A Better December and Prepare HIm Room

Description
Know someone frazzled, sad, or lonely this Christmas? A Better December by Steve Estes applies Solomon’s Proverbs to holiday stresses. Playful and tiny, this illustrated work would be a good gift for your unbelieving friends as it gently introduces Jesus during a month when they are more receptive.
Combining true, heart-warming stories with pen-and-ink illustrations, the book uncovers and answers our December longings. Beginning with bite-sized chapters of Solomon's advice to frazzled, lonely people at Christmas, Steven Estes presents the ancient sage as penning his blockbuster Proverbs to help future readers through holiday stress and even sadness. Meant to be shared with all who long for a better December, it points the way to true comfort and a true home.
Author

Steven D. Estes, MDiv, is the Senior Pastor at Community Evangelical Free Church, Elverson, PA; a conference speaker; the author of Called to Die; and the coauthor with Joni Eareckson Tada of A Step Further and When God Weeps. He and his wife Verna have eight children.


What I Thought:


I used this devotional for my week of our devotional time and work, and my co-workers and I are really enjoying it.  The devotions really re-enforce the true meaning of the season.  The devotions are both witty and insightful and are giving my co-workers and I a lot of encouragement at this most hectic but joyous time of the year.  The little antidotes in the devotions have us chuckling, while at the same time they make a lot of sense and help you focus on the real reason for the season.













Description
Guide kids and their families into the heart of Christmas with this gospel-focused, four-week Advent curriculum. 
Prepare Him Room by children’s best-selling author Marty Machowski takes a biblical, theological approach to the Old Testament promises and New Testament fulfillment in Christ in a way kids can understand.
With age-appropriate instruction and activities for three different learning levels—preschool, lower elementary, and upper elementary—Prepare Him Room builds gospel hope and enduring theological depth into each child’s celebration of Christmas.
Prepare Him Room is a tool for families hoping to focus on Jesus during the Christmas season. Parents, teachers, and caregivers will find a whole Christmas story—from the prophecies concerning Jesus to his birth, death, and resurrection; culminating in the return of Jesus.
Readers will have the resources necessary to counter the commercialism, materialism, and sentimentalism our culture celebrates each Christmas.
Four weekly lessons feature a New Testament Bible story, a look at Old Testament promises, an object lesson, a craft, a coloring page, and a Christmas carol to sing together.
Prepare Him Room will change the way kids and families at your church celebrate Christmas. The corresponding curriculum Prepare Him Room is sold separately. Challenge your family to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.
Author
Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for thirty years. He is the author of the Gospel Story for Kids series including The Gospel Story Bible, Long Story Short, Old Story New, the Gospel Story Curriculum, the Prepare Him Room advent devotional and curriculum, Wise Up family devotional and curriculum, Listen Up family devotional and curriculum, Dragon Seed, and The Ology. He and his wife, Lois, and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.


What I Thought:


This devotional is geared for families with activities and also devotions that help you prepare for and participate in the Advent season.  My son is a teenager, and while he listened, I think it would benefit younger children more.  The devotions are helpful for this time of year and go along with the gospel.  The activities while fun, are geared for younger children, as my teen thought he was "too cool" for some of it.  Still a great family devotion for this time or year.


***I received complimentary copies of both books.  Pictures, blurs, and author info from New Growth Press Website.

Eggs On Ice

Eggs on Ice (A Cackleberry Club Mystery)
by Laura Childs

About the Book

Eggs on Ice (A Cackleberry Club Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Berkley (December 4, 2018)
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 0425281728
ISBN-13: 978-0425281727
Kindle ASIN: B07BD23MV9

Some say that casting crusty attorney Allen Sharpe as Scrooge in the Kindred Players production of "A Christmas Carol" is just playing to type. He's not the most beloved man in town. In fact, you'd have a dickens of a time finding someone who liked him. Still it's a shock when the Ghost of Christmas Past stabs him during the first rehearsal. Suzanne, co-owner of the Cackleberry Club café, Kindred's favorite combination diner, craft store and bookshop, chases the murderer out of the building but loses him in the alley.

