So of course after I receive a recommendation I had to reach out and see if I could get Suzan to come hop around with us for our Merry Menage and she said YES! So read on and see why she fits this hop perfectly and why I can't wait to read her...
Why Christmas Trees Rock
The holidays is my favorite time
of year. And of all the holiday traditions, my favorite is the Christmas tree.
It has such a rich history, stemming from ancient times when people hung
evergreen boughs over doors and windows—it was believed that evergreen would
keep away evil spirits and illness—all the way to the early twentieth century
when Americans began using homemade ornaments.
Decorating the tree every year is
an activity that was much fun in my house, and continues to be as I get older.
Nothing makes me happier than to see my own family smiling and fighting over
who gets to hang what ornament. It’s a time for family to come together. It’s a
time for couples to spend time together and learn about each other, or reaffirm
their own bonds with each other.
That’s why in my story, O
Christmas Three, the tree is a place of peace for the characters. Brianna has
the same love of Christmas trees that I do, and so she tends to seek her solace
close to it. My favorite scenes to write all centered around that tree, whether
it was the characters having that heart to heart by it or admiring an ornament.
Here’s some fun facts about
Christmas trees. Thanks to History.com for providing these.
·
The tallest living Christmas tree is believed to
be the 122-foot, 91-year-old Douglas fir in the town of Woodinville,
Washington.
·
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition
began in 1933. Franklin Pierce, the 14th
president, brought the Christmas tree tradition to the White House.
·
Since 1966, the National Christmas Tree
Association has given a Christmas tree to the President and first family.
·
Most Christmas trees are cut weeks before they
get to a retail outlet.
·
100,000 people are employed in the Christmas
tree industry.
·
98 percent of all Christmas trees are grown on
farms.
·
More than 1,000,000 acres of land have been
planted with Christmas trees.
·
77 million Christmas trees are planted each
year.
·
On average, over 2,000 Christmas trees are
planted per acre.
·
34 to 36 million Christmas trees are produced
each year and 95 percent are shipped or sold directly from Christmas tree
farms.
The holidays are a lot of fun.
Like in O Christmas Three, they can bring people together who might not have
been open to it originally. That’s the real power of the holidays. There’s just
something about it that resonates with people, draws them together. I look
forward to that time after Thanksgiving in which I get to have that special
time with my family and decorate our tree for the holidays.
Title: O Christmas Three
Genre: Contemporary Ménage
Release Date: October 2012
Length: Novella
eISBN: 978-1-938927-02-7
Genre: Contemporary Ménage
Release Date: October 2012
Length: Novella
eISBN: 978-1-938927-02-7
Garrett and Brianna Zane have the perfect marriage on the surface. They share everything from love to their wildest sexual desires with ease. So when Brianna confesses she wants a threesome with his best friend Leobardo Vasquez, it awakens feelings Garrett has long tried to forget.
But the smoldering attraction between Leo and Brianna is hard to deny and even harder to dismiss when it’s all he can think about, especially when the three are trapped together in Leo’s cabin during a snowstorm. Seducing Leo will test their relationship, reveal old secrets, and maybe tear them apart. While there may be room for Leo in bed, there may not be room for a third in their marriage.
Trailer: http://youtu.be/iVna-YVxU1s
Website Link: http://suzanbutler.com/bookshelf/menages/o-christmas-three/
Excerpt:
Leo knelt by the fireplace to put another log
on. Watching the glow of the fire made his face warm, a sharp contrast to the
biting, cold snow falling outside.
He knew Garrett was behind him even before he sat down on the rug. His whole body was attuned to him, the fine hairs on his body standing on end. Garrett’s hands rested on his shoulders. After ten years, there shouldn’t be this awkwardness he felt around his best friend.
“You all right?” Garrett’s voice was like a purr across his body. His muscles relaxed. Years of taking his aggression and resentment out on the ice vanished in light of that single touch.
“I’m good.” His breath shuddered on the exhale.
How long had it been since he’d been so close to Garrett? It was since before Brianna. Ten years? Eleven? They’d not dated long before getting married.
Leo had stepped aside, let Garrett have the fantasy life he so deserved. The hockey community was not as forgiving of his bisexual nature anyway, and they liked infidelity even less.
“Liar,” Garrett replied softly, his breath hot on Leo’s neck.
“What are you doing, Garrett?” He didn’t turn toward the man, because seeing him would have done him in. He’d made the choice long ago to let Garrett go.
“Remembering what I want,” the other man replied. Leo groaned when Garrett’s lips touched his neck, a war brewing within him between what his body wanted and what his mind could handle.
He wanted Garrett as soon as the couple had walked through the door. But he didn’t want to hurt Brianna. He respected her too much for that.
“We can’t do this, Garrett. Brianna—”
“Brianna knows,” his best friend replied. Leo frowned and tried to move away. She knew, and she was okay with this? What exactly had Garrett told his wife?
Garrett palmed Leo’s cheek and turned him until they were face to face. Leo’s heart pounded, his breathing shallow. Garrett leaned forward and took his mouth, no hesitancy, no restraint. He would have let him keep going, pressing on, but Garrett broke the kiss, like they had all the time in the world. His arms trembled as he leaned away from Garrett.
“This isn’t right, Garrett,” he whispered. “Even if Brianna knows…”
“It is right. Brianna wants this, too. I’m hoping you’ll realize that this week.” Garrett pressed his lips to Leo’s briefly before standing. What did that mean? Was he saying that he wanted it to be like old times, with the woman in the middle? It seemed that was the only way he and Garrett would ever be together now. Did he dare even ask the man what he was thinking?
Leo stared at him. He wanted that man more than he’d ever wanted another human being, ever. He wanted him to speak so his voice could sink into his blood and his bones, to memorize every inch of his face, from his bright eyes down to the dimples on his cheeks.
