One Series, Seven Authors.
A collection of festive novellas filled with clean romance, chilly weather, and cozy adventure.
WHICH MEANS SEVEN COVER REVEALS!

The Hidden Gift

A Father Christmas Origin Story
by Annette K. Larsen

What if Father Christmas’s quest to help the downtrodden…started with his love for one girl?

In the quaint village of Tethurn, Annabelle has always been the steadfast pillar of her family, unafraid of hard work and sacrifice. But when her father falls gravely ill, her family’s already tenuous situation becomes dire. Annabelle knows she cannot afford to lose her position as a maid, but a spiteful butler threatens her livelihood. Amidst the chaos, she finds an unexpected ally in Nicolai Closs, a gentleman whose kindness offers her a glimmer of hope and a cherished friendship.

Despite the expectations and obstacles that stand in their way, Annabelle dreams not only of saving her family but also of winning Nicolai’s heart. But with food scarce and hope even scarcer, will Annabelle be expected to sacrifice more than she can bear so that her sisters don’t starve? And how can she be sure Nicolai’s attentions aren’t merely pity?

The Hidden Gift reimagines the origin of Father Christmas and St. Nick, where resilience, love, and the enduring strength of the human spirit light the path through the darkest of times, and the harsh realities of life are met with unwavering hope, kindness, and love.

The Enchanted Frost

A Little Match Girl, Jack Frost, and A Christmas Carol Retelling
by Camille Peters

It is his duty to claim her frozen soul—he never expected to instead obtain her heart.

After her fall from grace, Blanche’s life has been one of struggle and misery that eventually meets its expected end when she freezes to death in an abandoned alley. But before she fully succumbs, she is instead taken to the snowy realm of the winter king, ruled by a handsome yet enigmatic being whose duty is to claim her frozen soul, a responsibility he has performed since time began.

Frost has spent his eternal existence in his kingdom of ice, using his powers to maintain the delicate balance of the seasons, a forever that has remained unchanging…until his magic inexplicably fails to capture one of the souls his cold has claim to, trapping her between life and death. Despite her harsh past, Blanche is somehow different than the other mortals that he’s observed from a distance, and Frost finds himself drawn to her…especially when a mysterious connection from their past emerges.

As Frost and Blanche work together to help her move on, mortal and immortal being find their worlds shifting the closer they become as hearts previously frozen soften with the warmth of their deepening feelings for one another. Yet this forbidden relationship sets off a series of events as Frost’s power over winter inexplicably begins to diminish, jeopardizing the balance of the world and the fate of all in it. Will this connection threaten to dethrone the King of Winter as well as interrupt the delicate cycle of seasons that Earth requires, or is love a powerful enough force to reweave the fabric of existence?

The Silent Night

A Sleeping Beauty Retelling
by Sarah Beran

Twas the hour after midnight and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for the owls.
And Holly.

Holly is no stranger to the night. Her unique position means that the still hours in the darkest parts of the night are when most of her work gets done. It’s not completely silent—she has Parliament to thank for that—but it does get a bit lonely. Not even the letters from her faithful correspondent can completely fill the empty space, and it’s only a matter of time before she loses even those.

Dominic Klause has watched as, year after year, the winters in Weihnacht grow longer and colder. The nights are dark, food is scarce, and his fellow countrymen are desperate for a miracle, but too proud to accept charity, leaving Dominic no choice but to hide his attempts at helping them under the cover of darkness. But his resources are limited, and not even the brilliant suggestions of his friend Joy can change the fact that it will require the riches of a king to continue his charitable efforts.

As Deus Natus Eve approaches, Dominic turns his attention towards the one place that could solve all his problems—the abandoned castle of the former king. But all is not as it seems behind the towering holly hedges that surround the castle, and Dominic encounters more than he bargained for. When the unexpected gift of love is dropped into his lap, will Dominic find the treasure he seeks? Or will it be lost to the silence of the night?

The Snowy Footprints

An Elves and the Shoemaker Retelling
by Abigail Manning

Can miracles come true even without shoes?

