Saturday Sample

During the month of December my characters take over my blog. Let's drop in and see what they're up to.

All hail! Welcome to all of Madame's friends. My name is Prince Alan, and I am here to share a marvelous video with you. Madame enlisted the aid of a talented video artist to create a fitting tribute for her latest masterpiece Rest Thy Head. I shall share it with you as I know Madame would wish. Then, perhaps a short excerpt from one of her Christmas stories.  I am fond of the one titled The Table in the Window because I enjoyed seeing a villain reap a suitable reward. It is a short work, only 16,000 words whereas the book of my co-host Nikki Lane is a full length novel. As Madame Nikki as said many times, her story is called The Best Selling Toy Of The Season. I beg of you to consider giving books as a gift for Christmas, and if you should pick Madame's books, so much the better.

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Rest-Thy-Head-Elaine-Cantrell-ebook/dp/B00NTAXTOC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419043923&sr=8-1&keywords=rest+thy+head&pebp=1419043924657

Chapter One

I’ll have a blue Christmas without you…

Marley Matthews shook her fist at the driver of a sleek, gray
Jaguar. “You splashed my coat!” she yelled. As expected, the driver
never even bothered to acknowledge her presence.

She sighed, pulled her coat more tightly around her, and
shook her big umbrella in hopes of dislodging the ice pellets
freezing on every metal rib. What a dreadful day. If Michael hadn’t
insisted they meet for lunch, she would’ve stayed home and kept
warm. She still had some Christmas shopping to do, but it was too
cold and icy to care.

She smiled as thoughts of Michael warmed her. He had
asked her to marry him six months ago and, in that time, she had
discovered what true happiness felt like.

Barton’s loomed up ahead through the rain and fog. Located
in a building with the date 1889 set in stone way up high next to the
roof, it had been vacant for a long time before Tim Barton bought
the place and opened his restaurant there.

Through the window, she saw a huge Christmas tree
standing near the grand fireplace for which Barton’s had become
locally famous. Colorful lights outlined the top of the building, and
a huge green wreath covered the entire upper half of the door.

The sound of sweet carols greeted her when she entered the
restaurant. Where was he? There. The table in the window. The one
where the dark-­‐‑haired, muscular god was sitting. She waved and
almost floated across the floor to meet him, buoyed by a wave of
happiness so intense it almost hurt.

“Hey, there,” she called, even before she reached the table.
“Seeing you makes up for the lousy weather.” She smiled as she
took her seat and busied herself with removing her wet coat.

Michael, who wore the wheat-­colored sweater she’d bought
him last month, stared out the window as if he saw something far
more fascinating than rain and fog. He hadn’t met her eyes once,
and he didn’t have the hint of a smile on his face. “Hello, Marley.”

The waiter, a guy whose name tag identified him as Robert,
approached to take their order. “What’ll it be?” he asked with a
smile. “Hot chocolate? Coffee? Or do you need something stronger
to warm you up?”

“Coffee,” Marley answered.

Robert offered them a menu, but Michael waved it away.
“I’m not having lunch.”

Marley’s eyebrows shot up. As the waiter left the table, she
said, “I thought you wanted to have lunch.”

“No, I said I wanted to talk to you.”

“Okay, talk.” Marley reached for his hand, but he drew it
away and put it in his lap.

“Uh…Marley…I have something to tell you.” He cleared his
throat, and this time he stared at some point right behind her left
shoulder.

Marley’s heart thumped. “What is it, Michael? What’s
wrong?” Was he ill? Had he lost his job?

He stared at a burned spot on the rustic table as if it had
come to life and tried to bite him. “I…I’ve met someone.”

Marley cocked her head. “Who did you meet?”

He’d pitched his voice so low she had a hard time hearing
him. “Her name is Heather.”

Everything clicked. He wouldn’t hold hands with her. He
wouldn’t look at her. Cold more intense than that outside settled
into her veins and almost took her breath away, but she clung to
the hope that she was wrong. “I...I don’t understand.”

His eyes met hers briefly before they slid away. “Yes, you
do. I’m sorry, Marley, but I can’t marry you after all.”

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Table-Window-Elaine-Cantrell-ebook/dp/B006GYAQ26/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1419043870&sr=8-2&keywords=the+table+in+the+window&pebp=1419043873172

Sweet Saturday Sample

This excerpt comes from my Melange Christmas release The Best Selling Toy of the Season which is available at Melange Books.  At one time or the other I've felt pretty much the same way my heroine does, but the knock on her door is literally going to change her life forever.

Nikki sank wearily onto her sofa the following evening and propped her feet on the scarred coffee table in front of her. “Just shoot me now, and put me out of my misery,” she muttered.

Her two small sons stood dejectedly in front of her. “We’re sorry, Mama. We didn’t mean to do it,” Teddy apologized.

When you had two lively boys in the family you expected things to happen, but after a hard day at work this mess had almost undone her. The family Christmas tree lay on its side on the floor, and the water in the reservoir of the tree stand had soaked the few colorful packages nestled under the tree. “Be careful where you step,” she tiredly warned the boys. “Most of the ornaments are broken, and you’ll get glass in your feet.”

As if dealing with this catastrophe didn’t give her enough to do, she heard someone knock loudly on the front door of the trailer. With an enormous sigh, Nikki dragged herself from the sofa. Why now?

She didn’t want company tonight. “You kids sit right here on the sofa. Don’t you even think of moving.”

She jerked the door open, and her jaw dropped. A surprise visit from Rudolph or maybe a Christmas elf wouldn’t have surprised her any more. “You! You’ve got a nerve coming here after you ruined my

things. Who gave you this address? What do you want?”

