by Philip Eliot | Dec 5, 2025 | Contemporary Romance |
One chance meeting. Two strangers. And a sprinkling of Christmas magic…Fifty-five-year-old Peg has been lonely for as long as she can remember. As she battles through traffic while the snow softly falls around her, the best she can hope for is to get home for Christmas safely, and to spend it wrapped in a blanket by a roaring open fire in her tumbledown cottage in the Cotswolds. Little does she know that everything is about to change…Because Henry is also stuck on the road, and when their cars come to a complete standstill, he and Peg strike up a conversation over a homemade mince pie and a flask of hot tea. Towering over Peg, his navy waffle-knit jumper charmingly threadbare at the elbows, he chats effortlessly. With his tortoiseshell glasses pushed back into his mass of curly dark hair, Henry makes Peg laugh, and the two click. As something shifts, Peg realises that it’s been a long time since she smiled like this.Peg discovers that Henry is single too, but he’s off to grit his teeth through the forced jollity of another family Christmas with his insufferably perfect daughter-in-law in the next village. Before they get a chance to exchange numbers, the traffic starts to move and Peg and Henry are wrenched apart…She doesn’t expect to see him again. But then, days later, there’s a knock on Peg’s door: Henry needs her help. In an instant, she knows this will be a Christmas she’ll never forget, in ways she could never have imagined. Can she let herself get involved and risk being vulnerable, or will she shy away?Peg doesn’t open her heart to anyone. But can the magic of Christmas persuade her to give it to someone special…? Fans of One Day in December, Jill Mansell and Sally Page will adore this totally uplifting and page-turning novel of finding hope and love in the most unexpected of places.What readers are saying about One December Morning:‘OMG!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE, LOVE, LOVED THIS BOOK, AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, STUNNING, EMOTIVE, FESTIVE AND PAGE TURNING MUST READ!! BE STILL MY BEATING HEART!!!!! Absolute stunner!!… An absolutely gorgeous festive book… A stunning unique must read!!!… Gorgeous!!… My favourite book this year!!!!… Just OMG!!!…. Addictive!!!’ bookwormwhitlock86‘A heartwarming, snow-dusted delight! ?? A cozy read filled with mince pies, unexpected friendships, and second chances… Wrapped in all the charm of a Cotswolds Christmas… A hug in book form. ?’ Goodreads reviewer, ????????‘A snow swirling festive book of gorgeousness. Full of heart, hope and new chances. I adored this book so much!… Perfection.’ Goodreads reviewer, ??????????‘Hooked me from the start…!!!!’ Goodreads reviewer, ????????‘Read it in one sitting… Beautiful’ emmas_books_and_more,??????????‘Loved it, read in one night.’ Goodreads reviewer, ????????‘An absolute gem! What a lovely story… Excellent’ Goodreads reviewer, ??????????‘Magic… Brilliant book… Just wonderful… I cannot speak highly enough about this book.’ Goodreads reviewer, ??????????‘Oh I loved this book!… A really lovely read… Just perfect!” Goodreads reviewer, ??????????‘Nestles into your heart and stays there… Sprinkled with seasonal magic’ Goodreads reviewer, ????????‘A perfect read for the holiday season, best enjoyed by the fire, cozied up in a blanket, with a steaming mug of cocoa.’ ohhheyimmandy, ????????‘I completely fell in love with this book! utterly **uplifting and cozy**… Unforgettable… A **five-star festive must-read**.’ Goodreads reviewer, ??????????
by Philip Eliot | Dec 5, 2025 | Contemporary Romance |
She hates Christmas. He practically bleeds tinsel. Opposites collide at Poinsettia Paradise.Natalie Gonzalez-Torres has never been a fan of Christmas. As the manager of her family’s coffee shop, she avoids all the holiday kitch. But this year, her uncle assigns her to run a coffee cart at Poinsettia Paradise tree farm to prove she’s ready to become a full partner. The assignment feels like a lump of coal in her non-existent stocking, until a Christmas tree farmer helps uncover her inner elf. Too bad she’s already given up on finding love.Mason Lavigne bursts with expansion and improvement ideas for his family’s Christmas Tree Farm, but his dad still still sees him as a kid. This Christmas, Mason’s determined to prove his worth, especially after his dad mentions he’s thinking of selling. With his stress off the charts, helping Natalie is a bright light this holiday season as long as Mason’s not distracted from his mission by her sparkling eyes and quick wit. They both have something to prove but doing it together might be more than they can resist.Perfect for readers who love: Grumpy x sunshineSmall-town holiday romanceFamily expectations and proving yourselfCozy, feel-good Christmas vibes
by Philip Eliot | Dec 5, 2025 | Contemporary Romance |
There’s a new, handsome deputy in town. Will a disgraced waitress or a beautiful real-estate agent win his heart in this sweet, feel-good small-town holiday romance?Cassie closed her eyes, took a deep breath of courage, picked up her pride off the floor, then walked toward the front door. On the way out, she made eye contact with the new deputy one last time, mouthed I’m sorry, and lowered her head as she exited the diner.~~~When Cassie gets fired from the diner days before Thanksgiving for a mishap that wasn’t her fault, all hopes of impressing Deputy Austin Cooper evaporate at that very moment. Worse yet, her all-so-perfect childhood nemesis, Estelle, also has her eyes set on him. She’s got the looks, the money, and no problem with getting what she wants. Ever. But Cassie is flat broke, nothing special to look at, or so she had been told, and has to fight for everything good that happens in her life. How could she even compete with that woman?They call him a war hero. But all recently retired Army Master Sergeant Cooper wants is to put his military life behind him and to transition into his new civilian life—serving as a deputy at the Sheriff’s Office in Magnolia Hill. Finding a date is at the very bottom of his priority list. But good grief! He should’ve known that by moving back into a small community, he’d be the talk of the town. But all Austin wants is to get settled before he would even entertain the idea of dating, not to even mention to fall in love again.When a rare blizzard threatens the cancelation of the town’s Christmas parade and has residents seek shelter from the storm, Cassie and Austin are forced to challenge their deep-rooted beliefs. Will there be a merry Christmas… for both of them?If you enjoy clean & wholesome small-town Christmas romances with charming characters, all the feels, and HEAs, then you’ll love Christmas Blizzard. * Although this is Book #4 of the SOUTHERN STORMS series, it can also be read as a standalone story.Get your copy of Christmas Blizzard now—then get comfy on your couch with a cozy blanket and escape to Magnolia Hill to hang out with the town’s wonderful residents as they prepare for their much anticipated Christmas parade.
