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.)

Have a Decadent Christmas!

Here's a look at what new holiday delights Decadent Publishing is serving up this Christmas, to keep your winter nice and toasty... and they're even offering you a freebie (see below)!

A Very Russian Christmas 
by Krystal Shannon

For most of her adult life, bodyguards have shadowed Ksenia Sharanov, daughter of a Russian mobster. Her one serious relationship left her broken hearted when she learned he only sought her father’s power and money.

A ski vacation with her college roommates ends on a terrifying note. Her father’s enemies have been following her more closely than anyone could have anticipated. The mistake will cost a life…but will it cost her heart? Or will she find love in the arms of a complete stranger?

Matt O’Reilly, a retired Marine, generally keeps to himself. Working as a deputy in a small country sheriff’s office, provides just enough seclusion for him to cut himself off from his family’s pity and the heartache of losing his wife. He never thought love would be in the books for him again. Will the sudden arrival of a spunky dark-haired Russian beauty change his mind?

Coming Soon!

~*~

Dillon's Gift 

by A.J. Hawthorn

Stacy hasn’t celebrated a Christmas in years and has no reason to change her ways.  Dillon can’t understand why the most giving person he knows refuses to join in the holiday cheer.  He cooks up a plan that will leave them no choice but to spend the holidays together.

Yet, he doesn’t know Stacy as well as he thinks and there is an equal chance that things could backfire. An intentional gag gift mix up, a sexy game of Truth or Dare and a blizzard bring two friends together for a Christmas to remember.

Coming December 11!

~*~

Island Bound 

by Kiru Taye

Marriage has stripped their relationship of its thin, rose-tinted coating, and bared their monochromatic existence for what it was. Will Joshua and Christy get a second chance this holiday season?

When Christy Inemi-Spiff discovers that the man she vowed to love and honor has no such feelings for her, she is determined to cut her losses and move on with her life. A quick, quiet divorce is all she wishes for Christmas.

However, Joshua has other ideas. He’s not ready to walk away yet, especially when he doesn’t understand why Christy wants out of their marriage. So he demands she agree to spend a quiet Christmas on a remote African Island with him, hoping they can salvage their relationship. If she still wants a divorce after these two weeks, he will let her go. But not before he’s had his fill of her.

But with the sparking tension between them, and the secrets behind the disintegration of their marriage threatening to explode, will either of them get their wish? Or will this season of good will show them what really lies at the bottom of their hearts?

The first from Decadent's new Ubuntu line, coming soon!

~*~

Hot Winter Kiss

Irish Kisses Book 4

by Joanne Kenrick

Hot winter kisses to warm broken hearts….

Sick of tending to everyone else’s needs around the holidays, divorced barmaid and granny Sandra ferries it from London to Belfast. All she wants for Christmas is some peace with a romance story in front of a roaring fire in a remote Irish castle. What she gets is a most unexpected Christmas present from her friends at Bell’s—A 1Night Stand with a young Irishman.

Can she hack it in the real world of romance, or are life’s complications and treacherous snowstorms best left to the pages of a book?

Newly widowed Ardan Draighean owns Ballygalley castle. Once run as a hotel with his late wife, the stone building now serves as a home for him and his son. After hearing about Madame Eve’s matchmaking skills, he contacts her in search of the perfect match. Although much older than him—by fifteen years—Sandra is his ideal woman. He be damned if he’ll let a good story get in the way of his happy ever after with her.

Hot winter kisses are all this couple needs to stay warm this Christmas, but will the heat stay long after the magical season of mistletoe has finished?

~*~

And don't forget, I have a Christmas romance with Decadent, myself - my All Romance eBook bestselling novella Unwrapping Scrooge, available on ebook, Nook, Kindle, (and more!), and in the paperback anthology Yule Be Mine vol 2 along with three other Decadent holiday novellas!


Bestselling author Kale McKinnon is a modern Scrooge – eccentric, misanthropic and reclusive, made bitter by the coldness of his wealthy family. But when optimistic Canadian graduate student Molly Gillis visits Oxford and invades his space, he realizes Christmas is about to change for him forever. But can he make her stay, and force himself to un-Scrooge enough to be the right man for her?

HOLIDAY CONTEST!

