Baby, It's Cold Outside… #HappyHolidaysHop

Maybe it's time to curl up with a great book

Sponsored by Nicki J. Markus | Asta Idonea

You should totally stay… it's the perfect time to curl up and read a great book when it's cold outside!

Please enjoy the holiday cheer and consider picking up some fabulous reading material.

~*~

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What makes your holiday happy? A ton of gifts under the tree? Spending time with family? The holiday tunes? Lots of fluffy, white stuff falling from the sky?

For me, spending the season with family and friends makes my holiday happy. I also love wrapping presents and making fun treats to share with others. I started a new tradition this year that I've dubbed the Great Holiday Show Binge Watch Extravaganza. I have a bunch of holiday themed television shows ready to stream to fill my days with lots of cheer.

I also love to write and read holiday themed romance. When writing as Skylin O'Thomas, I tend to focus on contemporary romance, with couples who have challenges to face, but find love nonetheless. They also celebrate the season and keep their holiday spirit, or find it by the end of the story.

My holiday releases Holly Hollow and Merry and Bright feature a duo and trio, all of whom have crazy schedules and need to find their holiday cheer.

The first has Eppie and Vin, an established couple who work through their challenges. Holly Hollow picks up a month after Turkey Trot ends and sees Eppie stressed out and crazy from running her business. Vin wants to turn the Scrooge-like woman back into his sexy Eppie who knows how to have fun.

The second features Gunnar and Frazier pulling out all the stops to make Presley's holiday season a happy one. The recent loss of her parents has Presley wondering how to start new traditions. The men come up with an excellent plan to show her how much they care.

I had so much fun writing the books and Holly Hollow is on sale through the end of the year. If either of the excerpts strikes your fancy, please consider picking up the full copy.

~*~

Holly Hollow: An Organic Nature Short

Series Tagline: Eppie and Vin are brought together by Organic Nature

Book Tagline: For Presley, waking up between Gunnar and Frazier is one way to be merry and bright.

~*~

Vin Derbish hit send and didn't wait long for an answer. "Dani? Hey, it's Vin." He paced back and forth, a little nervous about going to Eppie's sister behind her back. "Would you mind if I steal Eppie over Christmas?" He didn't want to cut into family time, but Eppie needed a break.

Dani snorted. "You mean the Ebenezer crone that used to be my bubbly sister?"

Vin's eye widened. "You've noticed the wild mood swings, too?" Although, of course, Dani would see the change in Eppie.

Dani sighed. "Oh, definitely. She's trying to do too much on her own."

Vin agreed wholeheartedly. "Right. I suggested she hire some extra help, just for a week or two, and I swear I thought her head was going to spin around and pop off." He grimaced. "First night I've spent alone, wondering if we were okay." Only his ex-girlfriend's Thanksgiving Day stunt gave him the free fall feeling of uncertainty, which Eppie cleared up right away.

Thank the universe.

Dani commiserated. "When I've gone over to wrap presents for the kids, she's been snapping and snarling after closing up for the day, which isn't like her at all." She laughed. "Maybe being a dancing sugar plum fairy during working hours is draining her holiday cheer." Her voice lowered. "But you've nailed it, Vin. She needs some help when it's really busy."

Vin finally sat down at his kitchen table. "Didn't help she sold out of so much—the hand milled soaps, essential oils, and body lotions. I mean she stayed up until after two a.m. making more." His offer to help fell on deaf ears and earned him a nasty look.

Dani agreed. "Yeah, I helped her out with the edible items. The pumpkin butter and cranberry sauce sold like hot cakes."

Vin pinched the bridge of his noses. "It's a good problem to have, but she's stressing out. The pumpkin rolls she made for Thanksgiving delivery got a lot of Christmas Eve repeat business for the chocolate peppermint rolls. And that's where stealing her comes in." Once Eppie filled the last of her orders, he wanted her to have a stress-free holiday.

Dani's voice took on a conspiratorially tone. "What's your plan?"

Available on Amazon

~*~

Series Blurb: Eppie Collins runs an organic gardening business from a farm she inherited from her grandmother. She's spent four years getting the product mix just right, the financials into the black, and avoiding romantic entanglements. Vinson  Derbish is a local contractor who just got out of a merry-go-round relationship. He promised to give the female population a wide berth, but can't resist Eppie's sassy charm. He's ready to take another plunge, but has to convince Eppie he's the man for her.