Sweet Saturday Sample

Today's sample is from The Best Selling Toy Of The Season, and it picks up where last Saturday's sample left off.  The book is available at
















http://www.melange-books.com/authors/elainecantrell/cantrellthebestsellingtoyoftheseason.html

The butler stood beside her chair wringing his hands. “I’ll get it ma’am. Please don’t worry about it.”

“Why don’t we have dessert in the living room,” Tommy tactfully suggested, rising as he spoke.

Everybody followed him, and Tommy seated himself on the sofa beside Nikki. He began to talk to his parents about nothing in particular, and with the focus off of her, Nikki marginally relaxed.

“Did you know Tommy when you were in high school, Nikki?” asked Mr. Price.

“No, I didn’t.”

“When did you graduate?”

“Oh, I didn’t graduate. I quit when I was seventeen. I always thought I’d go to adult education and get my diploma, but after the kids were born I had to work and take care of them, and I just didn’t have the time.”

Nikki maintained a casual air, but her face had turned pink, for she knew that nothing she had done so far could hold a candle to her lack of education. Tommy was a lawyer for goodness sake. These people valued education as much as they valued family, and she had neither

Mrs. Price changed the subject for which Nikki blessed her. “Your cousin, Dan, trains Tommy’s horse doesn’t he?”

“Yes, he does. He does a good job, too. He’s won a lot of ribbons and trophies for Tommy.”

“I believe he recently married Holly Grant.”

“Yes, ma’am, he did.”

“I play bridge with Holly’s grandmother, Pauline. She’s really pleased about the marriage.”

“Oh, so is Mr. Wakefield. You know Dan lived with him after his parents died.”

“I expect he is pleased. Most parents wouldn’t like for their daughters to go out with Kyle Wakefield’s son.”

Nikki’s eyes started to snap, and Tommy hastily stepped in. “Mother, I know you didn’t mean that the way it sounded. Dan’s a fine man; he’s nothing at all like his father.” Dan’s father had been a drug dealer, and everyone in Fairfield knew it.

“I’m very sorry,” Mrs. Price apologized. “That didn’t come out the right way.”

Nikki suspected that it came out exactly the way Mrs. Price meant it, but for Tommy’s sake, she kept quiet.

Thankfully, Tommy didn’t want to stay too late. Nikki had never been as glad of anything in her life when he said they had to go. The thing was, she needed a restroom. She hated to ask, but it had reached the point where she had to.

“May I use your bathroom before we go?”

“Certainly. I’ll show you where it is,” Mrs. Price said.

Nikki followed her through the elegant home, and Mrs. Price indicated the powder room. It wasn’t as large as Nikki had thought it would be, but this was an older house. Maybe they didn’t build bathrooms so large a long time ago, she thought.

As she washed her hands she admired the pretty, snow-white towel. With all that lace on the bottom it looked too fancy to use. She had just replaced it on the towel bar when disaster struck. Her arm nudged the edge of a cut glass bowl full of potpourri that crashed to the tile floor and splintered into what looked like a million pieces. Nikki started to cry. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand and bit the inside of her lip hard. She couldn’t afford to bawl like a baby.

She heard a knock on the door, and Tommy called, “Nikki, what was that noise? Are you okay?”

Nikki swiftly opened the door. “Get me a broom and dustpan. I knocked your mother's bowl into the floor and broke it."

Tommy shook his head. “Henry will clean it up, Nikki. You’re Mother’s guest.”

Mrs. Price appeared in the doorway behind Tommy. “Don’t worry about it, Nikki. I have plenty of bowls to replace it with.”

“I’d like to pay you for it.”

“That isn’t necessary. It wasn’t valuable.”

Finally, they said goodnight, and as the car door closed behind her Nikki burst into loud, noisy sobs. The good time had definitely ended. Tommy would wash his hands of her, and it was all her fault. Why couldn’t she have done things right just this one time?

Elizabeth Lane's Last Minute Shopping Ideas

My characters have taken over my blog during the month of December. I hope everything goes okay. Drop me an email if they get too far out of control.

Elizabeth: Are you finished with your Christmas shopping, Nikki?

Nikki: All excerpt for a couple of things I want to get for Rachel's kids. Who knows what to buy a teenage girl?

Elizabeth: I do.

Nikki: (rolling her eyes) Oh, yeah? What do you recommend?

Elizabeth: Several things actually. First, I saw a little pendant at Kmart in the shape of a cat. Would you like to see the picture of it?

Nikki: (laughing) Right. You're a Hollywood actress, and you're married to one of the richest men in the country and you're shopping at Kmart. Really, where did it come from?

Elizabeth: It came from Kmart. Nikki, it doesn't matter where you find things that you like.

Nikki: Oh, I get it. Kmart's paying you to promote their product.

Elizabeth: Nope. I just saw it and liked it.

Nikki: We'll post a picture of it. What else do you like?

Elizbeth: A bling hangit.

Nikki: Bling, I get, but what's a hangit?

Elizabeth: You can hang a tremendous amount of jewelry on it and hang it almost anywhere, even in a closet. I found it when I was buying a book at Amazon.

Nikki: Post a picture of it. Anything else?

Elizabeth: Those are my two favorites, although personalizing a calendar with family photos would be a close third.

Nikki: They do that online at lots of places. Not a bad idea really.

Elizabeth: Thank you! Now who won that last contest, the one for the recipes?

Nikki: I don't know her name, but I have her email, and I've already asked her for her address.

Elizabeth: Good. Readers we'll see you next time.

Welcome Sandy Nicks

During the month of December my blog has been taken over by my characters. I have no idea what they're going to do next! Your hostess is Elizabeth Lane heroine of Return Engagement. Her assistant is her cousin Nikki Lane who is the heroine of The Best Selling Toy Of The Season.

