Reddit mentions: The best holiday fiction books

I'm a professional freelance writer and editor who finally decided to bite the bullet and self-publish something. It's a short Christmas romance novelette marketed toward people who watch holiday Hallmark movies, but I slipped some vulgarity in there for the sake of my own sanity. Here's the description:

It’s been years since Allison has attended the annual Chapman-Beaumont Christmas tradition, which typically involves blindfolds, '40s-themed dinner parties, and acting like igloo-building is an Olympic sport. She finally flies home to Vermont to participate in five days of over-the-top festivities with her family and their best friends, the Chapmans – but this year, she’s bringing her boyfriend, and she doesn’t know how they'll all mesh. Jake Chapman (Ally’s closest friend or worst enemy depending on the year) seems especially pissed about it, and Ally can’t help but notice that Jake’s not the same lanky teenager she remembers.

The Five Days of Christmas is a new-adult holiday romance. This festive-AF novelette isn’t quite as wholesome as a Hallmark movie, but its witty dialogue and rough-around-the-edges characters add some welcome realism to all things merry and bright.

It's currently available for $2.99 in e-book format on Amazon. The paperback should be available within a few days.

I'm sad because I'm going to need surgery in a few months. It's a 'woman's' issues (need to fix a few things in there!) but I still don't want to do it! The only things that makes me cheer up is reading a good book or chocolate! I love them both and reading has a calming effect on me. :-)

I would love this book. It's definitely not necessary, but I've been wanting it for a while and just haven't broken down to get it.

There is a reason for "winter weight", and you may enjoy the warmth of a few extra pounds. Not healthy advice, I know, but it is going to get cold.

Some things I might also recommend, as the focus on cars and driving were covered well already, are strategies you want to include in other areas.

In your house or apartment, you are going to realize that there are drafts of wind you had no idea were there. Kits can be purchased that will add a layer of plastic to your windows and unused doors. This will help lower heating costs. There are these things that look like stuffed toy snakes, they go at the bottom of your door to block the seams where the cold comes in. Toy stuffed snakes will also work if you have them.

Salt your walk and steps. When you shovel, take your time, snow can be very heavy.

Layers are your friends. Exposure is not. REI has some great thermal layers for underneath, get some. Meijer "hunting section" also has affordable and less trendy options. Any area of skin that is exposed to the environment can suffer frostbite. Wear a hat.

In the Big Mitten, you may see feet of snow, no snow, or shear sheets of ice. It's pretty inconsistent, as you likely discovered when we had a 72 and sunny day followed by snow and 32 the next.

There are at least 38 different types of snowflakes. A variety of different snow conditions, like wet, dry, hard, soft, sticky, icy, pelts and sheets. Add in the wind and you are starting to think twice about moving here. You can learn more in my book about this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VISTRD4

In the car I keep some kitty litter, if there is ice and you get stuck, it might help. Put lubricant (de-icer) in your locks. Don't pour boiling water on the windshield if there is ice on it (unless you want to buy a new one.) Warm water will melt away the thick stuff, but it can be risky if you hit a chip.

No one remembers how to drive in snow the first 2-3 snow falls. You are going to see some funny and scary drivers out there. Seatbelt's are mandatory, crash helmets are optional.

Best of luck - stay safe.

That's better. The author name definitely looks better at the bottom. I'd have a different typeface for your author name and title though. Something a bit more bold for the title. Also, try a different layout, maybe 'There's' on it's own line, smaller than the rest which is centred. And maybe try playing with different fonts within the title, and colour too.

By strapline, I mean something like a subtitle, or a simple descriptive sentence.

Quickly going through the bestseller list:

• The Racketeer by John Grisham - He was betrayed by the FBI. Now he wants revenge.
  
• Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott - When obsession takes over
  
• Behind Closed Doors by B A Paris - The perfect marriage, or the perfect lie?
  
  Or even a pull-quote from a good review:
  
  
• The Secret of Orchard Cottage by Alex Brown - As sweet and charming as homemade apple pie.
  
  I tell you what, here's a quick and dirty example of what I mean.
  
  It's by no means perfect, it's just to give you an idea of what you could do with a little typography to make it look a bit more professional. I also made the illustration smaller which will give you more space around the edges. Don't be afraid of space.

Congratulations! The main thing is good communication. Relationships (especially gay ones) cannot survive without it.

Re: sex. You don't need help from others, just do what feels natural (and safe, until/unless you trust each other to be monogamous). But if you really feel like you need an outside reference, try The Joy of Gay Sex.

Hey Michael! For me, the two fit together because my first UF story was also a mystery. When Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner invited me to contribute a story to [Wolfsbane and Mistletoe] (http://www.amazon.com/Wolfsbane-Mistletoe-Charlaine-Harris/dp/0441017622/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397779318&sr=1-1&keywords=wolfsbane+and+mistletoe), it was my first try writing UF. So I made my protagonist, Gerry Steuben, a private eye and a werewolf. For me, my Fangborn world has mystery elements because the Fangborn are dedicated to protecting humanity against evil. Mystery is built right in!

Oooh, a site I've never been to... I was poised to go to Egypt a few years ago, but just as I was looking into it, the unrest began. Pyramids and mummies were my first ideas about archaeology, so some day, for sure! I'd also love to go to Macchu Picchu, just because it's just so iconic.

