Stocking Stuffer -- #romcom #holidayromance #guestblogger

By Tim Smith (Guest Blogger)

We have once again survived the Christmas season, that time of year when romance mingles with the mistletoe. I’m not sure what it is about the holidays and romance, but every year, we’re overloaded with holiday-themed books and TV movies that appeal to the heart. Some are dramatic or sentimental, while some are more lighthearted.

I recently released one of my own through Extasy Books. My newest offering is called Santa Slept Here, and if you can’t guess it from the title, this falls into the category of romantic comedy.

Here’s the blurb:

Scott Burke wasn’t looking forward to spending his first Christmas alone after his divorce. His family was scattered over different parts of the country, his friends had plans, and he didn’t really want to partake of the annual community Christmas dinner with strangers. Add to that a general malaise he was feeling about a career that was going nowhere and you had all of the elements for a miserable holiday. A chance meeting with a former classmate on Christmas Eve changes things, when Scott runs into Lisa Berger, stranded on her way home due to a car breakdown. Can the two high school friends rekindle a flame that died out years ago, or will they say Auld Lang Syne when the holiday is over?

This is a fun little story about two people who were besties in high school, but with a twist. Scott had a crush on Lisa, the most popular girl in his class, but he could never work up the nerve to ask her for a date. Through a twist of fate and circumstance, they’re brought together fifteen years later and given another chance. I was drawn to the idea like I am with so many of my other stories. I thought

“What if these two old friends just happened to run into each other on Christmas Eve and decided to throw caution to the wind?”

Here’s a brief excerpt:

Scott surfed through the channels until he found a holiday music special. They watched it for a few minutes before Lisa spoke.

“Do you mind if I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

She shifted to face him, then cradled her wine glass in her hands. “What you said before about not having the nerve to ask me out when we were in school. Were you really that shy or didn’t you find me attractive?”

Scott took a sip of wine while composing the proper response in his mind. If I say no, that wouldn’t be honest. On the other hand, if I tell her how hot I always thought she was, she may slap me. Here goes.

“Lisa, I always thought you were one of the prettiest girls in our class, and you don’t know how badly I wanted to be with you. I was just too shy to do anything about it.”

“Even though we were friends?”

“I was always afraid you’d turn me down.”

She gave a playful smile. “Hmm, that’s interesting. When you say you wanted to

be with me, what does that mean?”

He looked into her eyes. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Uh-huh. Did you mean be with me as in ‘Let’s go to a movie’, or did you mean ‘I’d like to rip your clothes off and bang your brains out’?”

Scott placed his palm on her neck under her long mane of hair. “I always thought you were the hottest girl in school, and I would’ve banged your brains out if I hadn’t been such a nice guy.”

She nodded slowly. “Honesty. I like that. Would it surprise you if I said that I would’ve let you do it?”

His eyebrows arched and his pulse picked up a few beats. “You would?”

Lisa traced a light pattern along his thigh with her fingertip while giving him a smoldering look. “Yeah. I always thought you were cute and funny, and I didn’t think you were an awkward geek.”

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If you like watching the romantic holiday movies with a light comic touch on Lifetime, WE, or the Hallmark Channel, you’ll like “Santa Slept Here.” I’ll give you fair warning that it contains some sensual erotic scenes, but it’s all part of the natural flow of the story. Enjoy!

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Tim Smith is an award-winning, bestselling author of romantic mystery/thrillers and contemporary erotic romance. His website is www.timsmithauthor.com.