C.J. Carmichael: A Sweet Christmas Reading List

Just imagine if Santa became an online shopper. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he filled your e-reader with sweet holiday romances? I’ve got just the book list for him! If you could pick only one of the following stories, which would you choose? 

I’ll play Santa and grant your wish—but only  to one randomly chosen winner. Comment below with your choice to enter and check back here tomorrow to see if your name was chosen. (Winner is responsible for contacting me with their email address.)

Happy Holidays everyone, from C. J. Carmichael

(And here is the list of sweet Christmas romances for you to pick from:)

A Christmas Homecoming by Melissa McClone

"Bah, humbug" tech billionaire, Josiah Whittaker, refuses to bask in the spirit of the season at the Bar V5 dude ranch so housekeeper Ellie Smith decides give her geek-to-gorgeous guest a Christmas he’ll never forget. With a little help from mistletoe, special cookies, and Santa, she just might succeed! Amazon  iBooks Kobo Nook Google Play

A Christmas Miracle in Pajaro Bay by Barbara Cool Lee

Matt and Lori DiPietro are celebrating their first Christmas as caretakers of the Pajaro Bay Lighthouse. But a danger from Matt's undercover agent past is headed their way. If they survive until morning, it will be A Christmas Miracle in Pajaro Bay. Amazon: 

Venetian Tangle by Beate Boeker

An unexpected meeting with a ghost leads Lorena to Venice this Christmas. Amazon: US:  Amazon: UK Kobo

A Bramble House Christmas by CJ Carmichael

He's followed her to a bed and breakfast in a small town in Montana...but will he find the answers he's looking for? Amazon:   Nook iBooks:  Kobo

Holiday Gifts (A Castle Mountain Lodge Romance) by Elena Aiken

There is nothing more romantic than celebrating Christmas in the mountains, except for falling in love there.

Ryan and Julie have both given up on the possibility of falling in love, but when a spunky teenage girl makes it her mission to open their eyes, anything is possible.

Maybe it’s just the magic of the season…but one thing is certain—love might be the best present of all.

Amazon  iBooks Kobo Google Play

A Romance for Christmas by Kayelle Allen

It's Christmas Eve, and the end of a year in which everything Dara loves was lost. Everything but her little girl and a fierce determination to survive. When a cop brings Christmas to her door, he brings another gift she never expected to get. Amazon  Nook  Kobo  iBooks  Smashwords 

Peace & Goodwill by Lee Strauss

Belle gets the best Christmas present ever, a man in uniform! Ian is a soldier home on leave. Neither of them have any idea how good it will feel to fall in love or how hard it will be to say good-bye.
Anna is spending the holidays alone again with only her faithful dog Angel to keep her company. She can't afford to pay the rent and her landlord is threatening to kick her out. At least she's finished with her chemo treatments. She can be thankful for that. Plus, there's Rhys, the handsome visitor with kind eyes.
One fateful, cold and snowy night a chance encounter changes everything. Love is lost. Love is found. Life will never be the same. Amazon

Pamela Kelley by Mistletoe in Montana

Traci just ended a serious relationship and jumping into a new one is not on her mind at all. She'd prefer to focus on getting ready for Christmas--her favorite time of year. Dan is stuck in Montana recuperating from a broken leg and hates everything to do with the holidays, for good reason. But is interested in Traci--will she ever be interested in a Scrooge like him? Amazon

I Didn’t Really Want To Go To Dubai - C J Carmichael

Dubai is a long flight of 18 hours from Calgary, and there are lots of other places, a lot of closer other places that were higher on my dream list of vacations--like Ireland and Greece, and hey, I’ve always dreamed of cycling in France.

But I’d promised my youngest daughter, who was only nineteen, that if she went for a 3 month work term, I would come to visit. And so, after she left in the beginning of January, I dutifully booked my tickets and hotel, never dreaming that I was soon to embark on a fascinating, wonderful holiday.

Despite recent financial woes, Dubai still comes across as a fabulously wealthy, modern and cosmopolitan city. There are the one-of-a-kind buildings like the Burj Al Arab and the Burj Dubai ( the tallest building in the world...thankfully not open for visiting when I was there!). There are amazing modern malls filled with world famous fashion designers and more jewelry stores than I have seen in my entire life. And the restaurants provide some of the best food I have ever tasted.

My daughter and I were able to visit a roof-top bar at the Embassy Hotel, where we lounged on a white, slip-covered sun bed, the sweet smell of shisha in the air as we sipped exotic cocktails and had our feet professionally massaged.

But more than all the glamour, I appreciated the glimpses into historic Dubai. The labyrinth of souks selling gold and diamonds, bags of spices and teas, and beautifully fashioned textiles. The real heart of this city seems to be at the creek where we saw old ships piled with merchandise from far-away places...a reminder that most of what is consumed and sold in Dubai, is grown or produced in other countries.

Many people have asked me if I will set one of my future books in Dubai. Much as I’d love to write the trip off as a research cost (just kidding Revenue Canada!) I honestly don’t think I ever could. I feel like I have only scratched the surface of a distant place, a distant culture. But I’m very glad that, thanks to a promise to my daughter, I was at least able to make a visit.

If you’d like to see more pictures of my holiday, please check out my Dubai photo album on Facebook. And if you have any Dubai stories (or any exotic holiday story) please share!

C J Carmichael

http://www.cjcarmichael.com/