New Christmas Books

I know today is Thanksgiving. I also know that people are now beginning to think about Christmas presents. I wanted to make sure you knew about the Christmas Romances we’ve published this year.

First, Betsy Love has crafted the most wonderful Hallmark-esque romance, The Miracle of Joie. Joie is an elf, and has been sent by Mrs. Claus on a special assignment: Eight-year-old Emily needs a mother. Complicating her task is that there’s only a week left before Christmas. To make matters even worse, Emily’s father, Matt, is still grieving the loss of his wife in the auto accident that also put Emily in a wheelchair for life. To top it all off, another elf, Wink, is obsessed with getting Joie to return to the North Pole Kingdom and marry him.

When events turn Joie into a human, she loses her magic. The success of her mission seems impossible, but she still has her wits. Can Joie get everything fixed in time?

Next is Keri Brooks McWhorter’s Second Love in New York City. Madelyn and Ben – and their families – have been best friends since they moved in next door to each other. When Madelyn’s husband Luke died, she swore she’d keep her marriage vows by remaining single for the rest of her life. Since Ben joined the widower club, they’ve relied on each other for everything. Best friends to the end.

Now Madelyn’s daughter and Ben’s son are getting married. Everyone’s headed to New York for the Christmas wedding, including Heather, the woman Ben’s been dating. Will Heather succeed in breaking up Madelyn and Ben’s friendship, or will they discover the love that’s been bubbling beneath the surface all these years?

If that's not enough Christmas romance for you, check out Natalie Peck's A Gigolo for Christmas. It's not new this year, but it's still a good fun read.

Shelia Everett couldn't have imagined a worse company Christmas party. By the end of the evening, she'd been fired and evicted. Fortunately, her boss' date, Anders Adamson, was willing to help her repair the damage. He even offered to help her get a job at his escort service. What's a good girl to do when she discovers she's fallen in love with a gigolo?

Catching Up

Photo by Jon Tyson, via Unsplash

It's been a little longer than forever since the last post, and I can't really explain what happened. It may have had something to do with launching of the newsletter, which duplicated much of the information on the blog. You can sign up for our newsletter on the front page at The Electric Scroll, and then you know you won't miss anything new, exciting, or important.
The staff at The Electric Scroll has been very busy. I can't believe that we've published 53 books in only six years, particularly with how small our staff is. It's incredible.
We've had the chance to work with some great writers, including Natalie Peck, Scott Ashby, C R Simper, Betsy Love, and most recently, Keri Brooks McWhorter.
Keri released a wonderfully cute romance novella named Second Love in New York City last June.
Scott has written two more Cavaliers novels, Terror on Terradia and Court Martial on the Charys, that are in line to be published soonish, and is hard at work writing the first of three more Cavaliers novels telling the story of how the Aubria got from Timora to Terradia.
Betsy just finished a Christmas novel named The Miracle of Joie, and it should be available late in November.
In September, The Electric Scroll opened a new division, dedicated to helping authors publish independently. We call it the author services division. We offer editing, formatting, and cover-making services at fair, but generally low-prices.
If you know your manuscript needs well-trained extra eyes on it, you can borrow ours.
If you're freaking out about the merger between CreateSpace and Amazon, you don't need to worry.
If you need a manuscript formatted for print at the new Amazon platform, we've got you covered.
If you want to publish in eBook too, we format for Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.
If you need a cover, we can help you make an eBook (front) cover.
If you already have a front cover, we can craft a spine and back cover for your print book.
We can also make the entire full-wrap cover for you.
And, once you've approved the files, we can even upload the files for you.

If you want to know more about author services, come talk to me on Facebook. Or if you want to talk about publishing your book with us. Or if you want to just talk.

Presidential Dogs Not Allowed

One day I almost caused an incident that might have been considered funny. One Saturday morning, I was assigned to greet people at the entrance [of the George H. W. Bush Library] rather than introduce the film that begins the tour, guide tourists through the exhibits or sit at the information desk.

Near the entrance, I noticed a tall man approaching who was dressed in khaki clothes with a backpack, wearing a baseball cap, and leading a dog on a leash. He looked like one of the professors, and I moved forward to explain the Library regulations that the dog could not enter.

He leaned down to pet the dog and only then did I realize he was petting Millie! I just backed up, smiled and said “Good morning, Mr. President.” Of course, Millie entered with him.

