Releasing December 4th
When a sad, grinchy restaurateur stumbles into a too cheerful,
elf-like craft store manager...
Christmas Magic has to happen, doesn't it?
Look for Book Tour Information and Fabulous Giveaway starting December 8!
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts
12/01/2014
Celebrate the season with a new holiday m/m romance! #newrelease #mm @havanfellows
And..... *drum roll* Ta-da! It's up for pre-order at All Romance, the super awesome project Havan and I wrote to celebrate the holiday season.
2/08/2013
Coming Soon: Holidays With Jacob
Releasing February 15, 2013
Holidays With Jacob
Pre-order at BREATHLESS PRESS
In Loving Jacob they were torn apart, then brought together again
for a fresh start. Follow Malcolm Jenner and Jacob Renault through a year of
special days as their relationship grows.
Join Malcolm and Jacob as they forge their relationship amid the
ashes of the past. From making love again for the first time, to letting go of
past ties, these two men still make mistakes, but the past has taught them to
be honest with one another and to consider each other's needs in addition to
their own wants and desires.
Celebrate a year of
holidays, joys, failures, and triumphs as Malcolm and Jacob learn that it takes
more than love to build a relationship that lasts.
Excerpt
Malcolm stopped him with a hand on his forearm. "Let's
take a walk on the beach while there's still some light and clean up
later." He managed to make the suggestion sound casual though he felt as
though his heart were beating out of his chest in a visible cartoon character
manner. He patted nervously at his pocket for the items he'd placed there
earlier.
Jacob nodded and twisted his wrist so that their hands were
clasped together. Malcolm's heartbeat stuttered as he caught a brief glimpse of
the fine scars that criss-crossed their way up Jacob's arm. They hadn't been
good for each other all those years ago. What made him think that this time
around would be any different? Hand in hand they descended the shallow steps to
the sand from the deck. He started to speak a few times, and bit back the
words. He wasn't sure how to phrase what he wanted to say. Damn it.
"Malcolm, what's going on here?" Jacob's voice
was soft, tentative. He seemed very young and insecure suddenly, more so than
Malcolm had ever seen him.
Bracing his spine and turning to face Jacob, Malcolm took a
deep breath before finding his voice, husky with emotion. "If I tell you
the truth…"
Jacob's gaze locked with Malcolm's. "Malcolm, you're
creeping me out here. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but this is all just
a little, well, creepy. The truth would be fine. Go ahead. I can handle
it."
Malcolm smiled. He rubbed his thumb over the scars at
Jacob's wrist. He felt on comfortable footing again. "But, is it more than
you want?"
Jacob flushed and swallowed visibly, but answered without
hesitation. "No. I want this." He gestured to the romantic moonlight
with their clasped hands, towards where the incoming tide washed away the
remains of the day. He hesitated briefly then rushed on as though determined to
get the words out. "I love you. I always have, since the very first time
in the elevator." Jacob laughed, a little darkly. "Hell, I moved back
here from Vermont ,
gave up a good teaching position with the university, for a second chance with
you, Malcolm. Whatever your truth is, I can handle it."
Malcolm paused in astonishment. On reflection, he realized
that it was true, and recognized that on a certain level he had known all along
that this was the case. The soft glow in Jacob's eyes hadn't appeared there
suddenly, it had been there all along. The knowledge gave him the courage he
needed to speak himself.
"I
love you, too. I want to be with you. That is my truth."
12/22/2012
Holiday Dessert Blog Hop
Alright
then... I have two of these posts to write tonight, so no messing about, hey!
This
is the Holiday Dessert Blog Hop...
I'm
going to share my favorite Christmas cookie recipe with you...and then you'll
have the chance to win copies of my two new holiday stories... (See Below for
details!)
This
recipe is one my grandma made every year. It was a favorite in her house, and
now I make it every holiday as well.
Spritz
Cookies
1 pound butter
1 cup of sugar
1 well beaten egg
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
Preheat oven to 400. Cream butter and sugar until light and
fluffy. Add egg and beat together. Add vanilla. Sift flour into the mixture.
Beat well. Put dough through cookie press into desired shapes. Bake four 4-5
minutes on ungreased cookie sheets. Cookies are done when bottom is browned. Makes
roughly 100 bite size cookies.