Evalie Makera is starving, but with only two coins left, there isn’t much hope that she’ll survive to see the Day of Giving. After her mother’s sudden passing, their flower shop has withered, leaving Evalie with a roof over her head but nothing under it. In a world where everyone is born with a magical gift, Evalie’s ability to enhance an object’s beauty feels useless now that her life is void of her mother’s flower magic.

While her gift may be useless without flowers to enchant and sell, she’s still better off than the magicless shop boy down the street. Or, at least, she thinks so, until she spends her last coins on flower seeds instead of food. She’s going to waste away either way, so having one final flower to celebrate her mother’s life feels like a much more fulfilling end to her story. Until it’s not the end at all…

To Evalie’s surprise, the seed she plants before bed sprouts into a stunning bloom overnight. Is this her mother’s magic? Or is something else at play? It would be all too easy to sell the flower and run with the coins, but something about their sudden appearance doesn’t feel right… Maybe the shoeless new stranger in town knows something? What could possibly go wrong with such a beautiful miracle?

The Iced Path

A Hansel and Gretel Retelling
by Kayla Eshbaugh

He has the power to grant her freedom, or to keep her trapped forever. 

At the first sign of glimmering lights above the highest Haleston peak, the unsealing of the Iced Path inside the haunted forest begins. Upon entering the haunted forest, brave men and women are tested to win admittance into the enchanted village on the other side. However, those who enter are never seen again including Gretel Carol’s own father and brother.

As Gretel enters the competition she is tested to see if she has what it takes to win. When she meets a mysterious man within the woods, she assumes that he is part of a test, given by the forest in order to prove her worth. But after the mysterious man keeps showing up and she begins to become accustomed to his odd behavior, she wonders if he is really who he claims to be: the Guardian of the Forest. Or if he’s not at all what he seems, like so many other things inside the woods.

Cole has haunted the forest at the edge of Haleston for as long as he can remember. When he begins to haunt and tease a small, feisty woman, competing in this season’s competition, he doesn’t want her to win. Cole wants to keep her in the forest, so that he can be with her forever. She is the only person who has ever made him feel warm and alive. When Gretel starts to make him question his existence, the Haunted Forest, and the value of the competition, he asks questions he has never asked before; Who is he? How did he become the Guardian of the Forest? And why, just like the competitors, can’t he leave?

This is a Hansel and Gretel retelling, filled with eerie, snowy, winter woods; forgotten identities; spelled peppermint hot cocoa, winter kisses, Christmassy villages, persuading challenges; and a teasing, mysterious man who will stop at nothing to keep Gretel with him.

The Midnight Blizzard

A Cinderella Retelling
by Mary Mecham

An ice slipper wasn’t the only thing left behind at midnight…

Noelle Frost only has one chance to reclaim the inheritance stolen from her after her father’s death. With her stepfamily plotting to win the prince’s heart during his bride competition to secure their own power, Noelle must infiltrate the royal ball to confront her stepmother and reclaim her birthright before time runs out. But in order to get close enough, she must compete for a crown she doesn’t want—and a prince she doesn’t love.

The real danger lies in her growing feelings for Jack, the prince’s enigmatic mage advisor. As their forbidden romance ignites, Jack becomes Noelle’s only ally in a world of treachery, with access to the records that could restore her to her rightful place as the heiress of the Frostwood estate. The closer Noelle gets to Jack, the more impossible their future seems.

As the competition heats up, and the prince’s attention turns to Noelle, her stepmother offers a risky bargain that Noelle can’t turn down if she wants to protect Jack, even if it means leaving the palace forever. After all, if Noelle and Jack can’t ever be together, does she have any reason to stay?

As midnight approaches, Noelle must decide if she can truly leave her heart behind.

This is a Cinderella retelling, filled with forbidden love, dog sleds, blackmail, and an illegal courtship set in a snowy kingdom. Perfect for a cozy Christmas read, fans of Melanie Cellier, Tara Grayce, and Deborah Grace White will love this no-spice romantic fantasy book.

