SPARKLE OF GLASS—contemporary romance new release

Scheduled for release on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, from The Wild Rose Press, my latest contemporary romance novel, SPARKLE OF GLASS by USA Today Bestselling Author Shawna Delacorte.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Sparkle-Glass-Shawna-Delacorte-ebook/dp/B0DHW7959Q

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sparkle-of-glass-shawna-delacorte/1146283517?ean=2940185712221

And other online vendors

Darvi Stanton is a glass artist specializing in stained glass windows. She has recently relocated from Laguna Beach, California, to the small coastal town of Sandy Cove, Oregon, in an attempt to get a new start and put the end of a painful relationship behind her—a relationship breakup that has had a very negative, controlling impact on her life for the last year. She has secured a marvelous new assignment, one very important to advancing her career. She'll be providing all the stained glass windows for the extensive renovations of a century old Victorian style bed and breakfast inn on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Rance Coulter, a resident of Sandy Cove, Oregon, for ten years is the contractor on the renovation project. He had someone else in mind to design and construct the stained glass windows, someone he had worked with in the past and whose work he knew and trusted. The inn's owner had chosen to hire Darvi. Rance also has his share of emotional baggage, his from a long ago short-termed marriage that continues to impact his life. Where Darvi covers her hurt with anger, Rance uses arrogance and aggression to cover his.

They clashed from day one on the main street of Sandy Cove before either of them knew who the other was. Their challenge? Getting the project completed on time and on budget while trying to ignore the attraction and emotional strings pulling them together.

And then there's the emotional baggage each is bringing to every encounter.

G-Excerpt #1:

“Hey, you there—Red!” An angry male shout shattered the morning quiet on the tree-lined main street of Sandy Cove, Oregon.

Darvi Stanton turned her head in the direction of the shout as she closed her car door. Her gaze fell on a tall man with a scraggly beard, shaggy hair, wearing frayed jeans, and a faded T-shirt. His stance screamed confrontation—one long leg on the pavement and the other on the floorboard of his old, battered pickup truck.

“Are you talking to me?”

“Yeah…you with the red hair. You’re in my parking place!”

She squinted into the morning sun as she brought her hand to her forehead to shade her eyes. “Since my car is already parked here, I’d say it’s my parking space.”

“Everyone in town knows that’s where I always park.”

She glanced up and down the road, then returned her attention to him. “This is public parking on a city street. There isn’t any sign indicating parking restrictions.”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” His angry question left no doubt in her mind that she had violated his sense of the order of things.

“I know who I am.” She fixed him with a hard stare, then a condescending smirk that said as much as her words. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

Darvi turned her back on him and walked away, but even as she hurried toward her destination, she couldn’t dismiss the incident from her mind. She felt his stare bore into the back of her head.

G-Excerpt #6:

Darvi took a deep breath, held it for a second, then slowly exhaled. She finally started to speak, her words cloaked in defensiveness. “I had my life under control until I ran into you. I’m taking care of some simple errands and you turn it into a major confrontation over some stupid parking spot on a public street. You’ve been going out of your way to antagonize me at every opportunity. I know you wanted George to hire someone else to do the stained glass, but he hired me in spite of your objections. I have a signed contract. The least you can do is make an effort to be decent about it.”

Her words caught him off guard. “I don’t have any—”

“I’m not a helpless little thing who cries at the drop of a hat. I’ve always been able to take care of myself, handle any situation that came along. You’re pushing me too hard, asking too much…demanding too much, things that have nothing to do with you or with this job. Things that are none of your business.”

The tears welled in her eyes as her veneer began to crumble. “You apparently believe that I should just trust you because you say so even though you’ve done nothing to show me your sincerity or that you can actually be trusted. How do I know what your intentions are? Why should I believe that you will keep anything I say to you in confidence rather than using it to humiliate me? Stop pushing me so hard. It’s very difficult for me…very painful.”

