🎅🎄10th Day of Christmas Author Spotlight🎄🎅: JA Rock & Lisa Henry

JA Rock

J.A. Rock is an author of LGBTQ romance and suspense novels, as well as an audiobook narrator under the name Jill Smith. J.A.’s books have received Lambda Literary, INDIE, and EPIC Award nominations, and 24/7 was named one of the best books of 2016 by Kirkus Reviews. When not writing or narrating, J.A. can be found reading, collecting historical costumes, and failing miserably at gardening. They live in the Ohio wilds with an extremely judgmental dog, Professor Anne Studebaker.

Lisa Henry
Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.
Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn't know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she's too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with too many cats, a dog, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

Lisa has been published since 2012, and was a LAMBDA finalist for her quirky, awkward coming-of-age romance Adulting 101, and a Rainbow Awards finalist for 2019’s Anhaga.

JA Rock

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A Husband for Hartnell

Summary:

The Lords of Bucknall Club #1

He must marry, or risk his fortune.

The whole of London Society has long assumed Lord William Hartwell will marry his childhood best friend, Lady Rebecca Warrington. After two Seasons, Hartwell remains quite content with bachelorhood--his parents do not. When Hartwell learns they intend to cut his purse strings unless he makes a match this Season, he resigns himself to a marriage of convenience with Becca, and yet he can’t help but be drawn to her younger brother, Warry.

He must marry, or risk his sister’s ruin.

The Viscount “Warry” Warrington is used to being viewed as the tagalong little brother. Now a grown man about to enter his second Season, Warry is desperate to be seen. When Lord Balfour, a handsome older peer, takes Warry under his wing, Warry thinks his dream is finally coming true. Until Balfour reveals his true intent—to make public a letter that will destroy Becca’s reputation, unless Warry agrees to marry him.

Time is running out for both of them.

When an injury forces Warry to recover at Hartwell House, the two succumb to a secret flirtation. But Warry’s sudden announcement of his engagement to Balfour drives Hartwell near mad with jealousy—and right into Becca’s arms. With the clock ticking for Warry to save his sister, will Hartwell discover the truth of Warry’s feelings before it’s too late?

A Husband for Hartwell is the first book in the Lords of Bucknall Club series, where the Regency meets m/m romance. The Lords of Bucknall Club books can be read as standalones but are best enjoyed in order.

**This is a revised and expanded edition of the book originally published in May 2021.**

Fall On Your Knees

Summary:

Asa and his longtime partner, Javier, are looking forward to a cozy Christmas together. But when Asa discovers his coworker Drew has nowhere to go for the holidays, he invites Drew home for dinner. His motives aren’t entirely pure: Asa and Javier are both dominant and occasionally arrange one-night stands with submissives. Asa’s been hot for Drew for months, even though he has no proof Drew shares his lifestyle.

Drew has wanted Asa since the day they met. Drew would never come between Asa and his partner, but that doesn’t stop him from fantasizing about Asa doing filthy, painful, incredible things to him. He accepts Asa’s dinner invitation reluctantly, not eager to witness Asa and Javier’s domestic bliss firsthand. When Javier discovers Drew’s profile on a kink site shortly before Drew’s arrival, the game changes. A bold proposition leads to Asa and Jav sharing a night of play and passion with a dinner guest who’s nowhere near as innocent as he looks. But as their not-so-silent night progresses, all three find themselves on shaky ground. Can they keep this arrangement no strings attached? Or is there a way for each man to get what he really wants for Christmas?

The Good Boy

Summary:

The Boy #1

Introverted college student Lane Moredock is in a bad place. His mother has been arrested for securities fraud, his father is on the run, and everyone, including the SEC, suspects Lane knows where the missing millions are. Lane, with no money and nowhere to live, makes a desperate deal that lands him in trouble and leaves him unwilling to trust a so-called Dom again.

Photographer Derek Fields lost money to the Moredocks, and is as sure as anyone that Lane is guilty despite his claims. A chance meeting with Lane shows him there might be something more to the young man than arrogance and privilege, and Derek wonders if Lane might be just what he's been looking for: a sub with the potential to be a life partner.

As Lane slowly begins to open up to Derek and explore his needs as a submissive, the investigation closes tighter around him. Lane might be everything that Derek wants, but first Derek needs to trust that Lane is innocent-and Lane needs to trust Derek with the truth.

