A White Cat For Christmas

by Cherime MacFarlane

  Lori has a touch of post-partum depression and is not able to paint. Hamish's father's relatives have finally found him. Even worse; his cousin wants something from Hamish, which will require his leaving Lori and the Glen when he most needs to be there. It is a family knot of significant proportions.

  "The Templar's Treasure"

  As the MacGrough clan prepares to celebrate a milestone, chaos ensues. A 26-year-old secret is revealed, the father of a child exposed, a woman rescued and another stands up for the love she and her soul mate have shared for years. Lori and Hamish's 28th-year-anniversary celebration goes off the charts.

  The MacGrough Glen is turning up the heat. One antique anniversary gift holds the key to the last of the Templar’s Treasure. And the supernatural talents of one of the clan lead to a discovery of another sort. More history of the Glen is about to reveal itself to the MacGrough's of the twenty-first century.

  "The Twisted Laird"

  Edan MacGrough is the last of the male line of the MacGrough's. Culloden has claimed the rest. His older half-brother, The MacGrough, has given him a duty, he is to take care of the women and children who are left. In particular, Edan is to watch over Rhona, the widow of his brother, who is pregnant. The children are all the clan has left, and MacGrough’s survival depends on keeping them alive.

  Rhona hates Edan and always has. She will not make the commission given to Edan by his brother easy to accomplish.

  Edan does not feel up to the task, as he has a lame leg, twisted due to an accident shortly after birth. The MacGrough, warned by the sight, of hardships to come, has trained his successor well. But nothing can prepare the young Laird for the grief and pain he must deal with. Not only is his leg twisted, but his heart and soul are, as well.

  "Snagged" is the first of the Copper River Romances.

  In some places in Alaska, there are only two places to socialize, the bar and the church. Dorcas' family chose the church. Trying to find her path, she is spending the winter in a remote cabin. The pilot of a small plane crashes on the river. Dorcas pulls James out of the freezing water, saving his life.

  James has been working alongside his father building the business for years. His trip to Fairbanks to scout out a second location angers his father. James leaves a day early, and his plane develops engine trouble over the Copper River, far off course. Being thrown from the aircraft into the icy water, the young man thinks his life is over until the girl pulls him from the river.

  There is a family connection that goes back over twenty-five years, something neither of the young people discovers until her family comes to spend Christmas with her at the remote cabin. Will an old lie tear the young couple apart? Will James' father finally listen to the truth?

  "Stalking Red"

  The second of the Copper River Romances finds a hunter in a tight spot. P.R. Jones wants to get close to the new tenant, Brenda. But she is living with a summer intern from her office. P.R. must bide his time and remain a friend to Brenda, Red if he wants to end this hunt successfully. He doesn't care what his parents think; Red is the one he will have. But P.R. wants marriage.

  Brenda is not sure she wants to lose her only real friend, P.R. Jones. On the other hand, a friend with benefits would be nice. Will P.R. go for that kind of relationship? Red isn’t sure she’s ready for anything else. She’s also not sure what to do if her part Athabaskan, and part white friend needs to move back to the Copper River Basin to deal with family issues.

  P.R.’s connection to his family is strong, but Brenda worked hard to become a paralegal. Giving that up is not something she wants to consider. Is the relationship doomed before it even starts?

  "Heart of the Hunter"

  The third of the Copper River Romances, finds a young man, Jay Leighton, back from Afghanistan and happy to bury himself in the solitude of the Copper Basin. He is a hunter and a loner trying to heal scars, emotional wounds brought back with him. The last thing he needs is to be brought face to face with the loveliest woman to move to the Basin in the last year. His head is not ready, but his heart is saying something else.

  Leda is a teacher just out of school, who has not had time for love; Jay takes her by surprise. A soft-spoken, slightly broken man, who lives in a small cabin with his dog, Licker, for companionship, Leda sees something in Jay she needs to pursue. But Leda is worried about her reputation in the tiny community of Kenny Lake. She should stay away from Jay. But can she? Just who is the hunter and who is the hunted?

  "Cougar Hunt"

  She is very aware of the danger in the game she is playing. Meeting friends with benefits on the internet is not safe. The only constant in her life is the kid she keeps rejecting. But Joey keeps coming back until the night they share a sleeping bag during a snowstorm. Finally willing to admit she may need professional help, Linda finds she may have waited too long. Joey withdraws from college and leaves town without warning. Her world is suddenly in splinters around her. What has she done?

