bare.

I've posted a few photos of the St. Joseph's Day Table held one Sunday at our church hall.

I'd be interested to know if anyone else has heard of St. Joseph's Day or a St. Joseph's Day Table. Also, have you been to one? Please share.

Morgan Mandel, who is part Italian!

Cover Reveal for a Perfect Angel is At Book Beat Babes today

Come on over to Book Beat Babes for a cover reveal of A Perfect Angel, the sequel to Her Handyman.

http://bookbeatbabes.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-perfect-angel-cover-reveal.html

Morgan Mandel
http://www.facebook.com/morgan.mandel
Twitter:@MorganMandel

A Perfect Angel

I've been working on a sequel to Her Handyman, my romantic comedy. This one's called A Perfect Angel, and follows what happens to one of the main characters in Her Handyman.

You'll be able to read A Perfect Angel by itself, but the experience will be better if you read Her Handyman first.

Otherwise, you'll know what happens in the first book before you get a chance to read it.

Stay tuned for more, as it develops.

And, when A Perfect Angel is closer to being done, I'll do a cover reveal!

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com
Twitter: @MorganMandel

To Celebrate Killer Career's New Cover, I'm Doing a Freebie Dec 31 Thru Jan 3

My romantic suspense, Killer Career, has a brand new cover! To celebrate her new look, I'm offering freebie for t he kindle version.

 When: Tues, December 31 through Friday, January 3.

Take a few minutes out during this busy time and come on over to grab your copy, then read it at our leisure!

http://amzn.com/B002PDOPPG

By the way, your honest book reviews are always appreciated!

Morgan Mandel

Blessing or Curse Collection Now Available or Get Its Short Stories Separately

Finally out! The sequel to Forever Young: Blessing or Curse is finally out!

Get the Blessing or Curse Selection or buy one or two of the short stories separately.

In this sequel to Forever Young: Blessing or Curse, read how Forever Young, the turn-back-the-clock pill, impacts the lives and loves of five new test subjects.

http://amzn.com/B00EMY1PWW

Get the short stories in the Blessing or Curse Collection link above for $2.99, or buy separately @ 99 cents each.

WHO'LL MEND THIS BROKEN MAN

Desperation forces Consuela to order the Forever Young pill to cure her husband, Diego, from Parkinson’s Disease; but is the cure really a curse?

http://amzn.com/B00EMPREZ8

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING
Ezekiel, an African-American male, can't get it up for his lady love, Luana. Will the pill draw them closer together or drive her away?

http://amzn.com/B00EMPRDBI

WHAT I DID FOR LOVE

Strawberry blonde model, Sherri, sees her popularity fading, along with her looks. The pill can bring her fame and fortune, but what about love?

http://amzn.com/B00EMY1T3M

SUSPICION

Doormat, Dee Dee Marshall, takes a bold step when evidence points to her husband's infidelity. 

http://amzn.com/B00EMY1S8I

FOR THE LOVE OF DOG

Overweight Chicago Police Officer Walinski must pass a new physical or lose his job, along with his beloved canine partner. Can the young pill offer security, when danger lurks in the line of duty?

http://amzn.com/B00EMY1QVW

Coming Soon is Always Young, the exciting conclusion to the Always Young Trilogy, where readers will learn the fate of the first book’s original characters.

Find all of Morgan Mandel's books at her Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/author/morganmandel

Blessing or Curse Almost Ready for Release

Just to let you know, Blessing or Curse is almost ready for release. I'm working on some final edits, and hope to have everything ready by the middle of the month, after all the 4th of July festivities are over, and people are back in the mood for reading.

This second book in the Always Young Trilogy differs from the thriller, Forever Young: Blessing or Curse, in that this one concentrates on the test subjects' loves and relationships. The last book, a thriller called Always Young, will answer all questions about the original characters and villains.

What Blessing or Curse Is About -
Five Separate People with Five Separate Stories,
Yet One Thing in Common:
They All Take a Pill to Turn Back The Clock.

Who'll Mend This Broken Man - Diego's frantic wife, Consuela, hopes to restore her Parkinson-crippled husband to his former self.

