Showing posts with label reindeer mate 4 xmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reindeer mate 4 xmas. Show all posts

Saturday, July 25, 2026

πŸŽ…πŸŽ†πŸŽ„Saturday's Series Spotlight - Xmas in JulyπŸŽ„πŸŽ†πŸŽ…: A Reindeer Mate for Christmas Part 1



Snowed In at Santa's Lodge by Lorelei M Hart
Summary:
Reindeer Mate for Life
I thought the snow was preventing me from getting home. Instead, it brought me straight to it.

I never count on the weather report to be accurate, but when they predicted something between a dusting and a half inch, I thought I could make it the rest of my way home. I thought wrong. My car is barely making it on the flat terrain, and I’m about to head into mountain country when I see an old sign for Santa’s Lodge. It’s time to say uncle and hunker down for the rest of the storm.

Only, when I pull up to the inn, it looks like someplace time has forgotten. If not for the man carrying an armload of firewood, I’d have thought the place vacant. I grab my bag, expecting to pay a huge amount for a last-minute booking only to walk in and discover the entire building is under renovations with one exception: the owner’s residence.

He offers to let me ride out the storm there, but I politely decline. As I’m about to leave, the emergency sirens on our phones go off. All roads have been closed until further notice. Looks like I’m taking him up on it after all.

Snowed in at Santa’s Lodge is an M/M mpreg shifter holiday romance featuring a reindeer shifter who inherited one mess of an inn, the human who stumbles by long before they are guest ready, a whole lot of snow, the week they will never forget, true love, fated mates, cookies galore, tinsel-filled festivities, the sweetest puppy, enough Christmas lights to lead Santa’s sleigh on a foggy winter night, Christmas magic, an adorable baby, and a guaranteed happy ever after. If you love your omegas filled with the holiday spirit and your alphas willing to do whatever it takes to be their ultimate Santa, download your copy today.

Snowed in at Santa’s Lodge is part of the multi-author, gay romance, mpreg shifter A Reindeer Mate for Christmas series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why stop at one when you can read them all?








Jingle Bell Mate by Colbie Dunbar
Summary:
Reindeer Mate for Christmas
When Christmas magic meets destiny, love grows evergreen.

Human Reed Keller is one bad season away from losing his family's Christmas tree farm when a stranger arrives with a lifeline.

Roscoe Curran’s reindeer shifter pack needs to lease land, providing money that will save Reed's farm. When a reindeer Christmas carol triggers Roscoe into a partial shift, he reveals he’s not human. But this reindeer shifter is keeping more secrets about their fated mate bond, Christmas magic, and why his pack needs to be settled before December 24th.

Some Christmas miracles come with antlers, others arrive with a man who talks to his prized trees, while a few take a ride across the night sky on Santa’s sleigh.

Jingle Bell Mate is a steamy MM mpreg Christmas romance. If you love stories featuring an alpha reindeer shifter who grows antlers at awkward moments, a human omega whose best friends are trees, a secret the land has been keeping for over a generation, a pack that becomes found family, a sighting of Santa, and an adorable baby, download this book now.

Jingle Bell Mate is part of the multi-author, gay romance, mpreg shifter A Reindeer Mate For Christmas series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why stop at one when you can read them all!








How to Lose an Omega in Twelve Days by Kallie Frost
Summary:
Reindeer Mate for Christmas
Alpha reindeer shifter, Theo, almost ruined Christmas. Literally.

Now Theo has twelve days to help a random person find the spirit of Christmas or Santa will expel him from a coveted internship in the North Pole. He finds the perfect target in Shaun, a young business-owner more concerned with turning a profit than being festive. But somewhere in the middle of trying to get Shaun to fall in love with Christmas, Theo realizes he might just be falling in love with Shaun…

Omega snow leopard Shaun loves all things Christmas. In fact, he loves it so much that his father has decided that if Shaun can’t prove he can turn off his festive side, he’ll cut Shaun out of his inheritance. For the next twelve days Shaun has to run his future resort without a single holiday distraction. His unexpected roommate, Theo, is as Christmas-crazy as he is attractive, and under any other circumstances Shaun would be head-over-heels. Luckily, it doesn’t take Shaun long to figure out that Theo must have been hired by his father to sabotage him. He’ll prove to both of them what a grinch he can be, even as Theo starts to melt his heart.

Unbeknownst to them, Theo has given Shaun more for Christmas than either bargained for: a gift that comes with nine months of cravings, mood swings, and nausea...

How to Lose an Omega in Twelve Days is a cheesy Christmas movie in book form, with two shifters who are confidently wrong that they can outsmart each other. Their mix-up is your holiday ticket to a cozy read with enough spice to warm you up.

How to Lose an Omega in Twelve Days is part of the multi-author, gay romance, mpreg shifter Reindeer Mates For Christmas series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why stop at one when you can read them all!




Snowed In at Santa's Lodge by Lorelei M Hart
Chapter One
Ragnar
My grandfather was one of my favorite people in the entire world. When I was a little calf and my father, his son, disappeared from our life, Granddad stepped in and took over as the man of the family. He felt responsible for us, I was sure, but he never once complained or treated me as if I was a burden. Something my own father had been very good at.

Mom tried to do it all herself, but Granddad somehow made her feel as if we were doing him a favor—a white lie I believed myself until I was much older. He supported us financially, helped Mom with chores around the land, and taught me reindeer lore. I thought life was perfect until I turned sixteen and Mom met a new mate. Granddad, with all the grace he’d exhibited my whole life, stepped away to let her live hers. My stepdad was fine, treated my mother well, but I was too old for him to be anything more than her person. I’d had a dad, not great, and a granddad who was great. Not looking for number three to bond with. Not at sixteen.

My grandfather bought a lodge deep in the mountains. Several hours away from us, far enough that I only saw him on summer and winter breaks and, as I grew up and left home, taking on a job and my own responsibilities, even less frequently. Something I regretted when I got the notice from his attorney that he’d passed on and left me everything he had.

Everything was the lodge and a little money. He’d planned to fix the place up and make it a real destination. Granddad’s long white beard and round belly made him look just like Santa Claus, and when we were out and about, years before, I always got a real kick out of kids running up to tell him what they wanted for Christmas. It didn’t help that he played into it and wore a red hooded sweatshirt a lot of the time.

And now he was gone, and with it his dreams of making Santa’s Lodge a place where families would want to spend their holidays. Not all shifters were into Christmas, but a surprising number were. Cozy family times appealed to most people, I thought. Or they should.

I had only been here a couple of months and when I first walked up the drive, I was shocked at the condition of the place. It hadn’t been so many years since I saw Granddad, but the last few visits, he’d come to me, and not only had he not done anything to improve his lodge, it needed immediate repairs if it was going to withstand another winter.

He’d always said we’d run the lodge together. Called me his reindeer elf. We would make drawings of how it was going to look when it was finished. Where Santa’s throne would be, and the hot-chocolate bar. The cookie-decorating station. A model train would run all the way around the main rooms on a track mounted near the ceiling.

Presents. Everyone who came to stay would get one on Christmas morning.

Had Granddad given up on the project because of his age and physical condition? Or because I had grown away from it?

A glance upward revealed the dark gray of snow clouds blanketing the sky. We’d already had enough of the white stuff to stick, but a few flakes drifted down to promise more. The ladder I stood on, chipping away at caulking, swayed in a sudden gust of wind. I’d hoped to get more done today, certainly a lot more before winter totally closed in and made it that much harder, but if I fell fifteen feet to the ground, I’d break something that a simple shift wouldn’t fix.

I glanced at my watch, brushing a few snowflakes from the face. Then looked up at the sky again. I probably could last another half hour up here, as long as the wind didn’t gust too much. So, I tightened my grip on the scraper and redoubled my efforts. It would be ideal to replace the windows, but that would have to wait for another year. For now, I was trying to get everything at least winter-ready and as waterproof as possible. So painting the outside, replacing the caulking, and, well, I had a long list. I’d never get through it all, but my best would have to do.

