Posts Tagged ‘ holidays ’

 

What's New in eBook at Samhain!
Publication Date: January 17, 2012
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Ghosts of Boyfriends Past Ghosts of Boyfriends Past by Vivi Andrews
Genre: Paranormal, Comedy, Holidays
Length: Category, ISBN: 978-1-60928-564-7
Price: $4.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.15

Letting him in could mean losing him forever.

Elizabeth "Biz" Marks has the magic touch when it comes to matters of the heart–except her own. In a slightly tipsy fit of loneliness, she once tried to harness a little love mojo to work in her favor. Instead the spell mutated into a nightmarish curse that kills off her boyfriends on her favorite holiday: Valentine's Day.

With three permanently ex-boyfriends on her conscience and another hearts-and-flowers holiday approaching, the last thing she needs is a too-gorgeous-to-be-true reporter snooping around.

Biz just has extraordinarily bad luck, or she's a bona-fide Black Widow who bumps off her boyfriends for a chunk of the inheritance money. Either way, Mark Ellison is sure there's a story here. Especially when his attempts to charm her send her into a panic.

The harder Biz tries to keep Mark and his beguiling dimples as far away as possible, the harder he digs to get at the truth. Now she's beginning to wonder if his is the love that will finally break the curse…or if she'll be burying her heart along with him.

Product Warnings: This book contains curses, meddling ghosts, nosy neighbors and enough peppermint Schnapps to drown the inhibitions of even the most cautious witch.

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Truth or Dare Truth or Dare by Rhian Cahill
Genre: Contemporary, Red Hots!!!, Ménage & More
Length: Category, ISBN: 978-1-60928-572-2, Series: Party Games
Price: $4.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.15

Daring to tell the truth will change the rules of this game forever.

Party Games, Book 2

When her friend deserts her at an exclusive Sydney house party, Miki Drummond retreats to a corner to observe the insanity. Watching life go by is something she does well, especially after the hell her marriage put her through.

She never dreamed she'd reconnect with not one but two blasts from her high school past. And she never expected their heated gazes to bring her body so easily back to life.

Grant Rogers and Dayne Pierce never forgot Miki. Ever. Past experience tells them to tread slowly and carefully, but that plan flies out the window when they're all dragged into a game of Truth or Dare. Something's up, because Miki repeatedly chooses to take a shot rather than reveal her obvious pain. Time after time.

Waking up hungover in a strange bedroom, Miki is caught in an electrically charged moment with two men who offer her unimaginable pleasure, who seem determined to keep her suspended in sweet torment–permanently.

One night of pure fantasy is all Miki dares to take, but come morning the hard truth is that walking away isn't an option.

Product Warnings: The author cannot be held responsible for any truth you may tell or dare you make take after reading this story. And if you find yourself sandwiched between two hunky men…take the dare.

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Passion Play Passion Play by Opal Carew
Genre: Science Fiction, Red Hots!!!
Length: Novella, ISBN: 978-1-60928-947-8, Series: Celestial Soul-Mates
Price: $3.50 Limited time sale-priced for $2.45

Tied down? Forget it. Tied up? Bring it on.

Celestial Soul-Mates, Book 3

The three words that make Crystal shudder? Happily ever after. Love 'em and leave 'em smiling, that's her style.

Her dream vacation didn't include getting kidnapped by aliens, but then again, her personal abductor is six-plus feet of masculinity who responds to her come-hither look with an I'm-coming glitter in his eye. Except there's something different about him–other than the fact he's not of her world. He's so eager to please it's almost…unnerving.

Weeks of studying Crystal from afar has only sharpened Terrian's hunger for the lusciously curved blonde. He is prepared to woo his tanash'ae gently, but from the first touch, she is living fire in his arms. She seems to have only one tiny flaw. She's better at giving pleasure than receiving it.

No matter, he can fix that.

As sexual intensity builds, so does something Crystal's never faced before. Fear. Fear that she's sliding down a slippery slope from wanting him to needing him. Way too much. And that she must never allow to happen.

Product Warnings: Contains bondage, voyeurism, a little two-girls-on-one-hunk action, a heroine who doesn't mind taking charge, and a sexy hero who intends to win her heart. The author is not responsible for the reader's overwhelming desire to seek out and submit to their own alien abductors.

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Owned Owned by S. L. Carpenter
Genre: Contemporary, Red Hots!!!
Length: Short Story, ISBN: 978-1-60928-760-3
Price: $2.50 Limited time sale-priced for $1.75

Ownership comes with a price. Make sure you're prepared to pay it.

Friends with benefits? Eric and Lauren are definitely that. A Friday night, a hotel, and a night of hot, satisfying sex. That's it. Recently, though, Eric finds himself wanting more. More time, more fun, more Lauren.

Trouble is, she's all tied up in her career, totally uninterested in getting tied down. How will she react when he musters up the guts to ask her for what he really wants: her to be completely his for one weekend. To let him own her, body and soul.

Lauren is sure Eric is just overthinking their strictly casual relationship. Still, the thought of doing exactly what he wants, whenever and wherever he wants, intrigues her. What's not to like about letting go, handing everything over to a man she trusts in every way?

Their getaway is more sensual, more daring, more perfect than either of them anticipated. Until that most feared of emotions raises its head and takes aim at their hearts.

Product Warnings: Contains references to ownership, domination and complete submission; extra panties may be required, along with ice. This is not a book about training your pets, so treats and squeaky toys are not necessary, unless you're into that…
 

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The Psychic and the Sleuth The Psychic and the Sleuth by Bonnie Dee, Summer Devon
Genre: Red Hots!!!, Gay Historical
Length: Novel, ISBN: 978-1-60928-697-2
Price: $5.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.85

Trusting a psychic flash might solve a mystery…and lead to love.

Inspector Robert Court should have felt a sense of justice when a rag-and-bones man went to the gallows for murdering his cousin. Yet something has never felt right about the investigation. Robert's relentless quest for the truth has annoyed his superintendent, landing him lowly assignments such as foiling a false medium who's fleecing the wives of the elite.