As the days pass the list of suspects grows longer. Is it the disgruntled partner? The former secretary whom Sharpe sexually harrassed? Or is it fellow owner of the Cackleberry Club, Toni's almost ex-husband, Junior? The women of the Cackleberry Club are determined to find the killer before he can add another victim to his Christmas list.

What I Thought:

Egg on Ice is the 8th installment in the Cackleberry Club Mystery Series.  While I have not read all of the Cackleberry Club mysteries, I do enjoy visiting with Suzanne, Toni, and Petra at the Cackleberry Club.  In this one, it is Christmas time and Suzanne and Toni are helping with the local production of A Christmas Carol, where crusty ole Allen Sharpe has been cast as the lead role of Scrooge.  The girls are watching  backstage as the ghost scene takes place.  They think it is very well acted out, until Allen does not get up and they all realize he has been stabbed.  Suzanne takes off after the "ghost-killer" and he threatens her, but she cannot tell who the killer is because of the ghost costume.  Of course Suzanne becomes involved in the investigation, against the wished of her fiancé Sam and Sheriff Doogie.  Because of her snooping, Suzanne and Toni get themselves into some dangerous situations.  As have been all of Laura Childs books that I have read this one was well written and it flowed really well.  I became really engrossed in the story and could not turn the pages fast enough. While there were really not a lot of suspects in this one, I could not figure out who the killer was.  I was totally shocked by the reveal of the killer and did not suspect who it was at all.  I was literally kept on the edge of my seat by the ending of this one. Great job, Laura.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About the Author

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries - set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries - set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links:

Webpage - http://www.laurachilds.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31

Purchase Links

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One Taste Too Many

One Taste Too Many (A Sarah Blair Mystery)
by Debra H. Goldstein

About the Book

One Taste Too Many (A Sarah Blair Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Kensington (December 18, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496719476
ISBN-13: 978-1496719478
Digital ASIN: B07CDCZXLP

For culinary challenged Sarah Blair, there’s only one thing scarier than cooking from scratch—murder!

Married at eighteen, divorced at twenty‑eight, Sarah Blair reluctantly swaps her luxury lifestyle for a cramped studio apartment and a law firm receptionist job in the tired hometown she never left. With nothing much to show for the last decade but her feisty Siamese cat, RahRah, and some clumsy domestic skills, she’s the polar opposite of her bubbly twin, Emily—an ambitious chef determined to take her culinary ambitions to the top at a local gourmet restaurant . . .

Sarah knew starting over would be messy. But things fall apart completely when her ex drops dead, seemingly poisoned by Emily’s award-winning rhubarb crisp. Now, with RahRah wanted by the woman who broke up her marriage and Emily wanted by the police for murder, Sarah needs to figure out the right recipe to crack the case before time runs out. Unfortunately, for a gal whose idea of good china is floral paper plates, catching the real killer and living to tell about it could mean facing a fate worse than death—being in the kitchen!

Includes quick and easy recipes!

What I Thought:


One Taste too Many was a great start to a new series.  I always enjoy cozies about animals, and this one had a great animal as a character, RahRah, who is in danger of being taken by the woman who broke up Sarah's, the main characters and owner of RahRah,  marriage.  Sarah is a down on her luck recent divorcee who gets a job in local law firm.  Her twin sister, Emily, the chef, is her polar opposite.  When Sarah's ex is poisoned by Emily's award winning rhubarb crisp, Sarah has to figure out who the real killer is, and that might mean being in a kitchen, which does not appeal to Sarah at all. This was a very interesting cozy that kept my attention throughout.  I really liked Sarah, and I simply adored RahRah.  I really enjoyed the authors writing style which made the story flow well. I thought the plot was well thought out and the mystery was great with many twists and turns to keep me guessing.  I really liked the ending of this book and it left me wanting to read more about Sarah, her twin, Emily, and RahRah. 


