Merry Kermit Flail and a Happy Reading Year!!! (And happy Release Day to Me:-)

Have I told you all how much I love Christmas Novellas?

I mean, you might have figured it out by now.

The first thing DSP ever published of mine was If I Must, in their 2009 Advent Calendar, and from that moment on, I was hooked.

I've written either a novella or a short novel every year since--sometimes two!  And every year when that story releases I think, "Writing happy is so much fun! It's one of my most joyous things, and I love how much readers love the happy too!"

So between the Christmas Novellas and the Dreamspun Desires/Dreamspun Beyond novels on this Kermit Flail I am SO HAPPY--I have a novel waiting on my Kindle for me that's waiting to take me away, make me stop thinking, give me some respite and help me remember my taste for joy and adventure and I'm so excited to provide the same for you!

To start with, the Christmas shorts!  Louisa Masters and E.J. Russell (and myself!) all offer you Christmas joy this month!  Louisa and E.J. are published in my sentimental favorite--the Advent Calendar--and I have Regret Me Not, which is released December 4th!  I also have an e-book bundle/print anthology of five of my earlier Christmas shorts posted down at the bottom--it's available Christmas Day!  So yes-- you can find yuletide cheer here at the Kermit Flail-- even if I personally don't get to decorate my house until next Saturday!

And in the Dreamspun area, we've got Anne Barwell with a Dreamspun Desire and Jenn Burke with a Dreamspun Beyond-- both these imprints are written like the old Harlequin lines, so they should be fun and exciting and pulse pounding--and safe. They should give you all the happy safe you need this holiday, so enjoy.  As will Alexa Milne's sweet short, The Matchmaker--romance happy, y'all, we has it!

And for those of you who like things a little edgier? We have Deja Black with some urban fantasy and David C. Dawson with a gritty detective story.  Because we can't have sweet all the time, right?

So here we go folks-- Merry Kermit Flail and a Happy Reading Year!  I hope you have all the joy and excitement you can stand!

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

O Hell, All Ye Shoppers

by Louisa Masters
Ethan Hall plans to fill Saturday, December 23, with junk food and bad
TV, a day just for him amid the holiday chaos… until his baby sister
calls and begs him to go collect a present for her. At the biggest
shopping center in Australia. On the busiest shopping day of the year.
Hell no. Right?

Ethan’s soft heart gets the best of him. He battles through the
parking lot, and in the main shopping concourse, he’s trampled,
elbowed, and bombarded with terrible holiday music. Then he enters
hell itself, a specialty store aimed at women… where he meets Ty. They
bond in a sea of estrogen and manic shoppers, fighting together to
attain freedom, only to find they’re not quite ready go their separate
ways.

Buy at DSP

The author wants you all to come join in her giveaway, to be found here:  www.facebook.com/LouisaMastersAuthor

Broken Pieces

 by Deja Black

A detective and the future leader of a deadly coven. What can go wrong?

Remi Devereaux is a Louisiana born detective working murder cases in Louisville, Kentucky. While shopping for game-day with the guys, he spots the most amazing person he has ever seen. Peter is a man Remi wants with his whole being, a man he just can’t let go.

Peter Romanoff is a photographer who possesses the spirit of two creatures. Two beings that are slowly tearing him apart. He needs a Supruga, a mate, to help give him balance. When he meets Remi, there is a magnetic pull he can’t deny.

The next in line to lead a powerful coven, Peter is hunted, and the people he knows and loves are being killed. It will take Remi’s love and Peter’s skills to combat the enemy after them. Can Remi be the balance Peter needs before the coven destroys them both?

Buy at Publisher

The Deadly Lies

by David C. Dawson

The Deadly Lies is the second in the Dominic Delingpole Mysteries series. The first The Necessary Deaths was published a year ago, and won an FAPA award for mystery and suspense.

BLURB:

Dominic and Jonathan are on their romantic Spanish honeymoon, and things are perfect… except Dominic has kept a secret from his husband. He’s failed to tell Jonathan that he plans to meet his former lover, Bernhardt, who is speeding on his way from Germany to present Dominic with a mysterious gift. 

