Tuesday, December 15, 2015

THE JINGLE BOOK BLOG HOP - WIN A FREE E-BOOK COPY OF ANY OF MY BOOKS - TWO $25 AMAZON GIFT CARDS



A CHRISTMAS SHORT
WITH THE CHARACTERS FROM
MURPHY'S LAW
Note from the author: Though I  now live in Australia, I grew up in England, so Christmas is quite different, mainly because of the seasons. Though a lot of traditions are the same, I think moving from one country to another can be a bit of a culture shock. David, from Murphy’s Law certainly thought so, and while trying to emulate an English Christmas in his new home town in Outback Australia, he came across a few variations.

Warning: LGBT Characters.

“What do you think?” David stood on the ladder, precariously balanced on the second to top step as he readjusted the star.
“I think you should get down.”

Scott’s frown had David sighing. “I’m fine. I’m only three feet off the floor.”

“I know, but that’s enough to break an arm or sprain an ankle if you fell.”

If it hadn’t been such a possibility, David would have come back with some sharp retort. He hated being reminded how much of a klutz he was, even if Scott had every reason to be on guard.

Ignoring the worry on Scott’s face, David once again pointed to the star. “Well?” he asked.

“It’s beautiful, but I don’t understand all the fuss.”

“Fuss?” David twisted, glaring at Scott as the man instinctively put out his hands to stop him from toppling off the ladder. “You know this is my first Christmas away from home.”

“I thought this was your home.” Scott’s frown deepened.

“You know what I mean. An English Christmas is so different from an Aussie one.”

“Of course it is. We’re in opposing hemispheres. It’s cold up there, and warm down here.”

“Warm?” David used his forearm to wipe the sweat off his brow. “It’s forty degrees outside.”

“Which is why we’re inside with the air conditioning on.” Scott’s pragmatic point of view frustrated David because Scott just didn’t get it.

David was used to days curled up in front of an open fire, with a mug of hot chocolate while wrapped up in a soft blanket. Granted, being wrapped in Scott’s arms while sitting on the front porch and having a cold beer wasn’t bad either, but it just didn’t feel like Christmas. Here he was greeted with Galahs and Wattles, not Robin Red Breasts and Holly Bushes. In England there would be snow on the ground, and the air would have a crisp sharpness to it that took your breath away. Whereas the heat in outback Australia was hot and dry, and everywhere was covered in red dirt.

Knowing he couldn’t change the climate, David at least wanted to re-create the cosy atmosphere he’d experienced while growing up in England, and that included a decorated Christmas tree. He glanced at the tinsel and baubles, the twinkling lights and the star on top, and thought it was perfect. Now all he needed were the gifts to put underneath.

“Um, did you pick up the turkey and ham?” he asked, hoping Scott had forgotten so there was a chance to grab the hidden presents from the bedroom closet.

“Yes, and the prawns.”

“The what?”

“Prawns. You know, for dinner.”

“Christmas dinner?” David stared at Scott, aghast. Surely he couldn’t be serious.

Scott grinned at him, his pale blue eyes lit with amusement. “Yes. It’s a tradition of ours.”

David was all for traditions, but prawns, on Christmas day? “Why?” he asked.

“My grandmother started it. She didn’t want to be cooking on a hot summer’s day, so she got my granddad to go and buy something that could be eaten without her having to cook it. He came back with prawns.” Scott tilted his head to the side. “We’re not the only ones to do it. A lot of Aussie’s have prawns on Christmas day.”
“Do you still have pudding and mince pies?”

“Of course, but we have cream or ice-cream instead of hot custard.”

“Oh.” David liked custard. His mom used to make it from scratch. Not that he’d be able to do that himself, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to go without it completely.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I got you some.”

“You did?”

Scott wrapped his fingers around David’s ankle, absently rubbing a scar David got while learning to ride his bike as a child. “Of course I did. I also bought all the ingredients to make a trifle, just in case.”

So maybe Scott did get it. David smiled then leaned down to capture Scott’s firm lips. They were warm, and tasted of…well, Scott.

“Do you think we can start some traditions of our own?” David asked while sliding his arms around Scott’s neck.

