The Reviews are in for Desert Breeze's "Christmas Stranger"

Marion Kelley Bullock's Christmas Stranger is the perfect book for the season. Melinda Jane Frazier, postmistress and farmer in Primrose, Missouri, accepts her single state. But her quiet existence changes overnight when strangers arrive during a blizzard. She hefts Papa's old rifle from the gun rack, cocks it and cracks the door open.

She opens her home to Zeke, a widower, and his young son Timothy. They fill her heart with unexpected Christmas cheer. Though Zeke insists he’s a drifter, Melinda begins to hope he’ll change. How can she bear to return to the lonely life she knew before Zeke drifted to her door?

*****

The Reviews:

Midnight Owl Reviews, Melinda
4.5 Stars

"A Christmas Stranger is a tale of one man’s wanderings leading him to a woman who has almost given up on love. Zeke has always moved from one place to another with his little boy, never expecting to stay more than a couple days. I loved that Melinda took these two in not knowing for sure if they will hurt her or not. These three were so great with each other to the point where you will cry at certain points and root for them at others. You will also want to give Zeke a hit upside the head so that he gets a bit of common sense. A really great read."

Here's a link to the complete review: http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.aspx?daoid=5099

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Fallen Angels Reviews - Kara
5 Angels

"Christmas Stranger by Marion Kelley Bullock is a wonderful, gentle western historical, written in a style which reminds me of Catherine Anderson. The reader is quickly transported back in time and quickly achieves a real sense of the community, time and place...When you need a break from the upcoming busy holiday season, set aside a couple of hours and settle in to enjoy the heart-warming Christmas Stranger.


Here's a link to the complete review: http://fallenangelreviews.com/2009/November/kara-christmasstranger.htm

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Coffee Time Romance - Matilda
4 Cups

"What a sweet and tender story about love, faith, and family. This is a great feel good read for anytime not just the holidays. Likeable characters in an entertaining read what more can you ask for? Go grab a copy."


Here's a link to the complete review: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/christmasstranger.html

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Romance Junkies - Audrey Johnson
4 Stars

"CHRISTMAS STRANGER combines the magic of the Holidays with the enchantment of finding true love... Bullock’s use of verse and prayer in a truly God-fearing, caring community, teach the true meaning of faith. CHRISTMAS STRANGER beautifully demonstrates the wonder and meaning of the Season, and it will be impossible to finish this novel without discovering that your own spirit has been revived."

Here's a link to the complete review: http://romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/historical/Christmas_Stranger.shtml

Featured Author Interview - Marion Kelley Bullock, Christmas Stranger

Thanks for having me, Steph. I appreciate your interest in my newest novel, Christmas Stranger. I enjoyed writing it and getting to know the characters. I hope my readers will enjoy getting to know them, too, even my animal characters. Creatures like the donkey and the goat just seem to creep into my writing. Perhaps that's because my Abbie Cat often sits on my desk, or my lap, while I write.

STEPH: Abby sounds like a cool cat. hehe

#1 – Tell me about your muse. How long have you known her? Or him? (grin)

A muse has to do with Greek mythology, doesn't it? In high school and college, I read about the nine goddesses who supposedly presided over the arts and sciences. But it was all Greek to me (pardon the pun) .

I scribbled pictures in my notebooks and painted pictures. I wrote silly poems for my own amusement.

But I found my niche when assigned essays. One such effort referred to summer vacations, when my family camped out at the Morris Ranch on the Jim Ned Creek, near Coleman, Texas. I wrote: "I crawled from my sleeping bag at
daybreak and ran down the gravel beach for a plunge into the icy deep." Slight exaggeration — I couldn't swim.

It wasn't lying. It was simply a tall tale. Isn't that the very stuff that fiction employs?

STEPH: Ditto - fiction is just a tall tale you have in your mind. ;)

#2 – Where did you get the idea for Christmas Stranger?

Christmas Stranger came into being because of the germ of an idea. I read that in the old days many small towns had postmistresses. The job was ideal for women because they could locate the P.O. in their homes. I placed my heroine on a farm in Missouri, because I read of one such postmistress there. Also, my family lived there for a time. The idea grew and grew.

#3 – Cast the characters. Who is Melinda? Zeke?

Melinda gradually came alive in my mind. She loved the farm and didn't want to leave it, even after her papa died. But with only Brownie, her big lab, as company, she was lonely. She wanted God to send her a good man, one who would be content to live on the farm with her. She wanted a family.