Mark Cooper Versus America

Summary:

Prescott College #1

Mark Cooper is angry, homesick, and about to take his stepdad’s dubious advice and rush Prescott College’s biggest party fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi. Greek life is as foreign to Aussie transplant Mark as Pennsylvania’s snowstorms and bear sightings. So, when the fraternity extends Mark a bid, Mark vows to get himself kicked out by the end of pledge period. But then he’s drawn into Alpha Delt’s feud with a neighboring fraternity.

Studious Deacon Holt is disappointed to learn Mark’s pledging Alpha Delt, his fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa’s sworn enemy. Mark is too beautiful for Deacon to pass up an invitation for sex, but beyond sex, Deacon’s not sure. He wants a relationship, but a difficult family situation prevents him from pursuing anything beyond his studies. Mark and Deacon’s affair heats up as the war between their fraternities escalates. They explore kinks they didn’t know they had while keeping their liaison a secret from their brothers.

But what Romeo and Juliet didn’t teach these star-crossed lovers is how to move beyond sex and into a place where they share more than a bed. That’s something they’ll have to figure out on their own—if the friction between their houses, and between Mark and America, doesn’t tear them apart.

No Business Like Snow Business

Summary:

Christmas Falls Season 2 #7

Harvey Novak loves living in Christmas Falls. He loves his job running the Festival Museum too, except when it means he has to deal with his ex, who’s putting together the town’s newest tourist brochures. There are a lot of things Harvey is willing to do for Christmas Falls, but playing nice with the guy who cheated on him isn’t one of them. When a real-life Christmas mystery falls into Harvey’s lap, it offers the perfect distraction. And the guy with the mystery is pretty distracting too.

Sterling van Ruyven has come to Christmas Falls to look for his long-lost uncle, and enlists Harvey’s help to track him down. It’s all business—if there’s an extra van Ruyven heir out there somewhere, Sterling needs to know about it. He isn’t expecting to actually enjoy spending time in this ridiculous Christmas-themed town with the cute guy from the museum.

Their fun flirtation turns into a holiday fling, but that’s all it can ever be. Harvey’s heart belongs in Christmas Falls, and Sterling hasn’t found his yet. But maybe Christmas is the time for miracles after all.

Christmas Falls is a multi-author M/M romance series set in a small town that thrives on enough holiday charm to rival any Hallmark movie.

A Husband for Hartnell

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Fall On Your Knees

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The Good Boy

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Mark Cooper Versus America

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No Business Like Snow Business

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🍾🎅🎄Sunday's Short Stack🎄🎅 🍾: Sing in the New by Nico Flynn

Summary:

Slow Burn Holidays #3

They both want it. They just need some help getting there.

The older I get, the less I care about all the BS in life... especially the things that have held me back from telling Nick how I feel about him. The fact that he’s my best friend. The fact that we live together. My parents’ outdated attitudes. Stupid insecurities. With forty looming just a few years down the road, it’s all starting to seem trivial.

But even the slightest chance of losing the friendship that saved my life? That’s one thing I still can’t quite move past. If I could just be certain Nick felt the same, I’d take the leap, no hesitation.

Luckily, Nick's mom is as tired of the limbo as I am, and she has absolutely no qualms about getting involved. She invites us to spend New Year’s Eve weekend at Nick’s childhood home, and she promises me: Before the weekend is up, I’ll get the confirmation I need. In exchange, she makes me promise: by the end of the weekend, I have to ‘put her poor son out of his misery’ and tell him how I feel.

We strike the deal. We make plans. Nick and I have never been closer. But we’ve been denying ourselves this for so long… can we finally ring in this new year as something more than friends?

Sing In the New is a 12,000-word low-angst M/M romantic novella featuring roommates-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, meddling parents, only one bed, and a steamy first time when it all finally boils over. All books in the Slow Burn Holidays series can be read as stand-alones and in any order. Please note that this novella contains mentions of an unaccepting, homophobic family, all off-screen and in the past, as well as internalized homophobia that has been joyfully overcome.

Original Review December 2023:

Sometimes Moms know whats best for their kids and extended found family. Nick's mom is just that mom but what I really love about her is she is not only that mom to her son but also to Ezra.  With some extra pushing she just might get to see her boys happy.  I understand Ezra's fears of possibly losing his best friend if the feelings aren't returned but sometimes you just have to take that leap.  What I really love about this Slow Burn Holiday entry is the blend of friendship, family, and fun that brings us readers a better-than-Hallmark holiday romance that may be short on quantity but long on quality.  Sing in the New is a delicious delight to help bring in the new year.

