Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 212

Not So Secret Santa by Susan Mac Nicol - Deck the Halls with Books Holiday Extravaganza

So – what’s your ideal Christmas gift? I confess I was looking through a list of the most wanted gift ideas and I was a little taken aback. It’s everything from virtual reality glasses, a lot of techno geek gifts like Alexa, drones and fit-bits (of course) and even an adult commuter scooter which looks pretty neat. I must confess I’m a tech-geek myself so anything like this would do for me.

I loved browsing through this site to see what the ‘Must-haves’ were for 2018.https://www.brostrick.com/tech/best-tech-gifts-this-year/
Of course, all I really want for Christmas are some Amazon Gift vouchers. I ask my family every year for these because I buy a lot of books there, and other bits and bobs as well. Yet every year, I get something else. The family don’t think the provision of gift vouchers is a ‘proper’ gift even it’s what I want. Perhaps this year they’ll listen

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A Bewitching Monday

The Best Worst Christmas Gift I Ever Received by Karen Greco #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/69oM30n0LUs

10 Holiday Gifts for Your Supernatural Friends #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/Y7nV30n0Lok

Not So Secret Santa by Susan Mac Nicol #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/WYqg30n0Lm1

Holiday Recipe for Plum Tarts #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/byTI30n0LJO

Please Welcome Sam Poling As He Tells Us About His Dark Fantasy, GOETIA, The Oldenrai Archives, Book Two #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/pXcf30n0LAE

GIFTED: THE DARK FORGOTTEN - Dark Forgotten Series Book Five Sharon Ashwood -- Who says the holiday season is just for humans? **Excerpt -- Find out the Author's favorite Supernatural Carols -- Giveaway** #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/diPQ30n0Lqp

His Dark Magic by Pat Esden: Book Tour Spotlight with Giveaway #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/ObZs30n0LGT

Black Dog: A Christmas Story by Victoria Danan #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/KfF330n0Liy

Holiday Extravaganza: A Magic Redemption (A Demon’s Witch) by Tena Stetler ~ #Giveaway #Excerpt #BookTour #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/dQX130n0Lfr

Author Sam Poling #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/hRLi30n0LDH

Magic in the Mountains by Donna Kunkel - Book Tour + Giveaway #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/DlCN30n0LNP

Hot Shot by S.A. Stolinsky - Deck the Halls with Books Holiday Extravaganza #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/GT1p30n0LLW

To See You Again by Ariel MacArran #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/UIEe30n0MkQ

The Wish of Xmas Present The Styles of Love Book Two N.D. Jones #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/xbSn30n0MhU

SPOTLIGHT - NONFICTION - The Young Adult Writer’s Journey by Elizabeth Fortin-Hinds and Janet Schrader-Post #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/S7Rp30n0M1P

Book Spotlight & #Giveaway ~ Sin City Salvation: Holidays Are Hell (A Hell’s Belle Prequel Novella) by Karen Greco ~ #UF ~ karen greco #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/utyy30n0LWQ

SPOTLIGHT - HOLIDAY ROM-COM - The Christmas Countdown (Holiday Lake, #1) by Ani Gonzalez #bewithcingbooktours http://ow.ly/aTq530n0M7m

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The Best Worst Christmas Gift I Ever Received by Karen Greco

