A COLD CREEK CHRISTMAS STORY

by RaeAnne Thayne

Synopsis:

Sparkle In The Snow Leads To So Much More

Celeste Nichols has always preferred to keep to herself in her hometown of Pine Gulch, Idaho…until she becomes an instant celebrity! When one of her children’s stories becomes a major success, she’s suddenly the talk of the town. Celeste should be gloriously happy…but something, someone, special is still missing from her life. Could the return of her childhood crush be the answer?

Flynn Delaney has moved back home for his daughter’s sake. Yet all the millionaire’s resources can’t help the little girl heal from the tragic loss of her mother. Shy librarian Celeste and her stories do hold some indefinable magic, though. Flynn came home looking for support—can he find that, and true love, in the one who got away?

Holiday Bon Appétit and a Book:

Luxurious Hot Chocolate

4 cups of milk (whole is best)

8 ounces of high-quality chocolate … I like Guittard semisweet chips. White chocolate works too, for a different taste.

3 teaspoons of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (pure, not imitation)

1/8 teaspoon salt

Finely chop the chocolate. Even if using chocolate chips, the smaller the pieces, the better it will dissolve in liquid. On low heat in a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a low boil, whisking occasionally to keep from scorching. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar, salt and chocolate and whisk vigorously until the chocolate has melted. Heat for another 4 minutes, constantly stirring. Serve with a dollop of real whipped cream.

You can add lots of things to this recipe: Mint, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick. Whatever your preference. Just add herbs or spices to the milk while simmering. After it boils, remove from heat and let the milk steep for 10 minutes then strain off your add-ins and return to simmer before adding the chocolate and other ingredients.

Writer’s Space:

I love my office! I wrote my first 15 books in a corner of a dining room, usually with kids running around me. Eventually, we moved to a new house where I actually had an office, which was wonderful – but it was in the basement, with only a view of a window well. A year ago, I was able to move my office to this spot that has huge windows with a beautiful view of my northern Utah mountains (though I have to look past the neighboring houses!). It’s been perfect. I love writing in front of the fireplace – and I keep the Christmas tree up until spring, since I’m writing Christmas books for several months out of the year and it helps keep me in the mood.

About the author:

New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne finds inspiration in the beautiful northern Utah mountains where she lives with her family. Her books have won numerous honors, including four RITA® Award nominations from Romance Writers of America and a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews. RaeAnne loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.raeannethayne.com.

AN AMISH NOEL

By Patricia Davids

Synopsis:

Luke Bowman’s homecoming is turning Emma Swartzentruber’s carefully ordered world upside down. Gone is her rebellious girlhood crush, and in his place is a handsome man who seems committed to serving the community. Luke’s even agreed to work for Emma’s ill father, whose last wish is to see his daughter wedded to a stable, loving man.

But Luke—a man who flirted with the outside world with disastrous consequences—is hardly marriage material for a good Amish woman. Yet this Christmas, when her family is flung into crisis, Emma finds that he may just be the one to capture her heart for good.

Holiday Bon Appétit and a Book:

Merry Christmas from me, Patricia Davids. If you love pecans the way I do, you’ll want to enjoy this delicious holiday recipe all year round. They are called Kentucky Pecan Bars and they are YUM. Pair them with a cup of hot peppermint cocoa and you’ll have a real treat to savor while you enjoy my latest book, An Amish Noel.

Ingredients

Crust:

Nonstick cooking spray

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small dice

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

1 2/3 cups pecans

6 ounces white chocolate, chopped

1 cup honey

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons bourbon

Zest of 1 orange

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the crust: Adjust the oven rack to the bottom position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, salt and butter until the butter is pea-sized. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough begins to pull from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, gather together and pat into a rectangle. Roll the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle that measures about 13 by 15 inches. Trim the rough edges and ease the dough into the prepared pan, pressing it onto the bottom and about halfway up the sides (trim the dough more on the sides as needed). Prick the dough a couple times with a fork. Cover with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the dough starts to set up, about 15 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and continue to bake until the crust is just golden, about 5 minutes more. Let it cool completely.

For the filling: Meanwhile, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and spread the pecans out on a baking sheet. Bake until toasted and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool and then coarsely chop.

Bring a couple of inches of water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Put the white chocolate in a heat-safe bowl that sits comfortably in the saucepan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Spread it evenly on the crust and let it set up.

Beat the honey and brown sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the eggs. Pour in the melted butter and continue to beat. Add the flour, bourbon, orange zest and vanilla. Sprinkle the pecans over the white chocolate and pour in the honey mixture.

Bake until the top of the filling is golden brown and the center sets up, 30 to 40 minutes. Cover and put in the refrigerator until cool. When ready to serve, cut into 36 even bars.

Recipe courtesy of Damaris Phillips, From The Food Network website.

My Writer’s Space:

I write in a corner of my bedroom these days. My daughter and her two children recently moved in with me following her divorce. My office became my granddaughter’s bedroom. That’s okay. People are more important than things. I don’t have as much space now, but I have everything I need on my desk. I have my favorite print in front of me. It inspires me to keep moving forward. I have mementoes of my travels and trinkets from friends and family and my research books. It’s a place where I can shut the door and work.

About the author:

After her daughter left home, Pat’s love of reading evolved into a serious desire to write. In 1996, she began work on her first novel. It proved to be more difficult than she expected. In researching how to write, she discovered a local writers group and soon joined both the Wichita Area Romance Authors and the national organization, Romance Writers of America. Pat credits the help of the wonderful members of both organizations with teaching her the craft of writing and giving her insight into the publishing industry.

Still, after seven years of writing and three completed manuscripts, all she had to show for her efforts was a pile of rejection letters. Then, in the summer of 2002, Pat met Deborah Raney, a fellow Kansas author, and learned about the growing inspirational romance market. It was a lightbulb over the head moment. Pat revised her third book for yet another time and the rest is history.