Lo, How a Rose: The Nativity Story

JR Simmons lives in Northern Utah with his wife and 4 boys. He loves spending time with his family and coaching his kids in all of their different sports. He is an avid gamer and is very excited that his boys are picking up on his hobby. 

JR was recently introduced to triathlons and has since found that he loves the sport. Most nights he can be found either sitting down with a good game or hunched over his laptop writing.

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An ancient prophet, witness to unspeakable sorrow, is called to deliver a message of hope.

A barren couple learns they will have a child in their old age, a child who will prepare the way for the coming Lord.

A virgin conceives a miracle.

As Zacharias goes about his duties in the temple, a visit from an angel brings unexpected but welcome news. The same angel appears to newly betrothed Mary, and his words will change more than her life. His message will change the world. From Hebron to Bethlehem to Nazareth, travel with the mother of the Savior of the world and the people she knew. Become part of the miracle and see the world where Jesus Christ was born. We all know how the story ends, but in Lo, How a Rose, see how it all began."

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• The Audio Books are read by two brilliant Narrators; Mark Deakins (reader of the Maze Runner series) and Emily Rankin (reader of Before We Were Yours)

The Audiobooks are well worth listening to!

• Also the e-copy is on sale this christmas season for $1.99 so pick up your copy today!

Snippet: 

“Joseph,” she said, not breaking eye contact, “I'm pregnant.”
Joseph’s jaw dropped as he gaped at the woman that would have been his wife. As his heart stopped in his chest, he hoped he had heard her wrong. How could she be pregnant? We are betrothed. We are set to be married!
“B-but—” Joseph sputtered.
Mary stood straighter, her countenance stronger somehow. Her words clear and direct.
“The night after our betrothal, I was preparing myself for bed when I saw a brilliant, white light in the middle of my room. In the midst of that light, I heard a voice call me by my name. An angel appeared to me, Joseph. He told me that I was to be the mother of the Son of God.”
Standing in the street, Joseph listened with growing skepticism. “But we aren’t married yet …” Joseph argued, hoping that this might be some kind of horrible joke.
“My child is the Son of God, Joseph.” Mary’s quiet words, pierced his ears and heart at the same time.
Joseph broke eye contact and glared at the ground. His brain tried to process her words and a logical explanation worked its way to the surface. You’ve been gone for three months in the hill country of Hebron. Of course the young men there would have been fascinated with your beauty. Mary, I thought you were stronger than that.
Sick in his heart at the idea of Mary’s betrayal, Joseph shifted his eyes back to her perfect face. He could see the shimmer of tears under her long dark lashes, and even through his own heartache, he wanted to reach out and brush them away before they could spill down her cheeks.
Why would you try to hide behind a ridiculous story? Can you not see how impossible it sounds? Was this the cause for the long delay in Hebron? Why couldn’t you have simply told me the truth?
Then, for the first time, Joseph thought about the consequence of Mary’s infidelity.
It was within his rights as her future husband to put her to death for this betrayal. If he so chose, he could have her stoned. Was she making up this crazy story in an effort to save her own life? He hoped that she knew him better than that.
While the idea that she had been unfaithful to him hurt Joseph deeply, he did not want to see her punished. As his hopes and dreams for a quiet future with the young girl shattered, he found himself reluctant to cause her any more pain than absolutely necessary.
“Please, Joseph,” she pleaded brokenheartedly. “Please believe me.”
Joseph shook his head, corralling his rising anger. “I’m sorry, Mary, but I can’t.”
Firming his resolve, he met her eyes once more. Though the expression of anguish on her face pierced straight into his heart, he gritted his teeth.
“I would never hurt you, Mary. Even now, knowing you have done this to me, I would never want to see you in pain.”
“Joseph, you—”
Not sure how much longer he could hold onto his resolve, Joseph held a hand up to silence her. “I need time to think. I will come to your house soon, and we will discuss the betrothal annulment. Though I cannot stop the gossip from spreading as your time approaches, I will not fan the flames by publicly condemning you. Now go. Notify Jacob that he may expect me on the day following the Sabbath. Prepare yourself and your family for what is to come as best as you are able. I have business that I must attend to.”