That was a close call. I hadn’t noticed the ever-present secret service fellows with the ear pieces that signal the presence of the President. They usually dress in clothes to match what he’s wearing, trying to blend in with the crowds. I chuckle when I wonder what if I’d tried to keep him from entering his own library. (From Jenny’s Daughter by Jaqi Wade) http://tinyurl.com/nk37akr

Where's my money?

“Charleston, I’m really not feeling well. If you want answers to your questions, please don’t hit me anymore. I’ll faint, and you’ll get nothing but silence. If you will please explain what money you mean, I’ll tell you all I know.” She felt Gavin stir again.

“Tell me where the money is, Mrs. Beardsley, and maybe I won’t slap you for a while.” Sarcasm dripped from his voice, his lip curled in an ugly sneer.

Katrina sighed loudly. “What money are you talking about, Charleston? I don’t make much at work.”

“I’m talking about the forty-three million dollars Uncle Andrew left you in his will!”  (From Inherit My Heart by A M Jenner)http://tinyurl.com/q4zfau7

Valentine's Day in Chicago

Once she was changed, she wrapped the dress around her blood-stained clothing, and threw the bundle as far off the road as possible. She chuckled.

Climbing back in the car to continue the journey, she was still chuckling. She had to find the humor in the bad situations she kept finding herself in or she’d go nuts.

Samantha looked intently at her. “Why are you laughing?”

“If forensics tries to match those bloodstains, they’re going to be very confused.”

“Why?”

“I just got back from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.” (from Quinn by Marie Evergreen) http://tinyurl.com/mdnew8m

What's a Klodfon?

Suddenly Glen realized what he was seeing. These must be Clod-fawns. They were huge! Jenna had been conservative in her description of seven foot lizards. These lizards walked on two legs and used their tails for balance. Covered from head to toe with bright, neon green scales, they reminded him vaguely of a tyrannosaurus rex, only with well-muscled, usable arms attached on the sides of their shoulders.

The helmets they wore were shaped wrong for any dinosaur. Glen rather thought they would fit on his own head, though the squarish corners might be uncomfortable. Their faces were different, too; he could see them through the helmet’s clear front covering. They were definitely lizardish; red eyes with a slit for a mouth, and absolutely nothing where the nose should have been. Glen wondered absently what they would do if they needed to wear glasses, with no nose to hold them up.

They wore black bits of stuff strapped to various parts of their bodies, and Glen recalled Jenna saying something about blast armor. It certainly looked like armor. Not the kind knights used to wear; more like a Roman soldier’s. Breast plates and back plates, helmets, and guards on the forearms and shins.

Other than the helmets and armor, they wore no other clothing. Apparently the lizards had no problem with nudity, but then, Glen couldn’t recognize anything that modesty should prompt them to cover. (from Assignment to Earth by Scott Ashby) http://tinyurl.com/kr2uyh5

Not THAT sort of a man!

“I’ll be gone about a week. You and Gramps can manage that long without me, right?”

“Of course we can. Have you got a hotel room yet? They’ve got that big party there for New Year’s, so I’m hoping not everything’s booked.”

Anna concentrated on slicing the bread evenly. She knew Gran wasn’t going to approve of what she was going to say next.

“Well? Have you?” Gran asked.

“I’m staying in Jim’s guest room.”

“Without a chaperone?”

“I’m not flying out there to have sex with him, Gran!”

Her grandmother chuckled. “I don’t for a minute believe you’re going out there planning the sort of shenanigans that will get you in trouble, but I’m not a naïve country girl, either. That sort of thing happens when unmarried people stay under the same roof. One goodnight kiss can turn into a baby before you realize what’s happening!”

“He’s not that sort of a man.”

“Honey, they’re all that sort of a man. And for that matter, we’re all that sort of women.” (From Meet Me Midway, by Natalie Peck) http://tinyurl.com/kendo35

Inside Cell

Jameisaan looked around, assessing the situation. “We’re in an inside cell,” he said calmly.

“Why do you say that?” Fergasse’s voice reached out in the near pitch darkness.

“No windows in the walls,” was the answer.

“None of the cells have windows, as they’re all underground. We could be anywhere.”

“Oh.”

“We’re lucky in one respect,” Fergasse said, as calmly as Jameisaan had been speaking.

“What’s that?”

