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.)

A First Date with a "New to Me" Author?

Comic panel by Amanda Wood. I believe it originally pertained to a mad scientist, but it just as easily applies to first dates, as far as I can tell.

Welcome, Blog Hoppers! If you are here this weekend, you are either (1) a regular (hi, guys!), or (2) coming from the Rebel Reasoning blog hop in honour of Rebel Ink Press's second birthday. 

Hello, one and all!

If you're a regular, you may or may not be aware that Rebel Ink is holding a pretty nifty weekend-long celebration. If you're here as a hopper, that might mean I am a New To You Author!

The theme for this blog hop is "Disastrous First Dates." Well, since we're all friends now, I can admit that I've never had a disastrous first date. Or a date, really. "How can that be?" you might ask. Well, I don't know if it's a generational thing, or just because I'm weird, but I've never actually done the dating thing. I know what dates are, according to TV, but the process never interested me.

So, unless TV has steered me wrong (and, come on, when has TV ever steered anyone wrong?), they go something like this:

You mope around about how gorgeous Dylan (or whatever his name) is, and agonize about WILL HE EVER ASK ME OUT? And, finally, joy oh bliss, he does! Then, the Big Night arrives. You get all dolled up, wondering what to dress for (mini golf, a movie, or brunch in Paris - who knows!?!), and trying not to seem too eager. And then, with a strum of violins, there he is, with his perfectly mussed bedhead with freshly frosted tips. How dreamy! He takes you to that new bistro, and you proudly show him off to the envious girls sitting with lesser mortals around you. You consume very little, pretending that, as a lady person, you never, ever eat. He chats about lacrosse, and you hang on every word. He mumbles something massively ill-informed about the election, and, of course you agree (who cares if your SAT scores are bigger than his waist size? He's too cute to correct!). Then comes the end of the formal non-eating part, and it's time to go. Oh dear! He's forgotten his wallet! Oh well, you have extra money, and anyone can forget something, right? Besides, expecting the man to pay is antiquated. Still pretty into him, you leave the bistro. On the drive home, you're anxious. Will he kiss you? Should you kiss him? Outside your home, he leans towards you - the moment has arrived! Closer, closer, closer... And he plucks a pin out of your hair and starts to pick his teeth with it as he responds to a text on his cell phone.

And... you ditch him and go get yourself a damn sandwich.

Okay, so maybe that's not how dates go, but I still can't say I feel deprived.

Anyway, back to the blog hop. When I discovered I was (clearly) ill-prepared to discuss this topic, I did panic a moment. What would I write? I briefly considered faking a first date disaster, but that didn't seem quite ethical. Instead, I thought to write about something I do know well - reading.

The topic got me thinking. Taking the plunge with a "new author" is a lot like a first date. 

When you take a chance on a new date, you take a risk by spending out a little, either on a meal or a new piece of clothing. This is similar to trying a new author. Judging by the cover and description, you decide the price might be worth it. Maybe you're lucky, and a good friend recommended the author (or date, even), so you start out a little eager.

Could this be The One? The GoodReads dreamboat you've longed for?

In the best case scenario, your friend did know your tastes, and you're off to the races. That money you paid out was no great loss, because hours later you're curled up in bed with the best [novel] you've ever had.

It's love at first sample!

Worst case scenario is not so nice. You take a look, you roll your dice, and... The characterization is shallow, the editing brutal, and the politics are rather iffy. The book drops you off early with a cold shoulder, or, worse, gets a flat half way to no where, and you never arrive to the destination at all. You never take that friend's recommendation again.

You've had a lousy First (Book) Date.

Ouch.

I understand. I know there's a lot of anxiety involved in leaving your tried and true crowd of writerly folk and going off with some handsome looking piece of fluff you met online. There are a lot of come-hither covers on Amazon, and you never know when all you're going to get is a handsome face.

Recently, I've enjoyed both sides of this. The weekend before last, I inhaled yet another book by one of my old favourites, Debbie Macomber. I wouldn't say we're going steady, but we see each other a lot. I like picking up one of her books, because I know there's always a 90% chance that that book-date will be a good one. Yet, sometimes you want some adventure, right? You want that thrilling first date with someone new! So, shortly after that, I tried one from a totally-new-to-me writer, Jean Brashear. It was an exceptional evening. I spent the whole night in a tight ball with a box of Kleenex, reading into the wee hours of the morning, despite having things to do the next day. (You readers will know that these are signs of a successful book encounter. But I'm guessing if you spend a whole night on a date-date with a box of Kleenex, that might not be such a good sign, FYI.)

