The Romance of the Holidays

Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop!

Welcome, blog hoppers. Perhaps we've never met. I'm Anne Holly by name and holiday writer by trade (eight or nine of my titles are "holiday books"), quite by accident - almost.

I have written before about what I like so much about holiday romance, though I never did intend on devoting so much of my writing career to this little faux subgenre. They just seem so magical to me – especially the autumn and winter ones, with their natural beauties. To write a holiday romance is to instantly connect with a well of emotions, memories and shared myths, and that’s a wonderful thing.

I once wrote about A Christmas Carol and how it gathers up so much of what’s special about the holidays:

Christmas is the time when we have in our collective subconscious the two extremes –the optimistic Christmas lover, Tiny Tim, and the misanthropic cold hearted Scrooge, who wasn’t really a bad guy deep down. Really, he was just hurt by life. Now, most well-adjusted people fall some place in between, but those two extremes represent the spectrum of romance: Someone full of love, and someone who has had the love beaten out of them. Those are the characters to which I am naturally drawn – and the redemption that is achieved when the one overcomes the other, and the romance that pools in their bond when it all works out right in the end. This is likely the main reason I write so much about the holidays. It is a time of salvaging the human from the ravages of plans gone wrong, of love unrequited and of tragedy spilt over a life time.

I wrote that about two years ago, and I still believe it. I am an optimist at heart, but it doesn’t come easy. Anyone who retains optimism into adulthood knows that it’s a decision one makes – not to forget or ignore all the setbacks and knocks, but to push through them and not let them get you down. This is where I’m at. Refusing to let life make a Scrooge out of me.

I also believe that the magic of the holidays rests in its ability to heal up a bit of the wounds of the year, and to renew hearts and spirits. It’s no coincidence it’s at the end of every year. This is why I believe in the restoration of Scrooge, and why the ideas found in A Christmas Carol float around the edges of so many of my books.

In my first Christmas romance, Unwrapping Scrooge, I fully embraced the premise that Christmas can heal. In it, a successful yet gloomy writer must decide if he can unscrooge himself enough to woo an optimistic young exchange student before she returns to Canada – and she must decide if she can meet him halfway:

Smiling instead, he switched on the waffle iron, and considered the way she would look as she watched the snow. Being Canadian, perhaps she had a special relationship to it. He had begun to look at it differently, himself. What had previously been a cold, wet annoyance now appeared somewhat magical, blanketing them in sparkly privacy within their warm little bubble.

Of course, Molly would be a Christmas-lover—she even smelled like Christmas, all cinnamon and vanilla. For Kale, who never even really considered what Christmas meant, Molly was the human embodiment of the season. Bright, shiny, and fresh.

“I guess that would make me, what? Halloween?” He snickered at his own fanciful thoughts. “Not even that exciting—more like the August Bank Holiday.”

To this day, that book remains one of my favourites, and those characters still hang with me.

My subsequent books have been less obviously engaged with Scrooge, but I can still tell he’s there because he’s build right into the magic of the season for me. In Good for the Goose, a twice-shy professor must make the decision to risk her heart again or be weighed down by the pain of divorce forever.

My holiday erotic-romance anthology, All I Want, features six couples who have similar decisions, about happiness and pain, and the courage it takes to restore and be restored. It’s a theme I love, and one of the reasons I am such a romance fan, and a fan of holidays.

Maybe I’m naïve to still believe in the magic of the holidays, but I refuse to believe Black Friday and credit card bills are all we have to look forward to every year. If you think this way, too, or you’d like to, check out my books. And, of course, have a very happy holiday, and all the best for the New Year!

GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment on this post, and be entered to win. I’m giving away the winner’s choice of Unwrapping Scrooge, Good for the Goose, or All I Want: The Anne Holly-Day Collection. (18+) Plus, this blog hop has a slew of other great prizes along the route, as well as a pretty amazing grand prize! (Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you win.)

Charity: A Cowboy Romance for Thanksgiving

The holiday season is approaching fast, but before you break into the Christmas romances there's still Thanksgiving. Luckily, I have a book for that, too - Charity, a short erotic-romance for the turkey season!

