Winter Blogfest: Jall Barret

December 26, 2025 By 5 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win an ePub copy of Death in Transit and New Names, Old Crimes. 

Winter Nostalgia 

Every year growing up, my siblings and I would get a big gift package from my Grandma Sue. There were candies, cookies, books, and candy storybooks. I confirmed candy storybooks existed and still exist today. The part I remember the most were the books.

The passing of the holiday meant it was time to break open the books. They were a mix of Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and classic novels from Twain, the Brontë sisters, Louisa May Alcott, Robert Louis Stevenson, and many others. Many of those were adventure stories of in a way. Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew were mysteries that felt like an extension of Scooby Doo. Both series predated Scooby Do. Just like the Mystery Inc. folks, the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew had a degree of autonomy and were out to solve mysteries generally caused by adults. They were on adventures. Tom Sawyer got up to adventures that were largely precipitated by his own pranks and schemes.

I wonder how those stories would read to me today, in my 40s. I’ve revisited a lot of movies and TV shows in the last year that I was fond of as a child. Looking back at those, I still feel a sense of identification with the kid characters but I also see the adult perspective.

I haven’t gone back to re-read the adventure stories of my youth. Some are likely timeless. Others would have issues that would be hard for me to ignore in 2025. Researching this piece, I found that the versions of the Nancy Drew novels I read had likely already been updated for a more modern audience by the time I read them.

Not every story needs to be revisited. Maybe it’s the accidental tradition that needs to be revisited.

As the holidays wind up, why not sit down with a new adventure story?

Five strangers searching for new lives experience an adventure beset by mechanical issues, space pirates, a poorly trained police force, and a business opportunity!

I write science fiction, fantasy, bizarro, and other genres. I’m a cat person. By which I mean “I like cats.” But I could be a person who is also a cat. Who knows?

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Winter Blogfest: Diane Billas

December 26, 2025 By 6 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of my queer YA superhero book Superficial. No shipping restrictions. 

Tis the Season to…Read?

I never used to be a seasonal reader. I didn’t even consider matching my reading to what season it was. I’d request books at the library and would just read whatever came in for me, but this year I can’t get enough of reading seasonal books. It first started at Halloween; I was devouring all of the spooky and horror books, but I didn’t think this seasonal reading habit would translate into holiday reads because I’ve never been a big Christmas book person. I would maybe read one for the entire season and call it a day. And if I was lucky, I’d watch one holiday movie.

But this year, I don’t know what it is, I want all of the holiday books with all the feels. I’m on my third holiday book of the season and loving it. It also might be because now there are so many more queer holiday books, the kind of books that I like to read, and write. The last one I read is a YA sapphic romance book called I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm by Mariama J. Lockington and it was absolutely adorable, but it wasn’t as cheesy as I remember holiday books being. The characters had backstories that were a bit tragic but believable and I enjoyed that it was in a dual perspective, one written in prose and one written in verse.

Now that I have found these amazing queer holiday books, I can see many more in my future. I already have a whole lineup of holiday reads for the rest of December. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll write my own queer holiday novel.

 

Embark on a thrilling adventure with Lea and Jake as they navigate the unexpected twists and turns at the biggest superhero fan convention of the year. When Lea finds herself trapped in an elevator during the event with superstar Jake, also known as The Amazing Boy, they realize something sinister is afoot. With everyone at the convention frozen, including Lea’s friends, Lea and Jake must team up to unravel the mystery behind the villainous acts plaguing Philadelphia. As they race against time, Lea grapples with whom to trust, while Jake uncovers startling truths about his own identity. A pulse-pounding journey filled with friendship, betrayal, and the ultimate quest for justice, will Lea and Jake save the day, or will supervillains prevail? Dive into this gripping tale that will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

 

Diane Billas is an award-winning author of the YA sapphic contemporary romance novel DOES LOVE ALWAYS WIN?, featured in Parents Magazine, and the YA superhero novel SUPERFICIAL, both with Creative James Media. Her sapphic short stories are featured in Wild Ink Publishing’s PROM PERFECT anthology and Of the Publishing Persuasion’s JINGLE THESE BELLS spicy holiday anthology.

