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NEW BOOK RELEASE! 12 Daves of Christmas
If 7 is a lucky number, then today is my lucky day (and yours!) 😉
12 DAVES OF CHRISTMAS is my 7th published book and is now available! 🙂
It is a 30,000 word novella (short novel), and fits into the ‘romagic comedy’ genre – romance, magic, and comedy. It is also a bit of a tearjerker I’ve been told! But as in all my books, an uplifting ending is guaranteed.
My writer friends may relate to the heroine, Abby, a busy writer on a deadline!
Here is the blurb:
A beautiful, uplifting holiday story from bestselling author Juliet Madison about a lonely writer, her grandmother’s ghost, a road trip, and twelve different Daves.
Abby Solomon may write happy-ever-afters for a living, but doesn’t believe she’ll have her own. But then a surprise visit from her grandmother’s ghost sets her off on a journey she’ll never forget.
Grandma Charlotte wants to find her first love, Dave, who she mistakenly thought had died in World War II. A quick trawl through the Yellow Pages yields a list of twelve possibilities, and Abby and Charlotte set off on a Christmas road trip — twelve Daves over twelve days along the sun-drenched east coast of Australia.
With just over a week to make the meeting happen, Abby has to meet a dozen Daves — some sweet, some quirky, some downright dangerous — while trying to honour her book deadline and enduring the awkward challenges of having a ghost as a travelling companion.
But when she comes across a young doctor who looks like the hero in one of her novels, Abby has the chance to discover that true love transcends time and space, and that happy endings aren’t only to be found between the pages of a book.
I hope you’ll enjoy my first Christmas story, and it would make a perfect Christmas gift for friends and family! hint hint 😉 (You can gift ebooks on Amazon and iTunes etc).
It’s available worldwide from all ebook retailers. if you don’t know how to read ebooks, you can download a free reading app such as iBooks from the iTunes app store, or the Kindle reading app from Amazon. These work on smartphones, tablets, iPads, PC’s, laptops etc.
BUY:
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00PFBFESM
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00PFBFESM
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00PFBFESM
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/12-daves-of-christmas/id936559049?mt=11
B&N Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/12-daves-of-christmas-juliet-madison/1120836917
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/ebook/12-daves-of-christmas
All other links via Escape publishing:
http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9780857992178
Happy Christmas reading! 🙂
~ Juliet
COVER REVEAL! 12 Daves of Christmas (plus excerpt)
Ta-Da! Here it is, the sparkling cover for my first ever Christmas story, 12 DAVES OF CHRISTMAS. 🙂
What is the book about? Here’s the blurb:
A beautiful, uplifting holiday story from best-selling author Juliet Madison about a lonely writer, her grandmother’s ghost, a road trip, and 12 different Daves.
Abby Solomon may write happy-ever-afters for a living, but doesn’t believe she’ll have her own. But then a surprise visit from her grandmother’s ghost sets her off on a journey she’ll never forget.
Grandma Charlotte wants to find her first love, Dave, who she mistakenly thought had died in World War II. A quick search yields a list of twelve possibilities, and Abby and Charlotte set off on a Christmas road trip – twelve Daves over twelve days along the sun-drenched East coast of Australia.
With just over a week to make the meeting happen, Abby has to meet a dozen Daves – some sweet, some quirky, some downright dangerous, while trying to honour her book deadline and enduring the awkward challenges of having a ghost as a travelling companion. But when she comes across a young doctor who looks like one of the heroes in her novels, Abby has the chance to discover that true love transcends time and space and that happy endings aren’t only to be found between the pages of a book.
12 DAVES OF CHRISTMASÂ is a 30,000 word novella and fits into the Romagic Comedy genre – it has romance, comedy, and magical elements, like some of my other books;Â FAST FORWARD, I DREAM OF JOHNNY, & HAUNTED EVER AFTER.
Release date: 8th December 2014
Publisher: Escape Publishing
>> Be notified when it is released by subscribing to my newsletter HERE.
Here is an excerpt…
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‘What about Grandpa?’ I said. ‘Is he, ah…’
‘On the other side? Yes. I’ve touched base with him, and it was good to see him again, it really was, but I’m afraid to say he’s moved on. We loved each other of course and had a great life, but the truth is…’ she took another of those redundant breaths, ‘…we weren’t soulmates.’
‘What do you mean he’s moved on?’
‘He’s spending the afterlife with Lorna. And I’m not angry. I don’t blame him, because when all the obligations and responsibilities of physical life are down the pooper, all that matters is being true to your heart and soul.’
