Holidays

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    Sugar Plum Spies, Section 47 holiday book, to be released Nov. 8 …

    I’m thrilled to announce that I will be publishing Sugar Plum Spies on Nov. 8. Woot!

    Sugar Plum Spies is book #2 in my Section 47 urban fantasy, spies-with-magic series. Note that this is a short holiday book — about 47,000 words. Sugar Plum Spies can be read as a stand-alone adventure, but of course it helps if you have read A Sense of Danger, the first book in the series.

    Sugar Plum Spies features the first-person points of view of both Charlotte Locke and Desmond Percy, just like A Sense of Danger did.

    Here is a look at the cover art, which was done by the awesome Tony Mauro. Tony also does the covers for my Elemental Assassin series and some of my other books. I love the purple color, along with the red/green holiday sparks. 😎 

    PRE-ORDER THE EBOOK:

    ABOUT THE PRINT BOOK:

    I am planning to do a print version of Sugar Plum Spies, and I will share those links when they go online later this year. I am also hopeful that there will be an audiobook, but it’s too early to tell.

    MORE SECTION 47 BOOKS?

    If Sugar Plum Spies sells well, then I will write more books in my Section 47 series. Ideally, I’d like to write at least two more full-length books after Sugar Plum Spies, but it does depend on the sales. So if you like the Section 47 series, then please pre-order Sugar Plum Spies, recommend it to your friends, etc. Thanks!

    SUGAR PLUM SPIES DESCRIPTION:

    New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep serves up an action-packed holiday adventure in her Section 47 urban-fantasy world of secrets, lies, and superspies with amazing magical abilities. Perfect for fans of Alias, Die Hard, James Bond, Jason Bourne, Nikita, True Lies, and Netflix’s Bodyguard.

    VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS . . .

    Most spies take a break for the holidays, but not me, Charlotte Locke. As an analyst for Section 47, a secret spy organization, I normally use my magical form of synesthesia to uncover lies and track paramortal bad guys from the comfort of my cubicle. But tonight I’m going out into the field, along with my partner, Desmond Percy, a powerful galvanist.

    Instead of enjoying Christmastime in the city, I’m in a German castle, dressed like a toy soldier and masquerading as a waitress at a swanky Christmas Eve party. My mission? To gather information that will help Section 47 track down a dangerous enemy.

    Despite the glitz and glamour, I can’t shake the sense that something is wrong—and that Desmond and I might not leave the party alive.

    DANCES OF DEATH . . .

    My name is Desmond Percy, although I’ve had many aliases during my years working as a cleaner for Section 47. But I’ve never had a real partner until Charlotte Locke.

    My part of the mission is simple: pretend to be a guest and keep an eye on things at the party while Charlotte uses her synesthesia to track down the information we need. But what starts out as a sugar plum dream quickly turns into a holiday nightmare.

    Forget the mission. All I want for Christmas is to keep Charlotte safe.

    Note: Sugar Plum Spies is a 47,000-word book. It is book 2 in the Section 47 series, but it can also be read as a stand-alone holiday adventure.

  • Happy holidays!

    No matter how you celebrate, I hope everyone has a great holiday season filled with food, family, friends, and lots of love and laughs. Stay safe out there.

    Happy holidays! ? 

  • Happy Thanksgiving!

    Here’s a picture I took a few weeks ago at a local park. Aren’t those leaves gorgeous? I think maples (and pear trees with their red leaves) are so pretty during the fall season.

    I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend filled with food, family, friends, football, and lots of love and laughs. Stay safe out there.

    Happy Thanksgiving! 😎 

  • ·

    ‘Tis the season for holiday romances …

    Can you all believe that it’s October? Where has the year gone? But you know what this means … it’s time for holiday romances to start hitting bookstore shelves. Woot! Here are some holiday romances that I’m looking forward to checking out. Note that the covers/descriptions are from Amazon.

    A Cowboy Christmas Legend by Linda Broday

    Available now

    This stunning, emotional, and redemptive historical Western romance by bestselling author Linda Broday will leave you cozy and warm this Christmas season, with:

    • A cowboy learning how to start over
    • A fiery young woman with the heart to save him
    • A past neither can escape, and
    • A future worthy of any Christmas miracle.

    Devastated by the loss of his young wife—and the life he’d always thought would be his—Sam Legend II has done everything he can to make a fresh start. As a bladesmith, all he needs is a bed, a hot fire, and enough distance from his famous family to finally indulge in a little peace and quiet. So what if it’s almost Christmas? This year, he’s happy just keeping to himself.