Oliver Marsh plays the confidence game of spiritualism, though his flashes of insight often offer his clients some comfort. Despite the presence of an attractive, if sneering, non-believer at a séance, he carries on–and experiences a horrifying psychic episode in which he experiences a murder as the victim.

There's only one way for Court to learn if the young, dangerously attractive Marsh is his cousin's killer or a real psychic: spend as much time with him as possible. Despite his resolve to focus on his job, Marsh somehow manages to weave a seductive spell around the inspector's straight-laced heart.

Gradually, undeniable attraction overcomes caution. The two men are on the case, and on each other, as they race to stop a murderer before he kills again.

Product Warnings: Graphic language and hot male/male sex with light BDSM themes. Despite "Descriptions of Murderous Acts" perpetrated by an unhinged killer, resist the
temptation to cover your eyes–you'll miss the good parts!
 

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Fruitcakes

By Cathryn.Cade on December 22, 2011

I have a confession.

I love fruitcake.

Yup, I’m one of those people. Every year, usually Thanksgiving weekend, I bake up a triple batch of my mother’s applesauce fruitcake, laden with chunks of pecans, dates, raisins and candied fruit. I wrap it carefully in cheescloth, and store it on a shelf in our chilly garage, tipsy-ing it up with applications of brandy. Then it mellows until we can’t stand it anymore and have to begin taking slices. The first loaf never makes it to Christmas.

I know better than to include my fruitcake on trays of goodies for work or neighborly get-togethers. There are too many people who sneer or make jokes. They no doubt remember the ghastly store-bought fruitcakes of yore. The ones I recall from my childhood were awful–gluey and with no particular flavor. Certainly no brandy.

Jimmy Buffett has a song called ‘Fruitcakes’. One of the lines is ‘we need more fruitcakes in this world!’ He’s referring, natch, to people.

I agree. I love quirky people, who are willing to color outside the lines, dance off the stage and into the audience, put aside their carefully constructed public persona and laugh at themselves and the rest of us.

We’re all like fruitcake–you just don’t know what is going to be in each cake, each person until you cut off a slice … and I here I think my metaphor just ran away snickering. Happens.

I love stories that are like fruitcake, too. Rich and deep with plenty of romance and some delicious nuggets of danger and laughter.

I hope you do too–even if you don’t love fruitcake! Be willing to sample a new author, a new genre and you may be surprised. You might enjoy a brandied slice of fruitcake. Or a spicy new taste of chocolate. Everybody loves chocolate.

If you’re feeling adventurous … Oh, you must be, or you wouldn’t be at Samhain, home of some of the most daring, adventurous and satisfying reads in the world … stop by my author page @ http://store.samhainpublishing.com/cathryn-cade-pa-351.html and try a slice–er, I mean an excerpt.

And Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays,
Cathryn

 

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RETRO ROMANCES ARE HERE!
Publication Date: December 13, 2011


 http://www.samhainpublishing.com/retro-romance.htm

 
Heavenly Match Heavenly Match by Sharon DeVita
Genre: Retro Contemporary
Length: Category
ISBN: 978-1-60928-909-6, Series: Heartwarming Love and Laughter
Price: $2.99 Limited time sale-priced for $2.09

Blind dates are always destined to end in failure…right?

When Molly Maguire's sweet, meddling Aunt Emily fixes Molly up on yet another blind date, Molly is helpless to say no to her. Fearing this will be another disastrous evening, Molly is stunned when the handsome, charming Jonathan Kent shows up and announces he's her blind date.

The more time Molly and Jonathan spend together, the more they realize how much they have in common. As their relationship deepens, Molly begins to wonder if she can truly trust Jonathan. After a horrendous experience with her ex-fiancé, Molly has been leery of men and their motives.

But, when a crisis threatens to tear Molly, Jonathan and their budding relationship apart, Molly realizes that you can't have love without trust.

This book has been previously published.

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Game of Hearts Game of Hearts by Kate Donovan
Genre: Retro Historical
Length: Novel, ISBN: 978-1-60928-910-2, Series: Happily Ever After Company
Price: $3.99 Limited time sale-priced for $2.79

Not a hero. Not a villain. Just a man afraid to risk his heart…and hers.

The Happily Ever After Company, Book 1

Aengus Yates broke Suzannah Hennessy's heart. Twice. As an eight-year-old, she entreated the handsome young rancher to wait. He laughingly rebuffed her and went on to marry his beautiful fiancée. When he abandoned his family years later, Suzannah should have felt justified. Instead, her heart broke all over again–with disillusionment that the man she loved could do such a thing.

Now fully grown, Suzannah signs up along with her shy, self-conscious best friend to let a matchmaker find them husbands. Love may not be in her future, but there is adventure to be had in the Wild West.

Aengus has done his best to make a fresh start, to banish old betrayals. When Suzannah appears at his door, it's clear she's no longer a lovesick child. Now her womanly curves make his heart pound with desire. Yet he dare not trust himself to love again, and he plans to tell her just that…as soon as she stops berating him long enough to let him get a word in edgewise, to tell her he's just trying to live an honorable life–against some very dishonorable odds.

Product Warnings: Contains a love-soured heroine and a love-starved hero who'd like nothing better than to sweeten things up.

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Love and War Love and War by Patricia Hagan
Genre: Retro Historical
Length: Plus Novel, ISBN: 978-1-60928-908-9, Series: The Coltrane Saga
Price: $4.99 Limited time sale-priced for $3.49

A tale of sizzling passion in a world consumed by the Civil War.

Beautiful and spirited Southerner Kitty Wright is torn between Rebel Nathan Collins and Yankee Travis Coltrane, the dashing Cavalry officer who can melt her heart with desire while sending fury coursing through her veins.

As war erupts, Kitty is abducted and ravished by a war-crazed Rebel. Rescued by Yankees, she is held captive and thrust into the battlefields to help tend the wounded. But from the first moment Travis Coltrane ignites–and satiates–the wild, raw desire in her that she never knew existed, she realizes her heart is imprisoned as well as her body.

Hating Travis for his Yankee loyalty, while loving him despite their different worlds, Kitty struggles with her guilt over Nathan, the Rebel to whom she is promised…all while struggling to survive as the world explodes around them all.