I frowned, from disappointment at Grandpa’s choice of afterlife companion or confusion as to how this all worked, I didn’t know.
‘Sorry, darling, it must be hard to comprehend all this. But the fact is, Harry and Lorna had a…what do you call it? A rendezvous or a fling, if you like, many years ago. I knew about it and of course I was furious, but after a while I forgave him. Because in reality, I knew I still loved and longed for Dave, so who was I to judge?’
‘But Grandma, who is Dave and why didn’t you stay with him back then?’
‘It’s a long story, muffin. But the gist of it is, we were together before the war, well, during the war. But then he went off to fight when he was eighteen and I never saw him again.’ She dropped her gaze to the floor. ‘We promised that when the war was over we’d meet again at our favourite place, and I was to turn up there every Saturday at noon until we were reunited. Months and months passed and I was there every week without fail, but he never showed.’
‘But the letter…he wrote to you, obviously.’
‘Just the once. As you can see in his letter, he promised to keep writing whenever he could, but something must have happened to prevent him from fulfilling that promise.’ She puffed up her short fluffy hair with an upturned palm like she always used to do, and pointed to the watch. ‘He gave that to me before he left, said it was to remind me that in time we’d be together again. I maintained it and kept it working.’
‘But he didn’t die in the war?’
‘Apparently not. I thought he had, everyone did. They said he was missing in action, presumed dead. And then when the war ended and he failed to return after several months, well, after a while I had to decide whether to keep hoping or let go and start living my life.’
‘So what happened to him?’
‘That’s the thing, I don’t know. I’ve tried to find out where he is and what happened, but the wretched administration up there,’ she pointed to the heavens, ‘leaves a bit to be desired.’ She crossed her arms. ‘All they could tell me was that my Dave Smith had not passed through the pearly gates. But to find out more information requires more manpower and paperwork, and they put me on a three month waiting list. Three months! While Harry and Lorna have their happily ever after, I’m left to twiddle my thumbs and wait it out. I’ll be putting in a complaint when I get back, you mark my words.’ She gave a curt nod. ‘But that will probably take another three months to process! They’re utterly swamped up there, what with all the deaths. And the queues, there are more crowds than a Buddy Holly concert, let me tell you.’
I didn’t know whether to laugh at what I was hearing or be frustrated along with her. Grandma wasn’t known for being shy, and if she had something to say about something that was bothering her, she’d say it.
‘How do we know where to look? I mean, do you have any idea where he might be?’
‘I met him when we were living in Berrinda. He was passing through with his soldier friends for a camping trip to celebrate his eighteenth birthday. When he told me he was going off to war, he said that if he returned safe and sound he’d want nothing more than to settle down in a place like Berrinda, or one of the other small towns on the south coast. That’s all I’ve got to go on.’
‘That’s a start, I guess. He might be in the phone book. What did you say his last name was?’
‘Smith.’
I sighed. She had to go fall in love with someone who had an extremely common first and last name!
As if reading my thoughts, Grandma said, ‘Shame his name wasn’t Reginald Liktenblacht or something easier to find.’ She shrugged and grinned.
>> Be notified when 12 DAVES OF CHRISTMAS is released by subscribing to my newsletter HERE. You can also follow me on twitter and Facebook.Â
1 Week To Go! …Sneak Peek of The January Wish (and oh yeah, Merry Christmas!)
MERRY CHRISTMAS! Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and hope all your wishes come true 🙂
It’s officially one week until the release of my new novel, THE JANUARY WISH, and if you follow my blog you may have noticed I’ve been sharing an excerpt from the book each week until release day. When I realised the ‘1 week to go’ milestone would be on Christmas day I wondered whether to still include an excerpt, but because ‘8 1/2 Days To Go!’ doesn’t sound as exciting and because the main character in the novel is a control freak and likes things to be accurate and ordered, I thought it would be best to stick with the plan! 😉
So here is the final excerpt and photo of the setting before release day… I hope you enjoy it and I hope you get to read some great books over the holidays! (hint, hint) 😉
Excerpt from Chapter 2:
The herd of people filtering in from the plane dissolved gradually into the crowd, some walking quickly, others stopping to yawn and stretch. Sylvia wondered what each was doing in Sydney. She amused herself by trying to guess who might be arriving home and who was simply visiting. Perhaps some had bought a one-way ticket and were staying.
Then her heart skipped a beat.
