Cate Masters's Blog, page 16

Less than a week till release day!

With only days till Kensington's Lyrical Press releases Twice In A Blue Moon, things are going to get busy. I've been quiet lately, gearing up for release day plus writing a new story. Oh, and I finished the book video too.


Today, I can't stay quiet - Cindy Fazzi was gracious enough to interview me on her blog about the backstory for Twice In A Blue Moon. I hope you'll pop over and say hi.

Event coming up
I'm excited to be part of a local booksigning too. On Feb. 14, I'll join dozens of other authors at Ashcombe's Greenhouse. Last year, the event drew lots of visitors. Such a lovely environment, too, in the warm greenhouse, surrounded by flowers and plants. We had a basket full of wonderful giveaways last year, and I'm sure this year we'll offer something fantastic too. So if you're in central Pennsylvania, I hope you'll drop by Ashcombe's that Saturday afternoon.

Happy book birthday to Daisy Banks' To Eternity!

A Happy New Year to you and all your readers. Thank you so much for hosting me and helping me celebrate the release of my new book To Eternity, the second book in the Timeless series.
I hope those of you who enjoyed meeting Magnus and Sian in Timeless will enjoy this next step in their story.  I hope those of you meeting them for the first time in To Eternity will want to find out about their past in Timeless.
I am presently in the process of writing Out of Time, Book Three in the series and hope to have it completed this year.
To Eternity - wild beneath the moonBook Two in the Timeless Series
Blurb For four centuries Magnus has lived according to the dictates of the moon, his heart isolated by the domination of his wolf nature. Now fate has brought the beautiful, independent Sian to his house at Darnwell and their irresistible attraction has exploded into a white-hot passion. Yet she is not wolf, and the time has come for her to embrace the change. But once she completes the ritual and claims her place next to Magnus, the rivals will appear on the horizon…
Excerpt Confined for the time of the full moon in the small room with the cage, he had found her fragrant, sensual lure tortuous. When she had crouched on her knees to peer at him, all he’d wanted had lain beyond those solid bars. In the hope of gaining surcease, he’d reached through to grab her, scoring her forearm with a thick black claw. He’d sucked in a powerful blast of her scent as she had cried out. Another inch would have made her his. He’d have held her close enough to tear off the garments she’d worn and taken her. His damned wolf body would have reveled in the cure for his painful need. The beast had no conscience to trouble it. He gripped the rail at the top of the stairs, could see nothing in the evening’s gloom but the vision of her sleek, pale beauty, the silken flesh of her parted thighs, the springing auburn curls, the juicy heat lodged within that promised bliss. A fresh hot spasm throbbed in his groin. His body demanded he find fulfillment. How he had wanted her. He still did. She was ripe to mate, ready to breed. He could taste her in the air. His seed would fill her. Their cubs would be bold, clever, bright, and sleek. “No!” Kicking off the rattan shoes, he dashed down the stairs, along the corridor to the drawing room where he opened the secret doorway below the window. He ducked through and dragged in a breath as he ran along the terrace overlooking the lake. An icy thin slime of frost met his feet. He skidded, regained his balance, then pelted down the path. He raced onto the spikes of grass that yielded with the heat of his tread. Down the slope, into the night, he bounded in an effort to escape the pain. The frigid air cooled his ardor, exorcising the lust from his body with every breath he inhaled. A fragile, starlit lattice of ice stilled any movement on the lake’s surface. He hurried across the causeway to the pagoda. Each step on the boards of the jetty crackled and crunched, snapping the delicate icy crust from the walkway. Inside, in the gloom, he huddled in his robe on the day bed where he and Sian had first made love in the flesh, what seemed like so long ago. Though the search for peace drove him here, her scent still lingered to tease his senses. Memories of peeling her from her cashmere business trousers stoked the embers of his desire. He tried and failed to close off the recollection of her pleasure cries. Tonight they powered through his body as they had that day, charging his desire, tormenting his senses so he ached with a terrible longing.
Buy Links Barns&Noble Amazon Amazon UK http://www.ekensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/31117
Daisy Banks Links Blog   http://daisybanks.wordpress.com/  Website http://daisybanksnovels.yolasite.com/ Twitter @DaisyBanks16 Facebook http://on.fb.me/18iRC35        Pinterest http://bit.ly/16sF1XG

Get your goddess on!