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My Own St Nicholas

"Sarah-with-an-H Richardson is an introverted people person who likes to make people laugh. She is the youngest daughter in a large family and loves being an aunt to 50 children.

  

She grew up running, exploring, and adventuring in the wild forests of Missouri, that will always hold a special place in her heart.

Sarah-with-an-H is a multi-faceted human being, who has as much dark side as she has light (pun intended), and is nerdy, ridiculous, but a sincere, real human. One of her favorite quotes is: ""To be human is to be beautifully flawed"".

She is married, and she and her husband live in the country in North-West Missouri with three fur babies."

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A handsome but perplexing stranger. A charming and attractive gentleman. Vyetta Redd must learn to navigate the unknown terrain of love and heartbreak before finding her fantasy of happily ever after.

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Snippet:  

I danced for two songs straight before I needed to get some air. I moved to the courtyard just outside the ballroom and watched my breath leave my panting throat in white puffs. I breathed deeply through my nose as I surveyed the lighted garden path, almost tempted to sally forth.

     “Are you warm enough?”

     The deep, almost cynical voice startled me. I turned to find a handsome gentleman sitting on the bench by the wall to my right. I wondered how I missed him when I came out.

     “I am perfect, thank you,” I replied.

     He smiled at me as if he doubted my sincerity. I curved my brow at him in defiance and question.

     “Perhaps you would honor me with a dance?” He stood and proffered his arm. “Or does perfection dare to stoop so low?”

     I had no idea what this man was talking about but I heard the conductor announce my favorite song, so I laid my arm on his and turned toward the ballroom. He seemed almost surprised that I had accepted and hastened to keep up with me.

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The Unknown Elf

Karlie Lucas is a preschool teacher by day and a writer/artist by night.

A graduate of Southern Utah University, Karlie received a B.A. in Creative Writing, with a minor in art. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, The International English Honor Society, as well as ANWA, the American Night Writers Association.

Karlie is interested in all things magical and mysterious, especially elves and dragons. She is an avid fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling.

When not writing, Karlie can often be found drawing, baking, watching her favorite old school shows, or just spending time with her family.

She currently resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband and a cat named Kally

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Marie never expected to wake up in North Pole City, let alone become Santa’s Emergency Replacement. It was a job she never wanted but couldn’t turn down, thanks to Clarence, Santa’s right hand man. Now, Marie has to work with Clarence, who believes she is some kind of criminal who will cause the destruction of everything he holds dear. 

Trying to prove that he’s wrong, Marie keeps making mistakes that push them even further apart. It doesn’t help that she has a past she’d rather keep hidden. However, trying to keep her past where it should belong isn’t easy. 

Just when Marie starts to feel like things are coming together, a madman with a bone to pick, and Christmas to ruin, threatens the whole of the North Pole Organization. Marie must rely on Clarence and her new friends to help her face her past before Christmas is gone forever. But does she have the courage to truly be herself when it could mean losing everything?

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Snippet: 

"Why don't you just make her your Emergency Replacement instead of Sandra's assistant?" Clarence blurted. His words tumbled out before he could even think about the implications. "You've always wanted to have someone just in case of an emergency." His eyes sparkled with vexation, knowing he was being impertinent but not caring. He was sure Santa would never consider his suggestion with any seriousness.

Santa smoothed his beard. He measured the risks and the information his wizened eyes gave him. He included the intentions of his Head of Operations. He rubbed his chin, looked to one side, and nodded. "That's not a bad idea. It's nice to have someone. Just in case." He strode back to the desk and picked up a quill. "It does sound reasonable. All right, why don't we do just that? It will give her full access to all Leagues and privileges due to someone up that high. She'll pretty much be equal with you, Clarence." He gave his elf a knowing glance, eyes twinkling as he wrote down Marie's name and new position. The elf had played right into his hands, not that it had been all that hard to persuade him. They had both known the position was necessary and had discussed it at great lengths recently.

Clarence stared back, jaw somewhat agape. He'd only said it to vent his frustration, a mere joke; a joke that seemed to have been taken far too seriously. "But Santa! You can't think I was serious!"