    But then fiery Cheyenne Ronan comes blasting into his home, and any notion of peace goes flying out the door.

    Cheyenne’s like no one Sam has ever met—and from the moment he first catches her eye, his quiet life is anything but. Now he’s hunting wanted men with the Texas Rangers, decking every hall, and sharing passionate embraces with the woman who’s set his world alight. For the first time in what feels like forever, Sam’s facing Christmas feeling like his life is full of meaning again—and that with Cheyenne by his side, love can be the stuff of Legend.

    No Ordinary Christmas by Belle Calhoune

    Available now

    Mistletoe, Maine, is buzzing and not just because Christmas is around the corner! Dante West, local cutie-turned-Hollywood hunk, is returning home to make his next movie. Everyone in town is excited . . . except librarian Lucy Marshall. When Dante took off for LA without warning—or even a goodbye—he broke Lucy’s heart. She swore not to spend one more minute thinking about her ex, but Dante makes an offer Lucy’s struggling library can’t refuse: a major donation to film on-site.

    Dante is thrilled to help boost his hometown’s economy and finally begin making amends to the people he hurt years ago when he left, starting with Lucy. But seeing his former best friend on set every day feels a lot less like closure and more like a fresh start. It’s one thing for Dante to fall for Lucy all over again, quite another for a famous movie star and a small-town librarian to find lasting romance. Can the magic of the holiday season give Lucy and Dante’s first love a second chance?

    Nick and Noel’s Christmas Playlist by Codi Hall

    Available Oct. 5

    Curl up this Christmas with a sparkling romance filled with:

    • Irresistible friends-to-lovers romance
    • The kiss that changed everything
    • Warm nights on the family Christmas tree farm
    • All your favorite Christmas songs!

    Nick Winter is just out of the military, and his Christmas homecoming is not going as planned. What was supposed to be a memorable holiday with his long-time girlfriend goes sour when he learns she cheated on him while he was stationed overseas. At least Nick can rely on his usual shift at the family Christmas tree farm with his best friend, Noel Carter, and her endless supply of Christmas tunes to lift his spirits. A night of fun together is just what he needs to forget about his ex.

    But then they kiss. And it feels…so right.

    If Noel can turn Nick’s Blue Christmas merry and bright, this might be the last Christmas Nick spends with a broken heart. This year, they’ll be Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree as a couple—as long as Nick’s ex doesn’t go standing under any mistletoe.

    Christmas in Rose Bend by Naima Simone

    Available Oct. 26

    The holidays have never been her thing. But Christmas in Rose Bend has more than one surprise in store…

    Grieving ER nurse Nessa Hunt is on a road trip with her sullen teen half sister, Ivy, and still reeling from her mother’s deathbed confession: Nessa’s dad wasn’t really her dad. Seeking answers, they arrive in Rose Bend to find a small town teeming with the kind of Christmas cheer Nessa usually avoids. But then she meets the innkeeper’s ruggedly sexy son, Wolfgang Dennison.

    Wolf’s big, boisterous family is like a picture-perfect holiday card. Nessa has too much weighing on her to feel like she fits—even though the heat between her and Wolf is undeniable. And the merriment bringing an overdue smile to Ivy’s face is almost enough to make Nessa believe in the Christmas spirit. But with all her parental baggage, including lingering questions about her birth father, is there room in Nessa’s life for happy holidays and happily-ever-after?

    Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday

    Available Oct. 26

    There’s a royal wedding on, and things are about to get interesting.

    Meet the man of honor

    Maximillian von Hansburg, Baron of Laudon and heir to the Duke of Aquilla, is not having a merry Christmas. He’s been dumped by a princess, he’s unemployed, and his domineering father has sent him to New York to meet a prospective bride he has no interest in. In the city, he meets Dani Martinez, a smart (and gorgeous) professor he’s determined to befriend before their best friends marry in the Eldovian wedding of the century.

    Meet the best woman

    Newly single, no-nonsense New Yorker Dani is done with love—she even has a list entitled “Things I Will Never Again Do for a Man”—which is why she hits it off with notorious rake Max. He’s the perfect partner for snow angels in Central Park and deep conversations about the futility of love.

    It’s all fun and games until their friendship deepens into attraction and, oops…

    Falling in love was never part of the plan.

    What holiday romances are you looking forward to reading?

  • Happy Holidays!

    I will be taking a blogging break for the holidays. I hope to spend some time with family and friends, eat some good food, and watch football and holiday rom-coms.

    I’ll be back in January with info about my 2021 books, other books to add to your TBR pile, and more.

    However you celebrate, I hope that you have a great (and safe) holiday season. Cheers! 😎