Sorry folks! Yesterday my day job has been so hectic I didn’t have time to write my next post – since I’m a procrastinator it’s a given I don’t have my posts already prepared and scheduled to go live. I keep telling myself I’ll do that some time in the future, only that time never comes 😛 So what books to buy next?
Author Keira Andrews is stopping by with excerpts from her Christmas stories, one released this year and an “oldie” from last year. I’m sure you’ll find them as intriguing as I did 🙂
Where the Lovelight Gleams
Blurb:
This Christmas, actor Ryan Drake is pining. He may get to kiss gorgeous Cary Holloway on the set of their hit TV show, Space Academy, but he knows it’ll never happen in real life. Charming Cary–the son of Hollywood royalty–is straight, as evidenced by his starlet girlfriend. But Christmas is a time for unexpected gifts, and Cary accepts Ryan’s invitation to leave the palm trees behind and spend the holiday with his family at their cabin in the Great White North.
Amid the snow and mistletoe, Ryan struggles to keep his longing under wraps. Little does he know, Cary wrestles with his own unspoken desires and his very identity. Surrounded by family and holiday joy, their warm friendship deepens. Will these two co-stars have the courage to brave Hollywood pressures and take their romance offscreen–or will it be only in their dreams?
Buy links:
http://www.loose-id.com/where-the-lovelight-gleams.html
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-wherethelovelightgleams-1366219-149.html
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H2UG9X8/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where-the-lovelight-gleams-keira-andrews/1117793892
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/where-the-lovelight-gleams/id811256316?mt=11
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/where-the-lovelight-gleams
Read an excerpt from Where the Lovelight Gleams :
Half an hour later, they struggled through knee-deep snow. Ryan had an ax slung over his shoulder, and he led the way. Cary had picked up top-of-the-line boots, which was a good thing since in LA he only ever wore flip-flops or sneakers.
“How do you know where we’re going?” Cary gazed around at the sea of trees. It was brighter at the tree farm, and Cary’s hair gleamed golden in the sun. “They all look the same.”
Ryan mock gasped. “The same? No, no. Among these trees is The One. The one true tree that I must find to bring home to my family. Usually it would be my dad accompanying me on this quest. But this year it’s you who must prove your bravery, good knight.”
Cary chuckled. “Are there Orcs in this forest? Because I didn’t sign up for Orcs.”
“You’re a Portigan warrior. You can handle a few Orcs.” Ryan changed course and went deeper into the trees.
“Too bad I left my warp blaster at home.”
The snow crunched underfoot as they continued along, away from the families and other people looking for their own trees. The sun darted in and out of the clouds, but there was no wind, so even though it was below zero, it didn’t feel cold. At least not to Ryan. Cary’s cheeks were rosy in the chill.
“Are you warm enough? Here, take my toque.” Ryan pulled off his woolen beanie hat and held it out.
“Your what?” Cary laughed. “It’s okay, I’m fine.”
“You’re not used to this weather. Take it.”
After a moment, Cary relented and slipped on the red hat. “Thanks. How do I look?”
Gorgeous. Perfect. Sexy as hell. “Fine.” Ryan’s voice sounded strange, and he cleared his throat. “My mom’s probably knitting you your own as we speak, so I hope you like it.”
Cary grinned. “I love it.” After a moment, he stopped walking. “See something you like?”
Heart thumping, Ryan huffed out a strangled breath. “What?”
Cary waved his arm around. “The trees. You looked like maybe you spotted one.”
“Right. No. Not yet.”
Ryan started walking again and hoped the blush staining his cheeks would be mistaken for a reaction to the temperature. He ducked around a particularly large pine, and then he saw it.
The sun beamed onto the thick snow-covered branches. Ryan could instantly imagine the tree strung with lights and garlands, his family’s ornaments hanging from the branches and his grandmother’s star beaming from the top. The tree was just the right height to fill the corner of the living room—not too big, not too small.
“Just right?” Cary asked.
“Yeah. You can tell?”
Cary smiled. “I can tell by the way you’re looking at it. Come on, let’s chop this sucker down.”