This title was originally published by Avon Books in 1978.

Product Warnings: This sweeping Civil War saga features accurate and graphic descriptions of battlefield wounds, nursing, and the brutality of war.

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Once a Mistress Once a Mistress by Debra Mullins
Genre: Retro Historical
Length: Novel, ISBN: 978-1-60928-907-2
Price: $3.99 Limited time sale-priced for $2.79

Her love will capture the ultimate treasure–his heart.

Diana Covington is a dutiful daughter with a boring future all mapped out for her. A shipping fortune and lush Jamaican estate that will someday be hers, a husband of her father's choice. Romance and Caribbean adventure exist only in her dreams, in which the Black Spaniard, El Moreno, plays a starring role.

Until she is kidnapped by the evil pirate Marcus, and her girlish fantasies quickly turn to nightmares.

Alex Rawnsley's dark Spanish looks makes him the perfect choice to take on the identity of El Moreno. His mission is to bring Marcus to justice, but his heart thirsts for blood. Vengeance for his brother's murder is within his grasp when Diana's kidnapping throws a hitch in his strategy.

Snatching her from Marcus's clutches is easy enough, but what to do with her now? He cannot return her home lest she be taken again. He has no choice but to keep the distracting, innocent beauty aboard his ship. In his cabin. In his bed. The temptation to make her his own grows stronger by the hour…but opening his heart to love may forever close the door on his quest for revenge.

This book was originally published in 1999 by Avon Books.

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Lakota Surrender Lakota Surrender by Karen Kay
Genre: Retro Historical
Length: Novel, ISBN: 978-1-60928-906-5, Series: Lakota
Price: $3.99 Limited time sale-priced for $2.79

Forbidden love…

Lakota Series, Book 1

As she heads west to join her cavalry officer father at his Kansas outpost, Kristina Bogard eagerly anticipates new adventures–and her first glimpse of wild Indians. She has long dreamed of flashing black eyes, skin-covered lodges and buckskin and leather.

What she finds in Fort Leavenworth, though, is a far cry from her Indian nanny's thrilling stories. What few natives are left are crushed, brokenhearted shadows of their proud past. Except for one, a handsome warrior who stirs up a whole new set of dreams.

Tahiska can't take his eyes off the green-eyed beauty whose graceful hands are fluent in his native sign language. Except he can't afford to let anything distract him from avenging his father, who was killed by two white soldiers.

Though anger fills his mind, Kristina steals into his heart, igniting a wildfire passion that must remain their desperate secret. For soon comes the day of reckoning, when justice will be served…or a travesty will shatter their love.

This book has been previously published.

Product Warnings: Sensuous romance that could prompt you to send up smoke signals for the one you love.

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MORE New eBooks at Samhain!
Publication Date: December 13, 2011
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Hot for Santa Hot for Santa by Lacey Alexander
Genre: Contemporary, Red Hots!!!, Holidays
Length: Bonus Short, ISBN: 978-1-60928-851-8, Series: Hot in the City
Price: $0.99 Limited time sale-priced for $0.69

And to all a naughty night…

A Hot in the City Bonus Short Story.

For Amy Finnegan, playing Santa's elf at the mall has always been a labor of love. This year, though, there's a little extra spice to all things nice–the sexiest Santa she's ever seen, Cole Bradshaw. Watching him with the kids warms her heart. Wondering what his body looks like under that suit heats her fantasies.

When Cole invites her to his place to celebrate Christmas Eve, what to her wandering eye should appear but a pile of very sexy gifts under his tree. All for her–and her ultimate seduction…

This title has been previously published.

Product Warnings: Contains one hot man who knows how to put the jingle in her bell, the hot poker in her toddy, and the "ho ho ho" in her holiday!

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Convergence Convergence by Ally Blue
Genre: Gay Alternate Worlds
Length: Novel, ISBN: 978-1-60928-555-5, Series: Mother Earth
Price: $5.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.85

No one survives unchanged.

Mother Earth, Book 3

When the Carwin Tribe Pack lost Rabbit, a little bit of Lynx died along with his Brother. Their feelings went far beyond the Pack bond. The ensuing years have never erased his sorrow, only dulled the edges.

Kidnapped during a desperate mission to save Carwin, Lynx awakens to a completely foreign civilization where slaves and masters exist in a unique symbiotic relationship. And to a face he never expected to see again–Rabbit. Yet Lynx's shock and joy are tempered by the changes in his lover.

The Pack's strength lies in love, sex and a brotherhood forged from a lifetime of living and fighting side by side. Rabbit's seeming acceptance of his lot as a slave makes Lynx wonder if he's lost his soul mate forever…and if he can trust Rabbit with knowledge of his plan to escape.

As Lynx learns to navigate the complex hierarchies of Queen City, he begins to realize all is not as it seems. He finds he can't simply take Rabbit and run, leaving an entire city to a grisly fate. Even if it costs him the one bond closest to his heart–the love he and Rabbit still share.

Product Warnings: This book contains Lynx-napping, futuristic farming, eavesdropping (minus the eaves), daring escapes, bloody battles, and Pack sex.

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Unacceptable Risk Unacceptable Risk by Jeanette Grey
Genre: Science Fiction, Cyberpunk
Length: Novella, ISBN: 978-1-60928-584-5
Price: $3.50 Limited time sale-priced for $2.45

She may learn to live for love…if vengeance doesn't kill her first.

Plix spends her lonely, gritty life trying to solve the mysteries her father left behind. Armed with a variety of cybernetic enhancements and a talent for getting into places she shouldn't be, she searches for clues to his murder–and who's responsible for poisoning her city.

Waking up on a street corner with her brain wiring fried to a crisp, she figures she must have gotten close this time. There's only one man she trusts to pull her back from the brink: a tuner who can retrieve the evidence hidden deep in the recesses of her mind. A man she dares not let too close to her heart.

When Edison downloads a secret SynDate schematic from Plix's burnt-out circuitry, he knows with dreadful finality that nothing–not even the fiery kiss he's been holding back for years–will stop her from pursuing her quest past the point of insanity.

