Showing posts with label sunday 2026. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sunday 2026. Show all posts
Sunday, July 26, 2026
🎅🎆🎄Sunday's Sport Stats-Xmas in July🎄🎆🎅: Snowed by RJ Scott & VL Locey
Summary:
Boston Rebels #3
A second chance at love is all Kyle wants for Christmas, but a dark menace from his past wants him dead, and love is second to staying alive.
Kyle Lourenco has carved out a comfortable life and career for himself in Boston. With the holidays quickly approaching, he’s heading home for the first time in several years. Home to his loving parents and the small Canadian town where he was raised. And home to Christian, his best friend and the first man to steal his heart.
Just as a winter storm begins to blow in, it forces Kyle off the road only miles from home and a dark and sinister force from his past creeps ever closer. His only hope is getting to Christian’s cabin before the evil that has haunted him for years finally catches up to him.
Best friends since they were three, Christian Gauthier grew up next door to Kyle, in a remote mountain town with one stoplight and a forty-mile round trip to the nearest school. When Kyle left town for a shot at a professional hockey career, he took Christian’s heart with him. Even though he knew Kyle was always destined for bigger things, it hadn’t stopped Christian from falling for him as soon as he knew what love was.
With Christmas coming soon and a major snowstorm heading their way, Christian shuts the doors to the family store and heads to his cabin, where he will be on standby as an official volunteer for Search and Rescue. He has never regretted staying in Eagle Ridge, but a near miss on a simple rescue leads him to reevaluate everything, and when Kyle ends up at his door, he knows that guarding his heart might not be the best solution after all.
Original December 2021 Book of the Month Review:
What can I say about Snowed? Hmmm? . . . Going home is always a treat at the holidays(even if the character is uncertain of their return). Second chance at past love can definitely bring about equal moments of new and nostalgia. Forced proximity is always a possibility here in the north, after all Mother Nature is a fickle . . . well let's just say she's fickle who has no sense of the clock or one's schedule. Throw all these factors together and you have yourself a powerfully emotional journey of discovery with just the right balance of mystery to make Snowed not your typical holiday fare and yet somehow it is typical in the sense of what makes a holiday story "holiday": HEART. Trust me there is plenty of heart in Scott & Locey's latest addition to their hockey universe.
Now, if I was to break it down a bit, well you know I won't do too much of that as this is a spoiler-free zone but I will give a little insight. Kyle is coming home after being injured on the ice but he isn't too sure how welcomed he will be especially by his ex, Christian. Christian stayed when Kyle left to pursue his hockey career and now that fate has left them stranded at Christian's cabin will they be able to talk and discover what has been missing from each of their lives in their years apart? You know you'll have to read Snowed for yourself to find that answer .
I hinted at mystery earlier and yes there is something that doesn't quite add up about Kyle's "mental blocks" for the lack of a better term here and they can definitely tug at your heartstrings and want to wrap Kyle up in Mama Bear Hugs till everything is all better but sometimes we have to experience the pain to find and appreciate the joy, fictional characters are no different. Okay, perhaps they tend to have more than their fair share of pain but in my experience that actually helps me work through things in my own life, course it also at times makes me want to whack them upside the head with a cast iron skillet.
Back to the mystery element, I love how it's believable, it's not forced to fit the characters or the setting, it's not thrown in to give Kyle and Christian an extra level of drama. It may not happen every day but it is believable, hurts one's heart but still very possible.
There may not be much hockey in this entry to the authors' hockey universe but it does make for a perfect beginning, it hooks you and pulls you in. And where this story goes is what truly makes the whole book a delightful gem. Can't wait to see where Scott & Locey go next.
RATING:
It took me a few moments to clear my head and make an assessment. Other than my shoulder, I was okay. Sore and trembling but safe. Thank God for seatbelts. If I’d not been strapped in, I would have been flying through the windshield and kissing a tree. That thought made me queasy. I tried the windshield wipers. They made one pass then died. It was just enough to see that the front of the Explorer was bent around a fat fir tree.