Pausing, I zipped the hoodie up to my chin and patted the worn fabric. Granddad’s old clothes were good for doing jobs like this, I told myself, not willing to dwell on the comfort I received from the last traces of pipe tobacco scent. The old man could have stepped in to act in a production of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas with all his quirks.

I missed him hard. When he came to visit, I’d tried to show him the town and take him all the best places, but he always shied away from fancy. “Let’s go to the diner around the corner again,” he’d say. “You work too hard for your money to spend it all on me.”

He never even told me about his heart. Or that the healer said it was failing. And that there was nothing to be done about it.

But since I couldn’t go back and be a less neglectful grandson, I promised myself to make his dream, our dream together, a reality. Thus giving up my big-city job and coming here to invest my savings and elbow grease into making Santa’s Lodge the coziest, most welcoming place to spend the holidays—or any day of the year!

Trying to make my savings stretch involved doing everything possible myself. Some of my former coworkers with whom I stayed in touch on social media tried to convince me that I should take out a loan and hire professionals, cut the time down and be ready to open sooner. Start making money, but Granddad had been adamant that wasn’t the way to go. He never borrowed a dime in his life, which was why the lodge had no loans on it. It needed a whole lot of work, but there was nobody coming to foreclose anytime soon. Or ever.

A few flakes landed on the windowsill, but it wasn’t bad yet, so I kept working, wanting to finish this one window if possible. And I did, but not because of the time limit I’d given myself. Once I’d gotten out the old caulk, I taped plastic over the window. New caulk would have been ideal, but it would have to wait until the storm ended.

Climbing down, I held onto the ladder as the wind buffeted it. A microburst that ripped the plastic from the window. Perfect. I’d have to cover it from the inside and hope it didn’t do too much more damage.

The winter would be spent working on indoor repairs, but I had rather wished for a little more for the outside. The patched roof would either hold up or it wouldn’t, but the angle should keep the snow from building up too much.

My job in the city was behind a desk, the only tools my laptop and phone. Granddad and I had made a lot of plans but never did any actual construction-type work. I wasn’t actually sure if he had the skills or planned to learn them down the line. Me? YouTube had videos of handy folks who could do anything and got their kicks and probably living out of showing those of us who did not know how. So far, it had gotten me through a lot of the general painting and the roof patch as well as one broken pipe that threatened to flood the second floor.

I’d had a run in mind for the afternoon. The snow was getting thicker, the winds wilder, and my reindeer loved the idea. I might be tired and ready to sit by a fire, but he was prancing inside me, anxious to get going.

Then something happened that neither of us could have seen coming. A rattletrap car chugging toward us. The beater belonged in the junkyard, but the omega who climbed out of it belonged on the cover of a magazine.





Jingle Bell Mate by Colbie Dunbar
ONE
REED
I'd been talking to Douglas for about twenty minutes when I chuckled and slapped my brow. I was probably losing my mind but hey, if this was me cracking up, it wasn’t a bad place to be.

“The thing is,” I adjusted the string of Christmas lights that had tangled around Doug's lower branches overnight. How the heck did that happen? Perhaps Santa’s elves were playing tricks late at night when I was asleep. 

“Anyway, I know you want to make some family happy for Christmas. But Mrs. Ledger already picked out that Blue Spruce over in Section C, and Doug, don’t be disappointed. You’ll find someone to love you.”

Doug rustled his needles which I interpreted as an agreement. The morning breeze helped, but I was convinced he had opinions about these things. Maybe it was his branches leaning toward me or how his needles were more radiant after our morning chats. Aunt Mollie used to insist the trees responded to kindness, and after spending three years with them, I agreed.

I admired my handiwork with the lights. Every year, I decorated as many of the trees as I could so the farm, Right as Rain(deer), would appear more festive. Aunt Mollie had started the tradition and though she’d been gone for three years, I was continuing it. The Christmas tree lot was more alive with lights scattered throughout the rows of evergreens, and I wanted first-time visitors surrounded by a winter wonderland.

Right as Rain(deer) was kinda an odd name for a Christmas tree farm—Aunt Mollie had people tell her over the years she should change it— but my aunt maintained the soil on this land was special. She loved to tell the story of seeing reindeer wandering through the lot on her first Christmas Eve here. I was pretty sure that was a tall tale but I had loved hearing it every December and had adored her quirky personality.

The winter air carried the sharp scent of pine and the earthier smell of decomposing leaves from the oak trees that bordered the property. I moved closer to check Doug's watering system, making sure he was getting enough moisture to keep his needles fresh and vibrant. 

“You're going to make someone's Christmas magical.”

The phone buzzed in my pocket. Probably another bill I couldn't pay. Perhaps it was my friend, Gemma, telling me how I should sell the place and get a real job. Her latest voicemail had included a suggestion that I could work at her husband's accounting firm. Ugh! 

Being cooped up in a tiny cubicle instead of being outdoors with the trees would be nightmarish. I refused to throw away the time and effort it’s taken to keep this tree farm running. 

I ignored the phone and moved onto the paths between the Fraser Firs. Each section of the farm had its own personality. The Noble Firs were tall and dignified. The Frasers clustered together as if they were gossiping while the Douglas Firs sprawled out, holding their heads high because they were haughty and proud of themselves.

Right as Rain(deer) had been in my family for more than thirty years. Aunt Mollie had bought the land on a whim after inheriting money from a relative. She planted her first seedlings with no idea what she was doing and turned the place into a beloved Christmas tree farm. She talked to the trees as if they were her children, commiserating with them on bad days and celebrating their growth spurts.

Three years after inheriting this unprofitable farm, I understood. The trees did listen and they responded to kindness. But being nice to my trees didn't pay the mortgage.

The numbers were getting worse every month. The seasonal income from Christmas tree sales barely covered the property taxes, let alone the equipment and maintenance along with the endless repairs to the old farmhouse. I'd been supplementing my income with jobs in town, ones I could do outside because I’d stifle in a cubicle, similar to a tree left without water. But the money wasn't enough and the bank had been sending threatening letters.

Aunt Mollie had brought in extra income from renting out the cabins over the hill. But I’d stopped that practice because the buildings needed extensive repairs.

I made my way over to the Noble Fir section, where Noelle was showing off her perfect symmetry.

“Morning, Noelle. You're looking majestic today.”

Her branches swayed gently in response. She was going to be somebody's centerpiece this year if I could keep the farm running long enough to find the right family.

The rattle of loose stones on the driveway interrupted my morning routine. A car door slammed followed by footsteps. My stomach dropped. Please don't be the bank. Please don't be someone from the county. 

I wove between the Fraser Firs and tried not to trip over the extension cord powering the office's ancient heater. The little wooden building that served as an office looked kinda bleak in the morning light with its peeling paint and dirty windows. But Aunt Mollie's hand-painted sign above the door, “Welcome to Right as Rain(deer)” gave me the courage to meet my guest.

The tall man with dark hair standing beside a black sedan had a jawline that needed to be stroked and peppered with kisses, and I stared at him for longer than I should have. I was intimidated by the confidence that radiated from him, which was helped by his caramel-colored coat that I wanted to run my hands over. I hunched my shoulders, protecting myself from whatever he was going to say. 

He was studying the farm and he did a 360, taking in the decorated trees, the old office building with holly growing near the door, and my home enclosed with a fence and an old gate that hung on one hinge. 

I tensed, thinking he disapproved but I’d like to see him try to run this place and make a huge profit, especially when most of my trees were balled and burlapped (B&B) so families could enjoy them inside for Christmas and plant them in the garden afterward. They were more expensive than cut trees but they were environmentally friendly. But I did have smaller ones in pots for apartments that were cheaper.

When the guy turned his gaze on me, it was as though I’d been zapped with a stun gun. Yikes. If his glance did that, I wondered what his… Whoa. Nope I wasn’t going there.

“Can I help you?” I jogged the last few steps, trying not to appear as frazzled as I felt while pine needles clung to my flannel shirt. “If you're looking for a tree, you're welcome to browse.”

