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Monday, October 07, 2013

Ann Roth: Christmas in October


October seems a little early for a Christmas book. On the other hand, just blink and the season will be here in full force.

A Rancher’s Christmas is the last book of my five-book Saddlers Prairie miniseries. I’m going to miss the friendly town of Saddlers Prairie, Montana, and I know my readers will, too. But never fear–I’m hard at work on a new miniseries in the new fictional town of Prosperity, Montana.

 I had a great time writing A Rancher’s Christmas, which features  Gina Arnett, a high-powered marketing whiz, and Zach Horton, a ranch foreman. Gina likes living in sophisticated Chicago, but when her uncle dies she heads back to her hometown of Saddlers Prairie for the funeral and to put Uncle Lucky’s ranch on the market. She won’t be staying long, and certainly doesn’t intend to find love. But you know how that goes. J


 If you want to know more about the story, pick up a copy. Order from my website, www.annroth.net, or from any e-bookstore. Or head for a brick and mortar store that sells Harlequin Americans.

A RANCHER’S CHRISTMAS
A Holiday Change Of Heart 

Gina Arnett comes home to Saddlers Prairie to say goodbye to her uncle and sell the family ranch she’s just inherited. Her focus is on getting back to Chicago and her high-powered job. Two things change her plans: a sudden blizzard that causes the town to be snowed in, and Zach Horton—the ranch foreman who tries to convince her to stay. 

Gina’s boundless ambition is something Zach understands all too well. He’s kept his past a secret, and to uncover it, she’ll have to reveal her own uncomfortable truths—and her growing feelings for Zach. He’s not the kind of man she dreamed of falling for. But at the Christmas season, all dreams seem possible….


For a chance to win an autographed copy of A Rancher’s Christmas, leave a comment.

This has been fun! 

Before I go, here’s a holiday favorite of mine to kick-start the holiday season.

Chocolate Mint Brownies
Brownies:
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup flour
dash salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts

 Filling:
2 Tbsp soft butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp milk or cream
green food coloring
3/4 tsp peppermint extract

 Glaze:
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbs butter

Brownies: Grease a 9-inch square pan and set aside.  Melt chocolate and butter over hot water.  Beat eggs until frothy and stir in sugar, chocolate mixture and flavoring.  Add flour, salt and nuts.  Mix thoroughly.  Pour into the pan and bake 20-25 minutes.  Cool.

Filling:  Stir ingredients until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled brownies.  Refrigerate while making glaze.

Glaze:  Melt chocolate and butter over hot water.  Mix well.  Drizzle over brownies.  Refrigerate 5-10 minutes, then cut into squares.

Reading through this recipe… I’m drooling! 



Award-winning author Ann Roth lives in the greater Seattle area with her husband. After earning an MBA, she worked as a banker and corporate trainer. She gave up the corporate life to write, and if they awarded PhDs in writing happily-ever-after stories, she'd have one. In 1999 Ann won the prestigious Golden Heart award for unpublished writers for best long contemporary series. Since then she has sold numerous romance and women's fiction novels, as well as a novella for an anthology, a serialized online romance and many short stories.

Visit Ann on Facebook (Ann Roth Facebook Author page)  and Twitter (@Ann_Roth).

***Penney is the winner!  Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing address!***

18 comments:

Cindy said...

Thank you for the chance to win!

LS said...

I would love to win, I love cowboys and Christmas stories...thanks

Linda Henderson said...

I love reading holiday stories year round so October is a great month for a holiday story.

Jo's Daughter said...

I personally don't care what month it is, I am a massive XMAS nut & are always up for reading a new holiday themed story :D so your book sounds wonderful to me Ann!!!! The brownies sound great, I like to bake brownies myself & stack them up like rocks, add plastic fir trees and deer, like a forest scene. Really christmassy and fun :)

Pat Cochran said...

Cowboys and Christmas are two of my favorite story themes.
Thanks for putting them both together in this Harlequin American!

Pat C.

Anonymous said...

Cindy, Thanks for entering!

Anonymous said...

LS, Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Linda, I'm glad October isn't too early for a holiday story. :-)

Anonymous said...

Jo, I like your idea of stacking the brownies, but at my house, they never last long enough to do what you do. LOL!

Anonymous said...

Pat, I hope you enjoy the book!!

Jo's Daughter said...

The brownie forest scene doesn't last longer then a day. But it looks really fun and retro. A great way to present it to guests! I have a picture of it on my blog, maybe you want to have a look...
http://atpalerosecottage.blogspot.nl/2012/12/a-fine-day.html

Anonymous said...

Jo, thanks for sharing the link. What a cool photo! It looks a lot different than I pictured. I really like it.

penney said...

Thanks Ann for being here today, your book sounds good I love this time of year all the Christmas books come out. I can't wait to read this one. Thank you for the recipe.
Penney

Di said...

Christmas books like this one really help me get in the mood, so I'm starting my TBR pile to be ready for great reading after Halloween.

Mary Preston said...

A RANCHER'S CHRISTMAS does look wonderful. I love Christmas stories.

Drool worthy indeed.

Laney4 said...

I enjoy Christmas stories throughout the year. What's not to like about one of the best times of the year (when it seems to bring the good out of most people), cozy evenings spent with loved ones (hopefully), and a romance to sizzle your boots, so to speak. Thanks for sharing your love of writing with our love of reading!

Laurie G said...

Oh that chocolate mint brownie recipe sounds delicious! YUMMY!

I'd love to find out what happens to derail Gina's plans to return to Chicago. Winter on a ranch with Zach sure sounds better than Chicago traffic in the winter.

I'm ready for some Christmas stories to get me in the holiday spirit!

penney said...

Thank you Ann I just sent you my info.
Happy reading!
Penney