To help you treat yourself right this holiday season, Decadent is offering a giveaway for this post! Comment this week and tell us how you plan on staying warm this holiday season, and Decadent can offer you 'Any Decadent Publishing holiday ebook of the reader's choice'! I'll draw a comment at random this Friday afternoon (4pm EST).

And don't forget, Decadent is also having their "Give a Reader a Reader" bloghop (on now), with a grand prize of a Nook ereader to one lucky reader along with BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS! 

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!

Looking for a Halloween Romance?

Available on Nook, Kindle and eBook: 
Like Magic, an erotic-romance for Halloween - now only $1.99!

Ian Hannigan was having the worst day of his life. A real estate prospect turned out to be a prank, his car has been stolen, and he’s stranded in the worst neighborhood he can imagine on Halloween night. If he believed in magic, he would swear he’d been cursed. Nothing could possibly make this day any worse or better… That is, nothing but Raven, a mysterious occult shop owner who not only claims to be a witch, but insists that she summoned him as the answer to her aching loneliness. Ian’s night just got a lot weirder. And his love life just got a lot more interesting.

18+

Snippet:


It was nearing midnight when Ian woke alone. Someone was lighting fire crackers in the alley below the window. He wondered, rather belatedly, whether the police had ever shown up and was surprised with himself for having dozed off in a strange bed on such a night. His car could be in the harbor by now, but oddly, he didn’t have the will to care. Stretching his overused back muscles, he figured the orgasms he enjoyed that night were nearly worth the loss.

He sat up in the unfamiliar bed noticing with a smile that Raven had covered him with the soft quilt before wandering off to wherever she was. It was a small gesture, but an unbelievably sweet one to a man who hadn’t been tucked in often enough as a boy. Had she kissed him on the forehead when she did it? He was willing to bet she had.

~*~
Also available in ebundle and paperback in All I Want: The Anne Holly-Day Collection!

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!

Releasing Tomorrow: All I Want, a Holiday Anthology

Coming October 3 to paperback and ebook, All I Want: The Anne Holly-Day Collection, including all five of my 2011 Rebel Ink Press erotic-romance holiday shorts, as well as an exclusive, new sixth story! I'll be here tomorrow celebrating!

What happens when a band nerd sets his sights on the jock next door, a flighty witch thaws out a corporate stiff, or an uptown girl falls for a bartender? How about when a city slicker roughs it with a cowboy, a free spirited Spaniard seduces his calm and collected professor, or a fantasy writer teaches a no-nonsense doctor to see the magic around him?

Attraction, friction, and enough sparks to heat up the coldest winter!

Opposites attract under the spell of six different holidays in this collection of contemporary erotic romance stories from author Anne Holly, covering Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve, Valentine’s Day and St Patrick’s Day.

Each story is unique, reflecting the glow and lore of the holiday that inspired it, but the collection is bound together by a single thread – the joy of taking the plunge into sizzling romance.

New Cover: ALL I WANT: The Anne Holly-Day Collection!

What happens when a young violin prodigy sets his sights on the jock next door, a flighty witch thaws out a corporate stiff, or an uptown girl falls for a bartender? How about when a city slicker roughs it with a cowboy, a free spirited Spaniard seduces his calm and collected professor, or a fantasy writer teaches a no-nonsense doctor to see the magic around him?

Attraction, friction, and enough sparks to heat up the coldest winter!

Opposites attract under the spell of six different holidays in this collection of contemporary erotic romance stories from author Anne Holly, covering Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve, Valentine’s Day and St Patrick’s Day.

Each story reflects the glow and lore of the holiday that inspired it, but the collection is bound together by a single thread – the joy of taking the plunge into sizzling romance.

This collection releases in ebook and paperback September 17, 2012!

Cover artist: Carl J. Franklin, 2012.

Sample Sunday: Unwrapping Scrooge

Bestselling author Kale McKinnon is a modern Scrooge – eccentric, misanthropic and reclusive, made bitter by the coldness of his wealthy family. But when optimistic Canadian graduate student Molly Gillis visits Oxford and invades his space, he realizes Christmas is about to change for him forever. But can he make her stay, and force himself to un-Scrooge enough to be the right man for her?

Excerpt:

Kale peeked out the window at the rising sun and the falling snow, and breathed in the aroma of bubbling coffee from the kitchen. Soon Molly would arrive, and he rubbed his hands together in anticipation for his surprise. He had something to tell her that he was not at all sure she was going to like, and he hoped, perhaps foolishly, that a special breakfast would soften the blow.

