Today I am so pleased to welcome Kris T. Bethke to Joyfully Jay. Kris has come to talk to us about her latest release, His Needs. She has also brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

 

Happy Holidays everyone! Thanks to Jay for letting me hijack the blog for a minute, I’m so happy to be here!

Holiday romances are my favorite thing. I’ve long since had a love of stories that take place around the holidays. There’s an extra special magic to them that, at least for me, make them even more romantic. And since the holidays are about comfort and joy, family and friends, and giving, it’s a perfect recipe for finding new love. Or reconnecting with an old love. Or getting trapped in a snow storm. Or a dozen other things that add that extra something to the love story.

Needless to say, I spend a great deal of November and December, and the beginning of January, reading tons of holiday romances.

My first ever published work was a short story that takes place at Christmas (and on a Christmas tree farm!) I was inspired by the season to write about two guys reconnecting after five years apart. And since then, I’ve written several others. There’s something about the holidays that really speaks to me, and makes me want to give two guys their happily ever after.

His Needs is my latest rerelease. If you’ve already read it, then there’s no need to get it again. Nothing substantial has changed. But if you’ve haven’t yet had a chance, and you’re looking for a fluffy holiday romance with pining, brother’s best friend, and some hurt/comfort, then this is the book for you.


Excerpt

Oh. Shit.

I hadn’t meant for this to happen. Not ever. Noah was never supposed to figure out how I felt about him, because I did not want to do anything that would cause me to lose him. I needed him in my life, if only as a friend, a little brother, and I never wanted him to feel like he had to avoid me. But this, this could do it, and I had to fix it.

“Noah, look—”

“Are you going to deny it?” Noah asked gently, slowly moving closer. I couldn’t quite interpret his expression. “You’ve never lied to me before. Are you going to start now? I saw it on your face, Travis.”

There was absolutely nothing I could say to that, so I kept my lips tightly sealed. He was right. And I would not lie to him. Not about the important stuff.

Noah stepped closer still, between the couch and the coffee table, no more than two feet away. “How long, Travis?”

How many times was he going to say my name in that low, sultry voice? He must have known how it affected me. I closed my eyes, needing to block him out, and swallowed hard. It was decision time. Anyone else, and I might have danced around the issue. Used misdirection and deflection until they forgot what their original question had been and moved on to other things. But it was Noah, so the truth was the only thing I could give him.

“Since we were teenagers,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

Silence. And then a soft, “Oh, Travis.”

My eyes popped open, but I couldn’t make myself look at him. I certainly hadn’t wanted to admit that either. He probably thought I was a creep now. “Look, we don’t have to talk about this. I have…It’s been a long time and it’s never affected you before. I’ve worked really hard not to let it impact us. So let’s go on the way we have been and pretend this never happened, okay?” If my tone got a little desperate, it couldn’t be helped. I needed him to agree with that.

Noah didn’t say anything. In fact, he reached out, took the forgotten ornament from my hand, and turned toward the tree. When he walked back to me and saw I hadn’t gotten a new ornament out, he took it upon himself to select one. And another and another. For long, silent minutes he kept decorating the tree. I had no idea what to say. I didn’t know if I should push, or if this was him agreeing to let it go. So I just watched him and said nothing. Waiting for a sign of some sort so I would know how to handle this.

“I don’t know how I didn’t see it.” Noah’s voice was low and thoughtful, almost as if he were speaking to himself. “I should have. All the evidence was there. You never treated me like an annoying tag-along. You always listen to me. Pay attention.” He turned to me, wonder on his face. “When I talk to you, I have your complete focus. You have always gone above and beyond to help me. You’ve always been there for me. How did I not see it?”

I dropped my gaze to my hands. I licked my lips. “Noah, please. Can we not talk about it? I promise not to ever do anything or push or…Can we please forget this happened?”

“Why would we do that?”


Blurb

When State Trooper Travis Kinslow is injured right before Thanksgiving, the only positive is that for once he won’t be working during the holidays. Since he has no family, Travis was absorbed into his best friend Joe’s, and he considers them as good as his own. Everyone except Joe’s brother Noah. Travis has been in love with the younger man for much of his life, but he’s always kept his distance.

As an ER nurse, Noah is a caretaker by nature. When his brother’s best friend is hurt, he’s happy to help Travis while he heals. He’s only ever allowed himself to think of Travis as the next best thing to an older brother, but by the light of the Christmas tree, Noah finally sees Travis’s true feelings. And in that moment, everything changes.

When faced with opposition and a Christmas nothing like they imagined, will their hopes for the future be enough to carry them through?

Buy links:


Bio

Kris is a bisexual hardcore fan of romance, and has been from a very young age. She believes that love is love, no matter the gender of people involved, and that all love deserves to be celebrated. With that in mind, she writes romance across several subgenres but with the ultimate goal of a satisfying happily ever after at the end. That is, after all, the important part.

Kris lives in a converted attic with a pack of rodents who amuse her daily, and long naps on the weekend are her greatest pleasure. A creative soul and an avid daydreamer, her pursuits range past just the written word into fiber arts, candle and soap making, and expressing herself with makeup. Kris finds inspiration in all of life’s twist and turns. From the mundane to the fantastical, just about anything will make it into her books. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to get in touch through email, Facebook, or Twitter.


Giveaway

Kris has brought a special giveaway of a flash fic written to the winner’s choice of prompt. Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on Sunday, December 29th at 11:59 pm ET.


  • 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.
  • If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
  • 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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