Charity Miller has spent her whole life in an urban island surrounded by the wilds of Montana where she’s never ventured too far from her plans. But when she heads into the Big Snowy Mountains to square a land deal one chilly November, her normally-professional self fades away. Maybe it’s the mountain air or finally quitting her diet. Or maybe it’s “real-live-cowboy” Joshua Rollings and his many attractions that has her off balance.

Whatever it is, this Thanksgiving could give her a reason to be thankful for the rest of her life.

"It will definitely put you in the Thanksgiving mood!" 
- You Gotta Read Reviews.


Excerpt:

The next morning broke bright and clear, and Charity’s mood was considerably lighter than the day before. Despite being awakened by what sounded like a very chipper Kate Rollings singing an ear-splitting song to her housekeeper about a bicycle built for two, Charity had slept quite well.

She had an odd, heavy sensation that made her limbs feel like they were filled with warm syrup, but it wasn’t unpleasant. And she had faint memories of several dreams that were less than PG-13. When Joshua showed her to the room the night before, Charity noticed the odd way he’d looked from her to the bed and then averted his eyes. Clearly it must have put some very scandalous ideas in her head. Nevertheless, the fresh, cool air inspired sleep and the dreams were satisfying enough.

The bed was huge and comfortable and the room cheerful and airy. Charity was grateful to have her own bathroom and shower and paused a moment to look out the big windows over the pasture lands while drying her hair. It wasn’t snowing and there was barely a wisp of cloud in the sky, so viewing the property in question might even be a pleasant task. When Joshua informed her that the Retreat was accessible by Jeep, instead of horseback as she’d initially feared, she almost started to look forward to it.

Over a mountainous breakfast of eggs and ham that would have made her personal trainer gag, Joshua related some of the land’s history to Charity while his mother concentrated on buttering enough toast to fill an army.

There was a lodge located on the property dating back to 1946. It had replaced the first cabin built by Eli Rollings in 1869, which, by then, had been used as a hunting camp by generations of Rollings men. Joshua told her that there wasn’t much left of the original site aside from an old stone well. It seemed the previous masters of the Rollings spread, Joshua’s grandfather and father, always suspected times would force them to sell the valuable land at some point, so they’d made sure the only thing left there was the new lodge and fond memories.

“There’s still the old grown-over sinkhole where the original outhouse used to be,” Joshua teased with a chuckle as she climbed into his four wheeled truck, “if you’d like to tour that.”

“I think I can do without that, thanks,” Charity responded with a laugh. “I’m a bit of a history buff, but more of the public television variety than the kind that snoop into pioneer plumbing or lack thereof.”

“City girl,” he teased, slamming the truck door and reaching for his seatbelt. She smiled when he finally tossed a Stetson on, thinking the image was now complete.

~*~

Available now on Kindle, Nook, and other ebook formats, for only $1.99.

Find it on GoodReads!

Charity is also available in my ebook/paperback collection, ALL I WANT: The Anne Holly-Day Collection. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Halloween!

When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
‘tis near Halloween.

Have a great Halloween!

Authors! Upcoming Promo Ops on this Blog

It's time again to make a submission call for a few holiday festivities here on my blog.

 

Coming Soon: October 30, 2012: "It Was The Scariest Thing" Megapost

A nice simple one: Authors, to set some spooky atmosphere, send me a few lines about what you think is the scariest thing, book, movie, nightmare, whatever.

Just send me your "Scariest Thing" statement, your name, a title and genre (if applicable) of one of your books, one picture (of yourself or the cover of your most Halloweeny book), and a link to your blog or website. Open to all genres!


Please email me at anneholly2010 (at) gmail (dot) com by October 27th!

~*~

December 4 and 6, 2012: Holiday Showcase I & II

These two days, I will be posting spotlights for holiday-related books (featuring Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, New Years, Boxing Day, etc), of any genre or format.

Each book will have its own post and comments field, so you can feel free to do a giveaway if you want, which you will administer. I will post one an hour or two (or every half hour, if I get a lot of submissions) each day, from 8am until about 6-8pm (first come, first served). (Giveaways should run until 11.59pm that night, regardless of post time, with winners announced the next day.)