It was Friday. He knew she didn’t have class, and he had burned through his pages last night in order to clear his day today, so if breakfast didn’t work he would convince her to go with him to find a Christmas present for herself—anything she wanted.

He knew by instinct that Molly was one of those people who adored the abominable season, and he was determined not to come off as a Scrooge. He had always spent his money wisely, though not exactly from a cheap nature. It occurred to him that he never really had anyone he wanted to spend it on, but now he wanted to lavish it on Molly. He knew she had been raised with a tight budget; he wanted to give her everything.

Money was the one thing his family had given him, he thought with a tinge of bitterness that he pushed away.

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.”

*
For more info, see my holiday stories website at: http://annehollyholiday.webs.com/christmastales.htm

Extra Sample: Good for the Goose

An erotic romance for Christmas by Anne Holly from Rebel Ink!

Successful scholar Dr. Natasha Mintz believes her divorce signaled the end of her romantic life. But when she gets snowed in one Christmas with a young Spanish grad student, she may want to rethink things. For Natasha, winter has never been so hot!

PG-13 Excerpt…

Natasha found herself slightly distracted marking papers at the dining room table that day. Every time Raphael moved, she looked at him which in itself was a mistake, as looking at him only distracted her further. She no longer thought it was her imagination when he went out of his way to get her attention, or brushed against her leg under the table, or slid his finger sensually along the rim of her mug when he insisted on refilling her coffee. His removal of the stacks of finished exams was so gallant it bordered on old fashioned wooing.

Awareness. That’s what it was, she thought. They were profoundly aware of each other with a capital A. His scent, his masculine presence, his male interest in her, nothing about him escaped her notice that morning. Judging by the smoky look that often entered his eyes when she caught him looking at her and the way he'd smile and look away when she lifted her head unexpectedly, he was no less affected by her.

This was dangerous territory. They had no business being aware of each other. Natasha was old enough to be his...well, his aunt, she thought defensively. It was insane.

Yet, there it was. Awareness.

Despite the distractions and anxiety, they managed to complete their marking well before dinner and entered the grades into the spreadsheets. Because of the weather, she decided emailing the final grades to the department administrative assistant would be good enough and would spare them the drive to campus. Reluctantly, though, Natasha had to admit the weather wasn’t bad enough to give her an excuse to delay driving him home.

“Well,” she said, popping the lids on the file boxes full of exams and dropping them beside the sideboard in her dining room. “I guess it’s time for you to be getting back.”

“Actually,” he said in an ashy voice with an accent that seemed thicker than before. “I was hoping you'd agree to dinner.”

“Dinner?” Natasha peeped in surprise. “Tonight?”

Raphael chuckled and nodded.

Feeling ridiculous, Natasha attempted to calm herself outwardly and scrambled for the sophisticated voice that normally came so natural to her. “What a good idea. I certainly owe you a meal,” she laughed. “I do appreciate your work, above and beyond the call of duty. Name the place. We’ll go wherever you like.”

“How about right here?” he shrugged in a quintessentially European way. He braced a young, strong hand against the counter near her hip. “I don’t see why we should leave.”

Feeling her heart leap into her throat, Natasha was both giddy and appalled by the suggestion of additional time alone with him without work as a barrier. Yet his flirtatiousness flattered some feminine aspect of her she thought had long ago left the scene in the wake of conferences, departmental business and boxy woolen suits, not to mention her husband’s bitter betrayal.

Her ex-husband, she reminded herself. The guy with the med student. Why shouldn’t she have her own graduate student? The naughty thought brought the hottest little quicksilver smile to her face. A smile which wasn't lost on Raphael, who returned it, changing the atmosphere between them in an instant.

“Why indeed?” she agreed. “What would you like me to make?”

“Nothing,” he purred. “Allow me.”

*

For more info, please see Anne Holly’s Seasonal Tales website.

Promo: Christmas Tales from Anne Holly

I have three titles released for Christmas, and one more that takes place partially during Christmas. If you aren't yet exhausted with the season, please check them out!

Good for the Goose

Successful scholar Dr. Natasha Mintz believes her divorce signaled the end of her romantic life. But when she gets snowed in one Christmas with a young Spanish grad student, she may want to rethink things. For Natasha, winter has never been so hot!