Book Blurb: Eppie's business turned its best holiday profit yet and Vin wants to whisk her off for a celebration at Holly Hollow, a secluded B&B. The insane pace from Thanksgiving to December twenty-third has Eppie in a bah humbug mood and Vin wants to put a smile back on her face.

~*~

~*~

Merry and Bright

Book 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. Yet… she can't think of a better way to be merry and bright.

Tilting her head to the side, she gazed at the reflection. She had a hazy, dreamy look on her face. "Geez, Pres. Get a grip." She screwed the lid back on the container. "And get dressed, you idiot, or you'll miss the movie."

She entered her bedroom and grabbed her favorite downtime clothes—a pair of comfy yoga pants, a soft T-shirt, and a fleece zip-up. She dropped the towel and pulled the garments on, stuffing her feet into a pair of fluffy socks. Feeling loose and relaxed, she opened her bedroom door and exited, stopping mid-step, stunned by the sight greeting her eyes.

A zillion presents under her tree. Her gaze flew to Frazier and Gunnar, standing in her kitchen with big, fat grins on their faces.

Her head shook back and forth. "Oh, you guys, what did you do?" She walked forward, disbelief working its way through her brain.

Frazier moved into the living room. "What's it look like? We played Santa."

Gunnar followed Fraz into the space.

Presley backed up, moving away from the tree. "It's too much. I can't accept all this stuff." She paced the floor, back and forth, overwhelmed, before she stopped. "Did you two do this so I'd pick one of you over the other?" She leveled her gaze on both men. "I already said I'm not coming between you."

Gunnar shot Frazier a sideways glance. "Shit, Fraz. We're morons."

Frazier nodded. "Yep. We are." He shook his head. "We forgot to tell her about the no pressure thing."

Available from Resplendence | Amazon | ARe | BN

~*~

Book 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.

Please stop by my website

Spread some holiday cheer! Visit the other participating authors.

Ho, Ho, Ho, Naughty or Nice? #MistletoeHop

Sponsored by Romance Beckons

Grab your mistletoe and pucker up!

Welcome to the Mistletoe Hop, a fabulous sampling of authors sharing short excerpts from their work and answering the question of whether they've been…

NAUGHTY OR NICE

Readers: Please enjoy the steamy snippets and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link. Enter by leaving a comment for a chance to receive a free copy.

~*~

Have I been naughty or nice?

Honestly? I'm all about the balance.

So, the answer to the question is… Both!

Being naughty—not mean, of course—can be so much fun. Sharing an innuendo-filled joke to make someone smile—or snort soda out their nose—is a hoot. Picking the perfect gag gift for siblings before they get yours… totally cool. Letting loose and straying from the tried and true gives life a little oomph and boosts my horizons.

Which pays off in huge ways.

Then again, it costs nothing to be nice and, hey, showing kindness feels good. Whether giving one of my daughter's fellow golfers a lift to practice so their parents don't have to leave work early or providing supplies to a local animal shelter or food pantry, being generous with my time or giving to a cause near to my heart refills my emotional piggy bank.

Even small gestures have big impact.

~*~

Being naughty and nice might confuse the jolly, fat man, but it makes for some great romance. When writing as Skylin O'Thomas, I tend to focus on contemporary romance, with couples who have challenges to face, but find love nonetheless. They also celebrate the season and keep their holiday spirit, or find it by the end of the story.

Combining some naughty sexual tension with a nice dose of holiday cheer is what I love to do. I have two holiday releases with this terrific combination.

Holly Hollow, an Organic Nature Short, features Eppie and Vin, an established couple who work through their challenges. Holly Hollow picks up a month after Turkey Trot ends and sees Eppie stressed out and crazy until Vin steals her away for some rest, relaxation, and wicked good holiday fun.

Merry and Bright has Presley facing her Christmas after the loss of her parents and best friends Gunner and Frasier, pulling out all the stops to make her holiday one she'll never forget. They even call a truce on their good-natured rivalry to see who can win her heart.