A young woman entered the airport, placing iPod earphones into her ears, the thin white cords trailing down to her pocket. She smiled at the flight attendant as she walked past, and stopped to glance around, as if wondering which direction to go. The woman had a youthful radiance about her, a sense of excitement, like she was stepping into the world for the first time. She resumed walking, her head bobbing rhythmically to whatever music she was listening to, curly tendrils of hair bouncing happily about her face. Red curls, not orangey-red, but warm russet-like red curls…
Just like hers.
It was as though Sylvia was looking into a mirror, a younger image of herself reflected back. Like seeing her own ghost.
As if connected by the similarities in their appearance, Sylvia stood and followed the young woman. She walked behind her in the crowd, until the woman stopped to admire a dress in a shop window; a long, floaty summer dress, with large pink and purple flowers printed on it. Not Sylvia’s style at all, but the woman seemed inspired by it. She took out her phone and snapped a picture of it.
Strange.
A smile growing on her face, the woman entered the shop, walking out a few minutes later with a large plastic bag in her hand. Sylvia couldn’t remember the last time she’d bought an outfit on a whim like that. Her purchases were always planned with purpose; crisp plain shirts, sensible heels, black, navy, or cream tailored pants for work, and casual jeans, t-shirts, and knit tops for weekends.
She continued following the woman and waited again while she stopped to sample hand cream at a beauty shop.
Should she approach her?
But what would she say?
Sylvia now felt incredibly silly, following a complete stranger. It was just her mind playing tricks. They weren’t really that similar. Their hair was practically identical, but the woman lacked Sylvia’s height, although her build was the same: small-chested and big-hipped.
‘Final boarding call for Dr Sylvia Greene. Dr Sylvia Greene to gate eighteen please.’ The voice beamed through the airport speaker system and Sylvia’s eyes jumped wide open.
Oh God, my flight!
How could she not have heard the first boarding call? She spun around and headed in the direction of gate eighteen, then turned back around.
The woman was gone.
Part of her wanted to continue through to the baggage terminal but that would be crazy. She had to go. Shaking the moment of insanity from her head, Sylvia ran in as dignified a way as possible to the boarding gate where an attendant was just about to block off the entrance with rope.
A minute later she sat puffing in her seat on the plane.
‘Hi there, I’m Wayne,’ the elderly man next to her said as he held out his hand. ‘What do you do for a living, love?’
‘I’m a doctor,’ Sylvia replied.
‘Oh, really?’ The man twisted in his seat, sidling up close to her. ‘I might have to pick your brain then, you see, I’ve got this problem with…’
Sylvia released a gentle sigh as Wayne told her his medical history and current symptoms. He was probably a relative of Mr Benson’s.
This was going to be a dreadfully long ninety minutes.
When the man seated on the other side of Wayne got involved in the conversation after mentioning that he too had suffered with unrelenting tinea for years, Wayne twisted to face him and they proceeded to discuss the fungal infection in detail. Sylvia took the golden opportunity to close her eyes and pretend to be asleep. She’d flip through the MasterChef magazine on the flight home next week instead.
Her mind drifted back to that woman’s face, and the way her hair stood out from the crowd like a sunset on the horizon. Then she saw herself back at the Wishing Festival, tossing a coin into the fountain.
Making a wish one day, stalking a stranger the next — what had gotten into her? Maybe she was working too hard. Maybe the ten days she took off over Christmas weren’t enough. Or maybe a hidden part of her was surfacing, trying to come to terms with what she did all those years ago.Â
~*~
If you’d like to stay up to date and chat with me about The January Wish and the Tarrin’s Bay series, there is now an online readers group on facebook. You can join here. 
Preorder The January Wish here. Releases 1st Jan!
Amazon:Â http://amzn.com/B00GXUXOFE
Amazon UK:Â http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-January-Wish-Juliet-Madison-ebook/dp/B00GXUXOFE/
Amazon AUS:Â http://www.amazon.com.au/The-January-Wish-Juliet-Madison-ebook/dp/B00GXUXOFE/
Kobo:Â http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-january-wish
iTunes:Â https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/the-january-wish/id767160149?mt=11
When Dr Sylvia Greene makes an impromptu wish at the Tarrin’s Bay Wishing Festival, it’s the most out of character action she can think of. Hers is not a life of wishes. Hers is a controlled life of order, plans and preparation…of science and research and diagnosis and treatment. But her past has been weighing on her mind, and decisions made long ago have far-reaching consequences.Â
A week later, the daughter she secretly gave up for adoption at sixteen arrives in Sylvia’s small coastal town with secrets that can’t be shared. Between feelings of guilt, gossip, and a growing attraction to an emotionally unavailable colleague, Sylvia’s well-ordered life is soon thrown into chaos. She is no longer alone, and for the first time she feels as if her world is open to possibilities.Â
They say be careful what you wish for, but, for Sylvia, the unexpected consequences may be just what the doctor ordered.
