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Lone Star Christmas ... And Other Gifts
Lone Star Christmas...And Other Gifts by Diana Palmer\Joan Johnston released on Sep 24, 1999 is available now for purchase.
- GenresRomance
384 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1999
50 people want to read
About the author
Diana Palmer
1,041 books3,097 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Diana Palmer is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle.
(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
Diana Palmer is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle.
(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 29, 2010
Blech. I don't like Diana Palmer. Her writing it okay, it's her characters I can't stand. They all start to read the same after a while: the jaded man who acts like a jerk, but only because the heroine makes him so horny he can't help himself; the sweet young innocent virgin who is taught by the jaded man the wonderful thing called sex. I tried both of her stories (CHRISTMAS COWBOY and REDBIRD) and couldn't be bothered to finish either of them.
I had higher hopes for Joan Johnston's stories as I'm a fan of hers. A HAWK'S WAY CHRISTMAS started off well. While it's the old cliche of "hero and heroine pretend to be engaged but end up falling in love for real" theme, it's a guilty pleasure of mine, and I was enjoying it. But the hero really ticked me off. His first wife had betrayed him, and he found out after she died that their four-year-old daughter is not biologically his. So now he doesn't love her anymore. Excuse me??? How could he let the fact that their DNA doesn't match make him no longer stand to be around her? She's an innocent child! If he loved her for four years, surely he could still love her. While I understand that it would be hard knowing that she's not biologically his, it was just too much. After the dozenth time he thought about how it was impossible to love her (yes, the author actually used the word impossible), I gave up. I wanted to punch him in the nose. I felt so sorry for the little girl, being ignored and all but abandoned by her father for something that was not her fault.
TAMING THE LONE WOLF could have been a good story, but it was way too rushed. After the setup, the writer threw the characters in bed together. No character development, no interactions between them. In one scene, the hero is leaving the house. Next scene, it's weeks later, he comes back and they start having sex. I've got no problem with sex in books, but at least do some buildup! The dance of attraction is the best part of a romance novel, and I felt like I'd been cheated out of it.
I had higher hopes for Joan Johnston's stories as I'm a fan of hers. A HAWK'S WAY CHRISTMAS started off well. While it's the old cliche of "hero and heroine pretend to be engaged but end up falling in love for real" theme, it's a guilty pleasure of mine, and I was enjoying it. But the hero really ticked me off. His first wife had betrayed him, and he found out after she died that their four-year-old daughter is not biologically his. So now he doesn't love her anymore. Excuse me??? How could he let the fact that their DNA doesn't match make him no longer stand to be around her? She's an innocent child! If he loved her for four years, surely he could still love her. While I understand that it would be hard knowing that she's not biologically his, it was just too much. After the dozenth time he thought about how it was impossible to love her (yes, the author actually used the word impossible), I gave up. I wanted to punch him in the nose. I felt so sorry for the little girl, being ignored and all but abandoned by her father for something that was not her fault.
TAMING THE LONE WOLF could have been a good story, but it was way too rushed. After the setup, the writer threw the characters in bed together. No character development, no interactions between them. In one scene, the hero is leaving the house. Next scene, it's weeks later, he comes back and they start having sex. I've got no problem with sex in books, but at least do some buildup! The dance of attraction is the best part of a romance novel, and I felt like I'd been cheated out of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2018
Cover: 1/5 (Don't like it)
Story: 1/5 (Didn't like it)
One word review: No.
**There will be spoilers**
So this is a collection of 4 stories about 100 pages each by two different authors. I've read one Diana Palmer book and really enjoyed it, but I haven't heard of the other author Joan Johnston. This book was a find at a library book sale where my intent was to buy all the cheesy holiday romances I could find. I don't particularly like short stories and I really don't seem to like short stories in the romance genre. The main way they get through the stories is insta-love... and I really don't like it. It's rarely done well.
This particular collection was published in 1999 and it shows. The first two stories have men who are jerks and women who are virgins who like to call themselves "green." The men rant about how all women nowadays (the 90's) sleep around and sex means nothing to them and that's how society is. Blah blah blah. But not these special snowflakes that are the heroines. Apparently they are the last virgins on the planet. They also are in their 20's and don't have to seem any idea as to what sex involves. None at all. It's so bizarre. But don't worry! The men are here to teach them. In amazingly cringey ways. Blech. Anyway, in the beginning the men don't believe these women are virgins and are bitter af about it and treat them like crap. It was super annoying to read. Overall, I didn't like any of the heroes. The heroines were just a little too perfect. The romances/insta-love was gross. I'll rate them separately, but that's the overall feeling.
