Stacia’s Newsletter
It’s Christmas in September!
Miracle at Midnight, part of the Perfect Gift anthology by
Samhain Publishing, is due out in print September 25th.
To celebrate, the authors of the anthology are having a
Mom’s List Day on Samhaim’s café, complete with prizes,
excerpts and all that fun stuff. This will take place on
release day, September 25th.
Here’s the link:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/samhaincafe/
Come play with us! Because I unfortunately have a day job,
I won’t be able to play much, but I’ll do my best to pop in as
much as I can.
Here’s the blurb for Miracle at Midnight:
Comtesse Amara De la Cortesse isn’t a very nice person.
In 1507 France, she’s a hard-hearted ruler who things nothing
of imprisoning beggars for stealing food. Enter one saint
- Saint Nicholas – whose quest is to protect children.
He demands of her the answer to one apparently simple question:
What is the true meaning of love?
Her journey to find the answer brings her to present-day Manhattan, where she meets six-year-old
Samantha, who totally believes her fantastic story, and her doctor dad, Nick, who totally doesn’t.
Can Amara find the answer before time runs out? Can she even think abouyt her plight with the handsome
doctor around? Or is she doomed to forever have a heart of stone?
Miracle at Midnight is part of Samhain’s Christmas anthology, The Perfect Gift. This is being release
backwards: the print is out tomorrow, Sept. 25th. The e-book will be out in December.
Here’s an excerpt:
“Amara! Look at me!”
Amara looked up at Sami, who did a two-legged spin, with her father standing a few short feet away. Then
she grabbed his hand and did a one-legged spin.
Amara dropped her fight with the impossibly long strings on the skates they’d rented and clapped
vigorously. “Good job, Sami!”
She looked at the strings balefully. She’d watched Nick tie his own, then Sami’s, and thought she could do
it, but she’d been very, very wrong. It had looked like a simple bow, but what to do with all the string?
She glanced around. The New York skyline loomed beyond the Central Park trees, fascinating Amara. She
would never have believed buildings that tall could exist. And all the people. She’d seen more people than
had lived in her entire town just on the walk to Wollman Rink.
She turned her attention once more to the ice. There were quite a few people enjoying the crisp winter air,
the pale sunshine. She hunted for Nick and Sami, and found the little girl several yards away practicing her
spins. She didn’t see Nick until he surged out of the rink to kneel next to her.
“Here, let me help you.” Without waiting for a reply, he picked up one foot and rested it on his bent knee.
He wrapped the long strings around her leg, made a complicated gesture which ended up with two loops,
then stuffed the remainder of the strings in the top of her skate.
She stared at his handiwork as he swapped feet. “Thank you. You made it look so easy before, but I have to
admit I would never have gotten it.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone over six who couldn’t tie their own shoes.” He glanced up at her, his
dark brown gaze assessing. “You’ve almost convinced me that your fairy tale is true.” He finished tying her
skate, then stood up and held out his leather-encased hand. “Come on, let’s get you out on the ice.”
Tentatively, she placed her hand in his. He helped her up to her feet, then walked with her to the ice. He
moved so well on those thin metal blades. Amara tried mimicking the way he walked and did quite well, she
thought.
Until they stepped on the ice.
Then her feet went in opposite directions, and Amara found herself hanging onto Nick’s arm to stay semi-
upright, while her butt stuck out behind her.
Nick didn’t miss a step but just kept gliding toward Sami. Amara held on for dear life. She looked up at Nick
and discovered him smiling at her.
“Relax,” he said. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Yes, what was the worst that could happen? She’d fall. Compared to being a statue, falling would be
welcome. With a laugh, she pulled on his hand, straightening herself up a bit. “You’re right. I’m going to
enjoy this.” She tried moving her feet the way he did and had some success. “Yes, I’m going to have fun.”
She smiled at Nick. “Just don’t let go.”
T
hey reached Sami, and after a minute or two of practicing moving her feet, Amara let them lead her around
the rink a few times. The wind nipped her cheeks, music flooded her ears, and she knew that one tiny
misstep and she’d fall flat.
She loved it. It was life, and she loved it.
“Okay,” she said after the third time around and only one fall. “I’m ready.”
“Ready for what?” Sami asked.
“I want to spin, just like you did. Well, not like you did.” She looked at Nick, whose dark hair had been
ruffled by a soft breeze. “Spin me.”
His eyes crinkled as he guided them carefully through the crowd. He seemed impossibly handsome. “Spin
you?”
“Yes. I want to feel how it is to twirl without a care. So spin me.”
His mouth quirked. “All right. Just do what I do with my feet, okay?”
She dropped Sami’s hand and took the other hand he offered her. And while copying his movements, she
gripped both his hands tightly, leaned back as instructed and hoped to heaven that he’d not let go.
They picked up speed and soon she felt like she flew over the ice. Her spirit soared and laughter burst out
from her. Nick’s hands were her only link to the earth and his smile the only gift she ever wanted as she
twirled and twirled.
In five hundred years, she’d never felt so free.
Links to my fellow authors’ excerpts from A Perfect Gift:
Maya Banks:
http://www.mayabanks.com/lovemestill.php
Kate Davies:
https://home.comcast.net/~katedavies1/home_for_christmas_excerpt.htm
Mackenzie McKade:
http://www.mackenziemckade.com/second_chance_christmas.htm
Annmarie McKenna:
http://www.annmariemckenna.com/books-lookwhatsantabrought.htm
My excerpt:
http://www.staciawolf.com/Miracle_at_Midnight_excerpt.html
A new contest
In honor of the release of a Perfect Gift, I’m offering a print copy of the anthology, plus a Christmas
ornament, to the winner. I’ll also give four others a download of either You’ll be the Death of Me! Or
Pretend You Love Me.
The contest is simple: go to the links above and find the answers to the questions below, plus one about
my story. Those who answer correctly will be entered in a drawing for the five prizes.
One thing you must know: I’m being told the books are on backorder, so if you do win first place, please be
patient!
Here are the questions:
Maya Banks: What are the names of Heather’s mates?
Kate Davies: What did Sophia decide to do for Christmas, instead of staying at home alone?
Mackenzie McKade: They say ______________ don’t cry?
Annmarie McKenna: What is it Scott is looking for?
Mine: What is the name that Amara knows the intruder, who curses her, by?
E-mail the answers to stacia@www.staciawolf.com. Please answer by October 2nd. I’ll announce the
winners on my web site by October 9th.
Personal news:
Summer went by so quickly! It was a wonderful summer, and I made sure I was outside, enjoying the great
weather. I didn’t do anything exciting or awe-inspiring, but in the next few months I’m changing that.
I’m going to Hawaii!
I’m taking scuba lessons!
And – I’m going to be a grandmother – again! Okay, technically, the baby isn’t due until spring, but I’m still
counting it as a major change.
That’s it for now. If you have any comments, you can e-mail them to me at stacia@staciawolf.com
Until next time,
Stacia