All he can do, as he helps her plan her final mission, is ease her pain, watch her back…and hope one of them doesn't pay with their lives.

Product Warnings: Contains a heroine intent on kicking ass and taking names, a high -tech dystopia, cybernetic body modifications, and emotionally charged, sensual romance.

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  True Colors by Thea Harrison
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Shape-shifters
Length: Novella, ISBN: 978-1-60928-823-5, Series: Elder Races
Price: $3.50 Limited time sale-priced for $2.45

Meeting your soulmate? Great. Preventing your possible murder? Even better.

Alice Clark, a Wyr and schoolteacher, has had two friends murdered in as many days, and she's just found the body of a third. She arrives at the scene only minutes before Gideon Riehl, a wolf Wyr and current detective in the Wyr Division of Violent Crime–and, as Alice oh-so-inconveniently recognizes at first sight, her mate.

But the sudden connection Riehl and Alice feel is complicated when the murders are linked to a serial killer who last struck seven years ago, killing seven people in seven days. They have just one night before the killer strikes again. And every sign points to Alice as the next victim.

Product Warnings: This book contains a hot police detective, a violent murderer on the hunt, and a heroine that can blend in anywhere…

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Stark Naked Stark Naked by Desiree Holt
Genre: Western, Cowboys
Length: Novella, ISBN: 978-1-60928-556-2
Price: $3.50 Limited time sale-priced for $2.45

Naked is nice. But Stark naked is definitely more fun…

Reenie Davenport learned the hard way that men are cheating, promotion-thieving poison. A month after making a fresh start in Texas, she looks forward to taking a breather at her old college friend Amy's family ranch. Instead, she's left breathless when Amy's very drunk, very sexy, very naked brother lands at her feet. Even as she hardens her heart, a small part of her wishes that quickly tossed towel would shift…just a little.

When Matt Stark shows up at Reenie's door to apologize, he can barely squeeze a word past her emotional barriers. Suddenly nothing else matters except convincing her not all men are clones of her ex. Sweet-talking her into lunch is only the beginning.

One touch, and boom! Much to Reenie's dismay, lunch ends in a hot, flaming dessert–in her bed. Shutting Matt out isn't as easy as simply blowing out a match. Especially since this cowboy is equally determined to unlock her heart.

Product Warnings: Contains graphic and explicit, hot nekkid cowboy lovin'.

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Sam's Promise Sam's Promise by Anne Rainey
Genre: Contemporary, Red Hots!!!
Length: Novella, ISBN: 978-1-60928-778-8, Series: Blackwater
Price: $3.50 Limited time sale-priced for $2.45

This Thanksgiving comes with all the fixings…and something extra hot.

Blackwater, Book 1

Sam Jennings promised his father he'd always take care of the woman who yanked him and his four brothers out of foster care. When his adoptive mom has a near-fatal heart attack, Sam knows it's past time to live up to his word.

As he sets out to put the Blackwater Diner back on its feet, he runs into his first snag. Waitress Julie Rose's sweet curves and long legs are driving Sam to distraction. Even his brothers aren't immune to her kind heart. But Sam is determined to be the only man in her bed.

Julie doesn't regret the years she lost caring for her grandmom, but now, between business classes and her job, she's left with very little time and energy for dating. Then there's her policy about never getting mixed up with the boss's son. But Sam's hard body and wicked ideas have Julie forgetting all about annoying things like rules, and she accepts his invitation to show her all she's been missing.

Sam is more than willing to take things slow as he teaches her all about the pleasures of the flesh. Luckily for him, Julie is a darned good student…

Product Warnings: Contains explicit language, a sexy carpenter, and extra helpings of naughty fun under the stars. Heat and increased heart rate may help burn off extra holiday calories.

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Friday, December 16, 2011 from 8PM EST to 11PM EST
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I love, love, love the holiday season. I love the anticipation, the decorations, the food. (Especially the food. Unfortunately for my waistline.)

And, right there at the top of the list, is watching Christmas movies.

There are so many of them out there to choose from – classic to obscure, musical to black and white to blockbuster hit, there’s a holiday film for almost every taste and preference.

I, of course, love the well-known Christmas classics. But I also have a soft spot for some lesser-known films that fit the holiday genre. Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorites:

1. In The Good Old Summertime. Kind of counterintuitive, isn’t it, that a film with “Summertime” in the title is actually a Christmas movie? But the climactic ending to this musical precursor to You’ve Got Mail is set at Christmas, and Van Johnson and Judy Garland are simply brimming over with sexual tension as they realize they’re penpals in love with each other.

2. The Man Who Came To Dinner. Hysterically funny script, talented cast, and crackling dialogue make this one a keeper. It was adapted from the stage, but manages to translate to the screen quite well.

3. The Lemon Drop Kid. One of my husband’s favorites, we like to watch it over the Christmas break. Bob Hope in one of his funniest roles as a small time con artist who has to raise money quick – at Christmas time – to pay back a mobster.

4. While You Were Sleeping. I know it’s not particularly obscure, but it does tend to get overlooked when people are thinking of Christmas movies. Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman are adorable in it.

5. Meet Me In St Louis. Yes, another Judy Garland film to round out the list. But how could I leave off the film that brought us “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”? (And my favorite audition piece from my theater days, “The Trolley Song”.)

So how about you? What’s your favorite Christmas/holiday movie? What should I add to my “to watch” list this year?

Deck the Halls

By PG.Forte on December 1, 2011

 

As it happens, I’m a big fan of holiday decorations, not that you’d have known that if you’d visited me at the holidays these last few years. Once upon a time I would have had the halls decked before the Thanksgiving leftovers were eaten and there’d be all-Christmas-all-the-time music playing from now until New Year’s.  Writing really messed with all of that.

See, I like to immerse myself in the world of whatever book I’m working on. The first time Christmas inconveniently fell in the middle of a troublesome book that was not set in December, my fa-la-la took a header from which it’s never quite recovered.

Oh, then there was the year I wrote back-to-back-to-back Christmas stories and the season never really ended for me. Fourteen months of candy canes and Christmas carols (not to mention the cartons of eggnog I’d stockpiled in the freezer) will kill the buzz for even the most die-hard holiday fan. Trust me on this one.