Excerpts for both books are below. Please enjoy!

~*~

Holly Hollow: An Organic Nature Short

Series Tagline: Eppie and Vin are brought together by Organic Nature

Book Tagline: For Presley, waking up between Gunnar and Frazier is one way to be merry and bright.

~*~

Vin Derbish hit send and didn't wait long for an answer. "Dani? Hey, it's Vin." He paced back and forth, a little nervous about going to Eppie's sister behind her back. "Would you mind if I steal Eppie over Christmas?" He didn't want to cut into family time, but Eppie needed a break.

Dani snorted. "You mean the Ebenezer crone that used to be my bubbly sister?"

Vin's eye widened. "You've noticed the wild mood swings, too?" Although, of course, Dani would see the change in Eppie.

Dani sighed. "Oh, definitely. She's trying to do too much on her own."

Vin agreed wholeheartedly. "Right. I suggested she hire some extra help, just for a week or two, and I swear I thought her head was going to spin around and pop off." He grimaced. "First night I've spent alone, wondering if we were okay." Only his ex-girlfriend's Thanksgiving Day stunt gave him the free fall feeling of uncertainty, which Eppie cleared up right away.

Thank the universe.

Dani commiserated. "When I've gone over to wrap presents for the kids, she's been snapping and snarling after closing up for the day, which isn't like her at all." She laughed. "Maybe being a dancing sugar plum fairy during working hours is draining her holiday cheer." Her voice lowered. "But you've nailed it, Vin. She needs some help when it's really busy."

Vin finally sat down at his kitchen table. "Didn't help she sold out of so much—the hand milled soaps, essential oils, and body lotions. I mean she stayed up until after two a.m. making more." His offer to help fell on deaf ears and earned him a nasty look.

Dani agreed. "Yeah, I helped her out with the edible items. The pumpkin butter and cranberry sauce sold like hot cakes."

Vin pinched the bridge of his noses. "It's a good problem to have, but she's stressing out. The pumpkin rolls she made for Thanksgiving delivery got a lot of Christmas Eve repeat business for the chocolate peppermint rolls. And that's where stealing her comes in." Once Eppie filled the last of her orders, he wanted her to have a stress-free holiday.

Dani's voice took on a conspiratorially tone. "What's your plan?"

Available on Amazon

~*~

Series Blurb: Eppie Collins runs an organic gardening business from a farm she inherited from her grandmother. She's spent four years getting the product mix just right, the financials into the black, and avoiding romantic entanglements. Vinson  Derbish is a local contractor who just got out of a merry-go-round relationship. He promised to give the female population a wide berth, but can't resist Eppie's sassy charm. He's ready to take another plunge, but has to convince Eppie he's the man for her.

Book Blurb: Eppie's business turned its best holiday profit yet and Vin wants to whisk her off for a celebration at Holly Hollow, a secluded B&B. The insane pace from Thanksgiving to December twenty-third has Eppie in a bah humbug mood and Vin wants to put a smile back on her face.

~*~

~*~

Merry and Bright

Book 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. Yet… she can't think of a better way to be merry and bright.

Tilting her head to the side, she gazed at the reflection. She had a hazy, dreamy look on her face. "Geez, Pres. Get a grip." She screwed the lid back on the container. "And get dressed, you idiot, or you'll miss the movie."

She entered her bedroom and grabbed her favorite downtime clothes—a pair of comfy yoga pants, a soft T-shirt, and a fleece zip-up. She dropped the towel and pulled the garments on, stuffing her feet into a pair of fluffy socks. Feeling loose and relaxed, she opened her bedroom door and exited, stopping mid-step, stunned by the sight greeting her eyes.

A zillion presents under her tree. Her gaze flew to Frazier and Gunnar, standing in her kitchen with big, fat grins on their faces.

Her head shook back and forth. "Oh, you guys, what did you do?" She walked forward, disbelief working its way through her brain.

Frazier moved into the living room. "What's it look like? We played Santa."

Gunnar followed Fraz into the space.

Presley backed up, moving away from the tree. "It's too much. I can't accept all this stuff." She paced the floor, back and forth, overwhelmed, before she stopped. "Did you two do this so I'd pick one of you over the other?" She leveled her gaze on both men. "I already said I'm not coming between you."