Elizabeth: Nikki, we have another guest today. This is Sandy Nicks.

Nikki: Hi, Sandy. Are you an author too?

Sandy: I sure am. I've got a book I'd like to tell you about too.

Nikki: Sounds good to me! I'm giving people books for Christmas, and I need one more.

Elizabeth: Sandy, could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself and your writing?

Sandy: Thank you for having me, Elaine, Elizabeth, and Nikki! I write romantic comedy and time travel romance for Vanilla Heart Publishing. My first novel, Falling for Autumn, was published in 2009. It’s the first book in the series Sisters for All Seasons. Book two, Crazy Days of Summer, will be released in early 2011. My time travel romance, Circle of Eternity, was released in February 2010.

I live near the Jersey Shore with my husband, four kids and nine spoiled pets. When I’m not writing, I like to read, go to the beach in Belmar, and hang out with my family.

Elizabeth: I love romantic comedy! My new movie that's coming out next summer is a romantic comedy.

Nikki: Sandy, Elizabeth is an actress, but I guess you knew that. Everyone knows her especially after Elaine told her story in Return Engagement.

Sandy: Everyone's heard of Elizabeth Lane!

Elizabeth: Can you tell us about your latest release, Sandy?

Sandy: The release date for Crazy Days of Summer has changed to early 2011. It’s about the middle sister, Summer. I had a lot of fun writing it and look forward to its release. It takes place in Hollywood and Belmar, NJ. Autumn makes an appearance as well as their beloved and fun mother Daisy. Spring, the youngest sister, whose book will be out late next year, also makes an appearance. Summer works for a movie star and things get hot and crazy…that’s all I’ll say for now : -)

Elizabeth: Wow, working for a movie star! I hope it's a nice star. Where did you get your idea for the book?

Sandy: The idea started with Falling for Autumn. Her family plays an important part in her life and in the story. I fell in love with all of them and wanted each sister to have her own story. I admit there are always pieces from real life woven into my stories. However, ideas can and do strike randomly and I always keep a notebook with me to write them down.

Nikki: Which is your favorite of all your books? Why?

Sandy: I honestly can’t pick one because I love all of my characters and their adventures. It’s also hard to choose because I write both contemporary and time travel romance. I love writing about the present day just as much as I do writing about the twelfth century. They also have a common theme that love and a sense of humor going hand-in-hand. I want my readers to laugh just as much as I want them to be sent on an adventure and fall in love.

Nikki: Elaine says shehas a hard time picking favorites too, but I bet my book is really her favorite. What are your plans for Christmas?

Sandy: We’ll be spending Christmas Eve at my sister-in-law’s house. In addition to my five year old nephew, we have a new nephew who’s just six months old so I’m really looking forward to being with them. When we get home that night, it’s a tradition for me, my husband and our children to watch the movie Christmas Vacation! On Christmas Day, we’ll be home opening presents, hanging out and eating lots of goodies!

Elizabeth: That sounds lovely to me, Sandy. We’d love to have a blurb and excerpt from your latest book. Be sure to include a buy link.

Sandy: Since the release for Crazy Days of Summer has been changed, I’ll just give you the blurb. If readers would like to read excerpts from Falling for Autumn and Circle of Eternity, they can be found on my web site: www.sandynicks.com.


Crazy Days of Summer blurb:
Crazy Happens.
Summer Winters is used to having a hectic life. She has no choice. She works long hours for a famous movie star, she’s planning her beach wedding in New Jersey from her office in California, and her mother calls ten times a day to discuss ideas for the ceremony that include mermaid ice sculptures, fish bowl centerpieces and having the bridal party jump in the ocean.

Bret Hartford is handsome, wealthy and famous. With a recent string of box office successes, he’s rocketing to A-list status. He throws lavish parties, attends red carpet events and is always flocked by a bevy of beauties hoping to win his heart.
Like violent waves stirred by a coastal storm, Summer and Bret are suddenly hit with lies and betrayal. Summer’s wedding plans quickly unravel when her fiancé becomes distant and her mother falls ill. Bret’s future takes a hit when he becomes embroiled in a scandal that threatens his career. While Summer tries to mend her broken heart and care for her mother, Bret is relying on her to help him uncover the truth.

When Summer and Bret join forces to get their lives back in order, their working relationship turns like the tide. From low to high, they soon find their friendship is changing to something more intense.
Can this heated passion endure the crazy days of summer?

All my books are available in print and a variety of e-book formats – including Kindle, Nook, Sony, iPad and more. They can be purchased at Amazon and B&N. To learn more about me and my books, please visit: www.sandynicks.com.

Thanks again, ladies, for having me!

Elizabeth: Thanks for coming, Sandy. And I do know Bret Hartford.

Elizabeth and Richard's Favorite Christmas Quotes

Elizabeth: Welcome to Elaine’s blog, readers. I'm Elizabeth Lane, Elaine's heroine in Return Engagement, and my assistant is Nikki Lane, heroine of The Best Selling Toy Of The Season. We've taken over Elaine's blog for the month of December. Elaine, I hope you're having a nice vacation. Christmas is so exciting, isn’t it?

Nikki: Exciting, yes, but I’m frazzled. So much to do, and I don’t have Tommy’s present yet.

Elizabeth: You’ll think of something. Would you like to read my Christmas quotes?

Nikki: You made up quotes about Christmas?

Elizabeth: No, Richard and I made a list of our favorite Christmas quotes.

Nikki: You and Richard do some weird things. Tommy and I don’t sit around doing stuff like that. Are you going to share the list with the readers?

