CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!!

 

 

Like "Hallmark Style"

Christmas Stories?

 

 

Then you will

fall in love with...

 

SECRET SANTA 

 

 

 

 

Holly Gordon’s estrangement from her family makes loneliness of the Christmas season hit close to home. Volunteering for the annual Ashton Falls Secret Santa Program is more than a comfort, it’s a blessing. Just knowing she’s able to help another hurting soul experience the joy of a heartfelt Christmas makes her own reality a tiny bit sweeter, that is, until Marcus Jenner ends up on her list.Marcus Jenner is more than a bronze muscled looker. This Chickasaw loner isn’t happy being placed on the town’s Secret Santa list. Suffering the blow of a devastating loss, he's chosen to withdraw from living almost completely. For the life of him, he can’t figure why this pretty little blonde keeps bumping into him, calling him by name, and insisting on giving him presents. Unfortunately, every time she does, a billowing cloud of havoc seems to ensue. Why can’t this vixen leave him alone?

Holly is drawn to Marcus like a moth to the flame. But Marcus has no intentions of submitting to the threat of his newfound feelings. A painful exchange pushes their lives into a pendulum chaos. His demand for privacy is granted by Holly’s hidden illness. Her sudden absence hits him hard, especially when the arrival of a stranger delivers the rest of his gifts. Right away, he knows something's horribly wrong.

Love and selfless giving can rouse a wounded, sleeping heart. But sometimes a Secret Santa gets a few unexpected gifts of her own.

 

CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS!

 

 





JUDAH'S ALIBI IS RELEASED!

LOVE FAITH-BASED

INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE?

 

JUDAH'S ALIBI

IS NOW

AVAILABLE!

 

 

 

 

 

Shelby struggles behind a masquerade, fooling the world into believing her role as Jesse Bryant’s wife is nothing less than a charmed, happy life. When a Christian woman marries a non-believer, the consequences aren’t always easy. A week after their lavish fairytale wedding, the prince of her dreams evolved into her worst nightmare. Beneath her veil of heartache and bruises, Shelby guards the secret of her pregnancy, until Jesse discovers the news and demands an immediate abortion. Empowered by the Holy Spirit to protect God’s precious gift of life, Shelby takes a stand. But with her husband’s sudden disappearance, she’s forced to come to terms with abandonment.

Judah Bryant is visiting Bison Lake on business, where the fate of his universe is shaken off-kilter. An emotional beauty confronts him publicly with a river of tears. Humiliated beyond reason, he’s accused of being her abusive, deserting husband, and slandered by implications of some brutal, shady deeds. From the moment the woman calls him Jesse, she’s mistaken him for the identical twin brother he hasn’t seen in a decade. When the fiasco of pre-term labor complicates her trauma, Judah’s penchant for being a sucker-fish hero enlists him to save the day.
Judah heeds the strange supernatural pull that calls him to step forward and protect his brother’s wife. Intending to reveal his true identity, his plans are thwarted when a doctor insists that Shelby and her unborn baby are mortally at risk, requiring a constant vigil of care and a non-stressed environment. He never intended to fall in love with the girl whom Providence made his ward. Tortured by his deception, Judah longs to claim the wounded family he can never call his own. When revelation and tragedy bring the foundation of their lives crumbling down, Shelby’s devastated to find the man who holds her healing heart is a lying imposter. Can the power of Christ, love, forgiveness, and destiny be enough to help her believe in Judah’s alibi?

 

 

CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS TODAY!

 



 

 



NEW RELEASE FROM KRISTINE CHENEY COMING IN JULY!

 

JUDAH'S ALIBI

 

Scheduled for Release

before July 31st!

 

Chapter One Excerpt:

 

**This excerpt may not be copied or reproduced, in all or in part, 

without the express written permission of Kristine Cheney**

 

Jesse ignored the pleading in her eyes. Averting his gaze in blatant dismissal, he swiped his lunch from atop the sparkle of the costly granite counter. She pretended not to notice how the whooshed blunt crinkles of his brown paper sack were a dead-ringer match to his typical stiff, torqued off demeanor. Didn’t he care she roused early to appease him, in spite of nauseating pangs of morning sickness? She sacrificed her world for his sole benefit.

Shelby filled her husband’s thermos with steaming hot coffee. Assaulted by the rising malaise of her stomach, she swallowed the excess saliva that tickled the threat of retch. Surviving the aroma of his ketchup-coated meatloaf sandwich was miraculous, and so was chopping the ingredients of his ritzy, high-born salad without need of a single stitch.