Unwrapping Scrooge

Bestselling author Kale McKinnon is a modern Scrooge – eccentric, misanthropic and reclusive, made bitter by the coldness of his wealthy family. But when optimistic Canadian graduate student Molly Gillis visits Oxford and invades his space, he realizes Christmas is about to change for him forever. But can he make her stay, and force himself to un-Scrooge enough to be the right man for her?

Yule Be Mine, vol 2 - in paperback!

Paperback anthology containing four Christmas novellas released in ebook in 2010 by Decadent Publishing, which includes my title Unwrapping Scrooge and stories from KT Grant, Seleste deLaney and A. Faris.

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?

What are you Reading this Christmas?

I have a stack of papers to finish grading this week, but I powered through the exams - it's looking possible for me to get a two week vacation before second term! Well, aside from polishing up the syllabus for that second term class, but I hope that won't be too arduous.

So, I have a stack of novels all ready to enjoy with my R&R time.

A few of them are:

• Home in Time for Christmas - Heather Graham
• Lock, Stock and Secret Baby - Cassie Miles
• Yuletide Protector - Lisa Mondello
• Never Say Never - Geralyn Dawson
• Prescription: Baby - Jule McBride
• Night Shield - Nora Roberts
• Take Me Home - Jerri Corgiat
• The Delaney Christmas Carol - Kay Hooper, Iris Johansen, Fayrene Preston
• ETA: Her Wish-List Bridegroom - Liz Fielding 

And, there's no way I'm not finally going to read The Christmas Fantasy by KT Grant, now that I have my paperback copy of Yule be Mine, which includes four Decadent Publishing novellas - including one of mine, which is why I have it - but I've been dying to read The Christmas Fantasy since last year.

I will also be reading a book on religion and violence I got at the uni library, and I have a stack of HQ Presents to fill out the extra . And, of course, my yearly readings of A Christmas Carol, Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre. Also, whatever I get in my stocking, and anything else lying around, if I have the time, of course. Sigh. It's so wonderful to get some reading time, I intend to squeeze in as much as humanly possible!

So - what are you reading this Christmas?

Sneak Peek: SANTA, CUTIE by Cerise DeLand: A holiday tale of great expectations! (18+)

Susanna Corrigan believes in Santa Claus. Always did. So a Christmas-time flight to Alaska for a one night stand with a man chosen for her is a perfect gift. Fun and great sex with Mr. Right Now fits her bill for no strings, no commitments.


Then hunky Gil Santana laughs with her, buys her dinner and take her dancing–and Susanna asks herself if she can resist the temptation to make Gil more than a temporary affair.

Need a nibble of my cherry? Of course, you do! 


18+ Excerpt:

Gil Santana promised himself one more lap in the pool before he treated himself to lunch and for a chaser, a snifter of Armagnac. He extended his arm in the pool, ready to push off once more, but his eyes snagged on movement at the far doors. His gaze glued to the perfect vision who walked through them and his mouth fell open.

Through the ladies’ spa entrance came a female who took his breath away. The way she walked. Like a queen. The way she pushed back her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail and rubbed her hands together in glee like a kid eager to jump in the creek on a hot summer day. She was, undoubtedly, the most beautiful woman he’d seen here at the resort or in fact, anywhere.

Even in Hollywood.

Hey, Santana, that is the plan, man. You’re here to find a woman who isn’t like the aggressive types in Los Angeles. So what if this one strikes you as….

Luscious.

He blinked. She strolled to a lounge chair and inched out of her flip-flops.

Five-five or so. Red hair. Lush, wavy hair the color of merlot. Never-from-a-bottle, intoxicating red hair. Oval face. Dark eyes. Damn! What color?

She looked around. Didn’t spot him, thank goodness. Then she smiled to herself. Padded over to the shallow end, stuck her toes in the water, and grinned.

He swallowed hard and didn’t make a move. He wanted to enjoy her. She shook back her hair and pulled at the bottom of her suit. Snapped it beneath the crease of her gorgeous, firm ass and took the steps down slowly into the water. She was quite incredibly lovely.

Quite incredibly built.

Madre Mia. With breasts. Half moons. Nipples pebbled beneath the white spandex of her conservative, one-piece suit. Hips like God should give all women. And thighs. Trim. Knees. Cute. Long, long, long legs.

