BLITZ: With Love At Christmas - An Anthology

Main Title: 

With Love At Christmas- An Anthology

Contributing Authors and Their Titles: 

Delaney Foster-Martinis and Mistletoe

Ellie Masters- The Ballet

Author J L Leslie-Second Chance Christmas

JL Long Author-Copperfield Lane 

JM Walker- Stained

Noelle Bodhaine-12 Letters

Author Paisleigh Aumack-All I Got Was a Hangover

Author Scarlett Wells-All I Want For Christmas

Genre:

Contemporary Romance

Release Day: 

December 13th, 2016

Christmas can be a time of year for all things new and exciting. These stories take you through every emotion and back again. With something for every style of romance reader with stories from eight very different authors, you are sure to fall in love.

In this anthology, you will find humor, love, and how the spirit of the holidays can be the beginning of things to come. Experience these stories in, With Love at Christmas.

What is VETSports:

A nationwide non-profit helping veterans achieve better physical, mental, and emotional health through sports, physical activity, and community involvement.

COURAGE. RESILIENCE. TEAMWORK. 

*VETSPORTS IS A 501 (C) 3 TAX EXEMPT ORGANIZATION: EIN 46-0560244*

Book Dedication:

(Will be provided once book is live!)

Martinis And Mistletoe by Delaney Foster

The perfect martini, an unexpected friendship, and a moment under the mistletoe might be just what Brynn Robley needs to discover the true meaning of Christmas.

The Ballet by Ellie Masters

All Sally Levenson wants is to stop grieving over her dead husband. She wants the pain to stop. To breathe again. One night at the Ballet with Sugar Plums and a Nutcracker turned Prince and Sally's Christmas wish might just come true.

Second Chance Christmas by JL Leslie

Even when it's unexpected. Even when he lied. Even when you shouldn't want it, but you do... more than anything. Love deserved a second chance... Especially at Christmas.

Copperfield Lane by JL Long

Where wishes come true and hearts fall in love.

STAINED by JM Walker

Follow Asher Donovan and Meeka Cline back to the beginning to be reminded what Christmas is truly all about.

12 Letters by Noelle Bodhaine

A family's journey through deployment. 

A wife and mother's way of coping.

And the hope that their soldier makes it home for Christmas.

All I Got Was A Hangover by Paisleigh Aumack

Penelope Sloan is a pain in the ass, loud mouthed, southern belle who knows how to get what she wants and uses it to her advantage. When she meets Braxton Jenkinson during a blizzard in New York City, she knows all bets are off when she wakes up with only memories of copper and whiskey gold. Oh and of course the most epic hangover ever. 

All I Want For Christmas by Scarlett Wells

All Pippa wants for Christmas is her boss, Alec Ardent. Evidently she's been on Santa's nice list because things are about to get naughty.

The Authors:

Delaney Foster

Hi, I'm Delaney, and I write love stories. I love all things romance, a good glass of wine, and Saturdays at the baseball park. I DO believe leggings are pants and pumpkin spice should be a year round thing. In my stories you'll find sexy, alpha men and the strong women who love them.

Find out more about Delaney Foster here:

Ellie Masters

Ellie Masters has been exploring the worlds of romance, dark erotica, science fiction, and fantasy, by reading and writing the stories she wants to read. When not writing, Ellie can be found outside, where her passion for all things outdoor reigns supreme: ATV-ing, scuba diving, hiking, and breathing fresh air are top on her list.

She lives with her beloved husband, two children who refuse to flee the nest, and four fur-babies; three cats who rule the household, and a dog who wants nothing other than for the cats to be his best friends. The cats are of a different mind regarding this matter.

Ellie’s favorite way to spend an evening is curled up on a couch, laptop in place, watching a fire, drinking a good wine, and bringing forth all the characters from her Mind-to-the-Page and eventually into the hearts of her readers.

Find out more about Ellie Masters here:

JL Leslie

I am a happily married mother of three (two boys and one girl). I live in a very small town in Alabama. Never lived anywhere else. I I started self-publishing with the encouragement from my mom. Without her encouragement, I don’t think I would’ve done it. 

I get my inspiration from life experiences, movies, television, other authors, and music. 

I like to write fast-paced, steamy romance reads. I like for my males to be alpha-males and my heroines to be strong, but both need to have one weakness- each other.