This year, however, I think I’m in luck. I’m in the homestretch of a book that happens to be set mostly in December and mostly in Northern California. For once my imaginary world and my real world is about to collide. Should make for an interesting month.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I feel the need to bake some gingerbread.  Let the holiday festivities begin!

 PG Forte is the author of the Children of Night series.  Book one in the series, In the Dark, is partially set during the holiday season. Christmas and vampires. Now there’s something you don’t see every day!

PG can be found on Facebook, Twitter or reached via  email at: pgforte@pgforte.com

 

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What's New in eBook at Samhain!
Publication Date: November 29, 2011
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Secret Santa Secret Santa by Sierra Dean
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Shape-shifters, Vampires, Holidays
Length: Novella, ISBN: 978-1-60928-635-4, Series: Secret McQueen
Price: $3.50 Limited time sale-priced for $2.45

'Tis the season for ho-ho-homicide.

Secret McQueen, Book 2.5

It's the most wonderful time of the year. The season for mistletoe, Christmas lights…and a killing spree. When Secret's friend, Detective Mercedes Castilla, asks for help to solve a series of murders longer than a string of lights, Secret resigns herself to the fact her holidays will be anything but peaceful.

It seems someone is killing New Yorkers in an unusually gruesome way, and as the bodies pile up faster than presents under the tree, the police are no closer to finding the killer than Secret is to finding the perfect present for one of her boyfriends, Lucas.

Tracking down a monster in Manhattan the week before Christmas is almost as difficult as shopping for her ever-expanding collection of loved ones. When tragedy strikes close to home, Secret must do everything in her power to put an end to the horror in time for Santa to come down the chimney.

Product Warnings: Contains a less than merry McQueen with a sword and a reason to use it; a festive new use for mistletoe; and a promise that will haunt Secret like the Ghost of Christmas Future.

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Ties that Bind Ties that Bind by SE Jakes
Genre: Kink/BDSM, Red Hots!!!, Holidays, Men In Uniform, Gay Contemporary
Length: Novella, ISBN: 978-1-60928-636-1, Series: Men of Honor
Price: $3.50 Limited time sale-priced for $2.45

Can two men let go of the past in order to find their future together?

Men of Honor, Book 3

When helo pilot Glen Rhodes flies Navy SEALs into the most dangerous places on earth, he has nerves of steel. Since his trusted Dom's death three years ago, though, the thought of submitting makes him panic.

Determined to move on and long past ready to release the adrenaline rush from his job, Glen returns to home ground–and to the bar he hasn't had the heart to enter for three long years. There, he meets a man who seems to fit naturally into the void.

Derek Mann has suffered his own losses, and he isn't looking for permanent. Easy conquests don't interest him, either. One look at Glen's proud military bearing and sad eyes tells him that he has a challenge on his hands. And that winning Glen's trust will unleash something wild and beautiful.

The plan is to tread lightly. But from the first touch of skin on skin, there's no holding back…except when it comes to their deepest emotions. A Christmas Eve crisis pushes them both to their limits, leaving them no choice but to let go of the past…or let it pull them apart.

Product Warnings: Contains rough language, rougher sex and warriors who fall hard for each other.

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Claustrophobic Christmas Claustrophobic Christmas by Ellie Marvel
Genre: Contemporary, Holidays
Length: Novella, ISBN: 978-1-60928-853-2
Price: $3.50 Limited time sale-priced for $2.45

Travel Queen Survival Tip #23: If you get stuck in an ice storm, find a hot guy to keep you toasty.

Travel agent Darcy Burkell has a secret. She doesn't precisely jet around the world despite what's implied in her popular newsletter about vacation destinations. When she hires photographer James Jones to illustrate her stories, they become close cyber -friends, comparing notes on exotic locales, vacation spots, and much more.

James is sure that Darcy is the woman for him–someone who'll travel with him instead of expecting him to stay home all the time. Putting his ideas into action, James shows up at Darcy's office unannounced and suggests they take a holiday trip together.

Darcy is too embarrassed to admit her phobia and turns him down flat. She knows what kind of woman he wants, and she's not it. But her resolve is tested when she and James become gridlocked by an ice storm. Impassable roads force them to spend hours together in his vehicle…shivering. And cuddling.

But will the fires still burn between them after Darcy confesses her big secret?

Product Warnings: This title contains dreadful weather, a medium-sized misunderstanding, jelly beans that taste like boogers and coitus interruptus by redneckus.

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Priceless Priceless by Lena Matthews
Genre: Contemporary, Red Hots!!!, Multicultural, Holidays
Length: Category, ISBN: 978-1-60928-576-0, Series: Urban Fairytales
Price: $4.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.15

All she wants for Christmas is him. All he wants is everything…for her.

Urban Fairytales, Book 3

As Christmas bears down on Eric Athers's empty wallet, one question plagues him: What to get the love of his life when he has less than nothing?

It doesn't help that his wife, Nia, who works extra shifts to support him through his medical residency, practically glows with holiday spirit. Her determination to put the "Merry" in Merry Christmas only serves as a painful reminder of everything he's unable to provide for her.

Nia loves her husband to distraction, and she can't for the life of her figure out how someone so smart can be so dumb when it comes to something as simple as a little holiday. Christmas is so much more than presents and shopping malls.

All she has to do is show her own personal Scrooge that the best gifts come from the heart.

Product Warnings: This story is guaranteed to melt your snowman.

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The Naughty List The Naughty List by Jodi Redford
Genre: Contemporary, Red Hots!!!, Ménage & More, Holidays
Length: Category, ISBN: 978-1-60928-626-2
Price: $4.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.15

Makin' a list, and rocking it…twice.

Perpetual good girl Lacey McGuire has two Christmas wish lists. One suitable for public consumption…and a private one that's too hot to handle. Right at the top: wild, wicked fantasies about her best buddies and business partners Ryan Hollister and Bram Colton.

Besides the fact they're both poster boys for Hunks 'R' Us, they've been there for her through thick, thin and the heartbreak of a cheating fiancé. So what if her boys will never know they star in her sexiest daydreams? In her fantasy world, her heart will never get trampled again.