But Bernhardt is killed in a suspicious car accident. Shortly before he dies, he sends Dominic a bizarre text message that will take the newlyweds on a hair-raising adventure. 

Lies upon lies plunge Dominic and Jonathan into an internet crime that could destroy the lives of millions of people. What is the mysterious Charter Ninety-Nine group? And will their planned internet assault force Dominic to choose between the fate of the world and the life of his lover?

Buy at Amazon

The Matchmaker

by Alexa Milne

Sometimes you need a little push.

Josh is a carer and Simon is his employer. Each has a secret they keep from each other, but not from the other person in their lives.

Tom may only be a teenager, but he can see the attraction between his father and Josh. Can he bring them together and create a happy ever after for all three of them?

Buy Here

The Gryphon King's Consort

by Jenn Burke

Love takes flight.

The sudden death of the Gryphon King throws the kingdom of Mythos into uncertainty, and Crown Prince Luca rushes both his coronation and an arranged marriage to a man he’s never met. Eirian is young and idealistic, and while they both want what’s best for their people, their philosophies couldn’t be more different. While Luca believes in honoring tradition, Eirian is determined to infuse modern values into their kingdom of magical creatures. When given the choice between loyalty to his husband and his own crusade, Eirian makes a decision that might doom their marriage.

Still, Luca is committed to making their union work, and that means forgiving his brash consort. But when Eirian becomes the target of a deadly conspiracy, Luca must act fast—or forever lose the chance to explore their burgeoning love.

Buy Here

The Probability of Mistletoe

by E.J. Russell

(Part of the Dreamspinner 2017 Advent Calendar)

When software engineer Keith Trainor decides to start his own company, he knows exactly who he wants as his partner: Parker Mulvaney, his best friend from high school. But in the ten years since graduation, their contact has dwindled to nothing, and it’s all Keith’s fault. If he hadn’t tried to kiss Parker under the mistletoe at the winter formal their senior year, Parker wouldn’t have bolted. At their ten-year reunion, Keith intends to do everything in his geeky power to make amends.

Parker should have known that scheduling the reunion the day before Christmas Eve was a recipe for a headache of monster proportions. But when Keith sends a text that he’ll be attending, the evening doesn’t look so bleak. Can an unnecessary makeover, a nostalgic breakfast, an abortive shopping trip, and a whole lot of mistletoe culminate in a long-overdue first kiss?

Buy at Publisher

Music speaks directly to the heart.

Two very different men face turning points in their lives after the collapse of long-term relationships….

Joel is a music teacher who knows it’s time to forget his ex and move on, while Marcus runs a lawn-mowing business and has come to Wellington to escape the reminders of a recent breakup. Although they’re opposites, when Joel and Marcus connect, their romance has the potential to hit all the right notes.

Too bad neither of them feels 

ready for new love.

With family and friends in common, dating is risky—things could get messy if it doesn’t work out. The sweet song of possibility draws them to each other, though, and they share a kiss following a Chopin prelude.  But it will take some practice and perseverance to find their perfect harmony….

Buy at DSP  

 

Regret Me Not

by Amy Lane

Pierce Atwater used to think he was a knight in shining armor, but then his life fell to crap. Now he has no job, no wife, no life—and is so full of self-pity he can’t even be decent to the one family member he’s still speaking to. He heads for Florida, where he’s got a month to pull his head out of his ass before he ruins his little sister’s Christmas.

Harold Justice Lombard the Fifth is at his own crossroads—he can keep being Hal, massage therapist in training, flamboyant and irrepressible to the bones, or he can let his parents rule his life. Hal takes one look at Pierce and decides they’re fellow unicorns out to make the world a better place. Pierce can’t reject Hal’s overtures of friendship, in spite of his misgivings about being too old and too pissed off to make a good friend.

