Fang-tastic Guest Blog and Holiday Giveaway with Heidi Betts

“Vampires probably aren’t that big on Christmas, now that I think about it.”

“Not as a rule.”

~Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Yes, it’s true. Vampires and Christmas—they go together like…well, vampires and Christmas. LOL

When it came to THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, I definitely didn’t make things easy on myself. Do vampires even celebrate Christmas, you’ve got to be wondering?

Well, the idea actually came about after a chat with the late Kate Duffy, who ran the Brava line for Kensington Publishing. It got me thinking, “What if vampires do celebrate Christmas? They’ve been around for a lot of years, right? So what if they’re even more sentimental about holiday traditions than the rest of us?” They certainly have a lot more memories and customs to build on!

That’s pretty much how the first novella in THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS came about. In “All I Vant for Christmas,” all Connor Drake wants is a nice, homey, traditional holiday.

Unfortunately, his rebellious siblings are having none of it. Enter Jillian Park, an event coordinator sent by Connor’s matchmaking friend, Angelina, to help him celebrate the holidays right—with or without the cooperation of his brother and sister.

For the second story in the collection, I have to admit I just really liked the title “A Vampire in her Stocking.” *snicker* But then I had to come up with a way to get one there. So I created Vivian Harrison, a female vamp who’s been in love with her mortal boss for as long as she can remember. But poor Sean turns out to be sick. Very, very sick. Once again riding to the matchmaking rescue, Angelina Ricci decides to do what a vampire has to do—she turns Sean and leaves him as an early Christmas gift for Vivian…complete with bright red bow.

Last but not least, how could I not put a spin on the much-beloved It’s a Wonderful Life concept of “What if I’d never been born?” Of course, in this case, it had to be “What if I’d never become a vampire?” In “It’s a Wonderful Bite,” Angelina gets her own shot at happily forever after—and I do mean forever—but not before going through the hell of seeing what life would be like if she and her long-time love, Ian, had never been turned in the first place. Let’s just say she gains a newfound respect for her fangs and immortality. ;-)

So that’s the run-down on my fun & sexy holiday vampire collection, which did indeed just come out from Kensington Brava. I’d love to answer any questions you have about THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and chat with those of you who have hopefully already read it! (Hmm, that doesn’t sound quite right. I’ll chat with and answer questions from everybody, whether you’ve read the book yet or not. I’m just hoping a lot of you have read it already. ;-))

In addition, I’d like to invite everyone to enter the “Blood Good Holiday Giveaway” going on now at HeidiBetts.com.

It’s chock-full of fabulous Christmas and vampire goodies (photo above also a photo and list available on the Newsletter page of my site) and the only thing you have to do to enter is sign up for my Newsletter. (And stay subscribed, of course. ;-) But I’m not a pest, I swear!)



And finally, at the end of my visit today, I would like to reward one fabulous and enthusiastic reader with an autographed copy of THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, as well as a handful of very cool vampire goodies—(see photo abobe) glow-in-the-dark fangs, a vampire fangs whistle, and a tiny vial of Vampire Blood (which, surprisingly, can also be used as anti-bacterial gel ;-)).

If you haven’t yet read THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS or haven’t yet read me, all the better—I love dragging new victims over to The Dark Side. *vbg* And, yes, we do have cookies—especially at this time of year. (You don’t mind if the gingerbread men are anatomically correct, do you?)

Heidi Betts
Sexy. Sassy. Sensational.
Romance at its best!


HeidiBetts.com
HeidiBetts.com/WIPSandChains

Oh, and here are a few bonus questions from me to you: (why should I be the only one in the hot seat, right?)

#1 – What’s your favorite vampire movie or TV show? (And don’t automatically pick Moonlight just because it’s more recent and Alex O’Loughlin is sexy hot. :-p)

#2 – Who is your favorite fictional vampire? (Extra special bonus points if you name one of the sexy heroes from THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. ;-))

#3 – Have you succumbed to Stephenie Meyer’s all-hypnotizing powers and become a rabid Twilight fan, or are you hanging on to your sanity & sticking with the sexier, more masculine examples of vampire-ness like Angel or Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer? (Okay, that was a little mean. Sorry, I have a strong aversion to teenage vampire angst. But if you’re a Twilight fan and proud of it, I promise not to stake you. Or ask you if you’re a member of Team Edward or Team Jacob…but mostly because I just don’t care. :-P)

#4 – Of the three vampire heroes in THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, who would you most like to settle down & nibble on?

#5 – Of the three heroines in THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, who would you most like to be?

To enter to win Heidi's Bite Before Christmas prize pack leave a comment on this post- please answer one of the questions above

Be sure to include your email address

Open to US Shipping Only

Winner TBA Next Wednesday

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