Ry and Bram are pretty sure Lacey never meant to email a list of some of her raunchiest wants. Particularly the one that tightens their shorts–she wants a threesome. With them. Although they've loved her for years, they made a pact to keep Lacey off limits in order to protect their friendship. Now all bets are off. And the quest to give her all she wants–and more–is on.

Product Warnings: This book contains a wickedly hot M/F/M ménage that will heat up the holidays. Friends steaming things up in a hot tub. Bondage and blindfolds. Sexy shenanigans at a Christmas tree lot. And maybe even a glimpse of Santa…in a Speedo.
 

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Demon Bait Demon Bait by Moira Rogers
Genre: Angels & Demons, Post-Apocalyptic, Cyberpunk
Length: Novella, ISBN: 978-1-60928-554-8, Series: Children of the Undying
Price: $3.50 Limited time sale-priced for $2.45

His mark could bind her forever–or finally set her free.

Children of the Undying, Book 1

Fifty years after a demon apocalypse devastated the world, summoners still bear the bulk of the blame. Marci lives in secret, hiding the gifts that could cost her a secure spot in one of humanity's underground cities, and access to their virtual world. After all, her chances of avoiding the genetic-testing lotto are better than her chances of surviving topside.

The bastard son of a terrifying incubus, lust heats Gabe's blood and sex fuels his magic. Innate charm and charisma help him navigate the cultural gap between the outcast town he calls home and the human settlements he infiltrates for trade. His latest mission nets him an unexpected asset–a summoner strong enough to soothe his darkest needs.

Trust a half demon, especially one who uses a lockdown to trap them together? Not in this lifetime. Yet Marci can't resist Gabe's offer to see her safely to a selective outcast settlement where she can live without fear. The journey alone is as dangerous as the way Gabe makes her heart race, but it could be her one hope of a real life.

If only she could be sure Gabe's telling her the whole truth…

Product Warnings: Contains a virtual world where humans flee to escape the demon-infested earth, a dangerously seductive half demon with sex magic to burn and a network-hacking summoner brave enough to make herself vulnerable to him.

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White-Hot Christmas White-Hot Christmas by Serenity Woods
Genre: Contemporary, Holidays, Men In Uniform
Length: Novel, ISBN: 978-1-60928-586-9
Price: $5.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.85

When lust turns to love, it's one fire he can't extinguish…

Merle Cameron's not looking for love. Between her job as a university lecturer and caring for a mother recovering from breast cancer, she has no room in her schedule for a demanding relationship.

While visiting her sister in New Zealand, however, she's happy to indulge in some hot holiday sex with kind, hunky firefighter Neon Carter. After all, they live on opposite sides of the world. There's no chance things will turn serious.

Neon Carter is a catch. At least, that's what the ladies apparently think. All they seem to want is a quick trip down the aisle, but Neon's in no rush to settle down. Light-hearted summer loving with a sexy blonde is something different, though, and Neon's happy to offer his services until Merle has to return to England.

The weather's hot, the sex even hotter. But when it's time for Merle to go home, they both realize they're in deeper than they thought. And there's no solution that won't break someone's heart.

Product Warnings: Please do not read if you are allergic to any of the following: love at first sight, one-night stands in a one-man tent, rugby hakas, firemen rescuing children, and rough caveman sex guaranteed to put hairs on your chest. May contain nuts.

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What's New in eBook at Samhain!
Publication Date: November 15, 2011
http://store.samhainpublishing.com/new_release.php

 
Rocky Mountain Heat Rocky Mountain Heat by Vivian Arend
Genre: Western, Red Hots!!!, Cowboys
Length: Novel, ISBN: 978-1-60928-551-7, Series: Six Pack Ranch
Price: $5.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.85

He's the one who taught her to ride. Now all he wants is to ride her.

Six Pack Ranch, Book 1

Blake Coleman is old enough to know that acting on impulse causes nothing but a heap of trouble. But when trouble's a western-hat-wearing blonde with slim legs that go on forever, what's a man to do? Wanting the sweet girl next door is just wrong. The responsible thing to do is keep his hands off.

Jaxi has other plans for Blake's hands, and his heart. She may have once considered him a big brother, but that was a long time ago. She's all grown up now and ready to convince him that she's perfect for him. Except he can't seem to see past the big "don't touch" sign that's apparently still hanging around her neck.

When Jaxi ends up living right under Blake's nose, the undeniable heat between them slides off simmer and leaps up to barn-burning levels. However, a few of the younger six-pack Colemans have decided Jaxi's brand of trouble is worth risking a few busted bones.

That is, if Blake's finally ready to let go the reins and fight for what he wants…

This book has been previously published and has been revised and expanded from its original release.

Product Warnings: Sexy cowboys seducing and being seduced in trucks, pool halls and barns. Droolworthy country charm, a little double-teaming, a few secrets and a whole
lot of brothers to look forward to. Anyone wanna go for a ride?

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Once Upon a Winter's Eve Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare
Genre: Holidays, Regency
Length: Novella, ISBN: 978-1-60928-882-2, Series: Spindle Cove
Price: $0.99 Limited time sale-priced for $0.69

Some wallflowers bloom at night…

A Spindle Cove Novella

Violet Winterbottom is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. She endured bitter heartbreak in perfect silence. The gentlemen aren't beating down her door.

Until the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas ball, when a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at Violet's feet. His coarse attire and near-criminal good looks would put any sensible young lady on her guard. He's wet, chilled, bleeding, and speaking in an unfamiliar tongue.

Only Violet understands him. And she knows he's not what he seems.

She has one night to draw forth the secrets of this dangerously handsome rogue. Is he a smuggler? A fugitive? An enemy spy? She needs answers by sunrise, but her captive would rather seduce than confess. To learn his secrets, Violet must reveal hers–and open herself to adventure, passion, and the unthinkable… Love.

Product Warnings: The heroine packs a pistol, the hero curses in multiple languages, and together they steam up a cold winter's night.

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Day Shift Day Shift by Missy Jane
Genre: Paranormal, Vampires
Length: Category, ISBN: 978-1-60928-694-1
Price: $4.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.15

The sun's not the only thing that's too hot to handle.