“Reed Keller?” That voice suggested he knew who I was and I braced myself for whatever bad news he was here to deliver. 

“That's me.” I wiped my hands on my jeans, aware of the contrast between us. He was wearing a smart coat and I’d been wrestling with Christmas trees. At least I smelled good from pine sap. 

“Are you from the county? Because I filed all the paperwork, and if there's an issue with the lighting display⁠—”

“I’m not.”

Okay, so he had to be from the bank though no banker from town ever looked like this guy. They wore suits, and ties that were askew because they were fed up having to travel outside town or they’d taken two wrong turns before getting here.  

He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a folder. I glared at it, wondering how its contents would change my life, and willing him not to open it.

“My name is Roscoe Curran. I represent a group that's interested in this property.”

Gods not another one. He may as well have tossed ice water over me. I shivered and stamped my feet before tucking my gloved hands under my armpits. 

“You're here about buying the farm.”

Hearing why he’d come wasn’t a shock because I’d been getting calls, letters, and visits for months from developers and investors who'd heard that the farm was struggling. They were all the same with their name brand sunglasses and confidence they’d secure the deal and turn the land into a housing development or anything other than a Christmas tree farm.

“Not exactly.”

Roscoe glanced at his feet as he shuffled them. Was he embarrassed at my distress because me blinking away tears was broadcasting how upset I was?

“I’d like to discuss a potential arrangement regarding this property, if you have time. My ummm clients are looking for suitable land, and this farm has qualities that might work for everyone."

I studied the rows of trees. Doug’s Christmas lights were still tangled but Noelle was showing off her branches. My gaze trailed over the dozens of other evergreens I'd nurtured. Looking in the other direction brought me to the office where Aunt Mollie's coffee mug still sat on the windowsill. I swiveled to take in the wooden sign she'd made for my eighth birthday that said “Reed's Corner” and marked the spot where she'd let me plant my first seedling.

“Mr. Curran.” I straightened my spine because I was not going to let anyone bully me, not that he had as yet. “I’ll be honest, if your clients want to buy this place and turn it into condos or a shopping center, I'm not interested. This farm means everything to me.” It was my life.

There was something about his eyes, how they surveyed me as if he was looking right through me and I shoved my hands in my coat pockets. He probably thought I’d ask where I could sign as I was desperate for money. I was in debt but I was hanging on by my fingertips.

“I understand your attachment. But what I'm proposing isn't about taking the farm away from you. My clients need land but they're not developers. They're a community group and they would help to preserve what you've built here.”

A gust of wind swept through the farm, stronger than the gentle breeze that had been rustling the branches earlier. All the trees swayed and their needles ‘sang’ in harmony. I couldn’t understand what they were saying but it had to be disapproval, though it was charming, making me want to dance. But no way would my trees welcome this man and his group here. 

Roscoe’s face reminded of the expression deer in the headlights. His head snapped to the side and he studied the trees as they waved their branches. There was a faint smile on his face. But the wind died and the trees quietened.

“Would you like coffee?” Shoot no, why had I said that? This man and his jaw needed to leave and find someone else’s land. Not that I wanted anyone else to be taken in by that jaw.

“It's freezing out here, and we could both use some caffeine. Fair warning, though I make terrible coffee.” I was rabbiting on like I was making a new friend.

Roscoe searched my face before he replied. “Coffee would be great.”

He sounded uncertain but if he’d spent hours or days trawling the countryside for land to snatch away from people buried by debt, he probably didn’t get offered coffee.

As I led him toward the office, I caught him glancing at the trees. Did he just nod? No one else did that but me. That was weird. But I talked to them like they were my friends, so I couldn’t judge him. Instead, I was open to hearing more about his community group even though my answer at the end of his spiel would be no, no thanks and another no thank you.

The trees rustled softly as we walked past and I shrugged and mouthed, “What?”





How to Lose an Omega in Twelve Days by Kallie Frost
Chapter One
“Jake Winter”

Our laughter turned into horrified gasps as the giant candy cane began to fall the wrong way.

“Oh, no. No, no, no…” Theo moaned.

I held my breath as the massive hunk of sugar crashed down onto the runway. It shattered into a billion shards of red and white. As the peppermint scented dust cleared I heard a sound. I knew what it was immediately. In fact, it was one of my least favorite sounds: cracking ice.

Sure enough, a large crack suddenly cut through the ice of the runway. And kept going. It took an eternity, or maybe just a few seconds, for the perfectly smooth runway to turn into a jagged pile of ice. The thing looked like a giant ice maker had just dumped out tons of ice into a pile.

“Well, well, well,” boomed a voice from behind us.

Maybe if I didn’t turn around…

“Theobroma Jingle,” the voice continued. “And…”

“Jake Winter?” I offered pitifully, turning around.

Santa narrowed his eyes at me and I knew that he knew. He was Santa, after all. He always knew.

“Santa,” Theo cried. “I’m so sorry! It was an accident! We were just… just…”

“I’m sure you didn’t mean it,” Santa said gently. “But, unless we can fix this runway before Christmas Eve… I don’t know if I’ll be able to get the sleigh off the ground.”

“I’ll fix it, sir,” I said quickly, rolling up my sleeves. I loved a good prank, but I wasn’t above cleaning up my messes either. But, as I surveyed the damage, trying to figure out where to start, I knew the shattered runway wasn’t going to be easy to fix.

Santa shook his head. “I’m afraid this is too much ice, even for you.”

“Are we going to be expelled?” Theo asked.

“Not today,” said Santa slowly. “But, I cannot simply let this go without addressing it either. Play time is over this semester,” he added firmly to me. “I suggest that you stay out of the way until Christmas.”

“Yes, sir. Yes. I should uh… go decorate some windows or… something.” I spun in a tight circle and vanished in a puff of snowflakes before he could change his mind.

I didn’t go far, however. I materialized in a tree nearby and leaned down to see what happened to Theo. He was a good kid, I didn’t want to get him in trouble.

“Where did he go?” Theo cried. “How did he do that?!”

Santa laughed. It wasn’t quite his usual jolly belly laugh, but I figured if he was laughing, then he must not have been too upset about the ruined runway. And, hopefully, was optimistic about Christmas. “Ah Theo, you’ve just met the North Pole’s most infamous prankster. And a good thing too. If Jack hadn’t been with you, you would be expelled now. But, seeing as he was involved, I can’t be too upset with you.”

“Jack? You mean Jake?”

“I mean Jack,” Santa corrected. “Frost.”

Theo let out an audible gasp and looked around as if he expected to see me. “Jack Frost? The Jack Frost?” he said.

I couldn’t stop a smile at his excitement. When things calmed down, I’d have to go reintroduce myself.

Theo was one of a handful of students enjoying a coveted, highly competitive winter internship in Santa’s Village. I sometimes liked to disguise myself as one of them and cause mischief. It usually didn’t end up with anything this bad happening though.

“That’s right,” Santa replied. “The Jack Frost. Now… what do we do with you?”

Theo cleared his throat nervously, but said nothing.

“Let’s do this the old-fashioned way, Theobroma. Enjoy the rest of your evening and get ready. Tomorrow you’re going down south.”

“Down… south?” Theo echoed in dismay. I winced. When St. Nick said “down south” he meant way down.

“Yes. I want you to find someone who has lost the spirit of Christmas and rekindle it for them. You have twelve days.”

“But Christmas is in twelve days!”

“It is. I’ll pick you up on my Christmas Eve route. You’ll have to find someone in need of cheer quickly. Help them find joy in the holiday season and you will remain here to finish out your internship. Fail, and when you return, you will pack your bags and return home.”

Theo stammered a moment, but nobody argues with Santa. “Yes, sir,” he mumbled.

“Don’t you have windows to frost?” Santa suddenly said loudly.

Why I ever thought I could get anything past him, I’d never know. I winked away. Far away, this time.

I found myself in another tree and looked around a ski resort. A very green ski resort.

“I think this place needs some fresh snow,” I said out loud.