I love my partner. He’s amazing at on so many levels  - he’s a fantastic dad, a brilliant life partner, he makes me laugh. But (sorry, babe) he is horrible at picking out gifts.To be fair, it’s kind of my fault. He asks what I want and I respond with “just get me a card” or a “whatever you feel like.” Partly because I don’t really want for anything. I work. If I need something, I can buy it myself. But also because, when put on the spot like that, my mind goes blank. I can’t come up with anything.
So, two years ago, he bought me a horn mug.
Now, I love Game of Thrones. I whipped through Martin’s books in just a few weeks time. The HBO series is the only thing I watch religiously every time it airs. Also, I love beer. It’s my prefer drink of choice.
On the surface, maybe yeah. Horn mug for the GoT fan! But unless my beer is straight from the tap, I prefer to drink it out of the bottle. Or even, gasp, the can. 
Now, every time I crack open a beer, he asks me if I want my horn mug. 
“No thanks,” I tell him.
“But why not?” 
“Because it’s a freaking horn mug.”
“But that’s the best part” is his response. Before he adds, “you know you have to use it when we watch Game of Thrones.” 
I bet George R.R. Martin didn’t consider this when he plotted out his series.
One year, he bought me a heart rate monitor. (This was before all the smart watches. We’re dinosaurs). Yeah, I was super mad about that one. But a few years later, I dug it out of the box. Now, I can’t imagine going through a work out without one. 
We’ll call him prescient, ahead of his time.
But the horn mug was really…something…else.
This year, he asked me what I wanted. Like an idiot, I gave him my canned response. To which he said, “Cool, did you know they sell horn mugs with belts?” 
I asked for a gift card.
Holidays are hell, indeed.
Karen Greco is the author of the urban fantasy series Hell’s Belle. The prequel to the series, Sin City Salvation: Holidays Are Hell, is out now.



Sin City Salvation
Holidays Are Hell
A Hell’s Belle Prequel Novella
Karen Greco

Genre: Urban Fantasy     


Publisher: 56West, LLC
Date of Publication: 11/27/18
Number of pages: 136Word Count: 38,000
Cover design by Robin Ludwig Design Inc.
Tagline: What Happens In Vegas Needs to Stay In Vegas
Book Description:
There are thousands of bodies buried in the Las Vegas desert. Nina Martinez does not want to be one of them.
Blood Ops agents Nina and Frankie came to Las Vegas for a little R&R. But their holiday takes a detour when there is a mass suicide on the Vegas strip. With the sigil of Satan burning on the bodies, what looks like a human problem quickly turns supernatural. Satan is in Sin City, and he’s been reinvented as the self-help guru behind the multi-billion-dollar organization BestLife Ministries.
With an offer to attend the BestLife’s Yule Ball, Nina accepts her invitation to dance with the devil. But what happens in Vegas needs to stay in Vegas. For all of humanity’s sake…
This action-packed prequel novella to the acclaimed Hell’s Belle series gives fans of series a glimpse at Nina’s origin story while new readers can sample the unique Hell’s Belle world.