They took turns with the ax, thwacking away at the trunk. Cary listened to Ryan’s instructions and went about his task with a concentration that Ryan really needed to stop thinking of as adorable. As the tree fell, Cary grinned.
“Timber!” he called out.
They surveyed the tree, and Ryan couldn’t stop smiling. Yep, this was the one.
“So…now what? Do those Orcs carry the tree back for us?”
“Usually old Mr. Barnes would help take the tree back and wrap it up, but I don’t want to put him out. Think we can manage it on our own? We’re pretty far out.”
“As Angelo at the gym would say, this is functional training. Maybe I’ll start a new fitness trend: hauling trees. Of course in LA they’d have to be palm trees.”
“I think you’re on to something there. You should tell US Weekly.”
Cary laughed and picked up the trunk of the tree. “Stars: they’re just like us! They haul Christmas trees through the snow.”
Ryan grabbed on as well, and they worked in unison to drag the tree back to the farm’s entrance. It wasn’t easy work, and after a few minutes sweat moistened the back of Ryan’s neck. He put the tree down and scooped up a handful of snow into his mouth. Cary followed suit, his brow furrowed as he tentatively placed some snow on his tongue.
“For the record, we should never eat snow if we’re lost in the woods.” Ryan put another handful into his mouth, where it melted refreshingly.
“Really? Why not?”
“You can get hypothermia. But I think we’re safe here on Mr. Barnes’s farm. Even if we got lost, someone would come by sooner or later.”
“Huh. What else are you not supposed to do with snow?”
“Well, don’t ever eat the yellow snow.”
“Ha-ha. That much I know.” Cary bent down and picked up another handful before packing it into a misshapen ball. “Should you do this?”
Before Ryan could react, the snowball smacked his face, and he sputtered.
“I’ve always wanted to throw a snowball.” Cary grinned and backed up.
“Oh you asked for it, California boy!”
Laughing and shouting, they did battle, dodging behind trees and firing snowballs at each other. For a newbie, Cary had great aim. He launched a missile that Ryan had to dive to evade.
“Just like throwing out a runner at second!” Cary shouted.
“Except you missed! Need some glasses, huh?”
Back and forth they went, the tree forgotten as they dodged and ducked and hurled snowballs. They were both breathing hard by the time Ryan called for a time-out. “Okay, okay. I think it’s safe to say you’ve got the hang of it. With all the cardio you do, I’ll never beat you.”
“So you’re giving up?” Cary grinned.
“On snowballs? Yes.” Ryan dusted off his parka and wet jeans. As Cary reached his hand out to shake, Ryan grabbed him and used Cary’s momentary surprise to topple him into the snow. “But we have another tradition here. The snow job.”
Before Cary could answer, Ryan ripped the red toque from Cary’s head and crammed fistfuls of snow into his hair and down the back of his jacket. Cary squirmed and kicked, laughing so hard his breath hitched.
“Okay, okay. I surrender!”
Ryan straddled Cary’s hips and pressed Cary’s arms above his head in the snow. “You’re an honorary Canadian now.” His chest heaving as he caught his breath, Ryan smiled down at his friend.
Cary’s face was wet and flushed, and a smile played at his parted lips. His tongue darted out, and Ryan couldn’t look away. Desire thundered in Ryan’s veins, and before he could stop himself, he leaned down and captured Cary’s mouth with his own.
Although Cary’s lips were cool, beyond them the heat of his mouth drew Ryan in uncontrollably. Their tongues tangled, and the fire in Ryan’s veins shot straight to his cock. It felt so good, and he’d wanted it for so long. He breathed Cary in as Cary shook off Ryan’s grasp on his wrists and grabbed Ryan’s head and—… … … …
Holding the Edge
Blurb:
Gay figure skaters keep their relationship secret—and end up on thin ice
Misha Reznikov has an Olympic gold—and a secret lover who just happens to be the silver medalist. Now that their competitive days are over, Misha and former rival Dev Avira are setting up house in LA and giving their relationship a shot in the real world. They agree that keeping their romance strictly under wraps is best for their pro careers and Misha’s family back in Russia. So what if Dev hasn’t told his parents, and they never eat out for fear of being spotted? It’s not perfect, but they’re together.
