A New Year's Blessing by Josie Riviera

I post this every January because it is so popular. Happy New Year!

"I'm walking into 2026 with a clear heart and mind.

If you owe me, don't worry about it. You're welcome

If you wronged me, it's all good. Lesson learned.

If you're angry with me, you've won.

If we aren't speaking, it's cool.  (I love you and wish you well.)

If you feel I wronged you, I apologize.

Life is too short for all the anger, grudges, and extra pain.  And we, as people, are not perfect.

God bless us all! Here's to 2026!

I'm so excited to announce the release of my newest inspirational romantasy, 

A Season Out of Time.

When everything feels frozen, could love be the one thing that finally thaws her heart?

Rosalind Drew has always lived by logic, not longing. A brilliant botanist clinging to control, she's watched her once-vibrant family conservatory wilt under the weight of endless winter—and the even heavier silence in her soul.

Dreams deferred. Love denied. Life on pause.

Then Edmund Winterborne arrives.
Mysterious, wealthy, and burdened by secrets of his own, Edmund steps into her world like a forgotten melody—unsettling, alluring, impossible to ignore. He's everything she's not: impulsive, passionate, and a believer in things unseen. And yet, he sees her. The woman beneath the routine. The heart aching for more.

As the snow presses in, so does the promise of something neither expected—a love that might restore what was lost, rewrite the rules, and bloom in even the harshest season.

But when past wounds and present choices threaten to undo everything, will Rosalind have the courage to let go of control... and trust the wild, beautiful promise of winter?

Includes, as a bonus, the classic Nordic fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon, reprinted from the public domain—a timeless story of sacrifice, transformation, and love that inspired this novel.

Preorder your copy of A Season Out of Time today.

Available in eBook, paperback, large print paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Do you love the winter season? Please leave your comments below.

Josie Riviera is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, historical, and inspirational romances that read like Hallmark movies. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully supportive husband. They share their home with an adorable Shih Tzu, who constantly needs grooming, and live in an old house forever needing renovation.

Sign up for her newsletter and get a FREE ebook on her website: josieriviera.com

Lyn Cote's First Free Ebook in 2026!

 

Free Jan 7-11 on Amazon!

A heartfelt tale of a courageous woman, a wounded hero, and a marriage of convenience. Disinherited and penniless, Honor is forced to marry deaf glass artisan Samuel. He needs Honor to speak for him and go to Cincinnati, the gateway to the western frontier. There Honor secretly takes part in the new abolition movement, risking her fragile marriage.

To download, click here. And why not tell a friend?--Lyn

It's 2019 ~ Jean C., Gordon

2019 was a year of multi-author series for me with my Sweet Horizons released as part of the Indigo Bay Second Chance Romance series and No Time for Apologies as part of the No Brides Series. 

The Series

The Indigo Bay Second Chance Romances series is a spinoff of the Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series with tons of fun for readers! But more specifically, it’s a set of books written by authors who love romance. Grab a glass of sweet tea, sit on the porch, and get ready to be swept away into this charming South Carolina beach town.

The Indigo Bay world has been written so readers can dive in anywhere in the series without missing a beat. Read one or all—they’re all sweet, fun rides that you won’t soon forget. Also, as special treats, you’ll see some recurring characters. How many can you find?

Sweet Troublemaker by Jean Oram
Sweet Do-Over by Melissa McClone
Sweet Horizons by Jean C. Gordon
Sweet Whispers by Jeanette Lewis
Sweet Complications by Stacy Claflin

See them all HERE.

The No Brides Club is a sassy and heart-warming series featuring sophisticated women and the men they fall for. What happens when you meet Mr. RIGHT at the WRONG time?

See them all HERE.

My Books

There’s nothing like a wedding to bring people together, but family dynamics can be complicated, especially newly blended ones.

Sonja Cooper is thrilled that her daughter Lauren is marrying Jesse Brewster and giving her a ready-made granddaughter in the irrepressible 3-year old Shelley. The fact that Jesse is also Sonja’s business partner in the launching of the Morrison Mansion B&B is just a bonus.

Custom bike shop owner Jeff Brewster is also delighted that his son Jesse is marrying Lauren and building a new family. The one awkward aspect is the unexpected attraction he feels towards Sonja. For although Sonja feels the same spark, having been burned in her divorce from Lauren’s father, she’s determined never to be dependent on a man again.

Then the Indigo Bay Business Association pits Sonja and Jeff against each other by having their businesses compete for the coveted “New Business of the Year Award.” All’s fair in love and war, but hearts don’t always listen!

This is the 3rd novel in the Indigo Bay Second Chance Romances series, but all books can be read as standalones.

BUY

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kate Lewis left her family’s dairy farm and fell in love with everything about New York City--especially the high-powered, fast-paced world of finance. Once content to lie in the grass and watch clouds float across the sky, her biggest dream now is to work her way to the top of Wall Street.

Jon Smith is so much more than his plain name implies. He’s also a rising star in the world of finance, on a mission to save his grandfather’s cattle farm, and Kate’s former high school admirer.

When a shocking twist of fate puts these two in direct competition for a job they both covet, the last thing they need is any new sparks of attraction. Too bad fate isn’t done with them yet.Will they give in to their attraction, or is their newfound rivalry too intense to put aside? Find out in this sweet big city twist on the classic second chance romance theme.

Read an Excerpt

BUY: Amazon | B&N

WINTER SHIVERS____and a new book to read by the fire!

  Did the holiday season pass too quickly for you?  Mine did.