There's no better way to begin a new year than by embracing your inner goddess! Now Kensington's Lyrical Press is making it easier than ever - by reducing the price of Goddess, Awakened to just 99 cents on Amazon.


I'm joining in the goddess celebration by offering the other two Goddess Connection novels for just 99 cents on Smashwords! But hurry - these are on sale for just two weeks. The coupon expires January 15th.



For Goddess, Spellbound, go to Smashwords and enter the coupon code XK46W and get this 5-star "Hot Pick" paranormal/fantasy romance for just 99 cents at checkout.

You can read the full Bitten by Romance review here.






For Goddess, Inflamed, go to Smashwords and enter the coupon code WX42K and get this 5-star "Hot Pick" paranormal/fantasy romance for just 99 cents too!

You can read the full Bitten by Romance review here.

There's never been a better time to get your goddess on!

Happy New Year's!

I hope the new year brings you everything you wished for, and takes you far, to places you'd only dreamed of. Thanks for coming along for the ride with me!

Happy holidays

It's become a tradition to share this lovely video. I hope you enjoy it, and may you have the happiest of holidays! See you next year.

Are you on tsu?

I try to limit myself as far as social media sites. I learned from Yahoo email groups that I just get overwhelmed by too many and end up actually participating in none. Twitter still turns my brain upside down too. While I do like Facebook, it's become overly restrictive as far as our own content, while pushing ads and their content. Apparently, FB will tighten the screws even more in 2015. Here's a better explanation.

So when someone mentioned tsu, I thought I'd check it out. Seems pretty similar to FB, so I set up a page. We'll see how it goes. If you're over there, find me and friend me, won't you?

I'm beyond thrilled that Bitten by Romance has rated both Goddess, Inflamed and Goddess, Spellbound as 5 star Hot Picks! These reviews really blew me away:

For Goddess, Inflamed:

I am so in love with this series.  I love the characters and the way the various other entities interact with them.  They are all brought into the modern world and to life with such amazing personalities and motivations.  


There were lots of surprises in this book as her lineage is slowly revealed.  I loved exploring all the skeletons in the closet of Hades' and Persephone's family.  There are quite a few of them, and we all love a good bit of juicy gossip.  The end was a fantastic adventure with just enough action to get my heart racing paired with some wonderful moments of true love.
The characters in the series are so real, I almost expect to run into them on the street some day.  It just seems natural that they are a part of the "real world" and we just don't know it yet. Hot Pick 5 Stars – Bitten by Romance http://www.bittenbyromance.com/2014/11/review-goddess-inflamed-goddess.html

For Goddess, Spellbound

First off, I have to admit to being very excited to see an Egyptian mythology story.  Good ones are very hard to find and this one was definitely a good one.  I love how Cate Masters takes the stories, both well-known and more obscure, and weaves them into her reality.  The gods, goddesses, and legends really come to life in the book and they will take over your world while you are reading.

Sandy is a fantastic character.  I loved her passion for history, her love of cats (I wish I could have seven), and her quirky personality were spot on for me.  Her journey from slightly insecure (but not overly so) museum curator to powerful goddess totally sure of herself was very subtle.  At one point I remember wondering when it happened.  But it was one of those things that changed just a little bit - but constantly - and then suddenly you realize you have something new and exciting Iker was all stiff formality - which is exactly what I picture an old mummy would act like.  I enjoyed watching him interact with the modern world, trying to adapt to its "craziness".  He was quite a mystery at times, keeping a lot of his emotions and thoughts hidden from the world.  But I still couldn't help but love him.
As Sandy embraces her destiny and heritage, she performs a ritual that was just beyond incredibly written that it totally blew my mind.  You will feel like you are there fighting and discovering right along with her the whole way.Can you tell I love her writing?
HOT PICK 5 stars – Bitten by Romance http://www.bittenbyromance.com/2014/12/review-goddess-spellbound-goddess.html

I'm always grateful to reviewers when they take the time to read my work, but reviews like these are what keep me pumped about writing.

The first few chapters of Goddess, Spellbound are on Wattpad, if you'd like to read them.

Because of its explicit nature, only the first chapter of Goddess, Inflamed is on Wattpad, but I'd love for you to check it out. I'd be especially grateful for comments!