Down boy. His cock did not obey. And Gil had to agree with the big guy. This woman was worth the salute.

Stop it, Santana. You act like a drooling teenager.

Yeah, but, wow, did he hope she was his for this 1Night Stand thing.

How could she be?

Yeah, true.

She looks exactly like the type you don’t want. She looks like a wannabe movie star who’ll do anything to get a part. Including wearing a sign, Casting Couches R Us.

Visit Cerise's website for more goodies: http://www.cerisedeland.com

Guest Blogging at Decadent Today

Visit me at Decadent Publishing's holiday blog, 30 Days of Decadence, today - I'll be giving away a copy of one of my favourite Christmas books and a DVD, and explaining why Ebeneezer Scrooge ranks up there with Mr Darcy... Wait! Just let me explain... 

There's a DVD, a book and a SECRET prize to be won!

Winners will be announced January 2, 2012.

New Paperback Release: Yule Be Mine Volume 2!

Cruising GoodReads, I noticed that a new book had been added to my name - Decadent Publishing has already released the Yule Be Mine vol 2 paperback Christmas romance anthology!

It's available now for purchase on Amazon and will be available via B&N on November 28.

(Words cannot describe how cool it is to be "available in paperback"!)

This anthology, containing four Christmas novellas from last year's Decadent ebook releases, is the non-erotic volume, and contains my book Unwrapping Scrooge and books from KT Grant, Seleste deLaney and A. Faris.

The Ghost of Vampire Present by Seleste deLaney – Jocelyn has finally found her knight in shining armor in Chad, and ghosts are the last thing on her mind. Even when one shows up in her bedroom on Christmas Eve, Jocelyn's a bit more concerned about the other guests on the agenda. She'd prefer to never see another vampire, and the ghost tells her to expect not one, but three…


Last Christmas by A. Faris – ‘Tis the season to be merry…’ But not when you’re on the trail of a time insurgent, and facing a demon’s servant at every turn. For Nadine, Christmas is a jinx. Two deaths in the family and an estrangement, all on the blessed occasion, she spends every Christmas alone since. A knock on her door reveals a mysterious stranger, a stranger who kisses sweet, knows her soul and offers his heart with no reservations. Not everything is as it seems, however, with more at stake than Nadine thinks…

The Christmas Fantasy by KT Grant – On a mission to lose her virginity before her thirtieth birthday on Christmas Day, Mandy Lockeheart plans to seduce the only man she’s ever loved; her brother’s best friend, firefighter Jackson Montgomery. With the sexy new body she’s worked hard to earn, she’s certain she can convince him to fulfill her fantasies…

Unwrapping Scrooge by Anne Holly – Bestselling author Kale McKinnon is a modern Scrooge – eccentric, misanthropic and reclusive, made bitter by the coldness of his wealthy family. But when optimistic Canadian graduate student Molly Gillis visits Oxford and invades his space, he realizes Christmas is about to change for him forever. But can he make her stay, and force himself to un-Scrooge enough to be the right man for her?


So, get it while it's hot. It would make a great holiday present, but your friends and family have enough stuff - get it for yourself, instead.

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!

Six Sentence Sunday: Unwrapping Scrooge

This week's Six Sentences comes to you from my Christmas contemporary romance/romantic-comedy, Unwrapping Scrooge - one of my favourites, I admit.

While usually surrounded by an air of casualness, this morning's attire was altogether too unsettling. She couldn't say it was revealing, exactly. His cotton T-shirt, jogging pants, socks, slippers and cozy velour dressing gown in a deep chocolate brown were actually more than most people wore outside in warm weather. Yet, his smell was making it hard for her to concentrate, with the underlying scent of sandalwood now mixed with the musky hint of sleepy, warm male—an aroma wholly unknown to her. The sight of his beautiful, long reddish hair misbehaved from the pillow was a bit much for her nerves this first morning. Thank heavens he was at least wearing his glasses, so that one barrier of normalcy was maintained.

Unwrapping Scrooge is a novella published by Decadent Publishing, and is available from B&N and Amazon, as well as on Smashwords, etc, and has garnered positive reviews from Coffee Time Romance, Seriously Reviewed, and Sizzling Hot Book Reviews, among others. Heat level: Sensual.