Diane Billas lives in Philadelphia with her husband and son. When she’s not writing she can be found reading multiple books at once, performing the French horn and piano, or dreaming of the next country she’s going to visit. Diane can be found on Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @dianebillas, on Instagram/Threads @dianebillaswrites, and at dianebillas.com.

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Winter Blogfest: Megan Slayer

December 26, 2025 By 2 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a necklace made by the author. 

Holiday Music and Writing

I like to have noise when I write. I can’t be in a quiet room and make the characters talk. It just doesn’t happen. It doesn’t. So I need music. But this is the holiday season and of course there should be holiday music playing. Okay, maybe not everyone would have Christmas music playing, but I do.

The thing is, I’m particular about my tunes. I like to listen to my XM channels and prefer the instrumental ones, the oldies songs and of all things, the rocking Christmas channel. I wouldn’t have thought some bands could really do Christmas songs well, but I’ve been happily shocked.

For example, I think of Judas Priest, and I think rocking tunes and leather. But Rob Halford, the lead singer, has an album of Christmas music that has tinges of the band’s sound while staying fairly true to the hymns. I know! I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t heard it.

I can’t listen to Santa Claus is Coming to Town without at least having the Bruce Springsteen version playing at least once. I love that version. It really puts me in the mood for the season. Plus, Springsteen isn’t too hard on the eyes, either.

I love the Gary Allan version of Please Come Home for Christmas. It’s, in my opinion, better than the Eagles version, and I like that one, too.

I have a soft spot for hymns played without the words. Orchestral stuff gets to me. I like Canon in D quite a lot. It’s pretty and haunting.

That’s just a sampling of my playlist. There’s a lot more. What about you? What do you like to listen to at this time of year? Are you pro-holiday music? Against it? Or are you the type who plays it all year long? I’d love to know.

 

Christmas is the time to come together. What if it’s also the time to come clean and find lasting love?

Perry Felder knows how to play music. He wows audiences with his renditions of standards and knows how to work a room. He’s not only the son of wealth, but he’s created his own way in the music business. He’s at the top of his game in his career, but there’s something wrong and this Christmas, he’s determined to make his life right. But that involves more than snowflakes, stockings and Santa.

He’ll have to come clean about his sexuality. He’ll also have to let his overbearing socialite of a mother know he’s breaking out on his own.

He’s kept his true self under wraps, except to his assistant and best friend, Michael Hartsgrove. Michael knows the truth and if it takes everything he’s got, he’ll make the holiday season one to remember. He’ll show Perry that being his own man in every way will set him free. It’ll make his Christmas the best.

Can these two men, who seem to have little in common, make love last beyond the holidays? Only time will tell.

 

Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and BDSM themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best author, best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com.

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her partner and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice.

Find out more about Megan on her website, and sign up for the newsletter here. You can also check out her Blog, Amazon Author Page, Bookbub and Instagram.

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Winter Blogfest: Michael DeStefano

December 25, 2025 By 5 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble.

The Roadside Oasis

    The sign would have read “The Snowshoe” but for a burned-out bulb. Inside, a kindly woman greets a traveler. Her tag says Regina. Regina’s tone possesses all the tranquility a weary traveler could hope for. He sags as one might when submitting to another worthy of trust.

    “A bit road-weary?” Regina intones. The traveler suffers a lapse in deportment. The consequence is laughter, contrary to humor. “Begging your pardon; did I say something humorous?” Regina maintains her graciousness, though an arched brow betrays what she thought of the traveler’s laughter.

    “My apologies,” the traveler cries. “I passed road-weary days ago.”

    Regina boasts, “We’ve got a stew certain to revive anyone.”

    “Sounds like a bowl of Heaven,” the traveler croons.

    Regina’s smile reveals a bizarre irony that unsettles the traveler. Before Regina makes for the kitchen, she asks, as a passing curiosity, “What’s your destination?” The traveler replies, “It’s indeterminate.”

    “Destinations can be tricky,” Regina warns.

    Scanning the room, something strikes the traveler: The paradoxical look that came over Regina when he idiomatically called her dinner recommendation a bowl of Heaven was apparent on everyone’s face. Next, a man, abandoning a hand of solitaire, rises from his seat and marches toward the kitchen. As he approaches, he wavers, sighs, then disappears beyond the swinging doors.    

