Welcome to Notes From a Romantic's Heart. Today I'm pleased to feature the next book in the Dickens Holiday Romance Series, The Rumball Rumba, from good friend and author Bonnie Edwards.
At Christmas, a secret baby arrives in Dickens…
Pregnant and divorced, successful artist Trix Warden returns to Dickens to raise her child surrounded by family. To do that, she needs to renovate a horse barn into a gallery/market for other artists.
At 36, her baby is an unexpected miracle that is hers alone. Determined to get everything done before Delivery Day, she hires widowed single father, Jon Carpenter to do her renovations.
As they move through the work, they spend time together enjoying the holiday season. Trix helps Jon through tricky times as a parent of teens, and he offers support throughout her pregnancy.
Their friendly business relationship blossoms into mutual attraction, and on Christmas Eve, when the baby comes early, Trix trusts Jon with her secret and her heart. But the secret Trix reveals creates a deep divide between them as Jon struggles to accept the decision Trix has made.
Trix is afraid her secret Christmas baby, and her choices, may tear their newfound love to shreds.
Bonus! Included is a recipe for No Bake, No Rum, Rum Balls.
“I’m getting a divorce.” Those words had seemed like a dreadful announcement to give her family last Christmas, but she’d weathered the storm. The combined Moore and James families had rallied quickly and supported her through the whole messy business. Dale, her husband of too many years, had left her for his much younger receptionist.
Until now, today.
Because today she got to say the words, “I’m pregnant. I’m a pregnant divorcee.” She winced because that wasn’t the worst of it.
She smoothed her flowy white blouse and denim shorts as she walked the hall in Gram’s house.
Everyone had gathered for the Fourth of July weekend. From the kitchen she saw them on the patio, sitting on chairs in a semi-circle, cold drinks in hand. Her cousins Kayley and Brenna sat beside Brenna’s husband, Jett. He wore his usual expression; besotted. Not only did he love her cousin he was wealthy and generous. Kind, too. They’d only been married a few months having met right here in Dickens last Christmas.
She’d overshadowed their budding romance with her horrid divorce announcement, but that couldn’t be helped.
She sucked in her belly and plastered on a smile. Her Egyptian cotton top was long and roomy. It was perfect for July heat. This morning, without warning, she’d been unable to zip up her best pair of shorts, so she’d dug through her ‘big’ clothes and cut off her pre-divorce jeans above the knee. She needed to give her blossoming tummy more room.
Trix drew in a breath and slid open the screen slider. “Hi everyone. I finally made it. Getting out of Brooklyn was a bear.”
Bonnie Edwards has been writing all her life, starting with a poem about Santa suffering with gout. She was seven, Santa was a thousandteen years old. Delighted with writing, she went on to write family sagas, humorous contemporary romance, romantic suspense, erotic paranormal ghost romances and more.
She may jump around within romance, but all her stories come with a tear, a laugh, and a happy ending. Published by Kensington Books, Harlequin Books, Carina Press, and Robinson (UK) Bonnie’s stories stretch from short stories to novellas and novels. Now, she's happy to be publishing her work herself.
With over 35 titles to her credit, she has been translated into several languages and sold books worldwide. Aside from standalone romances, she has 4 ongoing romance series, Tales of Perdition, The Brantons, and Love at Christmas. Contemporary family sagas find a home in Return to Welcome. She's hard at work on a two series. Learn about more exciting releases and get a free romance by subscribing to her newsletter, Bonnie’s Newsy Bits
~ ~ ~
Nancy
I enjoyed the excerpt very much and I have to know the secret!!! This will be perfect to read at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know the message I wanted to work through until I wrote the story. Funny how that is sometimes.
DeleteWonderful Christmas story. Your title reminds me of the year I made rum balls for my dad. He told me in the future he'd take his rum and his chocolate separately. LOL
ReplyDeleteCute story, Caroline! We do miss our dads when we think back over our lives.
DeleteNancy, I love the Santa so much! And thank you for hosting me here today. As an added bonus, the first story of mine written for Dickens, The Tinsel Tango is on sale for only 99c if people want to see how things worked out for Jett and Brenna.
ReplyDelete