Spotlight on: Unexpected Gift - Dani's Story (Christmas Fairy Tales - 2)
Life has taught housekeeper Dani Johnson to be cynical and untrusting. The local veterinarian and a very special cat work hard to soften her heart this Christmas. However, the untimely revelation of his secrets might cause Dani to run from love forever.
May read as a stand-alone novella but has crossover characters from Unexpected Gift - Cali's Story.
~~EXCERPT~~
“I never knew cats needed this much space,” she admitted. “Back home, we have outdoor cats to keep the mice population down. We never had all this stuff for them.”
“Are you sure you can handle keeping her?” Jaxon asked, skepticism plain to see in his blue-grey eyes.
Dani allowed a half grin to creep across her face. “Are you sure you can handle giving her up?”
“I have to admit, I’ll miss having something warm and cuddly in my bed every night.” He gave her a pointed look that had Dani feeling hot again.
“If you play your cards right, your bed doesn’t have to stay empty.”
Jaxon’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. “Oh? You know someone offering to fill the empty spot?”
“Sure do.” Dani giggled, surprised by how alive and happy she had felt while being with Jaxon for the evening. “I’m absolutely certain your new dog would love to sleep with you.”
Chuckling, Jaxon shook his head. “Tease.”
“What else did you expect?” she asked, pretending innocence as she rocked back and forth on her heels. “I’m just a simple country girl. You have to spell things out for me.”
“There’s nothing simple about you.”
Christmas Pets & Kisses 2 - Order now! Release date: October 11.
Twelve new Christmas romances - all sweet and all with very sweet pets. And for a limited time only, you can get this box set for only $0.99!
We Wish You A Ferret Christmas by Nikki Lynn Barrett
Widower Lance Rossiter wants nothing to do with the pet ferret who caused his daughter to be hit by a car. Widow Cara McLean is shocked by the ferret her son finds and wants to keep. When Lance and Cara meet, sparks fly and love suddenly seems possible. Can a lost and found ferret bring two fractured families together?
Excerpt “We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you....” Children's voices blended with a few adult ones filled the hallways. Seriously? Lance Rossiter glanced up from the magazine he'd barely been looking at anyway to peer out the hospital room door. Christmas carolers? So people still did things like that? He found it a little disheartening that Christmas tunes were sung as a background noise to beeping machines- one of them currently hooked up to his five year old daughter to monitor her breathing.
Fine. Maybe some people felt the need to surround themselves with the holiday. He could put on a little cheer and go with the flow. He loved Christmas, as did Tamara, but his bad mood reflected on his first reaction to wave off the cheery carolers.
Nah, really they were a welcome sound. Plastering on a smile, he stood and quietly moved toward the holiday cheerers. He watched as the group of around eight or more kids with two adults slowly walked down the hospital hallways singing. In their hands, they each carried a bag. Lance spotted a teddy bear hanging out of one of them. So not only were they singing, but bringing gifts as well. Maybe a get-well effort? Kind of like candy stripers, or whatever you call them. They weren't over-the-top loud, and their harmonies blended well. Others had taken up his idea and lined the doors of hospital rooms. Some were wearing a smile, but others were unsure what to make of the whole scene.
When the kids spread out and handed each person a bag, his heart melted. Well, this wasn't something he saw every day. What a sweet gesture. Whoever organized this event deserved a medal. This was a perfect way to brighten a sick child's day.
A little sandy blond haired boy Lance guessed to be about seven trailed behind. He wasn't singing, and his face was masked into one of confusion and worry. The woman leading the group stopped, smiled, and held her hand out to him. “Come on, Alex. Don't be afraid,” she soothed. “You love music.”
The boy didn't reach for her hand. He trailed close behind the woman, but didn't make eye contact with her. His gaze was cast downward. The child shuffled his feet along the tile.
“Look up at me, please,” the woman said softly. The rest of their party continued down the hall singing. The kid clutched the gift bag.
Lance should have gone inside, but he continued to watch the two. Most of the other patients and family members had already disappeared from the doorway, probably taking pictures of the goodies, posting them on social media, and sharing them with the patients.
“No! Leave me alone!” The boy screamed and ran from her, barreling straight towards Lance. Startled, he took a step back as the boy plowed into him, ran into the room, and closed himself off in the bathroom.
Alrighty then. Talk about awkward.
“I'm so terribly sorry!” The woman's cheeks reddened as she darted toward him. “I'd hoped for a better outcome today.” She shoved her frizzy brown curls from her face.
Unsure what to do or say, Lance shrugged his shoulders. “Kids will be kids.” He stared back at Tamara and hoped this situation could be resolved quickly. He felt for the little boy, who was obviously having some kind of meltdown. He also sympathized with the woman, who'd become very flustered and nervous.