    “Who was that man?” the traveler asks Regina.

    “George. He’s been here for years. Had a friend with whom he played chess, but the friend moved on. Lately, George has resigned himself to solitaire.”

    “George is permitted in the kitchen?”

    “No one is unless summoned by the cook,” Regina explains.

    “I didn’t hear George’s name called.”

    Assuagingly, Regina warns the traveler, “You weren’t listening.”

    The farcicality of The Snowshoe as a waiting room where souls gather before being granted passage into Heaven unsettles the traveler, as does the existential catastrophe of his having failed to survive his journey.

    Familiarity lilts in chorus. Was death a shared experience? Some seem too reconciled for their demises to have been recent affairs; they view death as a humorous irony, an escape from a fraught world, while others regard the swinging doors with misgiving. The traveler dispels what he resolves are illusory thoughts and settles on The Snowshoe as a stopover for travelers in need of revival.

    Regina reappears with a bowl of stew. The traveler asks, “Why am I the only one eating?”

    Regina explains, “You’re the only one who requires sustenance.”

    Before the traveler’s twisted expression elicited an explanation, someone rose, tossed aside a newspaper for which they were grateful to no longer feign interest, and marched toward the kitchen.

    “Was he summoned by the cook?”

     Regina nods.

    “Will the cook summon me?” the traveler warily peeps.

    “What’s your name?” Regina asks.

    “Melcior,” the traveler replies. “I’ve searched for whatever sanguinity a forbidding world affords. I’m following a star.”

    “Two came before you,” said Regina. “Caspar and Belthazaar. They, too, are following a star. You’ll meet in Bethlehem. There, you’ll kneel before He who was foretold. Make haste, Melcior, for the day of rejoicing is upon us.”

 

Screenshot

As America pivots from embittered passions over her Vietnam initiative to Cold War anxiety, the stars align for three teens seeking independence, encountering the unimaginable.

Set in Philadelphia in the mid-1970s, American Odyssey chronicles the coming-of-age journey of Addison Caldwell, Cillian James, and Joey Brosco. In their quest for independence, the trio encounters the recently widowed Leila Bennett, a former prostitute turned farm owner. For Leila, a sultry summer blossoms into an odyssey of hope and healing; for the boys, work and awakening. Leila—a girl discarded and rescued—teaches the threesome that virtue does not lie in the struggle for independence or what one must sacrifice for its behalf, but in love that reinforces enduring friendship.

 

Michael DeStefano runs a hairstyling salon, where he has spent the past four decades beautifying the super of Philadelphia. His past titles include the historical family saga “The Gunslinger Companion,” the comedy/tragedy “Waiting for Grandfather,” and “The Bohemian.” You can find these novels and the short stories, “Eternity’s Corridor”, “A Requiem for Oliver Clinch,” and other writing at https://michaelscorner.blog

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Winter Blogfest: Jae El Foster

December 25, 2025 By 3 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win an autographed print copy of “Winter’s Embrace” signed by Jae El Foster. 

It’s Not About Santa but About Believing in Something

Everyone knows the holidays are for family, friends, feasts, and festivities, and one Christmas tradition is Santa Claus. While Jolly Ole Saint Nick is a staple for the season, popping up in malls and stores, online, and with call-in numbers to hear his voice, sometimes as kids age, his magic begins to fade.

When I was nine, I was playing hide-and-seek at home with my siblings, and I was going to hide in my parents’ closet. When I opened the closet door, I found a ton of toys meant for boys my age. I didn’t want Mom and Dad to know I’d discovered their secret stash of holiday gifts, so I closed the closet and went about the game. A few days later, Christmas came, and Santa had filled the space beneath the tree with wrapped presents for my siblings and me. When I started opening my presents from Santa, I noticed something extraordinary. They were the same presents that were in my parents’ closet.

I didn’t say anything. I understood the secret of Santa then, but I didn’t want to ruin their fun – and I still wanted extra presents at Christmastime. So, for the next few Christmases, I continued to go along with the Santa tradition, feigning excitement when we’d visit him at the mall and acting as surprised as I could through each unwrapping of every gift during Christmas.

Then, when I turned fourteen, and I was the only kid left living at home, Santa paid his last visit to us. I knew it would be the end of the tradition. Santa brought me socks, underwear, and a new backpack. Those definitely were not Santa-type presents.