RATING:

Chapter One

The drive out to Nick’s childhood home is undeniably beautiful. It's like some kind of rustic postcard scene; evening sun spilling across the horizon, painting gold over white farmhouses and herds of cattle, then fading as the early December dark approaches. It’s been a cold but sunny winter day, something Nick says is a rare treat in the gray winters of Western Pennsylvania.

One that I’m completely ignoring in favor of my phone.

“Who are you texting?” Nick demands, looking away from the road to peer over at my phone. “You’re missing the pristine beauty of my homeland and shit.”

I tilt my phone away. “Eyes on the road, madman.”

Nick huffs but complies anyway, giving his curls a toss to emphasize his irritation. “There. Eyes on the road. Who are you texting? Is it Jack? Have he and Ezra finally crawled out of bed? It’s December 30th, surely they’ve stopped having sex by now.”

I ignore him and send one last text.

Tyler: This is my last chance to back out. You’re absolutely sure?

Mrs. Warren: Tyler, dear, you’re being obnoxious.

Mrs. Warren: I am completely sure.

Mrs. Warren: Now don’t text me again, love. Keep it together.

I have to fight to keep my face neutral, the corner of my mouth twitching with suppressed laughter. Nick is so clearly his mother’s child in a way that makes me fiercely fond of them both and incredibly bitter about my own family at the same time. My parents fed me homophobic garbage when I was growing up, pushed me to propose to every girl I ever dated in college, then made more homophobic comments with every year that went by without me settling down. I finally quit talking to them a year ago.

Then, there are Nick's parents, who called me on Christmas Day to make sure I knew they were thinking of me. And to let me know that they were tired of my shit.

“I know you’re in love with my son,” Nick's mom said during that Christmas call. “When are you going to do something about it?”

I didn't bother wasting my breath with denials. Partly because Nick's mom is a certifiable genius, but also because I was just... tired. They’ve seen us together so much over the last six years that it’s a miracle they didn’t catch on sooner. I'd shot a glance at Nick’s closed bedroom door, then replied, “It’s not quite that easy.”

“It is exactly that easy,” she’d said. “Put my boy out of his misery, Tyler. You’ve had his heart for years, and I'm completely exhausted by watching him wait for you.”

My heart had ached at that, had thumped rabbit-fast with panic as I'd looked to the bedroom door again, waiting to be caught.

“I’m pretty sure it’s the other way around,” I’d finally admitted in a murmur. “I don’t think he’s interested in… relationships.”

I hadn't wanted to elaborate because, you know, it was Nick's mom. But Nick isn't really the... settling type. He sees guys for a bit. He goes out and hooks up on occasion. But for as long as we've known each other (six years) and lived together (four years), he's never had a long-term boyfriend. And that's part of what's scared me off, honestly.

Mama Warren wasn't having it, though.

“Tyler Oberlin,” she'd snapped, and my spine had automatically straightened to attention. “I know my son. I watched him build that wall he uses to hide his heart as a young man. I know it for what it is. Armor. Protection, Tyler. People were not kind to him growing up. Trust me. All he’s waiting for is a sign from you.”

I’d done my best to tamp down the painful swell of hope her words had stoked, but it was impossible. I’d become obsessed.

I texted her the next day.

Tyler: What if I need a sign from him, too?

Mrs. Warren: Then you’ll have it. Get him here for New Year’s Eve. I’ll take care of the rest.

Tyler: You’re sure?

Mrs. Warren: Completely. But I’ll need you to be brave, too, and give as much as you’re asking for.

Mrs. Warren: Make my boy happy, Tyler.

In the moment, I'd doubted I had any actual say in the matter. Mama Warren had a mission in her head, and she was gonna push the issue anyway, no matter what.

But once the idea was in my head, I couldn’t let it go.

Tyler: Okay.

Tyler: Okay, let’s do it. We’ll be there.

Mrs. Warren: Good man. You’ll be thanking me in the new year.

And with a furtive glance at Nick, half unconscious in a bowl of cereal at our kitchen table, I’d deleted the text thread. I remember the feeling so vividly; my cheeks burning red and my heart racing with fear, elation, embarrassment... and hope.

So much hope.

And now here we are. The day before New Year’s Eve. Nick driving us in his little Mazda 3 that I barely fit into, taking the corners way too fast with that sort of driving muscle memory that kicks in on the roads of your hometown. On our way to what feels like my doom, even though in theory it’s going to be my ultimate happiness?

I turn my phone off and stash it in my back pocket, as far from Nick as it can possibly get while remaining on my person. Can’t have him catching his mom’s name on the screen and getting suspicious.

