Supernatural Sunday with Winter Kisses

Authors Nichelle Gregory and G.R. Bretz join us today to spotlight a Christmas anthology, Winter Kisses. On Tuesday two other authors of the anthology will join us, so be sure to check back.

Winter Kisses will release on Monday, December 21, 2009 from Noble Romance Publishing. Judging by the blurbs and excerpts, these sound like exciting and fun reads.

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GRACEN: Do you have a movie that you must watch every Christmas? What's your favorite Christmas movie? Do you have a favorite Christmas character or character type?

NICHELLE: I look forward to seeing The Wizard of Oz, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! I grew up with these childhood favorites and I love watching them every year!

G.R.: I’m very fond of Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.



GRACEN: Do you have any Christmas traditions like decorating your house, having house parties, making cookies etc.?

NICHELLE: We always decorate the Christmas tree after Thanksgiving dinner. Keeps everyone awake and helps work off the turkey, rolls, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoe pie...and well you get the idea! ;-)



GRACEN: If you do make Christmas Cookies, what kinds will you be making this year? What was your all-time most favorite Christmas Cookie that you ever made? Why? Care to share the recipe?

NICHELLE: I love making Christmas Cookies! It’s taken me a couple of years to select the keeper recipes and tweak them to my own liking. I usually bake my all my Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Walnut and Raspberry shortbread cookies on one night, so that I can package them and ship ‘em off the next morning. I’d like to share the recipes, but one of Santa’s elves ran off with my recipe box!





GRACEN: Do you send out greeting cards to your friends and family? Why or why not? What greeting do you like to see on the greeting cards you send? On the ones you receive? (For example, “Merry Christmas”, “Season’s Greetings”, etc.)

NICHELLE: I do send out greeting cards to friends and family. I like to put on the Christmas music, fill up my mug with hot cocoa and er... um rum and pen festive messages until my hand cramps. And it doesn’t matter what the cards we receive say because it’s the thought and stamp that counts!



GRACEN: If you could be any Christmas Character, who would it be and why?

NICHELLE: Why, Mrs. Claus of course! She can eat whatever, whenever because jolly is sexy at the North Pole and she has all those little elves doing whatever she needs.

G.R.: I suppose it would be Scrooge. He’s a tortured soul, but, in the end, he’s not quite beyond redemption.



GRACEN: Other than money (because who doesn’t want more of that), what would your ultimate gift be?

NICHELLE: Free babysitting with a CPR/First Aid Safety trained professional for a year!


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G.R. BRETZ ANTHOLOGY BLURB:

Andrew has a serious problem. He’s in love with a woman who lives only in his dreams. It could be his downfall. It could be his salvation.

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Now, let’s get to the exciting part, their writing:

GRACEN: Why the paranormal romance genre? What was the draw for you?

NICHELLE: I enjoy writing passionate love stories that involves some type of magical, supernatural or other worldly phenomenon. Finding and falling in love is magic in itself, but when those other elements are weaved into the tale I think it’s easier to get swept away in another world ...where anything is possible!



GRACEN: Why the speculative fiction genre? What was the draw for you?

G.R.: I suppose I’m drawn to that genre because it’s what I most enjoy reading. I’ve always enjoyed stories that pose the question, What if?



GRACEN: If you could describe your writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.

NICHELLE: My tagline is: Romance that touches your heart and each story I write is geared towards that goal, but I’m also hoping my characters inspire hope in the infinite possibilities of life and love.

G.R.: A single word? Disturbing.
I try to write stories that allow different readers to take different things from them. Some people will read the story and see a HEA ending. Others will think it’s very tragic. If I do my job right, most readers will see a bit of both. I’ve always believed that life isn’t black and white. There’s a little bit of black on one side, a little bit of white or the other, and a whole lot of gray in the middle. As a writer, I try to stick to the gray area.



GRACEN: With the current movement to encourage people to give books as gifts, what, in your opinion, makes your story unique? What makes it stand out among all the others?

