My Holiday Titles

Happy Holidays!

I never realized just how many holiday-themed short stories/novellas/novels I've written over the years until recently. Then I thought, "Why not make a list of my holiday titles so people can find them easily all in one place?"  Since I write romantic fiction under two pen names it can be a challenge tracking them all down, but here they are in no particular order.

 Highlighted book titles and links should take you to the book's purchase page at the publisher. Yes, my publisher accepts credit cards and has Kindle books! Plus, I get more royalties if you buy directly from the publisher and not through another online store. Thanks for your understanding.

First off, my "sweet romances" written as Cynthianna.

 The Tinsel Timewarp

 http://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-1963-9-the-tinsel-timewarp/

Cici and John experience the true meaning of love when they help their friend Chandra deal with her grief on Christmas Eve by creating a tinsel time warp.

Cici wants everyone to have a perfect holiday, but she discovers things don't always work out that way. When a crying Chandra shows up at her home, Cici asks her alien boyfriend, the time traveler John Smith, if he can help mend Chandra's broken heart. John creates a time warp for Chandra where she can spend one more Christmas Eve with her late grandmother doing all the holiday things they loved to do, but, as usual, things quickly go south. The tinsel time warp grows and expands and threatens to take over the entire planet, and Cici is forced to go up a ladder when she's afraid of heights. Will time travel heal all wounds and make for a Merry Christmas for Cici, John, and even the melancholy Chandra?

Featuring characters from the Loving Who series. (PG rated, contemporary-romantic-comedy/SF/fantasy)

The Stocking

Adele’s lonely Christmas Eve on the prairie is made much brighter by the arrival of a mysterious silver-whiskered stranger.

(G rated, historical short story) 

Jonathan could do nothing to aid his wife’s losing battle with cancer. With twenty years into the ministry, he can't believe the Lord would leave him suddenly with both an empty nest and empty spot on the other side of the bed. Katrina, music teacher and mother of grown twins, feels settled in small town Texas. Life may be dull, but at least it's predictable--unlike her life with her late ex-husband. "Kat" has come to the conclusion that if nuns can live celibate for years, then why can't she make it the next fifty? One Sunday Jonathan sees a golden beam alighting upon a radiant Kat as she directs the singers. He hadn't noticed how beautiful she was before! From here on out he knows that he’ll be preachin’ to the choir. But will Kat—and his congregation—let him? - See more at: http://www.mojocastle.com/preachin-to-the-choir.html#sthash.euNixdC8.dpu

Jonathan could do nothing to aid his wife’s losing battle with cancer. With twenty years into the ministry, he can't believe the Lord would leave him suddenly with both an empty nest and empty spot on the other side of the bed. Katrina, music teacher and mother of grown twins, feels settled in small town Texas. Life may be dull, but at least it's predictable--unlike her life with her late ex-husband. "Kat" has come to the conclusion that if nuns can live celibate for years, then why can't she make it the next fifty? One Sunday Jonathan sees a golden beam alighting upon a radiant Kat as she directs the singers. He hadn't noticed how beautiful she was before! From here on out he knows that he’ll be preachin’ to the choir. But will Kat—and his congregation—let him? - See more at: http://www.mojocastle.com/preachin-to-the-choir.html#sthash.euNixdC8.dpufhttp://www.mojocastle.com/preachin-to-the-choir.html

The Fixer-Uppers

(I include my first published novel on the list since it features a holiday wedding.)


Can a single mom find happiness on a blind date--or at least dinner with a male who can cut up his own food? Cassie and Mike believe they're "in like" not "in love." But when down-on-his-luck Mike is evicted, Cassie takes him in. Mike starts fixing everything from window screens to broken hearts. Will Cassie let him fix hers?


(PG-13 rated, contemporary romantic-comedy)

My first ever Thanksgiving historical holiday short story! (G rated)

The Gift of the Songbird

https://www.devinedestinies.com/978-1-4874-2753-5-the-gift-of-the-songbird/

Hannah Cummings has big plans for her future. An invitation to sing at the mansion of the dashing Elisha Spielman on Thanksgiving Day promises to launch her music career and help her raise funds to receive further vocal training. It’s a most fortuitous invitation, and Hannah is grateful and excited to accept. However, one man seems to stand in her way.

