Friday, December 6, 2013

A Little Bit of Holiday Magic - Review and Giveaway

Review by Marlene Engel
It probably wasn’t the smartest decision to drive across country just before Christmas, but Grace was determined to start a new life for her and her three year old son, Liam.  Widowed at the age of twenty three, Grace knows all too well what it feels like to lose someone you love.  But it’s time to pick herself up and move on … literally.  With her son in tow, they brave a blizzard destined for Astoria, Oregon.  But as they make their way through Mount Hood, her truck spins out and hits a snow bank.  Luckily neither of them were hurt and they were able to find shelter at a house close by.

Bill Paulson is a fire fighter and wilderness first responder.  He’s used to being thrown into difficult situations.  But when Grace knocks at his door soaking wet from the storm and carrying her son in her arms, no amount of training could’ve prepared him for this.  Bill enjoys his bachelor life, not wanting to settle down or have children anytime soon.  But spending time with Grace’s son has brought on unexpected feelings that he never knew existed. 

As the snow continues to fall and Grace has no other option than to stay at Bill’s house, thoughts and feelings that have been suppressed start to surface.  However, she’s hesitant to allow herself to get close.  Can Grace push aside her fears and allow herself to know Bill better?  Or will she pack up Liam and continue their journey to Astoria once the snow ends? 

Christmas is my favorite time of year and I love reading Christmas books during the holiday season.  A Little Bit of Holiday Magic is like a warm fire on a cold winter’s day.  It’s the perfect book to snuggle up on the couch with a blanket and hot cup of cocoa and read!  The story kept me interested and the characters were so relatable.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone looking to read an amazing holiday romance. 

I've always been a fan of fairy tales and "happily ever afters", but I'd never read a category romance until my senior year of high school when my A.P. English teacher, Mrs. Cooper, had the class study genre fiction. She assigned each of us a Harlequin Romance to read. Mine was set in the Canary Islands and I couldn't wait to read another one. And another and another. I was hooked. Needless to say, I owe Penny Cooper a debt of gratitude. And yes, we do keep in touch!

After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in mechanical engineering, I worked for Allied Signal analyzing engine performance in Phoenix, Arizona, and my love of romance novels continued to grow. One day, I decided to write a romance of my own. Easier said than done I quickly learned, but I discovered the Desert Rose Chapter of Romance Writers of America and realized how little I knew about writing romances.

After three years in Phoenix (Tempe, actually), I began to hate the Arizona summers. Who cares if it's a dry heat? Anything over a hundred and ten is still hot. So I took at job at United Airlines in San Francisco. I was still analyzing jet engine performance, but now I had travel benefits. I spent five years traveling the globe. My love for writing romances also grew.

Writing became a passion, and the few hours spent at the computer during lunchtime and in the evenings weren't nearly enough. With lots of prodding and support from my husband of six months whom I met working at UAL, I decided to follow my dream and write full-time.

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