The Adventures of Fawn is a 'coming of age' series set in the magical world of Santa's North Pole! The year is 1849, and legendary reindeer Comet and Vixen have a young daughter, Fawn. In this first book, 'Til the Last Snowflake Falls' the young reindeer spends far too many days alone in the stable at Santa's Village with no friends and nothing to do.
While her parents caution her she's much too young and inexperienced to go exploring outside Santa's Village by herself, Fawn disagrees. Declaring, “I want some fun and excitement! I don’t care how dangerous it is!” she begins sneaking out each day in search of friends, excitement and adventure. She'll find them all...but also find herself facing dangers like a fierce hungry wolf, a freezing North Pole blizzard, and the treachery of a sea captain capturing animals of the arctic to sell to a zoo in New York City.
Along the way, she'll also learn some valuable lessons about what's really important in life. The Adventures of Fawn are filled with fun and excitement for all ages!
Through almost 40 years as a Santa Claus, Al E. Boy developed quite a repertoire of tales to explain and answer the many questions children ask about Santa, the North Pole, his reindeer, and his friends, the elves.
It was this collection of tales which prompted him to begin writing The Adventures of Fawn. Through the young daughter of legendary reindeer Comet and Vixen, he's been able to weave an exciting, colorful, imaginative world which will delight readers of all ages!
Mr. Boy not only hopes you enjoy these tales, but make reading them part of your Christmas traditions, as well.
Book Genre: Non-Fiction, Nature, Art, Animals
Publisher: Falling Leave Press
Release Date: August 25, 2016
Book Description:
Nature Inspired: Animal Edition offers you the opportunity to see animals both big and small through the eyes of different artists. With more than sixty works in this full color edition, it is a treasure trove of touching, charming and curious images.
Happy Holidays! Have you ever wanted something so badly that you can’t stop thinking about it? So badly that you’re compelled to do whatever it takes, even if it feels as though you’ve lost your mind, to make it happen? That’s kind of what happened here. When I met Elise she was going to have quadruplets. That’s all I knew about her. I’d seen this quad stroller while I was out shopping one day and when the questions started coming to my mind, I knew I was going to have to write a story about a multiple birth. Elise appeared and agreed to placate me.
And then, as usually happens in my world, emotions started to appear from nothing and take over my story. I fought them a bit. Tried to tell them who was really boss here. But once I conceded that it wasn’t me, a story unfolded that I think will touch your heart. It has certainly touched mine.
In each of us is a drive to achieve something, whether that be financial, emotional, career based, relationship based, or something else entirely. We all have needs. This is the story of someone just like us – a woman whose heart cries out for more. But it doesn’t’ stop with the wanting. Elise is a woman so needy that she steps outside the normal boundaries of societal expectations to provide her life with the fullness she craves. Her journey is lonely. It isn’t easy, by any stretch. And in the end, being true to herself and the dictates of her heart – she is successful. Beyond her dreams.
I learned an important lesson from Elise Richardson. I don’t have to settle. This holiday season, my gift to you is the challenge to ask yourself for more. And then to be there to deliver. And next year we can check back in with each other to see what we’ve accomplished!
And now for a TTQ recipe…
TTQ Cucumber and Onion Wrap
I made this recipe up and it has become a requested favorite for us and our guests. My husband's mother used to make him a cucumber, onion and vinegar side dish. Sadly, I never had hers, but didn't like the rendition of it I tried. So I set out to create something that filled the void for him, but that I liked as well. This was the end result and he loves it!!
1 cucumber, finely chopped
1 medium sweet onion finely chopped
2 grilled chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (optional)
1/3 C Mayonnaise
1 t. prepared mustard
1 T vinegar
3 T granulated sugar
4 Flour Tortillas
Mix cucumber and onion and let sit for an hour. (Optional, but it tastes better if you let them flavor each other!) Add chicken.
Mix mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar and sugar until fully smooth.
Combine mayonnaise mixture with cucumber mixture.
Heat tortillas on warm for 30 seconds. Remove from oven, fill and wrap.