The arrogant Rance persona started to speak, the spontaneous outburst coming out as a harsh sound. “Pushing you? I haven’t—” The rest of the sentence stuck in his throat. His totally inappropriate reaction to what she said meshed with his own unspoken fears. He pulled her into his embrace as a mass of apprehension swirled around inside him. What to think…what to do…he didn’t have any answers. He stroked her hair as he thought over what she had said. He had no idea he had been pushing her that hard. Or that she harbored a secret so frightening for her that even what he thought of as teasing banter had been too painful for her to handle.

And her comment about not trusting him, fearing he would turn her secret against her in such a callous manner… He didn’t like hearing it, knew he would never do such a thing, but quickly realized why she would think it.

Blurb:

Putting a painful past behind her, Darvi Stanton has a new job in a small coastal town in Oregon. Designing the stained glass windows for a Victorian-style inn under renovation is right up her alley. She's determined to impress the owner in spite of the obnoxious, know-it-all contractor with gorgeous eyes and a charming smile.

Rance Coulter had another artist in mind for the decorative windows of his new project, someone with more experience, someone less…attractive. When he's overruled, he gives in grudgingly, but they clash over every decision. The only time she's not arguing with him is when he's kissing her.

Will mixing business with pleasure lead to ruin or a happily ever after.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Sparkle-Glass-Shawna-Delacorte-ebook/dp/B0DHW7959Q

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sparkle-of-glass-shawna-delacorte/1146283517?ean=2940185712221

And other online vendors

More excerpts and other information about SPARKLE OF GLASS and my other books are available on my website:   www.shawnadelacorte.com   https://shawnadelacorte.blogspot.com 

THE MILLIONAIRE'S CHRISTMAS WISH—a conversation with Chance and Marcie

In honor of the season, I'd like to introduce you to Chance Fowler and Marcie Roper from The Millionaire's Christmas Wish (available from Harlequin in ebook) and tell you a bit about their Christmas story.

Good morning Chance and Marcie.  I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me today.

Chance:  Thank you, Shawna.  It was nice of you to invite us.  So…what would you like to know?

My first question is for whichever of you wants to answer it.  How did the two of you meet?

Chance:  (Winks at Marcie) Do you want to take that one?

Marcie:  My pleasure.  I was minding my own business, doing a little window shopping on my way back to my car from the book store, when he came along and accosted me in broad daylight.  He grabbed me against my will then proceeded to kiss me.  I was truly shocked and also a little frightened.  I had no idea who he was or why he had forced himself on me.

Chance:  Wait a minute…in my defense that wasn't quite the way it happened.

Marcie:  (grins) My way sounds more mysterious…and more interesting.

Did he literally grab you on the street, a total stranger, and kiss you for no reason?

Marcie:  Oh, yes…that's exactly what he did.

Chance:  Well…not really…not like that.

Ah, ha!  What's the true story?

Chance:  I was being followed by another one of those tabloid photographers who were always trying to get candid pictures of me that they can exploit, things taken out of context and blown up into something they aren't.

As sole heir to the Fowler Industries fortune, an eligible bachelor leading a very high profile life including yacht racing and making the rounds of the club scene always with a beautiful woman on your arm, I can see where there would be an interest in your activities.

Chance:  Since I was on my way to one of my special projects, I had to lose the guy following me.  I was looking for a place to duck away from him…hide in plain sight, so to speak.  As soon as I rounded a corner and was out of his sight for a few seconds, I turned my reversible jacket inside out to a different color, but there wasn't any place for me to hide.  I spotted her standing in front of the store window. My intention was to put my arm around her shoulder so it would look like we were a couple window shopping together, but for some strange reason she objected.  So I did what I had to do.  The photographer ran on down the street without paying any attention to a couple kissing in front of a store window.  I tried to apologize, explain to her, but she ran off without giving me an opportunity.

Marcie:  It was later that I discovered who he was…Take-A-Chance Fowler, as the media referred to him.  Major playboy, always being photographed with different women, yacht racing, seen at all the trendy clubs.  In other words, a spoiled rich guy living off the family wealth who had never done an honest day's work in his life.