The Lonely Eve

A Snow White and Rose Red Retelling
by Emily Deady

She will fight for her sister’s happiness, but is she strong enough to claim her own?

One snowy Christmas Eve, Jasmine creates a magical night for her disappointed younger sister. Unsupervised by their strict parents, their escapades lead them to an unlikely new friend. But, time is against them and the magic of childhood is soon overrun by societal duties and parental expectations.

Poppy, vivacious and headstrong, makes her own life decisions. But her heart aches as she watches her older sister wilt at home.

Can Jasmine fight through her own world of loneliness to recreate the community and warmth of that magical Christmas Eve all those years ago?

Check out the cover for the latest Lady Mortician’s Visions book by author Helen Goltz, “The Potent Perfume“.

Now Available!

Miss Phoebe Astin of The Economic Undertaker found herself charmed by the recently deceased perfume salesman, Mr Edward ‘Teddy’ Tate, as were many of his former clients. Not unaccustomed to speaking with spirits as they leave this life on their way to the next, the debonair salesman had two requests of Phoebe: to investigate his death, which he believed was not an accident and to send his love to three ladies whom he had been romancing. Phoebe passes the information on to her beau, Detective Harland Stone, and when two of Teddy’s love interests are found dead, the detective gets a whiff of a crime afoot. Aided by her brothers, Julius and Ambrose, and her dear friends, the Vexed Vixens, Phoebe is doing her best to grant the dearly departed justice. After all, for the Astin family, being dead is no excuse for letting crime go unpunished (even if he was romancing three ladies, the cad!)

Cover reveal for Abigail Manning’s 5th Once Upon a Rhyme book, “Baa Baa Black Market“.

Now Available for Pre-Order!
Coming October 25, 2024

Baa Baa Black Market… Have you any soul?

Brietta Drover has spent her entire life in the darkness due to her sensitivity to the sun and general lack of morals. To occupy her many days alone in her windowless room, she takes up a small hobby—running an underground crime network for harvesting and trading illegal magic stones.
Business is booming in the underground market until word spreads that Brietta’s fiercest competitor has sent a spy to unmask her true identity. Most ladies would consider this a threat, but a good businesswoman sees it as a way to investigate her rival.
Dimitri has one mission. Get the true name of Lord Dame, and get back to his own jewel lord, Boy. He and Brietta share zero trust, but when they’re forced to share an assignment, the true investigations can begin. Three bags of magic stones have been stolen from the jewel lords, but the culprit is as mysterious as the market itself. If one was stolen from each lord, who is really to blame?
Will Brietta be able to expand her reach? Or will Munster and Dame fall to Lord Boy’s games?

Once Upon A Rhyme is a collection of clean, intercepting stories, best enjoyed when read as a series.
For more information on Once Upon A Rhyme sign up for my free monthly newsletter at: Abigailmanningauthor.com

Introducing the cover for author Mary Mecham’s third Legends of Neverland book, “Betraying Korth“.

Now Available for Pre-Order!
Coming September 13, 2024!

Traitorous spies don’t deserve happily ever afters. 

Dahlia has always known her life would end at the bottom of a hangman’s noose. But treason seemed a small price to pay if it meant a chance to free her people from the iron grip of their tyrannical king. Dahlia can’t fail the rebellion now.

Dahlia’s time playing the role of obedient handmaiden to Odette, the king’s entitled daughter, comes to an end when Odette is sent to marry her betrothed and Dahlia strikes without mercy. After a swift mutiny en route to Haven Harbor, she forces the king’s daughter to trade places and upon arrival, masquerades in her mistress’s place.

If she can ensure Haven Harbor’s loyalty to her rebellion, the king’s oppressive reign could end. But the princess’s fiancé, Korth, isn’t the man she expected, and her loyalties become torn as she begins to fall for him. Continuing the façade will force Dahlia to betray Korth, but to reveal the truth spells her own treasonous demise.

Is a life of lies better than no life at all? 


Betraying Korth is the third book in the Legends of Neverland series but can also be read as a stand-alone novel.

