The Nick Before Christmas
by K.L. Brady
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GENRE: Romance
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BLURB:
Will
an angel's dire warning, a quest to discover a second act by Christmas Eve, and
a touch of Christmas Magic lead Nickie Wright back to the one that got away?
Nickie Wright is ready to celebrate the big 5-0 for Christmas in July, but a
hot flash leads her to a sobering revelation: her life has hit rock bottom. Her
successes--the home and the car--feel empty. Her vision board has been a waste
of time, her job is unfulfilling, and she's mulling over a proposal from Smith,
who she's not sure she likes. The best day of her life spirals into the worst.
During a near-death experience, a meeting with her guardian angel presents
Nickie with an ultimatum - either go to heaven or return to Earth and find her
second act by Christmas Eve. If she fails, her future's bleak -- her life will
be filled with days no better than her worst.
Her second act sets her on a collision path with Evan Goodman, the man who
makes her content, and Jordan Devlin, the first love who drives her crazy.
She's torn between two worlds--contentment and safety, passion and excitement.
Time is running out for Nickie.
She only has from Christmas in July until Christmas Eve to find her calling,
follow her dreams, and figure out which romantic interest will help Nickie
embrace the best of herself.
The Nick Before Christmas is the perfect romantic comedy to help you find your
calling and renew your faith. It delivers unforgettable moments of
self-discovery and romance. It's an enchanting story to fill your heart with
joy this Christmas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Sasha approached…and based on the sound of footsteps, she
wasn't alone.
"Nickie? Uh….You have company?"
"Who?"
Into the threshold stepped Evan…and Jordan, both carrying
sizeable brown shopping bags scented with contents that smelled a whole lot
like dinner.
Evan ghosted her for weeks, dropped off the radar. J. Dev
blew her off and was off parading with Ava, or so she thought. Now both stood
in her living room, in the flesh, at the same time. She had no idea how to
handle this. Nickie had never been a juggler so two potential courters in her
presence, in her house, wasn't a situation she expected to face. She couldn't
have orchestrated this cluster if she tried.
Their faces sapped the air out of her lungs. Laying the
blame on Sasha wasn't an option.
Her stomach growled, reminding of her greatest need in the
moment. If worse comes to worst, Nickie pledged to keep the dinner and
cannoli...and dump the two unexpected guests.
"Jordan, Evan…what a surprise to welcome you…both…in my
living room…right now,” Nickie said, her eye volleying between them so as not
to give one more attention than the other.
Evan glanced at Jordan without speaking a single word, and
Jordan returned the favor. She suspected each was eager to learn what the other
had to say.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR INTERVIEW:
Q: How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
A: The Nick Before Christmas takes place in
Washington, D.C. That’s where I was born, and I live in the area. People don’t
know there are small conclaves within the city that have their own culture and
customs, and I highlight these in my books. So, I don’t think I’ve ever written
about the same two locations within the city unless I was highlighting the area
in a series. Now, my next book takes place in a small town. Few people know I
went to high school in a small Ohio town. But the overwhelming majority of my
stories take place in the DC metro area.
Q: What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book, The Nick
Before Christmas?
A: A near-death
experience brings Nicki face to face with her Christmas guardian angel.
Nickie’s got a choice: Go to heaven (after a stint in a sin-burning furnace of
fire) or return to Earth and find and embrace her Second Act by Christmas Day.
Q: Do you edit as you draft or wait until
you are totally done?
A: Yes. (haha). I will
admit, I usually prefer to wait until I’m completed finished with a draft to
edit. I own a billion writing tools to help me write forward and resist the
urge to edit while I’m drafting. But we writers can’t help ourselves—I can’t
help myself. We have a compulsion for perfection, editing our edited edits. So,
despite knowing better, I do edit what I’m writing sometimes. Not all the time,
but sometimes, yes.
Q: Describe your writing space/office!
