Hopes and wishes. And holiday kisses.
Wrap yourself in the holiday spirit with these romantic stories
filled with fun and forever after.
"The Littlest Angel"
Two people. One ornament for the tree.
Can a twosome find common ground and
discover the true meaning of Christmas?
Lauren MacDonald has always coveted her
mother’s ornament, The Littlest Angel. When her mother gave it to another,
Lauren finds a replacement only to have it snatched from her hands.
Architect Smith Hancock’s grandmother has a
little angel which is missing. Locating another at would make her holiday the
best ever. Only a feisty girl is claiming it for herself.
Find Season of Promises at: Amazon
Reviews:
5 stars. Vicki Batman is a master of short
fiction. She writes succinctly, yet pulls you in with fully-drawn characters
you care about, whether the story is three, fifty, or two-hundred pages. You
know these people, and you feel what they feel.
While I read the entire anthology, the
other stories were okay, but marred by the usual editing problems that drive me
crazy. Ms. Batman also apparently either paid attention in English class or
owns a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style, because her tenses match, she uses
the right homonyms, and simply writes well. So whether or not you read the rest
of the Season of Promises Holiday Box Set, I highly recommend “The Littlest
Angel." - Roses & Thorns Reviews
5 stars. Great collection! Enjoyed the
variety of stories. I always read Vicki Batman's work. She's one of my
favorites! -author Diane Kelly
5 stars. The Littlest Angel really tugged
at my heartstrings. I loved the idea of a man and a woman both wanting the same
rare Christmas ornament for sentimental reasons. The banter between them kept
me reading. It was hard to choose who should have the littlest angel, because
they are both such likeable characters. I won't say more.
5 stars. The Littlest Angel – Vicki Batman:
Love the story line about tree topper! A nice warm Christmas tale! Ms. Batman’s
writing was so good that I was drooling when they were eating the yummy
sounding cookies. I could totally identify with disliking the male lead but
could also understand the female lead’s attraction to him. Ms. Batman handled
complicated characters very deftly in this short story framework. I really
enjoyed this!
Find Season of Promises at: Amazon
Best Novella, "Holiday Handbag Extravaganza"
“Holiday Handbag Extravaganza”
Christmas Countdown is on! Hunk-a-licious
customer, Jack Treadaway, pesters boutique owner, Callie Woods, to locate a
vintage handbag for his mother. Too bad the wedge between them is his sister,
the meanest girl in town.
What a mess.
The bell sitting on the counter above my head ding-ding-dinged in an
irritating way. I huffed. Really?
Then I heard, "Hey,” —two dings— “I need help. Anybody working
today?"
Despite the din assaulting my ears, I didn't answer, and not because I
was mean. Because I was a woman on a mission. It was imperative I retrieve the
hundred dollar bill that had vanished when The Copper Teapot's front door had
erupted wide with a wintry gust. All kinds of stuff had gone flying like price
tags, papers, and hard-earned moola. In today's sucky economy, every smidgen of
revenue mattered.
Obviously, this guy couldn’t see me crouched down on the floor. His toe
tapping and bell ringing conveyed his impatience. Sticking the ruler in the gap
between the floor and the showcase, I bit my lip and concentrated, waving the
tool back and forth so I could snag the elusive dinero. Another three-note ding
sounded, and I rolled my eyes before singsonging, "Just a...minute, please."
Fingers drummed above my head. I shrugged my shoulders, thinking, rats.
Every customer is important. Guess I should be a responsible business owner and
do the right thing. "Be right with you."
"Okay, but hurry."
"Almost...there...Got it!" I jumped to my feet and dangled the
money in his face. "Pay day."
I finished my jig to check out the customer only to find —Oh By Golly—
Jack, as in the Jack Treadaway, the hunky hunk from Sommerville High School
days. I couldn't believe this man graced my shop.
Why was he here?
Find Season of Surprises at: Amazon
Reviews:
5 stars. This is a heartwarming collection
of stories that kept me turning the pages. Every author made me wish their stories
were longer. I especially loved Holiday Handbag Extravaganza by Vicki Batman
since I grab all her books as soon as they release. She didn't disappoint with
this latest feel-good one. Now all I have to do is wait patiently for her next
offering.