Makes 4 burrito sized wraps
Business hotshot Elise Richardson is successful, beautiful, single... and her biological clock is clanging like a church bell. So independent Elise takes matters into her own hands and now she's pregnant--with quadruplets! Her business partner and best friend, Joe Bennett, can't believe she's going to be a mom--times four! There's no way he's ready for the chaos of parenthood. Being one of seven children has taught him that much. But now that Elise's doctor says she shouldn't be home alone, Joe's ready to move in. Strictly as a friend, of course. At least until Christmas...
Source: Info in the About Merry Christmas, Babies was from the press kit from the publicity team.
With her business sold and her family out of reach, Abby Hayden's at loose ends.
But if Abby doesn't have enough to occupy her time, Dr. Nick McIntrye has too much. So many people rely on him for help and guidance.... No wonder Abby calls him "St. Nick."
Nick has a proposition for Abby, one he thinks will benefit them both. He persuades her to work at a home he's established for pregnant teens, girls who'll be giving up their babies for adoption.
That's where Abby learns she has a special gift: she knows how to make these girls feel loved and valued, despite their mistakes, despite their fears and lost confidence. And she receives a special gift herself--her very own St. Nick. Not just this Christmas, but for all the Christmases to come!
Source: Info in the About The Heart Of Christmas was from the press kit from the publicity team.
Kirk Chandler and Valerie Simms--two people who'll do anything for children
Valerie is a juvenile court judge. She spends her days helping troubled kids--including her own fatherless twin boys.
Through her sons, she meets Kirk Chandler. Kirk's given up a successful corporate career and dedicated himself to helping the children in his Phoenix community...as a basketball coach, as a crossing guard, as an adult who encourages them to strive for the best.
Kirk becomes an increasingly important part of her family's life, even spending Christmas with Valerie and her twins. And Valerie discovers that she and Kirk not only share a commitment to protecting children, they share a deep attraction--and a personal connection that shocks them both.
Source: Info in the About For The Children was from the press kit from the publicity team.
Leslie Sanderson's brother, Cal, is dead--and he's left behind two children no one knew he had. She and Kip Webster, Cal's closest friend, "inherit" these secret kids.
As they form their makeshift family, Leslie and Kip decide to share a house. And that leads to other kinds of sharing.... One night, just before Christmas, Leslie tells him about the devastating thing that happened when she was young--something she's kept secret all this time.
Because in Kip, she finds the promise of safety, acceptance and love. The promise of what family should be. The promise of Christmas....
Source: Info in the About The Promise Of Christmas was from the press kit from the publicity team.
Marybeth Lawson has the life she's always wanted. And it all revolves around her cozy bed-and-breakfast. As busy as it keeps her, there is no room for romance, which is fine with her. Then one Christmas, the very good-looking Craig McKellips reserves a room--and everything changes. The attraction between them is intense and instant.
With each visit, the connection between them deepens and Marybeth marvels as the wall around her heart crumbles. Could Craig be the one? Then he reveals a shocking secret that threatens their relationship. Now Marybeth must pick up the pieces and discover what it means to really know someone...and love them anyway.
Source: Info in the About The Holiday Visitor was from the press kit from the publicity team.
Buy Link(s):
Meet The Author
About Tara Taylor Quinn:
The author of more than 70 original novels, in twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestseller with over six million copies sold. A 2015 RITA finalist Tara appears frequently on bestseller lists, including #1 placement on Amazon lists, and multiple showings on the Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller list. She has appeared on national and local TV across the country, including CBS Sunday Morning.
Tara is a supporter of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you or someone you know might be a victim of domestic violence in the United States, please contact 1-800-799-7233.
Her writing is dramatic, her characters realistic, her stories involving.
— #1 New York Times Bestseller, Debbie Macomber
One of the skills that has served Quinn best...has been her ability to explore edgier subjects.
— Publisher's Weekly
Quinn writes touching stories about real people that transcend plot type or sub-genre.
— Rachel Potter, All About Romance
Tara Taylor Quinn's deeply felt stories of romance and family will warm your heart.
— Jennifer Crusie, New York Times Bestseller Author
Tara Taylor Quinn's attention to craft is exquisitely fine-tuned. Ms. Quinn intertwines captivating characters, emotional fervor and compelling conflict into a poignant love story.
— Romantic Times Magazine
Character-driven suspense at its best with rapid-fire pacing that makes you feel as if the pages are turning themselves. I inhaled it in two sittings.