Zeke? Well, he was more complex. A widower with a young son, he was a confirmed wanderer. One reviewer said she sometimes wanted to shake him. So did I. As a matter of fact, so did Melinda. But he declared he could never settle down again. Too much heartache in loving and losing.

STEPH: Your characters sound great, Marion. I picture a rugged, handsome devil for Zeke and a really sweetie for Melinda.

#4 – Why did you put the setting of Christmas Stranger in Missouri? Any special reason?

My family lived there for a time and I liked it. As I read up about farming and life in the 1800's, I became enamored with it. There you have it.

#5 – For those who aren’t familiar with Christmas Stranger, can you familiarize us with the plot?

Melinda lived alone at the edge of Primrose, Missouri. She farmed, sold milk, eggs and butter, and served as the town's postmistress. She'd had an opportunity to marry when she was younger. Mama had only been gone a couple of years then and Papa seemed so lost. There was no way she could have left him. Besides, she didn't want to leave the farm. So she told herself she was content, living there with her loyal dog.

When Zeke and Timothy arrived in the midst of a driving snowstorm, she swallowed her fear and invited them in. She fed them and put Timothy in Papa's room. Zeke slept in the barn, armed with Papa's warm coat and blankets. They stayed a while to make needed repairs after the storm. Gradually, Melinda began to believe they might stay forever. She dreamed that Zeke would ask her to marry him and they would be the family she yearned for. She knew Timothy shared her hopes.

But dreams don't always come true. Hopes aren't always realized. That's what this Christmas story is all about.

#6 – I see you like to read. What’s the book you’re currently reading?

I just finished reading Liam Roberts' The Y Factor. Next, I'm going to load Christmas Stranger on my Christmas present that arrived yesterday. A little Acer Netbook Aspire 1. After I read it, I'll read other ebooks by my fellow DBP authors. I've been reading them on my PC, with no problem. Now I can sit comfortably in my living room or in bed and read to my heart's content. One of these days, I plan to get one of the e-readers.

STEPH: Let us know which one you get!

#7 – I see you live in Texas. Tell us something about Texas that makes the state special to you.

Texas is a spectacular state. Its attractions include beaches, campgrounds, mountain ranges, and wide-open spaces. In a state this wide and diverse, you can find just about everything. (I'm a Texan, remember. So I get to brag). Seriously, though, Texas sunsets top the list for me. They stagger the imagination. If I got up earlier, the sunrises would probably affect me much the same.


STEPH: Texas sounds great, Marion. It's nice to see it through your eyes.

Featured Dec 09 Release - Christmas Stranger

ABOUT THE STORY:
Melinda Jane Frazier, postmistress and farmer in Primrose, Missouri, accepts her single state. But her quiet existence changes overnight when strangers arrive during a blizzard. She hefts Papa's old rifle from the gun rack, cocks it and cracks the door open.

She opens her home to Zeke, a widower, and his young son Timothy. They fill her heart with unexpected Christmas cheer. Though Zeke insists he’s a drifter, Melinda begins to hope he’ll change. How can she bear to return to the lonely life she knew before Zeke drifted to her door?


EXCERPT:
Timothy danced around the room. "I've got something for you. Wait here." He zipped into his room and returned, hands held behind his back. He handed her a card. "I wanted to give you flowers, but there weren't any — so I drew some."

A line of purple flowers staggered across the card. Under the blossoms, he'd printed I love you. Timothy.

Tears pooled in Melinda's eyes and she hugged him. She looked around to see Zeke's reaction, but he'd left the room. Maybe the moment was too sentimental for him. Or maybe she read too much of the Bible to suit him.

"Do you like it?" Timothy's eyes were bright, eager.

"Oh, thank you, Timothy. I love it." She wiped her sleeve across her eyes. "I have something for you, too, and for your pa." She heard the door close and saw Zeke walk back inside, with his hands behind his back. Thank goodness he wasn't upset by the Christmas spirit. What was he up to?

"Timothy, stop jumping around and come sit down. I've got something for you," Zeke said. He handed Timothy a box. When he opened it, Zeke started mooing and hee-hawing and making every different animal noise he could think of.

