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.
