August 11, 2021

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National bestselling and inspirational author’s holiday book about mental health in the Black church and community wins 2 Emma Rodgers Awards at the 2021 RSJ Convention.  

(Los Angeles, California) Christian romance novel, Christmas Dinner, by Pat Simmons takes the 2021 EMMA AWARD for Best Inspirational Romance of the Year and Book of the Year at the Romance Slam Jam convention, held August 9, 2021, virtually. It’s the first book in the Love Journey series. This is Simmons’ 4th book to receive the Best Inspirational Romance of the Year award: Still Guilty (2010), Crowning Glory (2011), The Confession (2016), and Christmas Dinner (2021).

About Christmas Dinner...

A damsel in distress who doesn’t know she needs more than one rescue.

How do you celebrate the holidays after losing a loved one? 

Take the journey, beginning with Christmas Dinner. For months, Darcelle Price has suffered depression in silence. But things are about to change as she plans to celebrate Christmas Eve with family and disclose her journey. Darcelle invites them via group text, not knowing she had included her ex. Evanston Giles is surprised to hear from the woman he loved after months following their breakup. Seeking closure, he shows up on her doorsteps for answers. A lot can happen on Christmas Eve. Restoring family ties, building her faith in God, and falling in love again are just the beginning of the night of miracles.

“Normally, my Christmas stories are a sweet novella. However, this time, I struggled with God’s deep message of healing and deliverance that couldn’t be confined to a hundred pages,” says St. Louis native Pat Simmons.

One reader describes this work…

“… an intensely relatable romance framed against the backdrop grief. Depression is hard, and it's important that we begin to discuss it as believers. The story (Christmas Dinner) resonates a lot with challenges that many people face in life. I love how the author makes us see what a life with Christ is like, how through it all His love endures, and we can walk through this life living faithful to the Word. That's Pat's special sauce.”

For more information about Pat’s books and her writing journey, visit www.PatSimmons.net

Pat Simmons is a multi-published Christian romance author of more than thirty titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She is a four-time recipient of the RSJ Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance. Christmas Dinner (was also an Emma Award winner for Book of the Year. Christmas Dinner and Here for You were featured in Woman’s World Magazine.

As a Christian, Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as a life-altering experience. She has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, and GPS-guided chauffeur. They have a son and a daughter. Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and worked in various positions in radio, television, and print media for more than twenty years. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net.

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Here for You gets "shout out" from Sisters

Here for You by Pat Simmons
Christian romance satisfies readers looking for a nonexplicit love story featuring characters who live by faith. Simmons has dozens of titles under her belt. In this second title in the Family Is Forever series, following Lean on Me, Simmons tells the story of Rachel and Nicholas, who are very good at taking care of others, but not so good at caring for themselves. In true romance-novel fashion, the two are challenged and face a crisis of faith. This biblically-based book is perfect for readers who love clean romance.

Read the full article

REPEAT. I was honored to have Here for You featured in the March 1, 2021, issue of Woman's World on page 8.

I'm humbled by this continued recognition. To God be the GLORY!

"God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think." Ephesians 3:20.

I was honored to have my Christmas release, Christmas Dinner, featured in the December 21, 2020, issue of Woman's World on page 8.

God did this. The Lord Jesus opened up this door of opportunity for the editor to pick and feature my indie published book. To God be the GLORY!

"God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think." Ephesians 3:20.

Together We Read is a Digital Book Club that is featuring participating libraries in United States. In February 2020, the Book Club pick was Lean on Me. Listen to the interview.

Article

Pat was honored to be featured in The Village Celebration, an online magazine founded by former St. Louis KMOV anchor Vickie Newton.

Read what Pat had to say about why she writes Christian romance.

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