It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here, and not just because we got actual snow a couple of days ago.

We are now less than two weeks away from the October 15 release date of Every Bell that Rings!

Queue cheering and excited squealing.

This book is so much more than a sweet romance. It represents a personal journey I went on over the last couple of years. I wrote the healing I hoped for in my own life into the book, not knowing if it would be possible. I think God honoured that leap of faith, because fiction foreshadowed reality, in this case.

And I know I call these books “sweet and clean romance,” but they’re more like “romantic women’s fiction.” That’s why I’ve recently updated this series tagline to “Sweet and clean romances with big heart and a bit of grit.”

Anyway, let’s get on with telling you about the book, shall we?

About the Book:

Can his Christmas spirit banish her ghosts of Christmas past?

For Stephanie Neufeld, Christmas is more bah-humbug than ho-ho-ho. So when the crush who once ghosted her makes it his mission for his attending nurse to fall in love with the holiday, Steph couldn’t be more annoyed. But while Noel Butler’s strength, generosity, and selflessness slowly melt her reservations, she yearns to unwrap the secrets in his fiercely guarded heart. Will old fears keep Noel and Stephanie frozen in the past, or can they discover a warm new reason to celebrate the season?

Fans of Debbie Macomber and RaeAnne Thayne will love Every Bell that Rings, the second standalone title in the sweet and clean Peace Country Romance Series. If you like second chances, small towns, big heart, and a bit of grit along with your joy-filled white Christmases, grab a cup of cocoa and cozy up with this wholesome love story.

Excerpt:

"Was it something I said?"

Steph spun to face him, her eyes shooting daggers. “Something you said. Something you did. It’s your whole exasperating self.”

Noel blinked at her. “What are you talking about?”

She gaped. “The Christmas party. You know, the one where we talked and danced all night, and . . . did a little more.” She looked sideways at the floor, her face flushing.

Noel frowned. “Yeah, I had a great time that night. I thought you did too. So why are you mad at me now?”

Her gaze snapped to his. “Seriously?”

He shook his head, at a loss.

She crossed her arms, glaring at him. “Because, in my world, a night that special is the beginning of something. Some might even call it a date, no matter how unplanned it was. But since I haven’t heard from you since, apparently it meant nothing to you. And now it’s just one more horrible Christmas memory I get to treasure.”

What makes this book special:

As I wrote Every Bell that Rings, I poured my heart into crafting a story that would resonate with readers who, like me, adore heartwarming slow-burn romances with a touch of depth. I wanted to explore the complexity of healing from old wounds. I wanted to reflect my deep-seated belief that second chances are always possible.

Stephanie's reluctance to embrace the joy of Christmas is born from past hurts, as is her struggle to trust again after being let down. Noel's journey of redemption, his quiet acts of kindness, and his determination to overcome his past mistakes make him not only a very likeable hero, but they create a character arc that I hope readers find to be both heartwarming and inspiring.

Of course, as with all my books, the themes of family, community, and friendship all play a vital role. Through these intertwined relationships, I wanted to show how healing can happen, both individually and within families, as characters confront their pasts, forgive themselves and others, and learn to open their hearts to love again.

And, for readers who have previously enjoyed All I Want for Christmas and Every Star that Shines, you’ll get to see some familiar, favourite faces on the page.

A lovely reading and listening experience:

I have formatted my own books and made my own contemporary romance covers for many years. Over time, not only has my experience grown, but so have the collection of tools I have access to and my skill in using them.

While formatting this book, I included some features I’ve never used before. Namely:

• Chapter header background images to set the mood (eBook and print).

• A full-page image representing the mood of the book (print).

You can see colour versions of these artworks inside the Books and Tea League. (You’ll need to create a free account to see the post, if you haven’t already).

I’ve also been working on creating the audiobook using digital narration from ElevenLabs. While this won’t create the same immersive acting experience that a human would produce, the voices sound like a human reading, and the emotion they do include is often surprising.

But this isn’t a simple click-and-play audio generation. Digitally narrated books are often full of artifacts and mispronunciations. The final audiobook will be fully edited and reviewed by a human (me) who cares very much about your listening experience. (I’ll be working on the editing next week.)

A special pre-order offer:

I could use your help.

I’m not going to lie, not publishing a book for over two years hasn’t done my bank account much good. Publishing this book has been a stretch financially, as well as in the more personal ways I hinted at earlier.

It would be a HUGE help to me if you would pre-order this book. Anywhere is great (it releases on other retailers on November 5), but it would be an especial help if you would order it directly through me. Today.

It’s not easy for me to admit that my business account is struggling, but I figured, “If no one knows I need help, no one will know to offer.”

And if you pre-order directly through my store, you’ll also get a FREE SURPRISE GIFT WITH PURCHASE. It’s just a way for me to say an extra “thank you” for supporting me directly.

So, please. If this book is on your radar, and you intend to buy it, I would deeply appreciate it if you would go put in your pre-order right now.

But that’s not all of my news!

Every Star that Shines Print Book Update

While I was creating my pretty new interiors for Every Bell, I decided to update the interiors of Every Star that Shines (Peace Country Romance Book 1) to match. I’ve also tweaked the cover a bit so the general look of the book fits better with Every Bell.

I have a few of the original print versions of this book left in stock, on sale for 20% off.

Or you can get a match-matchy set of these two books when you purchase the updated version along with Every Bell.

I’m so excited to be putting this book out into the world at last. I can’t wait for you to read it, and I hope it blesses your socks off (or at least warms your heart in all the best ways).

Thanks for sticking with me, my friend. Here’s hoping the journey is a little smoother from here.