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When Nick Frederick gives his neighbor Cara Travers a neatly wrapped Christmas present, Cara hands it back
without a second glance.
“I don’t do Christmas,” she says.
She won’t do Christmas even for Nick--tall, dark and hunky Nick with the chiseled jaw. The blue eyes. The
smile that never seems to fade. Nick’s a nice guy, but Cara also doesn’t do nice.
What does she do? Work. And plenty of it.
But then her very dead boss shows up on her laptop screen--blond bob, red lipstick, snarky attitude and all--
and warns Cara to mend her ways or suffer a greater doom than she can imagine. Three ghostly visitors take
Cara on journeys through her passions past, present, and future, and Cara experiences all the sensual joys
she has sacrificed to her bottomless ambition.
Will the erotic odyssey be enough to make Cara want to do a little less work, a little more Christmas...and a
whole lot of Nick?
without a second glance.
“I don’t do Christmas,” she says.
She won’t do Christmas even for Nick--tall, dark and hunky Nick with the chiseled jaw. The blue eyes. The
smile that never seems to fade. Nick’s a nice guy, but Cara also doesn’t do nice.
What does she do? Work. And plenty of it.
But then her very dead boss shows up on her laptop screen--blond bob, red lipstick, snarky attitude and all--
and warns Cara to mend her ways or suffer a greater doom than she can imagine. Three ghostly visitors take
Cara on journeys through her passions past, present, and future, and Cara experiences all the sensual joys
she has sacrificed to her bottomless ambition.
Will the erotic odyssey be enough to make Cara want to do a little less work, a little more Christmas...and a
whole lot of Nick?
 |
all content copyright BM Cole, 2008
I totally enjoyed reading
a new romantic edition of
A Christmas Carol.
Bethany has done a
wonderful job of bringing
a sensual modern twist
on a Christmas Classic.
She shows the reader
that Christmas is a time
for reconnecting with old
friends and celebrating
with family and that
miracles truly can
happen. I will be reading
this book more than once!
--Manic Readers
a new romantic edition of
A Christmas Carol.
Bethany has done a
wonderful job of bringing
a sensual modern twist
on a Christmas Classic.
She shows the reader
that Christmas is a time
for reconnecting with old
friends and celebrating
with family and that
miracles truly can
happen. I will be reading
this book more than once!
--Manic Readers
 |
Cara frowned. Enough was enough. “Ok, let’s say, for a moment, you really are haunting my PC. What do you
want?”
“I want to tell you to get your head out of your ass.”
“What?”
"Oh, come on. If you don't wake up, you're going to end up like me." The specter sighed. “While I walked the earth, I
never once looked beyond my office, beyond the next quarter. Beyond the next promotion. I shut people out. I
never took time for friendship, for love, for passion. And now I’m doomed to wander eternity completely alone.”
That didn’t actually sound so bad to Cara, since most people tended to grate on her nerves, anyway. But she
decided it was probably best not to provoke a ghost-- especially the ghost of her old boss.
“I don’t understand.”
“Big surprise.” The ghost glared at Cara. “Look behind me. What do you see?”
Cara squinted at the screen. Out of the fog behind the ghostly figure stretched a long line of rusty chain. It was
covered in barnacles and greenish mold.
“A chain?”
“Still as observant as ever. One link for every time I shut my heart to my fellow man. Every time I turned down a
date, missed an opportunity for friendship, each time I shut passion out of my life instead of embracing it.” The
ghost narrowed her eyes and seemed to stare a hole right through Cara’s soul. “A chain of missed opportunities. Of
a closed heart, a wasted life. And no one to help me carry it.” Marley’s image swelled. “Your chain is even longer.”
Her chain? Cara didn't have a chain! She almost looked behind her to make sure. But this really was going too far.
“So what, I’m supposed to hit the nearest singles bar and start picking up guys? Join the country club? Sign–up for
online dating? Yeah, right.”
She scooted to the edge of the couch, hand out. She had to shut the laptop’s lid and go to bed before the ghost of
her third grade teacher popped out next. Next time, she’d check the expiration date on those dinners.
Then the machine shrieked, the radiating noise making Cara slam her hands over her ears. Its racket was almost
as bad as those blasted carolers who always darkened her doorway on Christmas Day.
When the wailing stopped, Cara cautiously uncovered her ears. "Are we done?" she asked.