“Great,” I moaned, easing my right hand down to free myself from the seatbelt. Powder from the airbags filled the interior, making me cough and sputter. The headlights were still on. Which was good. Sitting here in the woods alone in the dark made me edgy. The unseen could be lurking in the forest, silent, like the wolves that prowled the muskeg, forests, and tundra of Manitoba. There was plenty around home that could kill you that didn’t dwell in your nightmares. “Fucking great.” I checked my phone for service even though I knew there wouldn’t be this far from Eagle Ridge during a blizzard. “Fuck,” I snarled, which ignited a new pain in my neck. Super, so I now had whiplash as well as a re-fucked shoulder. “Asshole moose.”
I knew the area well. I had to get somewhere warm and call for a tow truck. There was little to be done for my shoulder. That would have to wait until I could get to Churchill where they had a pretty decent health center. It would set me back a few weeks. I gave it another ten minutes then my headlights began to dim. A deep, unsettling unease crept into my chest. Without the lights on the dash or the headlights, the darkness would descend.
Grabbing my Rebels duffel, my childhood stick, and the bag of presents for my parents, I took the keys from the ignition and exited the car. Snow whipped around me, tiny bits of ice mixing in with the flakes to scour any exposed skin. Thankfully, I had worn my thickest winter coat. The son of Miriam Enook Lourenco knew enough to dress in layers. Shame he didn’t know enough to not run off the damn road. Fear spurred me on. The wind was brutally cold. The outside temperature, according to the dash of Rocky’s totaled SUV, had read zero degrees Fahrenheit, which was normal for this time of year. I took a few steps, my hood cinched around my head, and turned on the flashlight that was in the car, to give me about a foot of light before the snow cut the beam into nothingness. I swallowed. It was fine. I knew where I was. Christian had a cabin just a mile or so down Egret Lane. Head down, I pushed into the storm, the snow already to my knees.
Once I got into the woods, the wind did ease a bit, but not enough. Something cracked behind me. I spun around with a gasp, heart pounding in my breast, and waved the light back and forth.
“Who is it?” I shouted, but the gale force winds carried my words away. I stood there, locked in fear, snow battering my face like a sandblaster, squinting to see into the maelstrom.
Just a tree. It was just a tree breaking and falling. Nothing to worry about. It’s not the unseen. Just keep walking. You know this road. Round the bend. Up the knoll. The old Adjuk place. Mom told you all about it. Dad helped Christian put on a new roof when he bought it. You’re safe, just keep walking.
Saturday's Series Spotlight
RJ ScottWriting love stories with a happy ever after – cowboys, heroes, family, hockey, single dads, bodyguards
USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott has written over one hundred romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.
She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.
V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee.
(Not necessarily in that order.)
She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.
When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.
Snowed
Harrisburg Railers Series
Owatonna U Series
Arizona Raptors Series
Boston Rebels Series
Sparkle #1.5(LA Storm)
Railers Legacy Series
Sunday, July 19, 2026
🎅🎆🎄Sunday's Safe Word Shelf-Xmas in July🎄🎆🎅: Temporary Santa's Knotty Workshop by Lorelei M Hart & Jena Wade
Temporary Santa 69 makes sure he’s not the only one coming this Christmas.
When my brother asks for a favor, I don’t hesitate! Of course I’ll help at his workshop while he and his new family take a vacation. I can handle one holiday season. And maybe I’ll use some of the magic at the naughty workshop to make a product to match my… essence.
Elf Willy doesn’t have time for nonsense or new products or anything that doesn’t fit in the perfectly crafted schedule. According to him, the elves just need to get through the season without any issues.
Having Nick’s brother Campbell there as the temporary santa isn’t going to get in the way of Willy’s goals.
Temporary Santa’s Knotty Workshop is a sweet with lots of knotty heat MM Mpreg Christmas romance featuring an omega elf who just wants to get through the season, an alpha, who happens to be Santa’s brother, who wants a special product made just for him and his… essence, a very naughty workshop getting presents ready for adults on the nice list, true love, fated mates, a whole lot of Christmas fun, an adorable baby, and a guaranteed happy ever after. This book answers the questions: What do grown-ups on the good list get in their stockings from Santa on Christmas morning?
Chapter 1
Willy
I smelled disgusting. Absolutely, positively, disgusting. I didn’t even want to be around myself. That’s how gross I was.
