Today I am so pleased to welcome Ana Ashley to Joyfully Jay. Ana has come to talk to us about her latest release, How to Catch the Boss. She has also brought along an exclusive excerpt and a copy to give away! Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

 

What’s Your Christmas Tradition?

I grew up in Portugal where we celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve.

My parents had a grocery store so normally we’d shut at seven and then go home where my mom would make the traditional cod fish and boiled potatoes and cabbage for dinner – not a popular choice when you’re a kid, trust me.

Then we’d wait until midnight so we could open our presents. And oh my gosh, did that clock take forever to get to midnight.

Some years we’d shut the store earlier and travel to my uncle’s place. I loved those years. There was always a lot more people around the table, and we got to play with my cousin.

My aunt also had chocolates hanging from the Christmas tree, so you can guess how much crafty rearrangement of those decorations there was over the two days until we stopped pretending and just ate all the chocolates.

Fast forward twenty years and now we have new traditions. Both my sister and I live in the UK. On Christmas eve we go to her place and have dinner together, and then we wait until midnight to open our presents before driving back home after.

On Christmas day we are with my boyfriend’s family and then on Boxing day we go back to my sister’s for a more chilled day together eating leftovers, going for walks and watching movies.

And then this year came…

2020 has changed everything we know about a lot of things, but it has taught me to go with the flow, make the best of the situation and be thankful for what we have.

When I started writing How to Catch the Boss I hadn’t intended on giving it a deeper message. In fact, it wasn’t until the book was finished that I realized something.

Luca and Ryan, the main characters, work together to give someone a little bit of the Christmas they miss (I won’t give anything away).

Who hasn’t done more for their family, neighbors, friends this year than ever before? Shopping? Singing over the balcony? A phone call to see if they’re okay?

Despite everything that happened this year, I think we gained some humanity back through the tough times. And yes, there have been many challenging times. I could list a number. But sometimes we should just hang on to the good things, even if there are only a few and far between.

So, whatever you’re doing this year. Your usual tradition, or making a new one, I hope it’s the best day you can have.

Merry Christmas, and may the new year bring you all the books you can read and more. I certainly promise to do my best to bring you as many sweet, sexy and fun filled worlds.


Excerpt

Ryan

“No, no, no, you’re lying,” I said.

Luca shook his head. Placing his hands on either side of his face, as if to stop himself from getting dizzy.

“Jesus, how many drinks have I had?” he asked.

I wish I knew. My own memory was getting fuzzy at this point.

We’d taken all the decorations out of the boxes and started placing all the garlands and hanging stuff all over the cabin. It had gotten late, so we decided to leave the tree for tomorrow.

After clearing up the mess, Luca had declared he was hungry and that I’d needed to get started on the cocktails.

A steak, salad, potatoes, two cookies, and god knows how many cocktails later, here we were, sitting on the rug in front of the fireplace talking about…I didn’t even know.

“Wait, start again,” I said, leaning a little forward so I could read his lips as he talked. Yes, that seemed like a good tactic.

“I went outside because it was fucking hot that day, but the night was cool. And Rob was pissing me off, moaning about his girlfriend and how he hadn’t had sex in forever, which was a lie because his room stank. He definitely had sex, and more than once a day, with his hand. Wouldn’t even put it past him to manage to do it with both hands, the horny shit—”

“Luca!”

“Oh, yes, sorry. Anyway, there I was, looking at the sky and wondering how it could be so clear and peaceful, and you could see all the stars, while on the ground we faced a battle every day. It was all poetic and shit, until I saw the Captain coming from the outside toilets.”

What was so special about that?

Luca leaned in closer and said, “And a few seconds later, a soldier came out.”

He wiggled his eyebrows, but my eyes decided it was time to focus on his lips. They weren’t as full as mine, but no less inviting. All shiny from running his tongue over them as he drank and talked.

His breath was warm and smelled of rum and ginger.

“They were together,” Luca exclaimed, punching my chest and laughing.

Fuck, I need to get out of here before I do something stupid.

“We probably should open up the couch for you before we’re too drunk to do it without getting a finger trapped in the frame,” I said, doing my best to stand up but moving like a duckling who didn’t know what its legs were for yet.