Now...you know you can change that up. Use lemon or almond
instead vanilla...dip cooled cookies in chocolate...sprinkle tops with cinnamon
sugar... oh the varieties are endless...
Ahhhh...Don't forget... you need to skip down below and
leave me your favorite recipe or a link to your favorite, to be entered to win
these two books!
The Interview
When Ben learns his lover's business travel means he'll be gone
for the holidays,
he begins to rethink their relationship.
Ben's family steps up to keep him busy,
but does he dare ask Cris
to put him before the job?
EXCERPT
"Hello." I should have
checked to see who it was before I answered. It was Cris, and I had to pretend
to be cheerful and brimming with Christmas spirit when I was anything but.
"Hey Ben, I just called to
remind you to get the tree after work today. You said last night that you
hadn't gotten it yet, and I know it's one of your favorite things to do."
With you. I held the guilt inducing words back. With Cris, shopping for the
perfect tree was my favorite holiday tradition. We made an event out of the
whole thing. A thermos of hot cocoa with marshmallows in hand, we would wander
through the tree lots looking for the perfect vehicle to display the antique
and handmade ornaments that I inherited from my grandmother. We measured the
distance between branches, studied every Scotch pine and every blue spruce,
knowing all the while that we'd settle for a fragrant Douglas
or red fir with its sturdy, widely spaced branches to show off the ornaments
better.
I wasn't so much looking forward to
finding a tree alone. Or decorating it alone. Hanging crocheted snowflakes,
tinsel, and Grandma's vintage glass bird ornaments wouldn't have the same
appeal without Cris's firm grip guiding my hand to the perfect spot on the
tree. He tried very hard, my Cris, not to let his obsessive demand for symmetry
and order mar the holidays, but the twitching always got to be too much. I
confess, I deliberately placed an ornament or two in an awkward spot just to
feel his hand on mine, the heat of his body close behind me.
"Yeah. I'll go when I get done
here. Can you call me around four?" It would be a little bit better if I
could talk to him about the choices, maybe send a photo of the final product.
"Ummm. I'll try, but I can't
promise anything."
So I probably wouldn't even get that
solace. "Okay. Call if you can. I have to go. Work awaits."
I hid in the stacks all day, shelving
cart after cart of books, losing myself in the scent of leather and old paper.
It beat working the counter where the aroma of pine from the decorative
evergreen boughs—genuine, despite fire codes—and the peppermint of the candy
dish just screamed Christmas. It beat smiling cheerfully and wishing sleep
deprived teenagers a happy holiday—because it is a state funded school and
Merry Christmas is just too politically incorrect.
In the end, I didn't bother with the
measuring tape or the cocoa, just pointed my 67 Mustang straight for the
nearest tree lot. Go in, pick a tree, go home and set it up so the branches
could drop. I could do this, I didn't need Cris holding my hand to choose a
tree.
And
Donovan's Deal, Truth or
Dare #6
Making a family is harder than keeping house. Donovan's patience is wearing thin, but Mischa needs time
to make things right.
Will Christmas bring heartache or compromise?
Mischa Blake needs the relaxation of
the Blake brothers' weekly poker games now more than ever as he feels the
pressure of his responsibilities as a parent, partner, and student multiplying.
When one of his siblings proposes reviving their game of Truth or Dare, Mischa
revolts. Instead, they all agree to share a truth, and Mischa has to decide how
much of his domestic situation to share with his family.
The frantic pace of life is
overwhelming, and Mischa has begun to let things slide. With the holidays just
around the corner, he figures his current situation is a temporary thing. When
he misses one of his son's soccer game that Donovan left work early to attend,
time runs out.
Upset by the hurt in their son's
eyes, Donovan decides that something must be done. He's worried that he's
pushed Mischa into doing things at the wrong time, pushed his dreams on his
young lover, just pushed too hard for too much in general.
In a desperate attempt to get Mischa
to think about what he wants instead of what Donovan wants, Donovan issues an
ultimatum. He sends Mischa away with orders to think about his priorities.
All you have to do is leave a
copy of your favorite Christmas cookie...or a link to the recipe and you'll be
entered into the drawing!
The fine print...
You must leave an email address to be eligible to win. Prizes must be claimed
within 7 days. Winners will be notified by email after being announced on this
page on Dec 24th. Only two winners will be drawn.
