Tuesday, December 16, 2014

#TNTConfidential 12 Days of Christmas #GIVEAWAY Day 5: Siobhan Muir & Crescent Moon Lodge #ChristmasStories

Christmas, magic, ice, romance, the lovely Siobhan Muir and a hot cup of tea. Yep, it's the 5th day of Christmas!!




The 12 days prior to Christmas I had authors stop by and share what they liked about the holiday, what inspired their holiday story, etc. and participate in a giveaway. Besides, answering some questions about their book, this year I would like for authors to add a little something else, such as a recipe, or instructions to knit your own stocking or...


On the Fifth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me…Five cups of Chai…

Good morning and welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas hosted by Elyzabeth VaLey. This time of year is one of my favorites because it comes with lights, and chocolate, and gifts for everyone. Usually there is joy in everyone’s faces and excitement.

But not everyone. When I wrote Christmas I.C.E. Magic, I usually wrote happy romance, where all the characters had problems, some life or death stuff, but relatively easily solved within the confines of a story. But this story came out of nowhere and was very different. Lily, the heroine, had lost her twin brother on Christmas and without him, her life had crumbled. She didn’t see the lights, or the joy, or the comfort anymore. She scoffed at love songs and Christmas carols, and she couldn’t find the magic of life in anything she did.

So she planned to spend Christmas with her brother, even if it meant dying.

Whoa. How the heck was I going to make a romance out of someone who was suicidal? And how would she react to someone trying to save her from that choice?

Everyone needs magic at Christmas time, and Zach Snow, the hero, was perfect for the job. What better way to find magic than to have a Search and Rescue professional and Ice Demon come for you? And the best part? Zach Snow smells like hot Chai.

Zach never gives up on Lily and even her brother helps a little bit, since it’s magic that she’s after. She gets her wish big time.

To bring a little of the magic to you, here’s my homemade Chai recipe:

India Chai Tea

1 cup milk
1 cup water
4-5 cardamom pods crushed or 1/4 tsp ground
1 inch cinnamon stick broken up or 1/2 tsp ground
1/4 tsp fresh ginger minced or 1/4 tsp ground
2 tsp good quality black tea (Assam, Jasmine, Oolong)
Sugar or Stevia to taste

Crush spices up with a mortar and pestle unless using ground spices. Add spices to milk and water, and bring to a boil. Add the black tea and boil 2 to 4 minutes. Add sugar to taste and strain with mesh strainer.

Makes two cups of tea.

I hope you enjoy the tea and I hope you enjoy Christmas I.C.E. Magic. Before I go I wanted to say I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to a random commenter who answers this question: What is your favorite thing to do to bring out the magic during the holidays?



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Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge

At the Crescent Moon Lodge, anything is possible and Christmas wishes come in the most unusual packages.

Christmas I.C.E. Magic – By Siobhan Muir
For Lily Sinclair, Christmas means sorrow and loss since the death of her twin brother. The magic is gone and she only wants to see her brother one more time. As an Ice Demon Zachary Snow is used to rescuing people in winter, but he’d never rescued anyone like Lily. Now he must convince her the magic she wants is in life itself.

A Howling Yuletide –By Shannan Albright
Fleur Delecourt knew her Christmas holiday was doomed from the start. Not only did she hate the cold and snow, but also she found herself saddled with a ski instructor, courtesy of a friend’s twisted sense of humor. Werewolf Rory Furr left Scotland to find a life and pack of his own. What he was not prepared for was finding his mate in the form of a petite redhead who tests both his self-control and patience.

Bon Appetite from the Lunar Eclipse Restaurant-By R.M. Sotera

Executive chef vampire Michael Stake loves his job at the Lunar Eclipse Restaurant. Although food critics do not visit often, he welcomes world-renown critic Penelope Rothchild to his establishment. That’s when all hell breaks loose. World-renown food critic Penelope Rothchild looks forward to her new assignment in Las Vegas. Christmas in the West, what could possibly go wrong? Everything. But it’s all in the name of the perfect meal.

Boo Christmas – By Johanna Riley
All Elvira "Elle" Grant wanted for Christmas was to get out from under her famous paranormal investigator parents' shadow. But being a medium she's always haunted by their profession. Thanks to a contest win, she gets the chance to do her own paranormal investigating during Christmas at the beautiful Crescent Moon Lodge near Las Vegas, Nevada. With hunky (albeit dead!) Casper Van Beau’s help. Can Elle get over her own insecurities long enough to open up to the possibilities of eternal love?

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6 comments:

  1. I love putting up all the things my 8 children have made over the years ♡

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    1. What a sweet tradition, Gaelicark. That's definitely magical. Thanks for commenting. :)

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    1. I bet your house smells good at holiday time, BN. Thanks for stopping by. :)

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  3. Every year I like to hang up the Christmas cards I've been sent by friends and family they all look so wonderful and Christmassy.

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    1. That's a great tradition, ShirleyAnn. A good reminder of all the love. Thanks for commenting.

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