“There. No more phone,” I say. “Pristine beauty of your homeland and shit. Got it.”

Nick isn’t so easily distracted, though, so I deploy one of my recently discovered distraction techniques: physical contact. I lay a hand on Nick’s leg and give a light squeeze, relishing the soft slide of expensive fabric under my fingers. Nick freezes for half a second… then relaxes, his legs falling ever so slightly farther apart. His face stays perfectly blank, but his breathing hitches the tiniest bit—a tell I’ve learned to look for, a tiny seed of hope that’s grown into a tangled wanting that suffocates me on the best of days and aches without relenting on the worst.

It could still be something else. Friendship. Touch starvation, maybe. (Nick hasn’t had a steady hookup in over a year. Not that I’m counting. Too busy at the hospital, he says.) He could even be uncomfortable with the touch but not willing to say so. But sometimes, rarely, Nick will give the smallest sign: the corner of his mouth turned slightly up, a brush of fingers against mine, a faint hum.

It takes all of my considerable self-control to keep my hand from sliding higher in search of a gasp, a blush, a—something. I want, so much that sometimes I worry the wanting will eat me alive. Now that I know what it is. Now that I’ve accepted it.

Distraction. Music, conversation, something, or else I really will let my hands wander and my mouth start running, probably crash the car and our friendship and my life all in one dramatic move. I pull back and desperately latch onto the first topic of conversation that comes to mind.

“So, what do you think your parents have planned for the weekend? Anything special? New Year’s Eve traditions?”

“My grandmother used to visit and cook the traditional pork and sauerkraut for New Year’s Eve and Day when I was a kid,” Nick says. “I hear my mom still does pork, but she always hated sauerkraut. Don’t tell anyone, it’s a sin around here.”

I laugh. “Yeah, I would have to pass on that.”

A small smile curls at the corner of Nick’s mouth. “I haven’t been back for New Year’s Eve since I was seventeen, but I imagine we’ll eat way too much around one in the afternoon, graze on leftovers and desserts for the rest of the day, and drink too much champagne in front of the fire while my mom murders us all at cards. She’s a shark, don’t let her fool you.”

He glances over at me. “They’re probably going to be embarrassingly clingy with you this weekend. I hope you’re prepared.”

I look out the window to hide my grin.

“I don’t mind.”

Honestly, it’ll be nice to have a family that cares, that’s accepting and affectionate instead of expectant and cold. My father’s disapproving sneer forces its way into my mind, whispering poison about soft men and their feelings, but I shove it all away. He has no power over me. Not anymore.

“Hey, where’d you go?” Nick asks, startling me out of my unpleasant memories.

“I’m here, sorry,” I say. “Just thinking about how different our families are. I’m looking forward to this.”

“Yeah, we don’t exactly grow herds of big burly boys in my family,” he says with a self-deprecating laugh. “Just little old me.”

“I don’t think I could handle a whole herd of you.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Nick says with a sly grin. “I bet you could hold your own.”

Man, it’s a good thing Nick never comes around my job sites, because if my crews of foul-mouthed construction workers and subcontractors could see the way I flush at a little light flirting, I’d never hear the end of it. No one expects the general contractor to be a blushing flower. Then again, no one expects the general contractor to be bisexual, either.

Still trying to get used to the sound of that.

You’d think it would be easy, considering our friend group. Probably half the people we hang out with are queer. But it took years of conversations with Nick and my best friend, Nia, to wade through a lifetime of brainwashing. To finally realize that yes, I’ve had sex with women and liked it, liked them, but I’ve never fallen in love with any of them. And it’s not because I’m broken, and not because I’m aromantic. Sexual attraction and romantic attraction don’t always map one to one. And me? I can only fall in love with a man, it seems.

Once you figure this shit out, it’s so obvious, looking back. But looking back is too painful. So, all I want to do is look forward. Nick, my closest friend, the man who saved me from the lowest point of my life… and the man I’m in love with.

Hopefully, after this weekend, the man I’ll be with.

Nick takes a left turn down a narrow-paved road and flashes me a grin. “We’re here. Prepare yourself for Hurricane Warren.”

“I can take it,” I say, keeping my voice light even as panic tries to force it higher.

Nick laughs. “Damn right you can. You’re built like an oak tree.”

I roll my eyes. I’m not that big, I’m just… sturdy. All the Oberlin boys are. We grew up hauling lumber and bags of concrete on dad’s job sites, and that’ll leave its mark.