The following summer, I began to work at the restaurant my dad ran. I earned money and saved it, not really needing anything because my parents provided whatever I needed. The followingChristmas came around, and Mom dropped me off at the mall to do my Christmas shopping. While there, I took the annual photo with Santa Claus, and then I shopped. I didn’t shop for gifts for myself, though. I had fallen in love with the tradition of Santa over the years, and so I shopped for presents from Santa for my parents and for myself.

I wrapped them in secret using different wrapping paper than we had at home, and on Christmas Eve, when my parents were asleep, I slipped the presents under the tree. The next morning, my parents were in shock, and I pretended to be too. They asked if I knew who brought the presents, and I told them Santa, acting ignorant. They let it go, but I didn’t let go of the tradition. Every year following, Santa left gifts under my parents’ tree, even after I had moved out of the house and gone off to live my life.

Even though my parents are no longer with us, Santa still comes, and he still leaves presents under the tree for my husband and me – a tradition I started at fifteen and have carried on for nearly thirty-five years. Surely, my husband knows it’s me placing the gifts by now, but like my parents, he never acknowledges it and lets me have the fantasy and tradition that I’ve known since childhood. I think he understands, just as my parents must have, that it isn’t about the gifts. It’s about the magic of the tradition.

It’s up to us to keep our family traditions alive, and whatever your Christmas tradition is this year, I hope it is celebrated with the magic of the holidays and the true spirit of the Christmas season. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Embrace the joy of Christmas and some yuletide cheer in this collection of five sweet holiday romances from four of today’s most entertaining authors! Featuring brand new stories from Pamela Ackerson, Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe, Cindy Lewis Smith, and Jae El Foster, this anthology will help you hold the spirit of Christmas and the magic of true love in your heart the whole year round.

Meant to Be by Pamela Ackerson: Single and starting over in tiny Lorman, Mississippi, teacher Faith Anjos dives into home renovations with tools in hand and a boat from her late dad’s fishing Sundays. Realtor Gabriel White becomes her unexpected ally, sharing lunches, family barbecues, and stolen kisses under patriotic park lights. But when a sassy ex-roommate stirs trouble and life’s curveballs hit hard, Faith learns that true love thrives not just in perfect houses, but in the messy magic of Christmas cheer and forever promises.

Window Shopping by Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe: Single and sentimental, Whitney dives into downtown’s dazzling displays—animatronic toys, frosted windows, violin carols—chasing Christmas cheer alone after helping coworker Chad remotely. Fate intervenes with a literal bump into charming Chad, leading to diner laughs, Santa’s lap shenanigans, and hand-holding revelations. As they embrace kid-at-heart traditions amid bustling streets and Santa’s sly matchmaking, a parade invite blossoms into dinner-and-movie dreams. Proving the season’s sparkle uncovers love when least expected.

Mr. Hollister’s Christmas by Cindy Lewis Smith: Thirty-three and resigned to spinsterhood in Goldfield, Josie channels her Georgia Christmas memories into a perfect Eve nuptial for Rose and Hank, footed by taciturn rancher Clint Hollister. Their prickly partnership blooms amid pine boughs, fiddle waltzes, and whispered regrets from a saloon-fueled mail-order mishap. When a wheel-wrecked ride home unveils Clint’s hidden role in her arrival—and his lingering loneliness—snowy revelations ignite a romance as timeless as the stars above the Llano River.

What the Snow Blew In by Jae El Foster: Snowbound in Deerborne, Connecticut, during a record-breaking blizzard, editor Carina Whitaker hunkers down with wine, her cat Tom Boy, and cherished Christmas ornaments—until a shivering mailman named Jerry delivers a package and seeks refuge from the storm. As power flickers out and drifts bury her home, candlelit evenings spark unlikely conversations, shared meals, and cozy traditions that warm more than the gas fireplace. Amid reading aloud by firelight and piano carols, holiday magic proves that what the snow blows in might just be the love she’s been waiting for.

