Title: Sommerville Holidays
Author: Vicki Batman
Genre: Romantic Comedy Holiday Short Stories
Holiday Disaster: Days before Christmas, a librarian experiences plumbing issues and visits from Mr. Maintenance Man who isn’t nearly as jolly as Santa Claus.
The Littlest Angel: Two people. One ornament for the tree. Can a twosome find common ground and discover the true meaning of Christmas?
Holiday Handbag Extravaganza: Christmas Countdown is on! A hunk-a-licious customer pesters a boutique owner to locate a vintage handbag for his mother. Too bad the wedge between them is his sister, the meanest girl in town.
Excerpts:
Excerpt: Holiday Disaster
Merry Christmas to me. Not really.
Wrapping my hands around the older-than-time plumbing underneath my bathroom sink, I yanked, hoping-praying-hoping the darn thing would loosen, and all would be saved. But no. Nada. Too darn tight.
Obviously, somebody more muscular than me was required to strong-arm the pipe free. My shoulders hunched with helpless feelings. I should have closed the drain stopper to prevent my contact from swirling merrily away after it popped out of my eye and flew in the sink.
Feeling helpless sucks big time, and I hate it.
Not a great way to kick off the holiday season.
I should have paid more attention when Dad donned his Mr. Fix-it hat and repaired stuff in the family homestead. Maybe I would have learned something valuable, something resembling Plumbing 101. But like most little girls, playtime was ten times more fun than hanging with Dad and repairing broken stuff.
What to do. What to do. Nothing I could do. I declared “surrender” and called the condo’s emergency number. Mr. Maintenance Man told me he was on his way. I hoped he wasn’t humoring me. Lying—my number one enemy.
Excerpt: The Littlest Angel
Bright and early on Saturday morning at the Sommerville fairgrounds, I slowly strolled along an aisle at my favorite flea market, pausing to look at special goodies that caught my eye. I halted when I saw a woman several booths ahead of me stoop in front of a table and drag a box to her feet. She reached inside the ragged cardboard container and pulled out something I knew deep, deep within my heart what I hoped to find for many years—a little Christmas angel.
I always hoped I would find a replacement and searched the dusty aisles of the Automobile Building, where the market set up the first weekend of every month. I dug through many a ripped carton or dirty bag and never saw anything close—until today.
Pressing my hands to my chest, I begged quietly, “Please. Please don’t take her. Please don’t.”
Excerpt: Holiday Handbag Extravaganza
What a mess.
The bell sitting on the counter above my head ding-ding-dinged in an irritating way. I huffed. Really?
Then I heard, “Hey,”—two dings—“I need help. Anybody working today?”
Despite the din assaulting my ears, I didn’t answer, and not because I was mean. Because I was a woman on a mission. I had to retrieve the hundred-dollar bill, which vanished when The Copper Teapot’s front door erupted wide with a wintry gust. All kinds of stuff tornadoed about my store, like price tags, papers, and hard-earned moola. I dropped to my hands and knees and scrambled to retrieve the mess. In today’s sucky economy, every smidgen of revenue mattered.
Sticking the ruler in the gap between the floor and the showcase, I bit my lip and concentrated, waving the makeshift tool back and forth so I could snag the elusive dinero. Another three-note ding sounded.
I rolled my eyes before sing-songing, “Just a minute, please.”
Obviously, this guy couldn’t see me crouched on the floor. His toe-tapping and bell-ringing conveyed his impatience. Fingers drummed above my head. I shrugged my shoulders, thinking, rats. Every customer is important. Guess I should be a responsible business owner and do the right thing.
Buy Links:
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1132189/
What I love most about the holiday season:
I love to be with my friends and family. Every year, I travel with two girlfriends to a small town for their Christmas Candlelight Home Tour. It is truly magical to see the town decked out for Christmas, holiday music fills the air, to eat marvelous food, but most especially, to be with my friends.
On Christmas Eve, my family and I gather to watch “White Christmas.” Of course, we sing all the songs!! We’ve added an Oscar-winning short—"Star in the Sky,” a variation of the Nativity story which will have everyone sobbing at the end.
Why is your featured book a must-read to get you in the holiday mood?
I LOVE writing holiday stories. These three are some of my favorites. We can all sympathize with plumbing woes, finding the family treasured ornament, and dealing with difficult people. Yet, in the end and being a romance story, all will be fine.
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon (US) gift card.
Open internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to win.
Runs July 1 – 31
Drawing will be held on August 1.
Author Biography:
Vicki Batman’s stories are full of fun, romance, and possibilities which will delight all readers. She has sold many award-winning and bestselling romantic comedy works to magazines and most recently, three humorous romantic mysteries. An avid Jazzerciser. Handbag lover. Mahjong player. Yoga practitioner. Movie fan. Book devourer. Cat fancier. Best Mom ever. And adores Handsome Hubby.
Social Media Links:
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