Lastly, I'm very excited that my short story, A Hard Day's Knight, is part of Decadent's new 1NS collection - 186,000 words and 17 authors for only 99 cents!
All Romance ebooks
Decadent Publishing
Amazon

Here's a peek at A Hard Day's Knight, a modernized King Arthur tale of magic and love.

Casting Call: Rock My World

As this is a fairly short story, there are only two characters in this Casting Call.

Cynthia Winterspoon's picking up the pieces after a messy split from her husband. At 37, she's reluctant to start over, and ready to fight for the business she's built from scratch.

Thoughtful and kind, she's not prepared for a new guy in her life. Rex Reynolds is nothing like the rock star persona he projects, but a motorcycle accident leaves them both reeling.

Scarlett Johannson would be perfect as Cyn.

Rex Reynolds, rock god and general hot mess, thinks his life is pretty much figured out. Until a motorcycle accident robs him of his memory - except for two things. His love of music, and the girl he loves. But the girl, Cyn, doesn't seem to remember him.

Richard Armitage was always Rex.

You can find out more about Rock My World here.

Or read the first chapter on Wattpad.

D.L. Jackson will rock your holidays!

Cate: D.L. Jackson is here to bring the 12 Days of Christmas to a close. D.L., please tell us a little bit about yourself D.L.: . I’ve been published since 2009, but started writing as a teenager and stopped when I went in the Army. I picked the writing back up about seven years ago, when my children were grown. I write primarily romance and erotic romance. My favorite sub-genres are science fiction and dystopian.
Cate: Your stories are real grabbers. What do you love most about Christmas? D.L.: Having my family around. This will be the first Christmas, (both my boys are in the military) where my boys won’t be home. One is deployed, the other on alert. After that, it’s the smells. The pine, the baking sweets and breads.
Cate: Hope you're all celebrating again together soon. Do you have a favorite memory of a Christmas past? D.L.: Hard to pick, but I think about 24 years ago, when I was in the Army and my husband was deployed to the Gulf War. I was pregnant with my first and I got a call home. We didn’t have skype and phone calls were rare, something like twenty dollars a minute. Mostly I got letters, but the call was real special. I was alone for the holiday, since I was too far along to fly home out West.
Cate: How sad! If Santa could grant one wish, what would you ask for? D.L.:   I’d have my boys home for Christmas this year.
Cate: What was the best gift you’ve ever received? What made it so special? D.L.: That phone call. Nothing like your sweetie calling you when you need them most. :)
Cate: Aw, how sweet. Any favorite Christmas recipes you’d care to share? D.L.: Ahaha, well, if I wrote them down I would have one. I don’t use recipes often. Try these no bake cookies. We lost power this Thanksgiving and we ate what I could cook on the gas stovetop.
2 cups of sugar 4 tablespoons of cocoa 1 stick of butter 1/2 cup of milk 1 cup of peanut butter 1 tablespoon of vanilla 3 cups of oatmeal (I like the quick oats) Waxed paper In a heavy saucepan, bring to a boil the sugar, cocoa butter and milk. Boil for one minute and then stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. Drop onto wax paper covered cookie sheets and let the cookies set. They’re quite yummy and great to make with kids.
Cate: My mom used to make these cookies! Tell us about your latest release, and where readers can find it online. D.L.: I have an upcoming release that is available on preorder now. Black Hills Desperado. It’s the third book in a brand new Decadent series that will be available starting in January 2015. Here’s the link for preorder: Black Hills Desperado Preorder from Amazon

