FIND ROMANCE FOR THE
HOLIDAYS
“We all need a little escape from
reality sometimes, and I hope this anthology of short stories will help readers
get into the holiday spirit,” says Melody Johnson. “The holidays are sometimes
a reminder of the people or traditions that one has lost, but through the magic
of storytelling, we are never alone.”
Melody is one of fourteen First
Coast Romance Writers (FCRW) contributing to Romancing
the Holidays, Vol. 2, the second
installment in the group’s holiday anthology series. This compilation of short
stories transports readers from Halloween and Thanksgiving antics to Christmas
and Valentine romantics with over a dozen unique happily-ever-afters, ranging
from sweet to steamy. Readers who enjoy contemporary, historical, or paranormal
romance will be whisked off their feet and away to worlds where love prevails.
“Usually, I write
full-length novels, so participating in this annual anthology is both fun and
challenging,” says Melody. “Fun because I love taking a
break from the project I’m currently working on to return to Witchy Business, a world I’m already in
love with. But challenging because developing a relationship, motivation, high
stakes, and finding a satisfying resolution in only thirty pages is a wild
ride. I hope people take as much pleasure in reading these stories as we did in
writing them.”
In addition to Melody, the other
contributing authors in this anthology include: Debby Grahl, Elise Darby, Barbara
Whitaker, Maggie FitzRoy, Leah Miles, Karen Renee, Sara Walker, Vickey Wollan,
Abigail Sharpe, Gloria Ferguson, Laura Salas, P.K. Brent and Candese Nieves. All fourteen
women are members of FCRW, and proceeds
from this anthology benefit their organization, a
non-profit chapter of Romance
Writers of America®,
that helps writers hone their craft and expand their knowledge of the
publishing industry.
“I’ve been a member of First Coast Romance Writers
for six years. I’m a past Event Coordinator, Treasurer and President of the
chapter, and have helped to bring publishers, agents and other industry
professionals in person to speak to our members. But participating in this
anthology is the accomplishment I’m most proud of,” says Melody. “It just feels
right that we are writers raising money for our chapter by doing what we’re
most passionate about: writing romance.”
Melody’s contribution
to this year’s anthology is Fated by
Fire, a Halloween romance and the third installment in her Witchy Business short story series. When
the hero of Fated by Fire, Marcus
Kyle, stops to assist a stranded driver change a flat tire, the last person he
expects to face is Jenavieve St. Clair, the young witch whose unnervingly
accurate visions consistently cast him as the harbinger of death and
destruction for their covens. Crossing paths with her is unsettling, but
perhaps fate has intervened on his behalf, granting him the opportunity to
prove to her that he’s just a man, not the monster that her visions predict him
to be.
“I chose to feature Halloween
for this anthology because what better holiday to frame a romance brimming with
witches, sparking with magic and fighting against fate?” says Melody. “I’m a
voracious paranormal romance fan. My heroes are Laurell K. Hamilton, Chloe
Neill, Anne Rice, and Karen Marie Moning. Besides the obvious perks to the
genre—danger, action and adventure—I’m drawn to paranormal romance because of
the world building. I love taking a beloved genre and putting my spin on it
with my rules in a world of my creation.”
In addition to her
contributions to Volumes I and II of Romancing
the Holidays, Melody has also published the “out of this world” full-length
sci-fi romance novel Beyond the Next Star
and the gritty, four-book paranormal romance Night Blood Series with Kensington Publishing/Lyrical Press. The
New York Times and USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Lynsay
Sands "laughed out loud" reading Beyond the Next Star,
and Kirkus Reviews praised is as, "an engaging and unusual
otherworldly tale."
Romancing
the Holidays, Vol. 2, releases the first day of fall, September 22, 2021, and is
available online in e-book and paperback formats. Preorders are available at https://books2read.com/RTHVol2.
Fated By Fire
Excerpt (The “first look” scene)
Melody Johnson
Rumor had it Dr. Marcus Kyle could siphon as
well as merge magic, and if he chose to, he had the power to drain entire
covens to husks with a single, powerful flex of his will.
In her vivid and
increasingly—frighteningly—accurate visions, he was often testing the limits of
that power in a parody of Carrie,
wearing the blood of his slaughtered witches and warlocks with trembling glee.
In reality, his cheeks dimpled when he smiled.
Jen stood to face him, leaving her lug wrench
on the asphalt where she’d dropped it mid-spin at the sight of him. No need to
call attention to the fact that in addition to the lug wrench, she’d also
dropped her car, having stuttered on her levitation spell. Goddess help her if
he’d noticed.
He paused at her rear tire, looking a bit
sheepish. “You’ll have to excuse the get up. I was on my way to a costume
party, but I couldn’t pass by without asking if you might need help changing
that tire?”
Breathe. She’d seen Dr. Kyle’s face in her mind’s eye
for years, but her visions hadn’t prepared her for the heat of his direct gaze
nor the distraction of his angled jaw. From the curls of his faux hawk to his
perfect teeth, beaming at her from behind those lush, parted lips, and every
smooth-as-caramel, baby-faced feature in between, he was fresh and friendly.
Adorable, even.
She supposed the wrath and violence in her
visions had prevented her from truly appreciating his appearance because before
this moment, she would have described Dr. Marcus Kyle as dangerous, vicious,
and volatile. Now that he was before her in the flesh, the phrase “cutie pie”
came to mind.
And holy mother of Earth and Rain, she wanted a
bite.
Birthday Giveaway #21:
One randomly chosen person will receive an e-book copy of Romancing the Holidays, Volume 1 (donated by Melody Johnson).
One randomly chosen person will receive an e-book copy of Romancing the Holidays, Volume 2 from PJ.
Giveaway ends at 11:00 PM, September 23.
*Must be 18
*Void where prohibited
ABOUT FIRST COAST ROMANCE WRITERS:
First Coast Romance Writers, an affiliate of Romance Writers of America®, is an organization for both published
and unpublished writers, as well as any individuals involved in the writing and
publishing industry. The membership includes writers of all levels, from those
working on their first manuscripts to multi-published, award-winning authors. The
chapter is dedicated to promoting excellence in romantic fiction through
monthly meetings and workshops in a comfortable forum where published and
unpublished writers share knowledge about the constantly evolving publishing
industry. FCRW strives to
help writers become published and establish careers with innovative programs,
networking opportunities and pertinent information on effective marketing
techniques for members’ novels. Find
FCRW online at https://www.firstcoastromancewriters.com
Romancing the Holidays (Vol. 2)
A First Coast Romance Writers Anthology
ON SALE: September 22, 2021
Holiday Romance / $2.99
/ B09881F57V