If you'd like to participate, email me, including your book's blurb and cover along with your pic and bio, and all the links you want - particularly a buy link. If you want to do a giveaway of any form (the book in question, a different book, a giftcard, whatever), you should include that, as well.

You can also include an excerpt of about 300-800 words (max, please), if you wish, but nothing too explicit, please. (Aim for about PG-13, though your links, etc, don't have to be.)

I'd really like to punch the heck out of this to get the December season off to a bang, so the more books the merrier, I think. Please, send me any holiday/winter related books, and I will start scheduling them as they come in.

Email me at anneholly2010 (at) gmail (dot) com by December 1 or 2, please.

~*~

As usual, these shots are open to all genres, all forms of publishing, etc. It is open to both authors and publishers. As usual, these posts will be promoted on my social media, etc, and may involve some extra Facebook elements. Please feel free to share this offer with anyone who might be interested. All are welcome!

Also: BOLO in 2013 for calls for Valentine's Day and St Patrick's Day showcases, as well.

Celebrating Thanksgiving with a Giveaway!

Here in Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated in October, so Monday I will be enjoying my tators and soy chicken with a side of cranberry sauce. I'll likely even submit to my yearly pumpkin intake (gross, I know, but tradition, tradition...).

Here on the blog, I'm celebrating all weekend by flogging my Thanksgiving title, Charity, an erotic-romance (with a cowboy) - and I'm also giving away a copy as a thanks to you!

"Charity Miller has spent her whole life in an urban island surrounded by the wilds of Montana where she’s never ventured too far from her plans. But when she heads into the Big Snowy Mountains to square a land deal one chilly November, her normally-professional self fades away. Maybe it’s the mountain air or finally quitting her diet. Or maybe it’s “real-live-cowboy” Joshua Rollings and his many attractions that has her off balance. Whatever it is, this Thanksgiving could give her a reason to be thankful for the rest of her life."

If you're interested in winning a copy of Charity in PDF (and you're 18+), please leave a comment at any point between now and Monday night (I'll have a sample on Sunday), and you'll be entered (once per comment!). Your comment(s) can be anything you want - your favourite Thanksgiving food (even if it's pumpkin, you weirdo), or just plain "Hey, I'd love to read that!"

A book about family, love, gratitude, and giving, You Gotta Read said of Charity that it's "a perfect way to get in the holiday spirit", and I hope the book will work for you as we roll into the Holidays once again.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

Charity is available as a single short in ebook, and is one of the six stories found in my new anthology All I Want: The Anne Holly-Day Collection, available now in ebook and coming soon to paperback!

Charity is also available for review. If you're interested in receiving a review copy, please email me!

Hello, October

October is here, blindsiding me as September seemingly just zipped by. Finally, my favourite month of the year! October isn't even my birthday month, but I do love it. Not only do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October, but my other favourite holiday, Halloween, is coming close. Besides all that, the weather in October is the best for me - no longer hot and humid, but nice and crisp, yet not yet slushy! It's lovely here these days, and I'm getting as much outside time as I can before the winter winds start to blow.

October is also the start of my "promo season," considering that at least seven of my titles focus on holidays falling between October and February, so this month should be a bit fun around the old blog - two holidays, a special book anniversary on the 10th, and a new release on the 3rd! I hope you'll join me.

Happy October, all! Enjoy the strolling weather and the seasonal fun.

Happy New Year!

A blessed Rosh Hashanah to all those who celebrate!

Jewish Year 5773: sunset September 16, 2012 - nightfall September 18, 2012

L'shanah tovah!

Enjoy the Final Long Weekend of Summer!

Happy 4th!

Wishing a terrific Independence Day to all my American friends!

(I think it's time to dig out the John Adams DVDs again.)

Please, jump on over to Rebel Ink's FB Fan Page and show them some love!

An Extra #samplesunday for Canada Day

Happy Canada Day to all my friends, family, readers and fellow writers! 

To celebrate, here's a sample of my contemporary romance novel bringing some sizzle to the Canadian North, Strings Attached.

"You want to heal me, like one of your stray dogs..."

