Mari Carr's Blog, page 89

Happy Holidays!

I thought we'd have some holiday fun. In the comment section, simply tell me your favorite part of the holidays. It can be a movie, song, recipe, quote, tradition! You name it. What's your favorite thing about this season? On Dec. 26, I'll pick one winner who will receive their choice of title from my backlist.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Mari

Wild Irish Christmas

This is a bittersweet post for me to write. The last book in the Wild Irish series releases today at Amazon and Barnes and Noble ONLY. On Thursday, it will hit the rest of the sites, including Ellora's Cave.

Wild Irish Christmas was written in response to the overwhelming number of emails and requests I had for Pop's story. When I think of the holidays, I think of family, so it seemed appropriate that this story come out at this time of the year. I hope you will enjoy this last story. Thank you so much for your support and kind comments about this series over the past two years. Happy Holidays!

Wild Irish Christmas

Wild Irish, Book Eight

"To Conall Brannagh."

Ewan took the bottle from his father. "Who?"

"Conall Brannagh," Patrick repeated. "If your mother had chosen him over me, none of us would be here tonight."

It's Christmas Eve, and the Collins siblings have given their father a precious gift. All seven have gathered together to spend the night in his apartment above the family pub, the warm, loving home where Patrick and Sunday raised their large brood.

You've witnessed each child find their happy-ever-after. Now gather 'round the tree and join the Collins family as they pass a bottle of Jameson, and Patrick shares the story of how he won the heart of Sunday, his true love, his soul mate…and the mother of his seven Wild Irish.

Read an excerpt.

Quote of the Day and a review

[image error]The Romance Studio gave White Knight one of the nicest reviews I think I've ever received. I wanted to share it (and a squee) with you. And because I'm a big kid, I've highlighted my favorite bits.

Shea is looking to start over, but L.A. is expensive and she has no money. Nobody will notice if she crashes at Scoundrels, the club where she works, right? Wrong. Travis Knight, reclusive owner of the club, has a wicked case of insomnia and a room full of security cameras. He strikes up a friendship with Shea that leads to more. In the end, both of these lost souls seek refuge in one another.

Sinking into a Mari Carr novel is like taking a steamy bath when the kids are away. The outside world slips away, leaving only relaxation and bliss. Carr's characters are flawed and stubborn, and completely perfect for falling in love. White Knight, the follow-up to Black Jack begins with a promise that makes it difficult to put down the book for any length of time.

As with Black Jack, Ms. Carr uses a format where she alternates between telling the love story between Travis and Shea and telling a parallel fantasy story that helps us delve deeper into the characters. Travis is scarred from a tragedy we don't find out about until the end. Carr does a stellar job of maintaining the allure of the alpha male while still driving home how deeply Travis's wounds run.

Shea is the perfect woman, and their introduction couldn't have been more fitting. Travis is simply too jaded to notice any woman he meets the usual way. Since she's gun-shy and looking to start over, his need to progress slowly toward true intimacy doesn't turn her away. Ms. Carr easily fulfills her promise and delivers a sweet, sensual, romantic story that cleanses away the sins of the world and leaves behind blissfully pure pleasure.

HOW AWESOME IS THAT? The reviewer, Clare, gave the story 5 hearts which means White Knight will be up for Sweetheart of the Week. Voting begins this evening at http://www.theromancestudio.com/5heart_form.php. The vote launches between 5 and 7 PM EST.

And today's quote is from one of the greatest Christmas movies of all-time, Christmas Vacation!

"Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse." – spoken by Clark, aka Chevy Chase.

Saturday Snippet

When I think of winter (this week's theme), I think of the holidays and Christmas. Today, in keeping with the festive season, I'm sharing a snippet from Slam Dunk.

Snippet:

Jamie and Grace were holding their annual tacky Christmas sweater party. Today had been the last day of school prior to the winter break. The teachers drinking and eating in the living room were clearly ready to make merry.

"It's about time you two got here." Grace walked up and offered Ellie a friendly hug and then Trey bent down to give Grace a kiss on the cheek. Grace gave him a saucy wink, clearly excited to see him arrive with Ellie on his arm.

"All right," Jamie said, walking out from the kitchen with three beers in his hands. "Hunter and Donovan are here. Now it's a party."

Jamie handed each of them a drink.

Trey burst into loud laughter. "What the fuck are you wearing, man?"

