Christmas Romance Anthology – Holiday Kisses #3

 

Hello Friends,

This week I’m delighted to tell you about my romance story which is featured in the Holiday Kisses anthology being published 4 November 2022. In 2021, Gumnut Press located in Perth, Western Australia, put out a call for White Christmas romance short story submissions.

 

I was intrigued by the challenge of writing a Christmas romance, but how would I do it? Now I am a fan of the Wham song, ‘Last Christmas’ which has almost become a classic Christmas song since its release 36 years ago.

 

I imagined a heroine called Gracie who had a heartbreaking last Christmas and she’s not over it yet. She’s definitely not looking forward to the new Christmas day which is tomorrow in the story. She keeps her distance from a special man, Jedd, even though he catches her eye every time and she’s naturally attracted to him. What can Jedd do to make Gracie realize they could get together and make a great couple?

 

How will Gracie ever know that the special man right there with her is the guy she’s been looking for? He’s a man to love.

 

It was going to take a miracle to bring this couple together. So, I called my story, The Now or Never Miracle.

 

How exactly was this miracle going to work? Well, I took Gracie and Jedd away from homes and their normal lives, which is the ‘fish out of water’ trope. I sent them on a holiday to the Southern Highlands of Scotland to find the true spirit of Christmas. Then I enlisted the help of an unusual matchmaker.

 

As I continued writing, I laughed until the last page. The matchmaker is TROUBLE of the 4-legged kind. The romance turned fun, and it was wonderful that Gumnut Press liked the story enough to include it in their anthology. I hope you can read it sometime too.

 

Well, that’s my short description of The Now or Never Miracle.

And now for the official blurb.....

Christmas is a magical time when you choose to believe in love.

After her last Christmas left her heartbroken, Gracie Joyce will do anything to avoid another yuletide disaster. Sidestepping a kiss under the mistletoe is her first safe move at the staff party in Scotland. She must keep resisting her attraction to her charismatic, handsome boss, Jedd Taylor, even when the Christmas Eve party turns to chaos.

Lovely Gracie is a smart and funny woman who captivates Jedd Taylor. If only her smile didn’t fade when she laid eyes on him. How can he convince her not to pigeon-hole him as her boss, and let them get to know each other better?

A miracle unfolds in a picturesque village in the Southern Highlands. The spirit of Christmas comes alive in unexpected ways. When a special matchmaker appears, will they surrender or deny the heart’s desire?

My next excitement is that Gumnut Press have released a video featuring The Now or Never Miracle.

Thank you to author, Carolyn Wren who made the video. Carolyn also wrote a romance story in the anthology. I can’t wait to read her story, and the whole book.

The Holiday Kisses anthology is available for a special-pre-order book price of $ 0.99 (Australia) at Holiday Kisses Universal Book Link

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

Photo Credits: Gumnut Press, Seema Miah and Freestocks R on Unsplash.com

Christmas Romance Anthology – Holiday Kisses #2

 

Hello Friends,

The year is speeding on toward Christmas. The excitement is building as Holiday Kisses, the Christmas Romance Anthology gets ready to launch in early November 2022. There’s news from the publishers, Gumnut Press. I can share the book description and pre-order details. It’s been fun being in a group of authors who are enthusiastic about every single book detail like the cover, videos, and write-ups. So, let’s dive into the description of the stories.

‘Tis the season to fall in love in this heartwarming collection of Christmas romance stories.

It’s Christmas…a time for kisses under the mistletoe, tree decorating, fruit mince pies, fairy lights and snow in abundance. This holiday season celebrates the joy of romance with some Holiday Kisses.

Filled with love, romance, and a whole lot of heart. From a Christmas gift exchange program, Manhattan wedding, fireman’s calendar photography shoot, train trip to Edinburgh, Irish castle, holiday job, Christmas wedding photo shoot, missent text, plum pudding catastrophe, and a mischievous donkey named Colin. All with a kiss or two.

Families reunite, new friends are made, and old flames take a second chance at happiness. Escape between the pages and get swept away into these holiday stories celebrating the spirit of the Christmas season!

Light the fire, grab some hot chocolate and settle in for the night and dive into these Christmassy romances. With ten stories from Australian authors, you’re sure to find something to pull at the heartstrings while rediscovering the joys of Christmas.

If you want to grab a bargain, there’s a special-pre-order book price of $ 0.99 (Australia) available now. Catch it before the normal price is set at $3.99 (Australia). For readers living outside Australia, I have a buy link here;  Holiday Kisses Universal Book Link

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

Backstage Chatter

Hello Friends,

This week I have a little piece of backstage chatter to share with you. It could be a bit funny. The chatter comes from the cast of the musical theatre show I was recently part of.

Every performance, the actress on the stage said her line which was similar to;

 “He snores like there’s a group of pigs on the loose.”

The line found common ground with the audience, and they laughed. It seemed that a lot of people know a heavy snorer and what they sound like when they’re sleeping.

One night, backstage, in the ladies dressing room, a conversation started about the challenges of sleeping with another. One of the women told us a real-life story, grin.

Her man is one of those loud snorers. During the evening of the story, she was woken up by snoring. She gave her a husband a whack, poor guy, to stop the annoying sound from interrupting her sleep.

The problem was…he wasn’t snoring. He was awake and innocent.

The woman had been woken up by the sound of her own snoring.

Not so funny for her.

I know what that’s like too. Sometimes on the weekend, it’s nice to have a catnap after lunch. I can drift off to sleep, the snoring starts, and suddenly I’m awake again. Oh dear!

So, snorers who share a bed should be careful with their sleepy judgements. Get to know the sound of your own group of pigs on the loose.

Have you ever known someone who doesn’t snore? One of my family members had enough snoring power to launch a rocket into outer space.

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

  

Photo Credit: Toa Heftiba on Unsplash.com

I’ve Been Away

 

Hello Friends,

I’ve been away these last few weeks and busy at a small community theatre doing a show. The show story is set in the 1950’s and I’m acting two characters, singing and dancing. It’s my first time acting and some of the singing parts are solo. I’m still really nervous about the singing. There’s one more week to go before the show is finished.

Naturally, I’m a quiet writer type of person, an introvert. Theatre drags me out of my shell and helps build confidence. I also feel like my creativity gets recharged and inspired by the different way of telling a story on the stage.

I’m really looking forward to getting my time back for romance writing and blogging. In the background, Gumnut Press are continuing to work on the Holiday Kisses Romance Anthology book. I expect there will be more news coming from the publisher soon.

The year seems to be getting busier and busier. Is this happening for you too? 

 

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn 

 

Photo Credit: Annie Spratt on Unsplash.com