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The Remains in the Pond

Ann lives in Texas with her husband and rescue pets. She taught reading and other subjects for a number of years before leaving to devote more time to her first love—writing. Reading with children was always her favorite part of teaching.

Cool Well Press published her ghostly series for the young at heart, Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot, Stevie-girl and The Phantom Student, and Stevie-girl and The Phantom of Crybaby Bridge.

Her adult novels—All For Love, women’s fiction, and the suspense trilogy Stutter Creek, Lilac Lane, and Copper Lake, are all published by 5 Prince Publishing.

Takers, Ann’s foray into speculative fiction, was released earlier this year.

She has won several awards for fiction since her college days and has had short stories and essays published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, The Binnacle, Timeless, an anthology, Seasonal Sweet, and Suspenseful, an anthology, Jitter Press, Fictionterrifica, The Rusty Nail, The Sandstorm, Reflections, an anthology, and Blue Mountain Review.  

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Senior prom is the happiest night of Gabi’s life. Her crush has just revealed that he is every bit as infatuated with her as she is with him. When he has a car wreck and is transported to the hospital in a coma, Gabi feels as if she’s taken a knife to the heart. But his jealous cousin, Rose, sees her chance to give the knife an even harder twist. She convinces Gabi to meet her at a local parking spot outside town. It's a night that will change several lives forever. One of the girls will return, and one will become known as the remains in the pond.

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Snippet:       

   I pushed my glasses up and took a deep breath. “We were in love. I know that’s what teenagers always think, but in our case, it was true.”
The unsmiling detective simply stared at me and pulled out his little notebook. His burnished head gleamed under the fluorescents.
                 Why wasn’t he writing in that notebook? He just held it, as if he found nothing I said worth noting. 

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Swept off My Feet

Ines Bautista-Yao is the author of One Crazy Summer, What’s in your Heart, Only A Kiss, When Sparks Fly, All That Glitters, and Someday With You. She has also written several short stories. Among them are “Plain Vanilla,” “A Captured Dream,” one of the four short stories in Sola Musica: Love Notes from a Festival, “Things I’ll Never Say,” part of the Summit Books anthology Coming of Age, and “Before the Sun Rises,” part of the Ateneo University Press anthology Friend Zones. 

She is the former editor-in-chief of Candy and K-Zone magazines and a former high school and college English and Literature teacher. She is also a wife and mom who lives in the Philippines with her husband and two little girls. Her books are available digitally on Amazon and Buqo.ph.

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Why my life sucks

by Geri Lazaro

1. My dad left when I was a kid.

2. My mom is in love (insert eye roll).

3. With a guy who is like 10 years younger than her!

4. My friends think he’s hot. (Gross)

5. I love ballet but our dance studio has a leak and we have to dance in this smelly studio that doubles as an aikido dojo.

6. There’s this Dojo guy who thinks the studio belongs to him.

7. Friends think Dojo guy is cute. (Ew.) (Okay, objectively maybe but still, ew.)

8. I’m failing algebra.

9. Need to quit either basketball or ballet. Or both.

10. Dojo guy keeps showing up! (Fine, he does aikido in the same building but whatever.)

11. Dojo guy is asking me to dance with him. And maybe he is as cute as my friends say.

12. I don't know what to do anymore! 

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Snippet:

“Did you see him?” My ballet classmate Helena, whose hair was always in a perfect bun without a single strand out of place, floated over to me, pink skirts flapping up and down in her rush. 

“Who?” 

 “This guy! I can’t believe you didn’t see him when you entered.” Then her bright, excited expression fell. “Oh, Geri, I hope you weren’t wearing your basketball outfit when you arrived.” 

I pulled her phone closer so I could study the image on it. I blinked when I saw who it was. It was Dojo guy. He was talking to someone else in a martial arts kimono too. A girl with long hair cascading down her back. So there was no question of who Helena had just stalked in that photo. I put Helena’s phone back in her hand and wrinkled my nose. “Ew. Yeah. We kinda got into an argument.” I saw her eyes widen. “And yeah, I was wearing my basketball clothes.” 

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