Books Are Magic: Day 7 of the Magical Christmas with Natalie J. Damschroder + $5 Gift card and Christmas short story Giveaway

We are going to celebrate day 7 of the Magical Christmas with Natalie J. Damschroder. Don't miss the previous giveaways!

Day 1 with Amalie Howard + Paperback Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 2 with Karla J. Nellenbach + 10 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 3 with February Grace + 10 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 4 with CJ Lyons + Print copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 5 with A.J. Aalto + 20 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 6 with Anne Perry + Hardcover Giveaway (US/Canada)

And Entangled Publishing and Natalie is giving away $5 Amazon/B&N Gift Card, along with her beautiful Christmas short story for the winner of today's giveaway. The giveaway will run till December 31st, 2013 and the winners will be announced on January 1st, 2014! But, before that, you should seriously read her guest post, where Natalie speaks about an electric kiss of Christmas!

Original Title: A Kiss of Revenge
Author: Natalie J. Damschroder

Publisher: Entangled Ignite

Release Date: November 25th 2013

Genre: Paranormal Romance

To Reese Templeton, marriage is completely over-rated, especially after her quadratic failure. She wants to settle down to a solitary life of owning a bakery. Too bad her super-human talents and the search for her husband’s killer have made her something of a human tazer. She’s full of enough electricity to short out a city block or send a man into cardiac arrest with just one kiss.

But the alluring P.I. Griffin Chase, a man she has a history with, is stirring up feelings of need she hasn’t felt in years. Only this time, her desire to be in his arms has nothing to do with her fear of loneliness and everything to do with the current charging through her body every time he looks at her…touches her.

Griffin hasn't remained at Reese's side just because of the spark that has nothing to do with her super-human talents. He's willing to compromise his rock-solid principles so she can find closure. But before they can move on, he must help her catch her late husband’s killer, staying on track before she has a chance to exact her revenge. Because leading Reese to jail in handcuffs may just break his heart for the final time.

An Electric Kiss of Christmas

- Guest Post by Natalie J. Damschroder

Thank you so much to Books are Magic for inviting me to be a guest here today!

Below is an EXCLUSIVE scene of the hero and heroine of my newest Entangled Ignite release, A Kiss of Revenge. This is the first Christmas Reese and Griff spend together after the events of the book, and things are not going as planned…

Reese glared out at the snow piling up in the yard outside. How dare it dust the trees so beautifully and make everything look so clean and white? The vicious, vindictive powder should be gray and menacing. Her fingernail tapped rapidly against the back of the phone against her ear. Griff’s voice came on, but it didn’t reassure her at all. Voice mail. Again.

She shoved the phone into her back pocket and spun away from the window, just as annoyed at the perfect tableau inside as the one outside. The fire popped, making her jump, but the fluffy white cat curled on the sofa just raised its head lazily and yawned at her.

Reese scooped her up and took her spot, trying not to scowl. Electricity buzzed around her, almost dancing against her skin, trying to get inside. Her shields were strong, but anxiety still made them uneven. God forbid she should short out the lights on the Douglas fir and burn up the Christmas tree. And worse.

Her little house had been rebuilt after being burned to the ground, and she and Griff had moved in just in time for Thanksgiving. Not that they had any family to host. They’d had a quiet holiday of football and roast turkey breast, and Griff claimed it was his best Thanksgiving ever.

She wanted to give him a similar Christmas, but that would be hard if he wasn’t here.

The eightieth rendition of “Carol of the Bells” that she’d heard today faded out on the radio, and the DJ updated the weather report. “Conditions out there continue to worsen on this Christmas Eve,” he said with way too much heartiness. “Most flights have been grounded, and train service is spotty up here in New England. But don’t worry! Santa’s sleigh is made for this kind of weather!”

“Maybe Griff can get a ride on Santa’s sleigh,” Reese grumbled, pushing to her feet and pacing back to the window. The view hadn’t changed. Griff’s car wasn’t suddenly in the driveway. She whirled and strode past the crackling fire and the tree laden with brand-new ornaments she and Griff had bought together.