Find out more about JL Leslie here:

JL Long

JL grew up in a small town in Illinois. Not to be mistaken for Chicago. She currently resides in Southern Kentucky with her husband, three children and their fur-baby, Buster Malone. She has lived an adventurous life…doing just that, living. Dream it. Do it. Live it. JL is a hopeless romantic, who loves seeing love unwind before her eyes. When she can’t see that for herself with other people in real life, she writes it or reads it. Writing has been a part of her life since she was a little girl, along with being an avid reader. She will continue to write until the pen will not allow it anymore.

Find out more about JL Long here:

JM Walker

J.M. Walker is an Amazon bestselling author who loves all things books, pigs and lip gloss. She is happily married to the man who inspires all of her Heroes and continues to make her weak in the knees every single day.

"Above all, be the HEROINE of your own life..." ~ Nora Ephron

Find out more about JM Walker here:

Noelle Bodhaine

Welcome to Noelle 's world where creativity and filth comingle and make for a delightful cocktail to intoxicate your senses and occupy your time. Classically trained in the art of procrastination, seduction and distraction. I'm a lover of all things creative, books, movies, music, cooking and art. A history nerd to my core and avid studier of powerful She wolves that have shaped our modern history. I like to watch old movies when it rains and listen to dry satirical podcasts when I cook. I make a mean Old Fashioned and love the smell of cigar smoke and old leather. 

I write about men I want to love and places I want to go. My laptop has become like an appendage as I never know when something deliciously dirty may pop in this crazy head. 

I do my dreaming at the base of the beautiful Rocky Mountains, surrounded by handsome young men who do not pick up their laundry

Find out more about Noelle Bodhaine here:

Paisleigh Aumack

Paisleigh Aumack was born in Red Bank, New Jersey. She grew up in a small barrier island town and has lived there all her life. She has always loved music, going as far as being a trained musician. Her tastes in music range all over the board, but currently, her heart belongs to country music.

Paisleigh is engaged to the love of her life and lives a fairly quiet, peaceful existence. When she isn’t working, she is writing or she is reading. Or singing at the top of her lungs. Paisleigh began writing a short time ago because she had a story to tell.

Find out more about Paisleigh Aumack here:

Scarlett Wells 

Scarlett Wells has been a voracious reader since she was a toddler sitting in the laundry basket she used to move her library from place to place. Her love of reading has been a constant in her life and ultimately led to her sharing her own stories. 

Scarlett is a stay-at-home mom to a sassy, precocious 5-year old, wife to a software engineer (read: geek), and slave to two cats. If she’s not reading or writing, she can be found at Target, trapped under an avalanche of laundry, guzzling wine while she’s cooking dinner, or playing with her munchkin.

Find out more about Scarlett Wells here:

We hope you enjoy this anthology as much as we enjoyed writing it. From all of us, we wish you a very Happy Holiday season. And to everyone who has served, THANK YOU for your service. 

Blog Tour with Giveaway: Christmas on Crimson Mountain by Michelle Major

Synopsis

LOVE ON THE MOUNTAIN
Peace and quiet—that’s all Connor Pierce wanted from the rented cabin on Crimson Mountain. Yet the caretaker turned out to be lovely April Sanders—a total distraction. As were the two little girls she was caring for. Connor’s plan to forget his painful past soon detoured into giving the ladies a Christmas to remember.
Being named guardian of two motherless girls has upended April’s world. Add to the mix a mysterious, brooding writer claiming he wanted to be left alone while going out of his way to bring a little joy to the girls, and she has quite the quandary. April had counted herself out of a happy ending. But maybe Santa still had a few surprises up his merry old sleeve…
Find out more at: Amazon / B&N

