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Monday, November 2, 2020

Christmas Comes to Dickens Anthology - Featuring: Millie’s Awesome Holiday Miracle by Nancy Fraser - Blurb Blitz - Book Sale - Book Box Set Trailer - Fun Jigsaw Puzzle - My Book Review - BONUS Free Book - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hi, lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Nancy Fraser and her new book, “Millie’s Awesome Holiday Miracle” which is part of the Christmas Comes to Dickens Anthology!  For other stops on this Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $30 Gift Card (Winner’s Choice) AND a Book from EACH of the TEN featured authors!!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Nancy and to increase your chances of winning!

The Christmas Comes to Dickens Book Box Set eBook which includes Nancy’s Fraser’s new book, “Millie’s Awesome Holiday Miracle,” is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99!!!  See below for more details.

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!

Millie’s Awesome Holiday Miracle

by Nancy Fraser

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance 

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CHRISTMAS COMES TO DICKENS BOOK BOX SET BLURB:

Welcome to Dickens—a quaint New England town bustling with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming Christmas holiday. We have the annual tree lighting in the town square, a snowman building competition, ice skating on Grosvenor’s Pond, and horse-drawn sleigh rides. You’re welcome to cut down your own Christmas tree at Gridley Meadows, or join in the caroling on the Common.

Dickens offers an abundance of heartfelt wishes, a few much needed miracles, and—quite possibly—a touch of magic! Families reunite, new friends are made, and old flames take a second chance at happiness. All while celebrating this most joyful time of the year.

Join us as our best selling and award winning authors fill your holiday stocking with ten brand new novellas ranging from sweet to sassy.

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CHRISTMAS COMES TO DICKENS BOOK BOX SET BOOK TRAILER:

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MILLIE’S AWESOME HOLIDAY MIRACLE BOOK BLURB:

Single mom, Cassidy Kean, struggles to make ends meet for herself and her five-year-old daughter, Millie. With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, Cass takes on a bit more than she can handle while trying to get her new party planning business off the ground. Thankfully, she has a good friend and neighbor who willingly cares for Millie while Cass works. Now, if only she could get Frances to stop filling Millie’s head with stories of holiday magic.

Rick Barrett is facing a dilemma. His family-owned toy company is in jeopardy of being made obsolete, which will mean closing the local factory in Dickens and the loss of dozens of jobs, a devastating blow to the small community. What he needs is a new idea to compete with the big guys, something that will drag kids away from their electronics and back to a real, hand-crafted toy.

When Rick meets frazzled, but beautiful, Cassidy and her precocious daughter Millie, he’s immediately smitten, despite the fact he’s never been great with children.

Will sharing in their enthusiasm for the upcoming Christmas season bring him the two things he needs most...true love and a business-saving miracle?

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EXCERPT B:

From Millie’s Awesome Holiday Miracle:

Rick Barrett gave one last look at the reports strewn across his desk and then raised his head, meeting his father’s weathered gaze.

“So, what do you think?” William Barrett asked. “Are we going to have to shut down the factory?”

“We’ve had a couple of lean years and I don’t see much hope for the future. Kids nowadays want their electronics—video games, cell phones, tablets. Nobody’s in the market for handmade, quality toys anymore.”

His dad heaved a sigh and settled back in the chair. “I thought semi-retirement and coaxing you back to run things would help. I guess I was wrong.”

Rick stood, circled the desk, and stopped in front of his dad. “Other than a few collectibles, like the holiday princess doll and a new piece to Track’s Village, there’s been nothing that’s caught on in the past three years. Baring a good idea or—better yet—a miracle of some sort, there’s not much of a future for Wil-Bar Toys.” Rick rested his hand on his father’s shoulder, wishing his news were better. “Sorry, Dad, but I’m pretty sure we’ll have to shut down after the next Billy Bunny rush.”

The elder Barrett pushed himself to his feet and reached for his cane. “My father—your grandfather—is probably rolling over in his grave. He built this place and designed all our bestsellers. I’ve run it into the ground." 