At Home With… Darlene Fredette, author of One Sweet Christmas
To celebrate the upcoming January 1st release of THE JANUARY WISH, the first book in my small town series set in Tarrin’s Bay; The Town of New Beginnings, I’ve started a new interview segment called ‘At Home With…’
Today, we’re paying a visit to my fellow Escape author and one of my first ever ‘writing’ friends, Darlene Fredette! I recently finished reading her novella ONE SWEET CHRISTMAS and let me tell you it was one sweet read! 🙂
1. Hi Darlene Fredette, where are you from and how long have you lived there?
I live in Nova Scotia, the East Coat of Canada, and have lived here all my life. The summers are great, but the winters are cold and too long.
2. What do you love about the place you call home?
It’s a beautiful province. My favourite area to visit is the Valley.
3. Do you have a favourite local cafe, restaurant, bar, club, business, or store? Give them a plug here!
We’ve just recently found a little shop called Wheatons, which has lots of great stuff from knick-knacks, jewellery, bath and body items, and they also carry my favourite line of hot chocolate!
[Juliet ~ Hot chocolate must be an essential item during your long winters!]
4. Do you have any pets? If so, what are their names?
I have a six year old Yellow Labrador. His name is Jagger, and yes…he’s named after Mick Jagger. My husband is a huge fan of the Rolling Stones. My baby boy weighs in over 90 pounds, but he still thinks he’s a lap dog, and believes he is human.
[Juliet ~ Does he have the moves like Jaggar? Your dog, not your husband. Well, maybe both. ;)]
5. What is your favourite room in the house and why?
We’ve recently changed the living room around. I love to sit in my recliner, wrapped in my soft blanket, and watch a good movie or read. I also get my laptop out and work on my latest WIP.
6. If you had to evacuate your house, what three items (apart from people and pets!) would you take?
Let’s hope that never happens, but of course family first, then all the USB sticks that hold family photos and my writings, my daughter’s cell phone to reach family, and a jacket because it’s damn cold out there.
7. If you had a magic wand, what’s one thing you would change about your home or your town?
For the house, I would add a second level. We’d have bedrooms upstairs…with large walk-in closets. For the town, it would be warmer weather <smile>.
8. It’s movie night at your place, the popcorn’s out, and everyone’s nabbed their favourite couch corner or armchair… what movie/s will we watch?
Any movie with Hugh Jackman, Johnny Depp, Jason Statham, Chris Hemsworth, Bruce Willis, Robert Deniro, John Cusack, and so many more. We like action/adventure! My daughter and I also love to watch animated movies.
9. Imagine you have the luxury of a chef for a night and you’ve invited people over for a dinner party, what would you have the chef cook?
As long as I’m not cooking and there aren’t a lot of vegetables involved, I’m game for anything. However, my favourites are pasta, chicken, and roast beef.
10. Name three books on your To Be Read bookshelf or e-reader:
I have many to be read, but the top three are: The Good Wife by Jane Porter, Fast Forward by Juliet Madison (which I just downloaded!), and Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (which comes out January 2014).
[Juliet ~ Let me know what Fast Forward is like and if you think I would like it ;)]
11. Name something unique or uncommon that you have in your pantry or fridge:
We don’t really have anything unusual, but in the fridge we have lots of juices. My daughter makes a mean Pina Clintada, which has orange juice, pineapple juice, and sprite. Depending on my mood, I add a shot of coconut rum to mine, yum!
12. If you could live anywhere for one year, where would you go?
Australia and it would be during the Canadian winter, lol!
[Juliet ~ Hope to see you here one day! I’ll save you a warm spot of beach.]
13. You’ve just received a phone call from a friend or relative, and they’ll be arriving in five minutes for a visit. What do you do?
a) Relax on the couch until they arrive.
b) Put the kettle on; place some (probably homemade) snacks onto a tray; set the table; put flowers into a vase; and light a candle (and maybe even make some place cards with your super calligraphy skills).
c) Put the kettle on; tip out a few cookies onto a plate; check your reflection in the mirror, and wait.
d) Freak out; shove excess household clutter under beds, in cupboards, drawers, and the garage; trip over something in the process; hold an ice pack to your bruised forehead while swearing profusely; check the mirror to see if you’re still in pyjamas; frantically change into suitable clothing whilst simultaneously holding ice pack to your head; fall over again; alternate ice pack between head and location of new injury; then shove ice pack under bed and greet visitors with the fakest smile of pure calm you can muster.