Excerpt from Christmas on Crimson Mountain

“Thank you for taking care of me these past couple of days.”
She sniffed. “It’s my job.”
He acknowledged her words with a small nod, or maybe it was the bitterness creeping into her tone that he recognized. “How are Ranie and Shay?”
“Do you really care?”
“Yes.” He sighed. “Even though I don’t want to care. The other night...on the highway...it affected me. Hearing that scream when the car slid on the road and the headlights moving closer.” He paused and a shudder ran through him. “I’m sorry I disappeared, but I wasn’t fit company for anyone after that.”
“It’s fine.” She tried to hold on to her anger even as it slipped through her body like grains of sand through her fingers. She needed that anger. It was safer with this man. Safer for her heart. “You don’t owe me an explanation.”
“I want to give you one anyway.” His hold on her gentled and he rubbed his thumb over the sensitive flesh on the inside of her wrist. “I’ve missed you, April. I’ve spent the past three years alone, and suddenly I’m lonely without you. I stopped caring. I didn’t think I had it in me to care, and I’m still so turned around. Every little thing sets me off and I can’t stop it. But I also can’t stop wanting to be near you. It doesn’t make sense.”
She closed her eyes against the onslaught of emotions that poured through her at his words and the gentle pressure to her skin.
“Do you know,” he asked, shifting so close now that she could feel his breath against her hair, “that I listen for the door to close after you leave and rush down to the kitchen because your scent lingers after you’re gone?”
She huffed out a laugh that sounded breathless to her own ears. “Are you saying I smell?”
“Like lavender and vanilla. I’ve made an idiot of myself the past two days following traces of you around the house.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I want you to know what you do to me, even if I should stay away. It’s better for both of us if I turn around and walk back to my bedroom until you’re gone.”
She waited a moment, but he didn’t move. “You’re not walking.”
“Hell if I can make myself go.”
“Don’t go,” she whispered. Slowly, as if she were gentling a stray animal, she lifted her hand. Her finger brushed the prickly strands of his dark beard, and his lips parted.
“I forgot to shave,” he muttered.
“Too busy?”
He took a breath, released it and then nodded. “Writing.”
“Connor,” April whispered. “That’s wonderful.”
He shrugged and looked away. “Who knows how long it will last. But the words are coming. So damn many, drowning me with their force. It’s like...”
She pressed her palm to his cheek, gratified when he leaned into it. “Like what?”
“Like it used to be.” He said the words softly, as if they were an apology. April could feel the tension in his body and wished, just for a moment, she could transfer his pain to herself. Give him a few seconds of remembering what it was like to live without the weight of guilt and sorrow bearing down on him.
“Look at me,” she said, moving closer to him, pressing into his warmth. His arms came around her waist, his hands splayed open against her back. She could feel their heat and strength through the thin cotton of her pajama shirt. So much talent flowed out of those hands. The worlds he created within his imagination and put on paper for readers to discover. “You have a gift, Connor Pierce.”
“It’s not—”
“Don’t say it. Whatever you’re thinking.” She brushed her lips over his. “Those words are in you. The stories you write are part of you.”
“How can they still be there when I’m dead inside, April? They were part of my life before, but now I’m—”
“You’re here,” she told him, and held her hand to his chest. His heartbeat was strong and sure under her palm. “With me. Now.”
“You make me feel things I’d thought I lost the capacity to feel. You make me want things—” His voice broke off as he drew in another deep breath. He leaned down until their foreheads touched. They stood that way for several long moments, her lips just grazing his. She breathed him in and it felt like she was pulling his essence into her lungs. Like he was part of her. A part she thought she’d lost after the illness and heartbreak that had changed who she was inside.
“I’m sorry I can’t be the man you deserve,” he whispered. “I’ll hurt you and girls. I hurt everyone—”
“Not now.” She pressed her mouth to the base of his neck, tasted the salt on his skin and wanted more. “This moment is ours.”
He claimed her mouth then, kissed her until the feel and taste of him was all she knew. Everything else burned away in the flame that was her need for him. He pulled her closer, if that was possible. Their tongues tangled and his hands skimmed under the shirt and up her spine, sending tingles as they moved. His kiss was demanding and consuming, and every inch of her body burned for him. For more.
His lips trailed over her jaw and he nipped at the sensitive flesh of her earlobe. “Will you stay?”
The simple question rocked her. How was it that such a longing could have been buried inside her and she’d never guessed? Even at her most in-love-and-alive, she’d never felt anything quite like the force of her desire for Connor. Still, she shook her head. “I have to go back in case the girls need me. If Shay wakes up...”
“I understand,” he said, pulling his hands from underneath her shirt.
No, her body screamed. Don’t let him go.
“Come with me,” she told him, lacing her fingers with his.
He stared at her, his eyes unreadable once more. She hated that he could slip behind his mask so easily. She wanted to break through until she saw every bit of him, good and bad. She wanted to know him and, in return, allow him access to all the secret places she kept hidden from the rest of the world.

About Michelle Major

Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings. Michelle loves to hear from her readers at www.michellemajor.com.