With that, I got comfortable on my branch and settled back as the temperature dropped and the snow started falling. As I watched my handiwork, I brainstormed a way to make it up to Theo. Sure, Santa had gone easy on him, but missing out on the days leading up to Christmas in the North Pole would stink. I sat there, lost in thought until the sun started to set, casting a dreamy glow over the snow.

“I don’t like snow either.”

The annoyed voice drifted up to me and I narrowed my eyes at the sentiment. Excuse you! Who doesn’t care about snow?!

I leaned down to see a sour-faced young man pulling a suitcase out of a car nearby.

“Suit yourself. Merry Christmas!” called the driver.

“Bah! Humbug!” retorted the cranky guy.

He slammed the trunk and stomped off toward the main entrance. I shook my head and made the snow fall harder out of spite.

“Someone needs to get into the… spirit…” I said, trailing off as a brilliant idea struck me.




Saturday Series Spotlight






Lorelei M Hart
Lorelei M. Hart is the cowriting team of USA Today Bestselling Authors Kate Richards and Ever Coming. Friends for years, the duo decided to come together and write one of their favorite guilty pleasures: Mpreg. There is something that just does it for them about smexy men who love each other enough to start a family together in a world where they can do it the old-fashioned way ;). 










Colbie Dunbar
My characters are sexy, hot, adorable—and often filthy—alphas and omegas. Feudal lords with dark secrets, lonely omegas running away from their past, and alphas who refuse to commit.

Lurking in the background are kings, mafia dons, undercover agents and highwaymen with a naughty gleam in their eye.

As for me? I dictate my steamy stories with a glass of champagne in one hand. Because why not?










Kallie Frost
Kallie is the pseudonym of a USA Today Bestselling Author who normally writes young adult fantasy and dabbles in paranormal romance. She loves animals of all kinds, so she loves reading and writing books with shifter themes. Her favorite time to write is late at night when her husband and kids are asleep and everything is quiet. During the day she can be found chasing her boys, baking, and talking to herself.




Lorelei M Hart
EMAIL: Lorelei@mpregwithhart.com

Colbie Dunbar

Kallie Frost



Snowed In at Santa's Lodge by Lorelei M Hart

Jingle Bell Mate by Colbie Dunbar

How to Lose an Omega in Twelve Days by Kallie Frost

A Reindeer Mates for Christmas Series


Saturday, January 3, 2026

πŸŽ…πŸŽ„9th Day of Christmas Author SpotlightπŸŽ„πŸŽ…: Kallie Frost




Kallie Frost
Kallie is the pseudonym of a USA Today Bestselling Author who normally writes young adult fantasy and dabbles in paranormal romance. She loves animals of all kinds, so she loves reading and writing books with shifter themes. Her favorite time to write is late at night when her husband and kids are asleep and everything is quiet. During the day she can be found chasing her boys, baking, and talking to herself.








Better Than a Holiday Romance
Summary:
Full Moon Mates
Alpha Wolf Stirling hates Christmas it reminds him of the fated mate he lost in a tragic accident. So, when he arrives at a writer's retreat in a castle that looks like something out of the North Pole, he steels himself for a miserable time... then he finds out he has to share a room too. But something begins to awaken within him that he thought lost with his mate. Could he be lucky enough to have found another?

Omega Snow Leopard Grant knows he'll never find another true mate, but at least he can embrace the two wonderful children they had and do his best to make every Christmas as magical as possible. Maybe a wintry writing retreat in a romantic castle -- with halls fully decked -- will be just what he needs to find his muse again. He never expected to find an alpha who inspires him too.

Get immersed in the holiday spirit in this Full Moon Mates holiday tale. You'll find a pair of shifters who never expected to find love again, their children who embrace the new family dynamic, and of course, some knotty fun, snowy romps, and omega pregnancy woes. Other than mention of the loss of true mates, this story is low angst with a HEA and packed to the brim with holiday cheer.

Better than a Holiday Romance appeared as a short story in the M/M mpreg anthology “Special Delivery: Christmas” which is no longer available. This expanded version is twice as long as the original and includes two bonus tales (also from other unpublished Special Delivery anthologies) at the end.






Key Lime Kisses
Summary:
Bake Sale Bachelors Season Two #10
After having his heart broken, dating is the last thing Alpha Weston wants to do. When his sister asks him to bake his fabulous Key Lime Pie for her, he happily obliges – it’s not as if an innocent pie can be part of one of his sister’s crazy plans to get him dating again. Little does he know while he’s busy baking, his sister is indeed cooking up a scheme to bring an omega into his life.

Omega Shea isn’t interested in dating, but he’s happy to support the Children’s Hospital that saved his nephew’s life. He would rather just make a donation without bidding on an alpha, but when his brother shows up, Shea feels like he has to go all in. After a disastrous date with a complete jerk, who couldn’t possibly have baked such a delicious pie, Shea bumps into Weston whose date didn’t even show up.

Even though the two hit it off right away, a series of mishaps, surprise puppies, and an unexpected pregnancy put their relationship to the test before it even starts. But when Weston bakes a Key Lime Pie for Shea, they realize their love may just have been meant to be…

Key Lime Kisses is a sweet with heat, knotty mpreg where a bunch of unfortunate wrongs really do make a right. It features an alpha and omega who, despite being comfortable alone, realize that their happily ever after involves being together. It is part of the Bake Sale Bachelors series but can be read as a stand-alone. Don’t miss your chance to read a tale about a love sweeter than pie and get it today.





Maple Sugar Mix-Up by Kallie Frost
Summary:
Bake Sale Bachelors Season Three #5
An alpha no omega would want…

Jace has no desire to date; after all, what good is an alpha who can barely afford to take care of himself, let alone a mate? Maybe someday – when he gets his finances under control – he’ll find that special omega.

Despite his money troubles, Jace wants to give back to the hospital, but all he can do is supply something for the bake sale auction. In order to avoid an awkward cheap date with an omega, he agrees to make his popular maple sugar candy, but only under the condition that his friend bids for the item. Jace helps and doesn’t have to go on a date; problem solved. But he never expected someone to outbid his friend…

An omega who can do it alone…

Omega Ashton is thrilled to donate to the hospital that saved him and his daughter. When he sees the maple sugar candy – just like his grandmother used to make – he has to have it, luckily, money is no object; the only downside is the unwanted date that comes with it.

Ashton is so over alphaholes who date him for his money but also feel threatened by it. Worse than the ones who break his heart are the ones he trusts enough to introduce to his daughter, only to have them leave too. No more. Ashton is finished with dating.

Once on the date, however, Ashton and Jace can’t deny the chemistry between them. But will Jace’s insecurity over his financial situation be an all too familiar red flag for Ashton? Throw in some unexpected ice and a broken ankle and you have a recipe for a love story sweeter than candy.

Maple Sugar Mix-Up is an M/M mpreg romance in the Bake Sale Bachelors series. Each one can be read as a standalone. In this book you’ll find an alpha learning he’s worth more than what’s in his bank account, an omega doing his best as a single dad, and the surprise baby who brings them together. If you love books that are sweet with heat and full of characters who you’ll laugh and love with, get Maple Sugar Mix-Up today.







Dreaming of His Omega
Summary:
Vale Valley Season 3 Summer Romance #12
Be careful what you wish for...

Traviel the Elf lives an idyllic life in Vale Valley with his true mate, Elarian. They spend their days communing with nature and exploring the wonders of their town. After finding out Elarian is expecting their first child, everything seems perfect.

Except it’s not real.

Struggling to make ends meet, aspiring author Travis finds solace writing about the adventures of his fictional elven counterpart. Traviel blissfully leads the life Travis wishes he could. But ever since he saved a stranger from an oncoming bus, Travis has started to have vivid dreams about his fictional world. After someone mistakenly calls him Traviel, Travis becomes convinced that Vale Valley is real. If that’s true, then Elarian could be there, waiting for his mate to find him.

And that’s exactly what Elarian is doing… some of the time.

