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

“Not as a rule.”

~Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Even though Christmas is now officially over, I’m still in a very festive mood.  How about you?

I’m also in a very vampire-y mood, because…well, let’s face it, when you like vampires, you’re pretty much always in a vampire-y mood.  (The fact that I’m currently working on my second vampire romance for Brava and Chiller channel is re-running Buffy the Vampire Slayer from the very beginning isn’t helping, either. )

I know, I know.  Vampires and Christmas.  They go together like…well, vampires and Christmas.   But as most of you are probably aware, I did in fact tackle this odd combination for my very first Brava release.  And when it came to writing 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 used to be in charge of 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 new-found respect for her fangs and immortality.

So that’s the run-down on my fun & sexy holiday vampire collection. I’d love to answer any questions you might 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, of course, whether you’ve read the book yet or not. I’m just hoping a lot of you have read it already. )

I’d also like to invite everyone to enter the “Bloody Good Holiday Giveaway” going on now at HeidiBetts.com, since there are only a few days left before I pick a winner!

It’s chock-full of fabulous Christmas and vampire goodies (list & rules 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, since I won’t be back at the Brava Authors blog until the end of January, I’d like to wish you all a very safe, happy, healthy, blessed, and prosperous New Year!