G'morning.

Christmas is just around the corner. The authors and staff at Unique Enterprises wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas and the best of New Years!

A couple of announcements, then on to the excerpts from the Winter Wonders anthology.

Winter Wonders will release the week of Dec. 24th, due to technical difficulties. Be sure to check By Grace  next week to order your copy of this wonderful anthology.

This is our last post on this site, BUT, this is NOT the end of our blog! We'll be moving HERE! We are very excited about our new  blog home, as well as our new format. New features include a monthly contest, spotlighting our backlist and a free short-short story read every month on our "E-mag Day."

Muncy Chapman

Outside, the wind howled, while snow and sleet beat against her window panes. Margy put another log on the fire and tried to tune out the raging storm by listening to the peaceful strains of a sonata coming from her radio. Just when she finally felt her muscles begin to relax with the music, her tranquility was jarred by the radio announcer.

"We interrupt this program to bring you a special announcement. Deputies are still searching for the inmate who escaped from the Iowa State Prison on Wednesday. Ralph Dunbar is armed and dangerous. He is thirty years old, six feet tall, with dark brown hair, last seen in the Ames area. A reward of $10,000 is being offered for information leading to his capture. Anyone having information as to this man’s whereabouts is asked to notify authorities immediately."

Margy had been hearing reports like this since Wednesday. She wondered why the police had been unable to capture the escaped convict before now. She got up from her sofa and checked the locks on her windows and doors. No one in his right mind would be out on a night like this, but nevertheless, it didn’t pay to take chances.

Settling herself on the sofa once more, she covered her legs with an afghan and turned up the volume on her radio.

Margy was startled out of her musical reverie by a loud banging on her front door. A limb must have blown from the tree in her yard. Lucky it hadn’t landed against one of her window panes. But there it was again! No mistaking the sound this time: someone was pounding on her front door. Whoever braved the elements on a night like this must surely have a real emergency.

c/2007 MUNCY CHAPMAN

www.muncychapman.com

Meg Allison

GWEN'S RESOLUTION

"Table for one?"

Gwen smiled despite the blush that warmed her cheeks. Okay, so this wasn’t always fun, but she’d get used to it. She’d merely forgotten how daunting going solo could be, if you let it.

"Yes."

"Do you have a reservation?"

She stared at the girl in the fifties-era waitress uniform and felt a little like she’d stepped into the twilight zone. "Reservation? This is a diner. I eat here several times a month and I’ve never needed a reservation."

"Well, I know, but it’s New Year’s Eve and you need one tonight. We’re the only place in town besides the Burger Barn." The girl tossed a hand at the bustling room behind them. Sure enough, each and every table and stool seemed to be occupied. "As you can see, we’re full up, so unless you have a reservation I’m sorry, but I can’t help you."

"Oh." The plan was not off to a great start. But Gwen would not give up that easily, surely there was somewhere to eat in town. She turned to go just as a hand grabbed at her sleeve.

"Hey, I can share," a deep voice offered.

Cindy Green

SNOW KISSED

"So," asked Logan, lifting his chin, a real smile moving onto his face now, "what are you up to this afternoon?"

Holly smiled back. "I’m off for a snow walk."

"That’s what so stupid about this…this whole Winter Wonderland Carnival. There is no snow!" He raised both his hands in frustration.

"There will be," she replied with complete confidence.

"How do you know? There’s no snow expected. Cold, but no snow."

"There’ll be snow tonight." She stepped close to him, laying her hand in the crook of his arm while a swirl of pleasure moved around inside her stomach at the contact. "Just breathe," she whispered to him slowly as she took in a deep whiff. "You smell that?"

He shook his head. "What? Burgers from down the street?"

"No," she laughed. He could be so dense sometimes. "It’s the first snowfall." She inhaled another intoxicating aroma of winter air. "It’s coming."

"And what’s so good about snow? It’s just annoying and inconvenient." He pulled his arm away and folded them across his lean frame.

"Snow is beautiful, magical." Her voice came out breathy, the idea of snow making her feel all tingly.

"It’s cold, wet stuff that falls from the sky."

"Then there are the wonderful clothes: hats, scarves, gloves…"

"…galoshes, wool socks," he countered.

She continued, not to be undone by his cynicism. "Fresh baked cookies, hot apple cider, hot cocoa, hot toddies…what is a hot toddy?"

