Goodbye and Farewell by Andrea Downing

      For some reason the song “So-long, farewell, etc. etc” from The Sound of Music is going through my head—probably because this is my last post here at The Roses of Prose.

      Good-byes are always difficult, no matter what the situation.  I was in London last week for a wedding, which was happily followed by seven days of nonstop visiting with old friends from when I lived there. After the final dinner with one, I burst into tears because we happen to be at that age where ‘ya never know.’ But let me not get too morbid.  Here on the Roses’ blog, we’ve had some pretty good times, many laughs, shared a lot of important information, and hopefully made friends for the future. As Thanksgiving approaches, I find I have a lot to be thankful for.

And the best good-byes are brief so I won’t linger.  It’s been highly enjoyable for me and I’ve appreciated all the support over the months, and reading everyone’s thoughts, both in their own posts and in comments. So, farewell everyone!

Oh, but it wouldn’t be an author’s post without one more thing.  I know my fellow Roses will be entertaining you with their Christmas stories throughout December, but let me also mention my latest before I go, available at https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Cowboy-Keep-Contemporary-Collection-ebook/dp/B07JF6LYWD/   Curl up with some great Christmas reading:

The weather is cold, the atmosphere is festive, and the cowboys are hot. How do you keep a cowboy at Christmas?

Don’t miss this holiday collection of modern-day cowboys and the women they love, featuring USA Today, Amazon Bestselling, and Award-Winning authors.

CHRISTMAS, LIBERTY, AND THE THREE MINUTE MAN by Carra Copelin

Nashville event planner Liberty Ann Hart has come to Mistletoe, Texas, to set up and promote a Christmas fundraiser for country music star Lilah Canfield. She tries not to fall for the local carpenter building the outdoor stage, but his cowboy charisma is hard to ignore.

Daniel Dylan Layman is happy to live his life in obscurity in Mistletoe, until a sassy, headstrong woman removes her shoe and beats an ATM machine for eating her debit card. From that moment, he’s determined to show her a Texas country life away from the glitz and glamour of Nashville.

A CHRISTMAS CAROLE by Andrea Downing

When single mom Carrie Matheson inherits a Wyoming ranch and moves out of NYC, her six-year-old son is not happy. Trying to help Tim settle into life out west isn’t easy, especially when his pleas to Santa receive replies from a mysterious correspondent. Is it the crotchety ranch foreman upon whom she relies so much? Somehow, she doesn’t think so….

Tate Schrugge is amused by his new neighbor when she jogs over with some mis-delivered mail. But Tate has just finished with a long-term relationship, and the lithe blonde in front of him has just called him Scrooge.

If these two can get together, it might be the Dickens of a romance.

THE PEPPERMINT TREE by Kristy McCaffrey

Skye Mallory had always aspired to leave her family’s ranch, and she took pride in having achieved her dream of becoming a lawyer. But when an unexpected inheritance draws her home for the Christmas holidays, she’s surprised by a longing to set down roots in the wide-open meadows and woodlands of southwestern Colorado. Only one thing stands in her way—a cowboy who broke her heart nine years ago. 

In high school, Joe Carrigan had admired Skye for her spirit and her intellect, but he had known she was destined for a life beyond ranching. Turning down her romantic overture had been the best course of action for them both. But now, he’s returned to the community he left years ago, and it’s inevitable that he’ll come face-to-face with his one regret in life—Skye Mallory. This time, however, he wouldn’t be so chivalrous.

THE DEVIL’S CHRISTMAS KISS by Devon McKay

Kristen Kelly is returning home with a new attitude. No longer the shy, awkward girl of her past, she’s determined to show the small town what she’s made of. Especially Cole Lawson. When she’s challenged by Cole at a holiday kissing booth, she finds the wicked cowboy hasn’t changed a bit. He’s still the most frustrating, infuriating, and tempting man she has ever come across.

The minute he sees Kristen again, Cole Lawson can’t believe his eyes. She’s the one girl he’s never forgotten but convincing her they belong together will take more than a Christmas kiss. Kristen doesn’t trust him but, this time, he’s determined to not let her go.

SLAY BELLS by Hildie McQueen

Big-city girl Carmen Dias is prepared for the worst when she accepts a writing assignment in rural Montana, but she’s pleasantly surprised by the jubilant atmosphere and warm welcome of the townspeople. Unfortunately, as she begins working on an article about their small-town Christmas festival, she discovers a dead body, putting her face-to-face with a local—and hunky—detective.

Weary from his all-work and no-play schedule, Detective Jared Bowden braces for a busy season helping at his family’s Christmas festival. When a beautiful writer arrives in town, his holidays immediately take a turn for the better. But a murder investigation, possible charges against him, and a pesky ex-girlfriend don’t exactly spell romance.

Can Carmen and Jared find love amidst the mayhem and sleigh bells?

THE BEST CHRISTMAS by Hebby Roman

Sofia Rossi travels to Texas to re-connect with her estranged teenage son, Aaron, who’s at a ranch rehab-center. An immigrant from Argentina, she has managed to thrive in the tough New York world of modeling. And she’s a survivor of an ill-advised liaison with a wealthy, married member of New York society. When her ex-lover manipulates their son into living with him, Aaron gets into trouble. Sofia will reclaim her son at any cost.