When Canadian rancher Josie Sergeant gets a call from her brother announcing his impetuous decision to marry, she has her reservations. But, when her brother’s would-be brother-in-law swoops in from Australia to stop the wedding, Josie has no choice but to defend the family.

Theo Sabich is bull-headed and dangerously sexy, but also damaged beyond repair… or so he thinks. He enjoys getting on Josie’s nerves, but when he finds her getting under his skin he must decide - face his demons and grab this last chance for happiness or bury himself in his lonely Outback ranch once and for all.

Under the northern lights, their attraction ignites beyond their control, and Josie finds that a one-time “no strings attached” release of passion is easier said than done when love is hanging by a thread.

But how will they bridge the difference between two worlds, let alone conquer the wounds of the past and find the courage to live again?

~*~

Josie led him away from the house, allowing for his hobbled gait. Finally, she stopped and spread her arms out. “There!” She exclaimed it proudly, with small puffs of breath hanging white in the air. They were outside of the circle of light from the house, and Theo didn’t know what she meant for him to look at.

“What am I supposed to be seeing?”

“There,” she grabbed him, and pointed up, “look!

In the sky, a glowing milky-blue and green belt danced in the heavens. Clouds, shining in their reflected light, moved as if making way.

“What…?”

“Aurora borealis. The northern lights.”

Theo couldn’t imagine that there were places in the world where such things regularly appeared. The light seemed to flow like water, blue changed into white, and vivid green ribbons highlighted the ripples.

“Amazing,” he whispered several times.

Josie watched Theo’s face. She was glad that he liked this place. She knew it was impressive, astounding even her and she’d been born here. To a man from a dry and hot frontier, it must seem like magic.

And Theo saw it that way.

Suddenly, as if a Hollywood director had ordered it, a lone wolf howled in the distance. The effect was magnificent.

“True North, strong and free... ” Josie sighed, quoting the Canadian anthem in a breathless whisper.

Theo stood in awe of the wild beauty to which he bore witness. There were people who went their whole lives without witnessing something like this, and he was grateful to Josie for showing it to him.

“I can see why you love this place,” he looked down at her. “I could too, and I’m only just come.”

The air was thick with the words. Yes, Josie thought, I want you to love it, too. But she left the words unspoken. Mostly because she wasn’t sure why she meant them so strongly. Instead, she removed her glove, and reached up to put her fingertips to his jaw line. He hadn’t shaved, and bristly reddish stubble tantalized her hand. Green eyes captured golden ones, and both shone with the sky’s light. Josie raised herself up, laying herself vulnerable for his rejection, but he didn’t spurn her. He lowered his head to hers, and grasped her waist through her wool mack.

Her hands ran through that thick curly hair she’d longed to touch, and she pressed her lips to his. Slowly, hotly, their lips and breath mingled, and the tingle of it danced along their mouths as the light did in the sky. Josie worked a hand beneath his jacket and under his shirt where she found the warm skin of his strong back. She wanted this kiss as she wanted every next breath. She made a small, urging noise in her throat, primitive in its demand for more.

Theo’s big hand slid with surprising softness from her hip. It paused on her belly for a moment, then leaving it for the ridge of her rib cage. Up it traveled, until it grazed just beneath the softness of her breast.

Sighing, Theo deepened the kiss, demanding as much as she could give.

Josie responded in kind, opening her lips in bold invitation. This time he accepted.

The kiss invaded her senses and searched her mouth for its secrets, and she offered no resistance. Josie reveled in the masculine sound of his breath, as it came now in quiet, but excited huffs. The soft sounds of their lips on one another were like the finest music to her. It caused her heart to thump against her chest, as if it were calling to his.

It lasted seconds or minutes, she didn’t know, but it ended too quickly. He lifted his head and watched the deprivation slide across her features.

She opened dazzled eyes, lidded with not-yet-abandoned arousal.

“Christ,” he whispered.

Josie smiled up to him. She could tell by his face that he was far from unaffected by that kiss. But he sat her away from him and straightened to his full height, taking a staggering step back from her.

“I...” he started, but stopped. Finally he just limped away, back into the house.