“Not yet. You will be visited this night by three ghosts,” Marley said. Her image started to waver and grow faint.
“Uh, yeah. Could I get a raincheck on that?”
“Always such a smart-ass. Expect the first ghost tonight when the bell strikes one,” the specter said. “Don’t piss
them off. And for the love of Greenspan, get a decent haircut!” Her image shrunk until Cara was staring at her
spreadsheet, debits and credits lined up just as she had left it.
Slowly Cara looked around the room. Nothing seemed out of place. She shook her head. A dream. It must have
been a dream. Wouldn't you know it, she'd dream about her old boss Marley. Not a dream. A nightmare.
She shut down her computer. It was just this stupid holiday and all the frustration surrounding it that had her all out
of sorts, she decided.
Ghosts, she chuckled to herself.
Yeah, right.
want?”
“I want to tell you to get your head out of your ass.”
“What?”
"Oh, come on. If you don't wake up, you're going to end up like me." The specter sighed. “While I walked the earth, I
never once looked beyond my office, beyond the next quarter. Beyond the next promotion. I shut people out. I
never took time for friendship, for love, for passion. And now I’m doomed to wander eternity completely alone.”
That didn’t actually sound so bad to Cara, since most people tended to grate on her nerves, anyway. But she
decided it was probably best not to provoke a ghost-- especially the ghost of her old boss.
“I don’t understand.”
“Big surprise.” The ghost glared at Cara. “Look behind me. What do you see?”
Cara squinted at the screen. Out of the fog behind the ghostly figure stretched a long line of rusty chain. It was
covered in barnacles and greenish mold.
“A chain?”
“Still as observant as ever. One link for every time I shut my heart to my fellow man. Every time I turned down a
date, missed an opportunity for friendship, each time I shut passion out of my life instead of embracing it.” The
ghost narrowed her eyes and seemed to stare a hole right through Cara’s soul. “A chain of missed opportunities. Of
a closed heart, a wasted life. And no one to help me carry it.” Marley’s image swelled. “Your chain is even longer.”
Her chain? Cara didn't have a chain! She almost looked behind her to make sure. But this really was going too far.
“So what, I’m supposed to hit the nearest singles bar and start picking up guys? Join the country club? Sign–up for
online dating? Yeah, right.”
She scooted to the edge of the couch, hand out. She had to shut the laptop’s lid and go to bed before the ghost of
her third grade teacher popped out next. Next time, she’d check the expiration date on those dinners.
Then the machine shrieked, the radiating noise making Cara slam her hands over her ears. Its racket was almost
as bad as those blasted carolers who always darkened her doorway on Christmas Day.
When the wailing stopped, Cara cautiously uncovered her ears. "Are we done?" she asked.
“Not yet. You will be visited this night by three ghosts,” Marley said. Her image started to waver and grow faint.
“Uh, yeah. Could I get a raincheck on that?”
“Always such a smart-ass. Expect the first ghost tonight when the bell strikes one,” the specter said. “Don’t piss
them off. And for the love of Greenspan, get a decent haircut!” Her image shrunk until Cara was staring at her
spreadsheet, debits and credits lined up just as she had left it.
Slowly Cara looked around the room. Nothing seemed out of place. She shook her head. A dream. It must have
been a dream. Wouldn't you know it, she'd dream about her old boss Marley. Not a dream. A nightmare.
She shut down her computer. It was just this stupid holiday and all the frustration surrounding it that had her all out
of sorts, she decided.
Ghosts, she chuckled to herself.
Yeah, right.
| Why did my editor buy this story? |
Considerably more
light-hearted than the
original, A Christmas
Cara is a fun,
undemanding read with
a timeless message.
--Cocktail Reviews
light-hearted than the
original, A Christmas
Cara is a fun,
undemanding read with
a timeless message.
--Cocktail Reviews
So sweet, I'm a huge
fan of Christmas and
Scrooge and this story
was perfect.
--Reader Review
fan of Christmas and
Scrooge and this story
was perfect.
--Reader Review
A wonderful, naughty
twist on A CHRISTMAS
CAROL!
--Reader Review
twist on A CHRISTMAS
CAROL!
--Reader Review
I'll take Ms. Michael's
version any time,
place, or day of the
year!
--Two Lips Reviews
version any time,
place, or day of the
year!
--Two Lips Reviews