Blending Genres by Susan Sands

I'm currently writing a contemporary Christmas romance. Or I'm supposed to be. The other books in

the Alabama series are a blend of women's fiction and romance, which means there are other storylines and concerns within the stories. They are less firmly focused on the main couple's romance than what I'm writing this time and include many more characters and details of their lives.

With this latest work in progress, I must control the urge to stray from the couple's romance. It's like writer's attention deficit. I get distracted by all the pretty things I want to explore along the way. Like the characters who are becoming so incredibly interesting and fun. I feel compelled to give them more time on the page and explore their lives. But that's what one does in women's fiction. This is about the amazing main characters. This is a focused, deep dive into their story. Yes, there are other important people in their lives but I've got to stick to the task at hand. The word count is less, so it's imperative I get the story wrapped up by New Years.

Because this is the fifth book in the Alabama "series," it will feel similar. If I do this well enough, it's likely my readers might notice but hopefully won't mind the lack of cast members. This book will be a slightly cleaner read, not that I overdo sex and profanity. I'm having to do some editing when I let a four letter word slip from time to time on the page. Weirdly, it's a good story and honestly dang instead of damn doesn't change the context of how it reads.

In the end, I feel like this book will land in the column of mostly contemporary romance with a touch of women's fiction instead of a fifty/fifty blend. I'm hoping it's still a hit with my readers and that I gain more.

Sorry I'm late posting today! Wash your hands, everyone, and don't touch your face!

Susan

A Christmas Present - Bonus Scene

by Joanne Rock

Happy Almost-New-Year! I love this week of the year, the “found” time between Christmas and New Year’s when life slows down enough for me to sit still and take stock before I turn the last calendar page. I reflect on the blessing of the past year and get excited for what’s to come. I always try to take it off from work so I can savor this time.

During this week of “bonus” time, I also have another special bonus to share! This fall, I polled my mailing list about which romance couple they’d like to check in with over the holidays. I gave everyone a choice of four books from my 2017 list and the winner was Matt and Larissa from Second Chance Cowboy. (By the way, if you’re not on my mailing list, sign up here!)  

I

t was such a pleasure to revisit this couple! I gave them a happy ending in the published story, of course. But the added scene gave me a chance to think more about their happily-ever-after and what it might look like this Christmas. What a joy to savor a healthy, happy relationship between two people who are in love. So much of writing romance involves writing the conflict, the battle to overcome obstacles so the heroine has a chance to build a happy future. This scene gave me the chance to simply revel in the fun stuff.

I hope you take a peek at it, and if you like it, consider downloading the story to see how this brooding cowboy reunited with his dancer heroine in the first place! Read the bonus scene here.

And if you like my Harlequin Desires, drop by the Harlequin website this month to read a free online read of mine, Christmas with the Rich Rancher. It’s a double bonus of free for readers 😊.

Finally, I'd like to give away an advance copy of my February book, For the Sake of His Heir to one random poster who shares with me... how do you traditionally spend your week between Christmas and New Year's? Do you get some quiet time with the family? Do you like making New Year's resolutions or shopping post Christmas sales? Share with me this week and I'll send one reader a copy of For the Sake of His Heir!

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

It's Christmas Eve and I'm sure, like me usually on this frenetic day, you will be up to your elbows in Christmas preparations. However, please take some friendly advice and make sure that you make plenty of time for yourself over Christmas, especially if you are the host.

You see, the trouble with hosting is that you are so concerned with making sure that your guests are having a good time that you run yourself ragged seeing to their every need. One thing I have learned after years and years of hosting is to do as much in advance as you possibly can. Christmas Eve is always a cooking day for me. I precook everything that I can- Yorkshire puddings, desserts- and prep everything else including the vegetables. That way, I get to sit down with a glass of bubbles on Christmas day and join in the fun which I am denied in the kitchen.