Gar McCulloch, after losing his wife to her high school sweetheart and his daughter to a drug overdose, believes his life is over. He dedicates himself to turning a dude ranch into a juvenile drug rehab-center. Selfless and with twenty years of juvenile counseling experience, Gar is a wizard at reforming other people’s kids, but he can’t forgive himself for his one failure… his daughter.

As two emotionally-damaged people come together to save Sofia’s son, neither feel they’re entitled to romance or happiness. Their mutual attraction and admiration come as a surprise and an unexpected joy, making this their best Christmas… ever.

COUNTING DOWN TO CHRISTMAS by Patti Sherry-Crews

Melody Evans grew up as the only child of a single mother, never putting down roots. Instead, they carried family traditions from home to home, none more precious than those surrounding Christmas. Romance? Melody has put a wall around her wounded heart and turned a cynical eye to the concept of happily ever after, despite making a living as a wedding planner.

Veterinarian Leland Jennings IV has roots long and deep at his family’s ranch in South Dakota. What he lacks, according to his meddlesome sister, is someone to settle down with. But he continues to hold out, nurturing an unwavering belief that there is only one woman out there for him. Christmas? It’s a holiday for children, not a bachelor living alone.

Once Melody and Leland get over their initial animosity, they come together like two pieces of a puzzle, sparking emotions and nostalgic memories that bring magic to the holiday season. But when tragedy strikes, will the budding romance become a case of the right person at the wrong time, or will they forge a new path together?

The Woe of a Woman Traveler—and Writer By Andrea Downing

I’ve had several road trips and other vacations with my darling daughter and one thing we’ve found along the way is that women travelers are not treated particularly well.  On one road trip we were increasingly upset by the fact we seemed to be invisible, as if some magic spell had been cast on us.  Servers ignored us constantly and things came to a head in Santa Fe, NM.  We had a reservation at what was supposedly an excellent restaurant with good reviews; it sounded particularly interesting because an art gallery was attached and I love looking at paintings—and, on occasion, buying them.  When we got to the restaurant we were told our table wasn’t quite ready and maybe we would like to walk around the gallery.  I could see almost immediately that the art there wasn’t our thing.  The gallery was arranged so that you walked through from one end back to the reception desk.  At that point, I was asked if there was anything I was interested in purchasing.  My negative reply, as sweetly put as it was, was greeted with disgruntlement, and we were shown to our table…and there we sat.  Dinner took over two hours, we closed the place down, and were completely ignored on departure despite the fact staff were gathered in the entry. Somehow we doubted that treatment would have been applied to men.

 This episode brought things to a head for us.  Nursing our aggravation, we put our woes to the female bartender at our hotel. ‘It’s because they think you won’t tip well,’ she informed us. ‘Women on their own don’t tip as well as men.’ Okkkk, but in actual fact, despite the lousy service I foolishly left a good tip.  Won’t do that again!  I’ve learned my lesson. But then, you see, it becomes self-perpetuating.  They think women are lousy tippers, give bad service and….  You get my point.

  Now my daughter is married and I venture off, on occasion, alone. Since I’m that much older, I seem to get help more often and even have the odd waiter (odd indeed) flirting with me—maybe in search of that better tip.  But I’ve also come across a new problem of the solitary woman traveler.  Last week I had to sleep with the lights on as mice ran around my lovely national park cabin.  I saw at least two, high speed little critters they were.  I figure a man would most likely have just gone back to sleep.

The difference between men and women has been playing out in the news as never before, but as romance writers we’re faced with it even as our fingers hit the keyboard.  While I’d like to think men were reading romance in numbers equal to women, it’s doubtful.  And then there’s even a genre called ‘Women’s Lit.’  I don’t see one called ‘Men’s Lit.’  Mysteries and thrillers? Westerns?  All right, I get it. Shelving in bookstores or divisions in the internet stores.  

What would we call Women’s Lit. if we took the woman out of it? and why should servers think women are lousy tippers?

As I leave these questions float out in the ether of cyberspace, let me also bring your attention to the  paranormal of From the Files of Nat Tremayne:  Two Tales of Hauntings in the Old West. If you’re looking forward to Halloween as I am, float on over to https://www.amazon.com/Files-Nat-Tremayne-Tales-Hauntings-ebook/dp/B0767HWT6S/ for a spooky read.

The Wild West gets even wilder when Nat Tremayne sends out his agents from Psychic Specters Investigations offices in St. Louis and Denver. Across country and across time, these agents will stop at nothing to unravel the mysteries that beset poor unsuspecting ranchers and cowboys who have no idea what they’re seeing . . .or not, as the case may be.
In The Ghost and The Bridegroom, P.S.I. Agent Healy Harrison is sent to Tucson to rid a rancher of the ghost in the bedroom interfering in his marriage to a mail-order bride. Healy doesn’t think she’s destined for romance—until she meets Pinkerton detective Aaron Turrell. But when their two cases dovetail, will their newfound love survive the ultimate showdown the between mortal and immortal.
In Long A Ghost and Far Away, agent Dudley Worksop aims to unravel the mystery of Colby Gates’ dead wife. Lizzie not only seems to have reappeared as a ghost, but has time traveled from 2016 to the 1800s. Can revenge be had for her murder? And can the couple be reunited across country and across time?