Annie’s Gift by Author Barbara Bretton
Happy holidays to all Give a big welcome to Barbara Bretton, author of Annie’s Gift.
Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets see what Annie’s Gift is all about. But first lets check out Barbara’s Christmas Eve Brownie Extravaganza. My mouth is watering already! Thanks for joining us!
When it comes to the holidays, I am a traditionalist. Whether it’s the movies we watch, the music we listen to,
or the food we eat, I look forward to revisiting those old (and beloved) favorites every single year.
One of our most cherished
traditions is our Christmas Eve Brownie Extravaganza. Deep. Dark. Still warm
from the oven. Crowned with a ginormous scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with
a holiday-red maraschino cherry.
traditions is our Christmas Eve Brownie Extravaganza. Deep. Dark. Still warm
from the oven. Crowned with a ginormous scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with
a holiday-red maraschino cherry.
Why limit this delicious guilty
pleasure to just Christmas Eve? These brownies would be delicious any day of
the year!
pleasure to just Christmas Eve? These brownies would be delicious any day of
the year!
Ingredients
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate,
melted
melted
1-1/2 cups butter (6 ounces),
melted
melted
6 eggs
3 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons vanilla
1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)
Beat eggs, adding sugar and
vanilla. Add the melted chocolate and butter. Blend until light and airy. Add
flour, then nuts (if using.)
vanilla. Add the melted chocolate and butter. Blend until light and airy. Add
flour, then nuts (if using.)
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree
oven in two 8-inch pans for 25-30 minutes. Do not overcook. They should be
moist in the center. The timing is personal. Keep checking and take it out of
the oven when it’s reached the degree of doneness that warms your heart.
oven in two 8-inch pans for 25-30 minutes. Do not overcook. They should be
moist in the center. The timing is personal. Keep checking and take it out of
the oven when it’s reached the degree of doneness that warms your heart.
Top with ice cream and enjoy.
Happy Holidays, everyone!
Annie’s Gift, Rocky Hill Holiday Romance, Book Five
Because love never dies…
Everyone knows Christmas is a time for family but not for Harry Barnes. If he had his way, he would close his eyes and not open them again until January second when all the fuss was over. Once upon a time he had loved the season but that was a long time ago. His wife Annie and daughter Erin are gone and he hasn’t spoken to his only son, Sam, in years.
The Christmas candlesticks he’d lovingly carved for Annie and their children are buried in the attic under a thick layer of dust along with memories that could break a man’s heart . . . if he still had one left to break.
After years of living on military bases all around the world, Sam Barnes has moved his family back home for keeps but they might as well still be in Japan or England or Timbuktu for all the difference it makes. His father’s heart is still closed to the idea of family and there is nothing Sam can do to change it. Not even if the only thing his twelve-year-old daughter Riley wants for Christmas is the grandfather she has never met.
But then on a snowy Christmas Eve in Rocky Hill, Harry and Sam are visited by a determined mother and daughter who have just a few earth hours to bring their family together or lose them forever.
Sneak peek between the pages of Annie’s Gift:
He heard a sound
like autumn leaves crackling underfoot, and then felt a soft rush of
cinnamon-scented air as a small form appeared then disappeared right in front
of his eyes.
like autumn leaves crackling underfoot, and then felt a soft rush of
cinnamon-scented air as a small form appeared then disappeared right in front
of his eyes.
He watched,
paralyzed with fear and hope, as she took form one more time, looking less like
a hologram and more like a flesh and blood woman. The woman he had loved since
he was sixteen years old.
paralyzed with fear and hope, as she took form one more time, looking less like
a hologram and more like a flesh and blood woman. The woman he had loved since
he was sixteen years old.
“Annie!” Her
name tore from his throat and spilled into the space between them. This was his
Annie, before sorrow and sickness had taken their toll.
name tore from his throat and spilled into the space between them. This was his
Annie, before sorrow and sickness had taken their toll.
