Cheryl St.John - A Western Winter Wonderland

CHERYL ST. JOHN

"Ms. St. John knowswhat the readers want and keeps on giving it."

Rendezvous

"Ms. St. John holdsa spot in my top five list of must-read Harlequin Historical authors. She is anamazingly gifted author."

WritersUnlimited

"Prairie Wifeis a very special book, courageously executed by the author and her publisher.Her considerable skill brings the common theme of the romance novelloveconquers allto the level of genuine catharsis."

Romantic TimesBOOKreviews [41/2 stars]

JENNA KERNAN

"Kernan'sengaging characters [and] a colorful backdropmake this classic westernromance something special."

Romantic TimesBOOKreviews on The Trapper

"Makes for tip-topreading."

Romantic TimesBOOKreviews on Turner's Woman

"Winter Womanis an exciting, no-holds-barred story with unforgettable characters. Ms.Kernan's first novel is a winner!"

Rendezvous

PAM CROOKS

"With its nonstopaction and a hold-your-breath climax, Crooks' story is unforgettable. Shespeaks to every woman's heart with a powerful tale that reflects thedepth of a woman's love for her child and her man. The power that comesfrom the pages of this book enthralls."

Romantic TimesBOOKreviews on The Mercenary's Kiss

"Wanted! wasa superior historical western. Fast paced, realistic characters and a very wellput together story put this at the top of the genre. Pam Crooks has been alongtime favorite and Wanted! was no exception."

The Best Reviews

CHERYL ST. JOHN

Cheryl says that knowing her stories bring hope and pleasure toreaders is one of the best parts of being a writer. The other wonderful part isbeing able to set her own schedule and work around her family and church.Working in her jammies ain't half bad either! Cheryl loves to hear fromreaders. Write her at P.O. Box #24732, Omaha, NE 68124, or e-mailCherylStJohn@aol.com. Visit her Web site, www.tlt.com/authors/cstjohn.htm.

JENNA KERNAN

Multipublished author Jenna Kernan is every bit as adventurous asher heroines. Her hobbies include recreational gold prospecting, scuba diving androck climbing. Indoor pursuits encompass jewelry making, writing, photographyand quilting. Jenna lives in New York State with her husband and two gregariouslittle parrots. Visit Jenna at www.jennakernan.com for excerpts of her latestrelease, giveaways and monthly contests.

PAM CROOKS

Pam read her very first romance novel while living in the ranchcountry of western Nebraska, where the spirit of the Old West is still alive.Growing up around all those cowboys, well, it wasn't long before shewanted to write about them.

She still resides in Nebraska with her husband (who is not acowboy) and their growing familyfour daughters, two sons-in-law, twograndchildren and Spencer, a good-natured golden Lab mix.

Pam loves to hear from her readers and responds to each and everyone. Contact her via e-mail from her Web site, www.pamcrooks.com, or via snailmail at P.O. Box 540122, Omaha, NE, 68154.

TORONTO NEW YORK LONDON
AMSTERDAM PARIS SYDNEY HAMBURG
STOCKHOLM ATHENS TOKYO MILAN MADRID
PRAGUE WARSAW BUDAPEST AUCKLAND

CHRISTMAS DAY FAMILY
Cheryl St.John

FALLEN ANGEL
Jenna Kernan

ONE MAGIC EVE
Pam Crooks

Cheryl St.John

Dear Reader

Grandma's Spice Cookies

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Dear Reader,

Christmas greetings!

A favorite in our family is Grandma Violet's Cookies, namedafter my husband's grandmother, who always had a batch to pull from thefreezer when we stopped by. On my yellowed index card, in GrandmaViolet's distinctive handwriting, she called them Aunt Myra'sCookies. Whatever they're called, they don't last long! I alwaysbake a double batch.

Hope you enjoy!

Cheryl

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup lard or butter

1 cup molasses

2 egg yolks (save thewhites for frosting)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp baking sodadissolved in

2/3 cup boiling water

Mix the ingredients, then add enough flour for a stiffbatterabout 5 cups.

Mix and chill dough for a few hours.

Roll out thin and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. (GrandmaViolet always used a rectangle-shaped meat can so she didn't have toreroll as much dough.)

Bake in 375F oven for about 10 minutes. Watch closely,because they will burn easily. Frost when cool.

Frosting

Boil 1 cups sugar in 1/3 cup water until the liquidreaches soft ball stage. (You will know when a drop in a glass of cold waterforms a soft ball.)

Pour slowly over beaten egg whites and beat until stiff. Add apinch of baking soda and 1 tsp of vanilla. Add 4 large marshmallows and stiruntil dissolved. Spread quickly over cookies, making even edges. Will harden asit cools.

Once cooled, layer frosted cookies between sheets of waxed paperin an air-tight container. These freeze well and will appear and taste freshlybaked when thawed.

Carson Bend, Colorado, 1886

M arvel Anne Henleyhad made a decision. Why it had taken her three months to come to it, shewasn't quite sureexcept perhaps for the fact that the entire restof her life hung in the balance. She'd had to choose between spending therest of her years married to a man for whom she felt only friendshiporliving her remaining days as a spinster. Not exactly options to fulfill herlong-tucked-away dreams, but in the end the verdict hadn't been thatdifficult.

"Your friendship is important to me," she told HenryMorrison. Now came the tough part. "But I can't marry you."

He still held his black felt hat. Snow had melted on theshoulders of his black winter coat and the drops glistened in the lightstreaming through the long beveled glass windows on each side of the frontdoor. Marvel glanced at his handsome graying hair and thinly-trimmed mustache.She'd greeted him in the foyer and hadn't had time to take his wrapbefore he'd pressed her for an answer.

Henry had been a friend of her father's for as many yearsas she could remember, so his presence was familiar and reassuring. He and hiswife had been to dinner more times than could be counted. Nora had been olderthan Henry, and a sudden illness had left her weak and housebound. Henry hadcared for her until her death in July.

He'd proposed to Marvel in October.

Her heart hadn't fluttered, nor had she caught herselfdaydreaming of a union. But she'd been temptedfor the first timesince she'd been very young, before her mother had died and her fatherhad taken illtempted to want more.

Henry held his expression in check, though she knew shehadn't given him the answer he'd hoped for. "I respect yourdecision, Marvel. But may I ask how you came by it?"