I can't believe it's over, and we are already on January 5th. Between relatives coming and going, three big dinners to prepare, and a book to finish, the days were a blur.

I've got just a couple of days left to finish editing my new book, DANGEROUS SUMMER, which will be released January 13th.   Click here to learn more!

Sophie Alexander has always been the strong one--holding her family together after heartbreak, raising her young son alone, and caring for her ailing grandfather.  

As a new graduate in Physical Therapy, she desperately needs a full-time job in her small town in northern Wisconsin. She has one chance there--and just three months to prove herself.

Her greatest challenge is a reclusive physician who has retreated from the world after a terrible tragedy.  He wants to be left alone. She is determined to help him.  

A heartfelt story of second chances, love, and the courage to begin again.

Wishing you all a wonderful year in 2026!

Roxanne Rustand

USA Today Best-selling author

Lyn Cote says Hope You Like Cat Photos!

 

Here are our two boys, Lovey and Browser, who came to live with us 9/1/21 from the local animal shelter. They are not twins but are litter mates and are devoted to one another--between wrestling matches. After all they are boys!

Here's Lovey with his first slam dunk. That furry pink ball is his favorite toy. I've never had a cat so play and toy devoted. He has a collection of favorites that I find in various places around the house. He "grooms" them like they are his babies. Intersting!

This is the most recent photo. Lovey is on the chair soaking up the warmth from the fire and Browser is watching the fire. 

DO YOU HAVE PETS? What kind and what about them makes you happy?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!--Lyn

PS: I have a box set of my series, "Three Women of Courage" on pre-order till February 12th at $8.99. A dollar off the priace after it goes live. That's 3 books normally $15 for all 3. A nice discount for my readers who enjoy authentic historical fiction with a vibrant heroine and romance! Click here for more info and to pre-order.

 

Why We Love a Heroine Who Refuses to Be Small

One of the things I love most about clean historical romance is the way it gives readers heroines who are strong without being harsh, capable without losing their femininity, and brave in ways that don’t always draw attention.

Phoebe Sauber, the heroine of my Regency-era novel Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer, is that kind of heroine.

When her story begins, Phoebe has been deeply betrayed by the one person who should have protected her most. Cast out of her home and stripped of security, she’s left asking a question many romance readers recognize immediately: Who am I, when everything familiar is taken away?

What makes Phoebe compelling to me is that she doesn’t respond to betrayal by becoming cruel or reckless. She doesn’t shrink, either. Instead, she learns how to stand her ground in a world that has suddenly become very unsafe.

I love heroines like that.

Phoebe is genteel and well-bred, fully at home in Regency society. She understands manners, expectations, and the quiet rules that govern polite life. But she’s also practical, resourceful, and more capable than anyone expects her to be. If circumstances demand it, she can defend herself and others without abandoning her principles.

That balance is something I find especially satisfying. Strength doesn’t have to look modern or aggressive to be real. In historical stories, it often shows up in quieter ways through endurance, moral courage, faith under pressure, and the refusal to let bitterness define one’s future.

Phoebe’s journey isn’t about revenge. It’s about choice. About deciding who she will become after betrayal, and whether faith and love still have a place in her life.

Readers who enjoy clean historical romance with emotional depth, slow-building relationships, and heroines who don’t quite fit the mold society gives them will enjoy reading about Phoebe and find that her presence tends to linger long after the final page.

What I love about reading and writing clean romance is stories that remind us strength and grace don’t cancel each other out, they grow best together.

If you enjoy clean historical romances with thoughtful heroines, gentle faith elements, and a touch of mystery, you may enjoy my Regency stories as well. Learn more on my website.

Christmas Games by Janice Lynn

My most recent release, WRAPPED UP IN CHRISTMAS FAITH, features a town event called the Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer Games. It's a month long game that the hero and heroine are judging. I had a lot of fun writing the scenes for the games. :)

Although my hometown doesn't have anything like the Grandma Games, we do have a Christmas festival on our town square. And, fortunately, my family likes playing Christmas games.

This year we did the snowball shake. I know at least one of my family members will have videoed my shaking, shaking, shaking, but as it was just last night, I haven't seen the evidence yet. :) We also played a snowball toss game where two people had hoops on their heads and they had to toss snowballs into the other person's hoop. Fun games. My brother is 6'4" and won that one. We all think he had a height advantage. My favorite was when my parents took their turn. My mom won but maybe my dad let her so he wouldn't advance to the finals...we may never know for sure. :)

At my parents, we play Bingo each year, too. My mom always comes up with some new twist to what we have to do on our cards. This year, I won the cover your entire card. That was fun.

Does your hometown have any sort of Christmas game or does your family play Christmas games? The below photos are from a Christmas Ribbon game we played at my house last year. :)

    USA Today, Wall Street Journal, & Publishers Weekly Bestselling author JANICE LYNN lives in Tennessee with her Prince Charming and their princes and princesses, her vivid imagination, an adorable Maltese named Halo who's the true royalty of the house, and bunches of unnamed dust bunnies that moved in after Janice started her writing career. In addition to writing romance, Janice is a nurse practitioner, a quilter, a military mama, and an avid supporter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation. www.janicelynn.com  

Wrapped Up in Christmas https://amzn.to/4gvI1wP

Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy https://amzn.to/47wB8qW

Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope https://amzn.to/3Twuye

WRAPPED UP IN CHRISTMAS LOVE Amazon Barnes & Noble

Wrapped Up in Christmas Faith https://amzn.to/3K7n009