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Friday, February 19, 2016

Book Tour: "A Family Like Hannah's" by Carol Ross

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

A Family Like Hannah'sA Family Like Hannah's
(Seasons of Alaska #4)
by Carol Ross
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
February 1st 2016 by Harlequin Heartwarming

Starting over is serious business

With her professional skiing career cut short by an accident, Hannah James is putting all her energy into transforming Snowy Sky Resort into something special. There's only one obstacle. Famous pro-snowboarder-turned-consultant Tate Addison has his own ideas about taking the Rankins, Alaska, lodge to the next level. But Hannah won't compromise her dreams. She gets that Tate is trying to create a stable home for his orphaned six-year-old nephew—a boy Hannah already adores. And if she isn't careful, she could also fall for the boy's too-attractive uncle. Is she risking heartbreak? Or do she and Tate really want the same things out of life?

The Other Books in the Series

Mountains ApartA Case for ForgivenessIf Not for a Bee


Carol Ross is the author of three books for the Seasons of Alaska series for the Harlequin Heartwarming line. She lives with her husband and one loveable miscreant of a dachshund in a small town in Washington close to both the ocean and the mountains. For a complete list of her books, giveaways, and other fun stuff stop by and visit her new website: carolrossauthor.com.

Website – Goodreads – Facebook – Twitter – Pinterest


Guest Post: "Love, Snow, and Hot Cocoa"

Sometimes when I start a story, it takes a while for a character to fully develop. Like a few pages. Or an entire chapter (or twelve). Yes, all right, sometimes they aren’t really “people” until I start working on the second draft.

But sometimes I get lucky. When I started writing this story, Hannah’s character was already sitting right beside me - telling me what she wanted to do, what she wanted to say – and what she likes. And Hannah likes hot chocolate. I think her affinity for this delicious treat is partially due to my own childhood passion and partially due to a backlash against the prevailing coffee obsession in this country. (Guilty as charged.) It might sound weird, but coffee just didn’t suit her personality.

When I started this story, I really tried to immerse myself in winter – the sights, sounds, smells, feelings, thoughts. And tastes. Definitely tastes. I spent a lot of time thinking about my own childhood love of snow. After a morning of skiing, sledding, snowball fighting (or regular fighting) with my siblings, my mom always had hot chocolate at the ready. And Hannah, with her adventurous, playful, fun-loving spirit, combined with her own love for snow, just had to be a hot cocoa drinker.

My mom’s cocoa was this homemade concoction that she’d formulate in huge batches. (I used to love to help make it because it involved the use of one of the most fun and fascinating of all kitchen tools - the sifter.) As I got older and friends would serve hot cocoa, or I would order it in restaurants, I was inevitably disappointed that it didn’t really taste like Mom’s.

Turns out, Mom’s recipe isn’t all that complicated. I think I just loved it because she made it – and because it reminded me of winter. Here it is - super easy and so nice to have on hand.

Mom’s Hot Cocoa Mix
3 cups powdered sugar
3 cups powdered milk
1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Sift all the ingredients together. To serve: just mix equal amounts of mix and boiling water. Serve with marshmallows, whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate syrup and/or a grated chocolate bar. Yum! Mix can be stored in an airtight container in the pantry or cupboard for several months.


Does anyone else make their hot cocoa this way? Is there a certain food or drink that screams winter to you? Or helps to take the edge off that winter chill?


Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway


$50 Amazon eGift Card and an ebook of A Family Like Hannah's (open internationally)
Rankins' Alaska Prize Pack: signed copy of A Family Like Hannah’s, an infinity scarf, gray fluffy mittens, a tin of Starbucks hot chocolate, a coffee mug, and a sterling silver snowflake necklace. (US only)
Copy of A Family Like Hannah's (print if in the US, ebook if outside the US)
Ends February 26th

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4 comments:

  1. That's a great, simple recipe. I typically feel disappointed when I have hot chocolate from establishments, especially some popular coffee shops. I never tried using powdered milk. What a great idea. Hot chocolate screams winter to me, and so does chicken soup and macaroni and cheese. ( :
    Congratulations on your latest book Carol. So happy for you!!

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    Replies
    1. That definitely sound like a delicious recipe for hot chocolate! I hope it is better than the ones at the coffee shops.

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  2. The cover of this book makes me want to read it before I even know what it's about! They look so happy. I really need to try this cocoa recipe. It sounds yummy! I'm pinning it :)

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    Replies
    1. I love books where you want to read based on the cover! So many awesome covers out there!

      Also, thank you for pinning the recipe. If you try it, will you tell me what you think?

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