A LITTLE CHRISTMAS MAGIC:
Release Date: December 2014
Released From: Beaten Track Publishing
Buy Links
Hi, I’m
K.C. Faelan and am new to the publishing world although I can’t say I’m new to
writing M/M romance because I’ve written a few fanfic stories. Those stories
helped me get over the nervousness of people reading my writing and paved the
way to taking the next step in my writing journey.
My
current story is, “A Little Christmas Magic,” put out by Beaten Track
Publishing. Debbie McGowan, editor and publisher of Beaten Track, invited me to
participate in the anthology, “Boughs of Evergreen—A Holiday Anthology,” which
contains twenty-three holiday tales from authors all over the world. It was a
massive endeavor to get the anthology together and I’m grateful for the chance
to participate.
“A Little
Christmas Magic,” focuses on the magical time leading up to Christmas, which is
my favorite holiday since, well since forever! I’ve always loved the lights and
decorations, the Christmas music, and yes, even the crowds. I find lights to be
especially magical and they pop up throughout the story.
I know
readers often wonder if there's any part of an author in their characters and I
can say yes, there are parts of me in two of the characters. They show up in
Tai’s mother’s love for the holidays and her love of having their home all
decked out for Christmas. It’s not mentioned in the story, but each of the
trees in Tai’s household will have a theme and that comes directly from my
personal experience. I have many Christmas decorating themes and change them
each year, rotating through the collection of ornaments I have. This year the
tree will be decorated in a southwest theme, with chili pepper lights and fairy
lights. The ornaments are crafted by Native Americans and I’ve collected these
on my husband and my yearly vacation to Arizona. I even have a theme with
decorated goose eggs which makes the tree take on a Victorian feel. Last year
the theme was travel and I decorated with trains and other ground modes of
transportation. I plan on having a theme based on air flight at some point
using ornaments of planets, rockets, planes and the like.
As you can
see, Tai’s mother’s love of Christmas comes from me and so does Boone’s love of
Christmas trees, decorating and his love of Christmas music. He hums along to
one particular tune in the story and it’s my go-to song at Christmas.
I hope
you enjoyed this little peak into my writer’s brain and it entices you into
giving “A Little Christmas Magic” and “Boughs of Evergreen—A Holiday
Anthology,” a read. Whatever you decide, I hope that whatever holiday you
celebrate, you are surrounded by people you love, great food and happiness.
Have a
wonderful holiday season!
~ K.C.
Faelan
BLURB:
It's the
day after Thanksgiving and Ryan Forsyth is helping his friends decorate for
Christmas. Little does he know that the weekend will usher in a profound change
to his life, a chance for happiness if he isn't too afraid to reach out and
grasp it.
Boone
Ainsworth has been friends with Ryan since junior high, ever since their mutual
friend Greg Hayes introduced them. Since the day they met, no one has stood a
chance at claiming Boone's heart except Ryan, but Ryan is so deep in the
closet, he hasn't got a clue.
Their
happily ever after is just a step away, until a panicked decision changes
everything. From that point on, things don't go smoothly and Ryan and Boone
make mistakes neither may be able to forgive. But it's the holidays, and Ryan
is banking on a little Christmas magic to help smooth the way.
EXCERPT:
It’d
been a long Saturday. As usual, Tai had laid out an itinerary as to what
holiday preparations and celebrations everyone would participate in that day.
First,
was heading to a tree farm to select three—not one, but three trees—and that
took a few hours. Afterwards they all went to lunch, Tai’s treat. Grateful for
their help, he planned on paying for all their meals and fun that day, which
was fine with Ryan. He was glad Kristen brought her friend Melissa along
because he wasn’t interested in hanging out with her. He much preferred Boone,
who, thankfully, hadn’t invited Simon along to join them.