“They didn’t chain us to the walls.” Fergasse rattled the chains of a set of manacles bolted to the wall.

“That was nice of them,” came the acerbic reply.

“Very nice. The manacles are measured so you can’t sit or lie down.”

“I see. In that case, I’m really glad they decided to forgo the formality.”

“Absolutely,” Fergasse agreed. (From The Siege of Kwennjurat, by Scott Ashby) http://tinyurl.com/nw4lfsb

They're in Her House!

Unlocking her door, she entered and reached to turn on the lights. A strong arm gathered her close, a hand pressing hard across her mouth. A deep, gruff voice spoke in her ear.

“Don’t scream. Do y’unnerstan’?”

Marilee made a sound in her throat, and the hand eased its pressure on her face by a fraction. The strong arm held her tight, but her own fear held her still.

The men were back. She was a dead woman. (From A Heart Full of Diamonds, by A M Jenner) http://tinyurl.com/oefddym

Calcasieu Pass

Calcasieu Pass was an important spot in the river. The Trans-Mississippi Department depended on clear passage for providing supplies of corn, beef, muskets, gunpowder and reinforcements as well.

For almost three years the Calcasieu River was of little or no interest to either side of the war, even though the Pass itself was only about thirty-eight miles from the Texas-Louisiana border. Even so, after the war began, one company had erected a mud fort on the island which had miles of marshy land. This was an attempt by the Confederates to keep Union foraging parties from gaining access to food sources needed by the Confederate troops. The island was virtually abandoned during the winter of 1863-1864 and because of its terrain didn’t seem worthy of invasion or defense. (From The von Rosenberg Family of Texas: The Civil War Years, by Ann Barnes) http://tinyurl.com/nq2r7yg

Grazing the Donkeys

When I was old enough – I think I was about six years old – I was allowed to go outside the city walls with other boys. The older ones tended small flocks of sheep, or grazed donkeys and goats. If we begged enough the older boys would let us ride on the donkeys, but they always made us get off after only a little while so that the donkeys could graze. The donkeys were hobbled so that they would not run away. Donkeys may refuse to move at all, but if they want to go they will run away. I have known people like that. (From Samuel, Seer, by Gordon C. Krantz) http://tinyurl.com/nahwsqu

Do You Have a Minute?

“The Moms Place, may I help you?”

Rhys’ gut tightened at the sound of her voice. “Cassi? It’s Rhys. Are you busy or do you have a minute?”

“It’s about time you called!” Her voice filled with venom.

“You sound a little upset,” Rhys said. “What’s the matter?”

“What’s the matter?” she echoed. “You totally ignore me for nearly a month, and you want to know why I might be just a little bit upset? You could at least have called to turn me down, instead of leaving me hanging for three and a half weeks!” Cassi’s voice rose steadily, until she was nearly shouting.

“What are you talking about?”

“You know very well what I’m talking about, Mister I-never-eat-breakfast-without-my-newspaper Morgan!” (From The Moms Place, by Natalie Peck) http://tinyurl.com/ntx6kuq

Becoming Mormon

His conversion to the church came about in a very interesting manner. A number of his neighbors were assisting him in a house-raising. He suggested to them that, in the evening when the day's work was done, they go in a body and break up a meeting which he had heard the young Prophet Joseph Smith was holding in the nearby woods. Intending to cause a disturbance, he found himself converted instead.

Many times after he was heard to testify that before the prophet had spoken five minutes, he had received a thorough assurance of the divinity of his mission, which testimony remained with him all his life. (From Journal Through the Ages, by Mischa Borgnaes)

Monday, July 23, 1838...On the road near Bellefontaine one of the sons of Martin H. Peck, had a wagon wheel run over his leg, but as the Lord would have it, and to the astonishment of all—considering the weight of the load on the wagon—he received no particular injury, although the wheel ran over the boy's leg on a hard road without any obstruction whatever. The wheel made a deep cut in the limb, but after hands were laid on him in the name of the Lord, the boy was able to walk considerable in the course of the afternoon. This was one, but not the first, of the wonderful manifestations of God's power unto us on the journey. (From Journal Through the Ages, by Mischa Borgnaes) http://tinyurl.com/llamlof

What to Wear

“Dress?” Anders asked.

“Hmph. You’re the only male I know who would know or care about asking that. Casual. My budget runs to Denny’s, especially now while I’m out of work.”