Cate: Care to share a blurb or excerpt? D.L.: She’s a bad girlfriend.
Nothing Xio Davis does is right. When she abandons her pack, riding out of town on the back of a stranger’s motorcycle, she finds she’s bitten off more than she can chew. First, it’s small-time crimes, then bank robbery. As Xio sinks into the criminal underworld, the FBI catches up with her. Now, she’s got one way out: snitch.
When Xio turns state's evidence against a Mexican drug lord, Agent Marcus Cazador steps up to take her home, giving up his career, his place in the El Paso pack, and all he knows to protect her.
Xio claims she’s not the same wolf who left ten years before, but can she convince Marcus she’s changed her wicked ways? Or will the Black Hills be the end of the road on her long journey to redemption?
Cate: I was lucky enough to read a draft - great story. What inspired you to write about the theme? D.L.: The new series is a shifter series. I wanted to have an Asian wolf. Actually I have two stories. I’m working on Xio’s brother’s story now. Anyway, I wanted a different kind of shifter, not only her ethnic background, but her character. Xio is a bank robber.
Cate: Anything else you’d like to share? D.L.: This series is amazing. There’s a fantastic list of authors participating. If you love shifter books, this is a series to consider. Have a wonderful Christmas and don’t eat too many no-bake cookies. They are addictive.
Cate: I agree, lol. Hey, D.L. Has her Santa hat on, you lucky peeps! D.L.: I’m giving away one of my backlist Decadent titles to one lucky commenter.
Cate: Thanks so much for being part of the 12 Days of Christmas! Hope you're able to see your boys, if only through Skype. D.L.: Thanks for having me, Cate.
Cate: And thanks to everyone who's joined in the holiday party. Hope you've had as much fun as I had.