Chance:  Definitely not a very flattering assessment of someone she didn't even know.  I was determined to set her straight and change that erroneous assumption.

Take-A-Chance?  Where did that come from?

Chance:  One of those stupid tags the press pinned on me.  "Always willing to take a chance on some wild stunt."

Marcie:  I can't begin to tell you how embarrassed I was when he told me Chance was his legal first name, not some cute little nickname.  It was his mother's maiden name.  And the more I found out about the real person behind all those tabloid headlines, the more impressed I was and the more I liked him.

You mentioned your special projects.  What did you mean by that?

Chance:  I have several projects I finance and am actively, hands-on involved with, things I don't want the media to know about.  Among other things, one of the projects is a job training program for disadvantaged youth. I don't want the other people involved to find their pictures and names splashed all over the front page of some tabloid newspaper.

What type of projects?

Chance:  (flashes a sly grin) You can find out all about them in the book.

Marcie, did you encounter any unusual problems when you began dating someone of Chance's…uh…notoriety?

Marcie:  (furrows her brow in a moment of concentration) Well, there were some uncomfortable moments with his family, such as the Christmas dinner at his father's house—

Chance:  (laughs) Merely uncomfortable?  That's an understatement!

Is there more to the family story than you're saying?

Marcie:  You mean other than his father being responsible for driving a wedge between us that nearly destroyed our relationship?

Chance:  My family is synonymous with the word dysfunctional.  They're the personification of that old joke…look up the word dysfunctional in the dictionary and you find their picture.  You'll find out all about them when you read the book.

I'd ask you to explain, but I already know what you're going to say.

Marcie:  (laughs) You have to read the book!

Thank you, Marcie and Chance.

Blurb:

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS…

When millionaire Chance Fowler first kissed the pretty stranger in his arms, he'd only meant to dodge the photographer who'd tailed him. Then she ran off—but he couldn't forget her tempting taste on his lips. So he sought out the tantalizing woman who'd ignited his long-dormant desire….

Lovely Marcie Roper was the first woman to close her eyes to Chance's fortune. And though she'd captivated the jaded tycoon, Marcie yearned for what his wealth couldn't buy—a man who would say "I do" and mean it forever. Could Marcie convince Chance that love—for the right woman—would last a lifetime?

Publisher Excerpt:

She was certainly different from the type of women he usually encountered. Her eyes sparked with the fire of emotion and her stance declared a very appealing independence. Yes, indeed. Marcie Roper was quite different—a breath of fresh air. He recalled the way she felt in his arms, the taste of her delicious mouth. He fought the almost overwhelming desire to pull her into his arms and kiss her again.

He watched her walk away from him—for the second time since he first encountered her. She had turned out to be a very intriguing woman. He already knew about the golden flecks in her hazel eyes, her soft pliable lips, her addictive taste and how good she felt in his arms. And now he knew she was certainly a challenge—and Chance had never been one to back down from a challenge.

****

Harlequin has reissued 18 of 21 of my backlist print titles in ebook including THE MILLIONAIRE'S CHRISTMAS WISH.

THE MILLIONAIRE'S CHRISTMAS WISH, a Harlequin Desire by Shawna Delacorte reissued by Harlequin in ebook and available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com.  Also available from Amazon for Kindle, Barnes & Noble for Nook, and other online vendors.  Additional information and excerpts available on my website  www.shawnadelacorte.com  Information and excerpts from my other books also available on my website.

Turkey Trivia…Just In Time For Thanksgiving

This year, Thanksgiving falls on November 28, 2024, the day of celebration in the U.S. (Canadian Thanksgiving was on Monday, October 14, 2024).

Americans cook approximately 45 million turkeys each year for that Thanksgiving dinner.  So, in honor of the holiday, here are a dozen known and not so well known bits of trivia about turkeys.

