It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Reads) GIVEAWAY: Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams (+ guest post)

today’s book: Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams

Happy Tuesday! We are, of course, continuing our annual blog series spotlighting (over 60 this year) new and recently-released Christmas reads! Christmas is only 25 days away, so… snuggle in, grab your fave hot beverage and comfiest blanket, turn on some Christmas tunes and continue your bookish Christmas list! Oh… and did I mention there are GIVEAWAYS with EACH POST in this series??!! (Because authors are awesome!)

Today’s featured book is a collection of Christmas romance novellas, and the five fantastic authors behind them discuss writing a Christmas story set at the beach!

CANDY CANE WISHES AND SALTWATER DREAMS
AUTHORS: Amy R. Anguish, Hope Toler Dougherty, Linda Fulkerson, Regina Rudd Merrick & Shannon Taylor Vannatter
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance Collection
PUBLISHER: Scrivenings Press LLC
RELEASE DATE: September 28, 2021
PAGES: 455

A collection of Christmas romances by five multi-published authors.

Mistletoe Make-believe by Amy Anguish – Charlie Hill’s family thinks his daughter Hailey needs a mom–to the point they won’t get off his back until he finds her one. Desperate to be free from their nagging, he asks a stranger to pretend she’s his girlfriend during the holidays. When romance author Samantha Arwine takes a working vacation to St. Simons Island over Christmas, she never dreamed she’d be involved in a real-life romance. Are the sparks between her and Charlie real? Or is her imagination over-acting … again?

A Hatteras Surprise by Hope Toler Dougherty – Ginny Stowe spent years tending a childhood hurt that dictated her college study and work. Can time with an island visitor with ties to her past heal lingering wounds and lead her toward a happy Christmas … and more? Ben Daniels intends to hire a new branch manager for a Hatteras Island bank, then hurry back to his promotion and Christmas in Charlotte. Spending time with a beautiful local, however, might force him to adjust his sails.

A Pennie for Your Thoughts by Linda Fulkerson – When the Lakeshore Homeowner’s Association threatens to condemn the cabin Pennie Vaughn inherited from her foster mother, her only hope of funding the needed repairs lies in winning a travel blog contest. Trouble is, Pennie never goes anywhere. Should she use the all-expenses paid Hawaiian vacation offered to her by her ex-fiancé? The trip that would have been their honeymoon?

Mr. Sandman by Regina Rudd Merrick – Events manager Taylor Fordham’s happily-ever-after was snatched from her, and she’s saying no to romance and Christmas. When she meets two new friends—the cute new chef at Pilot Oaks and a contributor on a sci-fi fan fiction website who enjoys debate—her resolve begins to waver. Just when she thinks she can loosen her grip on thoughts of love, a crisis pulls her back. There’s no way she’s going to risk her heart again.

Coastal Christmas by Shannon Taylor Vannatter – Lark Pendleton is banking on a high-society wedding to make her grandparent’s inn at Surfside Beach, Texas the venue to attract buyers. Tasked with sprucing up the inn, she hires Jace Wilder, whose heart she once broke. When the bride and groom turn out to be Lark’s high school nemesis and ex-boyfriend, she and Jace embark on a pretend romance to save the wedding. But when real feelings emerge, can they overcome past hurts?

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christmas at the beach

by the authors of Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams

Amy R. Anguish – Mistletoe Make-believe

The beach isn’t the first place I think of when I think Christmas. Probably because I live in the northern hemisphere—a place we tend to hope for snow around the holidays. Also, the beach I chose to set my story at, St. Simons Island, GA, I had only been at in the summer. Needless to say, research was required.

I am happy to say that it does get down in the forties at night sometimes in December on the Georgia coast. And, the island is full of holiday spirit with a trolley going around to see the lights, a miniature golf course decorated for the season over on Jekyll, a man-made ice-skating rink, and Santa in a few places, too. So, even though it isn’t where I best imagine Christmas, it was easier for me to wrap my mind around it. And fall a little bit in love with the idea, too.

Hope Toler Dougherty – A Hatteras Surprise

One of the unusual Christmas traditions on the Outer Banks and specifically in the village of Rodanthe is the one celebrating Old Christmas or Twelfth night. Falling on January 6th, the festivities, which began in Britain, mark Epiphany. Outer Banks settlers, emulating their British ancestors, have continued the tradition to present day except the observance takes place now on the first Saturday after Epiphany to accommodate island visitors.

One of the customs enjoyed by the residents is the visitation of Old Buck, a bull-like creature who, legend has it, was shipwrecked on the island years ago and whose spirit still lives in the island woods. Lots of singing, oyster roasting, candy-making, and storytelling happen before Old Buck appears. Today, he’s a life-sized puppet run by two men covered by a blanket and operating the big bull-like mask.

Linda Fulkerson – A Pennie for Your Thoughts

Hawaii is a fun place to celebrate Christmas. Not only is the weather great in December (well, the weather is almost always great in Hawaii), but the waves along the North Shore are huge during the holidays. Watching the surfers ride is a great way to spend an afternoon if you’re visiting Oahu for Christmas. Of course, I had to include a scene in my novella, A Pennie for Your Thoughts, where the characters tried their luck against the surf—on boogie boards.

Christmas cards usually depict Santa on the beach, sunning himself. Hawaiian tradition says Santa Claus arrives in an outrigger canoe pulled by dolphins instead of riding a reindeer-led sleigh. And because Christmas trees are delivered in refrigerated containers by ship, it’s important to pay attention to local news of their arrival times or you might miss out. Finally, one of the best parts of celebrating Christmas in Hawaii is the music. Hawaiians love music and have many local favorites that are sung during the holidays.

Regina Rudd Merrick – Mr. Sandman

I’ve never had the pleasure of spending Christmas, but I want to, someday. The closest I’ve come was spending a week in the Pawleys Island area of South Carolina—the setting for my novella, Mr. Sandman”—in October of last year. It was perfect.

In my story, my characters are experiencing insomnia, mutual friends, a Christmas parade, and long walks on the beach, which is my personal favorite beach activity. Taylor, a native South Carolinian, wants to experience a white Christmas so she can relive the happiest day of her life, but doesn’t think it likely to happen. Will she be surprised? I was inspired for this story during my last trip, when I went into a familiar Christmas store at a little shopping area called “Pawleys Island Hammock Shops.” It is a delightful store, and if you find yourself there, be sure to check it out!

Shannon Taylor Vannatter – Coastal Christmas Charade

To me, the beach is always a relaxing place. Since we have family in the San Antonio area, I’ve only been to the Gulf. We usually make a beach stop during our trip. Though I’ve only been in the spring or summer, I’ve visited Texas family during Christmas. Once it was in the 70’s with a warm wind. Another year, we nearly froze to death at Thanksgiving. For Surfside beach, where my story is set, the average December high is 66 and the low is 48. Sounds fine to me since I’m just there for the shells.

Of course, my heroine is an avid sheller. I love to wade along the shore and shell. As the water laps at my ankles, I find treasures straight from God. Who else would bother to create such intricate, beautiful shells to house tiny, insignificant sea creatures? To avoid torturing my heroine with cold water, I let her stick to dry land during her shelling. But she did get to meet the hero in a fun scene with a dog and a horse on the beach. And I incorporated shell Christmas décor when he helped her decorate her family inn.

Shannon Taylor Vannatter is offering a print copy of Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams to one of my readers! (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What about you? What makes you want to read Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams by these fabulous authors?