A Randall Thanksgiving

Judy Christenberry

Harlequin, Mar 1, 2010 - Fiction - 256 pages

She was home for the holidays…but jewelry designer Melissa Randall had no intention of staying in Rawhide, Wyoming. The sassy sophisticate had a life in Paris—one that didn't include a meddling, matchmaking family or the sexy, sloe-eyed deputy they had in mind for her.

Down-home deputy Harry Gowan would never leave Rawhide; she'd never stay. He'd keep his bachelor heart out of her reach, memorize her pouty smile and practice kissing her goodbye. Harry held out hope, though; after all, the matchmaking Randalls were legend in these parts. But had they met their match in Melissa?

Contents

• Title Page: 5
• About the Author: 6
• Chapter One: 7
• Chapter Two: 21
• Chapter Three: 38
• Chapter Four: 52
• Chapter Five: 72
• Chapter Six: 83
• Chapter Seven: 95
• Chapter Eight: 110
• Chapter Nine: 125
• Chapter Ten: 141
• Chapter Eleven: 152
• Chapter Twelve: 172
• Chapter Thirteen: 192
• Chapter Fourteen: 205
• Chapter Fifteen: 221
• Epilogue: 238
• Copyright Page: 242

About the author

Judy Christenberry, hasn't always been a writer, but she's always been a dreamer. As a child, for entertainment while doing chores, she told herself stories-she was always the heroine. However, Judy didn't start writing until she turned thirty-eight, just one year after her father's unexpected death. After this, she realized life promised no guarantees about how much time you have. Why wait to pursue your dreams? She had begun reading Harlequin Romance novels about ten years earlier, so romance writing came naturally. Over time, Judy realized two central themes dominating her writing: family and small town/country life. Many of her books have cowboy heroes, partly because she read all Zane Grey's romantic versions of the Old West as a teenager, and partly because her parents grew up on farms. As a child, Judy was surrounded by animals. Her father raised a few head of cattle to keep meat on the table. At one time or another, there were sheep, Thanksgiving turkeys, ducks and dogs, and there were always chickens. Raised in a family of four children with a stay-at-home mom who was a terrific cook and an excellent teacher, where family tradition was concerned, Judy learned the importance of family at an early age. But, family comes in all shapes and flavors. What's important isn't the two parents and the 2.5 children, it's love and support. The last element that frequently appears in Judy's stories is a dash of humor, just enough to bring a smile to your face. She believes laughter is good medicine and it definitely makes a six-foot hunk even more attractive! Therefore, it may surprise readers when they discover Judy was born and raised in Dallas, Texas: a major city. In addition, her marriage ended fifteen years ago. Yet, with support from her mother and siblings, Judy and her two daughters discovered their own definition of family. She taught during the day, wrote at night, pursued her dream and raised her children. Now, with her daughters pursuing their own dreams, Judy writes full-time and is wrapped up in her storytelling. She lives each new adventure with the vigor of a young girl, still dreaming up tales while washing dishes. She hopes to entertain her readers as much as she entertains herself!

Bibliographic information

• Title: A Randall Thanksgiving; Volume 1 of Brides & Babies
• Author: Judy Christenberry
• Publisher: Harlequin, 2010
• ISBN: 1426858825, 9781426858826
• Length: 256 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / Holidays; Fiction / Romance / Contemporary; Fiction / Romance / Holiday; Fiction / Romance / Military; Fiction / Romance / Western; Fiction / War & Military; Fiction / Westerns