Once I was steady on my feet, I looked at Luca to see how he was doing, only to find him shirtless and on the way to unbuttoning his jeans.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I squeaked.

“Getting ready for bed, what do you think you’re doing?” He pointed at me.

“We need to pull out the couch first, you dumbass.”

“Hey, don’t dumbass me, dumbass. I’m sleeping on my own.”

“Huh?”

He gestured a “never mind” and we managed to get the couch ready and dressed with fresh sheets without any trapped fingers or other appendages, and, most importantly, without him losing any more clothing.

I ambled to the bedroom, suddenly feeling quite tired, so I sat on the bed just for a moment while I decided if my next move was to use the bathroom or remove my clothes.

It occurred to me when I woke up at three am that I could have done both at the same time, which would have been a far better solution than falling asleep still dressed and halfway on the bed.

I got up and straightened my back, kicking myself for how much I drank last night. Well, three hours ago. Gone were the days I could get smashed and pull an all-nighter.

Since I was up, I got rid of my clothes and brushed my teeth, hoping it would make me feel a little less drunk now and a lot more human in the morning.

Maybe I should get a glass of water too. Look at me being a responsible adult.

That horse has bolted, son. No point changing the lock now. I smiled at the memory of my mom’s sage advice the first time she caught me after I’d drank too much at a party.

I made my way to the kitchen, trying not to stumble against anything in the dark and risk waking up Luca.

Not that it would make a difference because the soft snores coming from the living room told me it would take more than a little noise to wake him up.

The logs in the fire had burned to ash, but it was still warm in the living room.

Warm and light enough that as my eyes adjusted, the first thing I noticed was Luca lying face down on the pull-out couch. His legs were stretched apart, with the blanket he’d clearly kicked out wrapped around one of them, one arm stretched out, and the other under his pillow.

I swallowed as I admired the hard lines of his back, the two dimples above the perfect, full ass I’d love nothing more than to sink my tongue into, and the strong thighs that would hold me as he rode my cock.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I was impossibly hard, and staring at Luca this way was definitely a break in his and his brother’s trust. Not to mention that if I touched myself right now, I’d come in two seconds flat.

There was no way I’d get that glass of water now. I’d deal with the headache in the morning.

As my head hit the pillow, I wondered, not for the first, or second time, if having Luca here with me had been a good idea. Fuck, I wasn’t a saint. If he so much as showed a hint of interest, I wasn’t sure how much resolve I’d have to refuse him.

“No, no, no, you’re lying,” I said.


Blurb

I’m in love with my brother’s best friend.

Have I also mentioned he’s my boss?

Working with Ryan is a daily reminder of what I can’t have.

But how do I tell my heart that?

When we’re trapped together in a log cabin, in the snowy mountains of Lydovia, just before Christmas, I realize my feelings might not be completely one-sided.

Ryan’s afraid of losing my brother’s friendship, but how can I go back to not being with him?
How do I make him see that what we have is worth the risk?

Caution! Contains:
Excessive pastry consumption
Food-themed underwear
A voyeuristic deer
A meddling royal family

How To Catch the Boss is a 30k, MM romance holiday novella set in the world of Chester Falls.

This novella can be read as a standalone, although it will be better enjoyed as part of the Chester Falls series since it contains recurring characters.


Bio

Ana was born in Portugal but has lived in the United Kingdom for so long, even her friends sometimes doubt if she really is Portuguese.

These days you can find her in front of her laptop bringing her stories to life, or in the kitchen perfecting her recipe for the famous Portuguese custard tarts.

She’s an avid reader: give her two (or more) guys, plenty of chemistry, some issues to work through and a HEA, and she’s sold!

Ana is also a custard tart aficionado, wannabe baker and feeder of family and friends.

She can only knit two kinds of stitches but she’s an ace at cross-stitch.

Her superpower is that she can parallel park in one single move – it really annoys the boyfriend!

If you want to follow Ana’s news, new releases, exclusive giveaways and even read a free serial, all you need to do is subscribe to her newsletter here.

You can also find Ana on the usual social media outlets:


Giveaway

Ana has brought a signed paperback copy of How to Catch the Boss to give away to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on Thursday, December 31st 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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