Tag: Finding Christmas Joy

Let’s be informal now, okay??

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment

I know… you’ve already read two posts from me today. But what’s a third? Either I post all the time or never. 😉 Enjoy it while you can. 😉


It’s release day today! To say that writing “Finding Christmas Joy” was stepping wayyyy out of my comfort zone is almost an understatement. I mean, it’s a super emotional girl whose engagement was just broken off. I’m not super emotional, and I’ve never been engaged. Oh, and this is the first time that I’ve written anything that even remotely hinted at something romantic. And, I’m so not a romantic! 😏Finding the humor yet? 😉 The initial idea flowed so very well… until my beta readers began saying they just couldn’t “feel” Melonie’s pain. Ugh. I had to go way above and beyond to make Melonie’s heart bleed realistically. But, if through that, it helps and encourages a reader, it is completely worth it! I’m truly excited for this new little story and humbled that once again, Jesus Christ gave me the inspiration and time to see another project to completion! By the way, for all of you raising your brows at snow in summer… it’s Christmas in July. My impatience couldn’t wait six more months to publish. 😉

In other writing news…
I’ve been working on “Protecting the Poor” again! I have been keeping my Instagram and FaceBook followers updated, but alas for my poor blog readers (sorry! It’s hard enough to keep up with those two :P). I do have a July writing update video though (which hopefully loads all right)!












Finding Christmas Joy | Excerpt 7 of 7

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment

Release day!!!!! I’ll be posting later on with a full post about a giveaway and other such stuff… but let’s finish out our excerpts first.

EXERPT 7/7
Patricia walked past two doors on the left of the upstairs hall. Her fingertips graced the railing opposite of the doors, overlooking the large family room. At the third door, she stopped. “Here you are, honey. You get the gold room.”
Gold was right. Melonie stepped into a tinsel-and-ornament festooned room. A small tree of deep green stood in the corner, its branches decked with gold and red ornaments, bringing a happy balance to the glitter that cheerfully spread around the four walls.
“Well! I’ll let you get settled,” Patricia said. “If you need anything, just holler ‘til you find me. Wander around. We don’t have any secrets here—except for the gifts. Don’t open anything wrapped.” She winked at Melonie and headed back down the stairs.
Melonie retrieved her suitcase and shut the door. She sank down onto the red-and-white quilted bedspread and looked around the room. Alone. No fiancé, no friends or family who would wrap their arms around her and mourn with her over the loss of her dreams—of her life. She grabbed a pillow from the bed and buried her face into its thick sham as she let the sobs release from her bleeding heart and tear through her throat.
(From “Finding Christmas Joy” by Amanda Tero;
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGKSWS5) 

Finding Christmas Joy | Excerpt 6 of 7

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EXCERPT 6/7
Melonie followed Patricia through the living room, only half-listening as her hostess chatted about Starlight Lodge’s plans for the week. The rooms passed in a flash of green, red, and gold. Melonie hoisted her suitcase higher and walked up the wooden steps, her elbow brushing against the garland that wrapped around the banister. Little red ornament balls hung tastefully from the greenery.
“It’s beautiful in here!” Melonie inserted when Patricia paused in her monologue.
“Why, thank you, dear.” Patricia twisted her head slightly toward Melonie and gave a genuine smile. “Decorating for Christmas is one of my most favorite things of the year. Richard set his foot down, and I can’t pull out any of the boxes until after Thanksgiving, which I’m fine with. I get all decked out for the fall too. But Christmas…” She gave a happy sigh as she walked up the last few steps. “Christmas is my season.”
Melonie had thought Christmas was her season too. Differences were always pushed aside for Christmas, wrongs made right. Holiday cheer hid all of the dirt and grime of daily living. At least, it was supposed to. She had been cheated of her joy this year.

(From “Finding Christmas Joy” by Amanda Tero;
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGKSWS5) 

Finding Christmas Joy | Excerpt 5 of 7

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments
EXCERPT 5/7

“Pardon the wait.” The woman’s white hair was fixed in a short perm, and she wore a red sweater and black pants with a pearl necklace and matching earrings. “I am Patricia Hayes. You must be Melonie?”

“Yes.” Melonie pasted a smile on and shook Patricia’s offered hand.

“We are delighted to have you here! And for the entire week! I hope you’re ready to have a lot of fun.”

Melonie nodded. Yes. Fun away from all that was familiar was exactly what she needed.

“Do you have your suitcase? Richard can give you a hand if you need it.”

“Oh, no, I can get it all. Give me just a minute.” She returned to her car and threw her duffle bag over her shoulder as she wheeled her suitcase toward Patricia, who was waiting for her with the door open.

“Come along, honey. Can you maneuver both of those up the stairs, or do you need to save one for a second trip—or I can find Richard?”

Melonie managed a carefree grin to assure the old lady. “No worries. I can get it.” She avoided the grandmotherly look of doubt Patricia gave her before turning to lead the way into the heart of the lodge.

