In appreciation of my awesome readers, this week’s giveaway is a $5 Amazon gift card!To enter, simply sign up for my newsletter (I will only email you with news of a book release.) Then leave a comment below to let me know you were here. Easy peasy.
~oxo Jolyse
For the adults in the house…
Uncle Johnny’s** Thanksgiving Margarita–with a Hint of Christmas
INGREDIENTS
Tequila
Tripple Sec
Rose’s Lime Juice
Cranberry Juice
Sugar
Salt
Slice of Lime
Fresh Cranberry
DIRECTIONS
1. Shake Tequila, Tripple Sec, Rose’s Lime Juice, Cranberry Juice in over ice.
KIMBERLY V. Congrats, Kimberly! You’ve won the Ebook &Tule Goodies Giveaway! Please contact me at jolysebarnett@gmail.com with your addresses within two weeks to receive your prizes. (List Randomizer at Random.org was used to select the winner. Thanks to all readers who entered.)
Welcome to this week’s Moment! There’s a definite nip in the air and festive anticipation here on Long Island as the late fall and winter holidays quickly approach. I haven’t begun my Christmas shopping, but the weather and calendar are reminding me I better make that list!
During these hectic days, I hope you get a chance to pause and enjoy the little yet important things–those family traditions, friendships, and indulgences you treasure.
One of my favorite holiday indulgences is reading Christmas romances. So when I was given the opportunity to write one for fellow romance readers like you, I jumped at the chance.
Since my most vivid memories of the holiday center around the small village in upstate New York from my childhood, it only felt right to set A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW there. Christmas, like other holidays, includes home and family. I haven’t always had the luxury of returning to the Adirondack region in snowy December, but I do whenever possible and I always miss it when I can’t be there in person.
My heroine Jade’s hometown of Starling, New York is very much a fictional setting, but contains this writer’s wonderful, happy holiday nostalgia all rolled into one. That’s not to say that life in Starling is perfect for Jade’s family or the rest of its residents. The characters in A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW were created to be like people we’d meet on the street, know at work, and have in our families–all with their own adorable idiosyncrasies. But, in spite of their human imperfections, they care and look out for each other year-round.
And especially at Christmas.
If you’ve read A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW, I truly hope you enjoyed it and that it left you “with a smile on (your) face and a warmth in (your) heart,” as an Amazon reviewer said it did for her.
If you haven’t read this Christmas novella yet, or if you have and you’d like to share the gift of reading with a friend, here’s your chance to win it! All you need to do is sign up for my newsletter (I’ll never spam you or give your email to anyone, ever.) and share that you did that in the comment section below. All commenters’ names will be entered into a random drawing. One lucky entrant will win an e-bookof A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW, a Christmas in New York Series collectible bookmark, a festive Tule Publishing pen (green or red), and a few holiday treats. Winner will be announced Tuesday, November 25th. International readers welcome. 🙂
And the winner of last week’s giveaway is…
MARY LAWSON. Congratulations, you’re the winner of last week’s Release Celebration Giveaway–a $10 Amazon gift card and holiday ornament!! Mary, please contact me privately at jolysebarnett@gmail.com with your email and home addresses within two weeks of this announcement. (List Randomizer at Random.com was used to select the winner. Thanks to all the readers who entered.)
Now, remember… for a chance at winning this week’s giveaway, sign up for my newsletter (scroll to the bottom and there it is!) and let me know in the comments section. For extra fun (optional), share your favorite place to celebrate the holiday and give a reason why.
Music is the soundtrack of our lives. We all have songs we associate with certain memories–good and bad and in-between. As a writer, the right music can immerse me further into the mood or setting of a particular scene. When I wrote a novel set in Key West, Trop Rock ruled. Reggae helped me switch creative gears when I dove into a Jamaican-set romance, and, of course, this past summer was all about the Christmas carol when I crafted A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW.
Although a number of holiday tunes show up in Jade and Ben’s love story, two pop songs defined my heroine’s and hero’s emotions they wrangled with throughout their journey to happily-ever-after.
Jade’s internal struggle…
After a traumatic experience in middle school, Jade became a people-pleaser. Denying her true self had a devastating ripple effect until, years later, she is confused and frustrated with her path, barely recognizing the young woman she sees in the mirror. She makes a bold move, quitting a lucrative yet unfulfilling career, stops dating men who don’t know the woman beneath the clothes and make-up, and returns home to her Adirondack hometown to recharge and refocus.
While in Starling, Jade’s former best friend, Ben, and the miracle of Christmas help her see what really matters…being true to herself. Only then is she able to move forward with her life and find her happily-ever-after.
Ben’s unspoken wish…
I’m a huge Justin Timberlake fan. One of JT’s recent hits reflects the frustration my hero, Ben, feels toward Jade at the beginning of their love story. She still views him as Benji, the little-boy-next-door she played with in the dirt and the geek who mooned after her during their high school years. She sees him as part of her past–one that included more its share of growing pains she’d prefer to forget. Worse, she’s afraid he’s become a man like so many she’s known before, one she cannot afford to trust.
Ben is a confident, successful producer of educational videos. He knows himself and he knows what he wants. He’s not going to beg Jade to love him, but he’s determined to show her all they could be…if she just gives their relationship a chance to grow.
In celebration of A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW’S release, along with its sister books in the Christmas in New York series, one lucky commenter on this post will receive a $10 Amazon gift card. If the winner resides in the US or Canada, s/he will also receive this beautiful Christmas ornament:
Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!
What’s one of your favorite songs?
Remember to leave a comment below if you wish to be entered into the gift card and ornament giveaway! The winner will be announced Tuesday, November 18th.
INGREDIENTS