A: Spaces. I have
writing space inside and outside my house (spring through fall). My number one
writing space is my bed. I have an over the bed desk with a large screen and an
Apple mac mini set up. I have just enough people in my house that my bedroom
has become my refuge. When I shut the door, I (generally) have peace. I have an
upstairs office where I have another mac mini set up. We call it the quiet
room. I podcast in there and write. Although I don’t write in it as often as I
should because…it’s too quiet. I need distractions. Otherwise, I might be
productive. I have an office on my first floor, which is where I work my 9 to 5
job. I have two screens in there for work, and an iMac for writing and
researching. I usually run out of there as fast as possible because I associate
it with the work that pays the mortgage, which kills my creativity. My most
favorite spot to write is on my deck. My deck is truly an outdoor living space
with lots of seating, a firepit, egg chairs, foot stools, rugs, pillows, and other
décor. Also, a patio shield to keep the flying bugs away. I love sitting out
there late spring through the late fall. The wind, the trees, the music (I
usually play music) make for the perfect combination.
Q: What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
A: I love dessert of
just about any kind, but cheesecake (all manner of cheesecake) is probably my
favorite. That and ice cream. It’s funny, I have an uncle that loves ice cream.
I have become my uncle. My nephew bought me a Ninja iCreami. Now I can make ice
cream any time I want, and the recipe is very simple. I have to try not to buy
the ingredients.
Q: What’s your favorite genre to read?
A: More than anything, I think I love biography
and non-fiction. With that said, I love category romance that has humor and
strongly motivated characters.
Q: What’s a recent tv
show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
A: Oh my gosh. I could
go on for days. A few of the shows I LOVE include The Chosen (my absolute
favorite now—a series about Jesus’s life with the Apostles), Reba, American
Fiction, Brigerton, Yellowstone, any TV Christmas movie. I’m the host of a TV
Christmas movie podcast called Chicks on Christmas Flicks. I think it’s a
favorite of those who listen.
Q: What do you do when you have free time?
A: What’s free time? I’m
sitting here after a 14-hour day. If I have “free” time, I’m writing, resting,
or swimming. Guaranteed. One of those three activities.
Q: What are three words that describe your
Main Characters?
A: Amusing, decisive, and forgiving.
Q: What can readers expect from you next?
A: I’m wrapping up a
novel for Christmas in July called Sincerely, Santa. I am determined to finish
it. I love the story. The characters are based on my grandmother and mother,
both of whom have passed away, but they had a tremendous friendship. The story
follows their friendship, a romance with a local, and a story about
forgiveness, which is appropriate given the reason for the season. Forgiveness
is so important, but forgiving yourself is more important than any other gift
you will give yourself to help you heal inside. I love that message: Don’t
punish yourself. Forgive yourself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
USA
Today Bestselling author K. L. Brady is a D.C. native and award-winning author
of 20 novels. She self-published her first book, THE BUM MAGNET, after an Oprah
"live your best life" moment, which was picked up by Simon &
Schuster in a two-book deal. She’s been publishing romantic comedies ever
since.
K.L.
is a Washington football fan and professed nerd-girl who loves all things Star
Trek, Star Wars, and Big Bang Theory. She lives to write stories involving
hilarious quirky characters looking for love. She's hard at work on her next
several projects, including Sincerely, Santa, a heartfelt romantic comedy that
also celebrates the special friendship between her late mother and grandmother.
Sign
up for her newsletter at: http://klbradyauthor.com/sign-up/
Author
Links:
Website:
www.klbradyauthor.com
Facebook
Page: https://www.facebook.com/KLBRADY
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/klbrady_author/
Bookbub:
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/k-l-brady
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/K.-L.-Brady/author/B002O15D78?
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2975069.K_L_Brady
The book will be on sale
for $0.99.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
K.L. Brady will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC o a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for managing this tour!!
DeleteWhat kind of stories did you write when you first started out?
ReplyDeleteI've always written Romantic comedies. From my very first book. What has changed is that I quit using curse words after my first couple of rom-coms and a romantic suspense series that I wrote under a different name. That was a personal and spiritual choice. All of my current romances and rom-coms are clean. I kept the humor and romance but lost the "language." I can say this is where I am now in life but I love all of my stories.
DeleteThe cover looks great. Sounds like a good story.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading the post. Sounds like a fun read.
ReplyDeleteElaine, I can say with all certainty that I had fun writing this story...as I do all of my rom-coms. If you love a good romantic comedy and the theme centered around my favorite holiday with someone finding their second act later in life then, I have no doubt you will enjoy this story. It's edutainment.
DeleteThe book sounds very interesting
ReplyDelete