But as they prepare for a special holiday skating show on Christmas Eve in Dev’s hometown, tension builds. How long can Misha and Dev keep their love secret—and what happens if one of them wants to stop hiding?
Note: This is the sequel to Cold War.
Buy links:
http://www.loose-id.com/holding-the-edge.html
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QJI4ZU8
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-holdingtheedge-1689871-149.html
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/holding-the-edge/id947909686?mt=11
Read an excerpt from Holding the Edge
In the barest glimmer of a crescent moon, the dark waves broke and rolled to shore. Misha leaned his forehead against the cool glass of the floor-to-ceiling window. He could watch the ocean for days and never tire of it. Behind him, Dev stirred with a snort and mumble.
Dev’s voice was sleep slurred. “You okay?”
“Yes. Only thinking.”
There was a smile in Dev’s voice. “That only leads to no good.”
After the whisper of sheets and creak of the mattress, he was there, lips soft on the nape of Misha’s neck. They were both naked, and Misha shivered as Dev caressed his ass while his other hand stole around to stroke Misha’s chest and he pressed close.
“What’s up? Aside from you at three fifteen in the morning.”
Leaning back into Dev’s warmth and the security of his arms, Misha closed his eyes to the sea. “It feels like such a dream sometimes. Being here. Being with you. Some nights I think when next I open my eyes, it will all have vanished and I’ll be back in Moscow in that tiny apartment. With only practice, practice, practice. Nothing but ice forever.”
Dev’s hands were gentle. “It’s over now. You’re here. You’re safe.”
Misha sighed. “Da.”
After a silence, Dev spoke softly. “It’s still strange sometimes. After all those years, the same routine every season. Right now we’d be exhausted from the Grand Prix circuit, and you’d have Russian Nationals next week while I’d try to squeeze Christmas into my training schedule. Sometimes I wake up and for a moment I panic because I think I must have slept in and my coach is going to kill me.”
Misha chuckled. “Yes. Very strange at times. As though we are playing make-believe. Hiding from our true lives.” Misha shuddered as the vestige of a dream whipped through his head. “Sometimes I fear a bang on the door. That they will come to take me away.”
“But you kept up your end of the bargain. The KGB or whatever the hell they’re calling themselves these days don’t have any power over you. Not since you won the gold.”
Opening his eyes, Misha tried to see Dev’s face in their moonlit reflection on the glass, but there were only the waves. He caught Dev’s fingers in his own and raised his hand for a kiss. They’d barely spoken of it since the Games, but he knew the silver medal would always be a disappointment for Dev. He had a passion for skating that had died in Misha years ago when officials had forced him back to train in Russia. “I wish you could have won.”
Dev’s laugh was a harsh burst of warmth on the back of Misha’s neck, and his body tensed. “No you don’t.”
He held onto Dev’s hand and sighed. “Perhaps not. But part of me wishes it. Truly.”
“And part of me is glad you won.” He wrapped his arms around Misha’s waist, the tension dissipating as quickly as it came. “And a big part of me still can’t believe we’re here together. A year ago I would have said the odds of me living with Mikhail Reznikov in a beach house in Santa Monica were about a bazillion to one.”
“Is that more than a billion?”
“Clearly.” Dev nipped Misha’s shoulder.
“Will I meet your parents in Boston?” Misha blurted out the question before he could stop himself.
Dev went still, his arms around Misha’s middle. “Do you want to meet them?”
“Yes. Perhaps. I don’t know.”
“I thought we agreed. We both said it was better this way. At least at first.” His hands dropped away as he stepped back.
Misha faced him and reached out to brush a wayward curl from Dev’s forehead. “It’s getting long again.”
“I’m getting it cut next week before the show. Misha, don’t change the subject.” Dev frowned. “Am I wrong? We said we’d keep this private until…until I don’t know when. I just don’t know if my parents are ready for this yet.”
“My parents know about you.”
“I know.” Dev blew out a long breath. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell them. I just want to make sure it’s the right time. Which I realize sounds incredibly lame. But it’s…complicated.” He rubbed his face. “There’s so much to learn at work, and we have the show coming up. It makes me nauseous to think about telling my family right now.”
