Christmas Reading Bonanza!

by Anna Campbell

Firstly, happy Holidays to everyone! And I hope 2014 is a wonderful year for all of us.

Thank you so much to everyone who's swung by to read my posts here and especially those lovely people who left comments during the year. And thanks to Lee for hosting this fun blog!

2013 was a terrifically busy year for me - I feel like I haven't stopped since I was wishing everybody happy new year last January.

So I'm very much looking forward to a few days off between Christmas and New Year. Here in Australia, Christmas falls in midsummer so instead of snow and sweaters, we have beaches and sweat! My plan at this stage is to grab the TBR pile and make some serious inroads before I get into a new project.

So I thought for my final blog of the year, I might give you some idea of the books I'm looking forward to reading over that week of sloth.

This last year, I've read a lot of mysteries, but it seems I'm going (almost) solidly romance for my holiday. The one exception is a couple of the charming Aunt Dimity mysteries by Nancy Atherton to which I've recently become addicted. I'm up to books 12 and 13, AUNT DIMITY GOES WEST and AUNT DIMITY: VAMPIRE HUNTER.

But on to the romance.

First up, I've got three Karina Bliss SuperRomances waiting for me. I love Karina's writing - if you haven't read WHAT THE LIBRARIAN DID, grab it. It's a wonderful story.

Also on the SuperRomance front, I've discovered a Sarah Mayberry hidden in my TBR pile. Hurrah! SUDDENLY YOU looks like Sarah's usual wonderful mixture of aching emotion, sizzling sexual tension and memorable characters.

I've got a couple of longer romances from favorite Australian writers waiting for me.

I love Bronwyn Parry's award-winning romantic suspense stories set in very vividly described outback Australia. I've got her latest DARKENING SKIES calling to me right now. Can't wait.

Cathryn Hein writes wonderful rural romance. I picked up her latest,  HEARTLAND, a couple of months ago but haven't had a chance to dive in yet.

I've been stockpiling marvelous historical romance author Nicola Cornick's Scandalous Women of the Ton books for just such a time as this when I can wallow in her richly imagined and sensual Regency world. I've loved the first few in the series.

If I've got any time spare after all those, I've got a Nora Roberts omnibus, CHARMED, to look forward to. I recently read Nora's NORTHERN LIGHTS and loved it. 

So do you take a break over the Holidays? Are you looking forward to reading anything in particular? 

To add to your Christmas reading, I'm giving away a download (international) of my Christmas novella THE WINTER WIFE to someone who comments today. Good luck!

THE WINTER WIFE Is a-go-go!!!

by Anna Campbell

I'm a sucker for a Christmas romance. Are you?

This month, I'm launching my first Christmas romance, THE WINTER WIFE, as an e-novella (available from all good e-booksellers). 

If you're a devotee of the MAMMOTH anthologies, many things about THE WINTER WIFE may strike you as familiar. It's actually an extended version of my story "Upon a Midnight Clear" which appeared in THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF REGENCY ROMANCE in 2010.

UAMC was my first reunion story and the characters haunted me long after I sent it in to the editor. The MAMMOTH books limit stories to no more than 13,000 words and I've always wanted the chance to give Sebastian, Earl of Kinvarra, and Alicia, his headstrong countess, a bit more room to breathe.

Not only that, it struck me fairly quickly that I'd missed an obvious chance to do my longed-for Christmas romance. I mean, come on, the title comes from a Christmas carol and our lovers meet unexpectedly in the middle of a snowstorm in Yorkshire. Transferring the date to Christmas Eve instead of some unspecified night in December seemed a no-brainer - at least in hindsight.

Then suddenly there were opportunities for indie publishing the story in digital format. My chance had finally arrived for a second bite at Sebastian and Alicia's relationship - much as they get on this snowy Christmas Eve! 

So THE WINTER WIFE: A CHRISTMAS NOVELLA was born. Here is the blurb:

Will a chance meeting on Christmas Eve… 

Alicia Sinclair, Countess of Kinvarra,cannot believe that fate has been so cruel as to strand her on the snowy Yorkshire moors with her estranged husband as her only hope of rescue. During their rare encounters,the arrogant earl and his countess act like hostile strangers. Now that Alicia has fallen into Kinvarra’s power, will he seek revenge for her desertion? Or does the dark, passionate man she once adored have entirely different plans for his headstrong wife? 

..deliver a second chance at love? 

Sebastian Sinclair, Earl of Kinvarra, has spent ten wretched years regretting the mistakes he made with his young bride,but after long separation, the barriers between them are insurmountable. Until an unexpected encounter one stormy night makes him wonder if the barriers of mistrust and thwarted desire are so insurmountable after all. When winter weather traps Sebastian and his proud, lovely wife in an isolated inn, could the earl and his headstrong countess have a Christmas miracle in store?

You can read an excerpt of THE WINTER WIFE on my website: http://annacampbell.info/books.html

Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Wife-Christmas-Novella-ebook/dp/B00AFYH7A2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355118660&sr=1-1&keywords=the+winter+wife

Or you can buy it on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/262852

This is my last column here for the year. I want to thank Lee for hosting Tote Bags 'n' Blogs and everyone who swung by to read my pieces and especially to all the lovely people who have left comments. I've thoroughly enjoyed our conversations and I look forward to more next year.

So do you have a favorite Christmas romance? There's a download of THE WINTER WIFE up for grabs to someone who comments today. Good luck and Happy Holidays!