Christmas Cowboy (Diana Palmer): Yikes. This was not a good start to this book. This was the freaking weirdest "romance" I've read in quite some time. It was not romantic in any way. This guy screws around (no sex, but close) with a teenage girl, calls her a tease and a liar when she says she's a virgin, and "runs her out of town" in shame. She comes back 8 years later and she's all "Oh I just could never forget him!" She states several times how much he scared her, but yet her desire overcomes her! He's a recluse who's also conveniently rich, but when she comes back to town he's all up in her business and sends his brothers out to fetch her (I don't even know) and they also are apparently never in town. Oh the brothers... it was so ridiculous I had to laugh. Once. They are in their 30's and act like a bunch of teenagers whose mama needs to feed them. I think it was supposed to be endearing, but it was just pathetic. All they do is talk about freaking biscuits. In fact, these mystery brothers are apparently known for their obsession with biscuits!!! What the actual f*ck. Then the hero, Corrigan, starts telling her that his brothers are dead set on her becoming his wife just so she can make them biscuits. "You should have never told them you could cook." What a gem of a family. The brothers start setting up a wedding even though she hasn't been asked or said yes to getting married. Again, I think this is supposed to make us go "Awww!" No. Meanwhile, Corrigan is completely going along with this even though she repeatedly says don't let them force you to marry me. Never mind that she deserves the actual proposal! And he's just chuckling at the silly woman "Once my brothers want something, they get it. har har har" Oh it was so bad. And stupid. When the inevitable misunderstanding happens, she runs off. They panic... cause who's going to make their biscuits??? So they have a State Trooper arrest her! It was sooooooooo bad. When that doesn't work, the brothers f*cking kidnap her. And they don't do it with care. They literally put her in a sack and tie her up! Corrigan comes in and to deal with it, he just starts making out with her. And she's fighting him off, but that doesn't deter him. He says "I love you" and she gives in. Good grief. I could not stand either of them. The sex scene was awkward and weird. A lot of him saying weirdly obvious things and it was so cringey. I'm getting annoyed. I have to stop talking about this one. 1 star
Redbird (Diana Palmer) This one wasn't as bad as the first, but it had that same "You're a 26 year old virgin?! This is the 90's!!" This also had the same wtf aspect to it when he literally kidnaps this girl and she's like "Oh my!" That's it. Then she starts making him breakfast. It's ridiculous. The rest of it was was okay even though it was totally unbelievable how they started off. 2 stars.
A Hawk's Way Christmas (Joan Johnston) This is a novella that is a part of a bigger series and for some reason the insta-love was slightly more believable. I did not like the hero though. His feelings toward his daughter made him incredibly unattractive to me. And then when he decides he loves her again (barf) at the end, we don't even get it from his perspective to explain this change of emotions. The heroine tells him that she can't be with him if he doesn't love his own daughter because she's pregnant with another guy's baby. That's the reason. Not because he finds it impossible to love a 4 year old girl that he's raised. Whatever. Don't like him. Anyway, she asks him (after he's decided he does love his daughter) whether he can love her baby too. He then starts talking to her stomach saying "Hey stop making your mom sick." Then he says to her that because he gave a lecture to her stomach, that's proof that he would be a good father. .......... Good. Lord. 2 stars.
Taming the Lone Wolf (Joan Johnston) This one was different because she wasn't a virgin, but that's about it. She meets him, breaks her wrist, and then says to go pick up her daughter. Who doesn't even know him. She doesn't even know him and is having him collect her daughter and her and bring them home to his house. Are you freaking kidding me?? She spends a few waking hours with him, he leaves for six weeks, comes back, and they are in bed within an hour of seeing each other. There was no romantic tension. No build up. They have sex and they "just know." He solves some crime that happened super quick. Confessions were made. Everything was wrapped up in a pretty bow. This story was only about 60 pages. I felt literally nothing for any of the characters. I hated the multiple wolf references. Cringe. 1 star.
So... in conclusion, I don't recommend. Unless you like short, insta-love romances with little to no character development. Then this is perfect for you! I certainly don't judge anyone who likes this book. Everyone is different and allowed their opinion. But I really don't understand the almost 4 star average on this one. Oh well. Glad it wasn't a miss for other people.
Reread? No. Unhauling this one and all the collections (shorter stories) of holiday romances I purchased. Lesson learned.
Challenges:
2018 Goodreads Challenge
Story: 1/5 (Didn't like it)
One word review: No.
**There will be spoilers**
So this is a collection of 4 stories about 100 pages each by two different authors. I've read one Diana Palmer book and really enjoyed it, but I haven't heard of the other author Joan Johnston. This book was a find at a library book sale where my intent was to buy all the cheesy holiday romances I could find. I don't particularly like short stories and I really don't seem to like short stories in the romance genre. The main way they get through the stories is insta-love... and I really don't like it. It's rarely done well.
This particular collection was published in 1999 and it shows. The first two stories have men who are jerks and women who are virgins who like to call themselves "green." The men rant about how all women nowadays (the 90's) sleep around and sex means nothing to them and that's how society is. Blah blah blah. But not these special snowflakes that are the heroines. Apparently they are the last virgins on the planet. They also are in their 20's and don't have to seem any idea as to what sex involves. None at all. It's so bizarre. But don't worry! The men are here to teach them. In amazingly cringey ways. Blech. Anyway, in the beginning the men don't believe these women are virgins and are bitter af about it and treat them like crap. It was super annoying to read. Overall, I didn't like any of the heroes. The heroines were just a little too perfect. The romances/insta-love was gross. I'll rate them separately, but that's the overall feeling.