He stood up carefully, still shaking like crazy, and stumbled over to the kitchen bar. He picked up the glass of wine he’d left there and downed it in one sip. When he looked back at Garrett, the man’s eyes were focused on his mouth, following his tongue as he swiped it across his lips. His eyes were hot and filled with desire. Oh, this is not how he’d expected to spend the first night with his best friends this year.
“Brianna knows about this?” Leo asked, his voice stronger than he’d thought it would be. He waited for his friend’s nod before asking, “What did she say?”
“Why? Do you really want to know if my wife is okay with this,” Garrett approached him, and leaned into Leo’s ear, “or do you want to know if she’s interested in you?”
a Rafflecopter giveawayHe knew Garrett was behind him even before he sat down on the rug. His whole body was attuned to him, the fine hairs on his body standing on end. Garrett’s hands rested on his shoulders. After ten years, there shouldn’t be this awkwardness he felt around his best friend.
“You all right?” Garrett’s voice was like a purr across his body. His muscles relaxed. Years of taking his aggression and resentment out on the ice vanished in light of that single touch.
“I’m good.” His breath shuddered on the exhale.
How long had it been since he’d been so close to Garrett? It was since before Brianna. Ten years? Eleven? They’d not dated long before getting married.
Leo had stepped aside, let Garrett have the fantasy life he so deserved. The hockey community was not as forgiving of his bisexual nature anyway, and they liked infidelity even less.
“Liar,” Garrett replied softly, his breath hot on Leo’s neck.
“What are you doing, Garrett?” He didn’t turn toward the man, because seeing him would have done him in. He’d made the choice long ago to let Garrett go.
“Remembering what I want,” the other man replied. Leo groaned when Garrett’s lips touched his neck, a war brewing within him between what his body wanted and what his mind could handle.
He wanted Garrett as soon as the couple had walked through the door. But he didn’t want to hurt Brianna. He respected her too much for that.
“We can’t do this, Garrett. Brianna—”
“Brianna knows,” his best friend replied. Leo frowned and tried to move away. She knew, and she was okay with this? What exactly had Garrett told his wife?
Garrett palmed Leo’s cheek and turned him until they were face to face. Leo’s heart pounded, his breathing shallow. Garrett leaned forward and took his mouth, no hesitancy, no restraint. He would have let him keep going, pressing on, but Garrett broke the kiss, like they had all the time in the world. His arms trembled as he leaned away from Garrett.
“This isn’t right, Garrett,” he whispered. “Even if Brianna knows…”
“It is right. Brianna wants this, too. I’m hoping you’ll realize that this week.” Garrett pressed his lips to Leo’s briefly before standing. What did that mean? Was he saying that he wanted it to be like old times, with the woman in the middle? It seemed that was the only way he and Garrett would ever be together now. Did he dare even ask the man what he was thinking?
Leo stared at him. He wanted that man more than he’d ever wanted another human being, ever. He wanted him to speak so his voice could sink into his blood and his bones, to memorize every inch of his face, from his bright eyes down to the dimples on his cheeks.
He stood up carefully, still shaking like crazy, and stumbled over to the kitchen bar. He picked up the glass of wine he’d left there and downed it in one sip. When he looked back at Garrett, the man’s eyes were focused on his mouth, following his tongue as he swiped it across his lips. His eyes were hot and filled with desire. Oh, this is not how he’d expected to spend the first night with his best friends this year.
“Brianna knows about this?” Leo asked, his voice stronger than he’d thought it would be. He waited for his friend’s nod before asking, “What did she say?”
“Why? Do you really want to know if my wife is okay with this,” Garrett approached him, and leaned into Leo’s ear, “or do you want to know if she’s interested in you?”
About Suzan Butler
Suzan
Butler has a penchant for Dr. Pepper, ice hockey, and world domination. She
lives in Texas under a not-so-secret identity with two monsters, writing
naughty books and planning the next step in her evil plans into the twilight
hours of the night because that’s when it’s quiet in the house.
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http://www.suzanbutler.com
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Remember to fill out BOTH Rafflecopters to be entered to win the prizes!! Suzan Butler has offered up an ebook copy of O Christmas Three to one lucky winner.
Remember to fill out BOTH Rafflecopters to be entered to win the prizes!! Suzan Butler has offered up an ebook copy of O Christmas Three to one lucky winner.
Do you have a favorite Christmas tree doecoration or tradition?
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I don't really celebrate Christmas so no family traditions. I used to go over to my friend's house and we would decorate her Christmas tree. Would usually spend holiday at her house exchanging gifts with the family and always ended up playing game of quarters.
ReplyDeleteAww, that's sweet. We don't have a lot of traditions here either. The tree is the most important one. We have a good time, take the whole weekend to do it sometimes. It's a lot of fun.
DeleteThe one tradition I think we've kept is that we do not, under any circumstances, decorate until after my birthday, which is coincidentally the 5th of December. Even now, I've sometimes put my tree up early and my mom will call and be horrified if I mention the tree is already up. This year I waited though. :)
ReplyDeleteMine is the 4th so I totally love that tradition.
DeleteBTW, Happy Birthday! :)
We always try to cut our own tree at a local place. We haul that puppy home and decorate it the same day. We like HUGE trees, 12-13 feet and one of my favorite things is decorating it with my girls. We usually take it down the week after Christmas but never later than the 1st of January.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Suzan, on your new release and I wish you much success!
Wow!! We've never had a big tree like that! That's awesome!
DeleteWe used to have to take ours down as fast as possible because of the cats. Now we're lazy about it. ;)
Loved the excerpts. I like to visit my elderly relatives.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Tracey D