As they experience everything from existential Looney Tunes to eternal trips to Target, Pierce becomes more dependent on Hal’s optimism to get him through the day. When Hal starts getting him through the nights too, Pierce must look inside for the knight he used to be—before Christmas becomes a doomsday deadline of heartbreak instead of a celebration of love.

BUY AT AMAZON

Pre-order as an e-book bundle

Preorder as a print anthology

Contains the following five Christmas novellas:

If I Must

Joel Martinez, a practical and organized computer programmer, is roommates with Ian Cooper, a certified IQ-in-the- stratosphere mathematical genius who literally can't find his own underwear in the mess of his day-to-day life. When Joel uneasily leaves Ian for the holidays, he ends up telling stories to his sister and discovers he feels much more for Ian than he thought. So when Ian calls, distraught because the only other thing in his life that loves him (a half-feral cat named Manky Bastard) is going to have to be put down, Joel hurries back home hoping that opposites really do attract.

Christmas with Danny Fit

In a perfect moment of cold November sunshine, pudgy accountant Kit Allen realizes Jesse, his new office assistant, is everything he's ever dreamed about in a man. Feeling supremely unworthy and desperate to get a life—even an imaginary one—Kit embarks on a self-improvement campaign featuring DVD fitness guru, Danny Fit.

In the meantime, Jesse has begun a subtle campaign of his own, one designed to bring Kit out of his DVD dream world and into Jesse's arms. Jesse isn't perfect—he's no Danny Fit—but he hopes that the kind, funny man who has been looking at him so soulfully since his first day at work has what it takes to be everything Jesse has always wanted.

Puppy, Car, and Snow

Ryan’s entire life changed the night Scott surprised him in a bathroom at a party.  Now Ryan’s soulless climb up the corporate ladder has stalled—but his quality life has become a whirlwind of laughter, joy and surprises, thanks to Scotty’s playful, gentle heart.

After three years together, they’re going to Ryan’s parents’ cabin to spend Christmas.  Snowed in by the weather and locked under the icy glare of his mother’s disapproval, can Ryan show he has found the most profound happiness in the simplest of things?

Turkey in the Snow

Since Hank Calder’s four-year-old niece, Josie, came to live with him, his life has been plenty dramatic, thank you, and the last thing he needs is a swishy, flaming twinkie to complicate things. But when Justin, the daycare worker at his gym, offers to do something incredibly nice for Hank—and for Josie—Hank is forced to reconsider. Justin may be flamboyant in his speech and gestures, but his heart and kindness are as rock steady and dependable as anyone, even Hank, could ask for. Can Hank trust in his dramatic “turkey in the snow” to offer his heart the joy he and Josie have never known?

Going Up!

Every dreary day, Zach Driscoll takes the elevator from the penthouse apartment of his father's building to his coldly charmed life where being a union lawyer instead of a corporate lawyer is an act of rebellion. Every day, that is, until the day the elevator breaks and Sean Mallory practically runs into his arms.

Substitute teacher Sean Mallory is everything Zach is not—poor, happy, and goofily charming. With a disarming smile and a penchant for drama, Sean laughs his way into Zach's heart one elevator ride at a time. Zach would love to get to know Sean better, but first he needs the courage to leave his ivory tower and face a relationship that doesn't end at the "Ding!"

Regret Me Not

So, I'm putting this up on Kermit Flail on Monday, but I wanted to remind you all that Regret Me Not will be out on Monday too!

Pierce Atwater used to think he was a knight in shining armor, but then his life fell to crap. Now he has no job, no wife, no life—and is so full of self-pity he can’t even be decent to the one family member he’s still speaking to. He heads for Florida, where he’s got a month to pull his head out of his ass before he ruins his little sister’s Christmas. 

Harold Justice Lombard the Fifth is at his own crossroads—he can keep being Hal, massage therapist in training, flamboyant and irrepressible to the bones, or he can let his parents rule his life. Hal takes one look at Pierce and decides they’re fellow unicorns out to make the world a better place. Pierce can’t reject Hal’s overtures of friendship, in spite of his misgivings about being too old and too pissed off to make a good friend. 

