SONG OF THE WEEK: The Twelve Days of Christmas by Gary Hoey — If you’re a rock fan and don’t have Gary Hoey’s HO! HO! HOEY! you must get it. By far my family’s favorite Christmas album!

I love watching Christmas movies and reading Christmas books this time of the year. I invited some authors of Christmas stories to visit with us today. I’ve asked them each a Christmasy question. Check out their answers below.

 

FLIRTING ON ICE by Susan Scott Shelley & Veronica Forand

Professional hockey player Zac Elliott is in top form. He’s having the best season of his career, the local fans can’t get enough of him, and he’s in the middle of the most successful contract negotiations of his career. When the sexy little spark between Zac and the team owner’s daughter blazes to life, no matter how forbidden, he can’t resist.

Philanthropist Heather Ryan can’t keep her hands off of Zac. If her father finds out, it could end Zac’s career and ruin her reputation. What they share is deeply passionate and intensely private…until the press exposes their illicit relationship.

Now the fans have viciously turned against Heather, Zac’s game is faltering, and even his team has deserted him. The only way out of the penalty box is for Zac to play hockey like life—and love—depends on it…

Susan – What would the perfect Atlantic City Christmas Eve look like?

I grew up in Philadelphia, PA. Atlantic City, NJ is less than a two-hour drive from where I lived. Christmas in Philly is a ton of fun, and Atlantic City offers many similar attractions, from casinos offering holiday-themed shows that rival NYC’s Radio City Christmas Spectacular, to a Dickens Village, a Winter Wonderland, and a fabulous light show, which combines interactive lights with holiday music, and a huge 35-foot holiday tree in the center of it all.

The perfect Christmas Eve for me would be taking all of that in, and then, ending the day with a walk on the beach. The winter is a perfect time for this because you will often have the entire stretch of sand to yourself. It’s peaceful and soothing, and the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. While snow flurries on Christmas Eve would be magical, I’d hope for clear skies instead, so that when I’m standing on the beach, I can look up and see thousands of stars.

Veronica – How are your ice skating skilz?

Growing up in New England, I was able to skate outside on a pond every winter. I’d use my brother’s hand me down hockey skates. My skills included playing tag, jumping downed trees, and a decent hockey stop. I was not a figure skater.

My daughters, however, love to figure skate. When they were younger, we’d spend hours at the rink and instead of sitting around in the snack bar, I took a few figure skating lessons. I’m now able to do a decent waltz jump and some fancy footwork. On occasion, you may see me trying to spin around a few times on two feet. Generally, one or two spins causes severe dizziness so I wait until the end and then sit on the bench trying to find my balance again.

Flirting on Ice is available on Amazon.

 

CHRISTMAS GIVE by Meda White

Eva Walker returns home to Georgia for the first Christmas since her husband’s death. She’s missed her family, but is afraid the void left by her husband will make it unbearable.

Between losing his job as an NFL defensive back and losing his wife to the star quarterback, Adam “Mack” Riggs has had a rough year. Looking for a change of pace, he visits an old college friend for Christmas.

The attraction between Eva and Adam is instant, and so is the laughter. Enjoying life again feels so good for both of them. Simple Christmas wishes unite with a shared holiday tradition, putting them on a path toward healing and acceptance. A path that could lead to a future, if only their pasts would remain where they belong.

Meda – What is a holiday tradition that you revisit every year?

My family has two traditions we revisit each year, both involve shooting. The first is the family photo shoot. It’s particularly entertaining because it takes a while to get everyone positioned so no one’s head is too large or too small. It’s all about proportion. The second tradition is shooting firearms. In the rural South, it’s not uncommon for folks to have trap machines which throw sporting clays, and shooting berms for still targets. My dad taught my sisters and me to hunt and shoot when we were young, but it’s a skill requiring practice to maintain accuracy. It’s a blast. (Pun intended) After all the shooting, we eat.

Christmas Give is available on Amazon.

 

FAIRIES & WISHES by Karen Erickson (aka Monica Murphy) (part of the Love, Laughter and Merrily Ever Afters bundle)

Lily the holiday fairy is given a new assignment this Christmas season–teach a lonely doctor how to love again. But all Lily knows how to do is gently coerce people into embracing the Christmas spirit; she doesn’t have a clue what love really is. So imagine her surprise when she falls madly in love–and lust–with the good doctor in the process.

Karen – What magical qualities does Christmas hold for you?

Christmas is a magical time when seen through the eyes of a child, at least for me. I love putting together Christmas for my children, though now….unfortunately…the magic of Santa is over (they’re 11 and 10). But still, encouraging them to help decorate the tree and house, make cookies with me, listen to Christmas songs, watching them open their presents on Christmas morning, it’s all magical. It’s all about traditions too and I hope I’m teaching and encouraging them to continue on with their future families.

The Love, Laughter, and Merrily Ever Afters bundle is available on Amazon. (This one is ten stories for $.99!)

 

HER CHRISTMAS COWBOY by Adele Downs

Daisy Phillips has a choice to make: return to Pennsylvania and the Christmases she once knew, or stay in Texas and find a new way to celebrate the holiday–with the handsome cowboy who brought joy back to her life.

The heartwarming sequel to the Amazon-bestselling Lunchbox Romance, Kissing Her Cowboy!

Adele – Where is your favorite place to spend Christmas?

My favorite place to spend Christmas is…home. My husband and I plan Christmas dinner and cook it together for our family and friends. We serve organically grown and raised foods to our guests on a table set with winter-themed china and a centerpiece made of fresh pine. A fire burns in the fireplace and our tree glows with lights. I love Christmas and can think of no better place to celebrate than inside the comfort of our family home.

Her Christmas Cowboy is available on Amazon.

 

MISTLETOE WEDDING by Melissa McClone

Event planner at the Bar V5 Dude Ranch, Meg Redstone is dreaming of a white Christmas with twinkling lights, sparkly decorations and strategically placed mistletoe. She loves making dreams come true for others, whether planning a holiday wedding or giving her young daughter the best Christmas ever.

Ranch foreman Tyler Murphy loves the holidays, but his newest employee has taken over his barn with her over-the-top decorations. He admires Meg’s desire to give her daughter the perfect Christmas while planning a winter wonderland wedding, but he wants to show her that a Montana Christmas is more than glitter and lights.

After raising his younger sister, an instant family is not on Ty’s Christmas wish list. But he finds himself falling hard for the single mom and her little girl. Meg, however, is not interested in a romance with a cowboy like Ty, or any man. Getting her under the mistletoe is going to take a Christmas miracle . . . or a little help from Santa.

Melissa – What are some of your favorite Christmas decorations, and what color lights do you love the most?

My favorite Christmas decorations are the kid-made tree ornaments, nativity themed decorations (from ornaments to the set that we put under the tree branches) and my snow globe collection. We empty our shelves after Thanksgiving so we can display them! As for lights, I’m a fan of multi-color lights, but our tree has white lights. They reminded us of stars, but I’ve added strands of red holly berry lights so that there’s now some color. Outside we have some white icicle lights and multicolored strands and netting!

Mistletoe Wedding is available on Amazon.

 

These stories all look fantastic, and I’m going to try to carve out time to read each of them this season! Thanks to all of you fabulous authors for visiting with us today and for sharing a little piece of your Christmas magic with us!