This year though, I had to be super organised. All my pre-cooking, present buying and decorating happened weeks ago. You see, with impeccable timing, as you read this I will be on a plane coming home from my Christmas present from Mr H, a lovely trip to Barbados. I land at Heathrow at 7.30am tomorrow and once I get home my lovely son and daughter will hopefully have started making Christmas dinner in my stead. I can't wait! This is the first Christmas in twenty-one years I haven't had to completely host and I hope its the first of many now that my children are adults.

I hope yours is filled with family and friends too...

Happy Holidays!

Virginia Heath's Christmas Regency Romantic Comedy His Mistletoe Wager is out now!

His Mistletoe Wager is out now

 

Merry Christmas, Alabama: Susan Sands

Christmas, Alabama was released last week, and so far, it's getting fantastic reviews! Whew.

Christmas, Alabama

Until the reviews begin coming in for a new book, an author sweats just a little. This is my first Christmas or holiday story. The season shares the spotlight with the characters and plot because there are so many things going on around our characters while they are connecting and moving forward with the story arc.

Dressing up Ministry for Christmas was great fun and a new challenge. There's a beauty pageant, a 5K Jingle Jog, tour of historic homes, old fashioned Christmas parade, a cookie bake-off, and an imported tree the size of which rivals the one in Rockefeller Square. Oh, and snow blowers.  The snowstorm that hits Alabama is unexpected, and causes all sorts of mayhem for the hero and heroine, Nick and Rachel. Nick is the fill-in doctor who doesn't want to be in Ministry for the holidays, and Rachel is the town's photographer who is not looking for love.

The two become neighbors and share casseroles brought in by the single women in town. Their love of football leads to friendship, which leads to far more. How can a temporary doctor from the city find a way to happiness with a small town girl who plans to stay in Alabama? Christmas magic, that's how!

"I enjoyed this refreshingly sweet and entertaining story from start to finish. Each new character in this quirky small town was colorfully described in vivid detail in an amusing manner that frequently brought a smile to my face. The main players were intriguing and endearing, although Rachel was initially rather prickly and aloof. Ministry, Alabama sounds like a unique and appealing community populated with a wide assortment of odd and lively personalities. Ms. Sand’s writing was easy to follow, well-appointed, and flowed with a smooth elegance that kept me tethered to my Kindle. I plan to pick up the previous installments to further acquaint myself with this enticing and engaging group of citizens."   --Amazon Reviewer

I hope everyone enters this holiday season with hope in your heart and a big stack of books on your TBR pile!!

Susan

Things and People: Susan Sands

This should be a blog about books since I have a new book coming out October 26th! I'm so excited about that and want to give it a good promotional shout for it. Christmas, Alabama is available now for pre-order!

Available October 26th

But there are so many other things happening in my life right now that I must purge them onto this page.

Many of us are in a similar place in life where our children are growing up and leaving the nest, while our parents are becoming more needful of us in physical, emotional, and sometimes financial ways. They become our new dependents as their parents became during their aging cycle. It's a life shift that isn't easy for anyone. But it is a transition that happens.

My husband and I are trying to sell our house and downsize. We've just rid ourselves via a three-day professionally-run, estate sale of most of our furniture and household items and accessories with the idea that our house would show and sell better with empty closets and rooms free of clutter. This week we move my dad into memory care. Next month, my mom moves in with us. My daughter is filling out college applications and visiting colleges and will graduate in the spring. Oh, yes, and I have that new book coming out...

So, our house goes back on the market in a week or two after the last offer fell through.

But we're all okay for now. People matter. Things don't. It was easy to get rid of them. We have each other. We all get along pretty well. We're working together as a team to accomplish all these goals. We work for grace every day. Some days are better than others.

I wish you grace in your life struggles.

Susan Sands

His Mistletoe Wager

His Mistletoe Wager is released worldwide on 1st October 2017

In the middle of the summer heatwave of 2016, and halfway through writing my Wild Warriners series, my editor at Harlequin Mills and Boon asked me if I would like to do a Christmas book for them. I happily jumped at the chance but because I was already a third into A Warriner to Tempt Her and there was no way I was going to be able to turn a smallpox epidemic into a festive tale, I decided to write a standalone story for my publisher instead.