Jamie's grin grew. "You like my outfit?" His best friend was sporting green polyester pants that couldn't be called anything other than high waters and a woman's gaudy Christmas sweater.

Grace shook her head. "The sweater is an old one of mine. I found it in the attic the other day. Nearly died when Jamie said he wanted to wear it."

"And the pants?" Trey asked, gesturing at the three-decades-out-of-style polyesters.

Jamie shrugged. "Got them at a consignment shop a couple years ago. Don't you remember? They were part of my Halloween costume."

Trey nodded. "That's right. You were a seventies porn star that year. Took you nearly a month to grow out that Fu Manchu as I recall."

Until that point, Ellie had managed to contain her giggles. Once Trey mentioned the mustache, she gave up the battle. "Oh my God. I would have loved to see that."

Grace took a quick drink of Jamie's beer. "I think I have pictures of it somewhere. I'll dig them out."

"You two are looking pretty snazzy yourself," Jamie joked, pointing to Ellie and Trey's matching Rudolph sweatshirts and red and black checked pants.

"Ellie picked them up for us at Walmart. Can you believe this whole get-up cost less than ten bucks?" Trey joked.

Grace giggled before walking away. "Yeah. I think I can," she said over her shoulder.

Jamie gestured toward the kitchen. "There's a shitload of food on the counter. Beer's in a big tub out on the back porch. God knows it's cold enough out there to keep it chilled. We pushed the living room furniture against the walls to make a dance floor. Music's gonna start soon. I'm just letting everybody lay a base first."

Trey nodded in understanding.

"Lay a base?" Ellie asked.

Trey wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"He means he's letting them get tipsy before he starts all the crazy dancing and singing."

"Ah, gotcha. The Cougar Club playlist."

Ellie had teased them more than once about the way their gang had standard songs they played every time they got together.

Jamie laughed. "Maybe we should release an album."

Trey rolled his eyes. "God. Let's spare the rest of humanity from that."

Jamie tapped his beer bottle against Trey's and raised his eyebrows. "I'm going to go turn down the heat. It's already too warm in here and I have a feeling once we start dancing, it'll only get hotter."

Trey nodded and watched his friend walk away. He noticed more than a few of their colleagues taking in his and Ellie's matching outfits. Lucas was giving him a shit-eating grin from across the room and Trey knew his friend was going to start pressing for details. Trey wished there were deets to share.

Jamie dimmed the lights and walked over to fiddle with his iPod. Trey grinned as he watched his friend. Jamie was the ultimate party host. He knew how to entertain and Trey hadn't spent too many nights with the man that hadn't been some of the most fun evenings of his life. The guy knew how to have a good time.

"You hungry?" Trey asked.

Ellie shrugged. "I could eat. I skipped dinner because Grace warned me she was making a ton of food."

Trey took her hand and led her to the kitchen. They were just about to enter the room when Grace stopped them.

"Wait," Grace said. "Look up."

Trey glanced above his head and spotted the mistletoe. "You're sabotaging your guests. Luring them in here for food."

Grace laughed. "Jamie's idea. However, regardless of our underhanded tactics, tradition overrules in this case." She gave them a wicked grin before turning to use the second doorway in the kitchen—also adorned with mistletoe—to take a tray of food to the living room.

Ellie looked at the mistletoe before smiling at him. "Guess we wouldn't want to break a time-honored custom."

Trey grasped her waist, deciding that was all the invitation he needed. "I don't want that guilt on my head." He bent down and kissed her. If Ellie was expecting a quick, friendly buss, she'd be disappointed. He'd been lusting after her lips since the night she'd given him the greatest blowjob of his life. He wasn't about to waste this opportunity.

Ellie raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck. She welcomed his long kiss, returning it with a vengeance. When they broke apart, they continued to hold each other for a long time as he looked into her eyes.

"I bought you a Christmas present." He'd meant to give it to her at school today, but something had held him back.

"You did?" She frowned. "Damn. I suck. I didn't get you anything except a lousy card."

Trey chuckled. "I didn't expect you to buy anything for me. And don't worry. It's just something little. Thought you might like it."

She smiled. "Where is it?"

She looked like a kid waiting for Santa to arrive.

"Back at my house. I thought we'd swing by and pick it up before I took you home."

She released him and nodded, her eyes sparkling. "Sounds like an excuse to lure me into your lair and have your wicked way with me."