JoAnn Carter

SMUGGLER OF THE HEART

The sleigh stopped and soon the bells followed. Tim grabbed his backpack and their picnic and then hopped down before reaching for her. His hands spanned her small waist, and when he lifted her down, he held her for a little longer then necessary. Samantha licked her lips and wondered if he felt half of what she was experiencing. Tim was special; she had known that for a long time. The difference was, before she was willing to let him go for a dream, but now?

"Follow me." Tim laid out a blanket, sat down, and patted the place beside him. Samantha joined him. The lights from the sleigh cast a dim, romantic shadow over their blanket. "I have something for you." Tim unzipped his backpack and low and behold, there was the chest.

"What…what are you doing with that?"

"Your grandmother gave it to me."

"Do you…do you know the story?"

His eyes sparkled. "I do. I couldn’t let you go again without you realizing what you mean to me." Tim held it out to her. "Here, open it."

It couldn’t be a ring. We hardly know each other anymore. He’s going to be a youth pastor now, and yet it feels as if we never were apart.

She inched the chest up; half hoping it was a ring and half not. Inside a letter rested upon a pile of silk cloth.

Tim smiled. "Disappointed?"

"What is it?"

"Something for you to take back to New Jersey."

It was as if the clock struck midnight and her carriage was now a pumpkin. The reality of life reared its ugly head. Yes, back to New Jersey.

© 2007 by JoAnn Carter

G'morning.

We're getting close to having our December releases available. Hooray!

Muncy Chapman

When Margy Mayfield gives shelter to a near-frozen man during the worst blizzard of the season, her tender heart rules over her sensible head. But what if this stranger turns out to be the escaped prisoner reported loose in her area?

Cindy Green

JoAnn Carter

G'morning!

The Moonlit Christmas chat yesterday was fantastic! We had a great time, and are pleased to have added 9 members to our loop. Congratulations to all our contest winners, too.

It's tidbit day. Enjoy!

Muncy Chapman

I set my story near Ames, Iowa, because that is where my husband attended graduate school, and where I saw my first flake of snow. At first I was thrilled—it was beautiful—but I soon found out there was a downside too, especially when I tried to hang diapers outside, and worse yet when they froze on the clothesline. Nevertheless, those two years were memorable, and we still cherish some of the friendships we formed during that time.

My special memory is more of a Thanksgiving memory than a Christmas one, but the warmth of the experience stretched out to last me all winter long. Herb and I, along with our three little girls, were so many miles from home and loved ones, living in student housing facilities, with enough money for only the bare necessities.

Two days before Thanksgiving, a knock sounded on our door. Most of our neighbors had gone home for the holiday. Who could it be? Imagine my surprise when I opened the door and saw a man standing on my doorstep with a huge turkey, telling me that my name had been pulled in a drawing sponsored by the downtown Merchant’s Association.

When we gathered around our table that Thanksgiving Day, we were reminded that God works in mysterious His wonders to perform! We have carved many turkeys since that day, but none have ever tasted quite so good!

Meg Allison

Gwen’s Resolution takes place in the same small, fictional town as my first published story, Romancing Jenny. Both are set in Harris Grove, PA.

Cindy Green

When I began planning Snow Kissed, I knew right off I wanted the heroine to love snow and the hero to hate it. Well, I grew up in Southern California where there is no snow unless you go to the mountains. Now I live in North Carolina but where I live there is hardly ever any snow. I decided to ask for insight into the good, bad, and ugly of living in snow from my fellow authors living up north. I received some wonderful replies and even an "Incomplete Guide to Snow" complied by a friend of mine from Wisconsin.

JoAnn Carter

I had so much fun with this story. I went to visit Smuggler’s Notch with my family and had a blast gathering the rich history that surrounds it. It’s a quaint small town. If you ever come to Vermont, it’s a great place to visit.

G'morning.

Moonlit's Christmas party starts in less than an hour. Join us for some holiday cheer!

Muncy Chapman

Why do you write romance novels?

I’m a true romantic at heart. I love chubby babies, furry kittens, moonlight nights, and romance, romance, romance.

What love song would you pick to be the "Theme Love Song" for your releasing novel/novella?

"Winter Wonderland."

Which came first: the story or the characters for your releasing novel/novella?

The story came from the year when I spent my first winter in Iowa and experienced my first snowfall, my first icy sidewalk, and all the best and the worst of Midwestern winters.

Of the writing process, what do you enjoy most?

I enjoy letting my imagination run wild. I get lost in my stories, but it’s great to be able to go anywhere, meet anyone, and do many of the things I’d find impossible to do in my real life. Sometimes, even though I have a story in mind, my characters seem to take on a life of their own, and I find them doing things different from the way I had planned. They become very real to me as I write, and when I finish the story, I hate to let them go.

