More Than a Promise is out! A few fun things about the story…

by Kristen James

This is my first ever sequel! I’m actually developing it into a series with many more surprises and books to come. You’ll get details about Book 3 at the end of More Than a Promise, and I bet you’ll be able to guess who will be in the following story.

Not only does this story continue from Embers of Hope to show Cassie’s story, readers get to revisit Jason, Savanna and Aubrey from Book 1 and see how they’re doing. Aubrey was tiny in Book 1 but now she’s “so, so, so excited” about starting school. I had a lot of fun writing her character this time around too.

So the story opens in Eugene and then moves to Ocean View Stables from A Cowboy for Christmas. You’ll get to see the old setting–only the stables are growing and doing very well–and visit Brent and Missy again. (She goes by Melissa sometimes in this story, so readers won’t get confused with all the -ie names.)

At Ocean View Stables, Cassie reconnects with her old best friend from the 6th grade, Ethan. He’s a single dad now to Isabel. Isy grabs a special place in Cassie’s heart from the start, maybe because she touched my heart so much. I enjoyed working with her character just as much as Cassie and Ethan. Of course, I loved writing from Cassie’s point of view this time. We didn’t get to go into her head and see her thoughts in Book 1, and she turned out to be even more multi-dimensional than I imagined.

This book was a long time coming, but the next one is already under way!

More Than a Promise on Amazon 

Two November Releases! More Than a Promise and A Spy for Christmas

by Kristen James

More Than a Promise: Cassie’s story is available!  It’s the sequel to Embers of Hope, so here’s the blurbs for both books:

Book 1: Embers of Hope: Savanna’s Story  – available in print and Kindle

Savanna Thompson knows what it’s like when you blink and your life shatters. She’s been hiding her divorce from her best friend Cassie, but she knows she can’t any longer. Cassie’s husband, a firefighter, just died. Savanna rushes home, along with her one-year-old daughter to help, and now she’s staying with Cassie in a nursery meant for a baby that won’t ever exist. Cassie lost that dream along with her husband.

Savanna wants to fix their relationship after hiding so much, but it’s complicated with Jason around. He’s the firefighter who saved Savanna’s life two and a half years ago. He just lost his best friend, and like Cassie, he blames himself for Mike’s death. When he convinced Mike to remain with the department, how could he know Mike would die fighting a house fire?

Though hurting herself, something deep inside her won’t let her walk away. Jason needs her but she’s off limits on so many levels. She’s falling for this sexy firefighter but he confuses her to no end. Being stuck in the middle is enough stress, plus her own problems are festering behind her helping smile. Can Savanna find the balance between loving Jason, helping Cassie, and taking care of herself and her daughter? Or is she going to lose this bet and her best friend?

Kindle Link Coming Soon

Book 2: More Than a Promise:  Cassie’s Story

Cassie escapes to Ocean View Stables on the Oregon Coast to cope with the three year anniversary of her husband’s death. She’s starting to dream about her future again and possibly romance. A safe romance, that is, where people don’t die. Maybe her trusty next door neighbor Brandon would be a safe bet. But once at Ocean View, she runs into Ethan Caldwell, the cute boy who teased her through grade school. He sure grew up – into a man who’d catch anyone’s eyes. The romantic man has a song for every emotion. He’s a single dad to nine year old Isabel, who talks about her parents getting back together…as soon as her mom is out of rehab. Then maybe her mom can watch her while her dad goes on his work trips. Apparently Ethan has some kind of dangerous, secretive government job. This isn’t at all what Cassie is looking for! So why is she running full speed into another broken heart?

Sneak Peek:

“Want to go swimming?” he asked.

She was busy thinking and thought she misunderstood him, but the expectant smile on his face told her otherwise. “Right now?”

He got up and stuck out a hand. Before she could think the situation over, or create a good reason to say no, he had grabbed her hand and was pulling her toward the river, looking back once to grin mischievously. “We’re being sneaky!”