The Magic of Mistletoe by Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe: Sarah’s winter break turns into survival mode: dodging doll-throwing dollops, sweeping glass shards, and sacrificing her office sanctuary for peace between battling children. Amid cold coffee confessions and contract close-calls with hubby Thomas, festive fumbles—from runaway pillows to reluctant photos—test their bond. Yet as grilled cheeses soothe tears and starry-eyed surprises arrive post-midnight, mistletoe weaves its spell, transforming holiday havoc into heartfelt harmony and impossible dreams come true.

When the muses speak, Jae El Foster writes, and he has been doing so for nearly twenty years, tackling some of the most intriguing genres out there. Delivering fresh, incomparable tales of horror, science fiction, and romance – sweet or spicy – he pens with seasoned skill the tales that his muses deliver to him.

 

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Winter Blogfest: Victoria Weisfeld

December 25, 2025 By 3 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a pdf copy of three of my award-winning short mystery/crime stories: a woman trying to escape her violent husband, a hurricane that masks a nursing home murder, and sheriff’s deputy’s trap for animal abusers. 

My Best Christmas Present

If you’re a writer, your desk is probably loaded with coffee mugs and collections of pens, pencils, notepads and paperclips, while grammar guides, marketing manifestos and the like spill from your bookshelf. That’s certainly how my “work area” looks.

Bucking the tendency to default to such perennial gifts, my grandchildren surprised me a few years ago with what may be my favorite Christmas present, well, ever. I write crime and mystery fiction (two novels, the second, She Knew Too Much, coming early in 2026), and have some 45 published short stories in that genre. In 2019, when my grandkids were 11, 10, and 8, they made a video version of my story “The West Texas Rookie,” published that year in Mystery Weekly Magazine.

This was the first of four published stories about young, tiny, and fearless Japanese American reporter Brianna Yamato making her mark in the macho newsroom of the Sweetwater, Texas, Register. Assigned to write a wrap-up story about a four-victim homicide that even the police believe needs no further investigation, Brianna proves there’s always more to find out.

The kids took this story, turned it into a play, created props and (minimal) costumes, and acted it out, making strategic adaptations. At one point in the story, Brianna climbs into her car and a kid bikes up to the driver’s window to deliver a key piece of neighborhood gossip. In their version, my younger grandson rolls up on his skateboard—easier to keep in frame that way. Locations around the house were adapted to serve as newsroom, Brianna’s apartment, and the crime scene. They enlisted their mom to play the nosy neighbor. My older grandson served as principal videographer, using his mom’s cell phone, and my granddaughter (the middle child) played the intrepid Brianna. Somehow, they even created a main title and closing credits.

In their hands, the story was funny and entertaining, it still worked, and it was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received!

In She Knew Too Much, American travel writer Genie Clarke is in Rome on assignment and overhears planning for a major crime. When the gangsters realize what’s happened, they go on the attack. What she’s learned is just the first hint of a deadly criminal conspiracy that must be stopped.

More than 45 of Victoria Weisfeld’s short stories have appeared in leading mystery magazines and anthologies, including Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen MM, Black Cat MM, Sherlock Holmes MM, Alfred Hitchcock MM, and Soul Scream, with awards from the Short Mystery Fiction Society and Public Safety Writers Association. Her first mystery-thriller, Architect of Courage, was published June 2022.

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Winter Blogfest: Anne Kane

December 24, 2025 By 5 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of Ace (Riptide MC1). 

Christmas Eve

Well, it’s Christmas Eve again and most of the hustle and bustle is over. The presents have been bought and wrapped. The baking is done and the tree is up, sparkling with its lights and decorations. I even have special treats ready to pop in the oven for the pups. After all, they deserve special Christmas meals too. I have my fingers crossed that I didn’t forget anything. A brand-new blanket of white snow on the ground outside gives the world that Christmassy feeling.

Christmas is different these days than when I had a young family at home. The kids have long since grown up and moved out, but we still all get together for this one day. I am blessed with 6 grandchildren living close enough that I can walk to their house and watch them open their gifts. It’s chaos, but a happy chaos with lots of love and laughter.

My youngest lives an hour or so away and as long as the roads are passable, he will be here in time for dinner.  He always manages to make it home for Christmas. My daughter-in-law is cooking the feast this year. She says it’s easier than trying to corral all the kids and get them to leave their new treasures. I promised to bring the stuffing, my Dad’s recipe from my childhood. There will be turkey and a ham. Mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts with hollandaise sauce, gravy, cranberries, fresh buns, squash, pickles and cheese. We’ll all eat more than we should before we collapse in the living room to reminisce about Christmases past and catch up on all the news since we last got together.