Once
they got the trees back to Tai’s and set them up in their stands outside, Tai
called it quits on the decorating and suggested they all head downtown to the
ice rink. Ryan wasn’t thrilled, but went along. Tai as usual helped Greg, and
Kristen instructed him, but his heart wasn’t in it. Maybe it was because he
couldn’t stop watching Boone. His friend seemed to do everything well. He knew
Boone had taken skating lessons when he was young, but he had never bothered to
watch how well he skated, until now. Kristen finally had enough of his
distraction and left him to observe Boone from the sidelines.
After
the skating, they drove to their usual club hangout for dinner and some
dancing. The place was packed. Even though they had reservations they had
to wait because their table had been assigned by accident, but they were
promised the next available table. However, before that happened, the girls
spotted a special event happening in one of the party rooms. It was a chance
for people to give their Christmas wish list to Santa Claus for monetary
donations, with all donations going to the local food banks.
Ryan
wanted to relax, but found himself next in line and getting ready to do
something utterly ridiculous even if it was for a good cause. “Come on, guys,
you can’t be serious.” He halted at the entrance to the red carpet that led to
Santa Claus and his chair. He really wasn’t in the mood to go along with his
friends’ absurd idea of sitting on Santa’s lap. Especially not after the long
day they’d had. “Do I have to?”
“We
all did it, Ry, go on.” Giggling, Kristen and Melissa shoved him forward. A
sexy elf girl and elf guy in tight, shiny-red booty shorts each grabbed one of
his arms. They led him down the candy–cane-lined pathway to the bottom of the
steps, leading up to where Santa sat in his huge, high-backed chair. There, the
elves let him go and he was left looking up at Santa Claus and wishing he could
turn around and head back the way he’d come. He glanced over his shoulder at
his friends. Laughing, Greg and the girls motioned at him to get moving. He
searched for Boone and found him grinning, giving him a thumbs-up. Letting out
a sigh, he solemnly climbed the steps up to Santa’s platform.
He
paused in front of Santa and looked one more time over his shoulder at Boone
who was still grinning. Ryan turned back around. Santa patted his gloved hands
on his bright red lap and held out his arms, his eyes twinkling, a grin on his
lips.
“This
is ridiculous,” Ryan muttered under his breath as he maneuvered his way onto Santa’s
lap.
“Ho!
Ho! Ho! And who do I have the pleasure of meeting tonight?” Santa’s grin was
cheerful, his eyes full of merriment.
He
peered at Santa sideways. “The name’s Ryan.”
“Ryan
is it? Have you been a good boy this year, Ryan?”
“I
feel stupid.” Ryan ran a hand over his face and glanced over at his laughing
friends.
“And
why’s that?” Santa asked.
“I
don’t believe in Santa Claus.”
Santa
tilted his head. “You don’t have to believe in me to have Christmas wishes come
true.”
Ryan
stared at Santa then down at his hands, which he hadn’t noticed he held
clenched in his lap. “I don’t think you can help me anyway.”
“Why
don’t you try me? What do you wish for?”
“I…”
He looked over at his friends who were still watching then turned back to
Santa.
“Don’t
look so worried. You’re under no obligation to tell me anything.” Santa patted
Ryan’s shoulder. “Maybe you’d like a new car, or how about a Lear Jet? I’ve had
a lot of requests for those this year.” Santa smiled, his eyes crinkling at the
corners.
A
smile tugged at the corner of Ryan’s lips despite his current glum mood. What
did he have to lose? It was all in fun anyway. He motioned Santa closer with
his finger and leaned over to whisper in his ear. “I want to be happy.” Ryan
drew away and held his breath. He’d never told that to anyone, not even his
best friends.
Santa
leaned back in his chair and watched him closely. He peered over the top of his
gold-rimmed spectacles, his blue eyes somber. “You’re not happy?” he asked, so
quietly that Ryan had to lean forward to hear Santa’s question.
Ryan
shook his head. “I have great friends, family and a promising career. I should
be, but I’m not.” He looked over at Boone, who now wore a look of concern on
his face. He turned his attention back to Santa and saw that Santa had followed
his gaze.
“I
see,” Santa replied after a pause. “Some Christmas wishes need courage in order
to come true.” Santa reached over and laid his large gloved hand over Ryan’s.