As they experience everything from existential Looney Tunes to eternal trips to Target, Pierce becomes more dependent on Hal’s optimism to get him through the day. When Hal starts getting him through the nights too, Pierce must look inside for the knight he used to be—before Christmas becomes a doomsday deadline of heartbreak instead of a celebration of love.
Buy at Amazon

Buy at DSP


*  *  *  

So-- about the excerpt--

I love watching those old movies--Audrey Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart-- the dialog is just gorgeous. You never saw those characters naked, but their words said everything you needed to hear about how much they meant to each other when the clothes were off.

I loved writing this book because it was two characters, alone in a beach house, with their damage. Pierce's is both physical and emotional, but Hal's got his own baggage, and as they open up their suitcases, they're both surprised to see they can deal with the other person's items. 

This bit isn't particularly smoldering--but there's an aching here-- each guy wants to know if their flirtation, their banter, their companionship, can become something real.

Excerpt:

By the time Hal got back with the laundry, Pierce was sitting on the bed and staring at his feet. Yes, he’d slipped the tennis shoes on—but tying them was going to be a challenge.

“Oh, there you are,” Hal said, poking his head in. “I set the basket on top of the washer so we don’t forget to keep the parade moving. How are you—oh!” And God, he sounded so natural. “Would you like some help?”

“Augh!” Pierce voiced, because the frustration had been breaking him into a sweat for the last ten minutes. “How do you stand me? I’m worthless! I can’t even put on my shoes!”

Hal paused on his way into the room. “There’s got to be a Shakespeare quote in there,” he said, like he was thinking about it hard. “About how a man’s worth is more than his ability to lace his boots. Now you sound like you’re in asshole mood—you’re not going to kick me in the face if I squat down to tie those, are you?”

“No,” Pierce told him—but sulkily. “I try not to hurt the people who help me. Usually.”

“So that means there’s some danger,” Hal said, just to make sure. “That’s good to know. You can protect yourself if you know the dangers.”

Everything in Pierce’s brain backed up and fountained out his ears. “You can’t,” he said fervently, because this suddenly seemed important. “You can’t. A relationship isn’t like that—you can’t protect yourself, even if you know the dangers. You protect yourself and you’ll just... it’s like a circuit. You can’t make a circuit with the vinyl still on the wires. You either strip the protection off to make the circuit complete and hope it doesn’t explode, or nothing ever happens.”

Hal paused, kneeling at his feet, his hands warm on Pierce’s calf. “That’s... well, off topic, actually. And I’d love to know where it came from. But for right now, I just need to know if you’re going to kick me in the face.”

He rubbed Pierce’s calf absentmindedly, his hands warm and strong and capable. The taut panic wire that had been zinging up Pierce’s spine since he’d realized that no, he couldn’t really bend far enough to put on his shoes yet, and how embarrassing that was when this young, attractive man was... was putting himself at close range—that panic wire stilled, muted, the charge of embarrassment dampening until Pierce could breathe again.

“No,” Pierce whispered huskily. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Hal blinked a couple of times, looking up at him. “How do you strip the wires?” he asked, the absentminded rubbing turning into a caress.

The question made Pierce’s eyes burn. “I have no idea.”

The corners of Hal’s mouth turned down, and he stopped touching Pierce and made quick work of the laces. “We’ll figure it out,” he promised. He stood, offering Pierce a hand up, and Pierce took it, then accepted the hated cane so he could make his way through the house.

Once he got outside, the cold and humid breeze took his breath away. He kept walking, expecting Hal to catch up at any moment, but he was surprised when he’d gone nearly a hundred yards before Hal trotted up to his side. Hal zipped up a windbreaker of his own before handing Pierce a zippered hoodie.

“It’s frickin’ cold out here!” he called, and Pierce grimaced.

“You guys are a little spoiled,” he said through the wind. He remembered going running in the chill of a Sacramento winter, when it got down to the thirties.