“Alex, please come out of the bathroom. I don't want to have to call your mom. She's very busy at work today,” she coaxed from outside the door.
The sound of crying wafted through the walls. Lance didn't want to sit back down, but standing around seemed like the wrong thing to do. He didn't want to leave the room in search of a nurse or someone else who could help, either. He blew out a breath and hoped to hide his exasperation. While patient and understanding, he silently pleaded with no one in particular for this to get situated quickly.
The woman glanced back at him again. “I really am sorry-”
“It happens.” He waved it off, but Lance wished he'd never walked toward the door. Would that have stopped the little boy from running into his room? Maybe not. Thank God for little favors, though. Tamara hadn't woken from her nap to this mess.
The woman pulled out a cell phone and, in a desperate plea, spoke into it. “Cara? I'm sorry to bother you, but Alex locked himself in a bathroom at the hospital. In a patient's room. I think it's best you come down here.”
Lance stifled a groan. This could take a while.
As the boy inside the bathroom continued to wail, the sound of Christmas carolers on TV now drew his attention, singing the same song he'd just heard.
“We wish you a Merry Christmas....”
Some Christmas.
*****
Cara McLean ignored the frustrated mixed with pity stare from her boss as once again she had to leave her desk for another meltdown rescue. Alex had been been having meltdown after meltdown at school, and more frequently she continued to go there to coax him out of a room. It wasn't really the teachers' faults. They didn't know how to handle him.
Just before school, Alex had been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, after countless appointments and evaluations. She'd dodged the suggestions for months about moving Alex to a more private school setting. He was a bright kid and had a lot of talent, but it appeared his behavioral issues were going to be in the way of regular learning.
It took her a long time to accept it, and Cara hoped the damage hadn't already been done. She'd agonized over the decision and the pros and cons of it since the diagnosis. It didn't help being a widowed mom of two and going at this alone, especially since Cara had attempted to convince her late husband that something wasn't right with Alex. No, he'd avoided the subject and said she was paranoid. Nothing could be wrong with his son.
Now, things were spiraling out of control. Time to actually get something done about it. Swiping at stray tears, she swallowed her regrets, then headed toward her car to drive to the hospital. Ten minutes later, she arrived in the crowded parking lot. Cara called Jean to find out where they were.
“Still in the room. The others have gone on to keep things normal.” There was a frantic note in Jean's voice. “I made that mistake again- mentioning for him to look at me- and he got extremely agitated. I'm sorry.”
Suppressing a sigh, Cara asked for the room number, then hung up and made her way. Alex's cries could be heard all the way down the hall. And no nurses helped? What about the patient in the room? Cheeks heated, Cara stepped up her pace. Nurses stood outside the door, baffled and unsure what to do.
“Excuse me, but that's my son in there. I'll get him out. I'm so sorry.” Cara apologized as she blew past them and bumped full force into a body. “I'm-”
Strong arms held her steady. “Careful there.” Her skin tingled where the man's hands still rested.
Cara stared up into the blue eyes of a gorgeous man. Oh, this must be his room, or at least a member of his family, as this was the children's ward. There was compassion, curiosity, and a whole lot of torture in those eyes. What a disaster! He continued to study her, and Cara was frozen in place. His bangs drifted across tan skin along his forehead. A tiny mole close to his hairline caught her attention for a moment. Sucking in a breath, Cara realized she'd better move, instead of staring back at this man.
“I'll have my son out of the bathroom in just a second,” she whispered, regaining her composure and jerking out of his hold. He dropped his hands to his sides. No wedding ring on his left hand. Why did she even look? A shiver rippled through her. Cara briefly searched the room. Her heart ached for the pale young girl in the bed with her eyes closed.
Could this day get any worse? Failure and worry settled over her shoulder like a heavy weight. She needed to coax Alex out of that bathroom, take him home, and make the necessary calls.
Cara ignored the stares and walked with rubbery legs to the door and knocked. “Come on out, Alex. I'm here. Please open the door, okay?” Her voice came out weak and squeaky. Ugh. She dared not to look back at the blue eyed man behind her, though she had to really work at that. Who cared what he thought about her? She'd never see him again. After today, Cara could wake up and forget about this encounter. But those eyes, the way they carried so much, really ate at her. He had a story to tell, but she'd never hear it.