Gunnar shot Frazier a sideways glance. "Shit, Fraz. We're morons."

Frazier nodded. "Yep. We are." He shook his head. "We forgot to tell her about the no pressure thing."

Available from Resplendence | Amazon | ARe | BN

~*~

Book 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.

I had so much fun writing the books and I'm giving a digital copy of your choice away for this blog hop.

Please leave a comment for your entry and share whether you top the naughty or nice list and which holiday themed book strikes your fancy.

Please stop by my website

Find out who else has been naughty or nice! Visit the other participating authors.

Celebrate Your Freedom to Live, Love, & Read—Freedom Hop

 LET FREEDOM RING!

Welcome to the Freedom Hop, a great sampling of authors sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

~*~

How wonderful is it to have the independence to choose how we live our lives, who we love, and what we read?

I'm lucky enough to have always had the choice and I've used my liberty to do what I love… write about hot romances between men and women, edit for authors who write about all kinds of love—from best friends who become lovers to same sex couples and relationships that include multiple partners, and read all of the above with voracious abandon.

When writing as Skylin O'Thomas, I tend to focus on contemporary romance, sometimes filled with those little relationship moments, but I also love to add a little adventure. There's something fun about weaving in tension with suspense or a perilous situation. It's also a joy to create adventure by adding a good bit of humor.

For this year's Freedom Hop, I'm sharing short samplings of all my current titles and a longer excerpt of my very first release, Down in Mexico, which I'm giving away for the blog hop.

~*~

Down in Mexico

Available on Amazon ~ $1.99

Kiernan Darby spends five long years playing dead. It's a life in limbo, but it lets Lars Rademacher do his job and eliminate the members of a lethal crime syndicate, Kiernan's former employers.

After discovering she's alive and well, Lars tracks Kiernan down in Mexico. Their reunion is sweet… until he reveals a pesky detail he conveniently forgot to mention.

Kiernan isn't completely safe. In fact, Lars is using her as bait to catch the last member of the espionage organization.

Excerpt:

Kier picked up her glass, sipped the wine, contemplating.

"I learned to shoot. Small arms for the most part, but I know how to sight and fire a rifle." Her hand twirled the glass and her gaze turned hard. "It may be overkill, but I keep a handgun in the house, my shop, the car. I have two on my boat along with a rifle." She raised her eyes to his. "I didn't plan to make it easy for them to kill me."

She wouldn't. Even without the small arsenal, she'd have put up a hell of a fight before going down. It was in her nature to battle back.

Lars reached across the table and laced his fingers with her free hand. "You were smart, Kier. You had no way of knowing what would happen after you left."

She shrugged a shoulder. "There have been several times over the last five years that I've felt like something was off. Not quite right." She squeezed his hand. "It'll take some getting used to… this being safe thing."

Shit. He had to come clean. Now.

He had a feeling it wouldn't be pretty.

"Uh, Kier, about that." He took a deep breath and just spit it out. "You may not be that far off base thinking something's not quite kosher."

Her brow knit with confusion. "But I thought you said—"

"I did. I lied."

Her mouth opened, then snapped shut. So many emotions crossed her face he couldn't keep up with them.

She got up and paced the kitchen. "What exactly did you lie about?"

Book Tagline: Boy meets and falls for girl. Girl 'dies' in a fiery explosion. Five years later, they meet again.

~*~

AUTHOR GIVEAWAY

To celebrate our freedom to live, love, and read, I'm giving away Down in Mexico, which is the first book in the South of the Border series. New titles will be coming soon.

To enter, please leave a comment and let me know how you like to spend the 4^th of July. Non-US readers, let me know what would celebrate with fireworks.

Other titles by Skylin O'Thomas

Merry and Bright

Available on Amazon | BN | Resplendence Publishing | ARe | ~ $2.99

Presley wants to start some new holiday traditions, but waking up in bed with Gunnar and Frazier isn't what she had in mind. Yet… she can't think of a better way to be merry and bright.

Creative Ink

Available on Amazon ~ $1.49

Brian and Lucy are on the verge of mainstream success—watch it happen in Creative Ink.