  The fourth of the Copper River Romances, strips away the masks Joe Friday Jones, the youngest Jones boy, and Linda Rae Ed have been hiding behind. Linda is not the positive individual she appears to be. The only one who knows her secret is J.F. Jones. In love with Linda for years, he is finally forced to face the truth one cold night. Keeping Linda alive during a snow storm on the bluffs, J.F. gives her his heart. Linda pushes him away once again. She feels the four years between them would label her a "cougar." J.F. is afraid if she doesn’t reach out for help, she will die, but he can’t take any more rejection from Linda.

  "Baubles and Beads"

  Della Street Jones is everyone’s ‘good little girl’ and is tired of the label. Munk Riley is the skinny little thief she shared her lunch with until the family left the Copper Basin. Riley, caught by the Jones family, is given a chance to redeem himself and earns a diesel mechanic certification. Munk wants to marry Della. He craves all the things denied him growing up the only child of an alcoholic mother.

  Taking a job without telling her, causes a blow out between them. Embarrassed, Della takes a live-in position at a remote lodge. She finds something that causes her to send an SOS to her family to get her out. Munk will do anything to get Della back where she belongs. But does Della belong where everyone else thinks she does? Can they get out without waking the man who controls the underbelly of Alaska?

  "Grass and Blue Skies"

  On crutches and no longer able to fly jets, Brett is grateful to have come home alive instead of in a box. Though he’s still got his leg, there’s a lot of pain too. A relative sends him to see the pretty herbalist who helps people with pain and nerve problems. One look at her and Brett wants more than pain relief.

  Nikee has a secret room beneath her greenhouse full of pot plants. The woman began growing medical marijuana several years ago to help her father after an unfortunate accident, and she has no plans to quit. Hopefully telling Brett about the grow operation won’t cost her a relationship with the man.

  If the delicate balance of her relationship with Brett isn’t enough, someone else has discovered her secret. He wants her crop and will do anything to cash in on her work, but Nikee can't go to the Troopers for help.

  Can a woman, an old man, and an ex-jet jock keep the nefarious character out of her medicinal pot?

  "Behind The Raven Mask"

  Son of a Russian adventurer, Dmitri Bressoff stays in Alaska after the purchase of Seward's Folly by the United States. Mauled by a bear, as a young fur hunter, he is a widower with a ten-year-old girl to raise. Dmitri is feeling his age. The year is 1881, and he is on his way back to his island and his headstrong daughter. Dmitri cannot forget his first wife, a half Russian, half Tlingit girl. He has no wish to remarry.

  Camille is the niece of the captain of the steamship Dmitri is using to make his way home. Saddled with Camille, her uncle is looking for an advantageous marriage for the young widow. She suffers from nightmares and is on the verge of becoming addicted to laudanum.

  A
drunken mistake gives the captain the means to get rid of Camille and make her Dmitri's wife.

  The couple tries to come to terms with an arranged marriage but find themselves under the threat of murder. Someone wants Camille dead. They must cut through the lies to find the way to safety.

  "Daughter of the Raven"

  Anya Bressoff thinks she has found the answer to her prayers. The man she meets in San Francisco will take her all over the world. The first place he takes her is Russia, after being warned to keep her out of that country by her father, Dmitri Bresoff. Kidnapped, Anya finds she can only go east, across Siberia to find her way home to Bressoff Island.

  Anya's family has no idea what has happened, and they are told she is dead. The man who has loved her for most of her life is heartbroken.

  If she can find her way home will she be forced to resume her marriage? Anya is determined to be free of her now unwanted husband. First, she must get home. Will the man she overlooked still be waiting if she can get home?

  "Deirdre of the Sorrows"

  Deirdre, deserted by her stepbrother must live with a stepfather who is becoming crazier with each drink, and he drinks a lot. Sylvie, his youngest child, is in as much danger as Deirdre. Left with no choice, Deirdre takes matters into her hands to protect not only Sylvie and herself but her child by the monster.

  Daniel had to leave after graduation. His alcoholic father couldn’t deal with having another grown male in the house. Daniel did the only thing he could do and joined up. Now, he is home and finds his father vanished without a trace, Deirdre with a young daughter and a relationship with his half-sister, Sylvie that makes Daniel think going home for Dee was a bad idea.

  "Mile 43.3 Richardson Highway."

  A story of Pipeline Days in the Copper River Basin.