Even so, as the house comes into view, I find myself wiping sweaty palms on my jeans. The house is adorable, a remodeled farmhouse that was clearly added onto a time or two. Our friend Chris would probably have a fit—he’s a building inspector and this thing has “handyman special” written all over it. I’ll eat my hard hat if all the proper permits were filed for those add-ons. It looks well-maintained and cozy, though, bursting with personality and care even from the outside. Those flower beds have Mr. Warren’s green thumbprints all over them, even in the dead of winter. There are a few evergreen plants evenly spaced to make sure there’s always a bit of color and telltale mounds where perennials have been covered to overwinter.

Nick barely has time to shut the engine off before the front door flies open. His mom comes out first, wrapped in a shawl and heading straight for the driver’s side. Nick’s dad follows close behind in a well-worn brown jacket, and he greets me with a firm handshake-turned-hug.

“So good to see you, Tyler, truly,” he says, thumping me hard on the back. “I hear my wife has been meddling.”

Nick’s head shoots up from where it had been resting against his mother’s in a rare show of affection, and he steps back from her hug like she’d attacked him.

“Meddling how?” he demands, hands on his hips, but his mother waves him off.

“You never would have shown up if I hadn’t gotten Tyler to bring you and you know it.” With that, she turns her back on her son to wrap me in a long motherly hug.

“Don’t you dare ask it again, Tyler, I mean it!” she says in a low voice. “I see that look on your face. You look half sick and ready to bolt. You remember the deal and do your part. Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” I reply as I pull back from the hug, catching a glimpse of Nick over his mother’s shoulder in the moment before he masters his expression. It was just a brief thing, a stolen snatch of time, but Nick’s face had gone unbearably soft at the sight of his parents embracing me. I get it—I already feel at home in a way I never have with my own family, and Nick’s expression seems to say all the things I want to hear: I want this, be my family, this is right, please stay forever.

If all goes well this weekend, then that’s exactly where we’ll end up.

I pull our overnight bags from the trunk and hand Nick’s over, not letting go until our fingers touch. “Let’s go get settled in.”

Nick’s gaze is oddly charged when our eyes meet, and he nods.

Nick’s mother is a devious one, I have to hand it to her. The house is romantically lit with candles and fairy lights, a fire crackling in the fireplace, the last of the fading sunlight leaving everything dim and warm and cozy.

Including the bedroom.

Singular.

I expected a lot of things, but the dusty wreck of a construction zone in the spare bedroom was not one of them.

“What happened?” I ask, eyes wide.

Mrs. Warren closes the door to the room with a gentle click, a cloud of plaster dust puffing out. “We’ve had a slow roof leak for years, and you know how it goes once you start opening up ceilings and walls.”

I wince. “Yeah, house projects have a way of unexpectedly growing.”

She pats Nick on the cheek with an indulgent smile. “Nick’s old bed is plenty big enough for two. Now, put those things down and get out of here, you’ll need to get to the brewery soon if you want food before the kitchen closes at eight.”

And with that, she whirls away and disappears down the stairs, leaving me with bright red cheeks and a very awkward Nick.

Here’s a chance, I tell myself. This is why you’re here.

“Come on,” I say, nudging Nick’s shoulder with a smile. “Let’s ditch these bags. What’s this about a brewery?”

Nick opens his mouth to speak, then closes it again, his gaze flicking over my face.

“I can sleep on the couch…” he finally offers, hesitant, but I cut him off.

“Don’t worry about it. Unless you’re against cuddling, of course, because I’m a notorious sleep cuddler.”

A beat of silence.

Then Nick snorts, and we break down into ridiculous giggles. And here we are—an opportunity to be just a bit daring, to push the boundaries just a hair.

I reach out and grab Nick by the wrist, tugging him along as I walk backward toward the bedroom door.

“Come on, madman. You can handle me for one night.”

I do a great job of pretending not to notice the way Nick stumbles at that, if I do say so myself.

Saturday Series Spotlight

Nico Flynn

Nico Flynn is all about stories that are heartwarming and steamy in equal measure, always with a healthy dose of humor. Bring on the snappy banter, mutual pining, and well-earned happy endings!

Nico lives a wild life out in the country with too many dogs, a family, video games, and a whole lot of books. If new releases suddenly stop, you can assume Nico was swallowed up by an out-of-control tomato plant or eaten by a bear.

After years of writing across age groups and genres in the traditional publishing arena, Nico is thrilled (and terrified) to finally be taking this first step on the indie side. It's a wide and wonderful world out here!

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Sing in the New #3

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🎅🎄9th Day of Christmas Author Spotlight🎄🎅: 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.