Busted in Bubbles

Available on Amazon ~ $1.99

Is there anything better than a bath time romp with a hot man? Emsley Bourne wants to find out.

~*~

Please stop by my website

Celebrate with more fireworks! Visit the other participating authors.

A Toasty Holiday Treat—Merry and Bright

Sponsored by Romance Blog Hops

Enter for a chance to win an awesome prize!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter Link

I'm giving away a copy of my holiday story, too! See below for details.

~*~

Grab something warm to drink and cozy up!

Welcome to the Winter Warm Up Blog Hop, an excellent sampling of authors sharing short excerpts from their work.

Readers: Please enjoy the steamy snippets and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

Bloggers: Please check out the excellent previews and spread the word.

~*~

Holiday Traditions. No matter what holiday is celebrated—Yule, Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, or just gathering with family, there's something great about having familiar traditions.

When I was growing up, we always opened one gift on Christmas Eve. My two brothers and I got very excited when Mom called us in and handed the pretty packages to us. Usually, we received new pajamas, sometimes socks, or maybe a winter coat. Regardless of what we revealed, she made sure the items were similar. I kind of loved that about her.

Now that I have three kidlets of my own, we've established a couple of our own traditions. From the time my oldest, now twenty-one, could eat solid foods, we've made cinnamon rolls for breakfast after opening all the gifts under the tree. It's still going strong, with the exception of the year our local store didn't have cinnamon rolls stocked when we were shopping and we substituted the orange flavored ones instead. My daughter still reminds me it's unacceptable to have orange-iced rolls for Christmas morning. Our back-up plan is now to make cinnamon toast instead. LOL

My favorite family tradition started about ten years ago. I got the wild hair idea to have a themed holiday tree. I had my oldest kiddo pick the theme and we came up with ideas for how to make ornaments and use things around the house to decorate. To date we've had Under the Sea, Buried Treasure, Nature's Bounty, Candy Land, Snowflakes and Cupcakes, Techno Tree, Imaginext, and Noah's Ark. I know I'm missing one in there somewhere, but that's the general idea. This year, we're going with a Seahawks tree, using green, blue and white ornaments, in honor of my middle kidlet's favorite team.

After getting the tree decorated, my favorite 'me' tradition is to turn on some seasonal music, get a glass of wine or cup of tea, and decompress by reading a holiday romance. It's a nice little respite from the crazy schedules, piles of presents, and butt-loads of wrapping paper waiting in the wings.

~*~

There is a reason for talking about traditions. When writing as Skylin O'Thomas, I tend to focus on contemporary romance, sometimes filled with little relationship moments, but also some adventure. Weaving in tension with suspense or adding humor to a steamy situation is so much fun. Giving a couple their happily ever after can't be beat. And using the desire to establish new traditions makes getting to the HEA a whole lot more interesting.

My holiday release from Resplendence Publishing, Merry and Bright, features two best friends who each have a serious desire to be the man in Presley Griffith's life. But Presley doesn't want to get between the two guys and potentially bust up their friendship.

Gunnar and Frazier don't let their friendly rivalry get in the way of helping Presley establish holiday traditions, after she mentions how hard it is to make new ones after the death of her parents. The duo comes up with a plan to keep her smiling through the holiday season.

I had so much fun writing the book and I'm giving a digital copy away for this blog hop. Please leave a comment for your entry and tell me your favorite holiday tradition, if you have one. (Maybe it involves books!)

~*~

Book Tagline: For Presley, waking up between Gunnar and Frazier is one way to be merry and bright.

~*~

Frazier pondered Presley's retreating back. Gunnar sank down again, a quirky grin on his lips. Frazier jabbed him in the shoulder.

Gunnar laughed and rubbed the spot. "Dammit. What'd you do that for?"

Frazier arched a brow. "You're cheating. Stop it."

Gunnar snorted. "And you weren't with that foot rub? We agreed to hands off, remember?"

Frazier lifted a shoulder. "Couldn't help it. She looked so damned tired and worn out when she walked in." Her hair had come loose from her ponytail, and Frazier had a thing for how it framed Presley's face.

Gunnar kicked back in the chair. "Yeah, yeah. It's not like she really noticed…" He sighed.