“I’m not wearing…” a swimsuit. “Same old Ethan!” He’d always been a dare devil.

He let go of her hand to pull off his shirt. The moonlight silhouetted his body as he walked closer to the water, his shorts dropping. Either he hadn’t been wearing underwear or he dropped them with his shorts. It was nothing but skin. She looked away, pretending she didn’t just see his naked body…his very toned, naked body.

“I can show you the world…” he sang as he walked toward the water. “Take you wonder by wonder…”

Was that from the movie Aladdin? She giggled. She couldn’t help it; she giggled like a little school girl.

“Over, sideways and under…”

Could he possibly be thinking the same things she was? This man was not like those other guys, the ones who wanted to sit in a restaurant and ask her about life plans.

“I won’t look,” he said, wading in, with a hint of repressed laughter.

And my other November Release is…

  A Spy for Christmas — a novella

 

Robin is returning from Honolulu where she was nursing her wounds. Her long time boyfriend just wasn’t the man for her, and now she’ll be spending Christmas alone. Everything changes when she meets Grayson… and a world of danger. Suddenly she finds herself forced into hiding for the holidays with this charming, mysterious man.

What’s more dangerous? The Oregon wilderness? Hit men? Or the heat in Grayson’s arms?

 

Apple cider and salmon chowder – It’s falltime!

by Kristen James

I just put a pumpkin pie in the oven – the pumpkin was a little sugar pumpkin from our garden. It’s still fairly warm and very dry for an Oregon October, but I’ll take it, especially since the garden is still in full swing. I have watermelon, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, butternut squash, corn and peppers still getting ripe. Even with the warm weather, I’ve been enjoying some of my favorite fall recipes, like smoked salmon chowder. I caught the 35 pound salmon and smoked it myself.

Here’s my recipe. I love making soups and chowders

Salmon Chowder

 Brown bacon and crumble (or cut with scissors and fry)
Remove bacon and set aside; drain most of the grease.
Cut about 6 medium potatoes into small squares and brown in grease.
Let the potatoes brown a little bit and add chopped up onion. (I small onion)
Once potatoes are brown and starting to get soft (you can easily poke a fork into them), add the bacon back in.
Continue to brown potatoes and onions, add a little garlic, salt and pepper. (fresh ground pepper is best)
When everything is soft, add 1 cup flour and stir to coat everything.
Pour in milk until it’s about soup size. (Sorry, I haven’t measured how much milk. I just add it till I have about half a pot.)
Add smoked salmon to taste, or use leftover cooked salmon. (Or about 1 to 2 cups cooked and flaked salmon.)
Add about a cup shredder cheese and gently stir a little.
Add about 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, the real kind not the “snow cheese” you put on spaghetti.
Stir so it doesn’t burn and cook until everything is well blended. Soup thickens as it warms up.
*My clam chowder recipe actually says to use a pint of 1/2 & 1/2 or whipping cream, so you can use that instead of milk.
Despite the warm weather, my kids caught their first cold of the school year. We pulled out the apple cider to help.

We also picked apples to make applesauce and apple butter. I like chunky applesauce that you can make in a crook pot or big pot on the stove. It’s pretty easy, fun, and makes the house smell delicious while it’s cooking.

Chunky Applesauce

Peel a big bag of apples and cut them up into a big pot or crock pot- you can use really any apple that you like, and it’s tasty to mix varieties. It also doesn’t’ matter how many you use because you can adjust the spices.

Cook the apples, stirring every 10 or so minutes. If they’re dry, you can add a little water so they don’t burn. Usually the juice works fine by itself.

As the apple soften, smash them with a potato smasher. I stir and smash every ten minutes. After an hour or so, depending on how many apples you started with, you’ll have a pot of soft sauce with chunks of apple in it. I add a cup of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground clover to taste. This is the fun part. The kind of apple or mix will change the amount and kind of spices you use. You can continue to cook it down to the softness you want, and continue smashing for a smoother applesauce. It actually turns out a bit like apple pie filling, and it’s very good to eat while it’s hot. I make a big pot and then eat a bowl with the kids, put some in the fridge, and can a couple small jars of it.