Traviel has been randomly vanishing, only to reappear hours later, with no memory of where he was. As his pregnancy advances, Elarian becomes increasingly afraid that one of these days his alpha will disappear for good. And then, a human comes to town, weaving an incredible tale. But when he vanishes and Traviel takes his place, Elarian is forced to believe the impossible...

Dreaming of His Omega is book twelve of Vale Valley Season Three, but can be read as a stand-alone. It is a non-shifter mpreg story about taking risks, true love, and being careful what you wish for!





How to Lose an Omega in Twelve Days
Summary:
Reindeer Mate for Christmas
Alpha reindeer shifter, Theo, almost ruined Christmas. Literally.

Now Theo has twelve days to help a random person find the spirit of Christmas or Santa will expel him from a coveted internship in the North Pole. He finds the perfect target in Shaun, a young business-owner more concerned with turning a profit than being festive. But somewhere in the middle of trying to get Shaun to fall in love with Christmas, Theo realizes he might just be falling in love with Shaun…

Omega snow leopard Shaun loves all things Christmas. In fact, he loves it so much that his father has decided that if Shaun can’t prove he can turn off his festive side, he’ll cut Shaun out of his inheritance. For the next twelve days Shaun has to run his future resort without a single holiday distraction. His unexpected roommate, Theo, is as Christmas-crazy as he is attractive, and under any other circumstances Shaun would be head-over-heels. Luckily, it doesn’t take Shaun long to figure out that Theo must have been hired by his father to sabotage him. He’ll prove to both of them what a grinch he can be, even as Theo starts to melt his heart.

Unbeknownst to them, Theo has given Shaun more for Christmas than either bargained for: a gift that comes with nine months of cravings, mood swings, and nausea...

How to Lose an Omega in Twelve Days is a cheesy Christmas movie in book form, with two shifters who are confidently wrong that they can outsmart each other. Their mix-up is your holiday ticket to a cozy read with enough spice to warm you up.

How to Lose an Omega in Twelve Days is part of the multi-author, gay romance, mpreg shifter Reindeer Mates For Christmas series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why stop at one when you can read them all!




Better Than a Holiday Romance

Key Lime Kisses

Maple Sugar Mix-up

Dreaming of His Omega

How to Lose an Omega in Twelve Days


Thursday, December 25, 2025

πŸŽ…πŸŽ„Random Tales of Christmas 2025 Part 12πŸŽ„πŸŽ…





Random Tales of Christmas 2025

Part 1  /  Part 2  /  Part 3  /  Part 4
Part 5  /  Part 6  /  Part 7  /  Part 8
Part 9  /  Part 10  /  Part 11  /  Part 12





Fizz the Season by Anna Martin
Summary:
Anna Martin's Christmas Shorts
With a fully booked season of high-scale Christmas parties at his pub, The Punch Bowl, Grant Thornton is furious when his corporate alcohol supplier goes out of business three weeks before Christmas. The pub is well-known for its excellent food and quality wine — a reputation that Grant isn’t willing to risk.

Nathan Turner is the manager at Southwark Cellars, just off the South Bank of the Thames, and is baffled by Grant’s intense demeanour and very particular demands. Of course, as a wine expert, Nathan is perfectly placed to help Grant and The Punch Bowl get through the festive season.

Grant has always had big dreams, and Nathan’s wine expertise might be the key to unlocking them. He just needs to decide which to prioritise: his business, or his rapidly growing crush.


Original Review December 2025:
This is probably not the review I intended to write because time just isn't on my side. I loved Anna Martin's entry this year in her annual Christmas Short Stories collection. I can't imagine how devastating it was for Grant to lose his upmarket alcohol supplier at his peak holiday season, luckily for him there is a local who just might be able to offer what he's missing and perhaps a little more. I think if you've read any of Martin's Xmas shorts you'll know this will end in HEA but watching Grant and Nathan get there is fun and entertaining.

Some might find it rushed but it is a holiday short after all so you should expect it going in that there journey is not going to be a slow burn. I know some don't believe in insta-love or near insta-love but I'm living proof it's real and lasting. My grandparents meant in early January 1946, were engaged on Valentine's Day, married the end of July and were still happily married when my grandfather passed away in 1994. So it is real and Anna Martin does a brilliantly fun job with Nathan and Grant finding theirs. We might not see the longgame in Fizz the Season but we see the beginnings and it'll put a smile on your face and brighten your day. What more could one ask for? Short, sweet, and a holiday gem worthy of the author's holiday series.

RATING:







Rowan by Colette Davison
Summary:
A Daddy for Christmas 3 #7
When my brother jets off on a last-minute holiday, leaving me to run our business, my plan to avoid Christmas is left in tatters.

The bright side? Is there one? I don’t really do bright sides.

Making use of my brother’s flashy car and his driver, Rowan, is a plus. Sort of. Upbeat personalities aren’t my thing. Despite that, Rowan’s optimism is better than any chisel, chipping away at my stern exterior.

Getting stranded in a snowstorm wasn’t on my itinerary, but here we are, cold and all alone, with no sign of being rescued.

I couldn’t leave Rowan to freeze, could I? As we try to stay warm, I discover something about Rowan which makes me realise we have more in common than I expected.

I’m technically his boss…

…but that doesn’t matter tonight.

Not when working together to raise the temperature in the car has the potential to be so much fun.

But when the storm clears, will I still want to be Rowan’s Daddy?

A Daddy for Christmas 3: Rowan is a low-angst, 40,000-word, feel-good insta-love contemporary romance, with a grumpy boss falling for his ray-of-sunshine employee.

A Daddy for Christmas 3 is a multi-author series. Holiday tales of boys in need of Daddy’s love and in some cases, a firm hand. Naughty or nice, it’s all in Santa’s hands now. So why not dive in and read each standalone and enjoy the holidays alongside our boys.








Like a Charm by Jordan Castillo Price
Summary:
Rowan does his best to blend in, but thanks to the ugly sweater from his grandmother, he’ll have a hard time sneaking away from the holiday party unnoticed.

What’s worse…he’s starting to think it’s not only ridiculous, but enchanted.

It’s hardly a recipe for meeting the man of his dreams. But sometimes you find a kindred spirit when you least expect it.

Like a Charm is a quick, sweet holiday read featuring two painfully shy guys, a plethora of ugly sweaters, an obnoxious neighbor, a sassy grandma, and a hint of magic.

Original Review January 2023:
Who doesn't love a good connection that starts with an ugly Christmas sweater?  Like a Charm is more than just another ugly Xmas sweater cute meet, it has hints of magic, touches of fate, and all around holiday fun.  

Rowan is so set on looking out for the one who is effected by the love charm he believes his grandmother has placed on the sweater he doesn't realize that sometimes fate has a way with or without the charm or maybe the charm works it's magic anywayπŸ˜‰.  So fun, just so much fun in this Xmas short that I don't want to say more other than you can't help but find yourself grinning like a fool when you swipe that last page.  Yum yum down to the very last thread.

RATING:









My Christmas Reindeer by Wendy Rathbone
Summary:
Reindeer Mate for Christmas
Can a young omega reindeer shifter and Santa’s number one elf find love amid the chaotic demands of the North Pole Christmas season?

Alpha Keir is a serious elf in charge of Santa’s Sleigh, a ground control team. Navigating the spacetime continuum is no small feat, and he must see to it that everything is in order to conduct a single night of massive gift delivery. There can be no mistakes.

Omega reindeer shifter Fallon was born on a snowy night in December and left in an ice drift to die. He is rescued and raised by elves. Because of his difficult beginning, he can’t fly. He’s worked hard with the elves who serve Santa, making toys, but his first love is math and science, and he studies hard in his off hours. He hopes to join Santa’s team at ground control. It would be the perfect job.

Keir is the big boss Fallon must try to impress to get the job he wants. But everything goes wrong when Fallon finds his attraction to Keir fogging his mind and sending him into the throes of heat. Worse, a big storm is brewing and it’s affecting the continuum.

Can two very different men save Christmas and find love all at the same time?