He reached up to cup her cheek. "Would you mind if that were true?"

Trey expected her to pull away, to offer her same reasons for rejecting his suit.

Instead, she tilted her head and looked at him. "No. I wouldn't mind at all."

His cock went rock hard in an instant. "Fuck. We're in public, Ellie," he muttered adjusting his pants as she laughed.

She glanced around, confirming they were alone in the kitchen, and then she discreetly ran her hand along his rigid length. "Maybe I do have a present for you after all."

He closed his eyes, suddenly light-headed. "So," he joked, "it's been a great party. You ready to leave?"

Slam Dunk is available at Samhain, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony, Kobo and All Romance Ebooks.

Winter feeling too cool? Heat it up with more snippets!

Lauren Dane

Rhian Cahill

Eliza Gayle

Selena Blake

Anne Rainey

Jody Wallace

Lissa Matthews

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Alison Kent

Delilah Devlin

HelenKay Dimon

Shelli Stevens

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Stuff your Stockings Blog Hop!

The holidays are nearly upon us and what could be better than winning lots and lots of books? I'm participating in the "Stuff your Stockings" Blog Hop this week. It runs from December 16-18. It's fun. It's easy! Stop by as many of the sites listed here as you feel like and play along.

My contest is a simple one. Take a look at my Books page. Which book you'd like to see in your stocking? Put your answer in the comments section. One lucky winner will receive their choice! I'll announce the winner here on Dec. 19. Good luck and happy holidays!

A visit with Drea Becraft!

A very dear friend and fellow author, Drea Becraft,  is stopping by today to share some insights on the holiday season. I had the pleasure of meeting Drea in person at RT a couple of years ago. She's an absolute bubble of energy and spirit and a truly wonderful lady. I'm delighted to have her here!

What toys did you ask for as a child?  by Drea Becraft

Tis the season…yep the Christmas season.

I have most of my outside family already bought for but my children only a few things so far.  I am so looking forward to seeing all the faces of my loved ones as they open their gifts.

Recently I asked a few questions to everyone and anyone that would listen.  For this blog the question is: What toys did you ask for as a child?

You know I cannot for the life of me remember one toy I asked for,  but I do remember asking for a Nebraska Cornhusker coat.  I did get one that Christmas and I wore it for years until it finally fell apart (and may I add I wore it in Ohio lol).  I know I probably asked for some toys but I honestly can't remember.

My kids now ask me for toys and I have to write it down so I know what they want for Christmas which makes my life a whole lot easier.

Others answered:

A chemistry set (God knows why lol) ~Julie L Hayes

A bicycle, of course, and a "jam box"… telling my age now for sure! ~Robin Badillo

Barbie Dream House Lots of years I'd get stuff I didn't ask for but my sister did. My parents were almost anal about making sure we got equal stuff. I do the same with my kids to a point, but if I know one kid won't enjoy something, I'll get him something else of similar cost/size/etc. ~Heather

So what your did you ask Santa for when you were a kid? Tell me below and be entered in to win a copy of my newest Christmas release The Real Saint Nic!

If you would like a copy of The Real Saint Nic…It's available for ONLY $0.99.

The Real Saint Nic is available at:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

ARe

I also have a Free Read – My Wish For Christmas Is You

Blurb:

Aimee's life changed one night, not long ago, when she staked a vampire to save another. Still reeling from that life changing night, Aimee decides to go home with Brenda, her best friend, for the holidays. She never expected Brenda's brother, who comes off more like the Grinch then Santa, to have so many saint like qualities. Years spent alone, with no family or friends, plays heavy on her mind but Nic could possible be the one who changes it all.

has always been a sore spot for Nicolai. He's the real saint Nic, but society has him all wrong. He's no saint. In truth, he's a vampire. Over the centuries, Nic has spent the holidays fighting off the ridicule from his younger brother and giving to those less fortune, not seeing his own worth. Until one mortal, brought home by his sister Brenda, changes the holiday and his outlook on life for eternity.

Is it possible that Nic has finally found his Mrs. Clause? When worlds meld, can Aimee find the happy ever after she once asked Santa for so many years ago, or is she doomed to spend forever lonely on Christmas?