Daniel March won’t have it. Hannah has always sung for their village’s Thanksgiving festival to support the orphanage, and this year should be no different.

Friends since long before the terrible war separated them, Hannah feels there is more to Daniel’s determination to change her mind than simply his need to get his own way.
 

 Can a songbird help them count their blessings and come to see each other in a different light?

And now for my "adults-only" holiday titles written under my Celine Chatillon pen name...

Santa's Big Little Helper 
 http://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-1331-6-santas-big-little-helper/

Be careful what you ask Santa for—you just might get it. Suellen confesses to an angelic hobo she's befriended on Christmas Eve that she lusts after the cover model on her romance novel because he reminds her of Carlos, a shy, handsome trucker who frequents her coffee shop. Santa's helper Carlos is given instructions by his friend Ol' Nick to make Suellen's dreams come true, and when Carlos finds out what they are, he can't wait. A little snow, a bearskin rug, and some fuzzy handcuffs make it a very Merry Christmas for the two lovers!

(R rated, contemporary-fantasy erotic-romance) 





A Very Vampire Christmas 

How do you cheer up your vampire lover around the holiday season? Melynda wonders if maybe a few new traditions of their own are in order to bring a smile to Val's bite. Mel's time-traveling cousin Shelby and her horny boyfriend Quentin add to the fun of the season with their own brand of wild and free activities. Mel and Shel find it's time to get on Santa's "naughty girl" list. Ho, ho, ho!

Available at eXtasy Books:
 http://www.extasybooks.com/2016-holiday-countdown/a-very-vampire-christmas/

 Featuring Melynda and Val from my novel The Vampire Next Door and Shelby and Quentin from the Time Surfer series. 
(R rated, contemporary-fantasy erotic-romance)

Yes, Virginia, Here Comes Santa Claus

When Brad "The Rude Reporter" Rudner opens a letter to the editor from a lonely lady who says she doesn't believe in Santa after her fiance dumped her, he feels it's his duty revive her faith in the jolly old elf. A red garter belt and fishnet stockings help "good girl" Ginny get on Santa's "naughty" list, and Brad can't help but lose his heart to the dark, exotic beauty.

Click here to purchase this book at the best price!

(R rated, contemporary erotic-romance)

 
 
 






I do like the winter months--I have Valentine's Day erotic-romances as well!

Gifts Well-Timed

Trish Steelman always gives generously of her time and energy to her students, but it takes a blizzard and a friendly ghost to help her to receive the gift of love from Patrick Rodgers, a fellow teacher she has been mentoring.

“Pete the Poltergeist” brings these two sensitive and caring souls together in the empty halls of Harding High. Before long, Trish and Patrick realize that sharing “body warmth” with a friend in the midst of a power outage can ignite a fiery passion that has been too long contained…

Click here to purchase this book at the best price!
(R rated, contemporary erotic-romance)

Coming February 2020 from eXtasy Books: Aphrodite 1, a SF erotic-romance that celebrates Valentine's Day.

Come along with Giselle and the crew of space station Aphrodite 1 as they find romance, love and danger—as well as a mystery—in the upper atmosphere of Venus.

Here's to a happy holiday season to you and yours! And remember, there's always time for a good book. ;-)

Would you like to do a review? (Book Excerpt)

Would you like to do a review of my latest release, The Gift of the Songbird?

Since the holiday season is fast approaching, I thought why not "gift" my Thanksgiving short story to my readers who are willing to write a short book review for me?  If you'd like to write a review for Amazon, Goodreads or any other book review site, email and let me know so I can send you the e-format file of your choice. (cynthianna@hotmail.com )

A Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!  :)

The Gift of the Songbird
by Cynthianna
https://www.devinedestinies.com/978-1-4874-2753-5-the-gift-of-the-songbird/

Hannah has the chance to sing for the richest family in town, but is it worth disappointing Daniel, her childhood friend, who seems to expect more of her?