CHECK OUT OTHER GREAT RECIPES AT
Silvia: http://silviaviolet.com/blog/
12/21/2012
Ugly Stocking Blog Hopping...Dec 22-23
Winners selected by random draw are
Shaseli and Dee.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by- sorry for the delay, btu blogger was being ...unkind.
Alright
then... I have two of these posts to write tonight, so no messing about, hey!
This
is the Fugly Stocking Blog Hop...
That's
right.
You heard
me.
Leave
me a comment telling me about the most hideous Christmas present you ever
received...
And
if your name is drawn, you'll receive yet another hideous gift...
Some
stylish and seasonal holiday stockings...
And a
copy of my two newest holiday stories...
The Interview
When Ben learns his lover's business travel means he'll be gone
for the holidays,
he begins to rethink their relationship.
Ben's family steps up to keep him busy,
but does he dare ask Cris
to put him before the job?
EXCERPT
"Hello." I should have
checked to see who it was before I answered. It was Cris, and I had to pretend
to be cheerful and brimming with Christmas spirit when I was anything but.
"Hey Ben, I just called to
remind you to get the tree after work today. You said last night that you
hadn't gotten it yet, and I know it's one of your favorite things to do."
With you. I held the guilt inducing words back. With Cris, shopping for the
perfect tree was my favorite holiday tradition. We made an event out of the
whole thing. A thermos of hot cocoa with marshmallows in hand, we would wander
through the tree lots looking for the perfect vehicle to display the antique
and handmade ornaments that I inherited from my grandmother. We measured the
distance between branches, studied every Scotch pine and every blue spruce,
knowing all the while that we'd settle for a fragrant Douglas
or red fir with its sturdy, widely spaced branches to show off the ornaments
better.
I wasn't so much looking forward to
finding a tree alone. Or decorating it alone. Hanging crocheted snowflakes,
tinsel, and Grandma's vintage glass bird ornaments wouldn't have the same
appeal without Cris's firm grip guiding my hand to the perfect spot on the
tree. He tried very hard, my Cris, not to let his obsessive demand for symmetry
and order mar the holidays, but the twitching always got to be too much. I
confess, I deliberately placed an ornament or two in an awkward spot just to
feel his hand on mine, the heat of his body close behind me.
"Yeah. I'll go when I get done
here. Can you call me around four?" It would be a little bit better if I
could talk to him about the choices, maybe send a photo of the final product.
"Ummm. I'll try, but I can't
promise anything."
So I probably wouldn't even get that
solace. "Okay. Call if you can. I have to go. Work awaits."
I hid in the stacks all day, shelving
cart after cart of books, losing myself in the scent of leather and old paper.
It beat working the counter where the aroma of pine from the decorative
evergreen boughs—genuine, despite fire codes—and the peppermint of the candy
dish just screamed Christmas. It beat smiling cheerfully and wishing sleep
deprived teenagers a happy holiday—because it is a state funded school and
Merry Christmas is just too politically incorrect.
In the end, I didn't bother with the
measuring tape or the cocoa, just pointed my 67 Mustang straight for the
nearest tree lot. Go in, pick a tree, go home and set it up so the branches
could drop. I could do this, I didn't need Cris holding my hand to choose a
tree.
And
Donovan's Deal, Truth or
Dare #6
Making a family is harder than keeping house.
Donovan's patience is wearing thin, but Mischa needs time
to make things right.
Will Christmas bring heartache or compromise?
Mischa Blake needs the relaxation of
the Blake brothers' weekly poker games now more than ever as he feels the
pressure of his responsibilities as a parent, partner, and student multiplying.
When one of his siblings proposes reviving their game of Truth or Dare, Mischa
revolts. Instead, they all agree to share a truth, and Mischa has to decide how
much of his domestic situation to share with his family.
The frantic pace of life is
overwhelming, and Mischa has begun to let things slide. With the holidays just
around the corner, he figures his current situation is a temporary thing. When
he misses one of his son's soccer game that Donovan left work early to attend,
time runs out.
Upset by the hurt in their son's
eyes, Donovan decides that something must be done. He's worried that he's
pushed Mischa into doing things at the wrong time, pushed his dreams on his
young lover, just pushed too hard for too much in general.
In a desperate attempt to get Mischa
to think about what he wants instead of what Donovan wants, Donovan issues an
ultimatum. He sends Mischa away with orders to think about his priorities.
