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 Holidays are Coming! #amwriting by Andrea Downing

I know that there are a few holidays between Labor Day and Christmas, but I thought that I’d help to start getting you in the holiday mood.  Sadly, I had to decline joining my esteemed colleagues of The Roses of Prose in their forthcoming—and no doubt wonderful—Christmas stories due to the ongoing time spent on my new house on top of other obligations.  However, I am joining my former colleagues from A Cowboy to Keep in the forthcoming A Christmas Cowboy to Keep, coming out in October.  My own story is A Christmas Carole. So here’s what I’ve been working on folks!

      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 begin to get 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.

EXCERPT:

Now her mind started wandering back to Tate, to her uncle, to any place except work . . .and then suddenly she remembered Tim’s letter to Santa. Oh My Gosh! What the heck did I do with the letter to Santa? No, please tell me it wasn’t in the pile I gave to Scrooge!

She scraped out her chair from the desk and stood, then sat, then stood again. Check the mail box, maybe I’ve left it there, that’s the first thing.

Yanking a coat from her closet, she was halfway down her lane when she saw the mail van pull up and the postal worker reach into her box.

“Wait! Wait!” she screamed, one arm in and one arm out of her coat. “Is there a letter for Santa there?”

The pinched face of the letter carrier stared back at her from the window of the van, as if he were framed for a not too flattering portrait. “Santa?”

“Yes, you know Santa. Big belly, white beard, red outfit?”

“Ma’am,” he drawled. “I don’t look at the mail, I only deliver it. Or collect it from the boxes.”

“Exactly. And my son wrote to Santa and I want to know if his letter is in your collection.”

The young man stared down at something at his feet, his bag she guessed.

“The letters I collected are in the bag now. I can’t go looking through them all. But I don’t recollect taking anything out of your box, only leaving some things there for you.”

Carrie slumped. She watched as the van pulled away, then turned and pulled the letters out of the box for the second time that day.

Please tell me I didn’t give it to Scrooge. Now I have to go ask for it back? Maybe he already put it in his box for the Post Office to deal with? Yes! Post Office first!

Back at the house, she gathered up her car keys, pulled on some gloves and a pompom hat, and headed out.

Cars were overtaking her, they passed her as if she were crawling when the two lane highway narrowed into one. A woman on a mission, she was going along when she spotted the flashing lights of the sheriff’s car in her rear-view mirror.

He tooted her and passed, motioned for her to pull over. Can this day get any worse? Really?

Sitting as calm and demure as she possibly could, she rolled down her window when she saw the patrolman get out of his car with all the time in the world and saunter over to her. He removed a pair of dark glasses and bent into the window.

“Guess I know where the expression a New York minute comes from now, huh?”

“I beg your pardon?” Carrie tried to keep her voice in an even tone, deciding there was no point in getting grumpy with the man.

“You were doing fifty in a forty mile per hour zone. We don’t take kindly to speeding here in Wyoming. Maybe that’s okay in New York—”

Carrie’s mouth hung open, deeply regretting not having re-registered her car as yet with its yellow Empire State plates. She felt the patrolman’s eyes on her, sizing her up. “People were passing me!”

“Well now, I didn’t see anyone pass you. Registration and license please.”

Still feeling as if she were catching flies, she fumbled in her bag for her license and started searching about for the registration.

“You’re a long way from home,” the man said mildly.

“No, no I’m not, in fact. I have a ranch here. The Lazy M? I’ve just moved in.”

“Well. . . .”

At that moment there was the honk of another car and Carrie saw in her rearview mirror a good-sized pickup pull in behind her.

“Hey Grange!” ‘Scrooge’ stuck his head out his window but sent a winning smile in the direction of Carrie’s car.

She watched as the officer strolled over to chat with her neighbor, bending down to his window for a confab. She could just pick up part of what they said.

“Long time no see. . . how’s Katy doing and the new baby? . . .Been working pretty hard . . .”

Oh, for heaven’s sake. Are you two going to shoot the bull all day?

“Looks like you got my new neighbor . . . yeah, well, she’ll settle in… do me a favor.”

Incensed at the time they were taking, Carrie got out of her car and stomped over, her pompom flapping down over one eye. “If you’re going to ticket me . . .” She flicked the apex of her hat out of her eye and held out the license, which the officer took with a sheepish smile on his face.

“Carole Anne Matheson,” he read. “I’ll let you off with a warning this time. You take things a bit slower, Miss New York. We’d hate to see you get hurt.” And with that he handed the license back, tapped his hat, nodded to Tate, and headed back to the patrol car.

Carrie stood watching him go, feeling Tate’s eyes on her. “I suppose I have you to thank for that.”

“Well. A simple thank-you will do. Carole.” He looked rather smug but she realized her heart was jumping out of her chest at the sight of him in his Stetson, and those sapphire eyes peering up at her.

“Please don’t call me that. I hate it.”

“Well, let’s make a deal: you don’t call me Scrooge, I don’t call you Carole. How’s that?”

“Fine. I don’t suppose you found a letter to Santa in amongst the letters I brought over earlier today?”

Tate pulled back in and faced the road. “I may have.”

“Can I have it back? Pretty please?”

Tate leaned back, a pensive look on his face. “Too late,” he said at last. “Post Office collected it.” He lifted a brow, staring up at her.

“Ah, well.”

“I’m sure Santa will get it. And answer. What did you ask for?” He pulled in his lips as if he were trying to stop himself from laughing.

“Very funny,” she replied. “My son wrote it and I have no idea what he asked for.”

Tate tapped the wheel. “Well. I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

“Ya. Thanks.” She started back to her car.

“Hey, wait a minute.”

Carrie pivoted back toward him.

“You owe me one, don’t you?”

“I owe you?”

“As in dinner maybe? For getting you off that speeding ticket. I’ll collect you Saturday. Eight. How’s that?”

The day was just beginning to look a whole lot better.

A Christmas Cowboy to Keep goes into pre-orders on October 15 at Amazon.

http://andreadowning.com