I admit, there have been New to Me authors (who shall remain nameless here) who stuck me with the bill, and a few who had me calling a cab home halfway through. Alas! However, I can honestly say I've had more "surprisingly good" first (book) dates than not, and New to Me Authors are the spice of the romance-lover's book habit. And, just think, there are so many more left to discover! (Some of them right here in this blog hop!)

So, there you go. My "first date" analogy.

My advice: When it comes to books, do yourself a favour and date around!

Please be sure to visit the other bloggers in the hop - I am sure they're have a lot more authentic first date stories than I. Unless one of them dated a dreamy guy named Dylan. In which case, best not to mention my post to them, okay?

Happy second anniversary, 

Rebel Ink Press!

And don't forget - all Rebel Ink Press titles are 25% off at AllRomanceEbooks, so you've got plenty of chances to find your New to Me Author!

All illustrations courtesy of Rebel Ink Press or artist Amanda Wood.

Happy (Upcoming) Birthday, Rebel Ink!

This weekend, Rebel Ink Press turns two years old! 

Come celebrate with RIP and the Rebel authors. There's a Facebook "Meet the Writers" event on Friday (by invite only, so if you'd like an invite let me know!), and a blog hop all weekend long, starting at Rebel Reasoning. I'm pretty sure there will be excerpts and prizes all over!

Best of all, Rebel titles will be 25% off this weekend long AllRomanceEbooks!

(Including my own five Rebel titles, I hope!)

 

And don't forget the Writing Contest Rebel is running - deadline is August 25th!

Happy Birthday, Rebel Ink!

A Tempting Treat for Valentine’s Day

Welcome blog hoppers!

As Valentine’s Day approaches, it’s time once again to enter our kitchens and hit the bake pans, perhaps unused since the Christmas gorging. Today, I thought I’d share my favourite Valentine’s Day recipe...

Red Velvet cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 stick of butter, softened

2 eggs

2 1/3 cups of cake flour

2 tablespoons of old fashioned cocoa powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of buttermilk

1 1/2 tablespoons of red food coloring

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar

Directions:

Set the oven to preheat to 350°F. Beat the butter and sugar very well (for about 3 minutes with an electric mixer), until smooth and light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is mixed in evenly. In a large batter bowl, sift he cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together, ensuring there are no lumps. In another bowl whisk the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring together. Add a handful or two of the dry ingredients and mix, then add a bit of the wet. Repeat, wet/dry, until it’s all completely mixed. Scoop into a muffin tin lined with waxed cupcake papers, about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking to ensure even baking. Allow to cool in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Top with your favourite cream cheese frosting, and some shaved dark chocolate and/or sprinkles. (Raspberries are also nice on top, if you prefer.)

For maximum wonderfulness, I enjoy my red velvet with a very milky cup of Chai tea, though hot chocolate, warm milk, coffee, or Irish cream works just as well.

Enjoy!

*

And now for a peek at V-Day, my erotic romantic comedy for Valentine’s Day:

It all started with a serenade…

A family like Daniel’s and the solitary pursuit of musical excellence is enough to make a young man crazy. No wonder all Daniel Vouks dreams of is getting away. He knows his violin will take him places in life, but the only place he really wants to be is next door. He’s been in love with his neighbor since he was fourteen, but can he ever make her see him as more than just a lovesick kid?

V-Day is the story of a Valentine's Day weekend Daniel fears he may regret, but will never, ever forget.

Excerpt:

Daniel retreated to the music room, thankful he didn’t have a class or a practice scheduled on campus today. He didn’t even have to give any lessons until next week. The weather really didn’t look all that welcoming and he was grateful he could huddle inside as his family bustled off to their various destinations. After school, his parents would be off for the weekend, dropping his sister and her flotilla of luggage off at Kayley’s so the girls could get ready to go to the dance together, which meant leaving Daniel officially on his own until at least Sunday afternoon. Glorious.

Allowing the noise of their departures to roll off him as he sat absently at the piano, he plucked out a few strains and watched the sun glint off the fresh snow in the backyard. It was really beautiful when you could view it from a cozy place.

Blah! Another Valentine’s Day. His nineteenth one as a single guy. And, he thought ruefully, his nineteenth year as a confirmed virgin.

Jesus, even his baby sister had more going on than he did. Selby, his girlfriend in tenth grade, had been about as close to any action as he’d ever gotten. Her pathological fear of pregnancy made it absolutely essential that he keep his pants on at all times. Other than that, any girl he’d ever liked had tossed him into the “friend” basket and never bothered to reassess him.