Hannah Cummings has big plans for her future. An invitation to sing at the mansion of the dashing Elisha Spielman on Thanksgiving Day promises to launch her music career and help her raise funds to receive further vocal training. It’s a most fortuitous invitation, and Hannah is grateful and excited to accept. However, one man seems to stand in her way.

Daniel March won’t have it. Hannah has always sung for their village’s Thanksgiving festival to support the orphanage, and this year should be no different.

Friends since long before the terrible war separated them, Hannah feels there is more to Daniel’s determination to change her mind than simply his need to get his own way.

Can a songbird help them count their blessings and come to see each other in a different light?

Excerpt from The Gift of the Songbird

Daniel raised one dark eyebrow. “I do want something, but it’s not a hot beverage. I want you to say you’ll help us at the Thanksgiving feast for the orphanage and give up this non-sense of entertaining our town’s wealthiest citizens. They own the mine and the miners’ souls. They don’t need to own yours, too.”

How like Daniel March to get straight to the point! He’d displayed this annoying habit ever since they were first introduced as children. Hannah felt like sticking her tongue out at him but wisely thought the better of it. She sat on the settee instead and frowned.

“You’re like a dog with a bone, and you just won’t let it go.” She sighed loudly for effect. “I told you that I’ve made my decision. I’m not going back on my word.”

“But you’re going back on your word to the orphans. You’ve entertained them for many years, and you’ve helped Eustace and I raise a lot of money with our Thanksgiving dance and auction. Folks come from miles and miles around to hear you sing.”

Hannah looked heavenward and shook her head. “Hardly. They come from the next valley over possibly, but that doesn’t qualify as any great hardship in this day and age of rail travel.”

Daniel harrumphed. “Lucky for them, I didn’t blow up any train bridges in these here parts then.”

Hannah clenched her fists in her lap. It didn’t bode well to remind war veterans of their time of service. Many suffered nightmares and drank heavily to deal with their pain. Daniel was more fortunate than many, as he had returned home soon after his injury and had been nursed back to health by his older brother and his wife. Still, any mention of the war brought on a dark mood she’d never witnessed in Daniel growing up.

Hannah cleared her throat and smoothed her skirt. “Let’s change the subject, shall we? What are you and Eustace thinking of making for the festivities beside that awful fruit punch?”

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “What’s so awful about my brother’s award-winning recipe? It’s an authentic wassail.” 

“It’s authentic, all right. That’s the only thing that could be said for it.” She chuckled. “Good thing Carrie always brings a couple of her delicious cakes. No one really cares what they’re drinking as long as they have enough sweets.”

“And no one really cares what they’re eating if they’re with their friends enjoying an operatic concert courtesy of our resident entertainer.”

Hannah would not be persuaded. “I’m not the only entertainer. There’s Mr. Cletus and his fiddling. Miss Bucket can bang that tambourine and warble pretty good, too. It’s time you encourage a few others to perform. I won’t be here forever, you know?”

A dark cloud descended over Daniel’s expression. “Are you really thinking of leaving us so soon after your father’s passing? Can’t wait to leave this holler behind you and live in the big city?”

The hurt in his voice stabbed at her heart. Could Daniel’s brusqueness hide his true feelings?

The Gift of the Songbird
Available now from Devine Destinies Books (and soon from other fine ebook retailers).
https://www.devinedestinies.com/978-1-4874-2753-5-the-gift-of-the-songbird/

Doctor Who Review: Twice Upon a (Mediocre) Time

Twice Upon a (Mediocre) Time

a Doctor Who Review

Warning: *Spoilers*

We were fortunate this holiday season to be able to see the Doctor Who Christmas special on the night it broadcast in the U.S. I'd like to say we were fortunate to have seen a first rate send-off for Peter Capaldi's Doctor, but sadly we did not. 