Josie blinked after him. Untried feelings still coursed through her veins, and now he was gone. She felt bereft. He was running from her, again. Mentally, she rolled up her sleeves, and followed him in.

Happy Canada Day!

Blog Fail

Okay, so I have not been keeping up with the blog. I was keeping busy with the Valentine's Day promo push, and work, and mothering, and writing... etc. On top of all that, I will soon have the first major edits for the summer release to dive into. Whew. I will continue to try to do better, and I hope to soon start sharing tidbits from my new WIP with you as it progresses. To be honest, it's taking up all my "spare time" at the moment, which is good for me as a writer, and good for readers someday (I hope), but not great for the blog. Sorry!

Happy Family Day to those of you in Ontario, and I think my American friends also have President's Day today. We're also on Spring Break here at the university, which means no classes, but tons of marking for me. sigh. Well, whatever the cause to celebrate or kick your shoes off, a long weekend is sorely needed! I hope you're all enjoying!

Take care, and thanks for checking in.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing all my readers and fellow book people a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend.

Much love and warmth to you all.

Holiday Memories (with Giveaway)

Welcome, RomFan Reviews blog hoppers!

I chuckled when Annette told me that the theme for this blog hop was to be “holiday memories,” because there’s only one thing that comes to mind… and I’m not sure if people really want to hear about it. In retrospect, given this Thing that comes to mind, it’s kind of a surprise I have become a “holiday romance writer.” (That’s not all I write, but I’ve kind of overdone it on the holidays, so that’s becoming my reputation.)

You see, this Thing that came to mind was – wait for it – throwing up.

I know, a bit on the TMI side, but this really is my firmest holiday memory – because, you see, it happens every single damn year, or at least it seemed to, until recently.

When I was a kid, there were two things I loved that we only ever had at the holidays – grapes and soda pop. They were too expensive, and “special,” so my parents only got them at Christmas. I recall us keeping the 2L pop bottles under the kitchen table in December, and how I used to count the days until Christmas so we could crack one of those suckers. I don’t know why I liked pop so much. Perhaps it was simply because I wasn’t allowed to have it the rest of the year. And grapes, well, those things are simply awesome. So, the result of gorging myself, every year on these things? Almost ever year – possibly every year – I would consume so much that I made myself ill, and Boxing Day always found me waking up a bit green from my adventures. Holidays are often seasons of excess, and I am no saint.

A few years ago, this excess came in the form of a roast chicken. I am a vegetarian, and I have been since I was fourteen years old. I refuse to tell you how long that is, exactly, but rest assured it has been a long while. But, when I got pregnant, I decided I would go with my cravings, within reason, in case they were my body’s way of telling me I was lacking things. I had an extremely healthy pregnancy on a careful vegetarian diet – except for one, ill-advised night when I was about seven months along. Christmas Eve 2007.

That night, I was craving roast bird. Not turkey, since I have always hated turkey, even when I used to eat meat. I wanted chicken. I always loved chicken, and it was the hardest of the meats to give up, I admit. That Christmas eve, when looking at a Swiss Chalet delivery menu, I cracked. I love their perogies, so that was my original intent… But I knew they were famous for their wonderful chicken. And I picked a chicken dinner with all the fixins’. Call it pregnant lady insanity, but there I sat, gorging myself on dead bird and dressing. I was in heaven.

Not so much about 2am that night when my chicken dinner left my body of its own accord. Let’s just say the chicken and I had a horrible breakup that left me lying helpless and crying on the bathroom floor for about an hour. Merry Christmas to me!

As it turns out, that would not be the only time my son would have me up and sobbing at 2am. However, it was the last time the Christmas Up-Chuck Curse hit. Since then, my holidays have passed relatively uneventful, as far as gastrointestinal discomfort is concerned.

Why? I don’t know. Perhaps I have learned a few lessons about the size of my eyes in relation to the size of my stomach. That would be nice. I have no desire to carry on the tradition.

And that’s the most striking memory that comes to mind when people ask me about my most memorable holiday. I’ve had many good and bad holiday experiences, but this Thing really is hard to beat.