5 stars. WOW. Season of Surprises filled me
with hope, uncontrollable giggles, and an all around good time. Just as I read
one tale and thought, you can't top this, they did. Briliant tales of romance
and fun with characters not without their problems just like any person but
attaining their heart's wish. They were all so much fun to read it's hard to
pick a favorite. Holiday Handbag
Extravaganza really shined for me. What do you do when the school bully grows
up and comes into your shop? What do you do when her cute brother comes into
your shop later? I don't like giving out spoilers but wow. All the books within
Seasons of Surprise are the fun, enjoyable, and will make you smile all over.
5 stars. These short stories are a great
representation of some of what romance has to offer. Sweet, each in their own
way, I enjoyed this collection - from the handbag battle, to the English
matriarch’s complicated second chance at love, to the agoraphobia who overcomes
her fears.
"Holiday Disaster"
The week before Christmas and all is in
disarray when a librarian experiences horrible plumbing issues and a Mr.
Maintenance Man who isn’t nearly as jolly as Santa Clause. This Christmas is a
disaster.
Condo living isn’t all it’s cracked up to
be, especially for Michelle Anderson whose plumbing problems go from bad to
worse in the space of one week and right before Christmas, too.
To top it off, Mr. Maintenance Man is the
surliest plumber ever. Is it her fault he gets soaked every time he fixes her
pipes? And what’s with him winking and sneezing every time he comes over.
Creepy—right?
This Christmas is a disaster.
Excerpt:
Wrapping my hands around the older-than-time plumbing underneath my
bathroom sink, I yanked, hoping-praying-hoping the darn thing would loosen up,
and all would be saved. But no. Nada. Too darn tight.
Merry Christmas to me. Not really.
Obviously, somebody more muscular than me would be required to
strong-arm the pipe free. Helpless feelings hunched my shoulders. I should have
closed the drain stopper to prevent my contact from swirling merrily away when
it popped out of my eye and flew in the sink. I hated feeling helpless.
Not a great way to kick off the holiday season.
When Dad donned his Mr. Fix-it hat and repaired stuff around the house,
I should have paid more attention. Maybe I'd have learned something valuable,
something resembling Plumbing 101. But like most little girls, playtime was ten
times more fun.
I declared surrender and called the condo's emergency number. The
maintenance man who answered told me he was on his way. I hoped he hadn't said
that to humor me. Lying had become my number one enemy. Lately, it seemed like
everybody I knew told fibs:
My co-workers: "It's in your mailbox."
Not.
My boyfriend, rather, my ex-boyfriend: "She means nothing to
me."
Not.
My car dealership: "Your vehicle will be ready by noon tomorrow."
Not.
Unfortunately, I'd had to fabricate an untruth—just a teeny weenie
fibreally—to get the maintenance guy to come to my rescue so quickly.
When I'd called, the man didn't sound thrilled to be coming to my aid at
six-thirty in the morning. I wouldn't be a happy camper either. In fact, he
sounded—I scrunched my nose—hung-over, like he'd partied hearty until the wee
hours.
The doorbell chimed. I leapt to my feet and raced to the door, thinking
please, let it be him. Please, God, please. He just has to find my contact and
all will be saved.
Reviews:
5 stars. Good short stories you can read in
few hrs. Good short stories you can read in few hrs. all book have a recipe at
the end. Book 4,Holiday Disaster, is a funny read. You'll enjoy it
5 stars. Fantastic set of stories that
entertain especially during the holidays. Very good group of books and it
offers you a variety of johras. Each of the stores were warm, entertaining and
romantic. Others have described each of the stories in detail so to learn more
details please read their opinions. I enjoyed each story and no two of the
stories were alike. Each author brought her own style and the type of romance
has its own appeal and each book kept my attention. There is also humor,
suspense and some intrigue. I'm very glad I got this set and I will follow each
of the authors so I can read more of each author's books.
4 stars.
Romance blooms. I only gave this set four stars because the story lines
on a couple of the books were too similar even though the characters were
different as were the scenes. I loved the humor in Holiday Disaster and
thoroughly enjoyed the final book The Yuletide Bride.
Find Season of Magic at: Amazon ebook Amazon PB
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