Who's Been Naughty or Nice is a Christmas and Holiday Festival pick #holidayromance #giveaway
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  • N. N. Light
    • Dec 4, 2023
    • 3 min read

Who's Been Naughty or Nice is a Christmas and Holiday Festival pick #holidayromance #giveaway



Title: WHO’S BEEN NAUGHTY OR NICE


Author: SONJA GUNTER


Genre: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE


Book Blurb:


Northern Polar Printing Company’s President, Zane Ashcroft, is in love with the Vice President, Annie McGrath. From their first encounter, both knew they were destined to be together. At the annual Christmas party, Zane, who dresses up as Santa, intends to propose to Annie after dinner. A recent argument concerning Nick, the janitor, and a shocking development thwarts his intentions.


Will Annie get that long awaited chance at love and happiness and risk being on Santa’s naughty and nice list?


Excerpt:


“There’s no need for you to come inside. We need a break from each

other—time to think about our relationship.”


He heard her choke over the last words. She still didn’t look at him.

She unbuckled her seatbelt and left the car. He watched her walk to the

front door where she paused. He held his breath as he waited for her to

turn, but she didn’t. She opened the door and went inside, closing it

behind her.


Zane hit the steering wheel. Granting her request was the hardest

thing he’d done in a very long time. Light snow began to fall as he drove

across town to his home. Several ideas came to him on how to resolve

their argument.


Flowers? No, too predictable. Box of Norman Loves Chocolate? No,

too cheesy.


More things came to mind, but as the song “The Twelve Days of

Christmas” played on the radio, it triggered a plan. He’d use cards as the

twelve days before his proposal. The numbers would work if he started

tomorrow. He’d have to swing by Walgreens before work.


His two-story brick house loomed in front of him. It was not his

home any longer. He’d been spending so much time at Annie’s and

making her home theirs. Opening the door, cold greeted him. He cranked

up the thermostat and went into the kitchen, starting the Krups’ coffee

machine. It spitted and hissed. He reached for a coffee cup as the

doorbell rang.


“Coming!”


Spilling the coffee he’d just poured, he hurried to the front door,

unsure who it could be.


“Mr. North?” Zane eyeballed a red limo parked in the street. It stood

out like a beckon against the grayness.


“Zane, I hope I’m not disrupting anything.”


“No, no. Come on in.” He held open the door. “Sorry about the

chillness, I turned up the heat.”


“A little cold isn’t going to hurt me.”


“I don’t have much in the house to offer you. I haven’t been grocery

shopping in days. I just made coffee, would you like a cup?”


“That works for me.”


Zane led him into the kitchen. It wasn’t the first time Mr. North had

shown up at his doorstep, but tonight of all times was odd. He poured

another cup of coffee and wiped up the earlier spillage from the counter

top.


“I know it’s late, but I flew here right after concluding business with

Mr. Moonracer. I felt not everyone was happy at my announcement.”


“You’re right. Annie… Ms. Ashcroft, didn’t like being kept out of

the loop,” Zane confessed and sat in one the high back chairs.


“Oh, I see.”


Leaning on one elbow, Zane rested his head on his hand. “As a

matter of fact, she’s fuming.”


Mr. North laughed and went to the refrigerator. He took out a carton

of cream and poured some into his coffee.


Zane wondered when he’d gotten that. He hoped it was still good.


“She’ll understand soon. She’s been on my Nice List for a very long

time. I’ve kept an eye on her.”


Zane straighten his shoulders. “A Nice List? I’m not a kid. This

whole day has been peculiar from the start. Now it’s ending even

weirder. I’ve appreciated everything you’ve done for me, but now isn’t

the time for your—”


“Zane, the time has come for you to know the truth.”


Mr. North pushed his glasses back to the bridge of his nose and

laughed as he pulled his earlobe.


A delightful smell of cookies flooded the kitchen. Zane inhaled and

stared wide eyed at him.


Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):












Share a holiday family tradition:


Setting the table with Christmas decorations.


Why is your featured book perfect to get readers in the holiday mood?


It brings the characters from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to life.


Giveaway –

One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon gift card

Open internationally.

Runs December 1 – 31

Drawing will be held on January 2, 2024.



Author Biography:


Born and raised in the cold and beautiful Minnesota, she escaped to Illinois for seventeen years to raise two boys, and now calls Florida home. She and her husband Andy, who’s always her hero, have a new family to worry about; Cookie, an Assui-Po dog and Chip, a ragdoll cat, that their sons compare to Eeyore.


She loves to travel, read, and bowl. You can catch her writing her next novel at the lanes.


Sonja encourages you to visit www.sonjagunter.com for more info and don’t be surprised if she lets her Norwegian heritage come through in her stories. You betcha!

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