I did have the chance to visit [Gobekli Tepe] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6bekli_Tepe) in Turkey a few years ago, and that's probably one of the most important sites in the world right now! That was Mind. Boggling.

Confrontational atheism: Testament: Memoir of the Thoughts and Sentiments of Jean Meslier

>"Know, then, my friends, that everything that is recited and practiced in the world for the cult and adoration of gods is nothing but errors, abuses, illusions, and impostures. All the laws and orders that are issued in the name and authority of God or the gods are really only human inventions…."

>"And what I say here in general about the vanity and falsity of the religions of the world, I don’t say only about the foreign and pagan religions, which you already regard as false, but I say it as well about your Christian religion because, as a matter of fact, it is no less vain or less false than any other.



Softer (much less confrontational) atheism: 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God

>This unique approach to skepticism presents fifty commonly heard reasons people often give for believing in a God and then raises legitimate questions regarding these reasons, showing in each case that there is much room for doubt. Whether you're a believer, a complete skeptic, or somewhere in between, you'll find this review of traditional and more recent arguments for the existence of God refreshing, approachable, and enlightening.



Favorites non-fiction (or at least mostly non-fiction as time will tell) and not directly related to atheism: Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimension and The Illustrated A Brief History of Time and the Universe in a Nutshell



Favorites fiction (also not directly atheist related): Treasure Island, and Hogfather: A Novel of Discworld



Atheism book I've tried to read and found to be over my head that's supposed to be the end-all-be-all: The Miracle of Theism: Arguments For and Against the Existence of God

***

Currently reading and while enjoyable it's a bit tough to get, I've found myself re-reading pages regularly: QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter

The most useful instructional resource to me was [The Joy of Gay Sex] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Revised-Expanded-Third-Edition/dp/0060012749) which covered pretty much everything I needed to know about life as a gay person. I don't know how I would have managed without it. Warning: it's illustrated :P

However, if you were looking for something less instructional and more emotional, I would recommend watching the film "Prayers for Bobby." I do feel obligated to attach a caveat to this though, because it is one of the most emotional things you will ever watch.

I have other examples, too.

If you're in the mood for a holiday mystery, or sixty, I wouldn't look any further that the Big Book of Christmas Mysteries compiled by Otto Penzler.

This is a anthology of mysteries that happen during the holiday season. These have been written and collected from Victorian times to the 1940s. There's a little bit of everything in this book to please any mystery lover.

I crack this tome open every year and read a mystery or two to get into the sleuthing spirit of the holiday season.

It's not fantasy, but John Oakes' The Right Kind of Stupid and Angry Elf both feature Winton Chevalier, an achondroplasic dwarf like Tyrion. He's the main character in Angry Elf.

The books are well-written and highly empathetic, with realized and relatable characters, but there's a lot of offensive stuff (done with a purpose, so to speak). They're set in the modern day and quite funny. Oakes is the real deal.

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.

Hey everyone. My mum recently published her first ever book on Amazon kindle. And I am trying to help her promote it a bit.

She had been writing it for a few years, then sending it off to publishers never getting a response from any. She decided to publish it on her own.

I have posted it up for anyone who might be interested. If anyone does read it, it would be interesting to hear some feed back. Thanks.

Fat Chance
On Amazon Kindle.

Overview:

"Katy is overweight, but then she has always been and has never really worried about it. But after overhearing a chance remark by her Mother-in-law, Katy vows to change herself. But in the process she inadvertently changes her life."

The Velvet Rage - I've been recommended over and over again & next of my reading list

Currently working my way through The Joy of Gay Sex, which is quite refreshing and making an interesting read! Those illustrations. . . .

I read The Friday Night Knitting Club, then the sequel, Knit Two, then the third book, Knit the Season. Got them all on audiobook through my library so I could listen while I knit. The three books tell the story of the same characters over a period of time, so it kinda felt like growing up along side them. If you liked the first book, you should definitely check out the others.

On Amazon for Kindle.

It's obviously fiction, and it's quite entertaining. But it has good lessons to impart.

You could also try tinder or okcupid if you're looking more for romance and less for hookups. Dating can suck though, it's such a roller coaster of emotions.

While it doesn't bother me (so I assume some others will feel the same), if you feel like inexperience is a real problem, you can do a bit of homework. For example I saw this book the joy of gay sex recommended somewhere. I haven't read it so your mileage may vary.

Obviously, this doesn't give you more experience, but it can educate about having sex in ways that porn doesn't.

Sounds like Hogfather. :D

My firrst book is about a guy whose life changed without planning it. I hope you will like it!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079WF3D85/

US Kindle edition https://www.amazon.com/Life-Begins-Brody-Haller-Miller-ebook/dp/B079WF3D85

Here is the book.

And here's a link to the TV Movie (it's not terrible).

I got you 😉

https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Gay-Revised-Expanded-Third/dp/0060012749/ref=nodl_

Ask and ye shall receive.

This one is on my list, full of mystery stories by classic authors

https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Gay-Revised-Expanded-Third/dp/0060012749

The original link was to the paperback which has a different Amazon reference. As a result the bot missed all the regions where the paperback is not for sale. Here are the other ones it missed:

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.com.br