Connect with Michelle: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Giveaway

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Blog Tour & Review - Mistletoe on 34th Street by Lisa Dickenson

Published 3rd November 2016

Full of romance and festive magic, Mistletoe on 34th Street is the funniest and most charming love story you will read this Christmas!

Olivia has never experienced a snow-covered, ‘traditional’ Christmas before. Having grown up in a family that chose winter sun over decking the halls, she’s not sure what all the fuss is about. So when she and her colleagues are stranded in New York after a work trip, Olivia is perfectly happy spending the holiday season in the Big Apple.

Jon, Olivia’s friend, on the other hand is desperate to get home in time for his big family get-together. Nevertheless, determined to make the best out of the situation, he sets out to show Olivia how enchanting Christmas in New York can be. And when handsome New Yorker Elijah is added to the mix, could the magic of the season finally be working its charm on Olivia? As 25 December draws closer, Olivia suddenly finds herself with a decision to make: who does she really want to kiss under the mistletoe this Christmas?

Links

Goodreads

Amazon UK

Amazon US

WHsmith

Kobo

Waterstones


Review

*** Disclaimer - I was given a copy of this book by  Little Brown Book Group, in return for an honest review ***

Finally, I have been waiting weeks to post this review. It is finally November and I can indulge, get cosy under a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate and absorb myself in Christmas themed books. This being my first of the year and having read it over Halloween, I had been worried I might not get fully into the Christmas spirit. I need not have worried it did and some. By the way how pretty is the cover? It caught my attention straight away when I received an email about this book.

The author has a talent for drawing you in, making you feel like you know the characters and is extremely good at describing the world around Olivia our main character, in particular, New York. All the characters have varied personalities and they are relatable in their own ways which helped me get past a slightly slow start (which for me is my only real criticism of this book). The story is full of romance, humor and everything that makes Christmas... well Christmas. I laughed out loud at so many parts, I am pretty sure my husband thought I had finally lost my marbles. 

The Author's writing style is fun, lighthearted and ( as someone who has not read anything not in the third person style in a long while) refreshing. Olivia's mind is perfect for telling this story and a pleasure to be 'inside' she is so quirky and her inner monologue is quite often so funny you cannot help but fall in love with her yourself. As we follow her struggle of understanding Christmas from a traditional point of view and her struggles with work, love, being stranded in New York, crossed wires and learning that the past is just that the past. She is surrounded by a variety of entertaining individuals, each bringing their own little thing to the story. Some of which are just perfect and favourites in the book for me. Such as Olivia's dad, Kim (her appearances are just gold) and Abigail. Another thing I found a really nice touch about this book was the well-placed pop culture references. I loved them! Especially regarding a certain favourite childhood toy of mine, I actually think that might be my favourite scene throughout the whole of the book.

As lighthearted, festive and funny as this book is it caught me upside the head with one hell of a wallop of emotion and although not where it may have been attended or where people would think I was a gibbering teary mess. If a book can make me cry, laugh out loud and festive then that is definitely a book worthy of a read.

There is very little to criticize about this book. I found the start slow and for, me it took a while to get hooked. I also had trouble with some of the words used / phrasing, this is in no way the author's fault but my own.

If you are feeling grinchy this year or having trouble deciding on your first or latest festive read for the year, pick up a copy, grab your blanket, your festive pj's or jumper, your favourite winter tipple and settle down to enjoy.

My Rating : 

Author Bio

Lisa Dickenson is the pseudonym for Beyoncé. OK, FINE, THAT'S NOT TRUE. Lisa lives by the Devon seaside, stuffing cream teas in the gobs of anyone who comes to visit, and writing stuff down that she hopes is funny.  Her first novel was the copyright-infringing Sweet Valley Twins: The Twins Holiday Horror, which she wrote in primary school and gave up on after five pages. Twenty-ish years later Lisa went on to be a *real author* and wrote the Novelicious Debut of the Year, The Twelve Dates of Christmas. In summer 2016 out popped You Had Me at Merlot. She’s now keeping her fingers crossed that everyone will like her third paperback, Mistletoe on 34th Street, and that New York City gives her a free apartment near Central Park as a ‘well done’.  

Stalk Lisa at the links below:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Follow Opinionated Cupcakes below

Release Blitz: Heating Up the Holidays (various authors) & Giveaway

Title: Heating Up the Holidays

Authors: Various

Genre: Steamy Contemporary Romance

Release Date: November 1, 2016

The ultimate collection of sexy Christmas romances! 