MM romance, omegaverse, shifter, paranormal, unexpected heat, mpreg, saving Christmas romance, HEA.

My Christmas Reindeer is part of the multi-author, gay romance, mpreg shifter AReindeer Mate For Christmas series. Each book can be read as a standalonebut why stop at one when you can read them all!









Season of Joy by Ellie Thomas
Summary:
In 1920s Cheltenham, Walter Webb has settled into a peacetime existence with relative ease. He's kept busy running the family grocer's shop with his father on Lower High Street, a working-class region of the famous Regency spa town. In his moments of leisure, he meets regularly with his ex-army pals that he served with in the Great War.

But being a respectable grocer means that Walter must keep his occasional liaisons with other men brief and anonymous. When he meets Stanley, the attractive and likeable brother of a customer, who is staying with his sister after a debilitating bout of pneumonia, Walter is tempted to throw caution to the winds on the chance of something more with this particular man.

Can these two men take a risk to find a lasting romance?

Original Review January Book of the Month 2025:
Such a lovely little story of finding happiness.  It's hard for me to write a review for Season of Joy, not because I didn't like the story, quite the opposite.  I was reading this new Ellie Thomas novella during the time my mother came home for hospice and passed away so I was reading it in small chunks here and there.  On one hand that can make a story harder to connect to but on the other it gave me pockets of peace and escape, small pockets to be sure but definitely helped balance my emotions so I could deal with the arrangements and help my dad as well.  I know this seems like an odd thing to mention in a book review but I wanted to express to the author how grateful I am for those pockets of peace and balance.  Truth is I think bringing up the personal chaos and hurt I am dealing with and still be able to enjoy Walter and Stanley's journey speaks volumes to the amazing talent of the author and the power of the heart within the story.  Definitely a warmhearted and winning gem in my mind.

RATING:








Fizz the Season by Anna Martin
It was a little after two in the afternoon when the bell above the shop door tinkled to announce a new customer. Nathan glanced over at the door, then did a full double-take. The man currently storming up to his counter looked furious. 

With me? Nathan thought to himself. He brushed his hands down the front of the canvas apron he wore over a white shirt and jeans. 

“Hi,” the angry man bit out. 

“Hello,” Nathan replied, pushing his glasses up on his nose. “Welcome to Southwark Cellars. How can I help?”

The angry man was wearing a black T-shirt and black jeans, and no jacket, despite the fact that it was December in London and it was absolutely freezing outside. His choice of clothes did show off his heavily tattooed arms, though, and the all-black look made his very blue eyes pop. 

“Do you supply wholesale?” 

Nathan considered that for a second. “Yes. Mostly. It depends on what you want.” 

“My supplier just went out of business, it’s three weeks until Christmas, I am fully booked five nights a week with Christmas parties, and I have no fucking wine.”

“Ah,” Nathan said. If he were in the angry man’s position, he’d be angry too. “Four Seasons?” 

If anything, mentioning Four Seasons seemed to make him even angrier. 

“How do you know about Four Seasons?” 

Nathan lifted a shoulder in an easy shrug. “I work in the wine business. When a major supplier goes into administration, we tend to hear about these things.” 

They’d been gossiping about nothing else in the shop for the past two days, wondering if the news would affect them at all. Nathan hadn’t quite been expecting the impact to land on his doorstep quite so quickly. 

“Yeah, well, I had an order of over three hundred bottles that was due to be delivered yesterday, and I only found out this morning that not only are they not being delivered today, they’re not being delivered at all.” He dragged his fingers through his hair, leaving it fashionably messy. 

Nathan offered him a sympathetic smile. “I’m really sorry. I’m Nathan. Nathan Turner.” 

“Grant Morris. Nice to meet you.” 





Rowan by Colette Davison
1
DAMON
It takes me far too long to realise that the repetitive drone of my ringtone is not part of my dream. The scene of me, lounging on a sunbed, drenched in tropical sunshine, sipping a very fruity, very alcoholic cocktail, slowly transforms into a hazy view of my bedroom. My phone is still ringing —or ringing again; I can’t be sure. The sound cuts off. It’s dark outside, which means very little, as today’s the shortest day of the year. It could be three in the morning or eight. Who knows? I certainly don’t care. My bed is warm and cosy.

With a grunt, I roll over and squeeze my eyes shut, but I can’t find my way back into my dream. Like all ephemeral things, it’s gone, never to be experienced again. My phone rings. I grab a spare pillow and press it over my head to drown out the noise. It stops after a dozen rings and then starts again moments later. Who the fuck is trying to get hold of me at whatever time it is? I don’t need to be anywhere today.

I push the pillow aside and reach for my phone. It stops ringing. I have six missed calls from my older brother, Nigel. Before I can press to call him, he rings again. I answer, roll onto my back, put the phone on speaker, and rest it on my chest.

“What?” I demand.

“Someone’s grumpy this morning.”

I grunt a response.

“I need you to hold down the fort.”

“What fort?”

“At Elevated.”

I wipe the sleep dust from my eyes. “I’m on holiday.”

“Not anymore, you’re not. I need you to make sure everything runs smoothly. Oh, and you’ll need to go to the charity ball.”

“You’re the boss.”

“For the next few days, you are.”

I can’t be properly awake. Is this a nightmare? “Why? You’re the boss.”

“I’m going on holiday.”

“No, I’m on holiday.”

“No, you’re bumming around in your apartment, doing nothing, and going nowhere.”

Exactly. I’m on holiday.

“I’m saving you from your grumpy self by sending you into the office, to be me for a few days, while I go and enjoy a tropical Christmas.”

I sit up and check the clock. It’s seven. I realise there’s a lot of noise in the background of the call. “Where are you?”

“At the airport. I got a great last-minute deal. I knew you wouldn’t mind.”

I clench my teeth. “I do mind.”

“Aww, don’t be like that. Anyway, I’ve got to go. My flight is boarding. I know I can count on you.” He hangs up.

Well, fuck. He always does this to me. I can’t exactly say ‘no’ when he’s about to step on a plane. Well, I can, but someone’s got to be in charge. I hate this time of year, when customers suddenly realise they haven’t got a gift and place a last-minute order that they’re relying on us to get to them before Christmas, despite the chaos of the postal system at this time of year. Not to mention Nigel has the design team hard at work on packaging and advertising for the new line he wants to release in the New Year. Initially, it was February, but he decided a week ago that a New Year’s Day announcement would be better. My brother is the king of last-minute decisions and goalpost changes.

None of this was supposed to be my problem. I booked time off around Christmas to avoid the stress and festive songs on loop. Now, not only will I have to suffer the far too cheerful jingly jangly songs, but I’ll also be the one whose fault it is if anything goes wrong. Fan-fucking-tastic.

My phone beeps, telling me I have a text message.

Nigel: Don’t forget your costume!

Damon: What costume?

Nigel: For the charity ball. Have fun.

I’d reply, but there’s no point. The cabin crew will be telling everyone to turn their phones off any moment now.

I check the work calendar. The charity ball is tomorrow night in the arse end of nowhere. The costume theme is A Christmas Carol. At least I know who I’m going to dress up as. Scrooge. But where the hell am I going to get a costume at such short notice? If only I had a PA who could do that shit for me, but Nigel decided we didn’t need a PA. A driver, yes. A PA? Waste of money. Fuck Nigel.

So much for lying in this morning. I drag myself out of bed and through the shower, then make the mistake of putting the radio on to listen to the news over breakfast. I’m assaulted by ‘Last Christmas’ by Wham, which would have thrown me straight into Whamhalla if I played that game. I don’t, Nigel does, as do half the staff who work at Elevated. As a result, it’s banned from the Christmas mix that Nigel insists on playing throughout December. He jokingly refers to Elevated as a ‘safe zone’. The first thing I’m going to do when I get to the office this morning is change the damn music.

Eventually, the news does come on. First national, and then local. Train delays and rain. What a fabulous combination. Why did my brother decide to locate Elevated in central London? It would be far cheaper to have premises in the commuter belt.