— Hallie Ephron, reviewer, Boston Globe
Tour Schedule
December 7th: Launch - Holiday Message & Party Casserole
December 8th: Cherry Mischievous - Merry Christmas, Babies & TTQ Cucumber and Onion Wrap
December 9th: Brooke Blogs - Excerpt from The Holiday Visitor & Golden Tassies
December 10th: Book Munchies - The Heart of Christmas & Chocolate Pixies
A lot of people ask if Sweet Muse is an autobiography and if I’m Anna Starr. What I can say is that Sweet Muse might have been inspired by experiences I’ve had and people I’ve met and that Anna and I do share some personality traits. But it is purely a work of fiction.
I can also say that when The Devil Wears Prada was published, I was working at one of the world’s biggest fashion magazines, and I had the same idea to use my wild magazine stories as a backdrop for a novel. A decade later, I was still thinking about writing that novel, setting it in the late nineties—the last hurrah of publishing, before the web changed content and magazine editors still had cache and control over the industries they covered.
At the same time, I’ve always loved romance novels. I adore a happily ever after and would tear through everything from historical to contemporary. I dreamed of becoming a romance novelist while editing the dating advice column. The advice we offered was so spunky and all about female empowerment, and I thought it would be fun to reinvent the category, taking a page from that approach.
When 50 Shades of Grey came out and became a phenomenon, I had an a-ha and decided to put the two ideas together—a big, yummy romance with NYC magazine publishing as the setting. I set Sweet Muse in a celebrity magazine. I worked at some of the biggest celebrity magazines in the country, and the tabloid news business is such a rich place of extremes. The personalities are intense and sometimes the tactics used are…questionable. When I worked in the business, people would constantly ask how it works and if the news is real. I felt that in this book, I could spill some of the inner machinations of how the cult of celebrity was built.
At the same time, I wanted to mix up the romance formula. I was tired of the same romance plot line, where the innocent assistant falls for the young, dashing billionaire CEO. I took a page from Girls and made my main female character independent, edgy, and honest. She doesn’t have everything figured out, and she’s experiencing the full spectrum of the agony of figuring yourself out in your twenties.
She represents the little bit of bad girl we all have in us. On her own for the first time, unencumbered by her past and who she had to be growing up, Anna wants to discover herself and reinvent herself. She feels free for the first time to rebel and break out of the good girl she had to be growing up. Finally, she feels the freedom to let herself go, go a little wild—and test the boundaries to discover where she fits in in the world and to create her own happily ever after.
Determined to overcome her difficult past, Anna Starr lands a coveted job at the nation's biggest celebrity magazine in the center of the New York City power scene. She learns early on to make it on her own, and through sheer force of will she does. But frustration sets in when the dark side of tabloid journalism starts to poke through, and she gets duped while dating slicker-than-thou city boys.
Amidst a sea of cocktail parties, Anna meets rising art star Damien Wolfe. Their connection is dangerous, intense, and passionate beyond her imagination. He sees her in a way that she has never seen herself, setting her on a journey toward self-discovery—understanding what it means to be truly loved for the first time in her life. But she may lose it all when her blind ambition and his dark past lead to a crisis that changes everything.
Source: Info in the About Sweet Muse was from the press kit from the publicity team.
Buy Link(s):
What Readers are Saying:
"It's like Fifty Shades of Grey meets Devil wears Prada meets Girls!" —Carrie Adel
"I couldn’t put it down! Sweet Muse has it all—celebrities, scandal, and steamy romance. Ava Cummings’ writing invites the reader into Anna’s world, sharing her journey as she discovers the dark side of her dream job at a celebrity magazine and finds a love so powerful it will change everything. Totally captivating!" —Sarah Bagwell
Meet The Author
About Ava Cummings:
Ava Cummings spent more than 10 years as an editor at some of the biggest and best-known magazines in the world. She fetched coffee, fell in love with fashion, and eventually became a full-fledged editor, covering Hollywood and bringing in stories about bold women that were making a difference in the world. She has spun together the sweep-you-off-your-feet happy endings of fairy tales, the unbelievable headlines she reads in the news, and the quirky personalities that she’s encountered in both the real world and on reality TV in her first novel, Sweet Muse. Ava lives in the leafy suburbs of Boston with her husband and two children.
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