Too Much of a Good Thing - Ezekial, suffering from E.D., wants desperately to live up to the African-American male image.

What I Did For Love - Has-been model, Sherri, will resort to anything to get back into the game.

Suspicion - Doormat Dee Dee turns over a new leaf when she suspects her husband of cheating.

For the Love of Dog - Chicago cop, Mike, fears for the loss of job and dog if he fails a physical.

Check out all of Morgan Mandel's Books at
http://www.morganmandel.com
Read Excerpts at http://morgansbooklinks.blogspot.com
Connect on Twitter: @MorganMandel

Forever Young: Blessing or Curse Promo Tale

Since my thriller, Forever Young: Blessing or Curse, had participated in quite a few KDP Select freebie events  before this past weekend, I wondered if the market was already saturated for this combination thriller, science fiction, and romance novel. Not so!

I was pleasantly surprised when the major promotional site, Ereader News Today jumped on the bandwagon and picked up my novel on their site. What a difference it makes when a popular promotional site backs a book!

For the first time, Forever Young: Blessing or Curse made it into the top 100 Free Kindle Books. Not only that, it made it to #50 and ranked at #2 in Science Fiction. That was quite a surprise, a very pleasant one at that!

This is especially significant since I'm three-fourths through edits for the sequel, Blessing or Curse, which I hope to send to my editor, Helen Ginger, very soon for finishing touches.

Moral of the story: don't sell your book short. There may still be great times ahead!

Though Forever Young: Blessing or Curse is now back at its original price of $2.99, if you're an Amazon Prime member, you can still get a free copy. Or, you can pay the $2.99. Here's the link: http://amzn.com/B006MO28CQ

This book is for all those who wish to be young again, and for those who still are!

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com

Forever Young: Blessing or Curse - Free Today and Sunday - April 6 & 7

If you enjoy Thrillers with a touch of Science Fiction and Romance, here's your chance to get a Kindle/PC copy free!

Some of you may already have yours, but if not, here's the link for Forever Young: Blessing or Curse, which is going free for Kindle/PC through Sunday, April 7.

http://amzn.com/B006MO28CQ

You're invited to pass this along to anyone else who'd appreciate a copy.

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com
Twitter: @MorganMandel

Onward March!

I had a lot of fun with the recent Her Handyman promotion. Since this book has already been featured in free book promos four times, I decided that today will be the last day for it participate in the KDP Select program. I may reinstate it in the program at a later date for new readers to enjoy.

In the meantime, it's onward march, getting my taxes done. After that, it's working on Blessing or Curse, my anthology about what happens to five people who take the Forever Young pill.

Promoting takes up a lot of time, and is necessary. Still, I do need to get back to writing!

If you missed out on the freebie, today only, if you're a Prime member, you can still get Her Handyman for free. Everyone else needs to cough up 99 cents! http://amzn.com/B0097EVXBK

Find all of Morgan Mandel's books at
http://www.morganmandel.com

Connect on Twitter at
@MorganMandel

Catch the Her Handyman Freebie March 1 thru March 3!

Time for another Her Handyman Freebie!

If you don't have your Kindle or PC copy of Her Handyman yet, you've got another chance during the three day freebie promotion from Friday, March 1, 2013 through Sunday, March 3, 2013.

Come and get it!

For those who prefer sweet romance with a touch of humor, Her Handyman is your kind of book. Be amazed at what happens when Jake, the handyman, answers a routine call about a bathroom flood in the middle of the night. The sight greeting him is a Flower Child lookalike clutching a pathetic-looking guilty dog. The seventies throwback is far different than his sexy, perfect fiance'.

Removing a dog toy from a toilet should be a simple matter. Who'd guess fate would step in and cause chaos?

Read all about it in Her Handyman at http://amzn.com/B0097EVXBK

Morgan Mandel
& Her Dog, Rascal

Catch Morgan Mandel's romantic comedies at
http://www.chicklitfaves.com

Find Excerpts and Buy links to all of Morgan's books at http://www.morganmandel.com

Connect on Twitter: @MorganMandel