Amazon     Kobo     iTunes

Excerpt: "You hear that?" Frankie asked."Do I have vampy hearing?" I countered with my own question. Of course I didn't hear it. "That's right. Sorry," he said with a teasing smile.  "There's a lot of chatter in the wind, a lot of bobbies, EMS, that sort."Frankie was a posh Brit. Sometimes his terms needed translations."By bobbies, you mean cops, right?" "Right, police. They keep calling code 10-56. Any idea?" "No, but Google will."I stopped walking and pulled out my phone. I fired up my browser and punched in the police code while Frankie crossed his arms and sent his eyes skyward. His hatred of Google was irrational, considering the vamp never used a computer."Suicide," I said, reading off my phone. "That many at once?" he asked. His eyes narrowed but his lanky body went electric, like he was listening to the wind again. "That's a terrible number of 10-56s being called." "Maybe they're repeating?" "Different voices. Dispatch is sending bobbies out to different locations." "Where?" I asked, my own body tensing with adrenaline. "All different hotels. All on the Strip." "No," I said, launching myself forward, our ridiculous hotel less than a mile away. Get in, get to the room, close the drapes, pretend this wasn't happening. "What?" Frankie asked, matching my steps. "Aren't you curious?" "Human problem," I said. "Suicide is a human problem." "Nina—" he started in that voice. That. Voice. I knew that voice. That was the voice that said we should wade in. I pressed forward. "Are they talking about puncture wounds in the neck? Are the bodies gutted, half eaten entrails left behind? Anyone speaking in tongues?" He slowed his gate, so his answer came from behind me. "But this sounds like a mass suicide." I pushed my pace even faster. If he wanted to explore whatever the hell the idiot humans were up to, he was welcome to it. I, however, wanted to wash off the stink of failure and then crash in the hotel's promised "Angelic Cloud" bed. Frankie, of course, caught up. He wasn't even breathing heavy. Of course, he was dead so he didn't technically breathe."You ever hear of those Heaven's Gate nuts? That was human," I pushed out, getting a little winded, not by my speed walking but from the spike of my stress level. We were supposed to be on vacation. Hunting monsters 24/7 over the past nine months had me fatigued. I needed a time out. "Jim Jones? Not supernatural. Human." "That was murder," he pointed out. "Whatever. You get the idea," I said. "Suicides, even mass ones, happen for human reasons, Frankie. I promise you. This has nothing to do with us." That was when Frankie football tackled me, shoving us off the sidewalk into the street. We slammed against the door of one of the stopped cars, then bounced forward a little before both of us landed on our asses in the gutter.A body landed on the sidewalk in exactly the spot were were just standing. It made a loud thud on impact. Then a pink spray covered our bodies while fragments of bone pelted us, pinging off the metal of the cars still backed up on the street."What in bloody hell was that?" Frankie asked as we both scrambled back up to our feet, ignoring the shrieks of the woman driving the car we hit. My own eyes tracked up the length of the high-rise casino beside us, where three heads poked out an open window, arms flailing and pointing down. "Jumper," I said, looking at what was left of the body. The torso was intact. Two arms and one leg had separated from the body. The one remaining attached leg was akimbo. His head was pulp.In my job, I've seen human bodies ripped apart by werewolves and drained of blood by vampires. But this? This was a gruesome way to go.I ignored the gore that covered my bomber jacket, now destined for the garbage bin. No amount of cleaning would wipe away the mess on this coat. "Let's get out of here," I said to Frankie, who was wiping his leather down with a handkerchief. "Frankie, you're gonna need more than a little hankie to get that shit out." "Don't you think we should stay for the police?" he asked."Human problem," I repeated. "Nina." There was a warning in Frankie's tone, and I pulled my eyes away from the body and to a man huddled by the revolving door of the casino. If he had been mere seconds earlier, he would have been pancaked under the jumper. The man's eyes were wide. His skin, sheened with sweat, took on a grey pallor. He couldn't have been much older than thirty, but what he just witnessed seemed to age him one hundred years. "You okay, sir?" Frankie called out to him. The man shifted his eyes towards Frankie. Fear and confusion danced behind his violet irises. I watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, trying to find his voice. The pulse of the artery in his neck throbbed."I . . . I'm . . . what the—" That was all the man could manage to get out before his eyes tracked back to the body and his face melted from shock to horror."Human problem, eh?" Frankie snarked with a nod to the remains.I closed my eyes as my stomach roiled. Deep down, I knew. A string of suicides on the Vegas Strip the night before Christmas Eve? By jumping out high-rise windows? I didn't want to see, didn't want to know, didn't want to admit: this was no human problem."Nina—" Frankie prodded. "You gotta look."With a determined sigh, I opened my eyes and saw a blue flame dance on top of the dead man's torso. Frankie and I inched towards the body until we hovered over it, watching the flame ignite into a shape from groin to chest. "Do you see that?" the frightened man whispered from behind us. "You both see that, right?" There was no way I could unsee any of it, especially the sigil formed from the flames. This wasn't just any old sigil. This was the mark of Lucifer. The devil was in town. And Frankie and I were likely the ones who had to run him out of Vegas.
About the Author:
Karen Greco’s entire career has revolved around writing. She studied playwriting in college (and won an award or two). After not writing plays for a long time, a life-long obsession with exorcists and Dracula drew her to urban fantasy, where she decapitates characters with impunity. Titles in her Hell’s Belle series include: Hell’s Belle, Tainted Blood, and Steele City Blues. Sin City Salvation is a prequel novella to the series. She wrote contemporary romance for a small press under the pen-name Jillian Sterling. She is currently re-writing and expanding those books for re-release. She is a freelance entertainment publicist and feature writer. She is a regular contributor to Providence Media’s various regional titles.
http://www.karengrecoauthor.com/
https://twitter.com/karenThegreco
https://www.facebook.com/hellsbellebykarengreco
https://www.instagram.com/therealkarengreco/
https://www.goodreads.com/karengreco
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/karen-greco
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A Bewitching Thursday

THE ESSENTIAL CHRISTMAS READING LIST with KATHERINE MOORE #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/w85t30mYfBi

