Author Archives: Josie Riviera

About Josie Riviera

Josie Riviera is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of contemporary, inspirational, and historical sweet romances that read like Hallmark movies. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully supportive husband. They share their home with an adorable Shih Tzu who constantly needs grooming and live in an old house forever needing renovations.

The Beauty of … A New Year

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I posted this last year, and it was so popular, I am reposting. Happy New Year!

“I’m walking into 2023 with a clear heart and mind.

If you owe me, don’t worry about it-you’re welcome. If you wronged me, it’s all good- lesson learned.

If you’re angry with me, you’ve won. If we aren’t speaking, it’s cool (I love you and I wish you well.)

If you feel I wronged you, I apologize.

Life is too short for all the anger, grudges, and extra pain, and we as people are not perfect.

God bless us all! Here’s to 2023!”

Keep celebrating the new year with my 99 cent Kindle countdown for my sweet holiday romance, 1-800-NEW YEAR. (US residents only.)

★★ Fall in love with clean, wholesome, and cozy small-town holiday romance, filled with delightful characters and brimming with joy! ★★

Her lost love is back in town. Is he back for a second chance…or closure?

Holiday love and romance are in the air—but Shanice Williams will be spending the second most popular date night of the year alone, agonizing over selling the quirky old farmhouse she inherited from her beloved grandmother.

The money would help save her struggling landscaping business, but emotionally she can’t bear to part with a place so filled with memories—especially of Lincoln Reid, her mad teenage crush.

Then she accidentally overhears his heartbreakingly familiar voice, and she realizes Lincoln still makes her heart race. But from what she heard, he’s only back in Roses, NC to buy Granny’s land—for an apartment complex.

Lincoln Reid remembers the first time he kissed Shay on Granny Williams’s settee. But his high-falutin’ family had expectations for him. He’s grown the toy business into the most popular in the country, and now he’s back for a chance to reclaim the house—and the woman—that holds a special place in his heart.

But it’ll take some doing to convince the fiercely independent Shay that he’s back in Roses to stay. And this time, he’s not planning to let her go.

This book is a sweet and clean, small-town contemporary holiday romance, and will remind you of your best-loved Hallmark stories, where a Happily-Ever-After is guaranteed. An interracial sweet romance. Grab your copy today!

Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire.

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Well, how about chestnuts just roasting?

Here’s a quick and easy recipe for roasting chestnuts in the oven:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. On the flat side of the chestnut, cut a large X with a sharp paring knife to the skin.
3. Place your pared chestnuts on a shallow baking pan. Roast in oven for 30 minutes and shake pan to rotate chestnuts for even roasting.

Peel chestnuts as soon as they are cool enough to handle, because once they cool completely, they will be difficult to peel. Enjoy!

And, did you know that in Europe, Asia, and Africa, chestnuts are often used as a substitute for potatoes?

Looking for a short and sweet holiday romance? A Chocolate-Box Christmas is the first book in my Chocolate-Box series and priced at only 99 cents. Grab your copy today. Also available in ebook, paperback, large print paperback, and audiobook.

I love writing sweet and inspirational romance holiday stores. Check my Amazon page, and grab your copy of one of my romances today. Merry Christmas!

The Beauty of … Cranberry Sauce!

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Did you know that Thanksgiving doesn’t exist in Portugal? In fact, many Portuguese have never heard of Thanksgiving.
And, if you were in Portugal in November and wanted to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner, you would soon find that many of the ingredients are non-existent.

Looking for pecans to bake a pecan pie? Nope!
Canned pumpkin for pumpkin pie? Hah!
Cranberries for cranberry sauce? Nope, again. And certainly you won’t find canned cranberry sauce (my fave!) in any of the supermarkets.

However, you might find dried cranberries, although it’s interesting to note that the Portuguese do not have a name for cranberries, although the word “oxicoco” is sometimes used.