One would think, since I had been working in the edible-lube station, affectionately called Lube Lagoon, filling up bottles of various sizes for the past six hours, that I would smell fantastic. After all, each lube was flavored and scented with all sorts of delicious things: blueberry, cotton candy, bubble gum, chocolate, peppermint. And oddly enough, we had an up-and-coming, popular flavor of lemon. I wrinkled my nose at the idea of that on my tongue.
Each variety was a bright color to match their flavor and with a scent just light enough that you could identify it, but without being overwhelming. Unless of course you were in the room with all the flavors, then you smelled like a sugar explosion, so much so that my tongue had gone dry.
I was tempted to plug my nose, perhaps find a nipple clamp to put on it so that I couldn’t smell anything anymore. It was awful.
Finally, I filled the last bottle for the day, put it in the sample pack, and shipped it off to the wrapping station. We were three months away from Christmas and working diligently to stay on target. Looking at the calendar, it was easy for us to convince ourselves we had plenty of time. But the reality was, we were always just one mistake, one long lunch, one off shift away from being behind.
It was a lot better than it used to be, though. There was a time when we were always racing to catch up. I did not miss those times.
Thanks to Percy’s organization changes in the past two years, we would likely meet that deadline without any issue. It was the first time in a long time we’d have a Christmas season without a hiccup. But even as I had that thought, I knew better than to get too confident.
“Elf Willy, please come to Nick’s office.” The intercom boomed throughout the room.
There were giggles. There always were. Being “Willy” in the adult toy department lended itself to being the butt of many jokes. Not that I minded. I thought it was hilarious, too. I even joked that my name was an asset when I first started here.
“Perfect timing,” I said.
I slipped off my apron and tossed it in the laundry chute, then made my way to Nick’s office.
For most people, being called to the boss’s office was anxiety-inducing. It was the elf equivalent of being called into the principal’s office; 99 times out of 100 it was because you did something wrong. And it didn’t matter if you had the world’s nicest principal or not, it still sucked.
Nick was the world’s best boss, but even so, you didn’t want to be in trouble with him. And it actually made it worse, because not only did you mess up, but you disappointed someone as great as he was.
But I wasn’t worried about any of that. My best friend was his mate, and I knew that I hadn’t done anything to get in trouble. I was on the good list. I always was. If there was a best list, I’d be on that. Maybe I should put that in the suggestion box.
I knocked before going in, but the door opened right away.
Inside the office, Nick sat at his desk, wearing his red pants, white button-up shirt, and candy-cane-striped suspenders. He was not like the other, round Santas. Our Santa was more of a Daddy bear-looking type with biceps the size of most men’s thighs.
He was definitely a good-looking man, but I wasn’t looking because this man was taken. Plus, he was my boss.
Percy, his mate and my bestie, was also there. The two of them were the perfect couple. Just being around them had me thinking about what it would be like to have a mate of my own. Not that I was looking. Who had time for that? Making sure the workshop stayed on target meant I had zero time for a social life.
“You wanted to see me, sir?”
“Yes, sit down.” Nick gestured to the chair.
Percy came over and sat on Nick’s knee. “We have a really big favor to ask. You’re the only one we trust.”
“Oh, what is it? How can I help? Do you need me to watch the little guy? Cause you know I’ll always do that.”
Their young son was named after me, and I had a deep love for the little guy. Being Uncle Willy was the best. I got to play with him, and then when it was time to go home, I went on my merry way to my nice quiet home and sleep for a week.
“Well, you know, things have been a little crazy for the past two years, what with getting mated, having a kid, and all of that.”
“Of course. You both have done great, though. Things are running smoothly.”
They exchanged a glance. “Things are running smoothly, and there’s absolutely no reason why we won’t remain totally on target for this season. This is shaping up to be one of our smoothest seasons of all.”
“Of course,” I said. “And that’s all thanks to you two.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Willy. You’ve done a lot to help us out as well,” Nick said.
Was I getting a raise? No. They said they were going to ask a favor. And really, I didn’t need a raise, but a nice bonus and few extra days off wouldn’t hurt.
“What do you need?” I asked. “I’m more than happy to help.”
“Well, we’d like to go on vacation,” Percy said.