1)  All turkeys do not taste the same.  The taste has to do with their age.  An older male is preferable to a younger male (the younger tom is stringy).  And the younger female hens are preferable to the older ones.  Hmmm…that older man and younger woman thing again.  I wonder if there's such a thing as a female cougar turkey.  :)

2)  A turkey less than 16 weeks old is called a fryer and a turkey 5 to 7 months of age is known as a roaster.

3)  Turkeys are a type of pheasant and are the only breed of poultry native to the Western Hemisphere.

4)  Wild turkeys are able to fly for short durations attaining speeds up to 55mph.  Domesticated turkeys raised on farms for food are too fat and meaty to achieve flight.

5)  Benjamin Franklin is said to have argued in favor of the turkey as the national symbol of America rather than the bald eagle.

6)  The first turkeys to be domesticated were in Mexico and Central America.

7)  The male turkey makes the gobble sound and the female clucks.

8)  A mature turkey has about 3,500 feathers, which is a lot of plucking before it can be cooked.

9)  The skin that hangs from a turkey's neck is called a wattle.  The fleshy growth on the base of the beak is the snood.

10)  Each year 90 percent of Americans have turkey for Thanksgiving compared to 50 percent on Christmas.

One thing that's marvelous about the Thanksgiving turkey dinner is all the terrific leftovers!  Anyone out there having something other than the traditional turkey for Thanksgiving dinner? 

Eagle Vs. Turkey: America's National Symbol

It's that time of year again—the Thanksgiving season.

We all know that the bald eagle is America's National Symbol—a proud and majestic bird.  And turkey is what we serve every year at Thanksgiving dinner—a tasty bird made all the more appetizing when accompanied by dressing, cranberries, mashed potatoes and gravy.

But did you know there’s a long standing rumor/assumption saying if Benjamin Franklin had gotten his way, the turkey would have been our national symbol? This has not been proven, but it has not been disproven, either.

In 1776, right after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress appointed a special committee to select a design for an official national seal.  This committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin.  They each had their own ideas, none of which included the bald eagle.  They finally came to agreement on a drawing of a woman holding a shield to represent the states.  However, the design did nothing to inspire the members of Congress.

So Congress consulted a Philadelphia artist named William Barton who created a new design that included a golden eagle.  At that time, we were still at war with England, and the fierce looking bird was deemed an appropriate symbol…with one small change.  The golden eagle also flew over Europe. Federal lawmakers declared the bird in the seal had to be an American bald eagle.

On June 20, 1782, they approved the design that we recognize today.

From the start, the eagle had been a controversial choice.  Benjamin Franklin was quite vocal in his objection to the selection of the eagle.  He considered it a bird of "bad moral character."  A year after the Treaty of Paris officially ended the war with Great Britain, Franklin is said to have argued that the turkey would have been a more appropriate symbol.  "A much more respected bird and a true native of America."

Unfortunately for Franklin, Congress was not convinced and the bald eagle remained our national symbol.

Whereas both the bald eagle and the turkey are native to America, we can't lay exclusive claim to either species since both traditionally ranged in Canada and Mexico as well as the U.S.

And all of this leads us to one important question.  If the turkey had been chosen as our national symbol, what would we serve as our traditional Thanksgiving dinner?  Somehow roast eagle just doesn't have the same appeal as the turkey. 

Halloween Aftermath

I'd like to offer one last Halloween fright before we turn our attention to the next celebration of the holiday season—Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas.  And what is that one last fright?  It's all that Halloween candy you still have on hand.

Halloween aftermath usually means two things—putting the witch and goblin decorations away and fighting the battle of all that candy in the house.  First, there's the leftover candy from what you bought to hand out to trick-or-treaters.  There's two schools of thought about what type of candy to buy.  One theory says buy what you like so you can enjoy the leftovers.  The other theory says buy what you don't like so you won't be tempted.  And the second thing is all the candy the kids collected on their trick or treat rounds.  Sacks full of candy.  Enough potential sugar overdose and tooth decay material to last until next Halloween.