I started canning this year and loved it. I learned how from a wonderful, informative site called www.pickyourown.org. It’s full of recipes, directions and pictures for canning about anything.

Happy Fall Time!

 

Un vaquero para navidad

by Kristen James

Haga clic aquí para previsualizar en Amazon - view on Amazon

Un vaquero para navidad….

Cuando su hermano alejado fallece, Missy se convierte de repente en la codueña indeseada de Rancho Marbella, cerca de Florence, Oregón. Después de la mala jugada que su antiguo jefe le hizo, Missy busca un nuevo comienzo. No tiene trabajo, y su reputación ha sido injustamente mancillada, de modo que esta parece ser la oportunidad perfecta—hasta que conoce al vaquero a cargo del rancho. Brent construyó su sueño a fuerza de perseverancia y con sus propias manos; él es responsable por todo lo que ocurra aquí. En secreto, se siente responsable por la muerte de su socio. Y no disimula que está convencido de que Missy no se quedará aquí por mucho tiempo. Las mujeres siempre se marchan. ¿Por qué ella ha de ser diferente? Ambos tienen un pasado que puede arruinar su futuro. ¿Puede él confiar en que ella se quedará? ¿Puede ella confiarle su corazón?
Gratis en Kindle 08 diciembre.    Amazon.es (Kindle)

Capítulo Uno

Si reconocía su nombre, el alto vaquero recostado contra la baranda del porche no reaccionó. Prefirió estudiarla con sus ojos azul cielo mientras caía el sol de plomo del atardecer. Ella había estacionado su coche delante de la casa y se había presentado, y ahora esperaba a que él dijera su nombre o la saludara.

—El nombre no me suena —dijo quedamente, y la miró de arriba abajo. —Y créame usted, me acordaría de su cara.

¿Ah, sí? Aquello pareció ser un cumplido, pero no vino acompañado de una sonrisa. Missy no estaba segura cómo interpretarlo.

Su voz era como una suave brisa, pero el hombre parecía tan rudo como el paisaje que los rodeaba. Postura firme, mandíbula apretada, brazos cruzados. Quizás aquel cuerpo delgado era ideal para abrazar a una mujer, pero el vaquero tenía los ojos llenos de desconfianza.

El rótulo rezaba Rancho Marbella, de modo que sabía que no se había equivocado de lugar.

—Melissa Nelson —repitió. Qué incómoda se sentía. —Ben tal vez me llamaba Missy. —Ninguna reacción. Se frotó los brazos a través de su chamarra, sintiendo el frío de los vientos de Oregón y de esa bienvenida tan calurosa. —Soy la hermana de Ben. ¿No es usted el Señor Hatcher?

—No. —Ladeó la cabeza y siguió mirándola fijo como si nunca hubiera visto una mujer antes. La luz del sol comenzaba a desaparecer. Las gotas de lluvia le humedecían la cara mientras esperaba su respuesta. Cualquier respuesta. —El abogado de Ben la llamó —prosiguió por fin —y usted vino enseguida. Ya veo.

Llevaba un sombrero Stetson marrón claro, una camisa azul marino, vaqueros apretados, y botas. Parecía sacado de un póster de esos que las adolescentes pegan a la pared de su recámara para mirarlo en las noches de soledad, pero su aspecto sexy no servía más que para distraerla.

¿Cómo era posible que hubiera perdido el hilo de sus pensamientos por estar mirándolo? —Vine en avión de Nevada… él me pidió que viniera. —Quiso agregar que el Licenciado Hatcher había quedado de encontrarse con ella aquí. ¿No lo sabría ya este tipo?

—Ah, bueno, pase usted, entonces. —Dio media vuelta sin presentarse y caminó hacia la puerta de la casa. Ella lo siguió con un estremecimiento, ya no por el frío, sino por la corta distancia entre los dos. Él la miraba tan intensamente que le costaba trabajo respirar.