“No, Dad, progress is the culprit, not you.”

He was about to suggest he take his dad to lunch, when voices from the outer office caught his attention. No doubt, Margaret was eavesdropping on every word they’d said. The woman, his father’s assistant for nearly thirty years, could easily be heard above another woman’s voice—a softer voice.

Rick excused himself. “Hang tight for a minute, Dad. I’ll be right back, and we can go to Morty’s for lunch.”

He stepped through his office door just in time to watch the unknown woman walk away. “Who was that, Margaret?” he asked.

“Just another charity looking for a handout.”

“What charity?”

“Something about tickets for a fundraiser for repairs and holiday decorations for the gazebo on the Common.” Margaret smiled faintly. “I told her we couldn’t help. And, that we—” 

Rick held up his hand, interrupting. “Hold on. Let me see if I can catch her.” He darted down the hallway, reaching the woman just as she pressed the button for the elevator. “Excuse me, Miss,” he called out.

She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. “Yes?”

He was momentarily caught off guard by her huge chocolate brown eyes and easy smile. “I’m Rick, Rick Barrett,” he said finally. “You were asking about a donation for holiday decorations?”

“Yes, I was.” Her smile spread, pleasantly rearranging an already beautiful face. “The city council is holding a fundraiser. A wine and cheese party. I’m hoping to encourage the half-dozen or so businesses who employee most of Dickens’ population to purchase a table. Maybe give the seats away in a drawing to your employees.”

“I like wine. And cheese. How much are the tickets?”

“Your assistant said the charitable donation budget for this year has been spent.”

Rick gave a quick shrug of his shoulders, his thoughts more on the silky-smooth quality of her voice than on the Wil-Bar budget.

Probably not the best thing for a CEO to willingly ignore.

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JIGSAW PUZZLE:

Nancy Fraser has created a fun jigsaw puzzle for her readers to play!!! 

Check it out here:

https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=062b438f87a5

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MY BOOK REVIEW:

This review focuses solely on Nancy’s Fraser’s Story, “Millie’s Awesome Holiday Miracle,” from the Christmas Comes to Dickens Anthology.

This was the perfect story to get me in to mood for the holidays!!

With everything going on in the world today and holidays having to be canceled or postponed, I wasn’t exactly feeling the holiday spirit – until after enjoying this read!!

This is a “super quick, I can’t put it down,” kind of read that had me completely glued to the pages!!  I honestly was planning on just starting it and reading a couple chapters before bed.  I had no idea that Nancy was going to keep me up wayyyy past my bedtime as I read this in just one sitting!!!

If you’ve been following my blog, you’d know that I’ve started reading and reviewing more of Nancy’s books lately.  Even though this is the shortest book of hers I’ve read, it is truly my favorite!!

I absolutely LOVED the characters!!!  Cassidy “Cass,” Kean; her adorable 5-year-old daughter, Millie; the super handsome and charismatic Rick Barret, aka “Mr. Big Shot Toy Guy,” lol; the eccentric, but enduring friend/neighbor, Frances; the sweet, young friend/employee, Kenzie; Rick’s charming father, William, aka “Mr. Bob,” and of course, Bennie the pet turtle and the beautifully exquisite pony, Max.

Millie was such a joy to read about and she had me laughing so many times throughout the story!!  She was a very well-written and realistic five-year-old.  I could easily feel like many of those dialogues could have been exact conversations with my little cousins.

I loved the relationship between Cass and Rick!!  The relationship built up at a slower, but more than realistic speed, especially when there is a child involved.  It felt genuine and sincere.  I loved the romance, and all the little things Rick went out of his way to do for Cass and Millie.  It was surprising that Rick, who is not a “kid person,” and not a long-term relationship kind of guy could so quickly change his ways.  However, with Rick’s dad handing down the reins of their family toy company to him, it seemed like this would be when Rick would start to grow up more and settle down into his new life in Dickens, now that he decided to stay in town and keep the shop open.