"Oh, Miss Melinda, look! Pa made 'em out of wood." Timothy's eyes shone with wonder. He jumped up and hugged Zeke. "Thanks, Pa. They're better than anything." He started marching them across the floor. "Here's Hotey and Bob and Becky and Brownie and Tiger. I love 'em, Pa!" Melinda pulled out two paper-wrapped packages. She handed one to each of them. "Just something I knitted," she said.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marion Kelley Bullock attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, and Western Texas College in Snyder, Texas. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and attends their conferences.

Her articles, short stories, essays, and devotionals have appeared in Open Windows, Guideposts, Home Life, Church Administration, Mature Years, The Lookout, the Church Musician, Preserving Christian Homes, Living with Preschoolers, and other publications. She authored The Story of First Baptist Church Past and Present, (Olney, Texas). She also wrote Sunday school curriculum materials for preschool teachers and children, for several years.

She is a Christian and the wife of John W. Bullock, a semi-retired minister of music. They have three grown children and reared a grandson, now twenty-four. Their family is active in church and community, and Marion teaches adults in the Sunday school, is the pianist, and sings in the worship group.

Marion has worked at a variety of jobs, including church secretary, school nurse's assistant, Realtor, nursing home activity director, savings and loan clerk, and supervisor of preschool work in churches.

Aside from writing, Mrs. Bullock enjoys reading, painting, working crossword puzzles, playing musical instruments, and song writing. She and her husband love to travel.

Books by Marion Kelley Bullock at Desert Breeze Publishing:
Secrets of Old Santa Fe - July 2009
Christmas Stranger - December 2009

REVIEWS FOR CHRISTMAS STRANGER:
NIGHT OWL REVIEWS: 4.25
FALLEN ANGELS : 5
COFFEE TIME ROMANCE: 4

I just want to gush about the December Releases!

I just want to give a shout out about our exciting December releases. Throughout December I'll be featuring the releases and hopefully hosting some great author interviews. We've got some great things planned here at Desert Breeze and I hope you take advantage of the blog scavenger hunt.




CHRISTMAS STRANGER
Melinda Jane Frazier, postmistress and farmer in Primrose, Missouri, accepts her single state. But her quiet existence changes overnight when strangers arrive during a blizzard. She hefts Papa's old rifle from the gun rack, cocks it and cracks the door open.

She opens her home to Zeke, a widower, and his young son Timothy. They fill her heart with unexpected Christmas cheer. Though Zeke insists he’s a drifter, Melinda begins to hope he’ll change. How can she bear to return to the lonely life she knew before Zeke drifted to her door?




NOT JUST MAKE BELIEVE
Andrea Peterchef is the reluctant new nanny to troublemaking nine-year-old Piper, and even though her first day ends with tomato-soup puke, her outlook improves over a sexy conversation with Piper’s guardian, Max. His voice evokes an image of her perfect man, but he’s a workaholic. Andrea can see Piper craves the love and stability of a family, and she’s determined to do what it takes to make that happen.

Maxwell Gildenthall is a stockbroker haunted by the 9/11 deaths of his girlfriend and his cousin-- Piper’s dad. Deadlines and data define his life -- not baby dolls and Disney videos. When his plus-sized au pair badgers him into spending more time with Piper, he realizes he’s been neglecting the child, and the chance to be near his pretty nanny is a bonus. Away from emotion-numbing work, he’s racked by guilt and pain, which threatens the fragile relationship he has with Andrea. It will take more than a spoonful of sugar to make these problems go down smoothly.




UNLIKELY PARTNERS, BOOK 1
TWIN SONS OF DIFFERENT MOTHERS
People are dying in Colorado... violently and without apparent reason, stumping local police.

When Mac arrives in Colorado, his plan is to help an old friend solve the puzzle of the Alphabet Killer. On the tail end of a nasty divorce, he never expected to find a woman as intriguing and beautiful as his new, temporary partner - Detective Kieren Carlson. But she is both, and soon he finds himself as captured by Kieren as he is by the case.

Kieren is determined to solve the puzzle of the killings before more people have to die. With Mac's help, the truth is revealed one devastating and surprising detail at a time. But, can they stop the killer before someone else has to die?




TENDER HEARTS
What was the song the kids sang in school? First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage. Not quite. First comes three hot days in Maui, then comes the surprise baby, then comes... love? Yeah. The kind of love that sneaks up on you, like a sudden rainstorm, that you don't know is coming until you're soaked to the skin.

What will it take for Billy and Erin to take the chance and admit their love? When tragedy strikes, they have to find strength in each other... for the love of their child.


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Smiles
Steph