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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.

Click Here to Read My Review and Excerpt.

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

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Key Lime Kisses

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Maple Sugar Mix-up

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Dreaming of His Omega

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How to Lose an Omega in Twelve Days

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🎅🎄Saturday's Series Spotlight🎄🎅: Anna Martin's Christmas Short Stories Part 2

Single Bells #4

Summary:

Not many people can say they own a reindeer, but Nick McLeish is a vet, and happens to have a whole herd. At Christmastime they’re the star attraction at fetes and events all around Edinburgh, so when a handful escape from their home pasture, Nick tries to recruit as many people as possible to help get them back.

After his drunk and rather inelegant first meeting with his new neighbour, Joel Brodie doesn’t expect to see much of Nick. But the start of Christmas break from his job at a matchmaking company coincides with the reindeer getting lost, and it’s not exactly a chore to spend more time with Nick searching for them. Maybe a little Christmas spirit is what they both need to turn their single situations around.

Mistletoe & Whine #5

Summary:

Jack Daly owns a toy shop nestled away down one of Bath’s cobbled streets, and he has big plans: in the new year, he’s going to expand to include a book shop. So when a seasonal pop-up shop selling children’s books opens on the other side of the street, he’s livid — is he about to lose everything he’s worked so hard for?

Oliver Rowe would much prefer to be writing books than selling them, but since writer’s block hit he doesn’t have much choice. With his agent breathing down his neck and inspiration at an all time low, all he can do is daydream about the grumpy toy shop owner who won’t stop scowling at him.

Single Bells #4

Couldn't think of a better way to start the new year. I didn't intend to actually finish this on New Year's Eve/Day(I started it about 12:30am so technically 1/1😉). I only planned to read a few pages as I was waiting for my laptop to do a restart but once I started I couldn't stop. These stories in Anna Martin's Christmas Shorts are, as the series label states, short but they are also very sweet, not too sweet, as Goldilocks says "just right". Its that not too sweet element that makes them very Hallmarky but better.

In Single Bells, we see Nick the new vet trying to find his footing in the community and wrangle in his reindeer. Yes, I said reindeer. You can't help but think these reindeer had an inkling their walkabout would bring Nick and his new neighbor, Joel together. Maybe that's just my take but I stand by it.

This whole series is great, short, sweet, and oh so entertainingly fun. Perfect Xmas reading that will make you smile, warm your heart, and frankly just brighten your day all around. Single Bells is a perfect example of all of that.

Mistletoe & Whine #5

I started the year with Single Bells before bed and when I woke up a few hours later, Mistletoe & Whine seemed the perfect way to jumpstart the day. This may be the shortest entry in pages but so chock full of quality that you don't notice the shortness. This entry was from 2023 but it's my last one, I have now read all of them and I am anxiously awaiting 2026's holiday entry all ready.  11 months to go . . . Xmas never seemed so far away.

This has a nod to You've Got Mail feel a bit with the competing book sellers and yet nothing more than that is the same. I don't know if the author had any inspiration from the film or not but I couldn't help but feel a bit of a homage element to it. Frankly, this is so much better but still it brought memories back.

Jack and Oliver have what I like to call a snark and cuddle initial meet but unlike a lot of the characters I put the label to, the snark is brief but definitely makes for a cute meet. Again, this is a perfect entry in the author's Christmas Shorts series that will make you chuckle, smile, and leave you warm-hearted when you reach the last page. Perfect holiday reading that will entertain any time of year.

RATING:

Single Bells #4

“Single bells, single bells,” Joel sang, off key, as he put one foot in front of the other and tried very, very hard not to fall over. “Single all the way.”

The snow storm had swept in furiously since he’d left the house earlier that morning; now the fat flakes were being dumped on the ground with increasing ferocity. And all he was wearing was jeans and a dumb Christmas jumper. No coat.

Stupid office Christmas parties.

Stupid snow.

Stupid Milly who suggested tequila shots to warm them up while they were huddled outside, fingertips going numb while sharing a cigarette outside on Grassmarket. Joel liked Milly, a lot, but she had terrible ideas when it came to alcohol.

Especially when they both had to go to work in the morning.

“Oh what fun, it is to ride on a….” He giggled to himself, thinking about all the things he’d actually like to take a ride on. “On a—oh fuck.”

Joel wasn’t entirely sure what happened. One minute he was edging very slowly down the very steep hill; the next he was on his arse, skidding to an inelegant stop.

Stupid shiny dress shoes that had no grip on the soles.