Excerpt:

With a flick of his hand, the lights next to the bed turned on as did a few lamps across the room. Once my eyes adjusted, I got a better look at the amount of presents. Hundreds, littered the room. The only space not filled was around the bed and a path to two doors in opposite directions. Red, green, and golds splattered the room in a festive show of color.

"You really are Saint Nic." Astonished I tried desperately to keep my mouth closed.

"Please don't call me that."

"Why not?" Turning away from the presents I turned my gaze to Nic's in question.

"Because I'm nowhere near a saint." Brows furrowing Nic stared intently at the computer screen.

"Then how did you get the name?"

"That would be Jaysen's doing. One day, not to long after I started giving the gifts, we got into an argument. I don't remember most of what was said, after all, it was quite a while ago, but I do remember the comment was rather snide. To this day neither of us knows how it ended up outside our argument, but it still reminds me of that comment. Besides saints are deemed so because of the greatness they do for mankind all I do is give a few toys to some kids."

Moved by the noticeable hurt in his eyes, a relentless knot twisted in my stomach. Though I still didn't know him, the connection between us grew with each passing moment.

Whether it was hormones or the fact that we were supposed to be mates, I didn't know, but I couldn't stand to see him sad.

I scooted out of the bed and made my way to him, wrapping paper shuffling under my feet. Then, as if it were the most natural thing to do, I lowered myself into his lap and hugged him close. "To those kids you are the world."

"That's why I do it every year. Though not in the grand scale that everyone thinks. I try to help at least a few orphanages and hospitals each year."

"See, you are a saint. Every year you create the biggest rush of hope and joy to the children across the world. Though you can't help them all, the small sacrifices you have made over the centuries have helped to shape our world and helps friends and families learn the true meaning of giving. Without you there would be no hope of a perfect

Christmas. If that isn't the act of a saint, I don't know what is."

With a grunt in my ear, Nic's arms tightened around me as he buried his head in the hair between my shoulder blade and ear.

Pulling away slightly, I raised my hands and held of each side of his head. My fingers ran though the silken strands of his hair using that leverage I brought his head up until our eyes met. Leaning down I kissed his full lips with a slight brush of mine.

You are the best mate anyone could ask for. Speaking while our mouths were still fused, Nic sipped from my lips slowly.

Last minute gifts?

As many of you know, my dear friend, T, is a crafter, as well as a wonderful reviewer. At this holiday season, I thought I'd share her craft site in case you were looking for some unique and beautiful gifts.

Quote of the Day and winner!

"First we'll make snow angels for a two hours, then we'll go ice skating, then we'll eat a whole roll of Tollhouse Cookiedough as fast as we can, and then we'll snuggle." – Buddy, Elf

And, APOLOGIES! I forgot to pick a winner for my Lost books post. The winner is Colleen! Thanks again to everyone for their insights.

Saturday Snippet

This week's theme is family. When I think of families in my books, the Collins clan from the Wild Irish series are always the first to come to mind. Today, I thought I'd share a snippet from the last book in the series, Any Given Sunday. What good is having a big family if they don't help you move? LOL. This is a wee bit of the very first chapter of the book.

Snippet:

"Okay, that box goes in the kitchen," Lauren said, directing Killian and her Pfaltzgraff dishes to the last available bit of space on the island counter. She grinned. She'd always wanted a kitchen with an island.

"Thanks again for helping us move, K." She smiled as Killian Collins gave her a wink.

"Beats the hell out of working. We're at the roofing phase on our latest job site and believe me, it was no hardship to leave that task to someone else."

"I really don't think we could have done this without you and the other guys."

"Hey, K. Where are you?" Killian's twin brother, Tristan, called from the hallway.

"They found me." Killian grimaced before yelling, "In the kitchen."

"Come give me a hand with this box. Fucker is heavier than shit."

Killian shrugged. "Duty calls."

Male voices calling directions to each other sounded from all around the house. Lauren followed Killian out of the kitchen to check their progress. She and Sean had loaded the pickup trucks of every friend and relative they had and started the big move at the crack of dawn. Now it was just after noon. She was starving and exhausted.

She took a calming breath as she watched the Collins men lugging furniture and boxes into her new home. She and Sean were moving into a house in a quiet suburb on the outskirts of Baltimore with their best friend, Chad. She should be excited, happy. And for the most part she was, but there was also a niggling little feeling that kept nagging at the back of her mind, telling her something wasn't quite right.