I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About the Author

Judge Debra H. Goldstein’s new Sarah Blair cozy mystery series debuts from Kensington Press debuts with One Taste Too Many. She also is the author of Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery and the 2012 IPPY Award-winning Maze in Blue. Besides novels, Debra writes short stories. Her short story, The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (May/June 2017) is an Agatha Award Short Story Nominee. In addition to being the Sisters in Crime Guppy President, Debra serves on the national Sisters in Crime board and is Vice-President of the Southeast Region of Mystery Writers of America.

Website http://www.debrahgoldstein.com Blog http://www.debrahgoldstein.com/blog

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DebraHGoldsteinAuthor/

Twitter @DebraHGoldstein Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-h-goldstein-72473a11/

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4906340.Debra_H_Goldstein

Purchase Links

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Christmas Countdown: The Ornament Keeper

Eva Marie Everson is the bestselling, multiple award-winning author of both fiction and nonfiction. She is the president of Word Weavers International and the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference and the North Georgia Christian Writers Conference.

Eva Marie is a popular speaker at writers conferences and women's groups across the United States.

~ Facebook ~ Website ~

~ Instagram ~

Award-winning author Eva Marie Everson wraps up a Christmas story of hope, love, and forgiveness just in time for the holidays. 

The Ornament Keeper, a contemporary Christmas novella, features Felicia and Jackson Morgan who are spending their first Christmas apart after twenty years of marriage. But a lifetime of gifted ornaments helps Felicia piece together the story of their marriage and the one mistake of unforgiveness she made before they said, “I do.” 

Can these memory-filled ornaments reunite this family before Christmas? Only time will tell.

~ Universal Amazon Link ~ 
~ B & N ~ Christian Book ~ 

Q&A With the Author:

1.  Describe yourself in 50 words or less. I'm southern born and bred and proud of it. I live in Florida and have since 1993 (I say you have to go north to get south of here). I am the president of Word Weavers International, director of two conferences, managing editor of Firefly Southern Fiction. I have nearly 40 books in print. But what I'm proudest of is my family--my husband and kids and grandkids. And our dog. I love traveling to new places (well, I hate traveling, but love being there). I'm a serious coffee consumer and enjoy hiking.

2. What do you love most in the world?

 Besides God--my family.

3. What inspired you to become an Author? 

When I was about 12 I read a really good book.

4. What is your favorite Winter / Holiday tradition? 

That's hard. There are several: Putting up the trees and other decorations. Going to church services and singing Christmas songs. I also treasure going "back home" for the Christmas Eve service in my home church.

5. What is your trick for getting past writer's block? And what advice do you have for other authors who are struggling to tell their story? 

Just write. My most common advice is "vomit it up now … clean it up later." When I get stuck, I usually read a good book or watch a good movie. Within minutes I'm back at it!

6. Now that we've gotten to know each other, tell me a story. It can be long or short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it's yours. What's your story?

My mother had three things on her bucket list--going to Disney World was one of them. I lived in Orlando for quite a few years before she told me and then, shortly after, I won two all-day/all-parks passes. I called her immediately and said, "Make plans to come down. I've got passes for us to go to Disney!"

We made plans for her to come a few months later, in October, when the weather here wouldn't be so miserable. We also planned to go on a weekday when the parks were less crowded. I asked her which park she wanted to visit first; she chose Hollywood Studios. We left early that morning, arriving just as the park opened.

"Let's head straight for the back of the park," I told her. "Most people start at the front, but if we go straight to the back and work our way forward, we'll miss a lot of the crowds."

Mother agreed. Our first stop was watching an outdoor display of how stunt cars work in films. Mother, at 72, sat up like a 5-year-old. She clapped and cheered and, after one of the stunts, yelled, "Do it again!" We left there and happened up on a parade. Again, Mother clapped, her smile broad. She watched the dancers; I watched her childlike spirit coming through.