La recibieron los olores de cuero y de pino en el interior de la casa. Esta era definitivamente la casa de un hombre. —¿Cómo conocía usted a Ben? —preguntó.

Él abrió un clóset y le pidió su chamarra con un ademán. Ella quería una respuesta, pero decidió mejor quitarse la chamarra y entregársela, ya que la tela era delgada y estaba empapada de todos modos.

Él la aceptó con el entrecejo fruncido. —Compramos este lugar a mitades.

Ah, no. Ella no había considerado la posibilidad de que hubiera otros inversionistas. Esto explicaba por qué él estaba aquí. —¿Usted vive aquí, entonces?

Seguir leyendo en Amazon.com

Romance Mini “The Look”

by Kristen James

The pouring rain outside made it feel more like late evening than six in the morning. Annalisa stared out into it, her back to the office door. Sounds banged and clicked in from the busy shop outside as she tried to jumpstart herself.

The sound of the door swinging open did it. The outside noise jumped in volume, then dimmed again as it slammed shut. She spun around.

“We don’t need some change agent coming in here. We can handle this ourselves!” A very fit man with a long sleeve shirt and jeans threw a stack of papers onto her desk. Some slid across it and hung over the edge on her side. Spotting her, he stopped mid gesture and blank faced, watching her push the papers back into a somewhat neat stack.

The day went from bleak to super charged in 2.3 seconds, and not because he’d burst into the office. This guy needed to be in a clothing ad, maybe for outdoor gear. He had a movie star, Brad Pitt type face, and she imagined running her hand along his jaw, checking for stubble.

She sat and leaned back in her chair. “What kind of ideas do you have?”

“Who are you?”

“Looks like I’m the person you’re looking for. Mr. Rici brought me in to see how we can improve the processes out there.” She glanced down at his papers to keep her eyes away from his tall and lean figure, the piercing blue eyes set in a firm face. Soon she realized he had thoughtfully written out several process improvement ideas with calculations on how much time each would save.

Sometime during her scanning, he asked, “Do you have a name?”

She finally looked up and realized he’d sat down and had been watching her for several minutes. Evaluating her. Memorizing her. His face had softened considerably and now he stared at her in wonder. She’d been about to compliment his ideas but got caught up in gazing back at him.

Oh yeah, her name.

“I’m Annalisa Gildhart, and you?”

“Dan.” He extended his hand in a polite gesture. His shake was firm but not too hard…and they didn’t break the physical contact right away. He nodded toward the papers. “You know, people aren’t expecting you to listen to our ideas.”

She smiled, thankful for his honesty. “I’m here to help, believe it or not, and that means working with you to keep this place running. These are great ideas, Dan.”

A slow smile spread across his face, and the flirtatious tilt to it made her think he’d reacted more to her smile than her words. Still, he looked pleased and not quite so tense.

It was her that was tingling inside.

Dan leaned back and studied her. Change always made people nervous, but he almost looked like he’d be willing to drop the old us-against-you routine. Oh, she hoped he’d keep that attitude and prevent a hotbed of tension. Everyone would have to work together or this place would be closing within three months.

“So you might be around a while?” He asked, his smile lifting even more on one side.

“Yes,” she answered simply. She actually hadn’t flown in for this job; she lived here.

They were smiling across the desk at each other when someone else rapped on the door and cracked it. “Mrs. Gildhart, you’re on. Everyone’s gathered for the morning meeting.”

She pulled in a deep breath as she rose, then grabbed the papers. She’d like to show them she was on their side and wanted their ideas.

Dan gave her a reassuring smile. “This revamp is starting to look much better than I anticipated.” The gleam in his eye sent shivers up her back as she stepped out of the office.  Annalisa agreed. She just hoped she could concentrate on work with him around… but, wow, those jeans looked good on him.

 

Copyright Kristen James, all rights reserved.