She'd dated Sean for two years. Moving in together was clearly the next step in their relationship. She'd been thrilled when he'd found this house and asked her to share it with him. Unfortunately, she couldn't shake the odd feeling something wasn't quite right. She wondered if she was rushing into this new stage before she was ready.

She grimaced as she looked around the new house filled boxes. Everything would be fine once they unpacked and got into a routine.

It's just cold feet.

"Foosball table coming through," Sean called out as he and Chad made their way down the hall.

Lauren blocked his path. "Where do you think you're heading with that?"

"Dining room."

She shook her head and pointed to the right, in the opposite direction of the dining room. "Office."

He and Chad put the table down despite the groan of protest from Tristan, who'd been following them with two large lamps in his hands.

Sean gave her an exasperated look. "Lauren, we already discussed this. There's a table in the kitchen and you know that's where we're eating. The dining room is gonna be wasted space. How in the hell are you going to get any work done in an office with a foosball table in it? Think of the temptation."

She smirked. "I don't find foosball to be a temptation."

Chad toyed with one of the plastic players on the table. "Well, I do, and I don't want my GPA slipping this late in the game. We're only a couple of semesters away from getting our doctorates."

"Sean, we're moving into this house because we decided it was time to grow up, to leave the college scene behind and start working toward a solid future. A foosball table in the dining room sort of defeats that purpose. Besides, it only has to stay in the office until you guys finish fixing up the basement. Chad wants it down there with him."

Sean moved closer to her and tugged her ponytail playfully. "Why don't we compromise? We'll put it in the dining room until we get a dining table. After that, we'll move it to the office."

She considered his compromise and decided it was a fair one. They'd already made plans to buy a table later in the week, so she wouldn't have to wait long. "You promise?"

Sean crossed his heart, laughing. "I'll even seal the deal with a kiss." He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Even after two years with Sean, her heart began to race the second his lips touched her.

"I promise too," Chad added as they started by her. He placed a quick kiss on her cheek and wiggled his eyebrows. Her libido kicked into overdrive despite her attempts to keep it in check. Not cool. She should not get hot and bothered every time Chad touched her. She was head over heels in love with Sean.

Still…

She stepped out of the way as they continued toward the dining room, Tris at their heels.

"Nice house."

Lauren turned around and spotted Sean's sister, Riley, and her husband Aaron coming in with more boxes. "When did you two get here?" Lauren asked.

"Just now. Thought we'd grab some stuff off the truck and start helping." Riley turned around and put her box on top of the heavy one Aaron was already carrying. "These say books, so I'm assuming they go in the office we just passed."

Lauren nodded, confirming Riley's assumption.

"Put those in there, sugar, while Lauren gives me the tour."

Aaron groaned. "If I fucking pull a muscle, Riley, you'll be sorry. Probably be laid up for weeks. No boom-boom."

Lauren laughed at Aaron's taunt as Riley started to grab her box back. Aaron chuckled and moved away before she could retrieve it.

"Gotcha," he teased as he walked to the office.

"Asswipe," Riley muttered, though her face betrayed the truth. Lauren didn't think the honeymoon would ever end for those two. They'd eloped in Vegas over two years earlier, but they still only had eyes—and hands—for each other.

"Thanks for coming over to help, Riley. I really do appreciate it. Actually, I don't know how we could have moved all this stuff if it weren't for your family."

Riley took her arm and propelled her up the stairs. "Gotta be some perks to having four overgrown, overbearing brothers. Top of that list is that they can move all the heavy shit. So we'll start the tour upstairs. What are the sleeping arrangements?"

Lauren led her toward the first room at the top of the stairs. "Sean and I have the master bedroom and until the guys finish building the basement apartment for Chad, he'll be in the guest room."

"Mmm hmm," Riley hummed.

Lauren tried to figure out what was going on in the woman's head. She'd been making odd comments about this move ever since they'd announced it to Sean's family. Lauren suddenly wondered if she hadn't been as good at hiding her secret lust for Chad as she'd thought.

"This is the master bedroom. It has a great bathroom through those doors—big-ass Jacuzzi tub and everything." Then she sighed at the pile of boxes lining the walls, the dismantled king-sized bed and the drawer-less dressers. God only knew where the drawers had ended up. "Jeez. It's gonna take ages to get this place put together."

Riley was standing at the doorway, looking down the hall. "Where is Chad sleeping again?"

