This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win one free electronic copy of Various Persuasions, Book One in the Persuasions series. .
A Family at Christmas
Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year. I grew up in a family of six – my two parents, two brothers and one sister. Christmas morning was chaotic and exciting and full of joy. Well, maybe not from my mother who always got pretty stressed out managing her four hyper kids and preparing for the large Christmas dinner. In her later years, once we were all adults, she gave the holiday meal prep up and either took us all out for supper on Christmas at a fancy hotel or ordered the food to be cooked and picked up by my dad and a helper (one of us).
Although it was very busy at Christmas, we had the benefit of not having to travel or host out-of-town visitors, since both my parents were only children and their elderly parents lived too far away for a holiday visit (England and Nova Scotia).
Although my upcoming novel, Various Distractions, doesn’t take place at Christmas, it is very much about family. In this case, found family.
Nic and Vincent, who meet in Various Persuasions (book 1 – an electronic copy of which will be given away here today), are enjoying a blissful interlude now that they have accepted the fact that they want to be together. Life is pretty damn good at the beginning of the book. But then, the distractions begin. A friend of Nic’s needs a place to conduct her Dominatrix activities, and his basement seems like the only option. Then, Vincent’s cousin needs a place to stay. Finally, something occurs that makes it necessary for Daphne to recommend someone to help with domestic chores at the house.
One thing leads to another and soon Nic finds himself embroiled in a new, broader relationship with Vincent. By the time the book ends, a family has emerged, that one person finds himself clinging to out of love and a need for protection.
To me, Christmas time especially is all about family. But it doesn’t have to be the family you were born into. A found family is just as valid as a traditional family, perhaps more so. Because it is composed of those individuals you have chosen to enhance your life, and whom you make a point to offer your own love and assistance.
Family is family, and this is never so apparent at Christmas. Enjoy the season with whomever you are celebrating and remember that traditions can be started whenever you like, and continued into the future by those who make them important.
Book two in the Persuasions series
When life is perfect, you know it’s gonna throw you a curveball…or four.
Nic and Vincent have been riding the high of a new romantic relationship that works so well they are on the verge of officially moving in together—but then the distractions begin. Their friend Daphne needs a temporary dungeon space, and Nic’s basement seems the perfect solution. Vincent’s gay seventeen-year-old cousin, Taylor, needs a safe refuge from his uber-religious parents. When Vincent suffers an unexpected injury, Nic asks Daphne to suggest someone to help with domestic duties around the house.
These combined circumstances lead to a less-than-ideal home life for Vincent and Nic, who struggle to find alone time. But life has a way of giving people what they need, and the arrival of Matteo to help with chores around the house sets into motion an opportunity the three must decide to follow to its logical conclusion or abandon in order to maintain the emotional safety of all the participants.
AE Lister is a non-binary author with a vivid imagination and a head full of interesting characters. They write LGBTQ+ stories with consent-based kink and a dash of romance.
Buy the book at Books2Read.