Okay...you don't really get that particular pair of ugly socks,
because I have had enough of the post office this holiday season. I'm just
going to send you an Amazon gift card for a pair of ugly socks...I hope you
don't mind?
The fine print...
You must leave an email address to be eligible to win. Prizes must be claimed
within 7 days. Winners will be notified by email after being announced on this
page. Only two winners will be drawn on Dec 24th.
Check out some other great giveaways at
Lindsay Klug - Www.ichbineinteufel.blogspot.c
Ali Wile & Andy Slayde - http://
Victoria Blisse - http://victoriablisse.co.uk
Gale Stanley http://
12/03/2012
Story Orgy Presents: Holiday Flashes #1 By Design part 2
Good morning Story Orgy readers! Hope you're having a fantastic day. Got your coffee? We've got just a few announcements to share today before we get started with our Holiday stories...
Em has a new release today- this is a fabulous sexy re-telling of Dicken's holiday classic, A Christmas Carol.
You can get more holiday cheer from the Story Orgy crew in And The Prompt Is: Holiday Edition
now only 2.99 at All Romance E-books and Amazon!
Merry Christmas to Dianne Hartsock who gifted me with the following prompt:
Person: firefighter; Place: Santa's Workshop; Thing: sugar cookies
By Design
Conclusion
copyright Nov. 2012 by Lee Brazil
***
He stood outside the door of a dingy little
apartment in a building identical to his own, balancing the cheery wrapped
plate of cookies on one palm, while banging fruitlessly on the door with the
other. The sound seemed to echo in the interior, but no answer came. His brows
drew tight together; he shifted the plate to his other hand and pressed his
palm flat to the door. No heat seeped through.
There was no keyhole to peer through, no peephole to
try to spy through.
"Hello?" He called. Somewhere in the distance
a thready, weak strand of music drifted in the air. Something sad, and not
quite seasonal, not quite distinguishable.
A roaring in his ears soon blocked that sound as
well, and all he heard was the rapid trip-thump of his own heart as he stood
before that silent, dingy door, waiting for admittance.
In an effort to achieve calm, he drew in a deep
breath, and that's when he caught the scent of something evil. Not smoke, no.
Smoke was thick and menacing, it reached out and choked you, burned your eyes
and will away in visible swirls. If smoke and fire were on the other side of
that door, he wouldn't be able to do a damn thing for whoever Aiden had sent
him to save.
This was something worse. Something sneaky and
perverse, a killer that stole breath without pain, took life without care.
But it was an evil he could fight, a demon he could
face more easily than smoke and flame. Foolish as it may seem, he set the
cookie plate carefully near the wall, and spun out in a wide angled kick,
splintering the door just above the lock.
The foul gas rushed out over him, and he yanked his red
thermal long sleeved t-shirt up to cover his nose and mouth, stepping into the
bleak apartment. A thin figure lay on a battered mattress in the corner, narrow
chest rising slowly under a shabby quilt.
"Hey!" Kyle called. He turned left into
the kitchen, where just like in his own unit, a single window let in meager
sunlight in the day and reflected desolation back at him in the darkness. He shoved that window up as far as it could go
then, when it refused to stay put, shattered it with a cast iron skillet that
sat on the stove top. His second priority was twisting the dial to shut off the
flow of sodium scented gas that drenched the air with noxious rotten egg fumes.
The idiot was either trying to kill himself or ...
Let's just
go with idiot, Aiden's voice whispered in his ear.
"Hey!" Kyle called again, grabbing a worn blue
terry cloth dish towel from the scarred counter top. Kyle ignored the fact that
it had a smear of tomato sauce on one end and doused it with cool water from
the tarnished tap. Wringing the towel out as he walked to the mattress, Kyle
ignored the puddles he left on the utilitarian grey carpet.
At the man's side, Kyle wrapped the cloth about the
stranger's mouth and nose and hefted the man in his arms, shabby quilt and all.
There was no balcony so, he'd have to take him out in the hall until the air
cleared.
And that's where he was, an hour later. Sitting in
the dim hall, leaning against the wall, a stranger's ginger head in his lap,
sifting his fingers through fine silky straight hair, a plate of sugar cookies
on his left. Bemused.
Frosty lashes
lifted from pale freckled cheeks, and Kyle found himself staring down into pale
blue eyes. "Hello," he said.