My waterproof jacket keeps my top half dry on the walk to the tube station, but my trousers get splashed by passing cars whose drivers refuse to avoid the puddles near the gutters. By the time I’m on the platform, my lower legs are cold and damp, and my mood has nosedived even further. I want to go back to bed. I should have flown off to sunnier climes rather than planning a relaxing staycation. Nigel wouldn’t have been able to dump all his responsibilities on me if I were in another country. But I’m not.

The plus side of living near the start of a route is that the train isn’t too crowded to get a seat. By the time we’re nearing zone 1, it’s a very different story. We’re packed in like sardines, and I’ve given up my seat to a heavily pregnant woman. Luckily, I’m tall, so I don’t have my nose stuck in someone’s armpit.

Two tube changes later, and I’m heading towards the surface and the short walk to the redbrick building Elevated is in. It used to be a Victorian workhouse, so it has tall ceilings and huge windows. All the manufacturing is outsourced, so we only have the design, customer services, and fulfilment teams to house—oh, and stock. Nigel rented the entire first floor, a vast open-plan space he separated into zones. One end is partitioned off to house the toilets, stock room, and Nigel’s office, which will be my office while he’s away.

Impatient drivers honking their horns pack the roads. The pavements are full of people who look as thrilled as I am to be heading to work this close to Christmas. Twins pull an exhausted-looking woman along towards the tube station, while they chatter about what they hope to find in Hamley’s. Why they’re racing to a toy store that isn’t even open yet is beyond me. I pass by a man sleeping in a navy-blue sleeping bag in a doorway. He’ll get chased off by the store owner soon. I pause long enough to press a ten-pound note into his hand.

Then I’m entering the lobby and reception area, which is shared by all the businesses in the building. Abbey, the receptionist we all contribute to hiring, gives me a puzzled look.

“I thought you weren’t in until after Christmas.”

“I wasn’t supposed to be, but Nigel had other ideas.”

She arches a plucked eyebrow. “Oh, well, it’s good to see you.”

I doubt that, especially as I must have a face like a thundercloud right now.

I use the stairs, rather than the lift, and go to the first floor. Elevated’s logo—an aubergine pointing upwards—hangs above the entrance to our section of the building, leaving no doubt as to the nature of the business—sex toys.

I unlock the door and stride straight to Nigel’s office. My office. For now. I have to get my head around how many orders we need to fulfil versus how many fulfilment staff we have, given how close to Christmas it is. Once I’m sure we’re going to cope and not break any promises, I’ll need to find a costume for the charity ball. With any luck, I’ll be the only man in the whole of London who wants to dress up as Scrooge tomorrow night.





Like a Charm by Jordan Castillo Price
ROWAN 
“Rowan, is that you?” Gran’s voice rang through the house, strong and clear. Most grandmas you see on TV are white-haired, kindly old ladies who play bridge and bake pies. But not her. 

My Gran was an enchanter. A modern-day witch. 

She bustled out from her workshop in a well-worn leather apron covered with pockets and pouches where she kept the tools of her trade close at hand. Her steel gray short-cropped hair was streaked with purple, and it stood on end where she’d run an impatient hand through it while mixing her spells. “Make a little noise next time, will you?” she chided. “If it weren’t for that creaky door….” 

“I texted that I was coming.” 

She cut her eyes to the phone across the room in its charger, ignored. “I know you’re proud of your talent, but you take things too far.”

Whereas Gran needed herbs and tinctures to work her magic, all I had to do was think—and my specialty was fading into the background. It’s not as useless as it might sound. I’d make a great diamond thief, for instance. Or a stellar peeping Tom. But since I was too nice to go for either of those things, I’d cultivated a sideline as an assistant exam proctor. When I wasn’t helping her inventory trinkets or ship out orders, anyhow. 

Gran wasn’t wrong, though. Sometimes I did feel a little too invisible. Especially with another Yule on the horizon with no boyfriend to snuggle in front of the fire. 

“Come on, then,” Gran said, “into the workshop with you. My stock won’t rotate itself.” Twice a year, I helped Gran reshuffle her groaning shelves of ingredients, perched up high on a precarious stepladder that was supposedly warded from tipping over…though I suspected she just said that, given the piece of cardboard shoved under the short leg. 

It was a grueling afternoon of shifting and wobbling that ended with a cramp in my shoulder and cobwebs in my hair. But she was my Gran—and the only other one in my family with talent. So, though she was loud and outspoken where I was quiet and shy, we had a special bond, Gran and me. 

Though that special bond gave her license to ask some pretty uncomfortable questions. 

“Well, then. Given that hangdog look on your face and the fact that you haven’t said anything about bringing a plus-one to the Yuletide feast, I’ll take it to mean you’re still single. Some people are true introverts, and they thrive on that kind of thing. But I know how you are—too much time by yourself, getting all up in your own head—it just makes you miserable. You may be quiet, Rowan, and you may be shy. But too much alone time is doing you no favors at all!” 

I sighed. “Everyone says to fake it till you make it. Maybe I could pretend to be more outgoing, but in the long run, it won’t do me much good. Believe me, I’ve tried. The minute I start acting like myself, anyone who’s attracted to the ‘fun’ me loses interest.” 

“Pah! You don’t need to be fun. You’re good and kind and patient. Not to mention you have phenomenal eyelashes. You got those from me.” Gran fluttered her patently fake lashes. “By the way, you’re welcome. Now, why don’t you open your present early? Just a little something I whipped up. It might help ease you into the spirit of the season.” 

I scanned her workbench, eyes stopping on the heavy box of rose quartz she bought in bulk. The stone was ubiquitous in love charms—one of her specialties. Gran hadn’t gone and crafted me a love charm, had she? She saw nothing wrong with providing that initial spark of attraction to her customers, but the idea of using magic for something like that has never sat well with me. How could I ever trust a relationship that started with magical coercion? It would feel like it was built on a lie. 

“That’s okay,” I said quickly. “I can wait till Solstice—” 

“Nonsense. If I gave it to you in front of the rest of the family, they’d all be jealous.” She shoved a box into my hands, then jabbed a finger at the card tucked under the ribbon. “Besides…this invitation won’t be any good to you once the party’s over.” 

“Wait, what party?”





My Christmas Reindeer by Wendy Rathbone
1
FALLON
“Fallon, break’s over. We need you in the doll room.”

I looked up from my laptop, eyes blurred from my concentrated focus. “Already?”

“It’s been over half an hour.”

Mom was strict about work. We had deadlines. Things always got chaotic and rushed in the fall. Christmas was on its way. Toys needed to be finished, inventoried and packed. Santa often dropped by for unscheduled inspections. Everyone was on edge.

Elves thrived on the work. The pay was high. Elven culture was built on the great Santa Claus’s massive yearly toy order. No one knew how he paid for it all, but he gave away the toys for free. Every year he ordered more and more toys from the workshop, and every year he paid all the workers’ salaries on time along with end of the year bonuses.

Mom was the boss at home and at work. For me, it could be overwhelming at a job I didn’t love.

First of all, I wasn’t an elf. I was an adopted reindeer shifter. As an infant, I was found abandoned in a snowdrift and rescued by Mom. She loved to tell the story of how I almost froze to death until she picked me up and took me home to join my elven brothers and sisters by their warm fire. I’d cried a lot at first, she said, but soon settled in. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t an elf. I was a living being who needed love and care. Mom often made sure to remind me I was loved as much as any of her other children. Still, I always felt different, apart from the crowd.

Second, I had an aptitude for math and physics, not toymaking, and that was the path I hoped to follow.

Even though making toys wasn’t the career I wanted, I loved Mom and wanted to make her happy. But going into the family business was not the future I saw for myself.

I studied every spare chance I got. Mom knew I took online classes. She noticed everything. She would always say, “You’re my smart one, aren’t you?” But she would never discuss with me where it might lead. It was expected that I would stay at the workshop like most good elves. And as for my shifter needs? I was expected to take care of that stuff on my own, including the embarrassing fact that I couldn’t fly.