We spent the entire day at Hollywood Studios, laughing and giggling like children. Mother especially enjoyed the production of Beauty and the Beast, which was the only thing we "waited" on. But, as Mother declared, "It was worth every minute of the wait."

We ate a delectable lunch around noon and, around 4:00, we stopped for a slice of cake and a cup of coffee at The Brown Derby. There, I told her about the time I ate lunch at The Brown Derby in the real Hollywood, California. What I remember most about that time was the talking. The laughing. The heading out to do it all again.

We never went to another park. We decided to, instead, enjoy every minute we had there. No rushing. Just being. We didn't arrive back to my home until late … late … late that night. We were exhausted, happy, and Mother had a photo of herself with Fantasia Mickey. I don't know which one of them was cuter.

Mother still had two other bucket list items: flying in a plane and riding a horse. I took care of the first and was planning other for her 75th birthday, which was in November 2010. But in May of that year, as she and I prepared for a writers conference banquet, Mother collapsed in my arms and, a week later, she moved from this world to her new address with Jesus.

I'll always treasure that day with my mother at Disney's Hollywood Studios. When I miss her most, I take myself back to that day and remember her laughter. I picture her sitting so straight and tall, watching the stunt cars and clapping. I see her "dancing" to the music of the parades. I remember her delight at meeting Mickey.

No regrets.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Part 2 Official Event page 

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Countdown to Christmas: Eleanor and the Christmas Carol Fudge

Tamara Passey, author of the The Christmas Tree Keeper: A Novel, was born and raised in Massachusetts around a large family, one that has served as inspiration for most of her writing. She loves most creative endeavors and when she isn’t writing or re-writing, you can find her baking or cross-stitching or walking–though not all at the same time. She lives with her husband and children in Arizona.

~ Amazon ~

Welcome to the books of 

Christmas Past, Present and Future.

Eleanor is saving her grandmother's fudge business but is becoming like Scrooge in the process. 

The consultant she hires to help is a friend from high school who hasn't given up his secret crush for her. 

Will the Christmas spirit melt her heart or will she miss out on the love of her life?

~ Universal Amazon Link ~ 

Q&A With the Author:

1.  Describe yourself in
50 words or less.

I like to create stories with words. In between writing projects, I like
to paint pictures. I’m a self-taught cook and a self-taught author. I like art
museums and gardens. I read eclectically. Memoir, historical, classics, young
adult. I love to go on adventures with my family.

2. What do you love most in the
world? My family and simple joys like autumn leaves and apple pie.

3. What inspired you to become an
Author? So many good books.

4. What is your favorite Winter /
Holiday tradition? Attending an annual concert and lights display with
family.

5. What is your trick for getting
past writer's block? And what advice do you have for other authors who are
struggling to tell their story? My trick is a non-negotiable deadline—like
a holiday. That keeps me in my chair and writing as much as possible. For
authors struggling—when you are tired, learn to rest, not quit. In the words of
Julie Berry, remember when life is hard, writing is the antidote.

6. Now that we've gotten to know
each other, tell me a story. It can be long or short. From your childhood or
last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it's yours.
What's your story?

How about a poem that tells a story?

Raising Daughters

They need you and need you and need you

Until they don't

Because you've taught them well and

Shown them the way and

Given them all you have

Your heart and your soul and your favorite flat iron.

They thank you, they hug you, and they leave you

In one motion

They are off and you wouldn't have it any other way

This is why you carried them, why you fed them, and why you held their
hand

So one day

They could let go

And live their beautiful life.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Part 1 Official Event page 

and

Part 2 Official Event page

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Slay Bells

Slay Bells (A Christmas Village Mystery)
by T.C. Wescott

About the Book

Slay Bells (A Christmas Village Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
Brand New Series
Better Mousetrap Books (November 23, 2018)
Print Length: 273 pages
Digital ASIN: B07HGG7ZFR

‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the village, the night settled in over swirling-smoke chimneys; the air was alive with pine and holly, with sugar and cinnamon and cider, by golly!