I loved the holiday magic and Christmas spirit that is significantly brought out in this story!!  Everything from the wish sticks, to the Christmas tree lighting, to the revamp of an old-toy shop getting a second chance.  There is just so much to love about this book and enjoy reading!!

There are not many books that I re-read, however, I think this one will definitely be an exception!!!

This book is not technically part of a book series; however, it is part of a book set collection.  It can absolutely be read on its own without any issues.  In addition, the other stories in the anthology are revolved around the same sweet town of Dickens and can be read in addition or as standalone.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this novella and would absolutely recommend it!  I think all contemporary romance and holiday book fans will like this book too!  So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**

Did you find this review helpful?

If so, please, please, please mark it as helpful on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R2GD49VPT4IANX

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This is a very brief review of the Christmas Comes to Dickens Anthology:

My post today focuses on Nancy Fraser's specific book in this anthology, but I would be remiss to not point out how incredible this entire book box set collection is!!  This eBook anthology includes ten stories by ten extremely talented and award-winning authors that provide over 600 eBook pages filled with creative, intriguing, and original Christmas holiday stories!!

With my schedule, I honestly only had the time to read the one story, but I did browse through the others to get a feel of the whole Dickens ambience.

I loved how clever the author’s worked together to artistically weave their stories into a whole town collection.

I can’t wait to get further whisked away for hours into the beautiful community of Dickens!!

And right now, this eBook is on SALE for ONLY $0.99!!!  So, ten books with a total of over 600 eBook pages for less than a dollar!!!  I can’t think of a better pre-Black Friday sale than this one!!!

All in all, I would absolutely recommend this book box set!  I think all contemporary romance and holiday book fans will like this book collection too!  So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**

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AUTHOR BIO:

NANCY FRASERJumping Across Romance Genres with Gleeful Abandon—is an Amazon Top 100 and Award-Winning author who can’t seem to decide which romance genre suits her best. So, she writes them all.

Like most authors, Nancy began writing at an early age, usually on the walls and with crayons or, heaven forbid, permanent markers. Her love of writing often made her the English teacher’s pet which, of course, resulted in a whole lot of teasing. Still, it was worth it.

Published in multiple genres, Nancy actively writes for two publishers, and recently threw her hat into the self-publishing ring. She has published over thirty-five books in full-length, novella, and short format.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

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CONNECT WITH NANCY:

Website:

http://nancyfraser.ca

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/NancyFraserAuthor

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/nfraserauthor

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3gC68iMStwKCr4v_S6fMIA

BookBub Author Page:

http://bookbub.com/profile/nancy-fraser

BookBub Book Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/books/christmas-comes-to-dickens-a-christmas-romance-anthology-by-peggy-jaeger-and-lucinda-race

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7206382.Nancy_Fraser

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55444065-christmas-comes-to-dickens

Amazon Author Page:

http://amzn.to/2twAFAA

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BOOK BUY LINKS & BOOK SALE INFO:

**The Christmas Comes to Dickens Book Box Set eBook which includes Nancy’s Fraser’s new book, “Millie’s Awesome Holiday Miracle,” is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99!!!**

Amazon Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3mKvA3G

Apple Books eBook:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/christmas-comes-to-dickens/id1532960879

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-comes-to-dickens-nancy-fraser/1137730247

Kobo eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/christmas-comes-to-dickens

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BONUS!!! FREE!!! IT’S A DICKENS OF A COOKIE! A COMPANION COOKIE RECIPE BOOK!!!:

Free Bonus eBook!!!

Nancy and the other nine authors are offering their readers a FREE eBook copy of “It’s a Dickens of a Cookie!” the corresponding recipe book to their “Christmas Comes to Dickens,” Book Box Set Collection!!!

This eBook features creations directly from the authors and includes TWENTY deliciously fabulous recipes that will pair up nicely with your holiday read!!!

Be sure to pick up your FREE eBook copy TODAY!!!

