Elizabeth Coldwell, Be Good To Your Elf (erotica)

AUTHOR: Elizabeth Coldwell

BOOK TITLE: Be Good To Your Elf

PUBLISHER: MuseItHOT

BUY LINK: http://tinyurl.com/cqve3ny

DO YOU HAVE A GIVEAWAY?: Yes

WHAT IS IT?: An ebook copy of the book

HOW IS THE WINNER TO BE CHOSEN?: Leave a comment on the blog with contact information. MUST BE OVER 18 TO WIN

WHO WILL DELIVER THE PRIZE TO WINNER?: Elizabeth will email the winner

Tell me a little about your book.

It’s about Maddie, who looks like she’ going to have to spend a very dull Christmas on her own, until she gets a job working in Santa’s grotto and meets Tyler, who’s also going to be alone. Naturally, romance blossoms.

What gave you the idea for this particular story?

As with a lot of my stories, the title came first – it’s a pun on the Journey song, Be Good To Yourself – and the situation sprang from that.

Is there anything in your story based upon a real life event? If so, tell me about it.

There’s a moment where Maddie attends a carol concert at the town church, and steps outside afterwards to discover it’s started snowing. That actually happened to me when I was at university, though the service was in early December, rather than on Christmas Eve as in the story. Snow is beautiful when it’s falling – when it’s settled and turned slushy, or frozen, not quite so much…

Why did you choose to write a story with a Christmas theme?

I love Christmas! I suppose it’s the big kid in me, who still gets excited about giving and receving presents, enjoying a big Christmas dinner with the family and meeting up with good friends. My birthday’s a few days before Christmas, too, so that adds to the festivities.

Do you see special challenges to marketing a book with a seasonal theme?  If so, what are they?

Not many people want to buy a Christmas story in the middle of the summer, so usually you can only promote it in the run-up to the big day, when people are thinking about getting in a holiday mood. I’ve written summer-themed stories, too, and they seem to strike a chord with people all year round, maybe because when it’s winter in one part of the world, it’s summer somewhere else.

How long before Christmas did you submit to your publisher?

A good eight or nine months, and I got the acceptance in June or July.

How and why did you choose this publisher?

I went with Muse because Lea was launching the imprint and put a submissions call out on the Publishing Trove Yahoo group. Something about the way she promoted herself and her vision for the imprint gave me the impression I’d enjoy being part of the Muse family – and I do. They’re a unique crowd!

What about your book makes it special?

A little bit of Christmas magic…

What does Christmas mean to you?

Time with friends and family, the Boxing Day football games that are a big tradition in England and a chance to relax for a few days.

What is your favorite Christmas memory?

When I was 30, my partner and I spent Christmas in New York. The highlight of the trip was taking a helicopter ride over Manhattan on Christmas Day – incredibly scary but so exhilarating and utterly memorable.

What was your favorite stocking stuffer?

Last Christmas, I baked some ‘spooky’ biscuits, in the shape of ghosts and pumpkins. Maybe not the most seasonal present, but it hit the spot with the people I made them for!

What was your favorite Christmas present?

A beautiful pillow spray bought by a friend from a South London-based aromatherapy company called Verde. It gives me sweet dreams – and when I dream, I get story ideas.

Where can people learn more about you and your work?

You can find me at the (Really) Naughty Corner – http://elizabethcoldwell.wordpress.com

EXCERPT:

I just had time to get back to my dorm room and change into a plum-colored sweater and my favorite plaid skirt. I dashed down to St Luke’s, half-expecting Tyler to have changed his mind. But there he was, sitting in one of the pews towards the back of the church, holding a candle which flickered gently. I took the candle and hymn book I was offered and went to join him.

It was a beautiful service. No matter how many times I’d heard those same carols in the

grotto over the last few days, they sounded fresh, as the small choir at the front of the church led us in a rendition of each one. From time to time during the reading of the lessons, I took a peek at Tyler’s handsome profile, softly illuminated by the candlelight, and wondered what he was thinking about.

When we walked out of the church at the end of the service, snow was falling. Big, fat flakes drifted to earth, already beginning to settle.

“And I thought this only happened in movies,” Tyler said. Suddenly, he pulled me into his

arms and gave me a long, lingering kiss. “Merry Christmas, Maddie.”

When we finally broke the kiss, I was breathless and my heart was hammering in my chest. It had been a while since anyone had kissed me quite so thoroughly. “Where did that come from?” I asked.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since the first moment I saw you. You have the most kissable lips.”