Oh, and the grapes? My son and I still ring in every New Year with a big bowl of them. With ginger ale soda. But we don’t overdo it. Some traditions don’t warrant getting handed down through the generations.

Happy New Year, one and all!

*

Leave a comment and tell me about your worst or most humiliating holiday moment for a chance to win a Kindle copy of my New Years erotic-romance, Bubbly, via Amazon. Winner will be drawn Dec 31, 2011.

*

Anne Holly is a Canadian writer of romance and erotic-romance, as well as a mother and teacher. She is the author of the novel Strings Attached, which was described by The Romance Reviews as “a classic contemporary romance.” She has been published by Wild Horse Press, Decadent Publishing and Rebel Ink Press, and in 2012 by Pink Petal Books. Anne’s work is characterized by its unusual heroes, sweet/spicy balance, witty dialogue, responsible citizenship, and its positive, optimistic nature. She has found a particular niche in holiday romance. You may visit Anne at her blog or website, or find her on GoodReads, Facebook and Twitter  (@anneholly2010). Sign up for her newsletter here. Email her at anneholly2010@gmail.com.

Keeping the Season of Giving all Year Long

Many people donate to the homeless and struggling during the holiday season, which is wonderful. December is a difficult time for many families, who must balance their everyday needs and heating costs with that of the holidays. Thank you very much if you are among the thousands who donate to homeless shelters, food banks and soup kitchens around Thanksgiving and Christmas time. You have no idea how much a hot meal, or an unwrapped present, can mean to someone who would otherwise not have one.

However, community needs don't end with Christmas. Winter is a very demanding time for food banks and hamper programs due to the high costs of keeping warm and the necessity of extra transportation demands, which drain the resources of many fixed income families. But the need doesn't go away at any point of the year.

The Food Bank of Waterloo Region serves over 26,000 people directly, as well as numerous agencies and hamper programs. This is why I donate all year long. I especially enjoy the convenience of their bagged grocery program, which enables me to fill one of their paper bags provided at participating grocery stores in the area, pay for them, and drop it into the donation bin - it's that easy to help fill stomachs of struggling families in our area. Some months, my budget is a bit thin, but there's rarely a month or week I can't afford a bottle of peanut butter and a few extra cans of soup!

Now that Christmas is over, I ask you to remember the less fortunate all year, and to remind others. Boxing Day was traditionally the day for the upper class to give presents of money, food and items to the less fortunate, and to give their employees some extra luxuries, such as a day off and new livery. Now, it seems it's all about hitting the sales and/or returning ill-advised gifts. I'd like to ask you to take a moment and make a donation to a social service organization, which have been drained by the demands of the holidays and will soon face many of their once-a-year donation drives dry up. If you gave over the holidays, I thank you - but I'm going to ask you to do it again. If you possibly can, any little bit helps - all year long.

Make giving food a regular part of your life. It will make you feel great, and improves the lives of so many.

If you'd like to give a donation to the Waterloo Region food bank, you can do so online here.

And thanks!

Joyous Kwanzaa!

Habari Gani?

Kawaida

Umoja (Unity)

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)

Nia (Purpose)

Kuumba (Creativity)

Imani (Faith)

Happy Hanukkah!

"Nes Gadol Hayah Sham."

Welcome Christmas Blog Hoppers!

Today and all weekend long, we welcome the "Stuff your Stockings" blog hoppers! Hopefully some of you know me, and a hearty hello to those just now meeting me!

Cheer Up, Christmas Grumps!

For those of you who do know me, it's no surprise that I'm fond of Christmas books. In fact, I love romance novels focusing on all holidays - I've written about at least five holidays, myself, and I keep going back to the well of seasonal wonder. I used to love reading holiday books as a teen, and still do. I have a big pile of Christmas romances to burn through this vacation.

One of the things I like best in my holiday romance is the misanthropy. Yes, I know what that word means, and no, it's not a typo.

Misanthropy (noun): The dislike of humanity; the opposite of philanthropy.

So, basically, there's Nephew Fred (philanthropist) and Uncle Scrooge (misanthropist) - until he was reformed, that is.