Bubbles of
laughter danced in the air around her. “I did it! How about that, Harry? I
did it!”
laughter danced in the air around her. “I did it! How about that, Harry? I
did it!”
He reached for
her hand but it was like grasping cotton candy. His brain was a bowl of
overcooked oatmeal. “I don’t know what’s going on.”
her hand but it was like grasping cotton candy. His brain was a bowl of
overcooked oatmeal. “I don’t know what’s going on.”
The room began
to spin. He could feel himself starting to go under and he put his head between
his knees.
to spin. He could feel himself starting to go under and he put his head between
his knees.
“Low blood
sugar,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t miss that at all.”
sugar,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t miss that at all.”
“It’s not low
blood sugar,” he managed, gulping in some air. “I’m talking to a ghost.”
blood sugar,” he managed, gulping in some air. “I’m talking to a ghost.”
“If you want to
put it that way, I guess you are.”
put it that way, I guess you are.”
What other way
was there to put it? He had buried his beloved wife six months ago and now here
she was in their living room acting like nothing had happened.
was there to put it? He had buried his beloved wife six months ago and now here
she was in their living room acting like nothing had happened.
He took another
huge gulp of air then lifted his head.
huge gulp of air then lifted his head.
“I’m still
here,” she said, her tone softening. “You can trust your senses.”
here,” she said, her tone softening. “You can trust your senses.”
“Why?” he asked,
his disbelief beginning to show cracks. “How?”
his disbelief beginning to show cracks. “How?”
She spread her
arms wide. “Look at this place! You’d never know it was Christmas Eve.”
arms wide. “Look at this place! You’d never know it was Christmas Eve.”
“It doesn’t feel
like Christmas Eve.”
like Christmas Eve.”
“It would if you
put some effort into it. Put up a tree. String some lights.” She aimed a sharp
look in his direction. “Place the candles in the window where they belong.”
put some effort into it. Put up a tree. String some lights.” She aimed a sharp
look in his direction. “Place the candles in the window where they belong.”
“No.”
Her brows darted
into a scowl. “Did you forget your promise?”
into a scowl. “Did you forget your promise?”
“That promise
was made a long time ago. Things change.”
was made a long time ago. Things change.”
“Family
doesn’t.”
doesn’t.”
“I don’t have a
family anymore. When I lost you, I lost everything.”
family anymore. When I lost you, I lost everything.”
She reached out
and for a second he imagined he felt the touch of her hand. But that was crazy,
wasn’t it? She was no more real than Santa Claus or Easter Bunny.
and for a second he imagined he felt the touch of her hand. But that was crazy,
wasn’t it? She was no more real than Santa Claus or Easter Bunny.
“I’m here
because I love you,” she said. “And because you need me tonight.”
because I love you,” she said. “And because you need me tonight.”
Tears threatened
to overwhelm him. He wanted to believe.
to overwhelm him. He wanted to believe.
“I need you
every night, Annie. That’s never changed.”
every night, Annie. That’s never changed.”
“But tonight is
the night you asked for me.”
the night you asked for me.”
One moment he
was standing there next to the refrigerator with a carton of brown eggs in his
hand.
was standing there next to the refrigerator with a carton of brown eggs in his
hand.
The next moment
the eggs were on the floor in a yellow and white mess and his Annie was in his
arms.
the eggs were on the floor in a yellow and white mess and his Annie was in his
arms.
He had lived
long enough to know that second chances didn’t happen often in life.
long enough to know that second chances didn’t happen often in life.
This time he
wasn’t going to let her go.
wasn’t going to let her go.
About the Author:
Barbara Bretton is the award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of fifty books. Her titles have been published in twelve languages in over twenty countries by Harlequin, Berkley, Crown, Pocket, and Free Spirit Press. When Barbara isn’t writing, she can be found knitting, reading, and cooking in New Jersey with her husband and a house filled with pets.
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2WW7s2h
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Annie’s Gift!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Annie's Gift, Barbara Bretton, Paranormal Romance, Rocky Hill Holiday Romance by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