  An accident at mile 43.3 on the Richardson Highway is the catalyst for significant changes in the life of Nancy and Ramon, Ray. Dumped in the Basin by the man who insisted they move to Alaska, Nancy is trying to survive. Ray hopes to build his career by taking a plum job on the Alaska Pipeline. But an emergency phone call gives him the bad news that his small son’s mother has deserted the boy. His family is now caring for the child. Ray's life is in turmoil. Nancy is sweet and unaware of what her worth. Ray wants to help her understand what a treasure she truly is.

  "Death Wish"

  A tale of love and lust that unfolds on a road trip through Canada from Alaska and back again. Colin had been in love with her for over two years. When her husband, his best friend, and partner, is killed in a car accident, Maria develops a death wish that she is trying to fulfill with alcohol-fueled rampages on the local roads. A trooper counsels Colin to get her out of town before she kills herself or someone else. Can he help her sober up while keeping his hands off the woman he has loved for two years? How will he cope? Colin hates drunks after spending his childhood with his alcoholic mother.

  "Then They Were Six"

  Absolutely devastated, she is standing on the side of the road with a dead car, no cell phone, and no money. Running from an abusive ex-husband, she and her daughter must have a paycheck. Margaret is desperate. The mechanic stops to help, but what will he ask of her? Are there strings attached to his offer of assistance? A divorced father of three is in a last ditch effort to save his business. He knows his business must grow, or he has to give it up. But he just is not ready to quit. If he can restore a vintage muscle car and sell it for what it's worth, he might make it. But the woman stranded on the side of the road is a distraction he cannot ignore. She needs help.

  Stu is drawn to her, but Margaret is still battling with the fallout from her failed marriage.

  "Gray Matters"

  A novella about motorcycle riding in Alaska and second chances. For the first time in fifteen years, he won't have a child to look after. After a long motorcycle ride and several straight shots of tequila, he is feeling no pain. She is looking for adventure after having raised three kids to adulthood. In a lodge several hundred miles from the big city, these two people begin a conversation. He has an empty passenger seat; she is ready to ride.

  "Aurora’s Song"

  Algen is finally home after spending most of her teen years, and young adulthood in Washington State. She has never been clear on the reason she was sent to live with her father’s relatives. But she has a job she loves and can finally live in the place she loves. The Aurora Borealis fascinates her; Algen has missed the lights and winter terribly. The Grannies want her to be careful. Should she be careful of the new hire at the native corporation? She’s sure if he gets too close her heart is going to be in grave danger. The cultural anthropologist is pursuing her with the single-mindedness of a big predator. Gunrik is too smart, too much of a hunk and far too tempting.

  "Brain Waves"

  CoDee is a brain damaged young man living on a dusty desert world. He is barely functional. He hates it when dead animals are dumped in his junkyard as it "hurts his heart". The world he lives on caters to the older, poorer trading ships.

  A large cat is dumped in his yard barely alive. The young man helps her, and Cat's tries to help CoDee. Memories of the one who injured him reveal the monster is his father.

  These two entities from different species brought together on a desert world aren't physically able to bond. Love and respect are another matter.

  "The Cheat"

  The Cheat. Francis labels herself as "fat and forty". How in the world she came to be living with the guitar player for a famous Alaska band is a wonder to her. Monte is a groupie magnet, and Francis is waiting for him to tell her it's over. The text message she gets from him after he returns home from a weekend gig, sets off a major fight when Francis accuses Monte of being a cheat.

  "Homesteader Blues"

  Tina has been putting up with no running water on their farm for over twelve years. Jimmy gets her out of the house for a week. His aim is to build a bathroom for his wife. Nothing and no one will sidetrack his surprise for his wife, and that includes teen angst and broken equipment.

  "Poppy"

  A young woman makes the terrible discovery that the man she idolizes is not her father. Worse, he won both her mother and her in a card game. Emma Kay is devastated and unable to handle the news.

  "Road Talk"

  Molly only takes chances while driving. Life burned her, and she isn’t ready to open herself up to new wounds. Louis, Lou for short, knows more about the woman than she likes. When she discovers Lou crewed with her dead husband, Molly wonders how much Davis Lee told his shipmate about her.

  He’s supposed to be her muscle to facilitate an aircraft engine exchange. It’s a business trip into the wilds of Alaska that has them cooped up in a truck for days. Where will their road talk take them?

  "Back Bay"

  A young woman finds something while out gathering seaweed and limpets. It is a part of her heritage. The treasure reconnects her with her home in the Back Bay.