Another double cover reveal, this time for USA Today Bestselling author, CJ Archer’s Cleopatra Fox Mystery series, “Murder at a Dinner Party” and “Murder on the Brighton Express“.

“Murder at a Dinner Party”

Book Eight
Now Available!

The staff in high society households are expected to be unobtrusive, but a dead butler in the dining room tends to get noticed. Did he die of natural causes or was he poisoned? 

Cleo is hired by the housekeeper at a Mayfair residence after the police rule the sudden death of the butler was the result of natural causes. Not convinced by the verdict, she wants Cleo to prove foul play was involved. Considering he was acting mysteriously around some of the guests, and they were equally mysterious when they saw him, murder is a possibility.

When the investigation leads Cleo to another decades-old murder and the sudden disappearance of the primary suspect, she’s even more determined to uncover the truth. But the rich and powerful don’t like airing their dirty laundry, and her efforts are thwarted at every turn. Enlisting Harry Armitage to assist her, Cleo matches wits with her suspects in an effort to discover the secrets they’re trying desperately to hide.

“Murder on the Brighton Express”

Book Nine
Now Available for Pre-Order!
Coming Dec 3, 2024

Gossip, scandal and murder collide on the express train to London. Did the journalist fall from the first-class carriage, or was she pushed?

Cleo’s holiday with her family to the seaside resort town of Brighton is everything she hoped it would be…until she receives a blackmail note. The blackmailer demands Cleo help her or a story revealing Cleo’s investigating will appear in the newspaper. With her uncle warning her to keep her detecting activities private, Cleo agrees to meet the blackmailer when they return to London. But when the woman is seen getting on the train but not off, Cleo grows concerned.

She enlists the help of the hotel staff to search for the body along the railway line. Finding it confirms her suspicions and leads her to discover that her blackmailer was a gossip columnist. What scandal had the victim uncovered that led to her death? And which fellow passenger had a secret worth killing for?

Cover reveals for bestselling author, Melanie Cellier’s Four Kingdoms Duology, “To Ride the Wind” and “To Steal the Sun“.

“To Ride the Wind”

Now Available!

Charlotte has always longed to be accepted by her older sisters. She would gladly exchange her vaunted beauty for their friendship. But they ask a far higher price. Pushed into marriage with a stranger, Charlotte is left betrayed and alone. All she knows of her new husband is that he has secrets—and that her heart beats a little faster whenever he calls her Lottie.

Princess Gwendolyn’s people are different—that’s why they dwell high in the mountains, far from all other kingdoms. So she’s shocked when she discovers her mother plans to marry her by force to a stranger from outside their lands. And when she uncovers the full truth, she knows the queen’s scheming has gone too far. Gwen must intervene before her mother’s destructive touch blights the entire world. If only there was someone who could help her. But the boy who was Gwen’s only true friend has long since disappeared, and she’d do anything to find him. But her mother has made that impossible.

In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, a commoner and a princess must forge a friendship in order to find a path through the secrets and lies that surround them.

If you enjoy clean romance, adventure, intrigue, found families, and friendship, then try the Four Kingdoms duology now which retells one classic fairy tale across two books!

“To Steal the Sun”

Now Available!

Gwen has discovered both the love she once lost and her courage. But her greatest challenge still lies before her. She has chosen to fight for her people and that means standing against the mountain queen and all the fears of her childhood.

Charlotte is ready to risk everything to save her husband and reverse the consequences of her mistakes. But freeing Henry means getting entangled in the mountain kingdom’s fight for freedom and that fight might take the one thing Charlotte isn’t willing to give.

Once again, the two girls must rely on each other if they hope to save the men they love and emerge unscathed from the evil that lies at the heart of the castle east of the sun and west of the moon.

If you enjoy clean romance, adventure, intrigue, found families, and friendship, then try the Four Kingdoms duology now which retells one classic fairy tale across two books!

Double cover reveal for the next two Blue Glass Chronicles book by author S. Lee Poole, “Blue Luminous” and “Blue Deception“.

