Merry Christmas to Me—Her Wish Before Christmas

 

Her Wish Before Christmas available HERE

By Kimberly Quinton

I love Christmas—as in I would stalk St. Nick and keep my tree and lights up all year—love Christmas. So it’s perfect that my first published book is a sweet holiday romance. I can’t think of a better Christmas present. I had the most fun writing Her Wish Before Christmas and now that we are in the holiday season I’m so thrilled to be able to share it.

When I was growing up, Christmas was always the best holiday around my house. It wasn’t a big family affair with lots of people, but it was the holiday my parents went all out for. Most of our traditions revolve around food--hey, we’re southern, everything revolves around food—but I remember the ornaments on the tree were the same ones every year, and putting them up became the ritual I cherished the most. We would cover the tree in decorations that my brothers and I made in elementary school, cross-stitched sayings, paper cut-outs, glass-beaded bells that looked like beautiful earrings, and whatever new style we just had to have for that year. They were packed away to be put back up the next year and it became a patchwork full of little snippets of our lives. 

Never was it the stylish, coordinated center piece that you’d see in magazines, but I think that’s what made it so special.

The other home decorations had to be the same too, from the tree skirt to the white porcelain tabletop Christmas tree to the stockings with bells on them so my parents could hear us checking them out in the middle of the night. Much of this has been passed to me to keep the tradition alive for my children and I still get all sentimental when I decorate every Christmas. Each piece that survived the years brings back memories from my childhood and the years between then and now, since I never miss a Christmas with my folks if I can help it.

Do you have a favorite holiday tradition? Leave a comment to be entered to win a $15 gift certificate to Amazon. For an extra chance to win, like my Facebook page here www.facebook.com/KimberlyQuintonAuthor. And if I get to 500 likes on my Facebook page by Christmas, I will do a drawing for a super fabulous surprise!

Her WishBefore Christmas excerpt:

“Are you the one leaving bloody footprints in the store? Your grandmother’s going to have a heart attack.” The man stared down at her, holding the door open with one arm, the lamp base in the other. He rested the plastic appendage against the doorframe and took a step closer, his face clear in the light of the workroom.

“Connor?”

“Let me have a look.” He knelt and grabbed her foot and held on tight when she tried to tug it back.

“Ouch.” She pulled her foot away from his prodding.

“Sorry. Cut’s not too deep. A Band-Aid and some Neosporin is all you need.”

Connor O’Rourke? The Connor O’Rourke? Twelve years hadn’t changed him much. Except he turned into a man. And one fine man at that.

Jesus, did he grow after college? His arms and chest sure had.

Heat blazed a fire across her cheeks when her roaming gaze met his. Same cocky grin. Embarrassment couldn’t stop her from comparing this Connor with the then Connor. His hair was cut shorter, but the rich chestnut color hadn’t dulled. No hint of gray at the temples, no balding either. So that night of drunken cursing for him to grow fat and ugly didn’t take. Figures. What’s the use of gypsy blood if my curses don’t work?

“I didn’t know you were in town,” she asked, proud she had kept the hysterical out of her voice.

“I wasn’t until this week. I’m setting up a practice at the new clinic down the street.” He stood and helped her up from the floor.

Connor F’ing O’Rourke back in town and looking too delicious by half. She licked her lips and swallowed at the sudden dryness in her mouth. The hurt and anger returned with a swift jab to her heart rivaling the sting of glass in her foot. The feelings so fresh, like she was eighteen again and waiting for the proposal that never came. Don’t go there. You’re over him.