Elizabeth: Yes, I am, and it wouldn’t hurt you and Tommy to think a little more about Christmas and what it means to you.

Nikki: Well, I don't guess I need to write down quotes to...

Elizabeth: Readers, here are Richard and my favorite Christmas quotes. Leave a comment telling me which one you like best and why. Or, you can list your own favorite quote. If I draw your name from the hat Elaine will send you a cute pair of hand made Christmas earrings. Don’t forget to leave your email address so she can contact the winner.

Nikki: Goody, another contest. Which earrings are you giving away?

Elizabeth: Turquoise beads trimmed in black. Okay, here we go.

1.I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. - Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol

2.I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
- Longfellow

3.Jennifer Bofinger, media spokeswoman for the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said despite the shabby treatment of deer in general, her organization has not received any complaints about how Santa Claus treats his reindeer. - Los Angeles (LA) Times

4.Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. - Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby

5.Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. - Laura Ingalls Wilder

6.The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. - Burton Hillis (Better Homes and Gardens)

7.And the angel said unto them, "Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, Which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." - Luke 2:10-12

8.Do give books - religious or otherwise - for Christmas. They're never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal.
- Lenore Hershey

9.Love came down at Christmas; love all lovely, love divine; love was born at Christmas, stars and angels gave the sign. Christina G. Rossetti

10."At Christmas, all roads lead home." ~ Marjorie Holmes

My Blog's Been Hijacked!

I knew I'd regret creating such strong characters in my books! They told me in no uncertain terms that the blog belonged to them during the month of December, and that I should go away and not worry about it until the new year. I tried to talk them out of it, but I just wasted my breath. I finally agreed to let Elizabeth Lane, my heroine in Return Engagement, be in charge of organizing everything. She agreed and asked her cousin Nikki Lane (The Best Selling Toy OF The Season) to help her. I don't know what all they have planned, but Elizabeth said it'll be good so check back often to see what they are up to. See you in January, I guess.

Elizabeth: You have fun, Elaine. We’ll take care of things for you. It’ll be so much fun to share my Christmas with all of your readers. Nikki, say hello to the readers.

Nikki: Hello.

Elizabeth: You’ll have to excuse Nikki. She’s a little overwhelmed right now because she’s never been on a blog before.

Nikki: That’s right! I don’t know why I agreed to this.

Elizabeth: Because I asked you to, of course. Buck up. We’ll have fun.

Nikki: That’s easy for you to say! You’re an actress. You’re always in the public eye. I don’t know how you can stand it either. I mean, you never have any privacy. Why, just the other day you told me that Richard threw a fit when you went out to eat and the paparazzi wouldn’t leave you alone. I’m not surprised because you’re a major star, but he probably overreacted. He has a bad temper, and …

Elizabeth: Nikki does tend to run on when she gets wound up.

Nikki: I do not! How can you even say such a thing on a blog? I’ve a good mind to go home and …

Elizabeth: Yes, you do run on. Be quiet now, and let me tell the folks what we’re doing today.

Nikki: What are we doing today? You never told me either.

Elizabeth: Today we’re going to share something from the book Elaine wrote about you. Then we’re offering a contest.

Nikki: A contest! I just love contests! What do we have to do? Can I enter it?

Elizabeth: No, of course you can’t enter it. All the readers have to do is read the excerpt and then answer this question: What did Tommy break?

Nikki: Oh, okay. What’s the prize?

Elizabeth: An electronic copy of The Best Selling Toy Of The Season.

Nikki: Oh, wow, that’s so cool!

Elizabeth: I thought so. Readers, don’t forget to leave your email address so we can contact you if you win. Thanks for stopping by and come back soon. We have a lot planned for the month of December.

Excerpt: In this excerpt, Tommy, Elaine's hero in the Best Selling Toy, stops by a discount store to buy a gag gift to take to a Christmas party. That’s where he and Nikki met.

Tommy glanced at his watch; he was going to be late. He hurried to the checkout line, and there time stood still. Every register had an enormous line, and it took forever to check out even one customer.

Finally, his turn came. He thankfully paid for his gag gift and joined the throngs of people either going out or coming in. He saw Bill English and lifted his hand to wave goodbye, but he didn’t see the woman in front of him until he plowed into her. Both he and the young woman who had helped him find his gift went sprawling to the floor. Something in her bag broke with a loud crash when Tommy’s knee smashed into it.

All the Super Mart employees in the vicinity came running, including Bill English. “Are you guys okay?”

“I’m fine,” Tommy assured him as visions of lawsuits danced in his head. “Ma’am, are you okay?”

To his horror, the young woman burst into tears. “You’ve ruined everything! Teddy and Michael are going to be so disappointed, and I guess they’ll stop believing in Santa Claus, but you don’t care.”

She jerked her bag toward her and held out two broken toys for Tommy to see. “These robots are all that my boys asked for this year. I put them on layaway back in September, and I finished paying for them today. They’re the best selling toy of the season. You can’t find them anywhere, and now you’ve broken mine.”

She shot Tommy a look of bitter enmity. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she scrambled to her feet and stalked out of the store.

“Be ashamed,” lectured one of the customers. “You ruined her boys’ Christmas.”

“Yeah,” a man in the crowd contributed. “You could at least have offered to pay for it.”

The Super Mart employee nodded their agreement. “Look at the way he’s dressed. He’s got money to burn. He won’t even pay for Nikki’s loss, and it was all his fault.”

The crowd drifted away, and Bill picked up Tommy’s bag and handed it to him. “It was an accident, Tommy. I know you didn’t mean to do it.”

“Who was that woman? I’ll go back to the toy department and buy two more robots to replace the ones I broke. Give me her name and address, and I’ll have them sent to her tonight.”

