For many people the holidays are for celebrating and spending time with loved ones. My immediate family is very close and even though in recent years my siblings and I have started to move out of our childhood home, we make plenty of time for family, especially during the holidays. Each year my mom and sister and I spend a day Christmas baking. The family spends Christmas day together, and often in the weeks leading up to Christmas we watch holiday films, gift shop, and visit.
When we were children the day always started with stockings from Santa. Then my sister, brother and I would give gifts to our parents and each other, and then our parents would give us presents. We’d then have a huge breakfast, and play with our gifts, before rushing off to one, if not two, family Christmases.
For me, this is Christmas. Spending time with family and friends. Eating tons of good food, and exchanges gifts. For me, it’s not about one memory in particular, it’s about the entire experience. Playing hid and seek with my cousins, hugging my grandparents, getting up early and spending Christmas morning in cozy PJs. For me it’s all about family.
I’d like to share with you one of the Christmas recipes we use each year.
Whipped Shortbread
Ingredients
- 2 cups butter at room temperature
- 1 cup icing sugar
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups flour ““ all purpose (white)
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a bowl cream butter and icing sugar until very fluffy.
- Beat in cornstarch and vanilla.
- Beat in flour and continue beating until batter is light and very fluffy. Add chopped pecans.
- Drop batter by tsp. and flatten 1 ½ inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet.
- Dust with Christmas sprinkles.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Be sure to watch them as they can burn easily.
Makes about 60 cookies.
My Mistletoe Master (Unexpected Changes, #1)
Nick has always wanted Amelia Fuller, his best friend’s little sister, but is he capable of overcoming a past that threatens to come between them?
Amelia Fuller has been in love with her older brother’s best friend for the better part of two decades. After working up the courage to finally tell him how she feels, he broke her heart. Now, three years later, she’s home for the Christmas holidays and finds Nick’s feelings toward her suddenly changed.
Nick doesn’t like to make the same mistake twice. When Amelia arrives home after a three-year absence, Nick Kelly decides he’s no longer going to hide the way he feels about her. His friendship with her brother and a past that left him feeling ashamed were the only things holding him back, but missing her for three long years has finally put things in perspective for Nick.
After Nick catches Amelia enjoying a little fetish pornography, he convinces her to agree to a hot fling, but much to Nick’s displeasure, she wants to keep their affair secret. Sneaking around and indulging in risky sexual play while staying at her parent’s home for the holidays won’t get Amelia everything she’s always dreamed of. Terrified to expose her heart once more, Amelia struggles to discover whether they can overcome their past.
Enjoy an Excerpt
Clark Griswold ranted on screen. Gabe and Paige laughed at Chevy Chase’s antics.
Nick lounged in the armchair, trying to keep his focus on the Christmas comedy. He failed. His gaze kept slipping to where Amelia sat curled up on the love seat parallel to the sofa that Gabe and Paige cuddled on.
He’d waited up half the night, expecting Amelia to come downstairs to be with him. Overtired, he’d sent her a few texts she hadn’t responded to. When the morning had come, she sent him one text, Sorry my phone was off. As if that explained it!
Frustrated and exhausted, Nick had gone to the gym early in an effort to overcome his irritation. It hadn’t worked. He just didn’t understand it. Amelia had seemed so ready, so willing, but then she’d skipped out on him. He was sure she wanted him, why was she suddenly so shy?
In the darkened basement, he contemplated her. She slipped one socked foot beneath her bottom, and wrapped her arms around a throw pillow that she’d cuddled into her lap. She looked so soft and innocent, but he knew a fire burned behind that façade.
She must have felt his stare. She turned her face away from the screen. Capturing her gaze, Nick narrowed his eyes. Her breath caught. The scent of her shampoo carried to him across the small space.
He sent her a wink that must have shocked her. Nick fought not to laugh when she glued her eyes back to the screen. Oh yes, she wanted him, he had no doubts. The way she suddenly began petting the pillow gave her away.
He directed his attention back to the television and, for a while, managed to get back into the film. Then movement caught his eye, and sure enough, Gabe had pulled Paige into his arms and was giving her a slow passionate kiss.
Paige shocked him. It had surprised the whole family when Gabe brought home the new preacher’s daughter. She’d been so demure around his parents, she was prim and proper whenever they were out in public, but Nick was beginning to wonder if it was all a charade. For a preacher’s daughter, she laughed a little too loudly when Griswold let out fowl curses. At first, Nick thought it had made her uncomfortable, but now the way she melted against Gabe had him second-guessing his first impression of Little Miss Church-Goer.
As Paige shifted and their kiss got a little too heated for company, Nick saw the moment wasn’t lost on Amelia. “Ew, Gabe, god, get a room!”
Paige and Gabe tore apart with a soft gasp. With a smirk, Gabe glanced at his sister. “Hey, Nick, your bed is empty, mind if we…”
Laughing, Nick reached toward Amelia, his fingers grazing her pant leg. “Pass me that pillow, would you? I’ve got to suffocate your brother.”
Amelia recoiled from his light touch as Paige pinched Gabe for his jest.
“Ow, damn it woman that hurt.”
Paige gave him a saucy smile before settling back to watch the movie.
It wasn’t long after that the film came to a close and the credits rolled across the screen. Gabe stretched out his long arms and Paige yawned.
“Not a bad movie,” Gabe commented.
“Just as funny every year,” Nick agreed.
“Well, I should really get Paige home.” Gabe ushered his girlfriend to the bottom of the staircase. Amelia rose as well, no doubt trying to avoid being left alone with him.
“Wait up! I’m coming up, too.”
Stretching his leg out, Nick barred her exit. Trapped between the couches, Amelia glared at him. “Stay, play a round with me.” He nodded toward the ping-pong table.
Hands on her hips, she considered him. He could see her fighting with herself. She knew what would happen if she stayed, and she knew given the chance she should leave. With his back to Gabe, he offered her a slow smile, his eyes silently commanding her to stay. They both knew she wasn’t going anywhere.
“You’re not tired?”
“Not at all.”
She stood toying with the idea. Gabe was probably wondering why she was stalling, but soon the choice was taken away from her. Paige yawned.
“Look,” Gabe said, “we got to go. Paige has to work early. Have a good night.” The two ascended the stairs, leaving Nick alone with Amelia.
They both seemed to hold their breath as they waited to hear the door at the top of the stairs shut.
Nick checked the impulse to drag her into his arms. Instead, he pushed out of the armchair and sauntered over to the ping-pong table. Slowly, deliberately he picked up one of the paddles, his stare never leaving her face. Her gaze followed his actions, but she didn’t dare move.
He spun the paddle on its head. “You always sucked at this game.”
That snapped her into action. “I do not suck.”
“Oh, I bet you do.”
I’ll be giving away two digital copies of My Mistletoe Master. Happy holidays!
About the author
Romance author Cameron Allie grew up in a small town north of Toronto. As a child she loved stories, and after reading her first romance novel at age fifteen her dreams of writing became singularly focused on the love story. She is currently living in Ontario with her husband, and with her cat, who is constantly trying to interrupt the writing process.
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