Happy Holidays!

An easy way to give at Christmas

Okay. So this year, Christmas is obviously an overachiever. It’s zooming toward us faster than ever. If all indications are correct, we’ll be unwrapping gifts and drinking eggnog on December 15th, thrilled with our over-the-top punctuality and ready to break out the “Happy New Year” noisemakers on December 16th.

As proof, I offer these examples: Last week at the dentist’s office, I heard “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” while getting my teeth cleaned.Two days ago at the mall (while on my way to treat myself to my annual pre-Thanksgiving pumpkin-spice truffle at Godiva) I passed dozens of stores decked out in Christmas glitter and gear. And this morning at the local coffee shop I visit daily, I noticed iced-and-sprinkled Christmas cookies featured prominently…to go with the holiday-blend coffee.

Frankly, all this activity makes me feel rushed. Do we have to hurry up Christmas?

Well, I’m not going to. This year, I’m going to take things easy…and I’m planning to scale back a little too. It may sound like a rebellion against the commercialized Christmas frenzy (or just a desperate attempt to extend autumn so that everyone will want to try my book, Hallowe’en Husbands), but it’s more than that. Because now more than ever, it feels extra important to remember charity, generosity, and goodwill to all.

My first step in doing that begins with Christmas cards. I love sending them to my family and friends anyway…so why not make them do double duty? For a few years now, I’ve been choosing special greeting cards–cards that support a cause that’s bigger and more purposeful than I am, from groups like the Humane Society, the American Cancer Association, the National Wildlife Federation, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Alzheimer’s Association…and many more. There are so many worthy charities to choose from, most of whom offer beautiful Christmas cards that support their charitable works. And okay, so buying a pack of greeting cards isn’t quite a world-changer. But it’s a start, right?

My favorite place to find cards like these is Cards That Give. Why not click over and check them out? You could knock off one more item from your Christmas to-do list…and feel good about it at the same time. And as long as you don’t sign, stamp, address, seal, and mail all those cards within the next week or two, you won’t be rushing Christmas at all.

Go ahead. Try it and see! Sometimes, being an underachiever is positively grand.

Lisa

Two new books on sale now!

I’m so excited! My newest books, Hallowe’en Husbands and Home for the Holidays, are finally on the shelves!

I know, it’s kind of crazy to have a Halloween-themed book and a Christmas-themed book out at the same time. But it’s been a little more than a year since my last book came out (can you believe it?) so I’m doubly happy to have new stories to share with you now.

Please pick up one (or both!) books at a store near you! Or order online right now — you can grab a copy of Hallowe’en Husbands at 20% off the cover price at eHarlequin.com or visit Kensington Publishing to order Home for the Holidays at 30% off the cover price today.

Till later,
Lisa

p.s. — Both books are also available as e-books! So if that’s your thing, you’re in luck. Check out these links: Hallowe’en Husbands e-book and Home for the Holidays e-book

Doesn’t this sound like fun?

Hey there! I hope your February is plugging along nicely. I’m psyched today, because I just got a sneak peek at the back-cover copy for my upcoming book, Home For The Holidays. It really does a great job of describing the story, and it reminded me all over again how much I love the characters. Check it out:

When Rachel loses her Hollywood dream job, a trip home for Christmas seems like a good idea. But she never expects to find a hunk from her past waiting under the mistletoe…

Red-hot stylist-to-the-stars Rachel Porter has it all. Well, sort of. Her luxury beach house is actually a loaner from her #1 client. And her cute Tesla Roadster? Well, that’s just another job perk…hers to keep, right? But when Rachel catches her #1 client in bed with her boyfriend, she exacts her revenge by tricking her turncoat “frenemy” into committing fashion suicide on the red carpet—and promptly finds herself out of a job. And her house. Her car. Her life. With nowhere to turn, Rachel does the unthinkable: she goes home to Kismet, Michigan.

For Reno Wright, picking up his neighbor’s daughter from the airport for a holiday visit sounds like no big deal. But from the moment he spies Rachel in the airport, Reno knows he’s in over his head. The girl Reno remembers from high school looks nothing like the glammed-out man-killer who walks off the plane. But for all her attitude, Rachel is really just a small-town girl with a heart too big for Hollywood. The temperature may be freezing, but the heat between Rachel and Reno is burning hot.

Reno is falling hard fast…but will his holiday romance survive once the calendar turns?

So that’s it! Fun right? I can’t wait for you to meet Reno and Rachel! Their story will be hitting the shelves just in time for Halloween. Hooray!

Okay, I know. Halloween is not Christmas. And this is definitely a Christmas book. But what can I say? October is when publishers send out their holiday releases. I stock up when Christmas books arrive in stores (so I don’t miss any), then stash them all to read in December. What’s your strategy?