Putting Characters Together...One Page at a Time: Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Merry and Bright #MFRWHook

Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly smorgasbord sampler hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog.

Readers: get hooked and reel in some great books. Authors are sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

Today I'll be sharing a glimpse of Merry and Bright, one of the Holiday Wishes releases from Silver Publishing. What? The temperature in Ohio dropped again and it feels like winter. J

Tagline: Presley wants to start some new holiday traditions, but waking up in bed with Gunnar and Frazier isn't what she had in mind.

~*~

Presley sat in the middle of happy chaos, surrounded by gifts, wrapping paper, and her two guys. "Look, I love being an auntie. My brothers keep thinking I need to get married and have a buttload of kids, but I'm perfectly content borrowing theirs." She laughed. "Dave, the oldest one, fears I'll end up an old lady surrounded by sixty cats."

Frazier narrowed his eyes. "Hmm. No, can't see that. Twenty-five, maybe, but not a cat over fifty."

Presley wadded up a pile of wrapping paper and threw it his way, striking his chest. "Shut up. They don't think I’m normal because I'm not in a huge rush to start dropping kids like they did."

Gunnar shrugged. "Sounds perfectly normal to me. Then again, I think I define the word a little differently than most." He kicked his feet out and leaned back against the couch. "To date, I've celebrated one"—he made air quotes—"traditional holiday with the works, and a mishmash of every other kind you can think of"—he ticked off the names—"Hanukah, Kwanza, Yule, and then we had the standard dinner, visit from Santa, and treats at the group home." He lifted his shoulder again. "Definitely something different all the time."

Presley gave him a sad smile. "Sounds a little lonely."

His lips quirked. "Sometimes, but seriously, not that often." He nodded toward Frazier. "What about you, Fraz?"

Frazier rolled his eyes. "Normal growing up, but over the last five years, more like a warzone." He got up and started gathering the torn wrapping paper. "If the folks weren't having a shouting match, my mom would go on and on about how insane her youngest son was for running into burning buildings instead of out of them." He jammed the festive packaging into a trash bag.

Gunnar snorted. "Dude, she's got a point." He ducked when Frazier tossed Presley's huge pillow in his direction.

Presley gave Gunnar a considering glance. "Says the hard-assed detective who steps into the line of fire." She shook her head. "You're both kinda crazy, but so very necessary."

Gunnar smirked. "It takes a special kind of weird to do what we do, right, Fraz?"

Frazier nodded. "You know it, bro."

Enjoying herself immensely, she got up and helped Fraz clear up the mess while Gunnar neatly stacked her new gifts under the tree. She plopped down on the couch, and the guys settled on either side of her.

Leaning her head back against the cushion, she said, "Guys. I have a confession to make." She propped her feet up on the coffee table. "I'm never, ever going to own a cat."

Frazier burst out laughing, and Gunnar's shoulders shook.

Frazier nudged her leg. "Pres, don't let your brothers get you down. You'll either find someone you want, or you won't. Felines don't have to be involved."

Gunnar rested his head on the cushion beside hers. "A dog might be nice, though."

~*~

Blurb: After losing her parents, Presley Griffith will be spending the holidays alone, and wishes new traditions were easier to establish. But instead of being by herself, she ends up in bed with Frazier Boyle and Gunnar Stewart. The cop and the firefighter heat things up and cool them down and Presley can't think of a better way to be merry and bright.

~*~