“Yeah, well, humor me.” Hal stood solicitously and helped him on with the hoodie; then together they soldiered through the loose sand that formed a pathway through the rushes toward the harder sand of the beach. Hal’s hand hovered under his elbow for a few steps, and Pierce, eschewing his pride for once, paused and took his hand, putting it rmly under his arm.

“People will think we’re a couple,” Hal said, and he had to talk over the sound of the surf, so it was hard to know if he was irting or embarrassed.

“I don’t mind if you don’t.”

Hal squeezed his elbow in response, and they hit the harder-packed sand of the beach proper.
Pierce swung toward the pounding surf and paused. The waves were decent-sized but still small compared to high tide in Monterey or Half-Moon Bay, and the horizon tinted toward gold instead of gray-blue.

But still, it was a great unfathomable deep, and since he’d hauled his limping ass out here, he wanted a good look at it.

“Why are you stopping?” Hal tugged on him, and Pierce bit his lip, standing still.

“Because,” he said, having trouble raising his voice. “It deserves our respect, don’t you think? If you don’t respect the ocean, or time, or fate, or the big things in the world, you sort of have it coming when they knock you on your ass.”

Hal stopped tugging and drew up even with him. Shyly, with tentative little pauses and jerks, he put his arm around Pierce’s shoulders.

Pierce let him.

“Does it make you feel alone?” he asked, voice throbbing with a loneliness he rarely showed but Pierce had guessed at.

“Yeah,” Pierce said, wrapping his arm around Hal’s waist. Comfort, right? Maybe.

“Then why do we keep coming here?”

“Because it’s great and vast and holy,” Pierce told him, unexpectedly moved by having it right there, in front of him, when he’d ignored it for the better part of two weeks. “And it lets us touch our toes to its surf and play.”

“Do you think you’ll ever be able to strip the vinyl off?” Hal asked quietly. “Let your wires touch?”
Pierce swallowed, although the question wasn’t unanticipated.

“I have to know I’m strong enough to take the charge,” he answered. Oh, he liked this metaphor. It was another layer of vinyl between him and the pain of the divorce, and his bitterness, and of loving someone enough for the love to hurt.

“I’ll test it gently,” Hal whispered. “When you’re ready.” 

Winner, Winner, Mack and Cheese Dinner!

And another short take tonight--but hopefully a funny one :-)

I did something funky to my knee--it's swollen and it hurts and I've been taking Motrin for my knee but it's bad for my stomach and that hurts too, and generally, after my afternoon nap, I put on my pajamas and just left them on.

Mate came home and got Squish for her last practice, and I got up and did dishes and started dinner. Mac and ham and cheese. Yum!  (I cooked a ham Tuesday night so that it might last all week. Tomorrow, I'm making BEANS!)

Anyway, I'd done a visual of the refrigerator, but I hadn't checked on how old the ingredients were. Sure enough, I opened the cheese and it was moldy.

Crap! I tried to text Mate so he could stop for cheese on his way home with Squish, but he dropped her off and called me instead. He's been assistant coaching for two teams this year and full-time coaching for Squish's. One of those teams was having it's end of the year party tonight, and the girls wanted him to come say hi.

So, okay. Fine. I had to run get cheese.

But... knee. And comfy. And... *whine*

I got the cheese, made us dinner, and it was ready by the time Mate got back from saying hi to his 10/Under group.  We ate in front of the TV (watched 12 Shorts by Disney, it's on Netflix and some of them made me sob like a baby.)  Not long after the kids went to bed, because hey, we really were running that late.

"So," I said, pulling my head into getting up to work. "How was your day."

He looked up from his computer--which he'd opened right after he'd finished eating--and said, "So busy I'm not even sure it's done yet.  How was yours?"

"I went to Safeway in my pajamas."

HIs eyes widened, and he looked at me in my giant T-shirt and the purple pajama bottoms with the snowflakes on the ass.

And then he burst out laughing and offered a high-five.

"You win!" he chuckled. I accepted my five gratefully and got up to work.

It was good to win at something.