Along snowy lanes and through shadows it crept, past windows behind which each villager slept, where sleeping dogs lie and cats rest a’purring—

Tonight, in Christmas Village, a killer is stirring.

Welcome to Christmas Village, a magical hamlet where even in December the roses hold their luster and bees buzz among the bluebells. You’re just in time for the week-long Christmas Festival, and nowhere is Christmas celebrated with such unrestrained merriment as the village which bears its name. Mayor Cobblestone and Sheriff Fell will be somewhere nearby, doing all they can to make sure you’re safe during your stay.

Provided you haven’t booked a room at Plum Cottage.

Nestled betwixt an opulent garden with meandering footpaths and an ancient grove of plum trees, Rose Willoughby’s boarding house is plum-full with lodgers. There are no vacancies, but just wait. Soon there will be one…and another…and another.

Presently lodging at the cottage are: the juggler, the acrobat, the magician, the psychic, the strongman, the manager, and the pretty assistant. In town as festival entertainment they’ve each brought their own bag of tricks. And a closetful of skeletons.

When the entertainers begin dying in inexplicable ways, some villagers believe a beast from old village lore is the culprit. The sheriff knows better, but he’s just as helpless to catch the invisible killer as are the town folk with their eyes to the sky in search of a flying creature. But our mysterious murderer hasn’t counted on yet another lodger coming to the cottage: Maribel Claus.

Short as a stump, round as a wheel, sweet as a candy cane, and a sharp as a whip, Maribel loves a good puzzle. But has she finally met her match at Plum Cottage?

Can you figure out whodunit before Maribel does? If you’re up to the challenge, here’s your first clue—the key to unlocking the secret of the murderer’s identity lies in figuring out how the murders were committed. Good luck!

What I Thought:

This one was a little different for than what I normally read.  While it was enjoyable, it was a bit on the whimsical side.  It is set in a very charming village, whose inhabitants are equally as charming.  The visitors to Christmas Village and Plum Cottage are all on the eccentric side as they are a group a performers in town for the annual Christmas Festival.  The leader of the troupe is killed, his body found on top of a hill with no footprints leading to or from the body.  When Rose, the owner of Plum Cottage, is injured her friend, Maribel Claus steps in to help and gets drawn in to help find the mysterious killer.  I struggled a little with this one at first, but once I got into it and got used to the authors writing style it went along better.  Like I mentioned, I enjoyed meeting the residents of Christmas Village, they were enchanting and kept me entertained with their antics.  I thought the plot of the book was a little different, but at times that can be good as it gives something new to enjoy.  I enjoy reading cozies set during Christmas time and this one, though a little different was enjoyable.  The mystery was intriguing and kept me guessing till the reveal.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About the Author

T.C. Wescott was born in Missouri but has lived in Oklahoma most of his life. Like pretty much every author who has ever breathed, he is an avid reader. His favorites are classic mysteries from the Golden Age, as well as just before or just after that period (which is widely considered the period between the two World Wars). His first mystery novel, Running from Scissors, was published in July 2018 and will be the first of at least three books in the Running Store Mystery series.

The Christmas Village Mystery series will launch in November of the same year with the debut title Slay Bells. The formula for his books is simple - mixing the classic, traditional detective fiction standards with all the trappings of the modern cozy mystery.

Wescott is also (under another name) the author of two award-winning non-fiction books as well as a slew of essays and articles.

Follow on GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18176277.T_C_Wescott

Purchase Link - Amazon

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A Midwinter's Tail

A Midwinter's Tail (Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery)
by Bethany Blake

About the Book

A Midwinter's Tail (Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Kensington (November 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496717333
ISBN-13: 978-1496717337
Digital ASIN: B07B7C8XQY

To bark or not to bark . . .

