Hot Christmas nights - Kandy Shepherd

Christmas Down Under falls in summer. It’s hot. Sometimes very hot. Sometimes so hot the thought of cooking dinner in a sweltering kitchen becomes untenable and Aussies head to the barbecue to cook the festive feast. (Except in my English heritage family where anything other than the full-on traditional Christmas dinner is non-negotiable!)

A summer Christmas Down Under also means vacation—our summer vacation is when school and university have their long break. Holiday time runs from late December all the way through to the end of January. It means for people living on the coast time on the beach, for those inland on rivers and lakes and mountains.

With all the sun, the heat, the relaxing the holiday season is a great time for romance. I’ve had a lot of fun collaborating with a fabulous group of Down Under authors to produce a boxed set of seven brand new, never published before novellas around the theme of Hot Christmas Nights, which launched on December 1.

Wonderful, original novellas by Rachel Bailey, Michelle Douglas, Louisa George, Helen Lacey, Stefanie London,  Jennifer St George and me. What fine company I'm in!

Best selling, award-winning and rising start authors all contributed stories for this collection. They live in Australia or New Zealand but their novels, published by international publishers, go all around the world. They’re a really nice bunch of people and working with them was a great delight. The stories in Hot Christmas Nights range from sweet to super steamy and all “hot” in terms of romance!

My novella Millionaire Under the Mistletoe is a reunion romance—one of my favorite types of stories to write. There’s something that really appeals to me about giving a second chance at love to two people who so obviously should be together but made mistakes that tore them apart. With the magic of Christmas, and a little help from a cat named Morris, in Millionaire Under the Mistletoe, two lovely young people find their way to the happy-ever-after they deserve.

“London-based chef Carly de Luca and Sydney millionaire Dylan Burke broke each other’s hearts four years ago—but old feelings reignite when she makes a surprise visit home for Christmas. Can Carly and Dylan let go of past hurts and take a second chance on love?”

I couldn’t pick a favorite from the six other stories in the collection. Each is sensual, emotional and beautifully written. The glowing reviews we’re already getting are gratifying!

Hot Christmas Nights is available at Amazon for the bargain price of $0.99.

For my December post I would like to wish everyone a very happy festive season and holiday—to those who celebrate Christmas and those who don’t.

And a very special wish and thank you to Lee Hyatt for hosting me at Tote Bags 'n' Blogs. I look forward to seeing everyone next year!

What's your ideal Christmas? I'd love to hear about it! Make a comment if you'd like to be in the draw for one of two e-book copies of Hot Christmas Nights  Please include you email address and whether you'd prefer mobi or epub download.

Kandy Shepherd is an award-winning author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She lives on a small farm in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia, with her family and a menagerie of four-legged friends.

Visit Kandy at her website

www.kandyshepherd.com

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