And that's the part I love most! I love grumpy characters in Christmas books. I love watching them squirm and sneer when confronted by some disgustingly cheerful Christmas-lover-do-gooder, and I love watching them melt. They just seem so realistic to me, since I see this happen over and over again as the people around me adjust to the whole "peace on earth" atmosphere every December.

In my book Unwrapping Scrooge, I have a rumpled and grumpy reclusive writer - sexy, sure, but also fairly eccentric and cynical (which, to me, makes him even sexier, but I'm weird that way). Instead of growing cold through the pursuit of wealth, he's been made cold growing up wealthy. He's all too certain that all interaction has a bottom line to it some place, and he's decided to have no part in it. That is, of course, until he meets a cheerful young Canadian Christmas-lover who melts him (and unwraps him). Gee, I wonder who she's based on...? *ahem*

Yes, I know real life doesn't have many easy, long-lasting transformations, sadly. But one of the great things about fiction is that we can fix the things we don't like about real life, right? And think how great it would be if those holiday reformations would last 364 days a year!

So, happy holidays, and try not to get bogged down in buying stuff and cooking stuff, and meeting family members who seem designed to destroy your cheer. Tell someone how special they are, focus on what actually matters, and restore/renew for 2012.

ETA: New SAMPLES of my Christmas stories on my holiday website for Sample Sunday!

My question to you - what gets you in the holiday spirit? Comment before the end of the blog hop on December 18 for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card from me - to spend on yourself, mind, so don't go blowing it on stuff for other people. Your uncle really doesn't need a set of digital golf tees.

Then follow on to meet the nearly 200 other bloggers giving stuff away, and have yourself a wonderful holiday!
*
Anne Holly is a Canadian writer of romance and erotic romance, and author of Strings Attached, Unwrapping Scrooge and a five-story holiday series from Rebel Ink Press. You can visit her website, her holiday story website, follow her on Twitter or on FB, or sign up for her monthly newsletter to keep in touch.

General News

How can it already be mid-December? The days are simply flying past these days, even though my lack of sleep these days also make parts of the week crawl by. In Real Life, I am up to my neck marking, trying to get the term papers marked by this weekend so I can be shod of this class before the holidays. It's going slowly, but surely. At least the exams are all marked and done, so I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I also  finished my holiday shopping, aside from groceries, and am looking forward to getting in some R&R very soon.

In the meantime, I have some news that I felt I should quickly run down...

First, I have a new contract all signed and off in the post. It might have even arrived, depending on whether the snail mail cart was pulled by one mule or two. I have signed my newest full length novel off to Pink Petal Books, a new company to me - but not a new company, itself. In fact, it's fairly established for an ebook company, and I am very pleased. They seem to like the book, my editor seems friendly and enthusiastic, and the company seems to have a good reputation for contemporary romance, which seems to be fading with other companies. Yes, I am very pleased.

The book, currently entitled Textbook Romance, is the story of Liberty, an anti-romance university prof, and a wonderful single father who seeks to change her mind. I confess a lot of it takes place over Christmas, but I have opted to release it for Father's Day, since Seth's dadhood is such a huge, adorable part of his character. It will be out in ebook in June, with luck, and in paperback in September 2012. I am thrilled to have another contract to look forward to - I was getting antsy, since my Rebel Ink series finished off.

Second, I guess it was that ARe newsletter interview, and possibly all the appearances I've been doing, but Unwrapping Scrooge has taken off in a big way! I'm very happy, but a little confused, since the book came out last year. But, hey, I'm certainly not complaining - it's been great, and I'm seeing the sales in general go up. Perhaps someone liked Unwrapping Scrooge so much they decided to try the others? Who knows! Whatever is going on, I'm grateful.

Third, I have hired a PR company, Sizzling PR, to book a month long blog tour for me and my Valentine's Day book V-Day, so that's exciting. It sounds so grown up and professional, doesn't it? It was certainly affordable, so we'll see if it results in a few sales. V-Day is a good little book (in my humble, totally-unbiased opinion), so I hope it gives it the leg up it deserves. I am also running a month-long promo on TRR for Strings Attached all of January, so hopefully we can create a bit of synergy between all the books. I'm learning as I go.