President Vardin isn't the first vampire politician to make empty promises. Humans can work at night, he says. Humans will be safe on the streets, he says. It's all bull. I'm still stuck on day shift at Langley's Round The Clock Emporium, trying to earn enough to live from night to night.

If I thought the sun's harsh rays had turned society upside down, watch what happens when I witness a murder in the alley. The police keep bombarding me with questions until a detective with a bad attitude walks in and takes over. He's unbelievably hot, way out of my league, and way, way out of my comfort zone. Because he's the one thing I fear most. A vampire.

Then I learn why the police seem so interested in me. My ex-husband is drawing a series of murders in his new comics. I'm in every one of them, and it looks like I'm supposed to be the last victim. The detective's interest in my past–and his protective instincts–are bordering on unprofessional, but I can't seem to bring myself to care.

Because the last place I should want to be is the safest place on earth…a vampire's embrace.

Product Warnings: If you like your vampires sparkly and emotional, don't read this book. It contains an overworked, underpaid, bloodsucking hero who might break your heart.

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Risk It Risk It by Natasha Moore
Genre: Contemporary, Kink/BDSM, Red Hots!!!
Length: Short Story, ISBN: 978-1-60928-689-7, Series: Paolo's Playhouse
Price: $2.50 Limited time sale-priced for $1.75

Time to put out…or get out.

Paolo's Playhouse, Book 2

On the outside, Amy has the American dream. Two busy kids, a job she loves, a big house thanks to her husband's climb up the corporate ladder. What she hasn't had in a long time…is sex. Sure, she's too exhausted at night to think about it, but maybe Will's long hours at work aren't the real reason he rarely touches her anymore.

Feeling her marriage teetering on the edge, she rents the voyeur room at Paolo's Playhouse. Maybe bringing back the memory of the one wicked thing they used to do together will relight the sparks.

Will loves his wife, but she's never been one to take chances–except for the time before kids, when they'd camp out in a club's back booth, getting all worked up watching the dirty dancers. Their careers have seriously cut into their "us" time, and if she's booked them a sexual playroom, it sounds like she's serious about solving the problem.

When Will shows up way, way late, Amy wonders why she bothered, and if her plan to relight the flame has only made it painfully clear that it's too late to try.

Product Warnings: Sparks flying, angry words flying, clothes flying, and a loving couple trying to find their way back to each other.

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The Closer You Get The Closer You Get by L.A. Witt
Genre: Red Hots!!!, Gay Contemporary
Length: Novel, ISBN: 978-1-60928-552-4
Price: $5.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.85

The virgin isn't the only one with something to lose…

Sequel to The Distance Between Us

Self-described manwhore Kieran Frost is loving the single life. Two years after moving to Seattle, he still has his friends with benefits, Rhett and Ethan, plus a never-ending supply of gorgeous, available men wandering through the bar where he works. A relationship? Spare him the drama and heartbreak. He's got no complaints about his unattached lifestyle.

When Rhett's daughter introduces him to newly-out-of-the-closet Alex Corbin, Kieran's interest perks up. After all, the quiet ones are always the freaks in bed. But Alex isn't just shy and reserved. He's a virgin in every sense of the word, having never even kissed anyone else.

Kieran is no one's teacher, and his first instinct is to run like hell in the other direction. But his conscience won't let him throw the naïve kid to the wolves for someone else to take advantage of. The plan is to introduce Alex to his own sexuality, pull him out of his shell, then go their separate ways.

It's the perfect, foolproof plan…assuming no one falls in love.

Product Warnings: This sequel to The Distance Between Us contains a curious virgin, a shameless slut, a trip to a sex shop, and one stubborn heart. Oh, and a dildo.
 

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What's Available in eBook at Samhain!
Publication Date: October 25, 2011
http://store.samhainpublishing.com/new_release.php

 
Hidden Talent Hidden Talent by Bianca D'Arc
Genre: Science Fiction, Red Hots!!!, Ménage & More
Length: Novel, ISBN: 978-1-60928-639-2, Series: StarLords
Price: $5.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.85

Love–and passion–really do conquer all.

StarLords, Book 1

While on an undercover mission to gather intelligence on the neighboring collective, Micah receives the shock of his life. A shy, reclusive horse tamer who possesses a level of raw psi Talent that nearly matches his own. Along with her pure, wild Talent, her beautiful spirit and innocence rouse him to take her on a voyage of discovery to the stars…and the limits of her own, untapped passion.

All her life, Jeri has hidden her Talent, enduring the stigma of being "odd". Once aboard the Circe, Micah and his cousin Darak, a rogue of the first order, guide her through a world where those with Talents are revered, not hunted. Where pleasure hones and strengthens psi power to undreamed-of heights. Where love is a real possibility, not a distant dream.

When a defenseless planet is besieged by the collective's armada, the Circe races to the rescue–only to discover a missing piece of Jeri's past on the wrong side of the battle. And that combining her formidable new powers with Micah's may win the day, but cost her everything…

Product Warnings: This book contains scenes of ménage a trois et quartre, some exhibitionism, a bit of voyeurism, and love in space and on land.

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What the Mistress Did What the Mistress Did by Anya Delvay
Genre: Erotica, Kink/BDSM, Red Hots!!!
Length: Category, ISBN: 978-1-60928-681-1
Price: $4.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.15

Oh, the delicious peril of deception…

Lady Marianne Gillingham has no intention of ending her affair with David Dunscombe, Earl Harrington, despite his pending nuptials. She craves his attentions, and he satisfies her deepest yearnings.

Yet, when his fiancée, the sweet, innocent and oh-so-very young Annabelle Frazier, appears on her doorstep to demand the end of the association, Marianne realizes she does not wish to be second in David's affections. She also cannot resist issuing a warning. The earl will bed his wife with tedious regularity, but never reveal his more unusual desires.

To Marianne's amusement, her prediction comes true, with a surprising twist. The countess is back with a new demand: repair the problem her prophetic words created. Taking pleasure in imagining the other woman's fear and horror, Marianne rekindles the affair to demonstrate exactly how to fulfill David's lascivious desires–while Annabelle secretly watches from the shadows.