Please, take a moment to flip through the other great Six Sentences offering found here.

Confirmed: Unwrapping Scrooge in PRINT!

I've just had it confirmed that my Christmas romance novella Unwrapping Scrooge will be included in the second volume of Decadent Publishing's paperback holiday anthology 2011, Yule Be Mine!

I am thrilled, and look forward to giving a few copies of these out this winter.

The anthology will be released in December 2011, and I will certainly be celebrating here.

My "Other Covers"

I thought I would wrap up my cover week with a few notes about the two covers not mentioned elsewhere.

The cover for my romantic-comedy Christmas novella, Unwrapping Scrooge, published last year by Decadent Publishing, has to be one of my favourites. Designed by Dara England, and featuring additional photography by K.M. Cook, this cover is professional and attractive. For Decadent, as with RIP, I had to fill out a cover info survey describing my characters, the major motifs and the images I most/least wanted. Kale is a bit different here from how I imagined him, since you can't tell he wears glasses and long hair, but otherwise, the image is perfect. Molly is wonderful! The embrace is sweet, yet passionate, just like in the book. I always imagine that the box Kale is holding contains the gloves she knitted him!

~*~ 

The cover for my paranormal erotic Waking Kara will always have a special place in my heart, because it was my first. Designed KitCat Designs, the cover made me blush a bit when I first saw it, but I appreciate its pretty, feminine sensuality. My one concern with it is that it doesn't really scream "paranormal," but it is likely attractive enough to encourage the reader to read the description, where they can discover the story's basic outline. But nothing really compares to it being the very first, nor erase the memory of my excitement the night WHP emailed it to me without warning. 

Covers are important - to readers and to publishers, and especially to authors, since they become part of our identities as writers. I have lived with some of these covers for months, and I am still not sick of them. I guess that means they work!

Without Further Ado... My New RIP Covers!

These are the new covers for the short romantic erotica books, Good for the Goose and V-Day, that are being re-released by Rebel Ink Press in August. 

Good for the Goose focuses on Natasha, a successful professor and recent divorcee, and the unexpected love affair she has one Christmas break with a fiery pursuer - a Spanish grad student more than a decade younger than she! Good for the Goose is both strongly erotic and passionately romantic, dealing with issues of rejection, regrets, fear of living again, and the persistence of young men with their minds set on the lady of their choice.  

This cover centers on Raphael, the young lover who brings Natasha the magic of Christmas despite the chill, as well as the fireplace they share while snowed in. The cover's black satin feel evokes not only the story's sensuality, but the dark moments of grief pinpointed throughout Natasha's journey. Plus, the boy's pretty cute, too, which never hurts at all! 

A quirky romantic-comedy erotic story told from the male perspective, the Valentine's installment V-Day is a lot less intense in many ways. Young violinist Daniel dreams of winning first chair of his university orchestra, and of finding love. He crushes on the pretty physiotherapist who lives next door to his family home, where he lives with a mother who thinks Jello molds and sweaters are the height of cool and a father who has never been seen on the other side of a newspaper. He knows he wants his life to be different - passionate and creative. The trouble is, no girl has ever seen him as more than a friend, and the girl next door, Bronwyn, may never see him as anything other than the 14 year old peeking through her shrubs that he was when she moved in! One long Valentine's weekend, a serenade and a whim can change all that, but how can Daniel make it last more than three days?  

This cover uses the imagery of Valentine's Day via the flower, melded with Daniel's two loves - his violin and the girl next door. The colours and brightness of this cover echo the lighter feel to the book. 

Good for the Goose and V-Day will release in August 2011. They will be followed by a Hallowe'en romantic-comedy erotica with witchy overtones, a romantic erotica featuring Thanksgiving for the salt of the earth, and a no-holds-barred New Years Eve tale told among the rich and famous. Five stories from August through December - all featuring mismatched couples and mirroring the best qualities of their respective seasons. 


The exact release dates are TBA at the moment. I'll be sure to let you know when these two holiday erotica tales, as well as the next three in the series, become available.

Thanks go to the art department at Rebel Ink Press.

Editing Demon #2: "Head Hopping"

This is the second of my series of three deep-dark-confessions about my editing weaknesses. These are the major issues that I am always working on throughout every story, and for which I have to make specific editing rounds. The theme this week is editing, because I just spent two weeks in editing/re-writing Hades with ye old NaNo manuscript, which is now off to the initial betareaders (see more about betareaders here next week).