Christmas, for me, is a time for family and friends. I wish you all the best of the season, and hope the New Year will bring you joy and happiness!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Someone took a shot at my Emma – and signed his own death warrant. No one hurts my woman and lives.

Emma:

After witnessing a cold-blooded killing, I run to the only person I can think of who can protect me. Ace is my high school fantasy turned big bad biker. Did I mention sizzling, sexy, and hot? He’s everything I know I should stay away from, but his touch makes me melt and when his lips devour mine, I forget why I shouldn’t let him near me. But he’s more than just a one-night stand. He makes me feel safe. Loved. Wanted. All the things I’ve never had — and that’s addictive as hell. Ace makes it clear he wants to claim me, make me part of his biker family, and keep me by his side. And I want him. Forever.

Ace:

I’ve always had a thing for Emma, but back in high school, she dated my little brother. So I moved on. Joined the Navy SEALs. Re-upped a few times, but when that last mission went south, I knew it was time to bail. Feeling lost and adrift, I came home. And patched into the Riptide MC. Finally felt like I had a home and a family. I didn’t think life could get any better. A knock on my door in the middle of the night changed everything. Emma fell into my arms, terrified and wounded. Some asshole shot my Emma. He may not know it yet, but he just signed his own death warrant. Once I’ve taken care of her, I’m going to convince Emma to stay with me. Forever.

WARNING: contains violence, coarse language, and adult situations. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after. Enjoy!

 

Anne Kane lives in the beautiful Okanagan Valley with a bouncy little rescue dog whose breed defies description and an Aussie Shepherd who’s too smart for her own good. Anne likes to write spicy stories with sassy heroines and protective, sexy male heroes who love those women. Her stories all have one thing in common: a happily ever after ending.

Her hobbies, when she’s not playing with the characters in her head, include kayaking, hiking, swimming, playing guitar and spoiling the grandkids.

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Buy the book at Changeling Press.

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Winter Blogfest: Bruce Buchanan

December 24, 2025 By 9 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a free digital copy of my NA swords & sorcery fantasy novel The Blacksmith’s Boy. 

Takeout for the Buchanans

Enjoying a meal of Chinese food on Christmas Eve is a tradition hardly unique to the Buchanans. Jewish families in New York City have long seen the wisdom in a December 24th feast of General Tso’s chicken, beef with broccoli, and egg rolls with duck sauce. So it may seem strange that a crew of small-town North Carolina Methodists would dial for take-out as we awaited Santa’s arrival. But we do.

It started my freshman year of college. My parents had recently moved to Asheville, and between their new jobs, unfamiliar house, and empty nester status, they were a bit overwhelmed. I was home for Winter Break and that Christmas Eve, my Dad suggested, “Why don’t we just go out for Chinese?”

I was all for it, and to my surprise, so was Mom. She grew up in a house that valued home-cooked Southern dishes at the holidays, and plus, her frugality is the stuff of legend. Why eat out when you can make a meal at home for less money?

But she agreed to an outing at the Dragon Palace this Christmas Eve. The three of us had such a nice time that we went back the following year. And the year after, etc.

Over time, the center of our celebrations shifted to my home in Greensboro. My son—their only grandchild—proved a sufficient draw to bring them down Interstate 40 for the holidays. In lieu of going out on Christmas Eve, we found a tasty Chinese take-out spot. My wife, realizing how important this tradition was to me and being a fan of hot and spicy beef herself, gladly joined in the celebration. Each year, Dad and I would drive to secure those white-and-red cardboard cartons, whose aromas tempted us on the short return trip.

A photo from Christmas Eve 2019 is stored on my phone. Parkinson’s had ravaged Dad’s mobility and taken a fair amount of his cognitive abilities. But his love for his then-thirteen-year-old grandson shines through in that picture, moments before we dig into our annual Chinese food feast.

This December 24, my son will be home from college, and Mom will be visiting for the holidays. We’ll order out from our familiar spot, the Golden China in Greensboro. The four of us will enjoy good food and even better memories. It’ll be a fine Christmas Eve. But at some point, my eyes and mind will flicker to the empty seat and the wonderful father who started this family tradition.