She never expected Annabelle to prove so resilient and surprisingly easy–not to mention delicious–to corrupt. Or that the ensuing erotic tangle would be impossible to put right without heartbreak.

Product Warnings: Loosen your stays and have your fan at hand. Plumes and floggers, along with some other leather devices, were employed in the creating of this erotic tangle. Contains Georgian ladies behaving badly, often with each other. M/F/F, M/F, F/F action herein.

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Best Man, Worst Man Best Man, Worst Man by Stacy Gail
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novella, ISBN: 978-1-60928-542-5
Price: $3.50 Limited time sale-priced for $2.45

He's the one problem she can't solve.

From hysterical bridezillas to grooms with sub-zero feet, renowned wedding planner Claire Pomeroy has never met a disaster she couldn't handle. Then she runs afoul of her client's not-so-best man, a devilishly flirtatious rogue with a killer smile and a chest as solid as a concrete roadblock. Yet their sparks of attraction only highlight his obvious quest–to make sure this wedding knot never gets tied.

Confirmed bachelor Ryder Price knows one unshakable truth: marriage is nothing but a fairy tale. No way is he going to stand idly by while his wingman face-plants into the dreaded marital trap. But there's a problem. A dark-eyed, dangerously curvaceous problem who's bound and determined to pull this wedding off.

As her suddenly skittish clients teeter on the edge of cancellation, Claire challenges her nemesis to imagine long-term as something more than a quickie and a vague promise to call. Ryder counters with a challenge of his own. Let him give her a taste of just how fulfilling a little no-strings-attached passion can be.

Product Warnings: This product contains cold feet, heavy petting, heavier breathing, and chocolate-covered fingers. To avoid a sweet-tooth side-effect, the author recommends having a chocolate-covered man nearby.

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One Wicked Night One Wicked Night by Kelly Jamieson
Genre: Contemporary, Red Hots!!!, Ménage & More
Length: Novel, ISBN: 978-1-60928-638-5
Price: $5.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.85

The boys are back in town…

Ten years ago, Kaelin Daume spent a steamy summer home from college secretly hanging out with town bad boy Tyler Wirth and his best friend Nick Kernsted. The connection was warm, complicated, and came to a crashing end when she walked in on her two forbidden friends with another woman. The shocking scene of sex and bondage has haunted her boring, oh-so-vanilla life ever since.

The fallout from that night tore Tyler's life apart. He left Mapleglen, disowned and disgraced, to build a successful advertising career and a unique relationship with Nick. Nothing could bring him back except his sister's wedding, and he plans to hightail it back to Chicago as soon as it's over. At least one good thing hasn't changed: Kaelin is as sweet as ever. Except she doesn't seem too thrilled to hear it.

As tensions run high, Kaelin can't resist the temptation to commit one crazy act of rebellion. Once the web of secrets, sins and lies starts to unravel, though, their lives will never be the same…

Product Warnings: This book contains a nice girl who gets her naughty on with two hot men. M/M/F and M/M scenes may cause an increase in body temperature, pulse rate and respiration. Read with caution! For adult use only.

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Love in Flames Love in Flames by N. J. Walters
Genre: Paranormal, Holidays, Men In Uniform
Length: Category, ISBN: 978-1-60928-543-2, Series: Spells, Secrets and Seductions
Price: $4.50 Limited time sale-priced for $3.15

A love to last a lifetime…or a dream turned to ash?

Spells, Secrets and Seductions, Book 3

When Esther goes along with her friend's candle-magick spell, it's not because she wants a lover. But a good old-fashioned one-night stand could be just what she needs to get her mind off Ryan Jameson. Having lost her father in the line of duty, she has no plans to lose her heart to a firefighter.

Not that Ryan doesn't heat up her nightly dreams. Those erotic fantasies invariably end in deadly flames–a still-smoking echo of her ancestral namesake, whose wedding day ended in the fiery loss of her husband. A man whose dying breath was a promise to one day find his beloved.

All his life, Ryan's dreams have taken him backward in time. As he matured, so did those dreams–erotic fantasies of a woman he loves but has yet to meet. Then he finds her in Burnt Cove. But she's not only holding him at arm's length, she refuses to acknowledge their time-proof bond.

On a magical Samhain night, undeniable desire is stronger than the walls around her heart. But time has one last test for them–one that will meld them into one, or drive them apart forever.

Product Warnings: This book contains a simple candle-magick spell, a hunky fireman, past lives, lost lovers and enough heat to start a bonfire.  

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Time Out

By Shelley.Munro on June 2, 2011

As I write this post, half my mind is on packing my bag to head off on holiday. The last couple of months have been full on for me. I’ve written, sold and gone through edits on three different projects and, during the last month, I’ve had my husband underfoot as he recovers from a severed tendon in one of the fingers on his right hand.

I’m tired. My brain is sluggish, and it’s definitely time for a break from writing.

These days we’re all busy. If we don’t multi-task people look at us as if we’re not normal. We focus on work and family activities and don’t take time out for ourselves. The result is stress, which isn’t good for anyone.

Tahiti

Hubby and I are heading off on a ten day Pacific cruise. Quite frankly I don’t care if it rains every day because it will be a real treat being able to read to my heart’s content and have someone make my bed for me every morning. I’ll be able to snooze when I want and won’t have to worry about food shopping or what to cook for dinner. The most difficult decision I’ll need to deal with is what sort of cocktail to choose at the bar. Ah, yes! I can feel the stress starting to melt right now.

Of course, a vacation isn’t the only way to take time out. All we need to do is step out of routine and do something a little different. Go for a leisurely walk in a park. Go to the movies with your sweetie. Take a class or start a new hobby. Play tourist in your own town or city. Have a massage or go on a picnic. The possibilities are endless and needn’t be expensive.

What are your favorite ways to recharge your batteries?

Shelley Munro lives in New Zealand and writes hot and spicy romance for Samhain Publishing. Her recent release, Seeking Kokopelli is available in both print and ebook formats. Her next release, Lone Wolf is due out on 23 Aug. You can visit Shelley and learn more about her books at www.shelleymunro.com