“It’s all right. It’s your choice.” Misha petted Dev’s hair. “Don’t be upset.”
“It feels so safe here with you. I don’t want everyone else and their bullshit to ruin it. Not while we’re still figuring everything out. You’re not even sure what you want to do.”
“I thought I might…” He shook his head. “It is silly, really.”
“What is it?” Dev ran his hands over Misha’s sides. “Tell me. Please?”
“The other week I started writing. I brought my laptop outside to answer e-mail, and I found myself with words to say. A story about a boy in a castle with dragons and giants. See? It’s foolishness. I have always made up these stories in my mind, but who would want to read about such things?”
“Me, for starters. And lots of people. If you want to be a writer—write. Go for it. What do you have to lose? I think it would be amazing.”
“Yes?” Excitement sang in Misha’s veins. “Although I will have to write in Russian. My English spelling is not so good. You really think this would be a worthy thing?”
“Absolutely.” Dev kissed him. “And about my parents…I do want you to meet my family. Once my mom gets over the fact that she’s resented you for years, she’s totally going to love you.”
He chuckled. “Hmm. Yes, perhaps we wait. It is as you said—complicated.”
“They’ll be at the show on Christmas Eve. You could meet them then. Show them what a nice guy you are, so when I do tell them, it won’t be such a shock. So that means you have to be the real you. Not skating you.”
He frowned. “I am real as a skater.”
Dev rolled his eyes. “You’re aloof and cold and perfect as a skater. There’s a reason we called you Robot Reznikov.” He ran his hands over Misha’s ass. “If people only knew what you’re really like.” He nipped Misha’s neck, his breath hot. “How you are when we’re together. I love being here with you. It’s better than I ever dreamed.”
“Truly?” Misha’s chest felt so full of his heart he could hardly breathe.
“Of course.” Dev kissed Misha gently. “I love it here. I love my new job.” He huffed out a laugh. “It’s funny, you know. Only Bailey knows about you, but I’ve never been so committed to someone. We live together. We don’t see anyone else. I don’t even know why we use condoms anymore.”
Excitement bolted through Misha, everything else forgotten. “You want this too? Sex with…only us? No rubber?”
Dev nodded, his breath coming shallowly. “I know I’m clean. Had all the tests for the tour insurance. You did too, right?”
“Yes. It is safe.” Misha’s fingers tingled and he licked his lips. “I want this very much. I wasn’t sure if you…if you would…” It had been part of their fantasies when they’d had phone sex, but the real thing was different.
Dev brushed back Misha’s short hair where it swooped over his forehead. “I’ve never trusted anyone the way I trust you.”
“Ya tozhe,” Misha murmured. “Me either. How I would love to feel you come.” He grazed his teeth over Dev’s earlobe. “Love to have you fill me with nothing between us. Love…”
Yet he hesitated to say the words properly. He loved Dev. This he knew without doubt. He thought Dev loved him as well, but neither of them spoke it.
Then Dev was kissing him, and Misha stopped thinking.
Keira Andrews social media
Website: http://www.keiraandrews.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/keiraandrews
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keira.andrews.author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1366040.Keira_Andrews
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Keira-Andrews/e/B005SWX15G/
Blurb:
BOOK DESCRIPTION
THE INVASION OF TORK by CLAIRE DAVIS and AL STEWART
HOMME FOR THE HOLIDAYS by JONATHAN PENN
A CHRISTMAS TALE by HANS M HIRSCHI
A FAMILY CHRISTMAS by TERRY KERR
XMAS CAKE: A MODERN FAIRY TALE by RAINE O’TIERNEY
First Christmas
AN ANGEL IN EYELINER by HUNTER FROST – another great, very uplifting Christmas story
I had the honor and great joy of making Matthias Williamson’s cover for this holidays story, so I absolutely have to recommend it!
Another really good Christmas story just released this year is:
ALWAYS HAVE, ALWAYS WILL by AMELIA MANN
A FRIEND FOR CHRISTMAS by J P WALKER
Shayla Mist 