 

Bok Omat thought his place in the Kingdom of Imarina was settled. The 19-year-old served as his rural community’s healer and helped in his family’s blacksmith’s shop. It was an unremarkable life in Imarina’s peasant class, but as long as his parents, sister, and young nephew were safe, a fine one under the protection of the Inishari royal family.

But when an ancient spell threatens Bok’s family and the safety of the entire kingdom, he answers an unlikely summons from Princess Isabella to join her in protecting all they cherish. Despite their vastly different pasts, Bok and Isabella become close friends as they race to counter this deadly incantation and the mysterious mastermind behind it.

Bok learns secrets that force him to reconsider all he has ever known about the world and his place in it. But will this knowledge come at the price of his life, Imarina’s freedom, or even his burgeoning friendship with Isabella?

Bruce Buchanan is the author of the new adult fantasy novel, THE BLACKSMITH’S BOY (2025, Wild Ink Publishing). His next two novels, both set for 2026, are signed with Wild Ink as well. He also is the author of a non-fiction book that recently was acquired by Bloomsbury Publishing. Beyond the keyboard, Bruce lives in Greensboro, N.C., with his wife, Amy Joyner Buchanan (the author of five published non-fiction books) and their college student son, Jackson

 

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Winter Blogfest: Barbara Custer

December 24, 2025 By 7 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card. 

The Scent of Christmas

Christmas was a big holiday in our home—lights, flavors, and heart. Mom transformed the house every December, setting up not one but two Christmas trees, draping the outside in twinkling lights, and crowning every window with a wreath. But the true center of gravity, the heartbeat of the season, lived in her kitchen.

Every year, she baked pizzelles, butter cookies, and lemon drops; the aromas of anise, lemon, and butter drifted through every room. Platters of her treats made their way to friends, neighbors, and even her doctors. It was her love language—crispy, delicate, and coated with icing and sprinkles. She taught me how to bake—at one point, I was cooking handmade spaghetti and my own tomato sauce. That’s right, I’m 100% Italian, though I don’t look it.

My first years away from home were hard, but every holiday season, pulling out Mom’s worn recipe cards grounded me. The familiar mixing, rolling, and baking made it feel like she was standing right beside me. My husband enjoyed every bite, and the cookies helped smooth over a few tense moments at work. I still keep a book full of her recipes—some I’ve mastered, others continue to challenge me.

Then, about ten years ago, I found I was sensitive to gluten. You can imagine what that meant for Mom’s recipes. My first attempts at gluten-free versions were… well, let’s just call them educational. The cookies crumbled if you so much as breathed on them. Eventually, thanks to xanthan gum and the rise of measure-for-measure gluten-free flours, things began to improve. A recent trip to Termini Brothers at Reading Terminal Market changed things again. Their gluten-free cookies were so boldly flavored that I felt newly inspired—bring on the strong extracts! Anise oil has become my new best friend.

Now, the next hurdle: sugar. My eye doctors have advised me to cut back, so I’m experimenting with reduced-sugar and no-sugar versions of my favorites. That challenge is still very much a work in progress—but one I’m determined to crack. But I keep in mind that holiday magic isn’t about perfect cookies; it’s the memories we create and share, one batch at a time.

Night to Dawn 48 delivers horror and science fiction with a humorous twist, as in Matthew Wilson’s “Diet or Die;” the unspeakable, as in Hal Kempka’s “Turkey Shoot;” and occasionally, a happy ending, such as Charles Gramlich’s “Soft They Were, and Broken.” Happy or grim, the stories will keep you up at night, reading to their satisfying conclusions. The collection of short stories, poetry, and illustrations, presented by Barbara Custer, includes:

“The Golden Hour” by Rod Marsden

“Eel Soup” by Marge Simon

“We, the Possessed” by Rajeev Bhargava

“In Widow’s Weeds” by Hillary Lyon

“Truth” by Lee Clark Zumpe

“Small Differences” by Christopher T. Dabrowski

“Crime Scene Confidential” by Marc Shapiro

“Interview with a Reluctant Vampire” by Margaret L. Carter

“Mike Walker and the Old Tree” by Linda Barrett

…and many others, including dark poetry and illustrations by Marge Simon, Sandy DeLuca, Denny E. Marshall, Chris Friend, Elizabeth, Vin Davis, Hattie Pierce, and other contributors.