Meg Allison

Why do you write romance novels? 

 I write romance novels because I’m a romantic at heart and I insist on a happy ending.

What love song would you pick to be the "Theme Love Song" for your releasing novel/novella? 

 Bless The Broken Road

Which came first: the story or the characters for your releasing novel/novella?

For Gwen’s Resolution the basic story came first, followed closely by the characters.

Of the writing process, what do you enjoy most? 

I enjoy the moments when the characters seem to take over and the words flow like water over the pages.

Cindy Green

Why do you write romance novels?

I grew up reading many different genres but when it came to what kind of story I would write there was no other choice than romance. I love a good love story and I am a hopeless romantic at heart. It gives me a thrill to create these characters and find a way to bring them together by the end of the story.

What love song would you pick to be the "Theme Love Song" for your releasing novel/novella?

I believe that song would be "Let it Snow." In Snow Kissed, snow does play an important part.

Which came first: the story or the characters for your releasing novel/novella?

This was an unusual one for me. I always create a story first and then the characters. This story has broken the mold for me because I created Logan Reilly, grumpy auto body shop owner who hates snow, and whimsical Holly Armstrong, music writer and lover of snow, before I ever came up with the plot.

Of the writing process, what do you enjoy most?

Creating characters before I ever write a word of the story is probably my favorite part.

JoAnn Carter

Why do you write romance novels?

I write romance novels because, well, first of all… I like to read them. Besides that, I love happy-ever-afters and writing them is blast.

What love song would you pick to be the "Theme Love Song" for your releasing novel/novella?

Actually, I had two songs I was thinking of when I penned Smuggler of the Heart. I don’t know if you’d call them "Love Songs" but here goes:

1.Toby Mac- "Made To Love"

2. Nicole Mullins- "My Redeemer Lives"

Which came first: the story or the characters for your releasing novel/novella?

Neither really. It was the setting.

When they told me about the opportunity to participate in a winter anthology, Vermont, where I call home, seemed like a no-brainer. From there the story and characters soon jumped on board.

Of the writing process, what do you enjoy most?

Receiving a contract?!

Seriously, I love dreaming up the story and plotting. For this story, the research aspect was a lot of fun as well.

G'morning.

This week, the spotlight is on By Grace's anthology, Winter Wonders, and the authors who have contributed to it: Cindy Green, Meg Allison, JoAnn Carter and Muncy Chapman.

We're Christmas Partying all day long tomorrow, December 18th, on the Moonlit Romance Readers' Loop. Join us from 9 in the morning to 9 at night for fun, chat, excerpts, contests and more!

Both Moonlit Romance and By Grace release this Friday.

Friday will be our final post on this blog for the year. We will be moving to a new blog host in the New Year, and along with our new site, we'll have a fresh, new format. Visit Our New Blog!

Now, meet our Winter Wonders authors!

Muncy Chapman

Good morning. My name is Muncy Chapman. I’m a Florida native living in Vero Beach with my husband of over fifty years. Herb and I spend much of our time traveling to research Florida history for our historical novels.

I’ve authored seven inspirational romances, and I am a statewide speaker for Christian Women’s Clubs. I travel all over the state of Florida to share my testimony.

My hobbies are playing the piano, reading, and sewing, but my greatest joy is my family. Besides a one-in-a-million husband, I have four grown children who all live in Florida, and twelve grandchildren.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always liked to write. I love it when I hear back from some of my readers. I hope you will visit my website and send me your comments: www.muncychapman.com

Meg Allison

As an only child, Meg Allison spent her childhood creating worlds and characters to populate them. It’s amazing how sheer boredom can spark the imagination. Writing those stories down became a necessity when her own identity began to vanish in the daily shuffle of life with five home-schooled children, a husband, and several assorted pets all clamoring for attention.

Meg is a graduate of the University of Charleston with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications. In a former life, she worked as a reporter for a large newspaper in Charleston, WV, and is thrilled to have given up power suits for pajamas.

Cindy Green

Cindy K. Green, although a California native, now resides in North Carolina with her husband and two young sons. Growing up, she loved reading and writing; but her heart always lay in teaching. After graduating from college with a degree in history, Cindy taught Jr. High in just about every subject. She currently stays home and writes as well as homeschools her children. She loves reading, photography, Period Drama, scrapbooking, and spending time with family. She writes Contemporary, Suspense, Inspirational, and Historical – from sweet to sensual. To find out more about Cindy and her books, visit www.cindykgreen.com.

