A Christmas at Gingerbread Falls
Katie Mettner
Publication date: October 12th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
Actress Carrie Murray’s films are a Christmas lover’s delight. Filled with twinkling lights, festive carols, and happy endings, they’re the perfect escape from reality—for her and the audience. Then Tinseltown calls.
Braxton Timothy is Hollywood’s biggest action star. Handsome and talented but decidedly on the naughty list, no one can fathom his sudden desire to produce a feel-good Christmas movie—least of all, his no-name co-star.
Alternating between scenes reminiscent of everyone’s favorite made-for-TV movies and unexpected, off-screen chemistry, Gingerbread Falls has surprises in store this holiday season. The question is, will there be enough Christmas magic to convince two imperfect people that they’re perfect for each other?
This “sweet as a Christmas cookie” romance (bestselling author Heidi Swain) includes an original recipe for Maple Glazed Gingerbread Scones.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble
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EXCERPT:
Carrie paced to the end of the trailer and paused. “Oh my God, what did I do?”She was exhausted, but she also knew she wouldn’t sleep if she tried to take that nap she needed. A quick check of the clock told her it was two-thirty in the afternoon in California and safe to call her lifeline. She picked up the phone and went to the bedroom, closing the door and praying no one would be able to hear her if they were milling around the campground outside her trailer.
She waited while the phone rang, and when it was answered, Ari’s face filled the screen again. “Wow, two calls in two days. What’s up, girl?”
“I need help,” Carrie said without introduction. “I screwed up, and now I don’t know how to fix it or what to do about it.”
“Whoa, slow down,” Ari said, leaning into the camera as if that was going to help her see Carrie better. “What happened? Bad day on the set?”
“More like a good night in the hay with Braxton Timothy,” she hissed, her eyes darting around, and her ears perked for anyone who might be outside the trailer.
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Ari squealed.
“Shh,” Carrie shushed. “There are other people around here. We have to be quiet.”
“You’re in your trailer, right?”
“Which isn’t soundproof.” She waved her hand in the air for a second and then dug around for her earbuds. Once she had them, she left one out so she could hear what was going on in the hangar too.
“Wow, you are paranoid,” Ari teased, an easy grin on her face. “I can’t believe you slept with Mr. Hollywood! How was it?”
“Earth-shattering,” she said honestly. “I’ve never experienced anything like that ever in my twenty-seven years.”
Ari did a fist pump and then danced in her seat like an idiot. “I’m so excited!”
“I can tell,” Carrie said dryly. “But you’re missing the point.”
“There’s a point?”
“Yes!” She was exasperated that her friend was not getting it. “I slept with him after I said I wouldn’t sleep with him.”
“And you aren’t the first, I’m sure. Tell me what happened.”
Carrie filled her friend in on the trip out on the sled, getting stranded in a cabin, and sex by the light of the fire. When she finished, Ari sat transfixed, biting her lip like she’d just watched Fifty Shades of Grey.
“I still don’t see a problem, Carrie. It was consensual and sounds like it was damn amazing.”
“It so was,” she sighed.
“And that’s the problem,” Ari deduced. “You want to do it again and he doesn’t.”
“No, he wants to do it again and I don’t. I can’t, Ari. I can’t,” she said, dragging out the word like a song.
“Why don’t you want to do it again?”
Carrie tossed up her hand in frustration. “I do want to do it again, but I can’t do it again because then I won’t be able to stop, and you know how that’s going to end up.”
Ari tossed her head back and forth a couple of times. “First comes sex, then comes love, then comes a baby in a baby carriage!” she sang, laughing at her wittiness, but Carrie remained unamused.
Author Bio:
Katie Mettner writes small-town romantic tales filled with epic love stories and happily-ever-afters. She proudly wears the title of, ‘the only person to lose her leg after falling down the bunny hill,’ and loves decorating her prosthetic with the latest fashion trends. She lives in Northern Wisconsin with her own happily-ever-after and three mini-mes. Katie has a massive addiction to coffee and Twitter, and a lessening aversion to Pinterest — now that she’s quit trying to make the things she pins.
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Thank you so much, Gwenyth, for the lovely post! I love this excerpt, it makes me laugh every time. I appreciate your time in sharing with your readers!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being on the tour! :)
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