Bill shook his head. “She told you the truth. Everybody’s sold out of those little robots. You can’t buy them anywhere.”

A look of determination came to rest on Tommy’s face. If Bill had ever seen Tommy in court, he would have recognized it immediately. Many of Tommy’s legal opponents shivered when this expression crossed his face, for as one of them put it, ‘A Rottweiller would turn a steak loose quicker than he’d give up when he looks like that.’

“You let me worry about finding the toys. What’s her name and address?”

“Her name is Nikki Lane, and she lives in trailer number five in Higgins Court.”

The Best Selling Toy Of The Season Excerpt 2

On November 7 I posted part 1 of Chapter 1 in my Christmas novel The Best Selling Toy Of The Season. Today, I'd like to post part 2. If you like the book, it's available at http://www.midnightshowcase.com

For a minute Tommy couldn't remember what he wanted.

“Cat got your tongue?” the young woman cheerfully inquired. “You look familiar. Do I know you?”

“I…don’t know, I mean, I don’t think so,” Tommy floundered, mentally kicking himself for allowing a beautiful woman to reduce him to the level of a gauche freshman.

“Well, what do you want? I’m too busy to just stand here and talk. You aren’t trying to pick me up are you? You’re tall, dark, and handsome as they say, but I’ve sworn off men. Every time I get involved with one it turns out bad. Your hair is as black as can be. You don’t dye it, do you?”

“Uh, no, I don’t dye it.”

“You won’t tell me what you want, so I’ll have to guess. You look like you might be an athlete, so I expect you want sporting goods. Follow this red line on the floor, and it’ll take you where you want to go.”

“No,” Tommy replied hastily. “That isn’t it. I want a gag gift.”

“Let me think.”

Tommy waited in silence for a moment or two. “I know just the thing,” she assured him. Follow me.”

She led Tommy to the lingerie department that didn’t please him at all. It embarrassed him to look at underwear with a beautiful woman.

She went down aisle five and selected a box from the shelf. “Here you go. This is a perfect gag gift unless you’re going to a church party. It might be a little over the top for church. Not that I think it’s bad myself, but ministers might. What do you think?”

“I don’t know what it is so it’s hard to have an opinion,” Tommy pointed out.

The girl handed him the box. “It’s a passion meter. You hold the round glass part in your hand, and your body heat causes the red liquid to rise in this little tube. You know; like mercury in a thermometer, but see on the side here? It tells you what kind of lover you are based on how far your body heat makes the liquid rise. Take it
out of the box and try it.”

“I don’t need to do that.”

“Oh, you might as well. Don’t you want to know?”

Well…

The woman removed the device from the box and handed it to him. “Wrap your hand around the glass bulb.”

Tommy did as she instructed. Suddenly the liquid boiled and shot
straight to the top of the glass tube.

“Look at you,” the woman laughed. “You measured red hot super
stud.”

Tommy’s face turned a color very similar to the red liquid, and a
fit of laughter so intense that she had to hold the shelf for support
seized his lovely companion. “You’re awfully shy, aren’t you? I guess you weren’t trying to pick me up after all. Is there anything more that I can show you?”

“No, but thank you for helping me.” Why did she have to laugh at him? No man wanted a beautiful woman to make fun of him.

“Merry Christmas,” she said and bustled away.

Tommy glanced at his watch; he was going to be late. He hurried to the checkout line, and there time stood still. Every register had an enormous line, and it took forever to check out even one customer.

Finally, his turn came. He thankfully paid for his gag gift and joined the throngs of people either going out or coming in. He saw Bill English and lifted his hand to wave goodbye, but he didn’t see the woman in front of him until he plowed into her. Both he and the young woman who had helped him find his gift went sprawling to the
floor. Something in her bag broke with a loud crash when Tommy’s
knee smashed into it.

All the Super Mart employees in the vicinity came running, including Bill English. “Are you guys okay?”

“I’m fine,” Tommy assured him as visions of lawsuits danced in his head. “Ma’am, are you okay?”

To his horror, the young woman burst into tears. “You’ve ruined everything! Teddy and Michael are going to be so disappointed, and I guess they’ll stop believing in Santa Claus, but you don’t care.”

She jerked her bag toward her and held out two broken toys for Tommy to see. “These robots are all that my boys asked for this year. I put them on layaway back in September, and I finished paying for them today. They’re the best selling toy of the season. You can’t find them anywhere, and now you’ve broken mine.”

She shot Tommy a look of bitter enmity. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she scrambled to her feet and stalked out of the store.

“Be ashamed,” lectured one of the customers. “You ruined her boys’ Christmas.”

“Yeah,” a man in the crowd contributed. “You could at least have offered to pay for it.”

The Super Mart employee nodded their agreement. “Look at the way he’s dressed. He’s got money to burn. He won’t even pay for Nikki’s loss, and it was all his fault.”

The crowd drifted away, and Bill picked up Tommy’s bag and handed it to him. “It was an accident, Tommy. I know you didn’t mean to do it.”

“Who was that woman? I’ll go back to the toy department and buy two more robots to replace the ones I broke. Give me her name and address, and I’ll have them sent to her tonight.”

Bill shook his head. “She told you the truth. Everybody’s sold out of those little robots. You can’t buy them anywhere.”

A look of determination came to rest on Tommy’s face. If Bill had ever seen Tommy in court, he would have recognized it immediately. Many of Tommy’s legal opponents shivered when this expression crossed his face, for as one of them put it, ‘A rottweiller would turn a steak loose quicker than he’d give up when he looks like
that.’

“You let me worry about finding the toys. What’s her name and address?”

“Her name is Nikki Lane, and she lives in trailer number five in Higgins Court.”