(From “Finding Christmas Joy” by Amanda Tero;

Finding Christmas Joy | Excerpt 4 of 7

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EXCERPT 4/7
She opened her door and her slick black boots crunched on the snow-encased rocks. Did one just arrive with their bags and claim their room? Or enter and sign in first? She hadn’t really read up on it—just chosen the closest Christmas lodge she could afford that wouldn’t leave her stranded too far from her job in case of a freak snowstorm. The boss had already grown impatient with the days she had been late because of sleepless nights. He wouldn’t take the excuse of a snowstorm delaying her return from vacation. Losing her job would be icing to top the cake for this year—and it sure wasn’t a tasty cake.
She grabbed her purse and walked to the front entrance. A bell announced her arrival as she pushed the door open. From somewhere in the depths of the house, she heard a cheery, “Hello! Welcome to Starlight Lodge! Give me just one moment.”
Melonie waited by a mahogany desk in the foyer, peeking at the next room. Garlands decked the support beams, candles rested on many of the surfaces, nearly hidden by sprigs of fresh greenery. A soft hum of Christmas piano music filled the room. She’d have to talk with Josh about—no. No Josh. She clenched her jaw as an elderly woman walked into the front room.
(From “Finding Christmas Joy” by Amanda Tero;
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGKSWS5) 

Finding Christmas Joy | Excerpt 3 of 7

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EXCERPT 3/7
“You have arrived,” her GPS broke the silence. She punched it off and drove into the small parking lot to the left of the lodge. Only three other cars were lined up. Two of them were coated with snow, as if they hadn’t moved since the last snowstorm.
She turned off her car and stopped. This had been a whim of an idea, something she had never done before. She had thought she could survive Christmas just fine alone at home, but as the day neared, every shopping trip, every present—even her work—teemed with happy couples that reminded her that she was single. Single, when she was supposed to be married on New Year’s Day. She forced herself to breathe in. Out. In. Out again—in a mournful groan.
I can do this.She had to. This was her only escape.

(From “Finding Christmas Joy” by Amanda Tero;
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGKSWS5) 

Finding Christmas Joy | Excerpt 2 of 7

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EXCERPT 2/7
She was just a few minutes from the lodge. The place was well away from everything familiar—away from work, the drama of family…and miles away from Josh and all of the heartache he had caused.
Her knuckles grew white like the snow outside as her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. She pressed her lips together. Her stomach knotted at the thought of Josh. He had torn out her heart, trampled it, and left it bleeding without a thought when he broke off their three-year engagement. It had been just months before the wedding, but he claimed they were no longer compatible. No, Christmas was not a time to be in her hometown, with memories of everything she had once cherished.
At the GPS’s command, she slowed and took a right. She stopped her car under the colorful sign announcing Starlight Lodge. A white fence ran alongside the road, embracing the borders of the lodge property. The driveway disappeared over a hill, so Melonie accelerated, causing her car’s engine to rev as she continued up the slope.
Melonie stopped again at the crest of the hill, and tears finally filled her eyes. The pictures online hadn’t done Starlight Lodge justice. The lodge was a two-story wood and stone cabin. Bushes dotted the yard in front of it, and decorative candy canes lining the walk up to the front door. To the right of the lodge was a life-sized nativity scene of painted wood. It seemed like the snow was ordered to complete the picture—a dream to save her from her living nightmare.
(From “Finding Christmas Joy” by Amanda Tero;
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGKSWS5) 

Finding Christmas Joy | Excerpt 1 of 7

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The release for “Finding Christmas Joy” is just next week! For the next few days, I’ll give you an excerpt (seven in total) that will complete the first scene.



EXCERPT 1/7
Melonie Brown braked at the four-way stop and waited as a black pickup whizzed in front of her. She took a left turn and released a long sigh as her GPS announced, “In 3.4 miles, take a left on Candy Cane Lane.”

A sardonic half-grin slipped over her face as she rolled her eyes. She had already passed through an idealistic town and was continuing down the road that led to countryside speckled with remnants of a snowfall. It was the type of town that Josh would find ridiculous.

Ice slid through her veins at the thought. There wasn’t any Josh. Not anymore. She glanced over the fields of white to keep herself from looking at her left hand, where her engagement ring should be. She sucked in a deep breath and tightened her throat against sobs that crept up against her will.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… The lyrics passed through her mind unwarranted. As she turned onto Candy Cane Lane, it was as if her mind was on musical shuffle, changing from one cheerful melody to another. She bit her tongue and pushed the songs from her mind. They had no place in her life. Not this year when everything looked bleak and dreary.

(From “Finding Christmas Joy” by Amanda Tero; https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGKSWS5)

Editing again!

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments
My beta-readers have returned their comments on “Finding Christmas Joy!” I’m so excited to be working on something with writing besides promo and graphics! (I mean, those are fun too, but not quite as fun as working with words and getting another project underway…)
This story definitely has a little bit of stretch for me, as the main character is a girl whose fiance just dumped her! (don’t worry, it’s still Amanda-style clean and romance-free 😉 ) I have definitely needed my “writing big sister’s” feedback on this!
In reading through beta notes, there are always some comments that just warm my heart (what can I say? I’ve got a great team <3). Here is one comment.

So… today I’m working on these final edits and will hopefully get it to my final editor to hopefully have it polished and ready to go for a July release!
Which, by the way…
You can add it to Goodreads AND pre-order on Amazon!!