“I’ll see you at six, then,” Anders said, “and I’ll be dressed for Denny’s, but since your budget is tight, I have a better idea.”

“What?”

“It’s a surprise. I’ll show you tomorrow.” He brushed his lips against her cheek, and was gone before she could decide whether he’d actually kissed her – and whether she should have turned her face toward him and kissed him back. (From A Gigolo for Christmas, by Natalie Peck)  http://tinyurl.com/p6lp5mu

Best Cookies Ever to Touch my Tongue

Choc-Scotch Cookies

Contributed by Romana

Invented while at college, and very few could guess what that other flavor was.

½ C butter

½ C shortening

¾ C sugar

¾ C brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2½ C flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ pkg butterscotch chips

Cream butter, shortening, and sugars. Add liquid ingredients and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in chips.

Bake on an ungreased sheet 8 - 10 minutes at 375°F.

(From Clues to Food, by A M Jenner) http://tinyurl.com/psrsn3x

Invisible Servants

Ez sat down at the table and drew out her wand, and with a few flicks and several muttered incantations, her kitchen was alive with what looked like invisible servants. The eggs floated from the refrigerator and broke in mid-air, throwing their contents into the frying pan which materialized beneath them just in the nick of time. A few slices of bacon made their stately way to the pan, and began sizzling on contact. The pan hovered merrily above the stove as it cooked the food, even though Ez had forgotten to turn the gas on. The bamboo spatula stirred the eggs, scrambling them beautifully, while the tongs darted in and out of the pan, turning the bacon as needed. (From "Scrounger Ez" by Scott Ashby, Bits and Bites) http://tinyurl.com/mc4vbh5

Death in Waiting

Wading back across the stream, he found the best place to give adequate view of his quarry while concealing his own presence and settled in for the wait.

A scant brace of hours ambled by with few riders and only one coach passing before the small lad wearing Kwenn’s livery cantered into view. Always an exceptional marksman, Rocnar took careful aim, allowing the horse to bring the boy closer. The sound of the shot rent the air and caused the horse to plunge and buck as its rider slipped onto the roadway, blood staining his jerkin from the neat new hole over the center of his heart. (From Tanella’s Flight, by Scott Ashby)  http://tinyurl.com/mc4gp2l

Origami Love Notes

I hadn’t seen Darragh for a few days, other than through the Med Center window when he was too busy to bother. The station had received a ship full of refugees who were battling some illness I didn’t hear named, but his obsessive problem-solving skills no doubt would come in handy.

I left dinner on his doorstep every night, and every morning I found the dish clean and set beside my door. The second day he left me a note on a tiny square piece of colored paper that simply said “Thank you.” The third and every day since, he left me a note that said “Thank you” and a meticulously folded paper animal or flower. (From Rift Watcher, by C R Simper) http://tinyurl.com/q7vytu9

Madder than a Wet Hen

They rounded the corner of the garage and saw utter chaos. Some chickens had escaped their coop and were clucking, squawking, flopping and fluttering about outside their pen. The hens still in the enclosure were even more hysterical.

Wang Huck and Jack, entering the coop, waded into the melee, trying to corner two smallish dogs within the enclosure. With men and dogs now inside their fence, those chickens still in the pen were doing a frantic dance-and-screeching squawk.

Each time a dog was cornered, the men made a lunge for it but several chickens would get in the way. The dog would escape and run to the other side of the pen, stirring up more chickens. Jack was yelling and waving his arms. Wang Huck’s howling, punctuated by his singsong words, wove in and out of the discordant noise and made a most unusual accompaniment to the cackles, barks and yells.

The panorama was so unexpected and bizarre the girls started to giggle. The harder the men tried, the less successful they were. The funnier the situation became, the harder the girls giggled. The men were getting tired. Rebecca, still laughing, thought of a possible solution. (From Sirens in her Heart by Natalie Peck) http://tinyurl.com/qxxvmz4

Fire in the Night

A blazing light awakened Gladiola, and her first thought was she’d overslept and the sun was shining in her eyes. She smelled smoke and sat upright in her cot. She’d not overslept. The sun was not in her eyes. It was still the middle of the night, and the light was caused by the burning tent around her. (From Crown of Tears by Scott Ashby) http://tinyurl.com/pf2m49s