“Are you okay?”

Oh great. Even better. Someone had actually witnessed that.

Joel got to his feet—slowly, keeping both hands and both feet planted until he was sure of his balance—and brushed his palms on his knees. He’d scraped his hands badly enough to make them bleed. Fortunately, all the alcohol in his system was stopping it from hurting too much.

He looked around for the person who’d called out. And almost goggled at the sight.

The man was standing in the doorway of one of the cottages, wearing joggers, slippers, and a dressing gown that was open enough to show off a toned chest with a smattering of dark hair. Joel forced his eyes upwards. He was wearing glasses, too.

“Single bells,” he croaked again, mostly to himself.

“Hey.” Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome stepped off the front step and into his garden. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Joel put both thumbs up and thrust them at his handsome stranger. “I’m great. Thanks.”

“Where are you going?”

He pointed down the hill. Way, way down the hill. “Church Street.”

“No. Absolutely not. You’ll never make it in one piece. Come in.”

“Oh, I couldn’t impose.”

“It’s freezing. Come in, please.”

“If you insist,” Joel murmured under his breath. He took very careful steps over to the charming front gate, not wanting to fall over again.

It really was cold outside, but the cottage was cosy and warm, with the embers of a wood fire dying in the grate. A sleek grey cat was curled on a rug in front of it, her face tucked under one paw.

“Here, sit down.”

“I don’t want to get your sofa all wet.”

“It’s fine.”

Joel blinked the snow out of his eyes and tried to focus again. Focus, Joel.

“Why are you awake, anyway? Isn’t it the middle of the night?”

“I’m on call tonight. I usually try and stay semi-awake, just in case someone needs me.” He flashed Joel a brilliant smile. “Looks like someone needed me, even if you aren’t my usual patient.”

“You’re the new vet,” Joel said as his brain woke up.

“That’s me. Nicholas McLeish.”

“Jolly old Saint—”

“Shhh,” he said with a laugh. “Please don’t. Though I do usually go by Nick with friends. I’m only Nicholas when I’m in trouble.”

“I’m Joel. Brodie. Joel Brodie.” That was definitely his name.

“Hello, Joel. Want me to take a look at your hands?”

Joel turned them over and stared for a moment at the red dots that were slowly blooming. He presented them for Nick to look at.

“Sit down,” Nick said. “I’ll be right back.”

Joel perched on the edge of the sofa, his hands palms-up on his knees. While he watched, the cat rolled over in an elegant stretch, spreading her claws and yawning widely, then curled back up again.

“That’s Bastet,” Nick said from the doorway, making Joel jump.

“Like the goddess?”

“Mhmm.” He seemed pleased with Joel’s answer. “This might sting a little.”

He cradled Joel’s hand in his own and quickly swiped an antiseptic wipe over the scrapes, cleaning away the dirt and grit. Joel stared at him, unable to come up with anything sensible to say. Nick had a long nose, strong eyebrows, and cheeks that were flushed pink from the cold. Joel thought that even if he wasn’t drunk, he’d find Nick exceptionally nice to look at.

Nick picked up a tube of cream that smelled faintly medicinal and gently massaged it into Joel’s hands with his fingertips. Joel’s hands had turned very warm, very quickly.

“There,” Nick said as he finished up. “All done.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you cold?”

Joel considered that. “Not really. I have had a lot to drink.”

Nick smiled, and the corners of his eyes crinkled. “I got that impression, yeah. Do you want a cup of tea?”

Joel thought what he would really like was a large glass of Australian red, or a long slurp on whatever Nick was serving.

“Tea would be great. Thank you.”

But he still had his manners.

Mistletoe & Whine #5

The rain floated down outside—a fine, gentle, misty rain that clung to eyelashes and soaked through socks in moments—and inside in his shop, Jack Daly scowled fiercely at the activity across the street.

Festive Children’s Book Shop! the banner screamed in garish red.

Closing Christmas Eve!

Jack’s scowl deepened.

People rushed down the cobbled alley, obscuring Jack’s view in flashes of jewel-coloured coats, black umbrellas, armfuls of shopping bags. The terrible weather clearly hadn’t put anyone off coming out to get some Christmas shopping done.

The bell above the door jingled and Jack forced himself to paste on his professionalsmile as a woman clattered in with three children in tow.

“We’re just looking,” she said, warning them and flashing Jack an apologetic grin.

The kids were already running away from her and if they had heard, they were pretending they hadn’t.