Interview + Giveaway: Black Widow Curse and The Coven by M.D. Fryson ( @madelyn_fryson, @RoxanneRhoads ) #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/4Uu830mYfo9

MAGIC IN THE MOUNTAINS -- Aspen Glen Series Book One by Donna Kunkel -- She tries to deny her magic, but fate has other plans. -- ***Excerpt -- Giveaway*** #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/sBdx30mYfms

Hot Shot by S.A. Stolinsky #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/FwpN30mYfks

Trial of a Warrior by Mary Morgan #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/Esja30mYfiU

Holiday Recipe from Pat Esden Author of His Dark Magic #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/JMGK30mYfhE

GOETIA by SAM POLING #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/kOuJ30mYffC

THE ESSENTIAL CHRISTMAS READING LIST with KATHERINE MOORE #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/9YAn30mYfe6

Favorite Supernatural Holiday Carols #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/KFSY30mYfaJ

Enchanting Yuletide: A Multi-Author Anthology Book Tour & Giveaway #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/5unC30mYf8W

Conversion by Maria Hammarblad #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/Njg830mYf7N

Holiday Extravaganza: Black Dog: A Christmas Story by Victoria Danann ~ #Giveaway #Excerpt #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/NIfb30mYf4q

Book Review: A Magic Redemption (A Demon’s Witch Series Book Five) by Tena Stetler #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/POWg30mYf2k

THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: Holiday Lake Book One by Ani Gonzalez -- A perfect Christmas in twenty-four hours? What could possibly go wrong…or unexpectedly go right? ***Excerpt -- Giveaway*** #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/aad130mYfzL

Secret: Of Amber Eyes by DK Davis: Book Tour Spotlight with Giveaway #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/oAhf30mYfw3

Noelle by Emily Mims #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/GgPy30mYfsu

Sin City Salvation: Holidays Are Hell by Karen Greco #bewithcingbooktours http://ow.ly/jqlv30mYfrl

10 Holiday Gifts for Your Supernatural Friends
Gifted: The Dark Forgotten by Sharon Ashwood
https://dontjudgeread.blogspot.com/p/...

Book Spotlight & Review: The Young Adult Writer’s Journey #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/hPq030mYfNK


Deck the Halls with Books Holiday Extravaganza tour for The Wish of Xmas Present by N.D. Jones #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/29lk30mYfIm

2018 Holiday Extravaganza - HISTORICAL PNR - The Dear Departed by Anne Roebuck #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/PkAl30mYfEm

SPOTLIGHT - To See You Again: A Daring Duchess Novel by Ariel MacArran #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/EJNC30mYfPQ

2018 HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA - LGBT - Not So Secret Santa (Men of London, #10) by Susan Mac Nicol
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Spotlight: Sin City Salvation by Karen Greco
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The Christmas Countdown by Ani Gonzalez #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/26g730mYfpE

Be Ready for 2019 Book Promotion with Bewitching Bundles
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Favorite Supernatural Holiday Carols

Favorite Supernatural Holiday Carols
Who doesn’t like a playlist of holiday favorites?  Whether you’re rocking around the Yuletide tree or mixing punch in your festive cauldron, no party is complete without a soundtrack of traditional and contemporary tunes. We consulted with the good folks over at CSUP—the station that puts super in supernatural—to get their most-requested numbers for the season. 
Here we go with the countdown:
1.       God Rest Ye Hairy Gentlemen2.       Silent Night, Howly Night3.       Here Comes Santa Claws4.       Jingle Hells5.       We Three Kings Disoriented Are (aka the mummy song)6.       O Come, All Ye Fateful7.       The Little Dragon Boy8.       It Came Upon a Midnight Drear9.       What Child is This? (Theme from The Gingerbread House in the Woods)10.     The First Nom Nom (the werewolf did say)

For those of you planning a sing-a-long this season, drop by the station for song sheets and a hot drink between now and New Year’s Day.  Our doors are always open! As for whether you ever leave again, your mileage may vary.
Gifted: The Dark ForgottenDark Forgotten Series
Book Five
Sharon Ashwood