During my break today, it seemed as if no time had passed since I sat down to study yet another text on quantum theory. I glanced around the break room, reorienting myself while Mom waited on me. A fire burned in a huge hearth. I sat on an old soft couch, pillows at my back, my computer glowing. I still had half my snack left, a sugary donut covered in pink icing.

I looked up at her eager face.

“I need five more minutes.”

“We’re backed up on construction over there and it’s October. Not a lot of time left if we’re going to meet our deadlines.”

I was in the middle of scanning an amazing equation I wanted to better understand. My mind felt on the verge of something wonderful. Physics always made me feel that way. Dollmaking did not.

“Please?”

“Son, we need you. Santa needs you.”

Everything we did was for Santa. I loved that part of it. The Village was beautiful, the glacial views breathtaking. I loved living here. I loved being a part of the whole Santa-magic process. But I wanted to be more on the reindeer side of the corporation. It was a longing I couldn’t control.

I didn’t outright state it to my family because I didn’t want to hurt their feelings, but what I really wanted, as a non-flyer, was to work within the navigation department called Santa’s Sleigh.

I already had an interview set up with the head of Santa’s Sleigh, Keir. I’d never actually met him, but I’d heard he was a no-nonsense team leader who expected perfection from his flight team and ground control.

No one knew about this interview, and somehow I was going to have to make up an excuse to take time off on Friday to go. In order to land this one-on-one meeting with Keir, I’d already taken pre-tests online. I must’ve done well, because I had heard it was difficult to get an in-person interview with any upper echelon of Santa’s flight team.

Mom stood before me, hands on her hips. Her hair was pulled back revealing gracefully pointed ears. When I was little, I’d always hated my round ears, which weren’t pointed like everyone else’s. My parents told me it didn’t matter. I was one of the family.

Which was why this was so hard for me. I didn’t want to break away from the ones who’d raised and loved me. I didn’t want them to be disappointed, or to think I wasn’t grateful.

I closed my laptop, setting it aside. “Okay, Mom. I’ll be right there. You can count on me.”

As I got up to go back to work, my mind churned, trying to figure out how I would get to Friday’s interview without breaking my family’s hearts.





Season of Joy by Ellie Thomas
Shortly before closing time, Mrs. Harris entered the shop, accompanied by her numerous progeny. It was for good reason that Walter’s father referred to the junior members of the Harris family as “the holy terrors.”

If Dad had known they were coming, he would have delayed nipping out for five minutes.

Walter hid a grimace while keeping a close watch on the arrangements of piled tins, all too tempting an obstacle for small, unruly children.

The three older ones, used to being well-behaved at school, stood quietly enough by their mother as she approached the counter. To Walter’s relief, the two youngest, a boy and a girl, the rambunctious pair of twins, were not running riot but remained contained, each holding the hand of an unfamiliar man.

“I only popped in for a couple of tins of corned beef,” Mrs. Harris said chattily. “I thought I had some put by in the larder. Isn’t it strange how quickly food gets used up when you’ve another mouth to feed?” She smiled and continued, “My brother Stanley is staying with us while he recuperates.”

Walter gave a nod of acknowledgement as he selected the tins of canned meat. He was already aware of the newcomer to the tight-knit streets that comprised old Cheltenham.

Local shops were a mine of ready information. It was surprising what intimate details people revealed to shopkeepers or loudly speculated about to each other in the shop.

Mrs. Harris’ brother’s arrival from the village of Lydbrook in the Forest of Dean, her home before marriage, had inevitably caused a steady stream of gossip.

“He’s not quite right, so I’ve heard,” one lady said, tapping the side of her behatted head sententiously. Another more sympathetic soul had added, “The poor chap has had repeated bouts of pneumonia as a result of the Great War, so I believe.” A final tactless commenter declared, “You’d have thought he’d have got over that by now.”

That remark had caused Walter to grit his teeth and hold back a pithy retort.

Most civilians back in Blighty had no notion of the horrors of trench warfare, often affecting a man for the rest of his days. Walter was mostly grateful that civilians were spared those harrowing experiences, but such ignorance raised his hackles.

“There you are,” he gravely handed the tins to two of Mrs. Harris’ most responsible children.

“Can I help you with anything else?” he enquired politely, as though he wasn’t eager to see the back of the family before the twins wriggled free to wreak havoc.

“A jar of Hartley’s jam would come in handy. It’s Stanley’s favourite.”

She jerked her head towards her brother. Walter naturally glanced in the same direction. Contrary to his first assumptions, rather than clutching the twins to keep them under control, the infants seemed to be helping to hold the man upright.

He’s hardly a heavyweight, more of a bantam in boxing terms.

He wasn’t tall, perhaps a few inches shorter than Walter’s five feet eleven inches and far less robust in build. Walter could hear the slight rasp of his breath from across the shop, confirming that he must suffer with his lungs. His face was downturned, hidden by his cap.

“Strawberry or raspberry?”

Walter addressed Mrs. Harris, but her brother answered.

“Damson, if you have it.”

He looked up as he spoke. Walter blinked.

Blimey, he’s a looker.

He was fine featured, but still managed to be handsome rather than pretty. His large dark eyes were emphasised by his sallow, over-thin face and his lush mouth was accentuated by a pencil moustache. Like a home-grown Rudolph Valentino.



Anna Martin

Anna Martin is from a picturesque seaside village in the southwest of England and now lives in the Bristol, a city that embraces her love for the arts. After spending most of her childhood making up stories, she studied English literature at university before attempting to turn her hand as a professional writer.

Apart from being physically dependent on her laptop, Anna is enthusiastic about writing and producing local grassroots theater (especially at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she can be found every summer), going to visit friends in other countries, and reading anything thatΓ­s put under her nose.

Anna claims her entire career is due to the love, support, prereading, and creative ass kicking provided by her best friend Jennifer. Jennifer refuses to accept responsibility for anything Anna has written.











Colette Davison
Colette's personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. Several years later, she’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.

Ever since she could hold a pen, Colette has been writing stories. Always an avid reader and lover of the arts, Colette graduated in Theatre Studies from Lancaster University in 1999, and in English Literature from the Open University in 2010. After studying for a P.G.C.E. in secondary education, and subsequently teaching english and drama for six years, Colette chose to become a stay at home mum and to focus on her writing.

Colette's first M/M romance, Why I Left You, was published in November 2017. Since then she has continued to write books that are sweet, sexy, and heartwarming.









Jordan Castillo Price
Author and artist Jordan Castillo Price writes paranormal sci-fi thrillers colored by her time in the Midwest, from inner city Chicago, to various cities across southern Wisconsin. She’s recently settled in a 1910 Cape Cod near Lake Michigan with tons of character and a plethora of bizarre spiders. Her influences include Ouija boards, Return of the Living Dead, “light as a feather, stiff as a board,” girls with tattoos and boys in eyeliner.

Jordan is best known as the author of the PsyCop series, an unfolding tale of paranormal mystery and suspense starring Victor Bayne, a gay medium who’s plagued by ghostly visitations. And her quirky, sweet, magical series The ABCs of Spellcraft is sure to make you smile.










Wendy Rathbone
Hi, I'm Wendy and I'm a voracious reader as well as an author.

Currently, I write all male/male romances and am lately focused on omegaverse. For many years mm has been my first love.

The stories of my characters rattle around in my brain until I have to write them down or lose sleep!

All my books are available in Kindle Unlimited. Happy reading!









Ellie Thomas
Ellie Thomas lives by the sea. She comes from a teaching background and goes for long seaside walks where she daydreams about history. She is a voracious reader especially about anything historical. She mainly writes historical romance.

Ellie also writes historical erotic romance under the pen name L. E. Thomas.




Anna Martin
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Colette Davison
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Jordan Castillo Price
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Ellie Thomas
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Fizz the Season by Anna Martin

Rowan by Colette Davison

Like a Charm by Jordan Castillo Price

My Christmas Reindeer by Wendy Rathbone

Season of Joy by Ellie Thomas