“Mommy?” Alex's voice came out small and uncertain. What was he doing in there? Had he hurt himself? Was he curled up on the floor, trembling and scared? It bugged her to no end how she couldn't understand her son sometimes. What went on in his busy brain? What did he think and feel when hit with these meltdowns? Most people who weren't up to date with signs and symptoms of Asperger's would naturally assume a spoiled brat temper tantrum. Cara knew better, but she didn't feel like explaining herself every single time Alex had a meltdown. And it happened more and more in public. What should she do, not go out any more to avoid it? That wasn't the right answer, but she had no idea how to avoid that type of behavior. It all came down to wishing she could understand, so that making decisions would be easier.
“Yes, buddy. I'm here. Come on out so we can talk. There's a little girl who needs her rest, and we're in the way.” She kept her voice calm. No loudness, no distractions. Cara hoped for the best.
For a fraction of a minute, no one said anything. The crying stopped, but no other sounds came from behind the bathroom door. Cara anticipated a wail, a shout, something. Then after the hesitance, the door opened and Alex ran straight into her arms. Cara couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard several sighs of relief.
Yeah, they did what she felt like doing. Tears formed in her eyes as she held her son. “Will you say sorry to the nice man for barging into his room?”
Alex's lower lip quivered. Big eyes stared back at her, but her son did just what she asked. He pulled out of Cara's hug and stood before the man. “I'm sorry,” he mumbled.
“It's okay,” the man awkwardly replied. “I accept your apology.”
“Give him the gift bag for the little girl, Alex.” Jean broke her silence, prodding him gently.
He thrust out his hand, still clutching the bag. “Here you go.”
Mr. Blue Eyes smiled. Dimples. Oh, he had dimples. “Thank you, Alex.” Not a tone of disdain, not even an irritated scowl. He could have really pitched a fit, but the man took it all in stride. Cara sent him a look of relief and a silent thank you. His gaze lingered on her for a lot longer than she anticipated. Alex hung back behind Cara. She blinked, breaking eye contact with the man so she could focus. Time to get out of here.
Cara led Alex out of the room. Jean followed, making more apologizes to the man. Nurses had finally scattered away from the door, but the faster Cara got out of here, the better.
“Cara-” Jean started once they were down the hall. She'd bet Jean had a lot to say right about now.
“I know, okay? I get it. I'm going to make those calls and look into getting him in the school you guys keep suggesting!” She didn't mean to yell. Her loud voice echoed off the beige walls. Keep calm, keep calm. The last thing she needed was to upset Alex because she got all riled up and defensive.
Jean blanched. “I wasn't going to say that. It'll be good for him, though. I was going to apologize because I pushed again for eye contact. That's what set him off.”
Shaking her head, Cara turned away again, keeping her arm on Alex's shoulder. Jean was a good teacher, wonderful and patient, but Cara knew that she wasn't equipped to deal with a child with Asperger's when the rest of the kids were mainstreamed students.
“Cara.”
Keeping her tongue in check, she faced the teacher.
“It's not your fault.”
The words were meant to be a comfort and a help, but they weren't at this very moment. Giving Jean a curt nod, she walked Alex out of the hospital, attempting to put her emotions in check.
Lately, she took everything to heart, blaming herself. How could she not understand her son? Why did she feel so helpless? As Alex's mother, Cara should have some sort of idea how to handle these situations, but she didn't.
And it bothered the heck out of her.
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Nikki Lynn Barrett I'm an avid lover of books. I've been writing as far back as I can remember, completing my first "book" by fifth grade in one of those one subject spiral notebooks. I have a passion for music, photography, jewelry and all things creative. I live in Arizona with my husband and son, but dream of being somewhere much colder and stormier. For now, I'll have to live that life through my characters and stick it out with the summer heat.
We Wish You A Ferret Christmas is EXCLUSIVE to Christmas Pets & Kisses from October 6 - November 6, so pre-order Christmas Pets & Kisses today and be the first of your friends to read We Wish You A Ferret Christmas by Nikki Lynn Barrett
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Get your heartbeat racing with 13 romantic-suspense novels from USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors. Nerve-wracking thrills and dangers, heart-melting romance and love--enjoy them all in this outstanding collection of DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS....
Fallen Idol - Nikki Lynn Barrett
Sparks ignite between a single father and a singer making her musical comeback, but danger lurks in the distance, only getting closer as time goes on. For two people who want different things out of life, it's possible to find healing together...
Cross Examination - Denise Moncrief
Tamara Slay moves to Louisiana, hoping for a fresh start. An unexpected phone call from a Sheriff’s deputy in Florida shatters her new sense of security.
Lt. Martin Beck has been investigating the death of Brandy Fuller for years. New evidence leads him to meet the estranged wife of his primary suspect. Together, Beck and Tamara conclude that her husband Scott murdered eight women on the Florida Gulf coast.