Genre: Paranormal romance/urban fantasy


Publisher: Rowan and Ash Artistry
Date of Publication:  November 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-7750279-3-5ASIN:  B07K5DYCBK
Number of pages: 124Word Count: 35,000
Cover Artist: Wicked by Design
Tagline: Who says the holiday season is just for humans?
Book Description:
For all the holly-jolly times, family gatherings are complex no matter who—or what—you are. When you’re hunting for the latest “it” toy to stuff a stocking, it doesn’t matter if you’re alive or Undead, fanged or furry—you’re just as desperate to be the cool dad. And then there are the family grumps who never send cards, the ones who eat all the good candy, and those who drool and dig up the neighbor’s yard.
No, the Yuletide Season isn’t for the faint of heart—and sometimes it’s downright demonic—but holiday miracles make it all worthwhile. Chance encounters and unexpected forgiveness remind us that joy doesn’t come in a gift-wrapped box.
This novella from the Dark Forgotten world catches up with favorite characters for a fresh take on the holidays. Those visiting the world for the first time will understand why Chicago Tribune called it “simply superb.”
Grab this book and return to the world of the Dark Forgotten. Santa Claws is waiting!
Amazon


“Don’t you want to go see Santa Claws?”  Errata Jones asked in her husky, teasing voice.“Meh,” Perry Baker replied, still grumpy at the prospect of crowds and gift-giving decisions. Plus, it was cold, gray, and rainy—a typical December day in the Pacific Northwest.“Where’s your boundless holiday spirit?” She turned into the parking lot outside the Fairview Sports and Recreation Center. It was the final day of the Yuletide Holiday Market, an arts and crafts event by and for the local supernatural community. “Counting today, there’s only three shopping days till Christmas.”“I really hope you’re not going to make me sit on Santa’s knee.” “I don’t think so, darling. That would be weird, even for us.”Errata swung her Jaguar coupe into the last parking space, beating out a massive pickup by a whisker. The truck made a sound like a startled dinosaur as it lurched to a stop on the frosty pavement. Turning off the Jaguar’s ignition, Errata smoothed her chin-length, jet-black hair, then glanced in the rear-view mirror, looking pleased with herself. Perry twisted in his seat to see the pickup driver turn a Christmassy scarlet and lurch off.  Perry willed his heart to resume its normal rhythm.  Errata was a werecougar, and there were reasons cats shouldn’t drive. Werewolves like him were another matter. Wolves appreciated order, including stop signs. Cats did things because they could—like pester him into going to this stupid craft fair.  That’s what he got for befriending a feline. He cast her a sidelong look, taking in her high cheekbones and smooth, golden skin. It was all he could do not to reach over and stroke her hair, but that would be crossing a boundary. She’d made it clear from the start that cats walked alone.Errata finished preening and gave him an arch look. “Shouldn’t you be shopping for your human, what’s-her-name?”Perry released his seatbelt. “Her name is Tiffani. With an i.”“Tiffani. Of course it is.” Errata patted his cheek with a pitying look. “Come on. First fifty guests get a goodie bag.”“She’s fun,” Perry said, sounding defensive even to himself. “Humans generally are,” she said agreeably. “You should buy her something really nice.”“Men don’t shop before December 23rd,” he protested as he got out of the car.“Friends don’t let friends give their sweethearts, even ones named Tiffani with an i, gift cards.”“But gift cards make sense.”Errata flung the end of her scarf over her shoulder with a flick of one gloved hand. “Be grateful you have me to watch over you.” She clicked the locks and swept toward the entrance of the building, leaving Perry to catch up.“Cats,” he grumbled. “What do you want for Yule?”“Not a gift card.”

About the Author:
USA Today bestselling author Sharon Ashwood is a novelist, desk jockey and enthusiast for the weird and spooky. She has an English literature degree but works as a finance geek. Interests include growing her to-be-read pile and playing with the toy graveyard on her desk. As a vegetarian, she freely admits the whole vampire/werewolf lifestyle would never work out, so she writes her adventures instead.
Sharon is a winner of the RITA® Award for Paranormal Romance. She lives in the Pacific Northwest and is owned by the Demon Lord of Kitty Badness.

