December Joyathon: Guest Post + Giveaway with Melissa Schroeder

Meet Melissa:

click to read an excerpt

Born to an Air Force family at an Army hospital Melissa has always been a little bit screwy. She was further warped by her years of watching Monty Python and her strange family. Her love of romance novels developed after accidentally picking up a Linda Howard book. After becoming hooked, she read close to 300 novels in one year, deciding that romance was her true calling instead of the literary short stories and suspenses she had been writing. After many attempts, she realized that romantic comedy, or at least romance with a comedic edge, was where she was destined to be. Influences in her writing come from Nora Roberts, Jenny Cruise, Susan Andersen, Amanda Quick, Jayne Anne Krentz, Julia Quinn, Christina Dodd, and Lori Foster. Since her first release in 2004, Melissa has had close to 20 short stories, novellas and novels released with seven different publishers in a variety of genres and time periods. Those releases included, The Hired Hand, a 2005 Eppie Finalist for Contemporary Romance and Tempting Prudence, a 2005 CAPA finalist for short erotic romance. Her contemporary, A Little Harmless Sex became an international best seller in June of 2005.

click to read an excerpt

Since she was a military brat, she vowed never to marry military. Alas, fate always has her waywith mortals. Her husband is an Air Force major, and together they have their own military brats, two girls, and they live wherever the military sticks them. Which she is sure, will always involve heat and bugs only seen on the Animal Discovery Channel.In her spare time, she reads, complains about bugs, travels, cooks, reads some more, watches her DVD collections of Arrested Development and Seinfeld, and tries to convince her family that she truly is a delicate genius. She has yet to achieve her last goal.

She has always believed that romance and humor go hand in hand. Love can conquer all and as Mark Twain said, “Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.” Combining the two, she hopes she gives her readers a thrilling love story, filled with chuckles along the way, and a happily ever after finish. (source)

Where To Find Melissa: Facebook | Twitter | Author Site | Blog

I love Christmas. As many of you know, I grew up in the Air Force as a Brat and because of that, I lived in Germany for a huge chunk of my childhood. The first Christmas I really remember was there, and boy do the Germans know how to do Christmas right. So, no matter where we are now, whether we are in picturesque Virginia with snow on the ground or we go to the beach in Hawaii, depending on where we are stationed, I get into Christmas. One of the joys I have outside of my family, is movies. I LOVE to spend a day vegging and that is definitely true around Christmas. Here are my top five Christmas movies:

5. Ghostbusters- okay, this isn't Christmas, but years ago, HBO used to have a secret premiere on Christmas Eve and I remember staying up and watching this one.

Who you gonna call?

4. White Christmas- I love musicals. I grew up watching them late at night and this is one of my favs. Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, you can't go wrong. And of course, it has that favorite song we all love. Crosby and Danny Kaye get together to save a Vermont inn their old Army commander owns. Romance is in the air and you can't beat it for music or scenery.

Vermont should be beautiful this time
of year, with all that snow.

3. It's A Wonderful Life-You knew it had to be here, right? But it is one of my favorites. I was appalled when I met my husband and he had never seen the movie. How could he grow up in America in a Bedford Falls kind of place, minus the pretty snow scenes? So I made him watch it with me. It is the epitome of Christmas Movies. Jimmy Stewart plays everyman. He gives up on what he thinks are his dreams to save first his family, then the business, and on a

Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.

2.The Ref-The story of a burglar getting caught by a family in their home on Christmas Eve could have turned bad. But, in this movie, Denis Leary, who is great in the movie, enters into a house filled with a crazy family, with more crazy family coming that night. Leary is joined by Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey as a very unhappy couple who is trying to save their marriage. It has an annoying bitchy mother-in-law, a delinquent son, very annoying brother and sister-in-law, and some really strange neighbors. more than likely, it is probably closer to what many of us go through during the holidays. It might not be the most traditional of movies, but it sure makes me laugh.

Is it real coffee or some Scandanavian
Christmas potion?

1. A Christmas Story- It is a Schroeder Family Tradition to have this playing all day when TNT puts it on. I even have the DVD. I so love this movie. While I grew up in a different time, it reminds me of my own childhood. I think mainly because we see everything through Ralphy's eyes, in that wonder of still believing in Santa Claus, not to mention the wonderful cast. We all remember holidays this way, when you still thought there was a chance you would get the one toy your family would never give you. For Ralphy it's the Red Ryder BB Gun.

Oh my god! I shot my eye out!

So there you have it. Yes, it is eclectic, but all of them are movies I love to see when the rush of the holidays starts to get to me.

What a great collection of movies. What's YOUR favorite/must watch movie during the holidays?


THE DEVIL IN WINTER:

A devil's bargain
Easily the shyest Wallflower, Evangeline Jenner stands to become the wealthiest, once her inheritance comes due. Because she must first escape the clutches of her unscrupulous relatives, Evie has approached the rake Viscount St. Vincent with a most outrageous proposition: marriage!
Sebastian's reputation is so dangerous that thirty seconds alone with him will ruin any maiden's good name. Still, this bewitching chit appeared, unchaperoned, on his doorstep to offer her hand. Certainly an aristocrat with a fine eye for beauty could do far worse.
But Evie's proposal comes with a condition: no lovemaking after their wedding night. She will never become just another of the dashing libertine's callously discarded broken hearts -- which means Sebastian will simply have to work harder at his seductions...or perhaps surrender his own heart for the very first time in the name of true love.

Where To Buy: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Nook | Book Depository
Book Extras: Read an Excerpt

Melissa is giving away a copy of THE DEVIL IN WINTER by Lisa Kleypas to one(1) lucky reader. All you have to do is follow these easy steps for a chance to win:

• Leave a comment about your favorite holiday movie(s) along with your email, ninja style: yourname at gmail dot com.
• Fill out the rafflecopter form below. Tell Melissa what your favorite holiday movies are. All other entries are optional. 

Easy peasy right? Don't forget to enter for the awesome super secret prize here.

A huge thank you to Melissa for participating in the Joyathon and giving away a copy of THE DEVIL IN WINTER by Lisa Kleypas. Also, thank you to Brandy (Mel's assistant) for keeping us on track. :)