I’d been pestering them to take some time away together for what felt like ages. They had a great life here, but one thing that had to be rough on them was that they were never “off” of work. They could plan a whole entire day of family fun, and one issue at the factory and Nick was back to work. It was the way of things when you were Santa.
“That’s a wonderful idea! I can start planning that for January. That’s our slow time. Are you thinking beach resort or more of a family-friendly type of place? Maybe somewhere in the mountains?” I’d never planned a vacation, but I was addicted to the travel shows. I was sure I could come up with something amazing.
“Not January, Willy.” Percy looked at his mate, who nodded in reply. “We want to go on vacation now.”
My eyes widened. “Before Christmas?”
“Through Christmas,” Nick said, and I nearly fell out of my chair.
I gasped. “You can’t do that. Who will deliver the presents?”
Nick cleared his throat. “Apparently, it is a requirement of all Santas to have a certain number of vacation days. And you have to take them. No one ever told me this.”
“And unfortunately, Nick has not been complying with the policy. So he needs to take twelve weeks off before the end of the year,” Percy added.
I did the math in my head. It was not pretty.
“Twelve weeks puts us AT the end of the year!” The very end. Meaning Christmas would have already happened.
“It does. We leave tomorrow.” Percy sounded thrilled by what was happening, and I could see why. Twelve weeks with his family and no work responsibilities, but still… tomorrow?
My jaw hit the floor. “Tomorrow?” Well, spank my ass and call me a dirty boy. We were fucked. Well and truly fucked.
“But we need a Santa. We need—”
Nick raised a hand. “I’ve called in a favor with my brother. He’s going to fill in, but he’ll need help, and that’s where you come in.”
I knew Nick had a brother but hadn’t met him. What could he possibly know about this side of Christmas present fun? Not much.
So many scenarios ran through my mind. Without Nick here to keep everyone in line, there would be chaos. “Surely they will give you an exception. Just this one time. You can take three months off at the beginning of the year. They have to know that you can’t take time off during Christmas.”
“The decision has been finalized. It’s out of our hands. This came from up top.” Nick sounded as unpleased about it as I did. He’d never been one who liked being told what to do with his factory. I’d seen elves on the receiving end of his ire when they decided to butt in and demand he change something. It was not pretty.
I didn’t know where the candy canes up top was or who ran it, but I’d like to have a conversation with them. I took a deep breath. We could do this. This wouldn’t be a big deal. It would be like taking one of our monster dildos up the ass without lube, but we could do it.
“Does your brother have any experience being Santa?” I asked.
“No. We actually haven’t even spoken to him yet.”
Never mind the fact that he had just told me his brother had agreed to do it. “Oh, goodness, but he would do an okay job, right?”
“Of course,” Nick said, although for the first time in perhaps my entire career here, I did not believe his words. I wasn’t sure he believed them either.
His entire plan was based on his brother, who had no Santa experience, not only having the time available to come, but then agreeing to drop everything to do so. That was a whole lot that had to fall into place for this to have half a chance of working.
“So you’ll do it, you’ll help?” Percy looked at me with his eyes wide open, his puppy-dog face slapped on. It wasn’t as if I’d have been able to turn him down. He was my ride-or-die.
I didn’t think I had a choice. “Of course, sir. I’m the right elf for the job.”
My voice sounded more sure than I actually was. I was great at the parts of this division I worked in, but helping train someone to do Nick’s job? I wasn’t sure I even understood all it entailed. This was going to be a true test of faking it until you made it, only in this scenario, it wasn’t me who was on the line—it was Christmas.
Sunday Safe Word
Lorelei M HartLorelei 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 ;).
Jena WadeJena began writing in January of 2013 as a New Year's Resolution--and so far she has stuck to it!
She lives in Michigan. By day she works as a web developer, and at night she writes. Born and raised on a farm, she spends most of her free time outdoors, playing in the garden, or riding her horses. She also helps run the family dairy farm.
She lives in Michigan. By day she works as a web developer, and at night she writes. Born and raised on a farm, she spends most of her free time outdoors, playing in the garden, or riding her horses. She also helps run the family dairy farm.
Lorelei M Hart
Temporary Santa's Knotty Workshop
Santa's Knotty Workshop
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