Website        www.SharonAshwood.com
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A Bewitching Wednesday

Join us TODAY- Wednesday December 12 at 2 PM – 11 PM EST
Deck the Halls with Books Holiday Extravaganza Facebook Party
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The Best Holiday Cocktail Offered at Babe’s On the Sunnyside by Karen Greco #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/Jdsv30mXlq6

Guest Blog -His Dark Magic by Pat Esden - Deck the Halls with Books Holiday Extravaganza #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/k2co30mXljC

SPOTLIGHT - Meridian Chronicles: Black Widow Curse and The Coven by MD Fryson #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/jM2R30mXlas

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Gifted by Sharon Ashwood Book Tour and Giveaway #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/OrfS30mXlfZ

To See You Again A Daring Duchess Novel Ariel MacArran #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/9RGt30mXlJo

Noelle by Emily Mims #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/OmAL30mXlr9

Magic In The Mountains by Donna Kunkel #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/6J2w30mXloi

Hot Shot by S.A. Stolinsky - Spotlight
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Deck the Halls with Books Holiday Extravaganza tour for Gifted: The Dark Forgotten by Sharon Ashwood #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/IbB930mXleO

2018 HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA - ANTHOLOGY - Enchanting Yuletide Anthology #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/Ufks30mXlcz

Trial of a Warrior by Mary Morgan - Spotight
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The Christmas Countdown by Ani Gonzalez #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/fOT630mXlDu

Sin City Salvation : Holidays Are Hell by Karen Greco Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/8rRP30mXlzj

Secret: Of Amber Eyes by DK Davis #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/ngBD30mXlxT

Deck The Halls With Books: 2018 Holiday Extravaganza - Not So Secret Santa by Susan Mac Nicol #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/rEeL30mXlsU


Deck The Halls With Books: 2018 Holiday Extravaganza - The Wish of Xmas Present by N.D. Jones #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/LQpC30mXlsh

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The Christmas Countdown by Ani Gonzalez

The Christmas Countdown
Holiday Lake
Book One
Ani Gonzalez


Genre: Romance, Romantic Comedy
Publisher: FAC Publishing LLC
Date of Publication: 12/1/2018
Number of pages: 175Word Count: 35k
Cover Artist: Ani Gonzalez
Tagline: A perfect Christmas in twenty-four hours? What could possibly go wrong…or unexpectedly go right?
Book Description:
For the residents of Holiday Lake, Minnesota, there is no such thing as too much Christmas cheer. The tiny town prides itself on celebrating the holiday every day of the year and their halls are decked with boughs of holly all year round.
Yet this December twenty-third, professional holiday decorator Nat Quinn, known as "The Christmas Queen”, has had enough. After a hectic year helping clients set up the absolutely-perfect-to-the-last-detail backdrops for the festive season, she is ready to relax. That’s when divorced billionaire and workaholic Cyrus Blackstone makes a proposal she can’t turn down: Provide the perfect holiday for his children in exchange for the beach vacation of her dreams.
A perfect Christmas in twenty-four hours? That’s a tall order, even for the Queen of Christmas and her team in Holiday Lake. As Nat races to fulfill her assignment, she realizes that the real challenge isn't the tinsel and pudding... it’s not falling in love.
                                                                          Amazon