Amazon Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3mKz5Hm

Apple Books eBook:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/its-a-dickens-of-a-cookie/id1534069005

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/its-a-dickens-of-a-cookie-maddie-james/1137886787

Kobo eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/it-s-a-dickens-of-a-cookie

Books2Read eBooks:

https://books2read.com/dickens-cookie

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Nancy, in coordination with the other nine author’s will be awarding a $30 GC (winner’s choice) AND a FREE Book from each of the ten author’s to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

25 comments:

  1. Ally, as always you spoil me. Thank you so much for this wonderful post, for the lovely review, and for your comments on the anthology as a whole. These nine ladies were a joy to work with and I do believe we've captured that perfect small-town Christmas feel.

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    1. Nancy ~ Good morning! Looks like you beat me here lol... Well, welcome back! We LOVE having you here! I'm glad you approve of the post - there were so many exciting extras I wanted to make sure they were all included! :) And yes, this book collection is the perfect start to the holiday season! Can't wait to finish reading the other wonderful stories! I'm working on cross-promoting the review right now, before heading back to bed, but I'll check back later... As always, congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour! :)

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  2. Thanks for the wonderful spotlight! Everyone who reads this story will love Millie--oh, and the grownups, too. But Millie's an extra dollop of joy.

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    1. Liz ~ Good morning! Thanks for stopping by and for your kind words! Yes, Millie was certainly adorable and ever so entertaining! Congrats to you as well on your exciting new book and good luck on the rest of the tour! :)

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  3. What a great post! So happy to be part of the Dicken's world!

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    1. Maddie ~ Thank you so much! There were so many exciting extras and I wanted to make sure they were all included :) And yes, it sounds like you ladies sure had fun putting this all together! You all truly created such a creative and entertaining collection of holiday stories - I can't wait to read the rest! Wishing you, too, congrats and good luck on the of the book tour :)

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  4. Ally - bless you, dear girl for the amazing post!! Thank you so much for highlighting Nancy's story and for introducing our anthology to your fans and followers and readers! We all sosososo appreciate it! Happy Reading!

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    1. Peggy ~ Thank you, that is so sweet! I truly appreciate your kind words :) I'm so glad to be part of another one of these book anthology tours with all you amazing authors that show up and support each other on everyone's stop! It really sounds like you all had fun on this project and I am so excited to be a first stop on your very successful book tour! Congrats on your exciting new book as well and good luck on the tour! :)

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  5. This is such a great story, and what a super way to kick off the holiday spirit! Thank you, Ally, for a lovely spotlight on Nancy's book and the anthology as a whole!

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  6. Kathryn ~ Good morning :) Thank you, I appreciate it! And yes, I totally agree, your book collection is the perfect start to the holiday season! I am so happy I am able to participate in this tour and work with you all! Nancy's book was such an enjoyable read and I can't wait to check out the other stories that all you fabulous authors created! Thank you for stopping by! Congrats to you as well on your exciting new book and good luck on the tour! :)

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  7. Thank you for sharing your book with us. I always look forward to finding out about another great read.

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  8. Thanks for hosting Nancy and the whole collection. It was fun to be part of it.

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  9. Sounds great, I enjoyed the post.

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  10. I enjoyed the excerpt and the post, sounds like an excellent set of holiday stories, for this special time of year! Thanks for sharing it with and good luck with the tour! Thanks for sharing your reviews, Fabulous & Brunette!

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  11. Ally, what a lovely presentation of Nancy's book and of the anthology. Thank you so much for hosting. Best wishes.

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  12. Ally, thanks so much for this spectacular post and review. I hope you settle in and enjoy a lovely hot drink and take the time to read the rest of the stories in Christmas Comes to Dickens. Cheers!

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  13. Christmas stories are simply magical, and this post makes me want to read them all!

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  14. This sounds like a wonderful book.

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  15. What was your favorite part about writing this story?

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  16. This sounds like a very good book.

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  17. I want to read ALL of these stories! Thank you for sharing all of the book and author information.

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  18. I love Christmas romances. Glad you loved the story.

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