The Magic Toy Shop had been open for a little over four years now, and Jack had a solid business plan of slow and steady growth. The shop was nestled down one of Bath’s twisting cobbled streets, which gave the whole area a quietly magical feel, and at this time of year, when the Christmas lights were strung between the buildings, the magic was dialled up a little higher.

The kids seemed initially less interested in the toys as they were in the slide and the treehouse—something that was vitally important when Jack had been drawing up the designs for the shop. The treehouse, and the slide, and the crawl-spaces between the shelves that kids loved to hide in. The antique wardrobe with the false back, where it was practically required to push aside the faux-fur coats to get to the next room and look at the rows and rows of fairy dolls and ugly gnomes for sale.

It was as much an experience as it was a shop, and Jack had plans, damn it, for a second-floor bookshop next year.

And now this… this… amateur across the street was going to throw a spanner in his plans and Jack thought he was entirely justified in being annoyed by that.

“We’ll just be five minutes,” the woman said, and Jack forced himself to pay attention to his customers. “They’ve been begging to come here since we got into town.”

“It’s fine,” Jack said with a smile, waving away her apologies. “I didn’t put a slide in just to turn away kids who want to play on it.”

“I’ll be back on Wednesday,” she said in a low voice. “To get the last of the shopping done when they’re in school.”

“If you need me to put anything aside for you just let me know,” he replied. “You can send me a message on Instagram if that helps. I can arrange for home delivery, too.”

“Why would anyone want home delivery?” she said, shaking the water from her cropped brown hair. “I want to go down the slide.”

Jack laughed. “You’re welcome to.”

“Kids!” she yelled, turning away from Jack and towards the squabbling which had broken out around whose turn it was. “Time go!”

The kids made the appropriate protests but trudged obligingly towards the door. The woman turned back and grinned at Jack over her shoulder.

See you Wednesday, she mouthed at him. Then, to the kids, “Come on, we’ll have a look in the book shop before we go home.”

Jack’s returning smile turned into a scowl.

It was practically theft, was what it was. He’d established this shop and built his presence here. He’d done the outreach and worked with the children’s hospital in Bristol and painstakingly built his social media presence until The Magic Toy Shop had been listed as one of the top five toy shops in the UK by the Guardian.

Instead of moping, Jack forced himself to get up from behind the counter (polished oak—his granddad had come out of retirement to make it for him bespoke) and tidy up the display of stuffed animals and their adorably quaint matching clothes that he imported from a small business in Romania.

That had been part of the plan he’d refused to budge on, even when everyone was telling him he needed to move with the trends. The shop wasn’t filled with ‘plastic tat’, as his friends with kids had called it, or whatever was the latest must-have toy of the season. He worked with suppliers from around the world to offer unique or bespoke or limited edition toys that you couldn’t just order online for half the price. The shop was a lifestyle brand, and deliberately so.

The sun set early these days, but the steady stream of customers lasted right up until he closed the doors at six—later than usual for December, so people could stop in after work for some last minute shopping. Some came in with the intention of dropping a few hundred pounds on Christmas gifts, some others just wanted to play in the treehouse, and both types of customer was fine by him. As far as Jack was concerned, footfall was footfall. He’d lost count of how many times someone had warned a child that they weren’t buying anything today, and the kid had left with one of Jack’s distinctive black card bags with the black ribbon drawstrings. He’d joked plenty of times that the magic of the shop was the ability to change parents’ minds.

Once the displays were tidy and everything was ready for the next morning, Jack started to close down. His evening routine was quiet and familiar, flicking off the lights, transferring the receipts to the safe, pulling down the shutters and locking them.

The drizzle had stopped, thank God, but the cobbles were still slippery and Jack grabbed the gold door handle as he stepped outside to make sure he didn’t end up on his arse.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Jack forced himself to look up.

It was the bastard thief from across the street.

Jack hadn’t managed to get a good look at him until now, and of course he was ridiculously handsome, because that was what bastard thieves looked like in all of the Hollywood movies. He was tall and broad-shouldered with golden stubble over his jaw and pretty pink lips.

“I’m fine,” Jack said tightly.

“Ooo-kay,” he said, pushing his stupid floppy hair back from his stupid beautiful face. “I’ll see you around.”

“Hopefully not,” Jack muttered and stormed away—in the wrong direction—down the street before the book shop guy could follow him.

Saturday Series Spotlight

Part 1  /  Part 2

Random Xmas Postings

Santa Maybe  /  Fizz the Season

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 thatís 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.

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Single Bells #4

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Mistletoe & Whine #5

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Anna Martin's Christmas Short Stories

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