The second is a tendency to "head hop."

Definition: "Head Hopping" is a term used by book folk, editors, writers and reviewers to refer to unexplained and confusing shifts in POV during a scene. I.e., chapter starts in the hero's POV and slips into heroine's POV without a section break, and back again. This also includes "vanity/expressions perspective" (where the character that is serving as our eyes inexplicably knows what s/he is looking like at that moment, or unrealistically thinks of their nose as "cute" or similar).

The Problem: If a scene is in one character's POV, the reader should see everything as that character sees it - what s/he knows, sees, feels, etc. If POV slips happen too erratically, it can make the writing seem disjointed and hard to follow. The events and timing seems jumbled. And, worse, it leads to authorial interference, and can take the reader out of the story and make them feel disconnected from the scene.

The Allure: Both characters have so many thoughts and feelings, and head hoping allows you to describe both characters from the outside and give internal dialogue for each, i.e. "what they really mean when they said such-n-such aloud." Besides, I'm the author - I know what they are all thinking!

The Fix: This was a problem that was really big in my first couple of manuscripts, because I didn't realize it was a problem. In old romances, they head hopped all the time, and those were the stories I cut my teeth on. Nowadays, though, it is passe, and my editors have been good at spotting it and teaching me not to do it. Now, I include the planned POV for each scene in the outline for each chapter, so I know which character will be my eyes. This has helped eliminate the good majority of my head hopping. Other than that, a very thorough read-through is the best way to clip out the bits that escape through the outline.

***

Need an illustrative example?

Head Hopping Passage (pre-editing):

Once, the pair even literally ran into each other at the mailboxes, when she came barging into the small space as he turned to stride out. Neither had noticed each other until their torsos had collided. Instinctively, he brought his glove-clad hands up to her fleece-covered arms to steady her, and she noticed again the attractive scent of sandalwood. He detected the slight tinge of cinnamon on her breath as she puffed in surprise, and for a moment all thought fled from his brain as he stared into wide, hazel eyes, fringed with impossibly dark lashes.

He couldn't remember the last time his mind was completely blank while working on a book, but at that moment, he would have been hard pressed to recall his own name.

"Steady on," he murmured, realizing he should say something.

"Hi," she breathed, simply, and, almost reluctantly, made to move past him.

Her flat mate Colby, in their infrequent discussions of the other inmates of the building, had dismissed Kale McKinnon as "weird and old," but right then Molly saw him as nothing like old or weird. True, he had some eccentric qualities, but at that moment, his oddities were more intriguing than anything else. And no one who felt so firm and vital could be considered old. Her heartbeat, at least, rapped out a tattoo that told her she was in the presence of vibrant maleness, a feeling to which she was not normally prone.

"Hi again," he said, softly, taking unfamiliar pleasure in her pretty blush.

Molly stood aside and let him pass, and watched as he exited the building. If she were more like Colby, she thought, she would say he had a "great butt," and smiled impishly at the thought. But, no - she was just Molly, and she didn't have those kinds of thoughts about men she barely knew.

Even though it was true.

Same Scene (post-editing):

Once, the pair even literally ran into each other at the mailboxes, when Molly came barging into the small space just as Kale turned to stride out. Neither had noticed each other until their torsos had collided. Instinctively, he brought his glove-clad hands up to her fleece-covered arms to support her. He detected a slight tinge of cinnamon on her breath as she puffed in surprise, and all thoughts fled from his brain as he stared into wide, hazel eyes, fringed with impossibly dark lashes.

He couldn't remember the last time his mind was completely blank while working on a book, but at that moment he would have been hard pressed to recall his own name.

“Steady on,” he murmured, when he realized he should say something.

“Hi,” she breathed, simply and shyly.

“Hi, again,” he said, softly, taking unfamiliar pleasure in her pretty blush, but finally forced himself past her her to the door.

*break*

She stood aside and watched as he exited the building. Her flatmate, Colby, in their infrequent discussions of the other inmates of the building, had dismissed Kale McKinnon as weird and old. However, right then, Molly saw him as nothing like that. True, he had some eccentric qualities, yet to her, his oddities were more intriguing than anything else. And no one who felt so firm and vital could be considered old. Around him, her heart rapped out a tattoo that told her she was in the presence of vibrant maleness—a feeling to which she was not normally prone.