ExcerptCYRUS ENDED the call, satisfied. That was one action item taken care of.He headed for a built-in mahogany cabinet that served as the study's bar and grabbed a bottle of scotch and a glass. A perfect Christmas with his kids. This was worth celebrating.He sat on his desk chair and poured the amber liquid into the glass. The cut-glass pattern made everything sparkle, which was rather festive. Now all he had to do was get the kids on the plane. Everything else would be taken care of.Happy as Cyrus was about giving his children the perfect Christmas, there was more to his feeling of jubilation. He smiled as he realized that the quirky holiday decorator had improved his mood. She seemed almost entirely too Christmassy to be real, but she also appeared to be someone you could count on, a quality that was lacking in this world.He sipped his drink, feeling the fiery liquid slide down this throat. That had been a good negotiation.And he was looking forward to the next one. As Nat had said, everyone wanted the perfect Christmas and it wasn't all that easy. An eleventh-hour version would, he was certain, encounter a few challenges, and he had a feeling he would enjoy maneuvering through them with Ms. Quinn. He felt a lot more confident after talking with her, like a weight had fallen off his back.Leah walked into the studio, all well-tailored slacks and glossy hair. She definitely wasn't the slouchy sweater and Ugg boots type."The kids are packing," she said, a tinge of worry in her voice. "They sound really excited. Is she going to do it?""Of course," Cyrus replied. "Did you have any doubts?""Some," Leah exclaimed with a happy smile. "She was dead set against it. How did you convince her?""Money, flattery, and bottomless margaritas," he replied.But that wasn't quite accurate. Ms. Quinn had given in when he'd mentioned his kids. That had been her weak spot. It made sense that a holiday specialist would be a sucker for kids. They were the point of her job, after all."How much do you know about this Nat Quinn, Leah?" He asked."She's fantastic," Leah answered, eyes shining. "You know Christmas is not my thing, so it takes quite a lot to wow me." Cyrus nodded. Leah was Jewish, and she'd worked for some of the wealthiest families in Manhattan and London. She was notoriously hard to impress."But the Hagens hired me one week before Christmas and I was blown away. We drove up to the lodge and it looked amazing with a ten-foot-tall tree, garlands everywhere, and Mrs. Hagen's favorite vintage German decorations. Ms. Quinn even found the large old-fashioned bulbs that Mrs. Hagen wanted. She had an intact set and everything."Cyrus suppressed a smile. At least he wasn't demanding rare Christmas lights and antique ornaments. Ms. Quinn was likely relieved about that."Christmas dinner was divine," Leah continued. "The main restaurant has an all-year-round holiday buffet with a citrus cranberry chutney that is out of this world. You can use it as a sandwich spread for the leftovers too."His nanny's eyes grew dreamy as she described the food."And the pastry shop makes this amazing Black Forest cake with cherry Kirsch." Leah gave a deep sigh of longing. "It has so much alcohol you can't drive after you eat it, but it is delicious. Absolutely worth being housebound afterwards.""So you want to go back for the food?" Cyrus asked, swirling the amber liquid in his glass.           His question was greeted by an awkward silence.Leah avoided his gaze. "Er, not exactly. The town is lovely and the people are, um, quite pleasant." She paused. "Particularly Ms. Quinn. She even gave us some Chinese food for Christmas Eve dinner, which was very thoughtful." Her eyes grew dreamy again. "The kung pao chicken was delicious. I hear the place closed though, which is a pity."Cyrus smiled. "Let's hope Ms. Quinn can whip us something similar despite the time constraints. Given what we've given her to work with, we'll be lucky if she can find a Christmas tree.""Oh, but I'm sure Noah's dad—"Leah raised her hand to her mouth, eyes wide."Oh?" Cyrus raised a brow. "Who's Noah?"A tinge of pink spread across her cheeks. "No one. I'll, er, go check on the kids now."And she hurried out of the room.Cyrus sipped his drink. Leah had been working for him for almost two years now, and she'd become part of the family. Yet he'd never seen her blush, not once. Holiday Lake was going to be a lot more interesting than he'd expected.He turned on his computer. A picture of his kids popped up on the screen. It was from the last time he'd taken Jack to the FDNY open house. His son stood in front of a fire truck grinning widely while his sister made bunny ears behind his head.It was Cyrus’s favorite picture, partly because he'd made it to the field trip for a change, but mostly because Jack was wearing a t-shirt that read "Firefighters Like It Hot", seemingly oblivious to the double entendre.Cyrus clicked on the Internet browser icon and waited for the program to load. An e-mail came as he waited. The sender was Nat Queen at TheChristmasQueen-dot-com and the subject line read "Contract for Immediate Signature." The words were punctuated with a dozen exclamation marks.Ms. Quinn, it appeared, was quite efficient, a woman after his own heart.When his browser window opened, he typed in "Nat Quinn Holiday Lake Minnesota." A