The good news is that you will be able to purchase a fresh turkey and roasted chestnuts from the many street vendors. Add a loaf of crusty Portuguese bread, a bottle of Port, and enjoy your Thanksgiving feast!

Here’s a recipe for “Portuguese” cranberry sauce. Note that dried cranberries and port wine are listed in the ingredients.

You will need:
Water to moisten
6 apples
Approximately 7 cups of dried cranberries
Port wine (I use most of the bottle!)
¾ cup brown sugar
Cinnamon and cloves to taste

Mix all ingredients and simmer on stove.

Do you have a favorite cranberry sauce recipe? Please share below.

Love to learn about other countries and holiday traditions? Snag a copy of A Portuguese Christmas, my sweet romance, A Portuguese Christmas. Available in ebook paperback, large print paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

And, I have a new release this month! A Very Christian Christmas

Cozy up with your favorite beverage and lose yourself in the special, joyful season of love and faith.

This collection includes the following 3 books:

A CHRISTMAS TO CHERISH
There’s nothing a Christmas kiss won’t cure. Except perhaps a shattered heart…

A CHRISTMAS PUPPY TO CHERISH
You don’t need ears to hear God’s plan. All you need is an open heart…

Holly’s Gift
Miracles don’t always come easy. Sometimes it takes a secret wish to light an angel’s way.

These books are also published as solos and in other collections.

The Beauty of … Apple Bobbing!

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Apple Bobbing is a game played at many Halloween parties. But did you know that its origins stem back to love and romance?

The game began as a courting ritual in a Roman festival honoring a goddess of agriculture and abundance. Her name was Pomona. The goddess was often represented by apples.

The idea behind the game was that women and men could predict their future based on the game.

In 43 AD, the festival melded with the Samhain tradition around the same time, which led to the beginning of Halloween.

Bobbing for apples continued as a British courting ritual, and became popular among young, single ladies and their potential suitors.

There are several sets of rules and variations. In the game most familiar, an apple is assigned to each potential mate. The apple bobber attempts to bite into the apple named for the suitor she most desires.

For those who are celebrating, have a happy and safe Halloween. And, happy apple bobbing.

New Release!

If you love holiday romance, be sure to grab your copy of my sweet and wholesome Christmas story, Christmas in the Air.

What if you told your innermost secrets to a guy you assumed you’d never see again?

Penelope Reid owns a toy business, and meets an elusive, handsome stranger on a plane trip to Hilton Head Island. Along the way, she confesses her problems and fears, her aspirations, and unrealized goals, while she believes the man is only half-listening. She is a single mother in her late 40s, readjusting to her life after a difficult divorce, and raising a challenging twelve-year-old son.

Two months later, she comes into direct contact with Jacob Williams, the new pediatrician in town, and the man she met on the plane. Jacob knows many facts about her life. Will he use his knowledge to embarrass her, or pursue her?
As Jacob and Penny get to know each other, Jacob relates his story to Penny—his poverty-stricken childhood, his mother’s disapproval when he left the family farm, and his recent job.

She is touched and impressed by his new goals to forego his ambitions and help people. And she is a bit envious he has decided what he wants and is going after it.

Things can only take a turn for the worse when their romance begins to develop, all under the disapproving eyes of her critical son and the small, inquisitive community who thought they knew her.

Her son is begging for a snuggly puppy for Christmas. But is he ready to assume the responsibility? And does Penelope have room in her heart for a new romance and an adorable puppy?

If you like sweet romance movies and books, then you’ll love Christmas in the Air, brimming with heartwarming holiday cheer.

A Happily-Ever-After is guaranteed.

Wrap yourself up in the uplifting joy of Christmas and fall in love with sweet, small-town romance. This is the sixth book in the beloved 1-800 home-flipping series.

Order your copy of Christmas in the Air today. Only 99¢ for a limited time.

Read the entire 1-800-series!

1-800-CUPID

1-800-CHRISTMAS

1-800-IRELAND

1-800-SUMMER

1-800-NEW YEAR

Christmas in the Air