“Nikki Lane. Isn’t she Dan Wakefield’s cousin?”

“Yeah, she is.”

“I thought so. Dan trains my horse, and he asked me to get her no account boyfriend to pay child support. Did they ever get married?”

Bill laughed shortly. “No, not hardly. He pays Nikki because he knows that he has to, but he doesn’t want anything to do with her or the boys.”

“Why not? Is he blind? She’s drop dead gorgeous.”

“Oh, you should have seen her six months ago. She dyed her hair brassy blonde and frizzed it all over her head, she wore enough makeup for three people, and her clothes made her look like a…well, you know.”

“What happened to her?”

“Her cousin came to visit and gave her a few pointers.”

“Oh. Could you write down the name of the toy for me?”

“Sure, but don’t hold your breath. I don’t think you can find them anywhere.”

Bill took his pen out and found a piece of paper. He scribbled down the name and manufacturer of the robots and handed it to Tommy. “Good luck. Let me know how it turns out.”

“Thanks. I will.”

Tommy took his leave of Bill and hurried outside. The snow fell heavily now, and his car felt icy. He turned on the heater and took out his cell phone. “Hurry up and answer,” he impatiently muttered.

“Hello?” Uh oh. Cherie sounded annoyed.

“Cherie, it’s Tommy.”

“Where are you, Tommy? We’re going to be late, and this is important to me.” Yes, he had ticked her off.

“Well, that’s what I’m calling about. I’m in the middle of a crisis, and I can’t make it tonight.”

“What!”

“Look, I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you later, but I have something to do that just can’t wait.” He hadn’t lied either. If he could help it, those little boys wouldn’t be disappointed on Christmas morning.

“Oh, all right! I’ll call Mark Masters to escort me. I’m sure that he won’t turn me down.”

“Thanks, Cherie. I appreciate it. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later.”

He tossed the phone into the console of his car and carefully entered the stream of traffic. It took a little longer than usual to reach home because of the weather, and he sighed in relief as his car came to a halt in the garage. He never had liked driving in the snow.

He wished he hadn’t knocked the woman over, but he felt so thankful to avoid that party. He threw his coat and gag gift onto the sofa as he passed through his living room and immediately seated himself at his computer to start his search for the elusive robots.

The Best Selling Toy Of The Season

Tommy Price is having a bad day. His secretary is mad at him because he won't go out with her cousin, his best friend wants to set him up on a blind date, his father and mother have a woman picked out for him, and when he stops at the local discount store to buy a gag gift to take to a party, the store greeter tells him it's time he got married.

The trouble is, Tommy doesn't want to get married, not since his Susan rejected him and married another man. What will a woman have to do to penetrate Tommy's defenses?

Over the next week or so I'll be posting chapter 1 of my Christmas novel The Best Selling Toy Of the Season. If you like it, you can purchase the book at : http://www.midnightshowcase.com/BestToy.htm or at amazon.com.

Chapter 1

“Hello, Mayor Whitaker. What can I do for you?” Tommy Price cheerfully inquired as his best friend, Ben Whitaker, entered his office. “Have a seat, and I’ll pour us a cup of coffee.” He busied himself at the coffee maker and asked, “How are Jorie and the baby?”

“Wonderful.”

Ben’s huge, goofy smile amused Tommy. Ben was totally besotted with his wife and son. As he handed Ben his coffee a disconcerting idea presented itself. “I hope you and Jorie won’t start trying to find me a wife. Every married person I know eventually wants to match me up with somebody, and that smile you just gave reminded me of the time my secretary tried to fix me up with her cousin.”

“Well,” Ben replied with a weak grin, “as a matter of fact…”

Tommy groaned. “Not you too, Ben!”

Ben laughed. “Buck up. This girl’s pretty anyway. Jorie’s giving a party on the twenty-third, and…”

“I can’t do it. I’m already committed for the twenty third.”

Ben’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure, counselor?”

“Of course I am. Here. Look at this.” He turned his appointment book around so that Ben could read it and turned to the twenty-third. “See? Right here.”

Tommy had a Palm Pilot to organize his schedule, but he liked seeing everything laid out before him on a neat page. His secretary had no patience with paper and pen. She liked computers and she often took Tommy to task for his old-fashioned ways. She had even made him go to a workshop to learn how to use the Palm Pilot.

“Hmm. I guess you’re off the hook this time, but you do need to get married, Tommy. Having a family is the greatest thing in the world.”

“Yeah, well, if I ever find a woman I can love like you love Jorie I’ll consider it.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing. I can’t imagine what I’d do without Jorie and Sam.” He glanced at his watch and hurriedly rose from his chair. “I’d like to stay and talk, but I’ve got to get home. I haven’t seen Sam all day, and he might have done something that I missed.”

Tommy didn’t protest. He knew that Ben was a family man. “Merry Christmas, Ben. Say hello to Jorie and Sam for me, and tell her I’m sorry about her party.”

“We’ll catch you next time. Merry Christmas, Tommy.”

Tommy stood by the window and watched as Ben got into his car and drove away. The sky had turned a dull, uniform gray, and a few fat snowflakes had begun to fall. It looks Christmasy, Tommy thought. The twinkling lights that the city had strung around town several weeks ago popped on, turning the little town into a Christmas
fairyland. Ben loved Christmas, and he had really outdone himself this year.

Tommy returned to his desk and began to clear it prior to leaving for the day. He too had always loved Christmas, but this year he didn’t have much Christmas spirit. He didn’t know why, but maybe it had something to do with the fact that his mother and father kept hinting that his girlfriend Cherie would make an excellent daughterin-law.