by Philip Eliot | Dec 5, 2025 | Thriller & Suspense |
Janet Evanovich described SOUND OF BLOOD: “A great read with a shocking ending.”TRAGEDY STALKS A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR LOOKING INTO A SUSPICIOUS DEATH WHEN HE FALLS IN LOVE WITH THE WOMAN RESPONSIBLE.Bodies pile up from coast to coast as Jake Scarne uncovers a web of murder and fraud.***“IF YOU LIKE THRILLING ACTION, CRACKLING DIALOGUE AND A TRAGIC LOVE STORY YOU WON’T SOON FORGET, THEN SOUND OF BLOOD, THE FIRST NOVEL IN THE JAKE SCARNE SERIES, IS JUST A CLICK AWAY!” (John Crudele, New York Post); “A LAWRENCE DE MARIA TITLE GIVES YOU MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK THAN JUST ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE BOOK MARKETPLACE TODAY.” (Florida Weekly); “A MASTER OF THRILLER DIALOGUE.” (Washington Independent Review of Books); “WHILE DE MARIA MAY HAVE BEEN AN AWARD-WINNING FINANCIAL REPORTER, HE’S AN AWFULLY GOOD FICTION WRITER AS WELL.” (Naples Daily News)***”I read all the time, and though I haven’t quite finished this book yet and cannot put it down. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author. It is hard to find a book that grips you from the very start and wont let you go, this is for sure one of those.” (Amazon Review)INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM FOR THIS AUTHOR!GREAT BRITAINTHE END OF US (A Cole Sudden C.I.A. Thriller): “This is a cracker of a H bomb terrorist plot. A story very well told and written. Great bunch of characters and fast paced. Enjoyable.”HOPE (A Jake Scarne Thriller): “Another brilliant read in an ever-increasing catalogue of great stories. Never disappoints and with great characters reappearing, this book is highly recommended once again.”SISTER (An Alton Rhode Mystery): “Yet another classy read from the excellent pen of Mr. De Maria. Brilliant characters, a terrific storyline and would recommend this author without any misgivings. Kept me enthralled from beginning to the end.”GERMANYALAS, PARIS (A Women Sleuth Thriller): “I have read many of De Maria’s books, and find them unfailingly entertaining. Engaging dialogue, venues with enough descriptive detail to interest experienced travelers, scenes played out with gastronomic expertise, all while partnering with attractive and attentive characters of both sexes. And finally, for me, the writing in Chapter 14 was perfection.INDIATHE VIRON CONSPIRACY (A Jake Scarne Thriller): If you enjoy conspiracy theories, this is the book for you. Well written plot and characters, fast paced, detailed mystery.
by Philip Eliot | Dec 5, 2025 | Thriller & Suspense |
When a sheriff’s investigation into the murder of a prison inmate is stymied at every turn, she suspects members of her own force and the county prosecutor of helping to torpedo the effort. She’s run up against Buck Stevens, the kingpin of business and politics in LaSalle County—a man the sheriff has learned to distrust and fear. The sheriff steers the victim’s parents to Tony Valenti and his partners, hoping to leverage the machinery of a wrongful death lawsuit to get to the bottom of what really happened.Tony’s team soon discovers a deep vein of corruption that pervades the county, poisoning everything and everyone it touches. Determined to expose the rot and bring the killers to justice, Tony and his colleagues soon find themselves battling a ruthless cabal engaged in a conspiracy sinister enough to kill for.It’s a deadly cat and mouse game in which Tony doesn’t know who—if anyone—he can trust. Either justice will prevail or the body count will grow. Will Tony or one of his associates be the next victim?
