No room at the inn... Joshua Penrose has come home from years abroad a sadder, wiser man. He doggedly makes his way to his former abode through a roaring Yuletide snowstorm only to find the house occupied by a lady who claims she owns the place. Joshua is nearly certain she doesn’t, and he’s equally convinced that he cannot spend one more minute battling the elements. …and none at home either!!! Hope Burdette has been widowed long enough to have seen every confidence trick and swindle aimed at unsuspecting women. She nevertheless did not expect to have the very ownership of her home challenged, much less by such a grouchy, taciturn, un-charming man. Joshua’s lack of guile suggests that he truly does believe the house to be his, and Hope is too soft-hearted to deny him temporary shelter. Somebody is lying, and somebody will end up without a home, but first, Joshua and hope agree to a holiday truce. When the new year arrives, will they be sworn foes or a match made under the mistletoe?
Author
Grace Burrowes started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. She is the sixth out of seven children, raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life she spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. Her first career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy job that nonetheless left enough time to read a lot of romance novels. It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside. While reading yet still more romance novels, Grace opened her own law practice, acquired a master's degree in Conflict Transformation (she had a teenage daughter by then) and started thinking about writing.... romance novels. This aim was realized when Beloved Offspring struck out into the Big World a few years ago. ("Mom, why doesn't anybody tell you being a grown-up is hard?") Grace eventually got up the courage to start pitching her manuscripts to agents and editors. The query letter that resulted in "the call" started out: "I am the buffoon in the bar at the RWA retreat who could not keep her heroines straight, could not look you in the eye, and could not stop blushing—and if that doesn't narrow down the possibilities, your job is even harder than I thought." (The dear lady bought the book anyway.) To contact Grace, email her at graceburrowes@yahoo.com.
