Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Addicted to Holiday Stories with Seleste deLaney


Today I have another fellow Carina Press author, but she also writes for Decadent Publishing and Evernight Publishing. What a lady... Take it away Seleste deLaney!

A Few of My Favorite Reasons

Last year I wrote two holiday stories and swore I’d never do it again. After all, who has time to promo in December?

Then Evernight Publishing listed a call for their holiday anthology. I managed to ignore it since I was hard at work on other things at the time, but slowly this germ of an idea took hold in my brain and wouldn’t let go. If I re


The question remained though—why do this to myself at all? Why Christmas stories? For me, the answer is complex. Winter is my favorite season. I’m a total snow bunny. But beyond that, the holidays are such a turbulent time for me that I value the escape a good story provides. Don’t get me wrong, I love the season, but over the years the family has dealt with death, fights, emotional confessions and all sorts of bad things right around Christmas. More suicides happen in December than any other month. No matter how joyous the season is supposed to be, it’s also a time that a lot of people need to be somewhere else mentally. They need happily ever afters and they need hope.call the timeline correctly, I got Making the Naughty List (my follow-up to last year’s story) in just under the deadline. Right around then, the opportunity came up to have The Ghost of Vampire Present put in an anthology at Decadent Publishing. It wasn’t going to be new, so I figured it wouldn’t involve more promo and said yes. (More on this story in a bit.)

My Evernight stories (Yes, Alana, There Is a Santa Claus from last year as well as this year’s Making the Naughty List) are all about the happily ever after. They’re about finding love in times of pain and hardship and sadness. Okay, so they’re also about randy elves, but that’s not the point. They embrace the magic of the season and put it on display. They’re the lights and tinsel for people’s imaginations.

Then there’s The Ghost of Vampire Present. Like A Christmas Carol (where my story gets its strange little name from), it’s a story about fears and hope, and about closing your eyes and trusting your heart while you take a leap of faith. (Okay, and it’s also about a randy vampire, but again, that’s not the point.) While my Evernight stories might be the magic, for me, The Ghost of Vampire Present is the soul of the season. It’s all the stresses and joys and fears rolled up into one package.

For that, and other reasons, I was able to ignore the extra promotional pressure when Decadent asked if I wanted to make it the December Read for a Cure book. I will be promoting my butt off this month because all publisher proceeds for the sale of The Ghost of Vampire Present in December go

to the American Cancer Society (I will also be donating fifty cents for every copy sold to Relay for Life). And every second I spend telling people about this project is time well-spent.

So, why do I write holiday stories? Because I believe in magic, and I believe the only way people really get to feel the magic in the world around them is through hope. And I can’t think of a better time of the year to put those things together in the creation of a story.

I’m giving away a digital copy of last year’s Evernight anthology Twas a Dark and Delicious Christmas to one commenter who tells me the emotion that the Christmas season most brings to mind for them.

Thanks so much Seleste for visiting and for your generous giveaway. I can't wait to read the comments. Seleste's draw will be announced on Saturday.


12 comments:

Becca said...

Congrats on your anthology!
The emotion Christmas brings to mind is happiness. Simple. I am a kid again. I love giving pressies so much and seeing my kids' faces... Bliss!

Liia Ann White said...

Great post Seleste.
I'm off to get your book, I love the Read For A Cure books, knowing profits go to help others.

Sue BT said...

The emotion Christmas brings to mind is that lovely feeling I get when all the presents have been opened and the Christmas meal is digesting... I guess that's when the 'peace' bit kicks in.

Congratulations on your anthology release.

Kelly Hunter said...

As a kid I was all about the anticipation - the wait was more delicious than the day.

Come grown up time, I'm going to have to go with contentment being the primary emotion of the day.

Nas said...

Congratulations on your anthology release.

I love giving and receiving presents and am teaching my three yr old- all the Santa stories! How she has to be a good girl for Santa!

Unknown said...

I love the deco's. Christmas threw up in my house and i like it!
I love the prezzies but hate how quick it all ends. There's all this preparation and within thirty minutes if your lucky, it's all over redrover. lol

Mass congrats on the anthology, aall the best and merry xmas
Kez

Sharon Archer said...

I enjoy the whole Christmas day with the family thing... but my very, very favourite part of the day is when everyone's gone home, dh and I make ourselves a cup of Earl Grey tea and eat shortbread (even though we're still full from the big Xmas lunch!) while the dishwasher chugs through the dishes and we watch a DVD.
:)
Sharon

Lexxie Couper said...

Congrats on your anthology! Christmas is a big deal in our house, but we always put a very Aussie spin on it. My youngest was mortified to hear the traditional version of Jingle Bells the other day. She insisted loudly "they" were singing it wrong :)

Seleste deLaney/Julie Particka said...

Thanks for the great stories, everyone!

And, Liia, thanks for supporting Read for a Cure. It really is a great program and one of my very favorite things that Decadent does :)

Anonymous said...

Don't enter me (wink), but I am supporting Seleste who is supporting a wonderful cause.

My favorite part of the holidays is 1) the traditions. We have a Christmas Eve tradition that has been going on for years. Will be fun to see if my kids still do it once they're grown.
2) shopping for other people. Sure, who doesn't like getting gifts? But I LOOOVE shopping for or making gifts for my friends and family.
3) the decor and music. Nuff said.

Rachael Johns said...

Great to hear everyone's thoughts about Christmas.

Lexie - LOL'd at your daughters Jingle Bell horror!

Jen Wylie said...

Happy, I love giving, I love seeing people smile. I love being with family and friends. Happy happy!