Today I am so pleased to welcome Kate McMurray to Joyfully Jay. Kate has come to talk to us about her latest release, Devin December. She has also brought along a copy to give away. Please join me in giving Kate a big welcome!

 

I wrote a snowed-in story called Kindling Fire with Snow a number of years ago and remember thinking there was a fantasy element to it. What were the odds there would ever be a storm bad enough to essentially shut down New York City? I mean, usually romance novel protagonists get snowed in at, like, remote cottages in the woods. In New York, snow is usually a nuisance for a couple of hours, but then the plows come out and everyone moves on with their lives.

For New York, snow shutting down the city isn’t an option. The city is usually pretty on top of clean up and plowing, most of our transit and electrical wiring is underground, and if nothing else, New Yorkers are resourceful. A little snow can’t slow the forward march of business here.

And then one Christmas—shortly after Kindling Fire was published, actually—the city wasn’t quite fast enough on the draw, and 20 inches of snow essentially shut down the city.

Part of what makes a story like Devin December possible is that city officials are quick to immobilize everyone when bad weather is coming. The lesson of Superstorm Sandy and a number of other dramatic weather events is that it’s better to close the subway to prevent flooding than to leave it open and risk terrible damage. And snow can fall fast enough that the plows can’t keep up with the demand.

So I thought, well, what would happen if there were a bad enough blizzard to shut down an airport?

LaGuardia was a natural location. If you’ve never had to deal with it—and I don’t recommend it, to be honest—one of it’s key features is that it’s basically inaccessible by public transportation, except for this one bus route. So if, say, there were two feet of snow on the ground and the city was having trouble getting the plows out to Queens? It’s not like you can take the subway out of there.

The story starts with Andy, a flight attendant who happens to be working as a desk agent the day before Thanksgiving when a severe enough storm hits to get him stuck there. To make matters more complicated, movie star Devin Delaney—whom Andy harbors a crush on—is trying to get on a flight to LA when the storm hits, and he ends up stranded at LGA, too, when all the nearby hotels fill up and all buses and other transportation get stuck. It’s the sort of story that I don’t think would have been possible even five years ago, but, thanks to global climate change and city officials who are skittish about the damage weather can do, it’s a very real possibility.

And you know what happens when Andy and Devin meet on Thanksgiving while snowed in at LaGuardia? Shenanigans, that’s what.


Blurb

Devin DecemberA freak blizzard strands flight attendant Andy Weston at LaGuardia Airport on Thanksgiving. Tabloid reports about Hollywood It couple Devin Delaney and Cristina Marino breaking up in spectacular fashion keep Andy sane. And then Devin Delaney himself turns up at the gate Andy is working. Against all odds—and because there’s nothing else to do—Andy and Devin begin to talk, immediately connect, and, after Devin confesses the real reason he broke up with Cristina, have a magical night together snowed in at the airport. But the magic ends when Devin boards his flight home the next morning, and Andy assumes it’s over.

Then Devin turns up on his doorstep. Andy is game for a clandestine affair at first—who could turn down one of the hottest men on the planet? But he soon grows tired of being shoved in Devin’s closet. As Christmas approaches, it’s clear that this will never work unless Devin is willing to make some big changes. Devin has a holiday surprise in store—but will it be enough?


Bio

Kate McMurray is an award-winning romance author and an unabashed romance fan. When she’s not writing, she works as a nonfiction editor, dabbles in various crafts, and is maybe a tiny bit obsessed with base­ball. She has served as President of Rainbow Romance Writers, the LGBT romance chapter of Romance Writers of America, and is currently on the board of RWANYC. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.


Giveaway

Kate has brought a copy of Devin December to give away to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on Wednesday, December 30th at 11:59 pm EST.

  • By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win.  The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
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  • Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
  • Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
  • All book prizes are in electronic format unless otherwise specified.
  • By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
  • Readers may only enter once for each contest.  Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
  • Void where prohibited by law.
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