Cate Peace joins the holiday party

Cate: My name twin Cate Peace is here to join the party! Cate, please tell us a little bit about yourself. Cate: Why thank you, Name Twin! I am a Louisville-based author of erotic romance whose books seem to always come out in the season opposite of their settings. This Time Next Year, my winter romance, came out in July 2013 and Complete Me, a summertime story that takes place in Charleston, SC, came out in April 2014. Okay, so that last one wasn’t too bad, but I’ve experienced snow in April, so I’m sticking by this. I also enjoy video games, reading (of course), long walks on the beach….  
Cate: What do you love most about Christmas? Cate: Being with family. My parents, sister, and I all live in different places, and Christmas is the one time of year where we’re guaranteed to be together.
Cate: Nice. Do you have a favorite memory of a Christmas past? Cate:When I was in the eighth grade, my parents decided they wanted a real Christmas tree (this was before we knew I'm highly allergic to pine and how we found out, incidentally). My dad had this POS Ford Ranger that was older than me and had as much work done as Joan Rivers, God bless her soul. So we decided to brave the freezing cold and snow to chop down this tree. Dad's truck had a bench seat and barely enough room between the back of the seat and the back of the cab for me to huddle. Not super terrible, but definitely not comfortable, either. The trip up to get the tree was pretty uneventful. Being hearty mountain folk, we went into the woods behind the mine where he worked to cut the tree down. So far so good.We started our descent down the mountain. No big deal. For the POS the truck was, it had great tires.So great that one of them tried to roll home without us.As we were driving down the road, I felt a sort of bump and then a vibration under my butt. My mother squealed, and I got up in time to watch the tire roll in a perfectly straight line for about 500 feet or so, until it made a beautiful right turn into a field. Didn't use its blinker, though, so points off for that.To this day, we still discuss the tire incident.
Cate: Oh no, sounds like a day-long tree expedition, lol. If Santa could grant one wish, what would you ask for? Cate: Apart from the requisite world peace and homes for all pets, I’d say a full year to focus on writing and writing only. No job, please and thank you.
Cate: Ah, yes. What was the best gift you’ve ever received? What made it so special? Cate: Honestly, there have been so many over the years I’d be hard-pressed to pick just one.
Cate: Any favorite Christmas recipes you’d care to share? Cate: My family is a big fan of my sweet potato casserole. It’s pretty sweet, so I’d suggest adding the sugars more to taste, but here are my instructions:
What you’ll need: 2 cans Canned Yams (I use Bruce’s, the tall cans) 1 cup sugar ¼ cup brown sugar ½ can condensed milk Vanilla extract (to taste) Cinnamon (to taste) Butter Marshmallows for topping
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Drain the yams and mash them in a mixing bowl. Add sugars, condensed milk, extract and cinnamon and mix together Butter casserole dish and add mixture Bake for 30 minutes
Remove casserole from oven and top with marshmallows Put back into oven until marshmallows are brown
It might sound kind of weird, but it is DELICIOUS.
Cate: Sounds yummy, actually. Tell us about your latest release, and where readers can find it online. Cate: My latest release is part of Fated Desires’ new Give Me a Taste line. It’s a paranormal foodie romance called Ember’s Secret and release Feb 3rd. Right now, though, you can preorder it at Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Google Play.
Cate: Care to share a blurb or excerpt? Cate: Always! Blurb: Ember only wants two things out of life: to be reunited with her sisters, and to see people come back to her café. Catering to people she never sees again, she experiences a loneliness that can’t be filled. As one of the last Whakamanu—a descendant of the Maori bird-god Tane—she has to hold on to the secrets of her tribe. Family first. Gourmet TV personality Austin Garten, host of the popular show Back Road Eats, needs more in his life thanBreadbasket America grilling. He’s tired of the safe routes, the easy and dependable foods that the Network loves todisplay. When his RV breaks down in Wyoming, and he learnsabout Kai, a Maori restaurant outside of Casper, hisinterest is piqued. Once he meets the proprietor, he realizes he wants more than just her food. He wants her. Ember isn’t too sure. The Solstice, the Maori New Year, is fast approaching, and with the heat in her kitchen ratcheting up, she knows she can’t keep her secret for long much longer. But will Austin be able to accept her? Or will her secret drive them apart? Excerpt: Standing, Austin extended his hand and introduced himself and the others. “I’m the host of Back Road Eats on GourmetTV, and I would absolutely love to do a special on your restaurant.” Her eyes widened, and he studied them for a moment, searching for a sign of contacts. Nothing. Those orangey eyes were real. “You want to do a show about my café?” “I think I need to do a show. Why don’t you join us and tell us a little about yourself?” “I…well….” With a shrug, she pulled out the empty chair next to his and sat down. “Not like anyone else is here, right?” “Maybe we can change that.” “I would like that, but please eat first. Your food will get cold.” He returned to his bread bowl of stew. Under her watchful eye, he picked it apart like he had the lamb and detected hints of the kawakawa as well as more common herbs like bay and cilantro. Earthy flavors. With his spoon, he cut into a chunk of pork; it fell apart in the broth. Perfectly tender. Then he took a small bite of the sourdough bread, potato from the taste of it. He hadn’t had potato bread in years. “How long do you let your bread mixture ferment?” “For the stew, a couple of days. I don’t want the bread to overwhelm the stew; it’d be too much. However, for the French toast I do in the mornings, I have a sweeter version I think you’d like.” “You make breakfast, too?” She nodded. “It’s mostly brunch now. I still come in early to bake bread, but since Im in the middle of nowhere, I don’t see many people.” “Damn shame,” Joel muttered through his potpie. She smiled, and Austin’s temperature rose a few degrees at the sight. Damn, she’s gorgeous. He wanted to continue dissecting the stew, but hunger got the better of him. “How’s your chicken?” she asked Ray. “Pretty sure it’s the best thing I’ve ever had, and for a guy who eats for a living, that’s saying a lot.” “Is there anything else you guys want to try before you hit the road?” “Actually we’ll be sticking around for a few days at least,” Austin explained. “Our RV broke down a couple miles from here.” Best RV breakdown ever. Her eyes lit up, and he could swear he saw a fire in them “That’s…well, not great, but....” “It’s worked out good so far.” She chuckled and ran her fingertips through a chunk of hair. Now, he noticed the way the light danced off it, as though it were made of flame. “So you’ll come back?” “Sure thing. For however long we’re here.” After she considered for a moment, she said, “If you’re interested, I can make a couple of things that aren’t on the menu. Some traditional dishes from my mother’s recipes.” “That would be great. Honestly, I haven’t had food as good as this. I’d like to taste anything you offer.” Smooth, dumbass. If she noticed the completely unintended innuendo, she didn’t show it. “Okay. I’ll work on some things tonight. Come back in the morning, and I’ll have some doggie bags made for you.” “We’ll be here,” he answered a little too fast. Ember nodded. “Bring your appetite.” Oh, he would.
Cate: Love it. Love that fantastic cover too! What inspired you to write about the theme? Cate: It started with wanting to write something different, and in all honesty, I hadn’t seen many swan shifters in the book world. Plus Carrie Ann Ryan, awesome author/half of the amazing Fated Desires duo, is a good friend of mine and I kinda wanted to impress her. So I started digging, and found so much more than I anticipated. For instance, Whakamanuis actually a Maori word that means, “One who transforms into a bird.” I could not ask for more than that. The book pretty much wrote itself after I got into some pretty awesome research.
Cate: Very cool. Anything else you’d like to share? Cate: Other than “Please buy my book?” Just kidding. I had a lot of fun on the blog today, Name Twin! Fated Desires’ lines have Goodreads pages and we’re planning a kick-off Facebook partay from January 2nd to the 4th (which, incidentally, is the day I’ll be getting my first tattoo ever). So please come hang out with the Fated Desires authors and learn stuff and thangs about the new lines! Also, hope everyone has a safe holiday season!
Cate: Thanks so much for being part of the 12 Days of Christmas, Cate (sounds weird saying that, lol)! Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Rachel Brimble's bringing holiday cheer from the U.K.