“Yes,” Scott murmured. “And that’s letting me put up the star every year so you don’t have to climb a ladder ever again.”

“Okay.” David was quick to agree, but he was thinking of a different kind of tradition. One in which they removed all their clothes.

To read more about David and Scott, click on their page above.

BLURB FOR THE BOOK: Fed up of trying to fly under his step family's radar, David sets off to Australia to get away from their constant harassment. Maybe there he can be himself, be free, be with someone who can help him forget about his problems for a while. Meeting Scott, who not only thinks he's sexy but shows him how much over and over again, is perfect. And Scott doesn't care that he's accident prone. Well, David is everything prone; what can go wrong does. And falling in love with someone he nearly kills is about as wrong as it can get.
Scott likes his sex uncomplicated, preferably with someone just passing through, but his family want him to settle down with some nice young man. To get away from their meddling he heads to Bondi Beach. That's where he meets David, a man who just pushes his buttons, and the fact that he's looking for the same thing Scott is, makes him ideal. However, he falls in love with David--sassy attitude, accidents, and adorable accent included. But how is Scott going to persuade David to stay with him, especially as David's seriously upset about nearly getting him killed?

To win a FREE e-book copy of Murphy's Law, or any of my other books, leave a COMMENT below with your e-mail address and state which book you'd like and why.





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22 comments:

  1. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW TO GO IN THE DRAW TO WIN A FREE E-BOOK COPY OF ANY ONE OF MY BOOKS. JUST LET ME KNOW WHICH ONE AND WHY.

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  2. Pretty hot-n-tasty, girl! Thanks for the zing. Better than a shot of espresso.

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    1. Thanks for that, but how would I contact you if you win.

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  3. Hi Penny! Thanks for participating in the blog hop. Your books look AWESOME!

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  4. Save me sounds really good! Voodoo is quite interesting. Thanks for the chance and Merry Christmas!
    puffangel87@yahoo.com

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  5. Angela:

    I have a question i love the Looking Glass serie and i was wondering if/when there will be a third book?

    If i'm Lucky enough to win i would love to have Blind Passion because i love to read about characters with a disability.

    Happy Holiday's :)

    ahpg(at)ziggo(dot)nl

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    1. Hi Angela,
      To answer your question. The third in the Looking Glass series is nearly finished. Poor Simon had to wait a while for the mirror to find someone suitable for him, but it was worth the wait. :)

      Crossing fingers for the draw, and Blind Passion is a great story.

      Regards

      Penny

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  6. Murphy's Law sounds like an interesting read

    leetee2007(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Hi Lee.

      I loved David in Murphy's Law, he is such a klutz, and he really needed someone to look past that and find his inner strength, and Scott was just the person to do that. Good luck. Crossing fingers for you.

      Penny

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  7. Replies
    1. Hi Jodi. Is Murphy's Law the book you would pick if you win. Please let me know.

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    2. Congratulations Jodi, you're the Jingle Book Blog Hop winner. Please let me know your e-mail address. You can e-mail me for privacy if you wish. pennybrandon@hotmail.com

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  8. Save Me - after that excerpt I need to know what happens to Nathan!

    Shannon
    sabai30705(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Shannon. I hope you get a chance to read Save Me, because Nathan has a lot of awful things to face before he gets his HEA.

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  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. You're entered Sula. In regards to your question, I had intended to write more about Luke and Adam, and was talking to them about it, but they were hesitant about the direction I was going to send them. We're hashing things out, and I might be able to start writing about them again soon.

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  10. Jodi Marinich was our Jingle Book Blog Hop winner. Congratulations, Jodie. Sorry we couldn't have any more winners this time, but thank you all for participating. Please come back soon as I will be holding another competition on the 8th Jan.

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  11. Positive site, where did u come up with the information on this posting? I'm pleased I discovered it though, ill be checking back soon to find out what additional posts you include LGBT romance books

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    Replies
    1. Hi. Thank you for leaving a comment. This post was for a competition in 2015, but hopefully I'll be having another competition soon. If you sign up to receive notifications of new blogposts, then you'll be the first to know. You can also sign up to my newsletter, which I generally send out once a month with reports of my WIP on competitions and information on free books.

      Penny

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