Southpaws had no business in the kitchen.

“Jesse, please forgive me. How many times must I tell you that I’m sorry?” She pleaded through the distorted blur of tears for the umpteenth time. Falling upon her knees onto the hard Saltillo tiles, she begged for his acceptance of the baby growing deep within her belly. But Shelby wasn’t fortunate. Contrite behavior would never be enough to melt the hatred of his hardened, self-loving heart. Jesse’s preference for coldness took root long ago. The man was frigid as an iceberg.

Today’s demand for an immediate late-term abortion proved his penchant for cruelty had only grown worse; the reason she guarded her secret for several weeks. Standing her ground and defying his wishes was a first within their long nine years of damage. Christian conviction refused ability to entertain a death sentence for this innocent unborn child.

Shelby told him no.

The man expected sex when he was wasted. Jesse’s typical ritual was arriving home late, bumping against walls and tripping over furniture, creating a ton of racket. Stumbling into the retreat of their bedroom, his waking jostles were harsh and abrupt. Jesse’s ardor under liquor’s influence made rejecting his advances impossible. Shelby despised the stench of oak-barreled bourbon that lingered on his breath when he wanted her.

To deny her husband’s masculine needs made his lovemaking rough and painful; a lesson learned merely a week after their lavish, fairy tale wedding. Carrying his latest child wasn’t a shocker. The night she conceived, he’d ignored all of her pleas to insert her contraceptive diaphragm. Russian roulette was a frequent game Jesse played with her monthly cycle. Sadistic and controlling, he craved that Alpha rush. Hadn’t Dr. Riddick warned her plenty of times?

Desperate, lone doses of spermicidal jelly won’t prevent a pregnancy!

“Please kiss the children,” she sniffed. Don’t let them leave for school believing they’ve done something wrong to make you angry.”

Jesse pondered her tear-streaked face, much to Shelby’s surprise. The mask of fury haunting him relented. Angry lines that creased his brow visibly softened, allowing a faint glimpse of his young handsome cast; a shadowed impression of the man she chose to marry over dashing off to college. The muscled brunette with a vibrant gaze of blue ceased to be the prince of foolish dreams. Time now captured only tormented moments. Smiles of love had wilted into fears.

A mother’s concern forced the craning of her neck toward the little bodies seated at the table. Hovering over their character bowls in child-like earnest, Annabelle and Ezekiel gobbled up the last floating remnants in their bowls of fruity cereal. Shelby’s contemplation lingered with a mournful longing. Despite Jesse’s stoic, stormy protests, the empty chair beside them would be replaced by an infant’s high chair.

A brisk air swirled about her, forcing a chill of frost to roam her flesh. Jesse intentionally brushed hard against the hem of her skirt, crushing the fabric in his quest to reach the children. Planting his kisses upon their foreheads, he mimicked the doting of a perfect television father. Jesse’s scowl of hatred proved him a liar.

Shoving Shelby aside on his passage way back, Jesse ensured his wife would follow after him. For her, nothing was left but his war of punishment. The leathered taps of his expensive Italian shoes scraped to a halted silence. Without warning, he whirled an about face, causing her crash into his chest. Safe from view of the kids, he placed his hands on her. Jesse dug craters of contempt into the delicate skin of her upper arms. The burns of popping blood vessels promised there’d be fresh bruises. In the life of Shelby Bryant, what was another discolored blemish to add to her collection?

Why must the man she loved always be cruel?

“I meant what I said this morning. “Get rid of it!” Don’t force me to take matters into my own hands, because I swear you’ll be sorry. Be a good girl and make the blasted appointment. The cost of the procedure is of no concern to me, because I’ll gladly pay them double. I want this situation dealt with by Friday.” Jesse held her chin firmly, squeezing her cheeks until they pulsed with blinding pain. He refused her focus to set on anything else in the room but him. “Do you hear me?”

The sob in her throat almost choked out her whisper. She didn’t want the children to hear them fighting. Would he listen to reason? “Please. Think about this, Jesse. I’m almost sixteen weeks along and already I’m showing. I love you, but there’s no way I can participate in what you’re asking. Every child is a gift from the Lord. How can you expect me to—?”

