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

Thanks to J for letting me hijack the blog this morning to bring you all a bit of fun from my newest release!

Snow and Mistletoe is out now, and that’s extra exciting for me because it’s the first in a new series, which is all PNR. I love me some shifters, I love magic, and I love men falling in love. So it only made sense that I would bring that all together for my new book.

Of course, in a weird twist of events, and something that never happens, I thought of the title first. As soon as it came to mind, I knew I would write a book to go with it, but I also knew I didn’t want to wait for the holidays for it to come out. Which gave me the idea to write a Christmas in July story. But then I had to figure out what that looked like for a town filled with paranormal beings, and a wolf shifter named Adam who wants to show his human mate that he would do anything for him. It meant a healthy dose of magic, a little help form the pack, and Adam bringing Colby Christmas in the middle of July.

There’s a lot of other stuff going on here too, including a human with a health condition who is unsure of making a commitment, a wolf shifter walking the line of wanting to be with his potential mate and not pushing too hard, and a whole host of secondary characters who help them on their way. (And who just might be showing up in future books in the series, finding their own HEA.)

Check out the excerpt to find out if Adam and Colby’s story is for you. and for an extra bit of a fun, one lucky winner will not only get a backlist book of their choosing, but also the chance to get a cameo in the next book in the series.

Snow and Mistletoe is available now! https://books2read.com/u/bMRkKB

Excerpt

He caught sight of that immediately and pointed. “What’s up there?”

“My bed.” I waggled my eyebrows, hoping to capture that playful mood from earlier. It worked, because he chuckled, and I smelled the spike of his arousal.

“We could—”

“Nope. I have plans that don’t include that. Yet.” Which was absolutely true. I could tell how much he

wanted me, physically, at least. And that was absolutely a boost to my ego. But I wanted him all in before we took that step. If we really began the bonding process, and he decided he wanted to

walk away, it would crush me. More than that, if we were far enough along in the process, I wouldn’t survive the separation if the bond wasn’t complete. It occurred to me that perhaps I should tell him all that, lay it out so he knew the gravity of the situation, but I wasn’t ready to possibly scare him off. He was already worried about his health separating us sooner rather than later. Hell, so was I. I didn’t want to give him a reason to run before we really got started.

Colby let out a put-upon sigh, but the twinkle in his eye let me know that it was mostly for show. “All right, fine.”

His grumble was cute, and I chuckled, then led him deeper into the house. “So the tour is this.” I swept my arm in a grand gesture. “Ta da!”

He laughed, a carefree, melodic sound that warmed me all the way down to my toes. He stopped closer, never letting go of my hand, and placed his free one on my chest. “It’s the sweetest most perfectest house I’ve ever seen.”

“Thank you.” I bent and kissed his nose.

His expression let me know just how pleased he was by that. Then, without taking his gaze off me, he tilted his head toward the sliding glass doors that were currently blocked by a curtain.

“What’s behind curtain number one?”

“Your surprise. But wait.” I let go of him and took two large steps sideways so I could get to the couch, and pick up the coat, hat, scarf, and gloves I’d laid there. I held them out. “First, put these on.”

His eyes went wide. “It’s eighty degrees out! Are you joking?”

I gave the clothing a little shake. “Trust me. Just put them on. Please?”

Colby’s side-eye was epic, but he took the outerwear. While he was donning them, I slipped on my fleece jacket, zipping it up to my chin. As a shifter, I wasn’t as susceptible to temperature changes as he was.

“There,” he said, looping the scarf around his neck. “I’m sweltering and will melt. Now what?”

Three long strides took me to the curtain, and I made sure he was watching as I swept it back. He frowned, stepped closer, then his face lit up as he gasped, his gloved hands clasping over his mouth. The satisfaction that swept through me nearly made me lightheaded. His eyes shone as he turned to me.

“It’s Christmas!”

Blurb

Wolf shifter Adam White has never worried about finding his mate. If it happens, it happens. Until the moment he lays eyes on Colby Carter and Adam’s entire world shifts. He knows he’s looking at his mate, even if he can’t be sure until all his senses are engaged. But Adam didn’t expect his mate to be human. And he certainly didn’t expect his mate to dismiss his claim so easily.

Colby has a solid reason for saying no, but he can’t deny the pull between them. When the truth comes out, Adam is still willing to get to know Colby, and Colby wants the same. But it’ll take time before they take the leap to solidify their bond. Adam pulls out all the stops, including bringing Christmas to the middle of July heat, to show Colby he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make Colby happy.

When a medical scare forces Colby to reevaluate what he wants, he’s all in. As long as Adam is. Adam knows Colby is meant to be his, and the more he’s gotten to know the man, the more he wants him. Fate may have decreed Adam and Colby were meant to be, but it’s never that simple. Can these two men find their way to a future together?

Bio

Kris is a bisexual hardcore fan of romance, and has been from a very young age. She believes love is love, no matter the gender of people involved, and 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.

For more information, please visit kristbethke.com.

Giveaway

Kris has brought a copy of the winner’s choice of backlist book, PLUS a cameo in an upcoming book to give away to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on Saturday, July 10th 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.