First thing I have to mention is that I can't stand the sheer amount of commercial interruptions BBC America incorporated into the episode. Possibly there was a decent story hidden somewhere in between the copious amount of ad breaks, but they were enough to zap any interest either one of us had in the show from one scene to the next. And that says something for itself right there--if there had been a engaging storyline, then no amount of commercial interruptions would have caused us to channel surf and lose interest.

While David Bradley's portrayal of the First Doctor is superb, was his character really necessary in the story at all? Was the character of Bill necessary? Essentially, the premise is about the Christmas Truce of 1914. We have an English captain, played by screenwriter/actor Mark Gatiss, come along for a ride in the TARDIS, but there is surprisingly little mayhem or shooting.  There is a lot talking, however, and most of it could have been said and done within ten minutes tops, end of story.

The Christmas Truce is not a bad idea for a Christmas special. Can the Doctor bring a little "peace on Earth" during the Great War? But it's not a big enough story idea by itself for an hour show, so there was a lot of padding added, and the story's pacing slowed to a crawl. The preponderance of talking scenes didn't really make us feel all that nostalgic about Peter Capaldi's last time on screen as the Doctor, either. We were looking for more "action" and less "chatter."

The "atheists' heaven"--with dead companions walking around like spirits--came across as maudlin and an all-too-convenient plot device for the Doctor to say good-bye to his companions and deal with his fear of "death". While the recreation of the First Doctor's TARDIS interior was fantastic, we wished we could have seen more of it or had it worked into the plotline more. Once again, if you're going to add characters to flesh out a thin plot, perhaps you could have used them for greater affect? Otherwise, the viewer feels cheated. The promos tricked us into thinking there was going to be more to the story.

So, essentially in Twice Upon a Time we have a great actor in Peter Capaldi (and a great Who fan himself) who has been given a rather mediocre send-off after some rather mediocre seasons of Doctor Who. What a shame.

Somehow, I wasn't surprised to see the writer of this episode was Steven Moffat. His writing has really suffered since he took the helm as showrunner. (Is this the same person who wrote Blink?) Perhaps it's good he's retiring the gig and moving on.

Speaking of moving on, we were expecting to see a lot more of the new Doctor, Jodie Whitaker. She appears in the very last minute of the episode and promptly tumbles out of the TARDIS. As classic Who fans, we long for the more dignified regeneration scenes (such as the First Doctor experienced) instead of the showy pyrotechnics the modern Who series goes in for. Blowing up your time ship every time you regenerate gets messy--and predictable now that it's been done four times since 2005.

Let's cross our fingers for a better run for the "lucky thirteenth" Doctor!

We didn't see her in this outfit at all. It was a let down.

Available now--Book 3 in the Loving Who series, Losing Who. And coming in January--a short and sweet story featuring John Smith and Cici from the Loving Who series. All available from Devine Destinies Books and wherever fine ebooks are sold.

 

Losing Who--Book 3 in the Loving Who series now available!

Losing Who
http://www.devinedestinies.com/losing-who/
(Book Three in the Loving Who series)

Cici Connors is losing her mind—or is she? She has vague memories of living another life where she time traveled and explored the universe accompanied by an alien with psychic abilities, but these memories can't be real, can they? Losing her job doesn't make her life any easier, so Cici decides it's time to grow up and give up Doctor Who fandom once and for all.

Alien time traveler John Smith had to leave Cici on Earth for the sake of clearing up Earth's muddy timeline. Now he vows to return to his adopted world--and return Cici's memories as well. But nothing is ever easy or simple where John is concerned. With the aid of his alien partners-in-crime, Captain Mac and Babbling Brook, John devises a clever plan to gain Cici's attention. Will hiring Cici to run John's sci-fi convention attract another invasion of Earth by artificially intelligent life forms? 

Excerpt--Cici and John Smith meet again, but she doesn't recognize him...

Cici blinked twice and took a long, shaky breath. Out of nowhere a rescuer had rushed to her side and helped her to her feet. The gentleman stood tall and thin with bright blue-gray eyes and a distinguished touch of silver in his graying blond hair. If she wasn’t mistaken, he had the most charming Scots accent. She gazed up into his questioning face and felt a connection. Had they met somewhere before? Odd, but she somehow thought they had. For the life of her, she couldn’t remember where or when.