Jesse jerked her back and forth like an unwanted rag doll, and forced her backward with several awkward shuffles. The muffling of her mouth with the cup of his palm was timely, stifling her cry that would give him away. Her backside knocked in impact against the happy yellow color of the kitchen wall.

Reeling from the blunt force of trauma, Shelby caught the aura of his spicy aftershave on his fingers. The jarring rattle of her jaw threatened to disintegrate. Would all of her teeth break in several enameled pieces? Radiations of fire spread throughout the expanse of her skull, spine, and hips.

“Listen, woman!” He emphasized the word of her gender as if it were some awful, wretched curse. “I’m the one in charge here, and am sick and tired of hearing the excuses about your God. If memory serves, I’m the one who puts the food on the table and money in the checking account. If it wasn’t for me, your debit card wouldn’t work. This crowns me the one you bow down and worship.”

To belittle her intelligence, Jesse tapped the nail of his forefinger repeatedly against her forehead. “Since it’s difficult for you to follow simple directions, I’ll speak in layman’s terms so you’ll understand that I am not asking. You-will-do-as-I-say-and-get-this-task-finished!” The warmth of his breath moistened her ear, making her skin crawl with disgust.

An acute conveyance of a bold empowering coursed within her spirit. It was the same electrified, static-filled jolt she experienced while standing her ground earlier. Despite the trembles of adrenaline-laced dread, Shelby mustered the courage to unleash the power that restrained her inner voice. “And if I don’t?”

His laughter was sadistic, whirling the staleness of his recent sips of coffee into her sinus cavity. The glands in her neck tightened in reactive, soured revolt. Her stomach churned, percolating its own concoction of bile-laden prenatal reflex. Saliva once again pooled in her mouth. The urge to gag aloud festered to the point of eruption.

“Then I will destroy you,” he spat with enough poison to require several doses of anti-venom.

The whooshed stealing of her breath was an act of shock. In the history of Jesse’s bullying, he’d never threatened with the loss of Shelby’s life. Every pulsed flow of her blood pounded terror within her jugular. The pinching slice of her teeth restrained her bottom lip, drawing pearls of blood. Refusing to the risk the chance of angering him further, she silently ruled the jerk she’d married was a monster.

Jesse spun on his heel and headed toward the foyer. A draft of relief had never blown so vertical. The rattled slam of the heavy front door reverberated through the house, shaking her core. Bleeding out wasted energy, Shelby resisted the urge to collapse and sob in misery. She cradled the gentle curves of her belly, recalling why her fictitious composure was vital.

Her babies sat in the other room.

Annabelle’s voice belied a knowing worry. “Mommy?”

Shelby stumbled toward the kitchen faucet, gasping to catch her uneven breaths. Cupping running water into the pockets of her palms, the zinging ice cold splashes refreshing the flushing of her face. She pat-dried her features with a clean flowered dish towel and skittered to the table. Difficulty was enduring the tall-tell scrutiny of her children. How did she believe they were too young to realize the truth?

Annabelle’s lashes fluttered in frightened, five year old reaction. “Mommy, why is Daddy mad?”

Ezekiel’s eight years of experience in the Bryant family proved he had it figured out. “Don’t be so dumb, Belle. Dad’s always mad.” His honey-hazel stare captured hers. “Mom, I feel sorry for you.”

“Why is that, baby?”

“Because you always have to put up with dad’s crap.”

“Zeke! Watch your mouth!”

“Well, it’s true.” He shrugged his shoulders, so fed up and matter-of-fact. “Why don’t you just leave him? That’s what Tommy’s mom did.”

“Tommy’s mom?” She never heard the mentioned of his name before.

“Yeah. Tommy’s a kid at school who eats lunch with me. He’s pretty cool.”

Shelby nodded, hoping Zeke’s new train of thought would get off him off the taboo subject of her wretched marriage.

“Tommy’s dad is really mean. He hits Tommy’s mom and gives him and his sister lots of spankings. One day his mom got sick of it and she called the cops—”

Annabelle’s piggy tails danced with the snapped turn of her little chestnut head. Her whooped intake of breath spoke volumes. The bottom lip of her heart-shaped pout began to quiver. “The cops! Does that mean daddy’s gonna go to jail? I won’t be his princess anymore?”

“Enough!” Shelby snapped at her eldest, much harder than she meant to. The span of a second adjusted her tone to where she desired it; softened and under the Spirit’s control. “This topic is not open for discussion. You’re scaring your sister.”

“But mom—”

“No more, Ezekiel. Momma said enough.”

Zeke’s pout now rivaled his sister’s for the trophy. “Sorry.”

Temptation was the fight to lose her sanity. Shelby overcame perdition and chose to smile; an effort to dispel the cross expressions that hijacked her children’s beautiful faces. “All is forgiven.”

Tousling her son’s sandy brown hair was soothing. Caressing the baby soft skin of her daughter’s dimpled cheek gifted joy. “You’ll always be daddy’s princess, sweetheart. No one’s going to jail.” She gazed into the pools of the prettiest blue eyes that were the spitting image of Jesse’s.

“Now go! Both of you grab your backpacks. We don’t want to be late for school.”

 

 

I hope you enjoyed your snippet!

 

xoxo

 

Kristine Cheney

 

 



FLIRTING WITH LOVE: IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ROMANCE BLOG HOP TOUR (FEB 24-26)

FLIRTING WITH LOVE: 
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ROMANCE

BLOG HOP TOUR (FEB 24-26)

TOUR RULES:

1) HAVE FUN!!!



2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!


3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Friday, February 24 (Arizona Time)


THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, February 26, at Midnight (Arizona Time)

Winners will be drawn and posted February 27th! ***


4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS AND BOOK PAGES! EXPERIENCE A NEW PARTY DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!

5) PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR AND BOOK PAGE IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERYONE SOME LOVE!


6) DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN? WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO!

***Authors have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***

LIKE HALLMARK CHANNEL

HOLIDAY MOVIES?

YOU WILL LOVE MY

HEARTFELT, CHRISTMAS NOVELLA...

SECRET SANTA

Holly Gordon’s estrangement from her family makes loneliness of the Christmas season hit close to home. Volunteering for the annual Ashton Falls Secret Santa Program is more than a comfort, it’s a blessing. Just knowing she’s able to help another hurting soul experience the joy of a heartfelt Christmas makes her own reality a tiny bit sweeter, that is, until Marcus Jenner ends up on her list.

Marcus Jenner is more than a bronze, muscled looker. This Chickasaw loner isn’t happy being placed on the town’s Secret Santa list. Suffering from the blow of a devastating loss, he has chosen to withdraw from living almost completely. For the life of him, he can’t figure why this pretty little blonde keeps bumping into him, calling him by name, and insisting on giving him presents. Unfortunately for Marcus, every time she does, a billowing cloud of havoc seems to ensue. Why can’t this uninvited vixen leave him alone?

They say time and fate have all of the answers. Holly, in all of her innocence, is drawn to Marcus like a moth to the flame. But Marcus has no intentions of submitting to the threat of his newfound feelings. A painful exchange pushes their lives into a pendulum chaos. His demand for privacy is granted by Holly’s hidden illness. Her sudden absence hits him hard, especially when the arrival of a stranger delivers the rest of his gifts. Right away, he knows something’s horribly wrong.


Love and selfless giving can rouse a wounded, sleeping heart. But sometimes a secret santa gets a few unexpected gifts of her own.

*Available at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, iBooks*
Purchase links are in the BUY NOW tab at the top of this website!

LOVE PARANORMAL ROMANCE?

SPARTAN HEART SAGA:

WHERE TIME-TRAVEL
PARANORMAL ROMANCE
MEETS HISTORY AND DESTINY

SPARTAN HEART:
LOSING IT ALL PLACES YOU
IN A POSITION TO GAIN EVERYTHING.

TIME MEANS NOTHING WHEN THE ONE
DESTINED TO LOVE YOUR HEART
HAS WAITED CENTURIES!

Sent away to college in America, Evangeline swore she would never return to England. Anger loses its value when tragedy forces her home to assume ownership of the family's beloved Greco-Roman museum.

Placing a foolish, drunken kiss on a Greek statue in the museum's basement, Evangeline unknowingly frees a Spartan prince from an evil oracle's curse. Suddenly, her lonely life is invaded by the rakish man with knowing emerald green eyes who never eats or sleeps, and seems to know her every thought and feeling.

Falling in love is dangerous, especially when it's with a man who has already been claimed by the bitter oracle Demona. From the moment of her kiss, Evangeline is swept into Dorien's world of mystery, danger, and passion. The Oracle's fury only mounts as they unravel Demona's darkest secrets, but not before Demona finds out about their unborn half-breed immortal twins.

Demona uses her knowledge of the future to manipulate, but sometimes love has a will, and a heart...of its own.