 

They call her Balloon Lady.

When Barbara Custer was in high school back in the 1970s, she weaned on Dracula and Dark Shadows, and has always enjoyed a good horror or science fiction flick. She did not begin writing until 1990, when a college professor encouraged her to try writing to help process her grief over her mother’s death. A Stephen King fan, her horror and science fiction short stories have appeared in numerous small press magazines. Her novels include Twilight Healer, Steel Rose, When Blood Reigns, Infinite Sight, The Forgotten People, City of Brotherly Death, and two novellas: Close Liaisons, and Life Raft: Earth. She’s been publishing Night to Dawn Magazine since 2004.

Basically, she’s a ghost balloon that haunts the towns near Philadelphia, PA. When she’s not working on Night to Dawn projects, she’s enjoying a fright flick. She maintains a presence on Facebook, Linkedin, and The Writers Coffeehouse forum. Look for the photos with the Mylar balloons, and you’ll find her. 

 

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Winter Blogfest: AK Nevermore

December 23, 2025 By 4 Comments

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of the prequel novella, Maw of Mayhem. 

Enjoy Those Perfect Imperfections

In my house, the holidays are synonymous with stress. The stress of always being “on.” Those final, end-of-year deadlines screaming to be submitted. Planning and prepping food, gifts, and trying to do it with a smile. Well, okay, more like without earning jail time.

You’d think that things would’ve gotten easier as the kids got older, but now it just feels like there’s more expectations. I’m constantly reminded of how things were when I was a kid, and I am absolutely baffled how my mom and grandmother pulled everything off. When I asked my mom what the secret was during a fit of absolute frustration, she laughed at me.

Apparently, the more things change, the more things stay the same. It wasn’t easier back then, though pharmaceuticals were more readily available. Her words of wisdom “Kids don’t remember your fails. The wrong cheese, the turkey not coming out at the same time as the potatoes, none of it matters. But what they do remember, is the vibe you put out, so suck it up, buttercup.”

It was at this point that I reminded her of the cranberry incident of ’86. She glowered at me for a good five seconds and then laughed again. The kitchen ceiling still has pink stains on it from the resulting explosion, and it got me thinking. Yes, that had been a fail of epic proportions, but she was right. It was the vibe I remembered most.

It definitely makes me feel better about singed cookies, not having perfectly wrapped gifts, or a tree topper that remains stay upright. And this holiday season, I’m determined to enjoy all of those perfect imperfections.

 

Out of options and on the run after her psychotic father’s released from prison, Kit Parson heads to the only place she might be safe from him, the Maw of Mayhem MC. The unexpected move buys her time, but also puts her at risk. Surrounded by shifters, her inner cat begs to be released, and after witnessing a brutal attack on her mother as a child, she refuses to let the monster out. Totally doable, provided no bodily fluids are ever exchanged.

That takes the MC’s hot-as-hell VP, Grimdarke James, officially off the table. Mourning the recent murder of the club’s alpha and struggling to control his inner cat, the tattooed Viking god is on thin ice. If he goes feral again, he’ll be put down. Which makes his cat’s insistence that Kit belongs to him problematic, upsetting the delicate balance of the MC’s internal politics, and the woman blackmailing Grim.

But when Kit’s father catches up with her, Grim has no choice but to trust his cat, and Kit can’t deny their chemistry. Can they hold on to each other when everything is trying to tear them apart? After a gruesome triple murder propels them deeper into the paranormal world, they find themselves with unlikely allies, even as their enemies threaten to destroy everything they hold dear.

 

AK Nevermore writes a lot. An award-winning, bestselling author of spicy dystopian, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance, she’s been traditionally, digitally, and indie published. She enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm for Lent every year.

Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes full time around a nest full of ravens.

Her books explore dark worlds, perversely irreverent and profound, and always entertaining.

AK belongs to a bunch of industry associations, volunteers for far too many committees, teaches creative writing, has been featured in Blush Magazine, made the Bookbub blog roundup, has spoken on NPR, and on the rare occasion, sleeps.

 

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