Cate: Rachel Brimble is here to spread some holiday cheer! Rachel, please tell us a little bit about yourself. Rachel: I have been married to my lovely husband, Mr B since 1998 and we have two teenager daughters and our “son”, Max, a black Lab. I have been writing seriously since 2005 and The Wild Rose Press published my first novel, Searching For Sophie, in 2007. I now write mainstream romance and romantic suspense for Harlequin Superromance and Victorian romance for eKensington. When I’m not working, I enjoy reading, knitting, watching TV or walking the beautiful English countryside.
Cate: What do you love most about Christmas? Rachel: When all the shopping is done, I love putting up the tree and decorating the house. I love the Christmas movies like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Miracle on 34th Street. I love the abundance of food and wine as well as special down time with my family and friends.
Cate: Can’t get enough of those Christmas movies! Do you have a favorite memory of a Christmas past? Rachel: I have two! The first is when my dad surprised me with an enormous teddy bear after dinner – I adored that bear! The second is when my husband surprised me with a new engagement ring in 2010 after I’d lost my original ring in the French floods in June of the same year. I cried so much!
Cate: So sweet! If Santa could grant one wish, what would you ask for? Rachel: That no one was lonely on Christmas Day.
Cate: Aw, even sweeter. What was the best gift you’ve ever received? What made it so special? Rachel: See above – the new engagement ring has to be my best present for obvious reasons!
Cate: True, lol. Any favorite Christmas recipes you’d care to share? Rachel: Now this isn’t a good question for me because I don’t cook AT ALL. Mr B is the cook in our house – my favorite things to eat though, are his unbelievably moreish roast potatoes, turkey with cranberries and my favourite Christmas dessert is Black Forest Gateau. Oh, my lord!
Cate: Mm, sounds delish. Tell us about your latest release, and where readers can find it online. Rachel: My latest release is my first ever Christmas novel and my fourth book with Harlequin Superromance. CHRISTMAS AT THE COVE is the fourth book set in my fictional UK seaside town of Templeton Cove. It is a reunion story between two new characters, Scott Walker and Carrie Jameson.
Here’s the blurb and buy links:
More family for Christmas?  Scott Walker doesn't have time for a relationship. The sexy mechanic has career ambitions, not to mention a mother and three sisters to take care of. The last thing he needs is Carrie Jameson, the beauty he never forgot, arriving in Templeton Cove over the holidays with some unexpected news.  Scott still finds Carrie irresistible, and he's not one to shirk responsibility. Scott's issues with his own dad make the prospect of parenthood a minefield. But if he and Carrie can overcome their fears, this Christmas could bring them the best gift of all.
Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes & Noble
Cate: What inspired you to write about the theme? Rachel: The theme for this book is second chances – I am a firm believer in most people deserving a second, maybe even a third chance, for mistakes they’ve made in the past. We all get things wrong from time to time and if someone is truly sorry or realizes they walked away from the best thing to ever happen to them…reunion romances are one of my favorite tropes.
Cate: Anything else you’d like to share? Rachel: Yes! Just to let your readers know that my fourth Victorian romance with eKensington, WHAT A WOMAN DESIRES is released Jan 2015. To preorder your copy from Amazon – click here: US: http://amzn.com/B00M0174GU
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00M0174GU
Cate: You lucky peeps! Rachel has a giveaway for you! Rachel: I would love to giveaway a tote bag & signed copy of Christmas At The Cove to one lucky commenter :D Open internationally.
Cate: Thanks so much for being part of the 12 Days of Christmas! Hope you have a jolly holly holiday!