Gunnar called it. The massage only distracted her for a few minutes.

Frazier nodded. "Yeah, her mind's on not having her parents anymore. And trying to establish her own traditions." He grabbed the file and stood. "We should do something to help out with that, Gunn."

Gunnar abruptly settled the front legs of his chair back on the floor and rose. "Yeah, and I've got a great idea." He followed Fraz out of the lounge and walked toward the side exit the emergency personnel used.

Frazier didn't know if he liked the conspiring tone Gunnar used.

He angled his head around, narrowing his eyes. "What do you have in mind?" It’d better involve him, or he might have to make sure Gunnar took a nice tumble on the ice bordering the deserted parking area.

Available at Resplendence Publishing | Amazon | BN | ARe

~*~

Book 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.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

Get cozy and relax! Visit the other participating authors.

Add inlink code

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

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.

Since the holiday season is gearing up, I'm sharing a series of excerpts from Merry and Bright, available now from Resplendence Publishing. Over the next few weeks, I'll post a few pivotal scenes between Presley, Gunnar, and Frazier.

This week, we meet Gunnar.

Book 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. Yet… she can't think of a better way to be merry and bright.

~*~

Gunnar braved the cold and semi-last minute shoppers to hit the mall. If he and Fraz wanted to give Presley a great holiday, they'd need some presents. The fact Fraz called him at seven am with the same idea only confirmed how great minds thought alike. Or maybe it just proved Gunnar's best friend wanted to impress the hell out of Presley and give her some new traditions to enjoy, too.

Gunnar would much rather point and click when shopping, preferably in his nice, warm living room with a sporting event or movie playing in the background. Instead he got to the cheery music and frantic parents searching for the elusive must have gift of the season. At least Gunnar had a list of six gifts and a handy app on his phone to check the purchases off. Frazier had another half dozen items—he'd figured Presley would love a loose interpretation of a twelve days of Christmas theme. Gunnar agreed. He had a thing for the holiday song, one of his favorites along with the many humorous variations.

A crowd of people entered from outside the main entrance and Gunnar paused by a lingerie shop to avoid getting stuck in the middle of the throng. He tilted his head, admiring a shimmery, gold satin corset and thong set. The mannequin had a silver bow loosely tied around its neck and it didn't take much imagination to visualize Presley decked out the racy outfit. He got caught up in the fantasy of unwrapping her like a gift under the tree.

A perky salesperson darted out of the store. "May I help you find something special?"

Gunnar shook his head. "No, not this year." He started down the corridor again, but glanced back and gave the woman a wink. "But maybe next."

Available from Resplendence | Amazon | BN | ARe

~*~

Book 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.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.

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

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.

Since the holiday season is gearing up, I'm sharing a series of excerpts from Merry and Bright, available now from Resplendence Publishing. Over the next few weeks, I'll post a few pivotal scenes between Presley, Gunnar, and Frazier.

This week, we meet Frazier.

Book 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. Yet… she can't think of a better way to be merry and bright.

~*~

By the time he left, the snow had accumulated to several inches and the temperature dropped at least ten degrees. Frazier shivered on the way to his car and loaded everything into the trunk and backseat. He got rid of the cart and slid behind the wheel, starting the engine quickly so the vehicle would warm up. Rubbing his hands together a few times, he reached into his pocket, grabbed his phone, and dialed Gunnar.

He answered on the second ring. "Dude, mission accomplished. You?"

Frazier chuckled. "Purchased, wrapped, and loaded. I'm heading out now." He checked the time on the dashboard clock. "Wanna meet at Barney's for a burger?"

Gunnar laughed. "Man, I'm already there. And you've got a double cheese with a side of waffle fries coming up in about ten minutes."

Frazier groaned. "Gunn, my man, I definitely owe you one." His stomach rumbled. "I'll be there ASAP. The damn roads are a bitch to navigate."

Gunnar snorted. "Take your time, bro. The plows are out, but so are the crazy people."

Frazier agreed. "I know. Glad I'm not on shift today." The car finally warmed up, and his windows defrosted. "I'm on my way. Later." He cut the call and tucked his phone back inside his pocket.