None of the above. My house is cleaned every morning. It’s my morning ritual before going to work. I’m a terrible hostess…just ask my family. So my only answer would be: Comb my hair.
[Juliet ~ If you do visit Australia I’m more than happy for you to continue your morning housework ritual at my place ;)]Â
Thanks Darlene, and Merry Christmas!
> Even though Darlene would probably love you to pay a visit, why not visit her online right now?
Blog : Facebook : Twitter : Goodreads
Â
> And help her pay for that in-house chef by buying a copy of her book here:
Escape Publishing: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9780857991058
Amazon:Â http://amzn.com/B00G2UXCNEÂ
Read reviews here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18656524-one-sweet-christmas
ONE SWEET CHRISTMAS
It’s going to take more than a few pieces of chocolate to fill this Scrooge’s heart with Christmas cheer. Luckily Candice Cane has a whole shop full…
Candice Cane is not proud of the way she acted after her last encounter with Jackson Frost. Sure revenge was fun, but it’s left Jackson standing, angry and looking for answers, on the welcome mat in her chocolate shop. Now he’s after some revenge of his own.Â
Jackson returned to his small hometown for one reason and one reason only…so he’s not sure how he’s ended up in a Santa suit in the middle of a chocolate shop, at the behest of its beautiful owner, instead of high-tailing it back to the city as fast as he can.Â
Jackson wants nothing to do with his small town past, but Candice shows him what he didn’t even know he’d been missing. Can a bit of Christmas magic heal old wounds and offer up a future neither saw coming?
On the 8th Day of Christmas…
…my true love gave to me… an interview on Lindy Dale’s blog!
And here it is. Lindy’s been doing a ’23 days of Christmas’ author interview series, so make sure you check out all the other fab interviews too while you’re there.
In this interview I talk about where I got the idea for FAST FORWARD, character crushes, and what I’d like to do before the world ends. I also share a short excerpt from the book.
Check out the interview here.
Enjoy! 🙂
Past, Present, & Future with Helen Lacey
In celebration of the upcoming release of my debut novel, Fast Forward (see announcement here), welcome to the very first interview in my brand new blog segment: ‘Past, Present & Future’. Kicking things off is Harlequin romance author, Helen Lacey. Read on as I delve into her past, her present, and (bring out the crystal ball) her future!
PAST:
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wrote my first book when I was seven years old, so I guess I’ve always known I would be a writer. It was a romance about two horses and was sixty four handwritten pages long.
2. What did you do before you became a writer?
Well, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t a writer. But a couple of years before I was published my husband and I had a sea change so that I could write full time. Before that I worked as a manager in a department store.
3. What is one of your most treasured memories from the past?
When I was thirteen I got my first horse. I had wanted my own pony since I was a small child and the day my parents bought me my very first horse, whose name was Oakie, I felt as though all of my dreams had come true.
PRESENT:
4. What’s your latest release about and/or what are you currently working on?
My latest book is my November release from Harlequin Special Edition called Marriage Under The Mistletoe. It’s a Christmas romance and was just so much fun to write. I have another release out in January called His-And-Hers Family and another book scheduled for the middle of 2013.
5. What’s a typical day like for you? (If there is such a thing!)
I write every day. I send my husband off to work around 6.30 am and then try to work on achieving 1500 words a day. Of course this depends on things such as edits and revisions or new releases etc. Around three every afternoon I head outside to spend a couple of hours with my animals, which include eight horse, three dogs, two cats, three birds and a house cow named Ginger.
6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now:
The wonderful life I share with my husband and family. That I have a career doing what I love. And most definitely my animals, as my pets, particularly my dogs and horses are a big part of who I am.
FUTURE:
7. If you could fast forward in time to any age or year for just one day, what would you choose & why? I’d go to the day that was meant to be my last day and work out which of my dreams/plans hadn’t been achieved and then come back to the now and make sure I did everything I could to achieve those dreams.
8. If you could have any new technology or invention in the future that would make your life a whole lot easier (or more fun), what would it be? Oh, that’s easy – a robot to do housework.
9. What are your hopes & dreams for the future?
To stay happy. To surround myself with wonderful family and friends. To travel to Africa. To write books and create stories I can share with readers.
Thanks for joining me on the blog, Helen, and all the best for the future (I’ll have one of those housework robots too, please!)
Just in time for Christmas you can pick up Helen’s book, ‘Marriage Under The Mistletoe’ via these retailers:
B&N    Book Depository      Harlequin     Mills & Boon Aust
Visit Helen online:
Web       Facebook          Twitter         Author Page
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