Welcome back to Romance Sweet Reads. This week and next we’ll be featuring the nine individual stories from the holiday anthology, Hearts, Homes and Holidays. The anthology is a currently available to pre-order for just 99¢ on all major ebook retailers. All proceeds from the sale of Hearts, Homes, and Holidays will benefit Reece’s Rainbow, an organization that assists with the adoption of special-needs children.
Today, we’ll look at the first of our nine stories, Kandie Kisses by author Michele Pollock Dalton, including exclusive excerpts available only on Romance Sweet Reads.
So, sit back and enjoy a look at the fabulous collection of heartfelt holiday romances by some of your favorite authors.
Family Ever After
Longing hearts, loving homes, and
lively holidays combine in this Romantique Treasury with new contributions from
nine bestselling and award-winning authors. This warm-hearted romance anthology
combines friends, families, and faith as hope blossoms in the lives of orphaned
children.
KANDIE KISSES by Michele Pollock Dalton
Frazzled by a hectic lifestyle,
Rachel Boulton has no choice but to rearrange her priorities when a surprise
gift is left for her at work. With the help of her secret crush, Mick Polenz,
can Rachel meet the overwhelming needs of this special delivery, or will she
lose the greatest joy she’s ever known to the demands of unfulfilled ambitions?
Enjoy
an Excerpt
The packed bar along the backshore of Lake Superior was stuffed to the gills and stifling hot as Mick Polenz set up his Bose sound system. Despite the governor’s “half capacity” orders, the Down Low Bar & Grill still hosted a wall-to-wall crowd every weekend. And Mick certainly didn’t mind. The tips he earned from the gig always put him in a better frame of mind.
Although music was his first love, Mick’s job as a first responder for the township paid the bills. The area that comprised Magellan was essentially Michigan’s last outpost before the land gave way to Lake Superior, but the quaint village was a welcome change from the hectic pace of Lansing.
The atmosphere at the Down Low pulsed through the heavily timbered room and spiked Mick’s enthusiasm for his upcoming show. Still, the nerves that lingered before each performance set his foot to tapping as he waited for one of the waitresses to deliver his water bottle. “Thanks, Chel,” he commented when the harried woman handed off his beverage.
Rachel Boulton paused for a moment and gave the shy man an equally bashful smile before turning to hurry away. “Heaven’s above!” she whispered to herself, wishing she had a hand free to fan her face. One simple brush of the burly firefighter’s calloused fingertips made Rachel think of things a good girl would never admit.
Tamping down her runaway hormones, Chel pressed through the rabble rousers to greet the next group of diners. “How many?” she called above raucous laughter and the opening song of Mick’s first set.
After leading the trio of suggestively clad women toward the last table, Rachel scanned the crowded bar room adjacent to the dining area. Intrigued, the busy waitress caught a glimpse of her favorite musician on the low-slung stage.
Alone under the weak spotlight, Mick’s rich baritone belted out Waylon Jennings’ “Good ‘ole Boys” then quickly segued into Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” Always a fan favorite, wooden train whistles “tooted” in all the appropriate places while he played.
At the end of the song, he turned a lopsided, boyish grin to the boisterous group hamming it up at the front table. Self-named “Mick’s Clique,” the rowdy bunch cheered and hollered out song suggestions as the evening wore on, but the affable musician was always glad to have their support. Their energy fed his, and Mick played his heart and soul out.
When the dining room closed down several hours later, Rachel rushed through the evening clean-up, so she could get home and begin her preparations for the following morning. Run ragged between her job at the Down Low and the supplemental work she picked up by baking sweet treats for the Merry Hollow Tree Farm; the weary woman wondered how long she’d be able to keep pace.
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My name is Michele Pollock Dalton; and, I am an unapologetic romantic. While most romance writers focus specifically on falling in love, I have chosen to write about people staying in love - living each day in a way that celebrates their relationship and focuses on building a strong, unbreakable bond.
White chocolate truffles and faith fuel my writing endeavors; and, my sincere hope is that the characters I invent resonate with folks who need a bit of inspiration to face their day.
Michele's
Website ~ Facebook
~ Instagram ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest
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Adoption is another word for love,
and proceeds from this collection of inspiring stories will benefit
special-needs adoption grants through Reece’s Rainbow.
~ ~ ~
Available on Your Favorite Retailer
(While you’re there, be sure to
download your free activity book!)
Please come back again tomorrow when we’ll be featuring an excerpt from author Michele Brouder's story, Just Like Christmas Morning.
Blessings,
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