Looking for Love in Christmassy Places…

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We’re pleased to welcome special guest author, Valerie Comer, back to the junction!

Howdy Ladies of the Cowgirl Persuasion!

My name’s Eli. Eli Thornton. I’m not much of a cowboy for all I grew up on the Flying Horseshoe Ranch during the years my dad was foreman. I liked horses fine, don’t get me wrong, but engines have always been my thing. Still are.

Watching the boss’s headstrong daughter from afar was also my thing back then. Not in a creepy way, of course. I was a few years older, same age as her brother, my best friend, but Meg Carmichael always fascinated me.

Wow, she was something, and she knew it. All rebellion and sass. She never noticed me. I might as well have been one more tree in the forest. Just as well, really, all things considered.

Then came the fateful night when my dad’s carelessness caused a horrendous accident that nearly took Meg’s father’s life and ultimately cost him the use of his legs. Dad couldn’t face it — he packed Mom and me up and we ran. He should’ve known the Carmichaels would forgive him, but he couldn’t live with his guilt.

But Dad’s gone now, and I’ve returned to the Flying Horseshoe to make amends on his behalf, if such a thing were even possible. They welcomed me with open arms like the Christ-followers they are and offered me a job as the ranch mechanic.

Pretty safe, all things considered. Last I knew, Meg lived far away. She’d been whooping it up until her social media went dark about a year ago. Yeah, I’d been keeping an eye. I couldn’t help myself.

But her parents could not only forgive my father and me, but their Prodigal Daughter. Meg had returned, baby in tow, and found forgiveness and love in Jesus and her family.

How could I stay away when the new, improved Meg finally saw me for myself?

 

Blue sky, red barn, snow on ground and a cowboy tipping his cowboy hat. Text "The Cowboy's Forever Crush by Valerie Comer"

In this story, you’ll find:

  • A high school crush
  • A prodigal daughter
  • His best friend’s sister
  • A single mom
  • Cinnamon shortbread cookies
  • Little Town of Bethlehem
  • Aurora Borealis
  • Redemption and second chances
  • A faith-filled romance

Want to read The Cowboy’s Forever Crush? This complete romance novella is free for subscribers to Valerie Comer’s newsletter — that’s me!

Red barn with blue sky and snowy ground. Kindle with cover of The Cowboy’s Forever Crush by Valerie Comer

Some folks subscribe to a newsletter, download their freebie, then unsubscribe immediately. There’s no law against that! But why not hang around for a month or two and see if my emails might be something you enjoy? Give me a chance to prove I can keep on entertaining you!

FREE!!! Get your copy of The Cowboy’s Forever Crush here! 

Tell me, what keeps you subscribed to an author’s emails? What makes you hit the unsubscribe button faster than you can blink? Let’s talk!

***

Valerie shared her recipe for Cinnamon Shortbread! Yum!

About Valerie Comer ~

Author photo of Valerie Comer

Valerie Comer is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner. She writes engaging characters, strong communities, and deep faith into her green clean romances.

Valerie’s life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary Christian romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie grows much of her own food and is active in the local foods movement as well as her church. She only hopes her imaginary friends enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable grandkids.

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33 thoughts on “Looking for Love in Christmassy Places…”

  3. What keeps me coming back to certain authors – Very understandable verbiage from beginning to end, a game or two is always enjoyable, as well as response from the author when you give her feedback on her email message. Once a week there are two (2) authors I can count on to send me their weekly missive. One has a Zoom meeting with anyone who wants to join every couple of months. Getting to know your author/friend is quite flattering when you know they are very busy with writing, family and daily work loads. Yet they still have enough time to keep corresponding with their audience/friends.

    I find myself unsubscribing at times when I do not have the time to reach out to everyone I have in the past. Maybe their book genre doesn’t fit my likes, or their email just doesn’t hold my interest. Since I also read ARC books for a number of authors, my time is limited, in order to do those authors justice to their books.

    Your book sounds very interesting and I look forward to reading it very soon.

  4. Welcome back, Valerie. We’re so happy to have you. Loved the interview! Eli Thornton sounds like a fun person to write. He’s down to earth and I like that. You know, what irks me about author emails is something I never subscribed to in the first place. Don’t know how they get my name but it really gets under my skin. Otherwise, if I’m really busy and have no time to open, I simply delete them. It really just depends on the author. I hope you enjoy your time with us and best wishes on your new book!

  5. The recipe sounds really good!! Getting really long emails! I’ve unsubscribed from some really long emails! I don’t have time to read a mini book when I sit down to do emails!

  7. I enjoy the emails from Christian authors who are focused on what God wants for their lives. I don’t enjoy long emails with book excerpts in them.

  11. I try not to unsubscribe. There may be some that I might skim through for time but I also have a hard time reading emails if it’s a dark background with white writing. My problem is that i’ve signed up for newsletters but haven’t gotten them or after a few times they stopped but I never unsubscribed. I know I have contacted a few of the authors and they couldn’t add me manually either. It either showed that I was on the list or that I had unsubscribed when I didn’t. I get your emails already.

    • I can’t do white-on-black either. If I REALLY want the content, I have my computer read it to me. And yeah, there are occasional glitches in the email vortex that no one can explain!!!

  12. I normally don’t unsubscribe, unless I get an email from an author through a give a way. It also depends on the genre that the author writes. I have also received emails from authors that I never subscribed to, so I unsubscribe from them.

    • Adding subscribers without their express permission is a huge no-no. I’m not sure why some authors (and businesses) persist in it! I’d so much rather have interested, engaged readers at the other end of my “send” button!

  13. I unsubscribe if an author whom I thought was writing clean fiction shows other types of fiction that are not clean in her newsletters. I am finding that some authors may have one or two books that are clean fiction, but they also write fiction that is not clean. I am turned off to many authors these days by the covers of their books. I have been around enough that I am not interested in seeing a man bare chested. I feel that is something that his wife should see, not the whole world. Sorry for getting on my soap box. Thank you for sharing. God bless you.

    • Hey Debra, yes! I don’t know many authors who cross those boundaries from Christian fiction to… well, THAT kind, but at the very least, they need a different pen name! And hopefully a good chat with God…

  14. Does everything through podcasts, videos to much technological talk and to many social media giveaways and not near enough newsletter giveaways makes me hit unsubscribe button

  15. First, thank you for the book and the recipe.
    I will stay subscribed to an author’s emails if I find their posts enjoyable and interesting. I may not always check in. Things get hectic and I get far behind on everything, even finding time to read. I will still check in occasionally. I will sometimes unsubscribe if the author is writing books I am no longer interested.

    • Totally makes sense, Patricia! I try to give my fellow authors grace and subscribe to many… and then go on a binge and remove myself from those I’m just not that into anymore.

  16. Thanks everyone for bearing with me in my absence yesterday! I lost a day somewhere this week — anyone see a spare day off wandering??? I was all set to come visit this morning thinking it was Friday. Um… it’s not Friday. Hasn’t been for ten hours in my part of the world.

    I really appreciate the comments, and to those who’ve checked out The Cowboy’s Forever Crush (and my newsletter), thank you!!!!

  17. I really like how the email is right now and I wouldn’t never unscripted. Thanks for the wonderful recipe by the way. Love reading through the newsletter

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