Christmas Cowboy (Diana Palmer): Yikes. This was not a good start to this book. This was the freaking weirdest "romance" I've read in quite some time. It was not romantic in any way. This guy screws around (no sex, but close) with a teenage girl, calls her a tease and a liar when she says she's a virgin, and "runs her out of town" in shame. She comes back 8 years later and she's all "Oh I just could never forget him!" She states several times how much he scared her, but yet her desire overcomes her! He's a recluse who's also conveniently rich, but when she comes back to town he's all up in her business and sends his brothers out to fetch her (I don't even know) and they also are apparently never in town. Oh the brothers... it was so ridiculous I had to laugh. Once. They are in their 30's and act like a bunch of teenagers whose mama needs to feed them. I think it was supposed to be endearing, but it was just pathetic. All they do is talk about freaking biscuits. In fact, these mystery brothers are apparently known for their obsession with biscuits!!! What the actual f*ck. Then the hero, Corrigan, starts telling her that his brothers are dead set on her becoming his wife just so she can make them biscuits. "You should have never told them you could cook." What a gem of a family. The brothers start setting up a wedding even though she hasn't been asked or said yes to getting married. Again, I think this is supposed to make us go "Awww!" No. Meanwhile, Corrigan is completely going along with this even though she repeatedly says don't let them force you to marry me. Never mind that she deserves the actual proposal! And he's just chuckling at the silly woman "Once my brothers want something, they get it. har har har" Oh it was so bad. And stupid. When the inevitable misunderstanding happens, she runs off. They panic... cause who's going to make their biscuits??? So they have a State Trooper arrest her! It was sooooooooo bad. When that doesn't work, the brothers f*cking kidnap her. And they don't do it with care. They literally put her in a sack and tie her up! Corrigan comes in and to deal with it, he just starts making out with her. And she's fighting him off, but that doesn't deter him. He says "I love you" and she gives in. Good grief. I could not stand either of them. The sex scene was awkward and weird. A lot of him saying weirdly obvious things and it was so cringey. I'm getting annoyed. I have to stop talking about this one. 1 star
Redbird (Diana Palmer) This one wasn't as bad as the first, but it had that same "You're a 26 year old virgin?! This is the 90's!!" This also had the same wtf aspect to it when he literally kidnaps this girl and she's like "Oh my!" That's it. Then she starts making him breakfast. It's ridiculous. The rest of it was was okay even though it was totally unbelievable how they started off. 2 stars.
A Hawk's Way Christmas (Joan Johnston) This is a novella that is a part of a bigger series and for some reason the insta-love was slightly more believable. I did not like the hero though. His feelings toward his daughter made him incredibly unattractive to me. And then when he decides he loves her again (barf) at the end, we don't even get it from his perspective to explain this change of emotions. The heroine tells him that she can't be with him if he doesn't love his own daughter because she's pregnant with another guy's baby. That's the reason. Not because he finds it impossible to love a 4 year old girl that he's raised. Whatever. Don't like him. Anyway, she asks him (after he's decided he does love his daughter) whether he can love her baby too. He then starts talking to her stomach saying "Hey stop making your mom sick." Then he says to her that because he gave a lecture to her stomach, that's proof that he would be a good father. .......... Good. Lord. 2 stars.
Taming the Lone Wolf (Joan Johnston) This one was different because she wasn't a virgin, but that's about it. She meets him, breaks her wrist, and then says to go pick up her daughter. Who doesn't even know him. She doesn't even know him and is having him collect her daughter and her and bring them home to his house. Are you freaking kidding me?? She spends a few waking hours with him, he leaves for six weeks, comes back, and they are in bed within an hour of seeing each other. There was no romantic tension. No build up. They have sex and they "just know." He solves some crime that happened super quick. Confessions were made. Everything was wrapped up in a pretty bow. This story was only about 60 pages. I felt literally nothing for any of the characters. I hated the multiple wolf references. Cringe. 1 star.
So... in conclusion, I don't recommend. Unless you like short, insta-love romances with little to no character development. Then this is perfect for you! I certainly don't judge anyone who likes this book. Everyone is different and allowed their opinion. But I really don't understand the almost 4 star average on this one. Oh well. Glad it wasn't a miss for other people.
Reread? No. Unhauling this one and all the collections (shorter stories) of holiday romances I purchased. Lesson learned.
Challenges:
2018 Goodreads Challenge
January 4, 2023
Very good stories. They were set in Texas and I enjoyed reading books in those settings for a change. In fact, it's the first time I've read in that setting. Some of them were better than others.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews