BLURB
Pete Cochran, a war veteran with both visible and invisible scars,
is mostly a loner. Then a special woman with a young son walks into his life as
he works at his father's Christmas tree lot–a woman with problems he can't
ignore.
Maria Sanchez and her son Miguel eke out an existence on her
part-time earnings, but share an abundance of love, except when terrorized by
her drug addict relative. When she meets Pete, she sees him not as a
frightening man, but a wounded hero returned from war. Her son seems immediately
drawn to the unusual Christmas tree vendor.
Will a special tree–a
wishing tree–contain enough magic to fulfill all their Christmas desires?
EXCERPT
Her eyes met his and she smiled. It was a smile he'd not been
expecting; a genuine greeting so sincere he wondered if he may have known her
from the past. She seemed familiar to him, somehow. But if he'd known her, he
never would've forgotten. She was too beautiful–inside and out–for him to have
misplaced that memory. Even with two years in Iraq and the war wounds that
separated his normal life before and
what passed for normal now.
He smiled back, reflexively, without conscious thought or effort,
and her grin widened. A few feet away from him, she stopped and closed her
eyes, taking a deep breath.
Pete's smile faded. He'd been just about to speak when she'd
stopped in her tracks like that.
"That's one of the most beautiful scents on this earth,"
she said, looking straight into his one good eye. "I've always loved the
smell of Christmas."
There was no rejection in her face–she looked
at him the way people used to–before the war. When he'd had both eyes, and no eye patch.
LINKS B&N NOOK SMASHWORDS
That sounds magical - right up my alley.
ReplyDeleteConnie, I loved this couple so much I may have to revisit them at some point. LOL
DeleteSuch a sweet story line Cheryl. I believe there is something magical about the Christmas season and each year I look for some small (or big) miracle. I love the idea of a wishing tree, where a special Christmas wish could come true.
ReplyDeleteBarb, I fell in love with little Miguel, the little boy in the story. That tree meant everything to him!
DeleteWhat could be better than a beautiful Christmas story? It sounds wonderful, Cheryl!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lorrie. I love writing Christmas stories--whether in the old west or in contemporary times.
DeleteI love the smell of Christmas. There is nothing like live tree. A Wishing tree would be awesome.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Claudia. Growing up, we always had a live tree. I think since I've been married, we've never had one! I miss them!
DeleteA new release? Yeah! So proud of you, mon amie. Way to go.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Liette! It was released a couple of years ago in an anthology, then in a single sell, but when Livia and I started our company, I began the process of bringing everything over to our imprints and this is the last one with the exception of my western-y westerns that are with Western Trail Blazer still, and one romance that is with another company until I can get my rights back. Don't you love this cover?
DeleteSounds like a winner, Cheryl. Christmas is one time I love shorter stories. Things get so busy that short stories like this that don't take up a lot of time, but share the Christmas spirit, are just what appeals to me.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Robyn. It's nice to just be able to sit down and read something short and then go make cookies or whatever the next thing is you have to go do. LOL
DeleteCheryl
Oh, how I love Christmas and sharing its loving spirit with friends and family. And yes, one of the biggest joys of Christmas for me is having a live tree. I adore the smell and beauty. This story drew me in right from the beginning. And an injured vet pulled me in even further. This is a must read for me and I'm sure for many others. Can't wait.
ReplyDeleteBev, I remember how I used to beg my mom for a Scotch pine tree but they were the most expensive! She'd say, "Oh, we can't afford one of those!" (they were all of $11 or $12 compared to the $7 or $8 we spend on a regular tree). Remember the snow you could buy in cans to flock the tree? We did that a lot. LOL I really love the story of Maria and Pete--I have thought long and hard about re-writing it and expanding it. I wrote it for an anthology so had to watch my word count. But now...
DeleteCheryl
DRUMROLL, PLEASE!!!! MY WINNER IS....
ReplyDeleteLORRIE FARRELLY!
Lorrie, I will send you your prize ASAP. Watch your inbox for an e-mail from me!
Thanks so much to everyone for stopping by and commenting!
Cheryl