Backing out of his parking space, he grinned. The twelve days of Christmas theme had been a stroke of genius, and they'd pulled off the easy part.

The hard part would be surprising Presley.

Available from Resplendence | Amazon | BN | ARe

~*~

Book 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.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.

Smokin' Hot—Merry and Bright Book Boyfriend Celebrity Lookalikes

Welcome to the Hot for Friday blog hop!

Readers: Enjoy posts from authors with fun weekly tasks or a cool question.

Authors: Get in on the fun and join here.

For this week's entry, we were asked: Who is your book boyfriend's celebrity lookalike?

FUN!!!

And seriously? Apropos. I almost always have actors and actresses serve as my writing inspiration. It's great to have visual imagery as a point of reference when creating characters.

Since we're close to the holidays, I'd love to share my book boyfriends (yes, boyfriends!!) for Merry and Bright, my holiday themed ménage available from Resplendence Publishing.

Book Tagline: For Presley, waking up between Gunnar and Frazier is one way to be merry and bright.

So… without further ado…

Please meet the very handsome celebrity lookalikes for my heroes Frazier Boyle and Gunnar Stewart.

Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton

Some background… This duo caught my attention when I watched an episode of Strike Back (Cinemax). After wiping the drool from my TV screen, I quickly mainlined the entire first season (well, second season, but that's a long story) and fell in love with the action-packed series and the extremely hot and handsome stars.

The biggest thing I walked away with? It's a good thing there are two of them. LOL Actually, I stole that line from the show. Their commanding officer delivers that phrase after Stonebridge and Scott save the world… again. See what I mean? LOL

When I started writing Merry and Bright, I had a completely different combination in mind, but when I went to write this post, these two crowded their way in and wouldn't leave. I'm totally okay with that. J

A little character detail. Frazier Boyle is firefighter / paramedic for a busy station house in the city. He loves his job and wouldn't trade it for anything. He's also got a serious thing for Presley Griffith, a nurse at the hospital. Gunnar Stewart is a police detective and best friends with Frazier. Gunnar lives for his work and solving cases, but also knows how to have a good time. He also has some huge feelings for Presley.

The guys have a friendly rivalry where she's concerned, but neither make much headway, mainly because she won't come between them.

But the holiday sees them working together to help Presley through a rough time.

~*~

Resplendence | Amazon | BN | ARe

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Book 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.

~*~

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 Book Boyfriends Cafe

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

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.

Since the holiday season is gearing up, I'm sharing a series of excerpts from Merry and Bright, available now from Resplendence Publishing. Over the next few weeks, I'll post a few pivotal scenes between Presley, Gunnar, and Frazier.

This week, we meet Presley.

Book 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. Yet… she can't think of a better way to be merry and bright.

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Tilting her head to the side, she gazed at the reflection. She had a hazy, dreamy look on her face. "Geez, Pres. Get a grip." She screwed the lid back on the container. "And get dressed, you idiot, or you'll miss the movie."

She entered her bedroom and grabbed her favorite downtime clothes—a pair of comfy yoga pants, a soft T-shirt, and a fleece zip-up. She dropped the towel and pulled the garments on, stuffing her feet into a pair of fluffy socks. Feeling loose and relaxed, she opened her bedroom door and exited, stopping mid-step, stunned by the sight greeting her eyes.

A zillion presents under her tree. Her gaze flew to Frazier and Gunnar, standing in her kitchen with big, fat grins on their faces.

Her head shook back and forth. "Oh, you guys, what did you do?" She walked forward, disbelief working its way through her brain.

Frazier moved into the living room. "What's it look like? We played Santa."

Gunnar followed Fraz into the space.

Presley backed up, moving away from the tree. "It's too much. I can't accept all this stuff." She paced the floor, back and forth, overwhelmed, before she stopped. "Did you two do this so I'd pick one of you over the other?" She leveled her gaze on both men. "I already said I'm not coming between you."

Gunnar shot Frazier a sideways glance. "Shit, Fraz. We're morons."

Frazier nodded. "Yep. We are." He shook his head. "We forgot to tell her about the no pressure thing."

Available from Resplendence Publishing | Amazon | BN | ARe

~*~

Book 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.

~*~

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