JoAnn Carter

Hi! My name is JoAnn Carter. I live in Vermont with my wonderful husband of 15 years, four children, and the best dog in the world...Ginger. I love to be with my family & friends, write, read, and cook. I'm a Licensed Practical Nurse, but currently I'm not working in the medical field. Rather, to be home with my children, I've chosen to work as a substitute teacher, which I fully enjoy.

By The Book, my first inspirational novella was released January 2007 through By Grace Publishing. I've also has written a few magazine articles published through Breakaway Magazine and Country Woman.

Upcoming releases include: Smuggler of the Heart- Winter Wonders Anthology through By Grace Publishing December 21, 2007 and Mr. Beckman’s Secretary scheduled to be released March 2008.

I'd love to hear from you. Please visit me @

http://home.comcast.net/~jo.glenncarter/site/

G'morning.

Thank you to all those who turned out for our annual Christmas Party Chat yesterday. Congratulations to our many, many contest winners.

Moonlit Romance will release What Happens in Vegas by Dayne Gearner next Friday. In the meantime, enjoy the excerpt.

What Happens in Vegas
by Dayne Gearner

Sheryl Garland woke up with a pounding headache, a dry mouth and no bones inside her muscles. She gave an experimental eye blink, and when that proved successful, she tried to breathe. That proved successful also. Wow, when had she ever felt this bad before? Oh, yeah, the last time she had a hangover.

Sheryl didn't know much, but she knew that she felt like she’d come out on the losing end of a war with a Brahma bull. She knew she could move three or four muscles, but most of all, she knew that she didn’t know where she was. She decided to risk another movement. She sat up in bed and knew at once that she'd made a mistake.

Sheryl was thinking about lifting her head again when a hand on her arm caused her head to lift without conscious effort. Sheryl gasped and turned. The hand belonged to a sleeping man who appeared to be sharing the bed with her. Funny, but she couldn’t seem to remember how he got there. She couldn’t even remember how she got there.

Well, that’s just great, she thought to herself. Here you are in bed with a man you don’t even know, in a room you’ve never seen before, with a pounding hangover, and not an ounce of energy to get out of bed. What a mess!

Without thinking about it, her eyes strayed to where his hand grasped her arm. Even in his sleep, he seemed to need to know that she was there. Her eyes trailed up his arm to see broad shoulders, a farmer's tan, perfect features and wavy blond hair.

Oh, he was good looking, all right, but Sheryl had never seen him before. At least not when she was sober.

G'morning.

We're Christmas partying on the By Grace Reader Loop all day today, 9 am- 9 pm US EST. Join us for chatter, excerpts, contests and fun!

What Happens in Vegas
by Dayne Gearner

What happens when, on the spur of the moment, you marry a man you've just met? What happens when you wake up the next day and reality and rational thought return? For solid and respectable Texas Sheriff Sheryl Garland, the gossip of a quick annulment would mean the end of her job. For Texas rancher and businessman A.J. Sutter, it means bewilderment at his sudden bride's defection.

But when word gets out about the marriage, and Sheryl asks A.J. to pretend like it's a real marriage, A.J. knows that he has to find a way to convince Sheryl to stay married to him--for real.

G'morning.

Dayne has this to share about her releasing novel, *What Happens in Vegas.*

What Happens in Vegas... is about a woman who wakes up in bed next to a man she's never seen before--in Vegas. I always wanted to write something in that sub-genre, and because it's such a farce, and as an author, can I really start a story that crazy and still make a novel believable??

To make it even more crazy, I made the female protagonist a female sheriff in Texas, and created a cast of loony, nosy, but caring townsfolk.

G'morning.

Let's get to know Moonlit's December releasing author, Dayne Gearner.

G'morning.

Due to the Christmas holidays, December is an "odd" month for us. To be sure our releasing authors get their full week in the spotlight, we're doing it early! By Grace and Moonlit Romance will release the third week of December, and the blog will be on vacation from December 24th-Jan.1st. We'll be relocating in the New Year (see the link in the header above).

In the meantime, meet Dayne Gearner, author of What Happens in Vegas, Moonlit's December release.

Dayne Gearner lives for creativity. She is a musician/author/filmmaker, and the hardest thing about her life has been to find a balance between the creativity and the day job. When she's not creating art, Dayne loves spending time with friends and family, travel, cooking, crafts, auto mechanics, fulfilling a quest for knowledge, making music, and hollering for her favorite football team: The Dallas Cowboys.