Tommy liked Cherie, but he didn’t want to marry her. In fact, he’d give anything if he hadn’t promised to take her to her office party. It made him feel bad to give her hope for a future between them when there was none.

His secretary, Mattie Burke, breezed into his office and interrupted Tommy’s reverie. “Tommy, you told me to remind you that you have to buy a gag gift to take to the party tonight.”

Tommy sighed. “I don’t know what to get. What do you recommend?”

“Beats me. You know I don’t have a sense of humor.”

Tommy gave up. If Mattie didn’t want to help him, nothing would move her, and he knew he had made her angry when he refused to go out with her cousin, Tia. He wouldn’t say so to Mattie, but Tia was too stuck on herself for him to enjoy her company. “I’llsee you Monday, Mattie. Have a good weekend.”

“You too, Tommy. If you change your mind about my cousin, give me a call.”

Mattie went back to her desk, and Tommy donned his coat, and left for the day. It had started to snow harder now, and the weather report called for several inches accumulation. Maybe I could find a gag gift at Super Mart, he thought, and on impulse he wheeled his car into the discount store’s parking lot.

It took a few minutes to find a place to park, for Christmas arrived in a few days, and the last minute shoppers had clearly panicked when they took note of the date.

Tommy hurried into Super Mart and immediately spied Bill English. At one time he had hoped to be Bill’s son-in-law. He had fallen deeply in love with Bill’s daughter, Susan, but Susan hadn’t felt the same way about him. She had broken up with him and married another man shortly afterward.

Bill worked at Super Mart so he handed Tommy a sale paper. “Merry Christmas, Tommy.”

“Hi, Bill. Merry Christmas. How are Susan and Kurt?”

“Doing great. You need to think about getting married yourself, Tommy.”

Tommy decided to beat a hasty retreat. Why did everybody want him to get married? “I’d better run, Bill. I’ve got a party to go to.”

He waved to Bill and dashed away, grateful for a quick escape. He wandered down the center aisle of the store, but he didn’t see anything that he thought seemed funny. He spotted a woman wearing the orange coat that identified her as Super Mart staff; maybe she could help him. He tapped her on the shoulder. “Excuse me, ma’am.
Could you help me?”

The clerk turned around and Tommy’s breath caught in his throat. He had stumbled across a princess. She had dark, smooth hair, creamy, porcelain skin, indigo blue eyes, full, red lips, and a shape that even the orange coat couldn’t hide.

The Course of True Love Never Runs Smoothly

Even though the course of true love nevers runs smoothly, Tommy Price and Nikki Lane from The Best Selling Toy Of The Season seem to have more than their share of obstacles to face. In a previous post you met Cherie Blake, Nikki's rival for Tommy's affections. Today, let's meet Tom Price, Tommy's father.

The Best Selling Toy Of The Season is now available at http://www.midnightshowcase.com

“Cherie is a charming woman,” Tom senior, Tommy’s father,
ventured the next afternoon as they relaxed in Tom senior’s den
following a truly splendid Christmas dinner. Mrs. Price and Cherie sat
in the living room having their own private chat.

Tommy shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I didn’t want Mom
to invite her for Christmas dinner. I wish that she had cleared it with
me first.”

“Your mother likes Cherie. You know how desperate she is for
you to marry and give us grandchildren.” Mr. Price looked hopefully
at Tommy, and Tommy could see that his mother wasn’t the only one
who looked forward to his marriage and the birth of grandchildren.
“We would have had a house full of kids if we could,” Mr. Price
continued, “but your mother had to have an emergency hysterectomy
after your birth.”

“I know the story, Dad. It smacks a little of emotional blackmail
if you ask me.”

“I don’t mean it to sound that way, but what’s wrong with
Cherie? Don’t you like her?” He paused to light his pipe.

“You won’t be around to see grandchildren if you don’t quit
smoking.”

“Let’s make a bargain. I’ll quit smoking on the day you get
married.”

Tommy just shook his head and groaned. More blackmail.

“Now about Cherie…”

Tommy impatiently shrugged. “She’s just another woman, Dad.
She doesn’t really stand out in any way. Yes, she’s pretty, but so
what? Lots of women are pretty, and if we came from the other side
of town, I don’t think Cherie would be interested in me at all. She’s
very ambitious.”

“So what? The two of you come from similar backgrounds, and
you have a lot in common. I think you’d be very happy together.”

“I don’t think so. She’s a little plastic replica of all the women
I’ve ever known.”

A short silence fell in the room, and when the fire popped
Tommy jumped slightly. “I did meet a woman this week. She’s even
prettier than Susan if that’s possible, and I …really had a good time
with her.”

Tom senior leaned forward intently. “This sounds promising. Tell
me about her.”

Tommy recounted the story of his collision in Super Mart and
told his father about the delivery of the robots.

“So, this woman works at Super Mart and lives in Higgins
Court?”

“Yes, sir.”

“She has two children, but no husband.”

“That’s right.”

“And she’s cleaning your house to pay you for the robots.”

“Yes.”

Tom laid his pipe in the ashtray and wandered to the bar. He
poured a brandy for himself and Tommy and sat back down in his
recliner, a huge, overstuffed chair that Mrs. Price loathed. “Don’t do
it, Tommy.”

“Do what?”

“Don’t get involved with her. The Lane family is notorious in
Fairfield. Only one or two of them ever amounted to anything. Most
of them are drunkards who’re a blight on the city. Don’t let her trap
you. You’ve always looked for the best in everyone, but in this case,
there probably isn’t much to find. Tell her that she doesn’t have to
pay off the debt, and don’t see her anymore.”

“Rather snobbish, isn’t it?” Tommy demanded as his face flushed
red.