NICHELLE: A Christmas for Carol embraces the spirit of this holiday season. It’s a wonderful tale of forgiveness, second chances, and love. Heartfelt issues that just about everyone has wanted or is hoping for as we head into the New Year. You’ll finish reading this story with a smile and the intense need to hug a loved one!

G.R.: The most unique thing about my story is the POV. The story is told in first person present tense. I call it shotgun POV. The reader experiences the story straight through the eyes of the character as the character is living it. To spice things up, the character is stark raving mad.



GRACEN: Do you prefer throwing snowballs or serving hot cocoa? Does that show through in your writing? If so, how?

NICHELLE: Definitely hot cocoa...refer to question 9 (greeting cards question)! ;0) Seriously, I love cooking and I find most of my work somehow involves food. I believe good food brings forth good loving (within a loving relationship) and good loving makes you crave good food. Lol

G.R.: Definitely hot cocoa. Hot cocoa is slow down, lay back and take a while to think about things. My stories have a lot of introspection. The characters weigh their options, make their choices and reflect on the consequences of those choices.



GRACEN: Who decides what your characters do, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one stuffing the stocking?

G.R.: My muse lays out the scenario and introduces me to the characters. She expects me to bond with those characters, to become so deeply invested in them that the story becomes compelling.



GRACEN: What character did you have the most fun creating and why?

G.R.: Definitely Dahlia from Absinthe Eyes and Other Lies. Dahlia is my muse. She made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. “I’ll provide you with an endless stream of stories to tell, but there is a caveat. The first one has to be about me.”



GRACEN: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why?

G.R.: That would have to be Holly. She’s the heroine from A Schrödinger Christmas, my entry in this Christmas anthology. I think Holly represents the innocence of my youth. She’s a very dynamic, very wholesome character. She’s the sort of woman who could have made me a better man than I turned out to be.



GRACEN: Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

G.R.: Scar face, the would-be rapist from Gunmetal Blue. He’s a callous and brutal man with no regard for human life. I’ve never been able to abide people like that.


NICHELLE GREGORY ANTHOLOGY BLURB:

Imagine losing the love of your life right before Christmas. It's a nightmare Carol Christine Moore had to face two years ago. Unable to cope with the pain of losing her fiancé so unexpectedly, Carol closes off her heart entirely. She puts all of her time and energy into making the coffee shop she owns with her best friend a success. Consumed with customers and the daily grind, Carol has convinced herself that she doesn't need anything or anyone else in her life.

All that changes the day Grant walks into Cafe Bean. Carol squashes the instantaneous attraction she feels for this sexy, funny, and easy-going patron. After sipping coffee and chatting casually together for months, Grant finally asks Carol out on a lunch date. Both of them realize the sparks they feel are real, but Carol isn't sure she can let go of the past.

The night before Christmas Eve, Grant gives Carol a ride home from work. When he confronts her about his feelings, Carol is forced to face her own. What happens next will delight and surprise you. A Christmas for Carol is a heart-warming tale about forgiveness, love, and second chances.



NICHELLE GREGORY ANTHOLOGY EXCERPT:

Her heart hammered in her chest as she yanked the red ribbon, opening the box to reveal an exquisite gold chain with a delicate coffee cup charm. The little charm sparkled with tiny diamonds along the cup. “It’s beautiful!” Carol gasped. “I can’t believe you got me a gift…and I love it!” On impulse she leaned over to give him a quick kiss, but Grant pulled her in closer. He tasted like cinnamon as he deepened the kiss, brushing his lips slowly across hers. Pulling off her hat, he laced his fingers through her hair, holding her in place as he teased and tasted every inch of her mouth. Carol whimpered, overwhelmed by her need for him. Desire ignited and raged through her body as he caressed her tongue with his own in deliciously, deliberate strokes. She raised her hand to touch his beard, loving the way the short hairs tickled her fingers. Her craving for him was undeniable.

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G.R. Bretz Blog: http://delightfullydisturbing.wordpress.com/

Nichelle Gregory Website: http://angelanichelle.com/

Nichelle Gregory Blog: http://angelabradley.blogspot.com/