Josh (39 page)
Authors: R.C. Ryan
Dear Reader,
One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to read
The Night Before Christmas
. So I thought it would be fun to tell you about my new romance, HUNK FOR THE HOLIDAYS, by making up my own version of the classic.
’Twas four days before Christmas, and our heroine, Cassie,
Is ready for her office party, looking red hot and sassy.
When what to her wondering eyes should she see
But the escort she hired standing next to her tree?
His eyes how they twinkle, his dimples so cute,
He has a smile that melts, a great body to boot.
There’s only one problem: James is as controlling as Cass,
But she forgives him this flaw, when she gets a good look at his ass.
He goes straight to work at seducing his date,
And by the end of the evening, Cass is ready to mate.
Not to ruin the story, all I will say,
Is that James will be smiling when Cass gets her way.
Mixed in with their romance will be plenty of reason
For you to enjoy the fun of the season.
Caroling, shopping, and holiday baking,
A humorous great-aunt and her attempts at match-making.
A perfect book to cozy up with all the way through December,
HUNK FOR THE HOLIDAYS will be out in September.
For now I will end by wishing you peace, love, and laughter.
And, of course, the best gift of all… a happily-ever-after!
Dear Reader,
I love Christmas, but I have to say that trying to write a holiday-themed book in the middle of a long, hot summer is not exactly easy. It was hard to stay in the holiday mood when my nonwriting time was spent weeding my perennials border, watching baseball, and working on my short golf game.
So how does an author get herself into the holiday mood in the middle of July?
She hauls out her iPod and plays Christmas music from sun up to sun down.
My husband was ready to strangle me, but all that Christmas music did the trick. And in the end, it was just one song that helped me find my holiday spirit.
The song is “The Longest Night,” written by singer-songwriter Peter Mayer, a song that isn’t quite a Christmas song. It’s about the winter solstice. The lyrics are all about hope, even in the darkest hour. In the punchline, the songwriter gives a tiny nod to the meaning of Christmas when he says, “Maybe light itself is born in the longest night.”
When I finished LAST CHANCE CHRISTMAS, I realized that this theme of light and dark runs through it like a river. My heroine is a war photographer, who literally sees the world as a battle between light and dark. When she arrives in Last Chance, she’s troubled and alone, and the darkness is about to overwhelm her.
But of course, that doesn’t last long after she meets Stone Rhodes, the chief of police and a man who is about as Grinch-like as they come. But as the saying goes, sometimes the only way to get yourself out of a funk is to help someone else. And when Stone does that, he manages to spark a very hot and bright light in the dead of winter.
I hope you love reading Stone and Lark’s story as much as I did writing it.
Ya’ll have a blessed holiday, now, you hear?
LSO BY
R. C. R
YAN
Montana Legacy
Montana Destiny
Montana Glory
Quinn
Quinn
“Ryan takes readers to Big Sky country in a big way with her vivid visual dialogue as she gives us a touching love story with a mystery subplot. The characters, some good and one evil, will stay with you long after the book is closed.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“
Quinn
is a satisfying read. R. C. Ryan is an accomplished and experienced storyteller. And if you enjoy contemporary cowboys in a similar vein to Linda Lael Miller, you’ll enjoy this.”
“Engaging… Ryan paints a picturesque image of the rugged landscape and the boisterous, loving, close-knit Conway family.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Conway family and their ranch. Each of the brothers was interesting in different ways and it will be fun to read their stories… a wonderful introduction to a new trilogy that looks to be unique and full of surprises.”
“The child adds a lovely emotional element to the story, the secondary romance is enjoyable, and all loose ends are nicely tied up.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“[The Montana Trilogy] is a good series of hunky cowboys and nail-biting mystery. Zane and Riley have great chemistry and are a read that you can’t put down.”
—
Parkersburg News and Sentinel
(WV)
“These not-to-be-missed books are guaranteed to warm your heart!”
“Ms. Ryan did an amazing job keeping the story line at a perfect pace… A standalone novel, but I would definitely recommend you grab the other two… because I promise you will love them, too!”
“Wonderful romantic suspense tale starring a courageous heroine who is a lioness protecting her cub and a reluctant knight in shining armor… a terrific taut thriller.”
“5 Stars! Watching this wild rebel and independent woman attempt to coexist was so much fun… The author, R. C. Ryan, delivers an ongoing, tantalizing mystery suspense with heartwarming romance. Sinfully yummy!”
“Ryan’s amazing genius at creating characters with heartfelt emotions, wit, and passion is awe-inspiring. I can’t wait until
Montana Glory
comes out… so that I can revisit the McCord family!”
“The series continues to intrigue, and each page brings you closer to finding the treasure. Another terrific story from R. C. Ryan.”
“[A] wonderful series… I couldn’t put this book down. I can’t wait until Zane’s story comes out.”
A
Cosmopolitan
“Red Hot Read”
“A captivating start to a new series.”
—
BookPage
“Heart-melting sensuality… this engaging story skillfully refreshes a classic trilogy pattern and sets the stage for the stories to come.”
—
Library Journal
“Fabulous… a well-written story with fully developed characters that I easily came to care for.”
“Delightful… Jesse and Amy are a breath of fresh air, and R. C. Ryan beautifully translates the intense feelings they stir in one another.”
“A fresh, entertaining tale that will keep you wanting to read more… We only get tantalizing hints of Wyatt and Zane, but I can’t wait to read their stories.”
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Ruth Ryan Langan
Excerpt from
Quinn
Copyright © 2011 by Ruth Ryan Langan
Excerpt from
Jake
Copyright © 2012 by Ruth Ryan Langan
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First e-book edition: September 2012
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ISBN 978-1-4555-0243-1