“Maybe, but I don’t want to see you make a mistake. For the sake
of everyone involved, will you promise me not to see this woman
again?”

“No, I certainly won’t,” Tommy coldly answered. “I’m a grown
man, Dad. I don’t need my father to plan my love life for me. You’ll
have to let me be the judge of what’s best for me. I like Nikki. She’s
more authentic, real, and genuine than any woman I’ve met in a long
time.”

Mr. Price shook his head again. “You’re making a mistake. You
may get angry and call me a snob, but she isn’t our kind. Get involved
with a woman like her and you’ll be sorry. She probably just sees you
as a meal ticket anyway.”

“It’s nice to know that you think I’m so unattractive to women,”
Tommy retorted, but he hushed when he heard Cherie’s voice.

“Tommy? Where are you?”

“We’re in the study, Cherie,” called Tom senior.

“I should have known I’d find you gentlemen drinking brandy
and smoking your pipes,” Cherie teased. She walked over and took
Tommy by the hand. “I came to say goodbye. I have to be at Mom’s
house in thirty minutes. Are you sure that you can’t come with me?”

“No, I’m afraid not,” Tommy replied. He set his brandy glass on
the table beside his chair and rose to his feet. “Let me walk you out.”

Tom senior said his goodbye as well, beaming approval the entire
time, as Tommy walked Cherie to her car.

Meet Nikki's Rival

This week I'd like to introduce you to Nikki's rival. Nikki is the heroine in The Best Selling Toy Of The Season, but before I do let encourage you to check back next Friday to see what guest blogger Emma Lai has to say. Emma has a new book coming soon from The Wild Rose Press, and judging from the excerpt I read it's a good one.

And as coincidence would have it, I drew Emma's name out of the hat, so she's the winner of last week's blog contest. Emma, let me know what book you want.

Now about that excerpt... Nikki and Tommy are at his house preparing to go to dinner when...


The pealing of the doorbell interrupted them. “Let me get that,”
Tommy said with a smile. “I’ll be right back.”

Nikki sat down on the sofa to wait, and she heard a feminine
voice in the foyer. “Darling, why haven’t you called me? I haven’t
heard from you since Christmas.”

The woman didn’t wait for an answer. Nikki heard her heels
tapping on the marble in the foyer, and seconds later she entered the
living room with Tommy hot on her heels.

“Oh, you’ve got company.” The woman’s eyes narrowed, and
Nikki saw that her presence did not please the new arrival.

She crossed the room and held out her hand to Nikki. “How do
you do? I’m Cherie Blake, Tommy’s girl friend.”

Girl friend! “It’s nice to meet you Cherie. I’m Nikki Lane.”

Cherie made an assessment of her in moments. “I love your
dress, Nikki. Where ever did you find it?”

Suddenly, the green dress looked cheap and tawdry to Nikki, for
the red dress worn by Cherie Blake obviously cost the earth. Probably
designer, Nikki thought. Nevertheless, Cherie snootily waited for an
answer, and Nikki didn’t have it in her to lie.
“I found it on a sale rack at Super Mart.”

Cherie laughed, and it occurred to Nikki that even though Cherie
obviously didn’t think much of her, she couldn’t believe that Tommy
would date anyone who shopped at Super Mart.

“Oh, you can tell me,” Cherie purred. “Is it a JC Penney or Sears
dress?”

“That’ll have to be my secret,” Nikki replied.

Cherie attacked on another front. “You’ve chosen a good lawyer
for your legal work, Nikki. They don’t come any better than Tommy.
Why, just the other day his mother and I were bragging on him at the
country club. He handles a lot of important clients, you know. Is he
doing pro bono work for you?”

Nikki, who had no idea what pro bono meant, smiled coolly at
Cherie. “Tommy has been my lawyer for years, but right now I don’t
need the services of an attorney.” She saw Tommy try to hide a smile.

“I’m surprised that I haven’t seen you around Fairfield before,”
Cherie continued, still fishing.

“Yes, that is odd.”

“Are you a member of the country club?”

“I’m afraid not. I don’t have time. If I do get a free minute, I’d
rather go riding than spend time at the country club.”

“Riding in cars?”

“No, horses. I enjoy horseback riding.”

To Nikki’s relief Cherie backed off. She probably saw that
Tommy was enjoying the show. “Well, to each his own, I guess,” she
said.

She turned her back to Nikki, excluding her from the
conversation, and spoke exclusively to Tommy. “I stopped by tonight
to ask you to dinner. Mavis and Henry are in town, and they'd love to
see you.”

“I’m afraid I already have plans for the evening, but do give my
best to them.”

“Yes, I’ll tell them you said hello.” Turning to Nikki, she said, “It
was lovely to meet you.”

“Thank you. I enjoyed meeting you, too.”

Tommy hurriedly jumped up. “I’ll walk you out, Cherie.”

“There’s no need to do that, darling. We can say our goodbyes
right here. Nikki won’t mind.”

It didn’t surprise Nikki when Cherie hugged Tommy and kissed
him lingeringly. “I’ll call you next week, Tommy.”

She sauntered away, and Tommy wiped her lipstick from his
mouth as he dropped onto the sofa beside Nikki and took both of her
hands in his. “She isn’t my girlfriend.”

The Best Selling Toy Of The Season is available at http://www.midnightshowcase.com

It's Here!

The Best Selling Toy Of The Season is now available at http://www.midnightshowcase.com I think it's a great story for Christmas reading because it shows that love can overcome any obstacle, scale any barrier, and happen to anyone-even people who think they probably don't deserve it. And isn't Christms all about love?

Don't forget to check out my web site. I posted a free short story titled Misktaken Identity. Hope you enjoy it.