Sort of.

I say sort of because it is also a bit of a sequel to my second book, Her Enemy at the Altar although like all my books, you don't have to have read one to enjoy the others.

Thanks to several lovely messages from readers and quite a few comments from reviewers, I knew that some people, including me, wanted to see the tormented Aaron Wincanton and shrew-like Constance Stuart again. Fortunately, I gave Connie a younger brother in that book and so it was his story I decided to write as the sun singed my lawn and I melted at my computer.

Hal (Henry) Stuart, the newly minted Earl of Redbridge and notorious rake is a little out of sorts. Something is not quite right in his life but he can’t put his finger on what. His scandalous life has suddenly become very boring now that he has a title, largely because hunting for women has got too easy.

On a quest to find his missing vigour, he accepts a bet from his brother-in-law Aaron that he cannot steal five kisses in five separate places before Twelfth Night. One kiss for each of the berries on the sprig pinned to his lapel. Hal assumes he has to kiss five separate women, but Aaron decrees that all the kisses must be stolen from just the one woman.

Sullen Lizzie.

A committed spinster with a hatred for rakes and, unbeknownst to both Hal and the whole of the Ton, a very dirty secret she has kept hidden for five long years.

At times, these two characters had me laughing out loud as I wrote them and despite forming a fast and unlikely friendship, I couldn’t get Lizzie to allow herself to fall for Hal. Throw in a couple of meddling relatives, a menacing butler and three adorable and tenacious children and the end result, His Mistletoe Wager, was huge fun to write.

But in the end, a wager is a wager and it’s Christmas. And at Christmas there is always mistletoe…

Virginia Heath writes raunchy Regency romantic comedies for Harlequin Mills & Boon but her dog Trevor mostly writes her Facebook posts.

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

Connect with Kandy on Facebook and Twitter

Christmas Spirit Sampler

Shhh. I know it's a bit early to talk about Christmas, but look. This is the most amazing deal!

I'll admit I have started thinking about Christmas. Usually I put it off until after Halloween at the very least. Heck, I'll procrastinate as long as possible, but my daughter lives away now. We had to start thinking about what it would look like so she could ask for time off work.

Not that we're planning anything exciting. I love the idea of spending Christmas somewhere tropical, but we usually stay home and do low-key things like play games and go for walks. I grabbed these photos from last year:

You could be forgiven for thinking this is Monopoly, but it's actually a game called The Gambler. As far as I recall, you don't have to know when to hold 'em or when to fold 'em.

My daughter loves Family Game Night and forces it upon us whenever we're together. We always have fun, which is why we succumb to the pressure. Pictionary is a big favourite, but sometimes we mix it up with something like Boggle, or, in this case, something we don't even remember how to play.

I'm a big walker, so that's always my choice if given the option. This is about a five minute drive from our house:

Yeah, we pretty much live in paradise.

Then, of course, there is turkey dinner. But on that topic... last winter I was organizing some paperwork with Canadian Customs so I could bring swag in from the US and avoid the duty. I went to visit their office, which is about five minutes beyond this gorgeous view, and when I came out of the building, these creatures rushed me.

I'm not afraid of birds, especially not dumb ones like wild turkeys, but when they all came running at me, it was fairly startling. I realized after the fact that someone must be feeding them, but for one second I had that panicked thought that I wouldn't make it to my car before they 'got' me. Of course, my second thought was, "Free. But looks like tough eating." Ha! As if I could pluck a bird myself, let alone 'get' one.

What does your typical Christmas look like? Are you ready to start thinking about the holidays? If you need a dose of spirit, I highly recommend this collection. Pre-order now and it will automagically deliver to your reader on the 20th. (Four short days away!) You'll be able to read one a week all the way into December. Preorder here:

Amazon: US | CA | UK | Aus 
Nook | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay 
Smashwords