(I am open to guest shots and interviews of all sorts for Jan-Feb, and then again all summer, so contact me if you have spots open!)

I will be around a lot over the next few weeks, still promoting the Christmas books, along with the New Years book. Please come on back this weekend for the blog hop, and keep an eye out for the other blog hops and blogfests and interviews and guest posts and reviews, etc, etc, etc, that I have going on. (See the "Events" tab above.) To be honest, I can't remember everything off the top of my head any more.

Well, back to marking. Thanks for checking in. I'm glad I managed a little news update today. Some fairly invigorating new developments, no?

Take care, and happy holidays to all!

Sample Sunday: Charity

Charity, a short sensual romance for Thanksgiving.


Charity Miller has spent her whole life in an urban island surrounded by the wilds of Montana where she’s never ventured too far from her plans. But when she heads into the Big Snowy Mountains to square a land deal one chilly November, her normally-professional self fades away. Maybe it’s the mountain air or finally quitting her diet. Or maybe it’s “real-live-cowboy” Joshua Rollings and his many attractions that has her off balance.

Whatever it is, this Thanksgiving could give her a reason to be thankful for the rest of her life.

EXCERPT:

“Sorry,” Joshua said softly, as her eyes opened the next morning.

“Hmmm?” she asked as she stretched. Her muscles bore a new soreness that hadn’t been there before. His sex had been rough, manful, and even she felt delicate in its wake.

He traced a small, blue mark on the inside of her arm with a fingertip, his touch now lighter than a feather on her ravaged body.

“I shouldn’t have...”

“Shhhh,” she said, pressing a kiss to his beloved lips. “I certainly didn’t mind,” she offered, smiling. “It was your turn to use me.” The gentle whisper of her voice took the bitterness out of the words and she put an arm behind his head to pull him into a hug.

“I should’ve treated you more gently,” he said, but the self-condemnation in his voice was easing. He bent over her and without meaning to, she knew their need was rising again, only this time like a soft breeze instead of a storm.

“I hate to ruin the mood,” she whispered into his neck, “but I really gotta pee.”

Laughing, he rolled back over on to the mattress and let her up.

“Good God, girl,” he groaned, his eyes pinned on her nude body padding towards the bathroom. “You’re good enough to eat – you better get back to this bed, pronto. I’ve got another need.”

Giggling at his compliments, Charity hurried to the washroom, “You better save some of that appetite for turkey,” she tossed over her shoulder as an afterthought.

“Oh, shit,” he groaned. “It’s Thanksgiving, isn’t it?”

She laughed as she closed the bathroom door, knowing he was contemplating lunch with a whole house filled with old biddies invited by Daisy and Kate which meant having to mind his manners when he least felt like it.

They’d have their morning in bed but she had some work to do. Whether Joshua liked it or not, Charity was going to help save him from himself.

For more info, please visit my Seasonal Tales page.

Happy Holidays!

Help Needed - Boxing Day Charity Drive

I'm looking for any bloggers (or people with blogs, if you don't care for the title) who would like to participate in a charity drive on December 26, 2011 with me.

Boxing Day was traditionally the day when upper class people would distribute their leftovers and used goods to their employees or poor families, and when servants had a day off for Christmas. Maybe that doesn't sound all that great, but the spirit of giving is still an important part of Christmas and beyond.

On Dec 26, I will blog about food banks, and follow through with a donation of my own. No less than $25 and up to at least $50 will be donated. I wish it could be more, but we're not so well off. This is why I thought I could beg anyone out there to join me, and donate to their local food bank or community pantry, so I can feel I am helping more than my pocket will allow right now.

If you want to help, just post a plea for your local food bank, homeless shelter, soup kitchen, or other worthy cause, with a link, and pledge a donation amount. Even if you can't afford a lot, spreading the word, encouraging others to donate, and giving what you can may mean a great deal to a person or family in need.

The holiday season is such a drain for food banks, they are always in serious need after Christmas. As a child, my family often relied on charity boxes when things were tight, and I so appreciate the work these organizations do.

If you are interested, please let me know so I can link your blog on December 26.

Thank you!