Carnival Tricks - Jade Kerrion
A fight during Sofia's waitressing shift turns fatal, and a dying scientist launches her into the shady world of scientific espionage. The unwilling trustee of research that people would kill to obtain, Sofia turns to the man who steps out of the shadows to protect her, even though he appears as dangerous and disreputable as the people who hunt her.Together, Sofia and Kyle must unravel the truth behind the illicit information she carries before one or both of them are killed.
Height of Danger - Nancy and Nolan Radke
Someone is killing construction workers at a Central American dam site, and CIA operative Owen Putman is sent in undercover to discover the who and why. The boss' lovely daughter picks this time to visit her father, and Owen kidnaps her to keep her safe. He finds himself juggling his mission, her safety, and his identity - and she manages to endanger them all.
Six Days of Memories - Stacy Eaton
When Detective Foster responds to the scene of a crash, she finds the female passenger dead, a bag full of money in the back seat and a body in the trunk. It is only when the driver, whom she nicknames Jay, wakes up with no memory that she must go with her instincts and continue the investigation in a way that was never taught in the academy.
Broken Lies, by Sharon Coady
After training with an Elitie unit of the Irish Special Forces, Niall is sent by his father to New York to be a bodyguard for Mr. Pierce. Abby is a woman with an abusive boyfriend and a painful past. She catches Niall's eye and he finds himself drawn to her.
Their lives change forever when they are drawn into a battle of deception, lies and murder. Can Niall keep her safe from whoever seems Hell bent of keeping them apart?
Don't Know Jack - Amy Manemann
Special Agent Jack Hamlin is a risk taker who isn’t afraid to do whatever it takes to bring criminals to justice. Until he meets small town bakery owner, Kate Monroe. Danger, white hot romance, and stress baking ensue as Kate is swept into Jack’s dangerous world—and Jack's loyalties and training are put to the test when his cover is blown, and Kate’s life is on the line.
Cypher - Cathy Perkins
When a hitman kills the wrong person, Detective David Morris confronts hidden agendas and conflicting motives in a powerful local family, while trying to control his attraction to the intended victim—a woman who should be dead, but instead is hell-bent on saving the remnants of her family.
Unwilling to stand by while her family and world are destroyed, Cara Wainwright rips apart the secrets surrounding Cypher, the company her father built—and will take any measures to defend.
Murderous Lies – Bestselling Author Chantel Rhondeau
Imprisoned for murder and exonerated after eight years, Max Kensington returns to his hometown. His return forces Rosemary Spelling, his ex-fiancée, to confront the past. The day Max allegedly killed her sister destroyed her life, ripping apart her family and landing her mother in a mental institution. When murders start again and all evidence points to Max, Rose must team up with him to catch her sister’s real killer.
Tidal Falls- Jacquie Biggar
Sara Reed is on the run from an abusive ex with ties to organized crime. Mistakenly thinking her and her daughter would be safer if she had some kind of leverage, she takes a copy of some valuable files. Files that make her a target.
Nick Kelley is an ex-marine trying to find his place now that his career is over due to injuries suffered from an IED. When the two of them meet in the pretty little town of Tidal Falls, the experience is explosive.
Suspended Animation - Sylvie Grayson
Katy Dalton worked hard and when her friend Bruno talked her into an investment in Rome Trucking, it seemed like a safe bet. But when her job disappears and she needs her money back, Bruno stops answering his phone and bad things start to happen.
The last thing Brett Rome wants to do is leave a promising career in hockey to come home and run his ailing father’s trucking company. What he discovers is not the successful business that he remembers, but one that is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and a young woman demanding the return of her money. But danger lurks in the form of Bruno's dubious associates. What secret are they hiding and why are they willing to kill Katy? Can Brett put this broken picture back together, and is Katy part of the solution or the problem?
Knowing Vera – Award-Winning Author Rachelle Ayala
Vera's dating Zach, casually, not committed, when she discovers her long-departed father is the killer of Zach's mother many years ago. Meanwhile, Zach reevaluates his life after losing his leg in a tragic accident and realizes he's falling in love with Vera.
Can their timing be so wrong? Vera and Zach must depend on each other for survival and find a dangerous killer before he can kill again.
Special Agent Francesca – USA Today Bestselling Author Mimi Barbour Is action her thrill of choice - or his lips?
Violence, suspense and sizzling romance explode during Special Agent Francesca’s humorous journey, fighting off the mob! Dr. Sean Collins wants to tame her! Yeah-like that’s gonna happen. Only one thing keeps Francesca motivated. Proving to her mother, the FBI “Snow Queen,” that working undercover is where she belongs.