To Molly, he was sexy, if in an unconventional way. If she were more like Colby, she would say he had a great butt. She smiled impishly at the observation. But, no, she was just herself, and she didn't notice those kinds of things about men she barely knew.

Even though it was true.

(Scenes are both from my Christmas romance novella Unwrapping Scrooge, with thanks to my wonderful editors at Decadent.)

When I first made these changes, it seemed clunky to me to separate the two perspectives. But, I was thinking like the author and not considering the reader. Luckily, I trusted my editors!

***

There are always exceptions!

I try to employ my right to artistic licence very sparingly. I like to trust my editors, as they are less attached to the draft than I am. However, one of the little "quirks" I enjoy in my works is a montage scene that is used to build chemistry and intimacy, as if the melding perspectives mirror the growing couplehood. In this brief scene, the passage of time is denoted by overlapping POV, as well.

Example (also from Unwrapping Scrooge):

As the weeks passed, they talked of many things. They chatted about writing and how his work was going, and about her thesis, and about England and Canada. She told him about her mother's breast cancer, and their constant fear of its return until the five-year remission mark passed this winter. He was silent on the subject of family, which spoke volumes to her. And both felt quiet sympathy for the other. They found themselves developing a friendship neither had expected to find. He found her incredibly intelligent, and she discovered his rudeness was not his normal state, but that he was actually quite amusing when he allowed himself to be. And both also found themselves more and more attracted to the other as the days progressed.

Kale was surprised he had ever thought her plain now, and she wondered why Colby wasn’t able to see how fascinating his mouth was. One morning, she found his dressing gown hung on the inside of the bathroom door and had stroked its plush softness, allowing the scent of him to invade her. She enjoyed the tingling restlessness that pooled deep in her belly until she reminded herself that she was acting like a stalker again and hurriedly left the room. He often found his disobedient eyes travelling the length of her, basking in the sight of her lush curves, only to gather up the last ragged remains of his self-control and return to whatever menial task she had set for him.

And in this way they continued, trying to convince themselves there was no harm in a platonic friendship that was destined to go nowhere and be no more consequential than a few weeks of breakfasts. Soon after the New Year, Mrs. McCardle would return, and there would be no pretense left for them to meet, and then, a few months after that, Molly would return across the ocean, and their brief flirtation would be a warm memory, if that.

But for now, both walked around in a fog fueled by fantasy that neither was really willing or able to acknowledge, but which amused Colby and Byron enormously.

This passage is the only intentional violation of the anti-head-hopping convention in the book. It occurs at an "act break" just as their relationship changes direction, and sums up about a month of interaction in a few brief paragraphs. The characters are such opposites, I felt this was a risky move that could pay off by fostering a more realistic sense of growing together.

It is aggressively authorial, and likely isn't to everyone's tastes. For me, however, I like the cozy feeling of montage passages so much that it is worth taking the hit from the editors. That's my treat as a reader of my own work, in a way.

Luckily, this book has still done fairly well with reviewers and readers, despite this indulgence!

***

So, through editing and working on my craft under the watchful eyes of experienced readers/editors, and by paying attention to reviewer reactions, I am in recovery for my head hopping addiction, and have a greater control over my perspective - but it is still something I have to be conscious of.

The point of writing (at least in genre fiction) is to make the book a pleasant experience for the fans of that genre, and to communicate clearly. Being mindful of writing habits that make reading more difficult is an important step towards publishing.

Naturally, different writers and different forms of writing will have different needs and conventions, so YMMV!

***

So, the quick fix list:

1. Recognize the problem and why it is a problem.
2. Outline/plan/consider which character POV will be the eyes for the scene before hand and stick to it as much as possible.
3. Re-read in the draft stage for head hops or vanity adjectives, and clip the slips out.
4. If a passage cannot be merely clipped, move it to a new section (to the correct POV) or make it out right dialogue.
5. If need be, cut the scene into sections with a section break, and tell the same scene from the two different POVs - but this should be used sparingly.
6. Only head hop when you are consciously using your artistic license. Accidental head hopping should be scoured out by a qualified editor and good readers.

***

"So, good luck," he said, thinking she was nuts for all this.
"Thanks," she muttered, knowing he thought she was nuts.