Vengi shoved her head up under Reese’s chin until Reese started scratching around her ears. “He’ll be home soon. Right?” She stopped moving, hating the plaintive tone in her voice. The weather was one thing. Grounded planes, messy streets—those could mean he wouldn’t get home until tomorrow. But they wouldn’t stop him from freaking calling.

But Randolph would. Reese shivered and tucked the cat closer, absorbing her purrs and warmth. Most of Griff’s job as a PI was mundane. Research, interviews, surveillance. Even on cases involving dangerous people, most of the time no one ever knew he was there.

This case was different, no matter how much Griff had tried to reassure her. Randolph was a monster, far worse than Reese’s ex-husband, Pete, had been. Griff was working for the feds, and today was the end game.

He’d been out of contact since last night.

What if he’d been shot? What if someone had figured out what he was doing, and he was tied up somewhere, beaten unconscious? He could be stranded in the snow, dying of hypothermia. Losing him would kill her.

But it would be what she deserved. What she was used to. Losing someone she cared about just when they were happiest together. But she’d never loved anyone the way she loved Griff. Or been loved the way he loved her.

The light bulb next to the sofa popped. Glass cascaded onto the side table and carpet, and Vengi shoved out of Reese’s arms, scratching her stomach. Reese barely noticed. Pull it together. Suck it in. She’d been getting so worked up her shields had fallen, and she was channeling electricity haphazardly. Thank god it was just the lamp.

A thump hit the front door. She spun with a gasp, hating her weakness, her fear. Racing to the door, she yanked it open…

And a pile of snow tumbled over her feet. It had fallen off the roof. Reese let out a sob and almost sank to her knees, but then the back door opened and Griff’s voice echoed from the kitchen.

“Reese? I’m home!”

By the time she’d closed the front door and raced halfway across the living room, Griff was there. He met her in front of the tree, catching her up against his chest, arms wrapping tightly around her body.

Somehow, even though he’d just come in from the snow, his mouth on hers was warm. And soft. And hungry. That warmth seeped through Reese, banishing the fear and guilt. She opened her mouth and let him in. He ran his hands up her back, letting her settle back on her feet, and cradled her face as he gentled the kiss. Now all the deeper emotions came through. Not just lust and happiness to be home, but joy and gratefulness and relief. He’d been afraid, too.

Pop. Pop. PoppoppopWHOOSH.

The tree was on fire.

Griff twisted away from Reese and dove to the right of the burning tree, coming up with the fire extinguisher they’d stashed there for just this reason. She yanked another from under the couch and together they had the tree out in seconds.

She stood forlornly, the extinguisher drooping from her hand. About a quarter of the tree was blackened. One string of lights was out, the others shining cheerfully on the dripping foam. One rosy-cheeked Santa had a blob on his hat that oozed down over his face. Below his beard was a gaping hole where his jelly-belly should have been. “Well, crap.”

Griff wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “It’s just a tree.”

“I know, but…” It was so much more than that. A symbol of the new life she was supposed to be living. Not a reminder of the year of hell, and the way it had ended.

“I know.” Griff kissed her temple, his grip tightening. “It doesn’t matter, Reese. It will never matter.”

Tears pooled in her eyes, and she laid her head on his shoulder. “I might need to hear that from time to time.” There was a lot more she wanted to say. Thank you for always knowing what I need. Thank you for loving me, just as I am. I’m sorry for…too many things.

But all she said, all either of them ever needed to say, was “I love you.”

And maybe, at least for today, “Merry Christmas.”

GIVEAWAY

Thanks for the post, Natalie!

Thanks to Entangled Publishing and Natalie, today, I have $5 Amazon or B&N gift card and a copy of Natalie's Christmas short story "IF YOU BELIEVE IN ME" (Contemporary Romance) to give away.

Just enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter below and please share it to your friends. Giveaway open to International residents.

Come back tomorrow for more giveaways! And did you enter the previous giveaways?