**B&N link will be available shortly
USA Today Bestselling author Nikki Lynn Barrett
I'm an avid lover of books. I've been writing as far back as I can remember, completing my first "book" by fifth grade in one of those one subject spiral notebooks. I have a passion for music, photography, jewelry and all things creative. I live in Arizona with my husband and son, but dream of being somewhere much colder and stormier. For now, I'll have to live that life through my characters and stick it out with the summer heat.
Denise Moncrief is a Southern girl who has lived in Louisiana all her life, and yes, she has a drawl. She has a wonderful husband and two incredible children, who not only endure her writing moods, but also encourage her to indulge her writing passion. Besides writing romantic suspense, she enjoys traveling, reading, and scrapbooking.
Jade Kerrion writes award-winning and occasionally best-selling science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary novels anchored on unlikely romances you will root for and happy endings you can believe in. Her favorite romance is the Double Helix love triangle between Galahad—the lab-created perfect human being; Danyael—an alpha empath and Galahad’s physical template; and Zara—the woman who can wreak more havoc with love than most people can with hate. Visit her website for a free copy of Perfection Unleashed, the six-time award winning novel that launched the Double Helix series.
Nancy and Nolan Radke are a mother and son team who write individually, checking each other's books, and who have now collaborated on a mystery/thriller. Nancy draws upon a teaching background and Nolan has a law enforcement background and is now a building contractor.
Stacy Eaton is an International Best Selling Amazon author of eight books and a full-time detective who has a passion for putting the pieces together while investigating the crime. She is also a wife, mother, business owner and on the board of directors for her local domestic violence center. When she’s not ‘working’, she’s ‘writing’. Stacy loves chilling with her family and photography.
Sharon Coady lives in Florida with her husband, three of their daughters and five of their eleven grandchildren. She wrote two books before discovering Romance novels. She has now written a romantic suspense, a romance novella and is currently writing a Christmas novella. She has two published novels. When not working as a nurse for the Veterans Administration or writing she enjoys spending time with her family and riding behind her husband on their Harley.
Amy Manemann is an International Best Selling Author who writes sexy and intriguing romantic suspense, young adult paranormal romance, contemporary romance (NEW), and dabbles in children's books. She resides in her hometown along the Mississippi river with her husband and their two children. When she isn't plotting her next book, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and diving into a good book.
Amy is also a site administrator for the World Literary Café, an online literary community for authors and readers. www.worldliterarycafe.com.
Award-winning author Cathy Perkins works in the financial industry, where she's observed the hide-in-plain-sight skills employed by her villains. She writes predominantly financial-based mysteries but enjoys exploring the relationship aspect of her characters' lives. When not writing, she can be found doing battle with the beavers over the pond height or setting off on another travel adventure. Born and raised in South Carolina, the setting for CYPHER, HONOR CODE and THE PROFESSOR, she now lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.
Best-selling author Chantel Rhondeau once thought a great mystery or fantasy book with strong romantic themes was the highest level of reading bliss. After reading her first romantic suspense novel, she never looked back. Chantel is author of six romantic suspense novels, a Christmas novella, and the new McCallister’s Paradise series. She lives in the western United States, and when she's not writing she loves playing cards with her family, bowling on leagues, and snuggling with her lazy kitties.
Jacquie Biggar lives in paradise along the west coast of Canada with her husband, daughter, & grandson. She loves reading, writing, and flower gardening. Spoils her German Shepherd, Annie, and Calico cat, Harley. And can't function without coffee.
Sylvie Grayson has published romantic suspense novels, Suspended Animation, Legal Obstruction, and The Lies He Told Me, all about strong women who meet with dangerous odds, stories of tension and attraction. She has also written The Last War series, a romantic fantasy set to be released in 2015. She has been an English language instructor, a nightclub manager, an auto shop bookkeeper and a lawyer. She lives in southern British Columbia with her husband on a small piece of land near the Pacific Ocean that they call home, when she's not travelling the world looking for adventure.
Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling Asian American author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty and her heroes hot. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope. She has won awards in multicultural and historical romance.
Mimi Barbour is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author and the author of: The Vicarage Bench, Angels with Attitudes, Vegas, Elvis and the new sizzling Undercover FBI Series, Mimi lives on the East coast of Vancouver Island and writes her various romances with tongue in cheek and a mad glint in her eye. “If I can steal a booklover’s attention away from their every-day grind, absorb them into a fictional love story, and make them care about the ending, then I’ve done my job.”
“I never knew cats needed this much space,” she admitted. “Back home, we have outdoor cats to keep the mice population down. We never had all this stuff for them.”