Check back next week for my second Holiday short,
Wearing His Ring
based on prompts by Jambrea!
If you enjoyed my post, check out the other Orgiasts at
Em Woods - http://authoremwoods.com/
Havan Fellows - http://havanshawthaven.blogspot.com/
Hank Edwards - http://hankedwardsbooks.com/hankerings
Jade Baiser - http://jade-wetdreams.blogspot.com/
11/21/2012
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy holidays to you! I hope today finds you in good health and enjoying the bounty of the season. I'm super late posting this because I was caught up reading some really interesting and relevant posts re the genre I write in. Three hours and a bit of a migraine later- I can tell you this much.
To each his own. There are no rights or wrongs or absolutes, and anyone who says there are is delusional.
Case in point. Cranberry salad. My SO and I both have family recipes for cranberry salad for the big feast.
Here's my family recipe.
1 pound fresh cranberries.
1 cup water
1 cup sugar.
Bring water to a boil. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Add cranberries. Return to boil. Boil ten minutes. Remove from heat. Chill. Serve.
Easy. Done. Delicious.
Here's my SO's family recipe.
3 pkg. raspberry or strawberry Jello
2 c. boiling water
1 pkg. frozen sliced strawberries
1 can crushed pineapple
2 cans whole berry cranberry sauce
2 c. boiling water
1 pkg. frozen sliced strawberries
1 can crushed pineapple
2 cans whole berry cranberry sauce
Dissolve the Jello in the 2 cups boiling water. Add the frozen strawberries, crushed pineapple and cranberry sauce. Stir smooth. Pour into mold or other serving dish. Refrigerate until set.
Ain't a damn thing wrong with either of those salads. Just depends on what you fancy. Some people like the simple tart/sweet flavor of my family recipe. Some people like the more complex flavors of the other salad.
They're both good. Personal taste dictates which one goes on your plate. Heck, some people even try them both. That's just fine too.
Check out more fabulous Turkey day recipes at
Angel Martinez - http://www.freewebs.com/angelwrites/apps/blog/show/20193870-the-thanksgiving-recipe-blog-swap-
Silvia Violet - http://silviaviolet.com/blog/2012/11/20/thanksgiving-recipe-blog-swap/
Havan Fellows - http://havanshawthaven.blogspot.com/2012/11/thanksgiving-recipe-blog-swapleftover.html
Laura Harner - http://lauraharner.com/hp_wordpress/thanksgiving-recipe-blog-swap
Angel Martinez - http://www.freewebs.com/angelwrites/apps/blog/show/20193870-the-thanksgiving-recipe-blog-swap-
Silvia Violet - http://silviaviolet.com/blog/2012/11/20/thanksgiving-recipe-blog-swap/
Havan Fellows - http://havanshawthaven.blogspot.com/2012/11/thanksgiving-recipe-blog-swapleftover.html
Laura Harner - http://lauraharner.com/hp_wordpress/thanksgiving-recipe-blog-swap
Willow November 16, 2012
BUY LINKS
- http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=1&products_id=363
- http://www.amazon.com/Willow-ebook/dp/B00A8JA5PS/
- https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-willow-997879-145.html
REVIEWS
BLURB
Making
decisions is sometimes difficult for Willow Shaw, but loving Cade Lawson comes
easily. Too bad Cade regards him as too young to know his own mind.
As a favor for an old friend, cop Cade Lawson is keeping a watchful eye on his young neighbor, Willow Shaw. He'd thought that would involve some hanging out, watching movies and heart-to-heart talks on college life.
But the Will
who moved into his apartment building wasn't the same little boy who'd
worshipped his father's friend. No, this Willow
Cade might be uncomfortable, but Willow Shaw is desperate. He's had a crush on Cade for years, and he'd hoped it would fade away one day. Hiding his growing feelings is his top priority, even if it means acting like a prick, because there is absolutely no way a man like Cade—strong, decisive, handsome, and experienced—is going to be attracted to him.
Mini EXCERPT #1
Cade nodded, sat in the only remaining chair and
pulled Willow
And to his surprise, Willow
Cade chuckled, and Willow
Cade turned his head, and met his gaze. There was
warmth there, desire. "Will, have you been drinking?" His voice was
soft and urgent. "Be honest now. I'm not angry, and I won't lecture. I
just need to know."
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