“I can tell you if you want to be happy and put in the hard work, that you will
be.”
Ryan
gave a soft chuckle. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a shrink.”
Overcome
with laughter, Santa threw back his head, his stomach jiggling and his eyes
crinkling at the corners. “Ho! Ho! Ho! In a way I am. All those elves up at the
North Pole—there’s always someone causing mischief that I need to straighten
out. Ho! Ho! Ho!” Santa smiled and gave him some more advice. “Don’t give up,
Ryan. Christmas is a time for miracles.” He tapped Ryan on the nose with his
finger and Ryan heard his friends laugh.
“Thanks,
Santa. I’ll try and remember that.” He gave Santa a grin and got to his feet.
“You’re
welcome. Remember, Ryan, you’ll get your happiness if you reach for it. Don’t
give up.”
Ryan
headed back to his friends along the red carpet, escorted once again by the
elves. He found Boone and flashed him a grin. Boone answered back with one of
his own.
AUTHOR
BIO:
Many
moons ago, with the encouragement of a writer friend, K.C. Faelan sat down at
the keyboard and wrote her first fanfic story. After a few years, her muse went
into hiding, and then suddenly re-emerged, urging KC to participate and take on
one of the prompts in the Goodreads M/M Romance Group’s 2014 Love’s Landscapes
DRitC event. Still a fledging in the world of writing, KC is happily learning
what it takes to get a book from the first typed specks on a word doc, to
seeing that story in book form.
KC
currently writes contemporary male romance but plans to spread her wings into
other m/m genres. She enjoys reading about m/m in almost every setting
from paranormal, to sci-fi to historical backdrops. She loves men, from the
Alphas to the omegas, and all the pretty boys in between. Intelligence and
humor whet her appetite. Toss in a course of UST, a dash of angst, season with
fluffiness, and she dives right in. For dessert, it’s HEA all the way.
KC lives
in Northern California with her husband and two rescue birds. Their female bird
hates women and wishes KC would go play in the middle of traffic or take a long
walk off a short pier, leaving her alone to build a nest with KC’s husband. KC
however, believes she adds spice to the bird’s life, and this is where they
have a vast difference of opinion.
Find K.C. Here
About the Anthology
Authors: S.H. Allan, Larry Benjamin, Rick Bettencourt, L.L. Bucknor, K.C. Faelan, Hunter Frost, Ofelia Gränd, Kathleen Hayes, Hans M Hirschi, Laura Susan Johnson, Terry Kerr, Amelia Mann, Debbie McGowan, Shayla Mist, Raine O'Tierney, Ava Penn, Jonathan Penn, Amy Spector, L.M. Steel, Al Stewart and Claire Davis, J P Walker, Matthias Williamson, Alexis Woods
Language: English
Published: 21st November, 2014
Publisher: Beaten Track
Publishing
ISBN: Vol 01: 9781909192898; Vol
02: 9781909192911
No. of pages: Volume 1 - 402: Volume 2: 396
Category: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, LGBT, History, Romance, Fantasy, Women's Fiction, Short Stories, Humour, Contemporary Fiction, Holidays and Celebrations
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Boughs of Evergreen is a
two-volume collection of short stories celebrating the holiday season in all
its diversity. Penned by authors from the UK, the USA, Scandinavia and Eastern
Europe, these are tales of the young and the not-so-young from many different
walks of life.
Themes of family, friendship and
romance take readers on a journey through some of the major holidays, both past
and present, including Thanksgiving, Advent, St. Lucia Day, Hanukkah, Eid,
Saturnalia, Winter Solstice, Yule, Christmas and New Year. In each we find at
the very least hope, and often love, peace and happiness.
Each story will also be
published individually as ebooks on 1st December, 2014.
Proceeds from sales of this
anthology will be donated to The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is the
leading national organization [USA] providing crisis intervention and suicide
prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning
(LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.
For more information, visit: www.thetrevorproject.org.
For more information, visit: www.thetrevorproject.org.
THE STORIES: (links go to
samples and author biographies)
Volume One
Volume Two