“Blue Luminous”

Book Three
Now Available!

How far will one go to save the one they love?

As war breaks out, Dame Sara is caught in another tangle. Captain James’s memory has been wiped, and he’s now convinced he’s a knight of Glaiysha with orders to bring her to the dastardly king.

With no recourse but to allow James to drag her to the king’s camp, Sara has one hope: her magical blue shard. But the piece of glass is acting in a strange new manner, giving what could be, at times guidance, and at other times warning.

Can Sara restore James’s memory before he hands her to the king? Will Sara be brave in confessing her love for James?

Or will everything they have done be for nothing?

“Blue Deception”

Book Four
Pre-Order Now!
Coming Aug 28, 2024

What if the one you trust had been keeping secrets?

Things were starting to take a turn for the better. Sara had restored James’s memories and was on the verge of uncovering the enchanted sword, the crucial element they needed to put an end to the reign of Glaiysha’s malevolent King.

In her quest for the sword, Sara makes a startling discovery. They’re not alone on the island. To her astonishment, after years of searching, she finally reunites with her long-lost childhood friend, who has found the hidden sword, only to reveal to her that it has been broken.

Can Sara restore the sword before all hope is lost?

Cover for the final Southern Watch installment, “Hallowed” by Robert J. Crane.

Now available!

Separated by distance and choices, Archibald “Arch” Stan and Lafayette Hendricks find themselves far apart when the message comes through: the world is ending in three days, and Hell is coming. The apocalypse will begin in Midian, Tennessee, a small town where once upon a time, nothing happened.

Now…everything is happening. The fate of the world will turn on whether Midian survives the next three days. It will all come down to Arch, the Watch, and, perhaps, Hendricks…

…If he can find his way back in time.

Cover reveal and release day for the first book in author Shawn McGuire’s newest Witches of Blackwoods Grove Mystery series, “The Caretaker”.

Now Available directly from the Author here!
Coming to Amazon June 24th!

Dusty Hotte must be cursed.

First she lost her job then her house caught fire. On the same day. There are worse things than starting over at fifty, right? But when someone threatens her granddaughter’s life, enough is enough.

Seeking protection, they move to Dusty’s enchanted family farm – filled with elderly witches whose magic has gone a bit wonky, a horde of familiars, and a couple ghosts – in the safe town of Blackwood Grove, Wisconsin, where nothing can harm them.

Or so she thought.

Minutes after they arrive, a man is found dead in the family diner, and her cousin is wrongfully accused of murder. Things like this don’t happen here. Ever.

So did Dusty bring the curse with her, or is something more sinister at play?

To find out, she must clear her cousin’s name and uncover the real killer, even if it means performing magic, something she swore she’d never do again.

One part CHARMED, one part THE FACTS OF LIFE, one part THE GOLDEN GIRLS, and a dash of DEXTER! You’re going to love THE WITCHES OF BLACKWOOD GROVE!

Cover reveal for the latest Stella Bled Thriller from USA Today Bestselling Author A.W. Hartoin, “Double Duet”.

Now Available!

France, 1941

Missing operatives. A girl that doesn’t fit the mold. A city on the brink.

On the charming streets of Lyon, multiple British operatives have gone missing. With the SOE sending their first agents into France, it’s imperative to know who is betraying the British cause.

When an ally makes a special request, the SIS decides to take a novel approach to the Lyon situation. Stella Bled Lawrence will go in with nothing but a brilliant cover and a partner.

For a city in the free zone, Lyon is home to plenty of Nazis. Some wear the uniform. Many don’t. Peace has come at a high price and desperation is commonplace in a city low on food and patience. The new partners must make friends and they do, but when the Gestapo takes an unhealthy interest in Stella, the situation goes from challenging to downright dangerous. Will the new partners find the information they need or will they get dragged down into the darkness like so many operatives before them?

Double Duet is the action-packed seventh installment in the on-going Stella Bled series, detailing the bravery and sacrifices needed to fight during the darkest days of WWII.