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Sunday, December 2, 2012

IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS




The Holiday Season is upon us! Yes, can you believe today is December 2nd and we have three weeks plus two days until the 25th. Yikes, but I do love this time of year. I really do. Great movies, old and new ones to tug at our heartstrings, at least mine, are on television. Black Friday for sales is behind us. The weather has started to turn, even here in Florida with cooler evenings. Junk mail is hitting hour mailboxes with ads on all the savings that can be had for those perfect presents. Neighborhoods are decorating with lights and scenes on their houses and front lawns. We’ve only put up a few lights because our granddaughter who lives with us likes to put up Rudolph and her other trinkets. Our house looks kind of pathetic sandwiched in-between our neighbors who go all out.

And then there are those holiday books hitting the bookshelves and E-tailers. That is another reason why I like this time of year. I received my first contract two years ago and my very first release, even as a free read, was a Christmas story. I wrote Christmas With A Stranger in the hopes of expanding it and re-releasing, but alas, that hasn’t happened. My muse went off on several tangents and doing other things. Since, I’ve written a Christmas story every year. Monday, I will have my third story come out, also a novella, but it is definitely slated as a serial and will continue throughout 2013 with the last one again coming out next Christmas. I think I have a trend going here.
 
I think why I’m inspired is because the time brings joy and hope for a new year. My faith in the spirit of Christmas always has me thinking of what I’m thankful for more than any other time. It is a spiritual time, a joy of giving back to my community through charities, and sharing love with my family. That pesky muse likes to express that sentiment in a story and I guess that’s what I’ll keep doing.

Hope everyone has a happy, joyful and loving Holiday and I’ll see ya’ll next year. Until then, enjoy a snippet from A Gift of Love, my story from last year. Based on a classic, the main characters and their situation have been modernized.

EXCERPT:



“If there is no joyous way to give a festive gift, give love away.” ~ Author Unknown

Christmas Eve. Yes, today is the day.
Blinking at first, Jennifer slowly opened her eyes. As she ran delicate fingers over the matted lids to wipe away the crust of sleep, a restless sleep peppered with unfinished dreams, she yawned. Long gone were the nights spent unstressed and uncomplicated to rest for eight hours or more. She stretched her arms above her head, and shifted position under the cotton sheets and down comforter. Slowly rolling onto her back, before settling onto a side, she glanced up and saw him staring back with a satisfied grin.
“Good morning, Angel. You’re awake.” Chris Bryant stood at the edge of the bed.
“Good morning, Sir.” Jennifer smiled. No matter how exhausted she seemed, the sight of her Sir always made the worst of nights a joy and never did she tire of looking at him. Even though their living situation had changed drastically over the past year and a half, Chris maintained his awesome physique. Gone was the gym membership, so he took to the pavement running every other day to stay in shape. She loved to gaze upon his muscular frame molding the crisp white shirt to his chest. Or, the black trousers that skimmed the strong long legs and wrapped around her tiny body, and she never tired at taking in his handsome facial features.
“What are your plans for today, Angel?” He leaned down and kissed her forehead, slipping onto the mattress beside her.
“Same old stuff.” She touched his lips with her fingertips and traced the edges. “Chris, what’s wrong? You seem deep in thought.”
“Nothing’s wrong,” he whispered.
Pressing her hands on his chest, she pushed back. “That’s good to hear, because before I leave for my shift around eleven, I plan on doing naughty things to you, Sir.” Pretty much the same she did every day—make love, pick-up around the apartment and head off to work. Once a well-paid, sixty-to-seventy-hours-a-week kind of gal, she worked as an accounts representative at a brokerage firm. Unfortunately, the economic downturn in recent years finally snagged her position and she had to seek employment elsewhere, doing something totally outside her field of expertise. Although, New York was the center of the financial world, finding viable work after the recent recession made securing a new job no less difficult. She began to search for anything to help bring in her share of expenses to the household. Unfortunately, the best she found included bartending for the lunch crowd at Elliott’s near Wall Street.
Chris’ experience mirrored hers. He had a job, but nothing like the arbitrage position he had when she first met him. Jennifer met Sir at a negotiations meeting between his company and hers. They locked eyes across the conference room table and six months later were deep into the relationship, a power exchange which fulfilled both their needs and desires.
After giving up her own apartment, she moved into his high-rise and started a new life with a man she fell deeply in love with. He offered a way to express her need to relinquish control of her personal life, which had been disastrous and almost non-existent before he came along. Her career demanded so much, she barely made time for her personal interests during off-hours, let alone make time for a healthy relationship with any man. A perfect life, up until a year or so ago.
“I’ll be home around seven tonight. I ask you be available to meet me at Rockefeller Center. I have plans for us and you can’t be late.”

Cynthia Arsuaga

7 comments:

Tina Donahue said...

I really like the cover for A Vampire's First Christmas. Cute title too. :)

jean hart stewart said...

good post, and I loved the covers. A Vampire's Forst Xmas is a great title!

Nicole Morgan said...

Great post, Cynthia. The Holiday season is sneaking up on us, isn't it?

I love the title, A Gift Of Love. I think there's no greater gift that one can give. :)

Sandy said...

Cynthia, great cover, and I like the excerpt, too.

Christmas is coming too fast. 2012 just snuck away from me. lol

Cara Marsi said...

I love this time of year too. I love the covers of your books. There are several classic holiday romance movies I watch every year. My husband and I love to watch the Hallmark and Lifetime holiday romances. He's an old softie. He tears up when watching some of them. I love the lights and the music too.

Cynthia Arsuaga said...

It is a great time of year isn't it? I was out most of today with daughter and granddaughter and the holidays are definitely seen everywhere! The weather was a bit warm (80's), but loved it! The cold can stay where it's at. Cara, love watching Hallmark and Lifetime too!
Thanks everyone for the kudos for the covers.

Marianne Stephens said...

Lights are done and decorating inside is finished...now if I could just get organized and do my shopping, wrapping, and cards, I'd be a super Christmas elf.
Love the Christmas movies...new and old. Where's "White Christmas"? "A Christmas Story"?
I love this season!

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