Amazon Bestselling Author, Josie Riviera, is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA). She writes contemporary and historical sweet and Christian romances. She’s a transplanted New Yorker now living in the sunny Carolinas. She has three grown children and shares the empty nest with her husband and the family dog.
Josie's an expert at board games and a compulsive reader of every genre, especially romance. In her spare time, she eats Peppermint Patties because they're lower in calories than other chocolate candy.
You can email her at josieriviera@aol.com she always answers. Or check her out at Facebook, Twitter, or her blog called The Italian Blog.
Margaret Snow doesn’t believe in fairy tales, but as a devoted mother she’s determined to give her five-year-old daughter a Christmas filled with heart-warming memories.
The once successful LA swimsuit model returns to her small upstate New York town to buy back the foreclosed trailer she once called home. Her menagerie of rescue animals travel with her.
She doesn’t expect to see her former high school sweetheart, the athletic, ever-popular, and decisive Fernando Brandt.
Sparks fly when she realizes that the teenage hockey star is now a successful Realtor who is also interested in her dilapidated trailer for reasons of his own.
But can she resist the handsome, charismatic Prince Charming a second time?
And can she surrender her insecurities and accept the true gift of Christmas, finally feeling worthy of unconditional love?
EXCERPT
Once upon a time they’d planned to celebrate the Christmas after high school graduation as husband and wife. A Christmas wedding, her resplendent in a white velvet gown and carrying a bouquet of deep red roses, a tiara in her hair. Sure, he’d done most of the planning, but she had agreed, hadn’t she? She’d called him Prince, adding a different name depending on the circumstances of the day—Prince Polite, Prince Pleasant, he’d heard them all.
And then she’d left him. It was as if she’d slapped him across the face, when in reality the hurt hadn’t set in immediately. He’d been a damn, besotted fool. The first letter he’d written her after she’d left him cold was filled with outraged pride. The others had been demanding and then pleading, something he never thought he’d do.
His thoughts flew back to their senior year, when he’d asked his hockey buddies to clear tires and debris from her front lawn one Saturday afternoon. When he’d stepped into her trailer’s run down foyer and inhaled the smell of stale cigarettes, he’d had to push unexpected tears from his eyes. She’d been furious, shouting at him to be a man, not a baby. Her life didn’t bother her, so it shouldn’t bother him.
But it did bother her.
He’d seen the shame in her face and the sheen of tears, and had realized the humiliation she must have felt. And he knew, even then, that she was extraordinary and he didn’t deserve her. She was as precious as a rare diamond, and he’d wanted to keep her close and safe. Otherwise, he might lose her. And she’d left. He’d lost her. A year passed before he’d placed his feet back on the ground and decided to move forward without her.
And then he’d heard she was back in town.
AND NOW THE GIVEAWAY
Josie will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Freda's Voice is not affiliated with the giveaway.
**No compensation was received for posting. Freda's Voice is not responsible for the giveaway or prize shipment. This post is part of a promotional book tour.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a wonderful romance. Perfect for this time of year.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Yvonne. I love the holidays. It's a perfect time of year to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book.
DeleteWhat a captivating book and very special excerpt. Thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome! The novella is about everyday people who face difficult decisions. Hopefully you'll be rooting for both the heroine, Margaret, and the hero, Fernando.
DeleteNice Excerpt! I hope to read this book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
v_theberge@hotmail.com
Hi Valerie,
DeleteThanks for your kind words. Hope you'll be able to pick up a copy. It's available in both ebook and print on Amazon as well as all the other ebook distributors.
Thanks so much for hosting A Snowy White Christmas on your blog today! http://amzn.com/B017C0FVK4
ReplyDeleteWhat is your favorite fairy tale?
A Snowy White Christmas is loosely based on the fairy tale, Snow White, and Margaret, the heroine, is said to be Snow White's original name. But that's where the similarities end because this novella explores childhood deafness, dwarfism, pets with deformities (yes, a deaf parrot) and sickle cell sickness.
Readers are saying that A Snowy White Christmas reads like a Hallmark movie. Please leave a comment and hope you enjoy this "sweet" Christmas novella.
http://amzn.com/B017C0FVK4
Sounds interesting....it's hard to go back home though!
ReplyDeleteMeredith,
DeleteYou're so right. Especially for Margaret, the heroine. She's made a name for herself in beautiful LA as a swimsuit model. Her small town in upstate NY is the last place she wanted to be.
One of my favorite lines in the book happens early on when she's explaining to Fernando why she's returned. She gives him a list of plausible answers but then thinks to herself the real reason:
"She was desperate."
Sounds lovely ... with the added bonus of being set in my dear NY :)
ReplyDeleteKaren,
DeleteI'm originally from upstate NY, also. :)