the relic keeper | excerpt + giveaway

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about the book

Once a thief, always a thief?

Italy, 1620. Angelo is an orphan, lonely and forgotten. Having been passed on from one family to the next, he ends up as a common thief, subject to and under the thumb of a ruthless robber called Tozzo. The boy knows no other life and has lost hope that any chance of providence will ever replace his lonely, misfortunate existence.

One day, a priest invites Angelo to help with chores around the church and rectory and, in exchange, offers him room and board. Padre Benedetto’s kindness and respect are unfamiliar and confusing, but Angelo’s safety is still a grave concern. Two older robbers have heard rumors about Tozzo’s hidden treasures and will stop at nothing to attain them.

With literary depictions and imagery, Angelo’s story is a gripping and emotional journey of faint hope and truth in seventeenth-century Italy. Using invisible threads, Heidi Eljarbo weaves together her fictional stories with historical figures and real events.

publisher: independently published

release date: november 18, 2025

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a hero's christmas kiss | excerpt + giveaway

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about the book

Caroling, coffee, and complications. A broken hero and the sweet girl next door…

She just might be the miracle this soldier deserves. But can she fulfill her dreams without losing the guarded military man who’s captured her heart?

Emilie Fielding longs for love — and to own her own business someday. Despite fears that she’s wasting time waiting for her prince to come while working for her Scrooge-like boss, the optimistic barista tackles Christmas preparations for the coffee shop with unbridled holiday joy. And when she stumbles hanging mistletoe, she surprises herself as well as her handsome rescuer with a merry peck on his cheek, right before he’s cajoled into lending her a hand.

Garrett Banks yearns to belong. Learning to live with lingering injuries and struggling with feelings of vulnerability, the Marine discovers a humorous group of senior busybodies and the vibrant young woman who catches his attention while visiting a treasured small town. Tasked with helping to check off her yuletide to-do list, his honed defenses and well-constructed walls begin to crumble.

Even though Emilie’s innate connection with him deepens, she wrestles with the growing need to leave her beloved home to secure her future. And while Garrett hopes to stay by her side, he fears the only way forward is to let her go.

Do they have the courage this Christmas to unwrap the gift of forever?

A Hero's Christmas Kiss is the charming eighth book in the Green Hills romance series and part of the Military Kisses Sweet Romance multi-author project. If you like swoon-worthy characters, fairytale towns that help people heal, and a cozy cup of holiday cheer, then you’ll adore Virginia'dele Smith’s jolly read.

publisher: books are ubiquitous, llc

release date: november 7, 2025

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