Kelly, his best friend, did that. After Daniel followed the cute redheaded soprano around for weeks like a puppy, she finally took pity on him and explained he was simply too nice to attract her. After that, they formed an easy relationship through which both had a pal, and a no-fuss “emergency date” when necessary.

Flipping open his phone, he hit Kelly’s number.

“This better be good,” she grumbled after the fifth ring.

“Hey early riser,” he chuckled.

“Well, if I had my mom bringing me my morning coffee in bed…”

“Okay, truce,” Daniel winced. “And my mom doesn’t let me drink coffee.”

“Why not? Afraid it'll stunt your growth, stretch?” Kelly asked with a crystal clear laugh despite having just woken up.

“Something like that,” he said, flecking a flower petal off the top of the piano. “Listen…You’re probably…I dunno…busy tonight, right?”

“Are you trying again, Danny?” she groaned.

“Well, no. I just thought if you weren’t, maybe we could do something.”

“I have a date.”

“Right,” he forced a chuckle. “Yeah, I figured you would.” He straightened in his chair. “Being Valentine’s and all. No problem, just wanted to check.”

“Ahhh, Danny,” she sighed. “What about you?”

“I got a hot date all weekend,” he said over a grimace. “With that friggin’ tango, I guess.”

“Danny, do yourself a favor,” she said firmly. “Go get yourself laid. I told you that’s what’s missing from your tango.”

“Well then,” he quipped. “Support the arts and break your date. I can be there in an hour.”

“Har har har,” she said and then laughed for real. “Seriously, go fall for someone. Preferably someone who will fall for you back.”

“Okay,” he agreed. “For you, I'll try my best.”

Daniel hung up and pounded out a few more notes on the keyboard in front of him, contemplating Kelly’s method music theory that said you could only sing or play what you’d experienced. If that were the case, his tango would remain a virginal one if his luck so far was any indication.

*

For more information about my adult (18+) Valentine’s Day erotic romantic comedy, V-Day, please see my holiday stories website: http://annehollyholiday.webs.com/valentinesdaytales.htm

GIVEAWAY!

Comment below, and tell us what your favourite Valentine’s Day treat is, and you will be entered to win any one of my currently-released titles in Amazon Kindle edition or PDF! One winner will be drawn at random, February 15, 2012. Contest is open only to adults, 18+.

Be sure to leave a comment, 

and then check out the other authors at:

http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/

Anne Holly is a Canadian writer of romance and erotic-romance, as well as a mother and teacher. 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: anneholly2010@gmail.com.

Let the Games Begin: V-Day Tour Kicks Off!

Today marks the official beginning of my month-long blog tour and general flog-til-you-drop fun times to promote my erotic romantic comedy for Valentine's Day - V-Day.

Some of my dates, events and hosts:

Rebel Reasoning - Jan 17
D.B. Moon - Jan 25
I'm a Book Shark - Jan 26
Lila Munro - Jan 27
Sample Sunday - Jan 29
Rebel Reasoning - Feb 1
Simplistik - Feb 2
You Gotta Read - Feb 9
Cerise deLand - Feb 10
Chastity Bush - Feb 10
Lia Davis - Feb 10
Valentine's Blog Hop - Feb 11-14
My Reading Room - Feb 12
Everyday is an Adventure - Feb 13
Ella Jade - Feb 13
W. Lynn Chantale - Feb 13
Ann Montclair - Feb 13
Sizzling Hot Books - Feb 14
Sarah Ballance - Feb 14
Books-n-Kisses - Feb 14
Mike Woody - Feb 14
Reader Girls - Feb 14
- And more!

So, to get things started:

It all started with a serenade…

A family like Daniel’s and the solitary pursuit of musical excellence is enough to make a young man crazy. No wonder all Daniel Vouks dreams of is getting away. He knows his violin will take him places in life, but the only place he really wants to be is next door. He’s been in love with his neighbor since he was fourteen, but can he ever make her see him as more than just a lovesick kid?

V-Day is the story of a Valentine's Day weekend Daniel fears he may regret, but will never, ever forget.

Available Now!

This Valentine's Day, Daniel is tired of playing solo.

If you'd be willing to have me over for an interview or a guest post, of if you'd like to review V-Day, please contact me at anneholly2010@gmail.com!

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.

Giveaways Still Going!

Just a little reminder - a couple of my holiday giveaways are still ongoing! Last few days to enter!