Professional pet sitter Daphne Templeton loves the holidays in Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania. And nothing gets her into the spirit more than the town’s annual Bark the Halls Ball. The whole community will be there to wag their tails, especially this year’s special guest—Celeste “CeeCee” French, founder of a national chain of pet care franchises, who’s returning home to announce plans for a bright new flagship store.

But not everyone’s celebrating CeeCee’s homecoming. Daphne’s friend Moxie Bloom, owner of Spa and Paw, a unique salon for people and their pets, has plenty to growl about. So when CeeCee is found face down under Sylvan Creek's town Christmas tree, stabbed with a distinctive pair of professional-grade pet shears, suspicion lands squarely on Moxie. Despite Daphne’s promises to Detective Jonathan Black, she quickly reprises her role as amateur sleuth. Ably assisted by her basset hound sidekick, Socrates, she must hurry to prove her friend’s innocence before a killer barks again . . .

Includes recipes for homemade pet treats!

What I Thought:

This is the fourth installment of the Lucky Paws Pet Sitting Mystery Series, and it was just as good as the other three.  It is Christmas time in Sylvan Creek and Daphne is getting ready for the annual Bark the Halls Ball.  Things get sticky, when the owner of a chain of pet care franchises comes back to town with a huge announcement, and she happens to be an old schoolmate of Daphne and her friend, Moxie.  When CeeCee, the owner of the pet franchise, is found stabbed with a set of pet shears under the town Christmas tree, Daphne has to put on her sleuth hat and solve another crime, and this time, her bff, Moxie, is the main suspect.  This series is filled with great characters who are all well developed and all around good people.  The setting is picturesque, and with it being Christmastime makes it even more so.  The plot was well thought out and there were many red herrings that threw me off as to who the killer could be.  I was left guessing till the very end and was a little surprised by the ending.  I look forward to more in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About the Author

Bethany Blake lives in a small, quaint town in Pennsylvania with her husband and three daughters. When she’s not writing or riding horses, she’s wrangling a menagerie of furry family members that includes a nervous pit bull, a fearsome feline, a blind goldfish, and an attack cardinal named Robert. Like Daphne Templeton, the heroine of her Lucky Paws Mysteries, Bethany holds a Ph.D. and operates a pet sitting business called Barkley’s Premium Pet Care.

Author Links

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A MIDWINTERS TAIL EXCERPT

 

·  Moxie Bloom might’ve been caught off guard by the unexpected appearance of an imperious and wealthy, not to mention impeccably dressed and perfectly coiffed, high school bully, who wasn’t supposed to arrive in Sylvan Creek before the Bark the Halls ball, according to Moxie’s rumor mill. Yet I had to give my best friend credit for grace under pressure when CeeCee French rudely brought up cheating with Moxie's old boyfriend - a topic that most people would’ve been ashamed to mention.

        “How have you been, Celeste?” Moxie asked politely, her voice level but her chin high. She wisely ignored CeeCee’s reference to Mike Cavanaugh, whom Moxie certainly did remember. She forced a smile, trying hard to be kind. “It’s been a long time.”

        CeeCee took a moment to coolly survey the lobby, her angular jaw jutting as she absently stroked her poodle with long, red-tipped fingers. Her toes, encased in sharply pointed, distinctive crimson shoes that contrasted with her black, form-fitting shift, tapped the thick carpet, as if she was already impatient with the whole affair. I supposed that I should’ve been awed by our multi-millionaire classmate, but, to be honest, I couldn’t muster more than mild curiosity and a bit of disappointment to learn that she was still arrogant, and, let’s face it, mean.

“Yes, it has been a while,” CeeCee finally agreed, again looking Moxie and me up and down, her cool gaze taking in Moxie’s vintage outfit and my old barn jacket. “And I find that nothing’s changed.” The corners of her lips twisted upward, and she got a knowing, almost secretive gleam in her dark eyes. “At least, nothing’s changed... yet.”