Let seven of today’s hottest contemporary romance authors help keep you warm this holiday season. Each story is a standalone and contains a heartwarming Christmas romance with enough heat to get you through even the coldest winter night.

Available for a limited time, this collection will disappear not long after Santa puts his sleigh away for the season. Grab it while you can!

ADD TO GOODREADS

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

Here’s a peek at what you’ll find in

Heating Up the Holidays:

Please Have Snow by Amy Lamont

All curvaceous bartender Lily Barton wants for Christmas is a home to call her own. For Will Canter, the rugged, bad boy drummer of Sliding Violet, home is wherever the music—and the band’s tour bus—takes him. Can love, and a little holiday magic, give them both exactly what they want?

Contact Amy

WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / NEWSLETTER

Sugar Plum Seduction by Regina Kyle

It’s Gunnar Rhodes’ first Christmas without his wife, and all he wants is to make it special for his seven-year-old daughter, even if that means letting her perform in the pretty new ballet teacher’s production of The Nutcracker. With Norah Pruitt’s professional dance career—and her engagement—cut short by a tragic accident, she’s determined to make her dance studio a success. Can the spirit of the season heal their wounds and help them find a second chance at love?

Contact Regina

WEBSITE / FACEBOOK

 

Ringing in the New by Nola Cross

When city girl Annie Grant comes to the little town of Everfield to help temporarily at her uncle’s business, she’s completely out of her element. And her attraction to attorney Rick Longstory only makes matters more confusing. Gradually the charming community draws her in. Now she must choose: Will she go back to the city and her high-powered career, or open her heart to a new way of life and the possibility of true love?

Contact Nola

WEBSITE / FACEBOOK

Christmas Eve by Kaylie Newell

Eve and Patrick thought their romance was long gone. It only takes a snowstorm and a sizzling night in a haunted house to resurrect the passion that was there all along.

Contact Kaylie

WEBSITE / FACEBOOK

A Holiday Prospect by Nina Bancroft

Tessa Blake loves her challenging new job as director of HR for a drilling company in rural North Dakota. But her sexy and driven new boss, Matthew Linden “Lind” Pearce, doubts Tessa’s ability to keep his workers safe in the field. When the two are forced to share cramped accommodations at the rig in the days before Christmas, both are compelled to confront their feelings for the other. Will this holiday bring these two a brighter prospect?

Contact Nina

FACEBOOK

Operation: Christmas by Megan Ryder

When Ryan Holliday finds out his long-time crush, Paige Taylor, hates Christmas, he does the only thing he can. Seduces her over Christmas trees, cookies and shopping. But when the season is over, will their romance end or will they find a way to make it forever?

Contact Megan

WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / NEWSLETTER

Sizzling in Snowflakes by Elisabeth Mayer

When homesick study abroad student, Kate Sullivan, can’t go home for Christmas, she settles for the next best thing: a holiday getaway with her roommates to the French Alps. She hopes four days on the slopes will keep her mind off missing her family and all their holiday traditions. The unexpected, late night arrival of four men she’d never met before was definitely not in her plans; neither was falling head over heels for one of them.

Contact Elisabeth

WEBSITE / FACEBOOK

Giveaway

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Teaser Tuesday: Mistletoe on 34th Street By Lisa Dickenson

Welcome to this week's Teaser Tuesday! 

Hey Everyone :)

 Hope you are having a nice day? Here's this week's Teaser Tuesday. I have been giving an arc of this book to review beginning, of November by the Little Brown Book Group. (Thank you).

Here's how it works you randomly open your book/scroll to a page (ebook) and pick a line or two off the page to tease/tempt everyone else with. So i wonder if these random sentences are enough to tempt you into buying this book upon it's release.

 

Mistletoe on 34th Street By Lisa Dickenson 

This title will be released on November 3, 2016. 

Goodreads

Amazon UK

Lisa Dickenson FB page

First pick - Page 79 : 'I took a Tamagotchi with me for company. And t wasn't even the nineties; it was like, five years ago.'
    'What's a Tamagotchi?'

Second pick - Page 158 : 'One day you can spend Christmas with me and I'll show you.' He smiled.

Third pick - Page 219 : 'Of course. I haven't heard you this excited about a man since that Draco Malfoy lookalike in that club last year.'

What are you currently reading? tease us back in the comments.
If you have a Teaser Tuesday post link below.