*Available at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, iBooks*
Purchase links are in the BUY NOW tab at the top of this website!

COMING MARCH 2012
THE NEXT BOOK IN THE
SPARTAN HEART SAGA

SPARTAN SURRENDER!

THE STORY OF THESSALUS AND TARYN
About the Author:

Kristine Cheney is an award-winning, multi-published author. Her credits include the heart-warming Christmas novella, Secret Santa, and the Spartan Heart Saga, of which she has released Spartan Heart, Part One, and Spartan Heart, Part Two. Spartan Surrender is the next book in the series, expected by March 2012, and Spartan Proposal is planned by Fall 2012, with more books scheduled to follow. She is also currently writing Guilty of Innocence, a single-title release expected in 2012.

An Arizona native, Kristine lives in Surprise and has been married 22 years to her high school sweetheart Brett. She is the mother of Taryn, Brett, and Zackary, and is a young Grammy to Parker, Ivy, and baby Evely'nn. A huge labrador lover, she is also mom to yellow lab Magnus and to the very naughty (and huge) white Labra-doodle puppy Brody.

Hobbies include writing passionate love stories that involve chivalrous characters, dashing adventure, forked humor, and the ever-true good vs. evil dilemma. Her favorite place to relax is anywhere within close proximity to a beach or wooded lake. A huge history buff, she plans to one day make a trek across the US to get her fill of American wonder (with hubby, labs, and lap top in tow). She loves a good hot cup of coffee with Creme Brulee liquid creamer and sugar. A maestro with a bag of frosting, Wilton cake decorating lessons only fueled her artistic fire. She is pretty darn awesome at crankin' out a deluxe wedding, baby shower, or themed birthday cake that will make your toes curl.

*Take a peek at my website & check out my links!

CONTEST!

1) Click "Follow" on the left side of this site! (I follow back!) Please consider following via email as well, so you can be notified of future blog hops and giveaways!

2) Leave a comment here below. Please also leave your email address so I can notify you in case you're a winner!
3)  Check out my fan pages at: www.facebook.com/AuthorKristineCheney and www.facebook.com/KristineCheneyFanPage to say hello. If you like what you see, please become a fan by "Liking" my pages and adding me to your favorites. If you would like to get to know me, also add me as a personal friend at www.facebook.com/KristineCheney.

4) If you Tweet, click my Twitter link and follow me: www.twitter.com/SpartanHrtBooks

5) If you have a Goodreads account, follow me: http://www.goodreads.com/authorkristinecheney.

PRIZES FOR THIS CONTEST:

1) Grand Prize: A .pdf e-book of Spartan Heart, Part One, and Spartan Heart, Part Two, and your choice of any four .pdf e-books below, plus two autographed bookmarks!!!

2) First Place Prize: One winner will be chosen to receive a .pdf e-book of Spartan Heart, Part One, and Spartan Heart, Part Two, plus two autographed bookmarks!!!

3) Second Place Prizes: Multiple winners will be chosen to receive their choice of .pdf e-book Spartan Heart, Part One, or Spartan Heart, Part Two, or Secret Santa plus an autographed bookmark!!!

4) Third Place Prizes: Multiple winners will be chosen to receive an autographed bookmark!!!**

**E-book prizes are International, however, all bookmark prizes are for US winners only. International Third Place winners will receive another prize in lieu of a bookmark, at the authors complete discretion.**

GRAND PRIZE WINNER ALSO CHOOSES ANY 4 ASTRAEA PRESS BOOKS BELOW:

1) A Deal with the Devil, Part One, by J. Gunnar Grey

2) Lifeline Echoes by Kay Springsteen

3) Heartsight by Kay Springsteen

4) The Keepers by Monique O'Connor James

5) Tinsel Town by Stephanie Taylor

6) Through the Rabbit Hole by Lisa Kumar

7) The Perfect Rose by Felicia Rogers

8) A New Dream by Elaine Cantrell

9) Lizzie and the Rebel by Stephy Smith

10) Wayward Soul by Kim Bowman

11) The Picture by Stephanie Taylor

12) Lucky for Her by Stephanie Taylor

13) Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights by Jean Joachim

SPARTAN HEART:

DESTINY IS ALWAYS ETERNAL

IN CASE YOU'RE LOST
AND NEED TO GET BACK
TO THE BLOG HOP LINKY LIST,
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW:

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