30 Days of Decadence - Winners Announced on January 3, 2012
Three Prize Winners: A copy of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol in paperback, a copy of A Christmas Carol (1951) on Region 1 DVD, and a mystery bonus prize! (Contest closes Jan 2, 2012)

Long and Short Reviews - Winner Announced on December 31, 2011
A copy of my erotic-romance for Christmas, Good for the Goose, on Kindle.
(Contest closes Dec 30, 2011)

Whipped Cream Reviews - Winner Announced on December 31, 2011
A copy of my romance novel, Strings Attached, on Kindle.
(Contest closes Dec 30, 2011)

And, on December 29, I am the RomFan Reviews bog hop author, and the winner will be announced for that on December 31, 2011. (Contest closes Dec 30, 2011.)

For chances to win any of these prizes, all you have to is comment before the contests close!


Good luck, and many thanks!

PS: I'm taking a bit of a break from blogging for a day or two to work ahead on my promo for the next few months, to prepare for next term, and to read/relax a bit. I'll be in and out this week, and will keep in touch! 


All the best for the New Year!

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!

Halloween Blog Hop WINNERS!

Thank you to all thirty or so people who stopped by my blog and left a comment! It really made my weekend to meet you all, and I hope to see you around some more.

First, my oh-so-scientific method for picking my three winners. I wrote all the names on a piece of paper and cut them out. My lovely assistant (my 3yo son) folded each one and put it in his trick-o-treat cauldron, which has three dips in the bottom. He then danced around and shook it up until one name got stuck in each of the three holes.

Hey, it seemed to fit the holiday, right?

And the winners are...

Trinity

Jennifer S.

Lucy F.

CONGRATS!

The winners each get to choose a Kindle edition (or PDF if they'd prefer) of any one of my released titles:

V-Day
Daniel loses more than his heart on Valentine's Day.
Valentine's Day erotic romantic-comedy short.

Like Magic
Ian doesn't believe in magic, but maybe she should.
Halloween erotic romance short.

Charity
Charity gives up her diet, but finds a cowboy.
Thanksgiving erotic romance short.

Strings Attached
Josie brings home a stray Australian.
Contemporary romance novel.

Waking Kara
Sometimes it takes a demon to wake up forgotten feelings.
Paranormal erotica short.

Unwrapping Scrooge
Can a sweet-natured Canadian un-Scrooge a reclusive writer?
Christmas contemporary romance novella.

Good for the Goose
Natasha finds some sauce of her own.
Christmas romantic erotica short.

For those who left their email address, I will be in touch to see which you'd like, and what format you prefer (Kindle gift or PDF). Those who didn't leave their email address, please email me this week.

Thank you everyone who commented, read, linked and Tweeted. This blog hop was a lot of fun for me!

Thanks!

Keep in touch!
My next newsletter comes out this upcoming Friday.

Happy Halloween!

Thanks for joining me for our 

trick-o-treat blogging extravaganza!

Come back Nov 1 at noon to see who won.

I hope you had a lovely Halloween so far, but the night is still young!
(Not for me, though. I'm heading to bed!)


***
Be sure to join us in December for:

I'm doing no less than three blog hops for Christmas, 
so come back and see me.


Thanks, all!

Welcome, Bewitching Halloween Guys and Ghouls!

Welcome Blog Hoppers!

I love Halloween. It’s about as uncomplicated a holiday as they come. Nothing but fun – no visiting relatives or annoying major-production meals to offset the pleasure of candy. October has lovely weather and costumes are always a good time. And scary is always enjoyable… Within reason.

In my Halloween story, Like Magic, I have a fellow who spends the freakiest Halloween night of his life when he falls under the spell of a lovelorn witch – or does he?

I have never been perfectly certain how I feel about the paranormal. My logical side says it’s unlikely, but I’ve been around the block enough times to know nothing is certain, and one should never say never.

I was 19 when I worked at a dining hall in the old east coast university where I took my bachelors degree. The dining hall was old, stone and impressive, covered in ivy and looking stately. It even had a tragic past – in the 1920s, a fire gutted it, killing four students and the housekeeper, who were all said to haunt their various lifetime quarters still. The housekeeper had lived in a bedsit in the basement, beside the maintenance area and right next to the boiler. When the boiler exploded that fateful night, she had not the slightest chance of escape. Yet, it being the 1920s, when they rebuilt and fixed a bronze plaque to the refurbished building commemorating the loss, her name was not included in the memorial.

As a result, many reported that the restless spirit of the woman was not a happy one, and she’d had been known to harass students and employees.

When my supervisor, Nicole, went down to the basement, she was always nervous. She said it felt cold, and she heard noises. Once, a lightbulb exploded when she was halfway down the dark, steep stairs. The forgotten lady, it seems, did not care for Nicole. Eventually, Nicole took to sending Dishwasher Kevin down there at the end of shift to lock up and shut down the lights. I guess no one really much minded if an angry ghost got Dishwasher Kevin.