And what kind of candy is it that we now have in abundance?  It seems that all the candy manufacturers, in addition to their regular size candy bars, make the little fun size candy—the mini candy bars or individual pieces.  Those little bite size morsels that give us just a taste.  Unfortunately, it's usually a taste for more.  :)

These little tidbits aren't as harmless as you'd like to believe.  Many of the small treats are worse for you than eating a normal size candy bar.  But that can't be, you tell yourself, because you're only going to eat one of those little things and that's certainly not the same as a regular size candy bar.  What's that you said?  Eat just one?  Well, you and I both know that's a lie!  :) Remember that old Lay's Potato Chip commercial from many years ago? Bet you can't eat just one. That applies to those tasty little bite size morsels of candy as well.

I recently saw a list of the ten worse choices of these mini candy snacks and I'd like to share it with you.

1)  Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins (1 piece):  You convince yourself that you're getting lots of protein from the peanut butter.  Think again.  One pumpkin has 180 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 17 grams of sugar.

2)  Dove Milk Chocolate Promises (5 pieces):  Chocolate is marvelous stuff, full of antioxidants that help decrease the risk of heart disease.  Think again.  It's DARK chocolate that has the antioxidants, not milk chocolate.  You're eating 220 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 22 grams of sugar.

3)  Twix Miniatures (3 pieces):  Like the Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins, another choice that might not seem so bad for you.  This gooey caramel and cookie crunch treat has 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 15 grams of sugar.

4)  Almond Joy Snack-Size Bars (3 pieces):  Coconut milk and coconut water might be popular in healthy eating circles, but that doesn't mean it's ok to cover it with chocolate and still consider it healthy.  With these, you're eating 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 19 grams of sugar.

5)  Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Miniature (5 pieces):  Remember the comments about Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins?  Well, the same rules apply here only this time it's 220 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 23 grams of sugar.

6)  Hershey's Miniatures (5 pieces):  These are staples every year at Halloween time.  The mixed bag of treats begs you to try at least one of each kind.  You'll be consuming 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 19 grams of sugar.

7)  Hershey's Kisses Caramel-Filled (9 pieces): These seem safe, but don't be fooled.  You're looking at 190 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 24 grams of sugar.

8)  York Dark Chocolate-Covered Peppermint Patties (3 pieces):  The cool minty chocolate that melts in your mouth gives you 150 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 27 grams of sugar.

9)  Snickers Fun Size (2 bars):  The commercials say, "Hungry?  Grab a Snickers."  If you do, you'll be grabbing 144 calories, 7.4 grams of fat, and 14 grams of sugar.

10)  Kit Kat Snack Size (3 bars, 2 pieces each):  These little beauties are worth 210 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 24 grams of sugar.

Perhaps the scariest thing about Halloween is the number of calories, grams of fat, and grams of sugar we consume under the guise of it's little, it won't hurt me.

Let's talk about that other Halloween must—costumes. The favorite for 2024 for kids is Spiderman and for adults is the witch. According to CBS, the hottest trending costume for 2024 is Shrunken Head Bob from the new Beetlejuice movie remake.

And now, strictly for adults…having a glass of wine with our Halloween candy.  What type of wine could possibly go with Candy Corn?

A Master Sommelier put together some pairings of Halloween candy and wine for your pleasure.

Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars go nicely with a fruity, low-alcohol wine like Brachetto d'Aqui from Northern Italy.  It's bright pink and tastes like raspberries and roses.

Hot Tamales candy are intensely spicy and sweet.  That demands a high acid wine with low alcohol to cut the spice and high sugar content, something like a German Riesling.

Tootsie Rolls go very well with a Tawny Port.  A twenty year old Tawny Port will taste like nuts and orange peel.

Reese's Pieces go perfectly with Vin Santo from Italy.  This wine has a nutty flavor, a great match with the peanut buttery candy.

And finally…the wine that goes with Candy Corn.  According to the expert, this super sugary candy pairs well with a very floral wine like Muscat de Beaumes de Venise which is a fortified Muscat from the South of France with a rich orange blossom flavor.

So…sort out your candy and don't over do it.