"A little farther down the hallway, on the right. The guest bathroom is toward the end. What's the obsession with sleeping arrangements, Riley? You know as well as I do it makes sense for Chad to move in with us until he and I graduate."

In addition to being Sean's sister, Riley had become one of Lauren's dearest friends over the past few years. Despite that fact, sometimes Lauren struggled with Riley's unusual view of the world and life in general.

"All I'm saying is, are you sure you don't want to share a room with Sean and Chad? Let's face it. You've got the hots for both of them. There's a lot of pent-up lust hovering in the air whenever the three of you get together. It's sort of stifling really."

Lauren sat down on a box, resting her elbows on her knees. "I'm committed to Sean, Riley. We've been together over two years. I'm not about to make a pass at his best friend."

Riley claimed the box next to her. "I'm not saying you should throw Sean over for Chad. Just add another man to the mix."

"Jesus. You know, we're not all as crazy as the Collins'. Most of us mere mortal beings just get through the days living normal lives, either alone or in pairs. Besides, I'm attending school to become a doctor. Of psychology. Not sure how living in a ménage would go over with my patients when I open a practice."

"I don't see anything weird about living in a threesome. Look at my brother Killian. He's been happily shacked up with Lily and Justin for years. I've always thought you, Sean and Chad were destined for the same."

Lauren shook her head. "Killian's deal is the exception, not the rule. I don't know of another person in the world living in that kind of setup."

"So that means no one else is? Pardon me, babe, but you don't know that many damn people. I bet there are loads of threesomes out there making it work."

"Why am I having this conversation with you? How do I let you drag me into stuff like this? The point is moot. I'm in love with Sean. We're eventually getting married and living happily ever after. The end."

Any Given Sunday is available at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony, Kobo and All Romance Ebooks.

More families? More snippets?

Lauren Dane

Rhian Cahill

Eliza Gayle

Selena Blake

Anne Rainey

Jody Wallace

Lissa Matthews  

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Vivian Arend

Alison Kent

Delilah Devlin

HelenKay Dimon

Shelli Stevens

Shiloh Walker

Leah Braemel

Louisa Edwards

TJ Michaels

Jingle Bell Hop!

This weekend I'm participating in the Jingle Bell Hop. Lots of cool prizes and one lucky winner will walk away with a Kindle Fire! Check it out here!

I thought I'd share a snippet from my upcoming release, Wild Irish Christmas, to get us in the spirit of the season. It releases on December 20 at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, then on Dec. 22 everywhere else!

Excerpt:

"I still can't believe you're all spending the night here."

Keira grinned. "We're here because it's the holidays, Pop. You haven't been yourself the last few months. We worry."

Patrick grasped his oldest daughter's hand. "I'm a tired, old fool. I suppose I lost my way for a bit. Let the daily grind get me down. You crazy kids have reminded me what's important in life with this gesture. It's a lovely gift."

Keira squeezed his hand. "We love you. It's been years since the eight of us were alone together in this apartment…all busy with kids and jobs. We thought it was time we took a night to reconnect. To remember where we came from."

"Oh," Sean added, "and a word to the wise, Pop. Next year, when the girls ask you what you want for Christmas, say a flashy tie or an animal-print Snuggie or some bull like that. Don't say, I only want you all to be happy and healthy. Leaves too much room for interpretation—especially from Riley."

Riley picked up a pillow and lobbed it at her younger brother's head. "Way to ruin Keira's sappy speech, smartass."

"Language, Riley," Patrick said, the words a familiar joke more than a true rebuke.

"Sorry, Pop." Her face told him she wasn't sorry at all.

Tris lifted the whiskey, proposing a quick toast. "We're here, Pop, because we're family. To the Collins clan." He took a swig from the bottle and passed it to Teagan, who followed suit with her own cheers.

Patrick wasn't sure what it said about his character that he was proud of the way all seven of his offspring could hold their whiskey.

As the bottle moved from hand to hand, they each offered up words of thanks or wishes for the New Year. When it reached Patrick, he lifted the bottle and proposed a toast he hadn't used since the last Christmas he'd celebrated with his wife, Sunday.

"To Conall Brannagh."

Ewan took the bottle from his father. "Who?"

"Conall Brannagh," Patrick repeated. "If your mother had chosen him over me, none of us would be here tonight."