Anyway, one night I was filling in as headwaiter to a conference banquet while Nicole was off. It never occurred to me to make Dishwasher Kevin go down to turn off the lights and lock up before he left, which I regretted later.

After I had signed everybody out, and was alone doing my lock up, all of the bravado I had once had as an empowered, educated young woman who didn’t believe in ghosts flew out the window as I contemplated going down those steps. A part of me wanted to pretend I had forgotten to lock up down there, but I knew it would be my skin if something happened because I had turned chicken, and I needed the job. Besides, headwaiting paid better than serving, and if I ever wanted the chance to fill in for Nicole again, I had better get my butt down there.

So, I went.

Down the steps, singing a little song to keep from shaking, and to the back door. I locked up, and turned off the lights as I went. Then to the employee locker room, without incident. By that point, I was starting to feel pretty silly about having been afraid, and was thinking Nicole was an idiot. I didn’t feel any chill, and nothing was happening. Pfft! I knew it all along! There’s no such thing as ghosts!

I was so confident, I decided to stop and pee before finishing my rounds and making the trek home. I got in the stall, did my business, and then… dropped the frigging toilet paper! I watched helplessly as it bounced and then rolled out under the door. One of those moments where you stop and sigh, sagging a second or two before you decide what to do about your situation.

Then… In bounced the toilet paper, back in under the door!

Now, this was not a slanted floor. In fact, the drain under the sinks should have made the paper roll completely away from my stall. And there was nothing for that thing to bump into that would make it bounce back to me. Except…

I recall how hard my heart was pounding. I wanted to scream or hide or cry, and the hairs on my arms stood on end. Either the room got cold as ice, or I imagined it did, I don’t know which.

To be on the safe side, I called out, “Thank you!” in the most cheerful voice I could. I received no reply, expected no reply, really wanted no reply. But, if some spirit out there had done me a good turn, it seemed only polite. And prudent, considering the exploded light bulb.

Nothing else happened as I rushed away from the bathroom and ran up those steps to the safety of the dining hall kitchen. Nothing ever happened to me again down in the basement of that dining hall in my subsequent shifts, but I never again felt sure there wasn’t something down there.

There is a type of certainty we enjoy when we are young, when we can “know” what is what. As you age, you lose that luxury as things happen to make you question everything. After that night, I never was certain about the paranormal again. Now, I know enough to know there’s a lot of stuff out there I don’t know, I guess you could say.

So, that’s my ghost story. It isn’t thrilling, or very flattering to me since I was sitting on the can at the time, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget that night.

Happy Halloween, everybody! And, remember – always be polite to the non-living. Except for zombies. Those suckers, you better just shoot in the head.

~*~

Please comment on this post, say hello, and tell me your spookiest encounter with something that goes bump in the night!

For every ten people who comment, I will pick one winner at random to receive their choice of any one of my current releases gifted via Amazon Kindle (either through an actual ereader or the PC app). I will give away at least one prize, even if I get less than ten comments.

Contest opens at midnight October 28, and runs all the way to midnight the night of October 31/November 1, 2011 (EST), as per the Bewitching Trick-or-Treat Blog Hop design. Winners will be announced here on this blog at noon on November 1, and they will be asked to email me to arrange the collection of their prizes. (Only people 18 and older will be eligible for a prize. All of my books contain explicit language and graphic sexuality.)

After commenting, please carry on the blog hop tour, and check out these great authors – all of whom are giving away treats for Halloween!

Please visit me at my website, or find me on GoodReads, Facebook and Twitter. You can also sign up for my newsletter, if you'd like to stay in touch via remote. I will include a note to winners who haven't claimed their prizes in my next issue, on the first Friday in November.

ETA: NEW excerpt from Like Magic up at my Seasonal Tales website for Sample Sunday!

Reminder: Bewitching Blog Hop!

October 28-31

Halloween Blog Hop

Over 100 bloggers!

Over 100 prizes to be won!

Meet me back here at midnight for a chilling tale...

Bewitching Trick-or-Treat Blog Hop

Please join me and a hundred other writers/bloggers for our Halloween Bewitching Trick-or-Treat Blog Hop, October 28-31, 2011.

Every blog will offer a giveaway!

Get into the Halloween spirit! Boo!


***
Also, October 2 is my Open House Day on my CTR author forum, and the topic of the day is paranormal romance - come see an excerpt or two of my new paranormal work in progress, Topaz.