Release Day Blast – A Home For Christmas by Ann Vaughn

Title: A Home for Christmas

Author: Ann Vaughn

Publication: November 28, 2013

Synopsis

Single mom, Jenna Blackwell wasn’t having a very good start to the Christmas season; her purse got stolen on Black Friday. She’s cursing her luck and herself for even being out in the Black Friday madness when the store manager brings in Riley Stanton, a former Navy SEAL who chased down the thieves and recovered her purse. Jenna is blown away by Riley: his looks, his smile, the fact that he ran down the purse snatchers, everything.

Riley Stanton had no idea when he chased down the kids who stole a few purses that he would walk into a room and have his life changed forever. He looked into the eyes of Jenna and saw a strength in her that he found intriguing.

Riley soon learns that Jenna is everything he ever wanted in a woman. He falls for her and for her son harder than he expected to. Jenna is cautious but welcoming and hopes that she and her son can give Riley the one thing he hasn’t had in years, A Home for Christmas.

Excerpt 

Riley followed Cam into the living room and through the crowd so that they were standing at the front of the ring of people who had gathered around Jacke’s piano, his mother on his right and Jenna’s mother on his left. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Jenna’s father began, “I want to thank you for coming tonight. It is an honor and a joy to see so many of you in our home to celebrate this wonderful, joyous season with us. The wait staff is coming around with trays of champagne. Please, take a glass, and as they have done every year since they were five years old, allow my beautiful daughters to wish you and yours a wonderful, Merry Christmas.” Jackie began to play as polite applause lauded their father’s speech. Riley’s eyes were locked on Jenna as the lights were dimmed and she was illuminated only by the twinkling of Christmas lights and the flames from the candles in the room. When she began to sing “O Holy Night”, a chill ran through him at the purity and clarity of her voice.

She sounded, in his opinion, like an angel. Her voice was soft and sweet and reminded him of the times he’d heard the Celtic Woman group perform. When she hit the high note at the end, his breath caught. She was incredible. He placed his hand over his heart and flashed a bright smile to her when she finished, making her give a slight giggle. “This next song,” she announced, “has been on my heart since I met this handsome sailor,” she said, gesturing to him. “The other night, we were talking about the Christmases he spent in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, and even once in Bethlehem while in the Service, and how he missed being home for Christmas so many years. So, Riley, this one is for you.” Jackie began playing, and then, singing in a completely different voice than she had the previous song, she locked eyes with him. Her voice was sultry as she sang, “I’m dreaming tonight, of a place I love, even more than I usually do. And although, I know, it’s a long road back, I promise you…I’ll be Home for Christmas…”

Beside him, his mother placed her hand on his bicep. he reached over to touch her hand, but could not tear his gaze away from Jenna. When she finished, proper or not, he stepped forward and drew her into his arms, giving her a brief, tender kiss in front of the assembled crowd. “Thank you,” he whispered softly into her ear. “I love you, Riley,” she whispered back. He kissed her brow and started to step away but she held him to her with an arm around his waist. “We have one final song. Thank you for spending your evening with our family.” Once again, Jackie began playing, and this time, with Riley at her side, Jenna sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Riley had his hand on her back and could feel the notes reverberating through her as she sang. He was so impressed with her singing; her voice was beautiful, different with all three songs that she sang. Sweet, sultry, soft and gentle all mixed together. He was so unbelievably turned on he was afraid the whole room would know. When she finished singing, she turned into him once more, kissing his cheek when he leaned down to whisper, “You’re amazing,” into her ear.

Dreamcast:

Play List

1. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams (for the opening scene when Jenna’s sitting in the store manager’s office…because this version of this song gets on my nerves so it would grate in her nerves while she’s sitting there thinking about how stupid she was to shop on Black Friday)
2. Trenches by Pop Evil (during Cam’s race)
3. My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark by Fall Out Boy (during Cam’s race)
4. Feels Like Home by Chantal Kreviazuk
5. Coming Home for Christmas by Jim Brickman
6. O Holy Night by Celtic Woman
7. I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Amy Grant
8. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland
9. To Get Me To You by Lila McCann
10. Winter Wonderland by Kenny G
11. All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
12. Auld Lang Syne by Jim Brickman

Buy Links:

   

Check out Ann’s previous novels:

Publication Date: August 7, 2013

Shane McCanton and Tessa Kelly were childhood enemies. Everything was a contest to them and Tessa always seemed to show Shane that nice guys finished last. Things change, however, when hormones take over and Shane begins to see the perpetual thorn-in-his-side as more than just his childhood nemesis…

Tessa had never meant to set into motion events that led to their childhood rivalry, but once it started, she embraced it with gusto…until her world started to fall apart and she realized that Shane was the one constant in her life, her rock who would never leave her and help her find her Long Way Home…

Book Trailer:

http://animoto.com/play/nvUwAjZEXLq8NZ6KFMLK2g

Publication Date: November 4, 2013

Colt Harris wasn’t on the hunt for love when he looked up from his lunch and spotted Sarah. As cliched as it was, time stood still – all he could see was her. Hearing her laugh sealed his fate; he knew his life was about to change. Sarah Sauter was used to being alone. She lost her parents when she was eighteen and after a really bad love affair, had given up on ever finding love. Since then, her life had been all about simply surviving. Little did she know that when she went to lunch with her co-workers, she would have a chance encounter with a man who would literally turn her world upside down.

When Colt steps into Sarah’s life, he finds that things with her aren’t exactly as they appear to be. Secrets hidden deep in her past begin to surface, dropping Colt and Sarah in the middle of a nearly twenty-seven year old mystery. It will take all of Colt’s strength, patience and resolve Finding Home for Sarah.

About  the Author

Ann Vaughn is a Native Texan now living in Oklahoma. She’s been writing since the seventh grade (many MANY moons ago) when she and her friends were obsessed with the Sweet Valley High series. Back then, access to books wasn’t as easy as it is now, so to tide her over between SVH releases, she began writing her own, Texas versions of SVH, full of lots of Texas Friday Night Lights and pitfalls and perils of teenage life in the 80s. Writing has always been a comfort and a release for her, though she never expected to be published. It wasn’t until a conversation with her husband about the rise of eBooks that she decided to try her hand at self-publishing. It was scary and exciting and ever since the release of her first book, Long Way Home on August 7, 2013 she has been on a wild roller coaster ride that she wouldn’t trade for the world. 

Contact Ann:

     

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Book Blast – Rose of Thorne by Mia Michelle

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When a drunk driver tragically orphans Skylar Rose at the young age of sixteen, she leaves her dreams behind and takes on the daunting task of helping her elderly grandmother raise her young sister. While other girls her age were living a typical carefree life, she was picking up double shifts at a local café and struggling to pay the bills.

Always putting her sister’s needs and school first, Skylar has never had time to date or develop intimate relationships. Now a senior in college, she has her sights set on an amazing internship opportunity. The last thing she needed was for a sexy distraction like Sebastian Thorne to walk into her life.

Sebastian Thorne had been an entitled and reckless nineteen year old when he got behind the wheel of his new sports car that night. When his night of indulgence goes tragically wrong, Sebastian hesitantly turns to the one person, he knows can make everything go away… The one person he hates… his father.

Now twenty-six, Sebastian is the young enigmatic and powerful CEO of his late father’s design company, Thorne Enterprises. With both millions in the bank and a new woman on his arm almost every night, the world never knew the dark secret he carried inside. Still plagued with nightmares from the night of that horrific accident and having to leave the beautiful girl behind, Sebastian vows to find the one that haunts his dreams.

Sometimes the choice of revisiting our past opens the door to a future that we never thought possible.

But what do you do when the person who gave you back your life, was the very one that took it from you in the first place?

 

 

 

 

Mia Michelle

Mia fell in love with the literary world at a very young age and began putting her active imagination to pen and paper at the age of six. Over the years, she has filled up numerous shelves with her notebooks and journals of her favorite stories. Twelve years ago, Mia began drafting The Thorne Series and through encouragement of a close friend, decided to finally take the leap of faith to bring her dream to life.  She openly admits to having a hopeless infatuation with her Kindle and suffers from the one-click book addiction (No intervention required).

Mia is currently a stay at home mom who has mastered the fine art of making a PB&J sandwich in between laundry and shuttling kids to ballet and school.   In her spare time (“What spare time?” She laughs), she enjoys photography, traveling, and having a girls night out with her pals.   She enjoys the simple things in life, such as sleeping more than 3 hours per night and 10 minute showers without being interrupted by children yelling “mommy” from the other side of the bathroom door.

Mia Michelle resides in Tennessee with her soul mate and husband of 18 years and their 2 beautiful young children. She is currently drafting her new Chase series.

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