surprisingly large number of sites popped up, most of them featuring the Christmas Queen motto and a mistletoe crown logo. Ms. Quinn, it turned out, was a busy gal. She'd appeared on various morning shows, giving holiday decorating tips. She wrote a column on how to plan the perfect holiday. She had authored numerous magazine articles on virtually every challenge one could encounter during the holidays, and at least three of the articles dealt with gravy consistency. She had done sets for holiday movies.No wonder she longed for a beach holiday. The poor woman must be exhausted. She even had a sponsorship agreement with a candle company. The ads boasted that her Citrus Cranberry Christmas Delight Candle was their all-time best-seller.Well, there were worst things one could be remembered for.He clicked on her website, TheChristmasQueen.com, and was immediately assaulted by loud music, The Carol of the Bells, if he was not mistaken.It seemed the otherwise admirable Ms. Quinn had one serious character flaw: She was one of those people who had pop-up music on her website.He muted the sound and scrolled down. There was another mistletoe crown logo, a recipe section, and several pictures of lavishly decorated houses.Leah had not exaggerated. Ms. Quinn could put on a show. She'd even done a party with a real sleigh and live reindeer. He peered at the computer screen, jaw dropping in disbelief as he counted the animals. Eight reindeer, all suitably labeled. She'd done a holiday party with eight reindeer.Maybe she could do Christmas in a day.He kept browsing through her site. She had social media accounts with current pictures of the town. It had snowed recently and Holiday Lake could rightfully claim that it would be a white Christmas. The bakery that Leah loved was shaped like a Swiss chalet with twinkling lights and a giant Black Forest cake replica in front. The Chinese restaurant, it turned out, was re-opening. Leah would no doubt be overjoyed. The Bavarian Brathaus sounded intriguing and the Holiday Lake Inn would be sponsoring a Christmas carol concert tomorrow night. The kids would enjoy that.Holiday Lake seemed to have a fetish for measuring things. All their statistics were carefully noted on the various websites. They'd received sixteen inches of snow last week. The Holiday Lake Inn's all-you-can-eat turkey buffet had served seventeen gallons of citrus-cranberry chutney on December 26 of last year. Year-to-date, the tree farm had sold eight hundred and twenty-two trees.He scrolled through the social media accounts and checked all the friends lists, but try as he might he could not find what he was looking for.There were no clues as to Leah's mysterious Noah.And there were no pictures of Nat Quinn. The Christmas Queen seemed surprisingly shy. No pictures of herself on her website. No selfies on her social media. Nothing.But then he checked the images search tab and found that the local Christmas tree vendors had a picture of her. The image was blurry, so all he could make out was a slender woman standing next to an enormous Christmas tree, but clicking on the picture took him to the tree seller's website.And there she was. Nat Quinn had filmed a television segment with Northstar Tree Farm, which had aired on the Minneapolis public television station. The tree farm had the video on its website.He clicked play and sat back to watch. Nat Quinn was a tall woman with bright red hair, green eyes, and a loud cheerful laugh. She knew more than any human being should about decorative conifers, and she could make a Christmas wreath in five minutes flat. She liked Balsam firs because they looked shaggy and natural, but she admired the Fraser fir's longevity. She wielded a chainsaw like a pro and she did not like artificial trees. As far as she was concerned, they were an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. She owned thirty-seven ugly Christmas sweaters and her favorite featured an unhappy-looking antlered Chihuahua. And she was single.Cyrus found himself smiling. Nat Quinn was adorable.She was also dead serious about Christmas.She was the perfect choice for this job. Even the single part. Not that he cared, of course, not personally. It just left her free to concentrate on the job. That was the important consideration here, the job.But there was something. He scrolled up. He could swear he'd seen—He laughed as he reached the top of the website. There it was in all its glory—The Northstar Tree Farm's Christmas tree counter.And it read "zero."There were no trees left. Zero balsams. Zero Frasers.Nada.He was still laughing as he pulled up Nat's email, opened the contract, and affixed his electronic signature.He couldn't wait to see what the Christmas Queen would do.


About the Author:
Ani Gonzalez is a USA Today bestselling author of holiday-themed romantic comedy and cozy mystery stories set in Banshee Creek, Virginia (The Most Haunted Town in the USA!) and Holiday Lake, Minnesota (Where Every Day is Christmas!). Her books feature feisty, irrepressible heroines dealing with holiday mayhem, paranormal critters (ghosts, cryptids, pagan gods...the sky's the limit) and mysteries. They find love and laughter (and sometimes corpses) along the way, and readers get to follow them every step.
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