“Y-yes, I’m fine,” she sputtered. “Just a bit breathless. Thank you.”

He nodded. “You’re welcome.”

She took a step forward and felt a sharp stab of pain in her right ankle. “Ow!”

“You’re injured. Here.” He took her hand and placed it on his forearm. “Lean on me.”

“You're so very kind.” 

“Really?” His silver eyebrows arched, and his eyes widened. “There’s a first time for everything.”

Cici did her best not to grimace as they hobbled together toward one of the few benches located along the trail. Her rescuer helped her to sit and then knelt in front of her foot to check for damage.

“You’re not a doctor, are you?” she asked, trying to make light conversation as the stranger gently manipulated her injured ankle.

“A doctor?” He smiled. “Funny you should say that, but some people do think I resemble one. Does this hurt?” He pressed along the side of her arch.

“Ow!” She winced. “Not too much. After the shock wears off in a few minutes I’ll probably be fine.”

“That’s a good sign when you can handle shock well. How about this?” He pushed her foot upward, her toes pointing toward her body. 

Cici bit her lip hard to hold back a scream. She saw stars and almost passed out from the pain. “Yep. It hurts. Lots.”

“I thought it might. It’s more than likely a sprain, but you might want to get it x-rayed to check for broken bones.”

“I can’t afford the x-ray, so we’ll go with the sprain, shall we?” Her new companion didn’t seem to get her dark sense of humor. His eyes bulged in his long face as he considered her reaction. “What’s wrong? Have I grown a horn in the middle of my forehead, or am I turning a particularly sickening shade of green?”

He smiled. He got it. “More pale than green, and the horn quite suits you. I like horns.”

“That’s good. I wouldn’t want to scare you off so easily.” Did I say that out loud? Get a grip! Flirting when you’re unemployed isn’t a good thing. You can’t afford new clothes and make-up to keep him interested.

“Don’t worry. I don’t scare easily.” Her savior stood and looked at her, thoughtfully rubbing the lapels of his navy jacket. “We just passed an access parking lot, but unfortunately I don’t have a car to take you home in to recuperate. What could we use to get you home without causing further pain?”

“Too bad we don’t have a little red wagon or a rickshaw handy,” she suggested.

“That’s a good idea. Very good indeed.” He spun on his heels and disappeared into thin air as quickly as he had appeared originally.

Cici blinked twice. Her tall and handsome Scotsman, in a rather dashing red-lined navy blue suit with a buttoned-up white shirt, had simply vanished. Just my luck. She waved at where he’d once stood. “Uh, thanks again for your help.”

What to do now? She took several deep breaths and tried to prepare herself for the hobble home up the trail. Perhaps she could find a tree branch strong enough to hold her wait while she limped? Unfortunately for her, it appeared the county parks’ groundskeepers had recently been in the area to mow and pick up fallen branches along the trail. Her luck this week had gone from bad to worse to dismal. Go figure.

“There’s nothing for it. Cowboy up, Connors.” With a groan of determination, Cici rose to her feet. “Ye-ow! Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot…”

She had barely made it a yard before the distinguished Scotsman reappeared behind her.

“Hold it right there,” he commanded. “We’ve got to fit you into this contraption.”

Cici stared until she thought her eyes would pop out of her head. Was it really a rickshaw? “W-where on Earth did you get that?”

He frowned and scratched his head. “On Earth? Well, you could say a friend in China owed me a favor, so he let me borrow it.”

“A friend from China, you mean?”

“Yes, of course. That’s what I meant. From China. It is, in fact, an antique Chinese rickshaw.” He lay the cross piece down and stepped over it to help her. “All aboard.”

 

Losing Who is now available from Devine Destinies Books, Amazon (in print and Kindle format) and wherever fine books are sold online. And don't forget to check out books 1 and 2, Loving Who and Leaving Who, while you're at it.