Title: All She Wants for Christmas
Author: Sara V. Olds
Genre: Adult Romance
Acquired Via: Author
Release Date: December 3, 2013
George Clauson is Santa's daughter, but she can't stand Christmas. All that ho-ho-hoing, caroling and people's greedy wants? No, thank you. She's left the family business and struck off on her own in the human world finding her niche as a humble second-grade teacher.
Ebenezer Herod is a descendant of King Herod. His family has never stopped trying to destroy Christmas. This year they may actually get their wish, but not if Ben can help it.
George wants nothing to do with restoring balance to the Christmas season, and she certainly isn't interested in the shockingly handsome and devilishly rich Ben. A determined do-gooder, Ben's used to saving the day, but he can't rescue Christmas alone. Can George and Ben find a way to work together despite their opposing heritages to make the Season bright?
Interview
Thank you so much, Sara, for stopping by Bibliophilia, Please to answer some questions about your new book, All She Wants for Christmas! To break the ice a little, what is something about you that only your friends or close family know?
Shhh…I secretly want to be David McCullough when I grow up. (He’s an amazing author and a great historian.)
Since your book is about Christmas, what are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
We always have Christmas Crackers—it’s a British tradition. (We lived in England for a year several years ago.) They look like big paper firecrackers that you pull to open with a partner and it has prizes and paper hat. We LOVE them! And we always either sing or someone plays Christmas carols on Christmas Eve—we have a big, formal dinner on Christmas Eve, it’s our most important event of the year.
What kind of Christmas shopper are you: shop all year, Black Friday, last minute, etc.?
Yes. You name it. I do it. But this year the 2 1/2 hour check out time at one store, drove me back home and to my computer to find Black Friday deals. It was much less stressful.
Your main characters, George and Ben (Ebenezer), have names that are a little out of the ordinary. What made you choose them?
Yeah, well. Ben’s named for his great-uncle Ebenezer Scrooge. And because his family hates Christmas but he loves it, the name seemed perfect for him. Now, George—you’ll have to ask Santa about that one. The story goes that he was so overcome the first time he saw his baby daughter that he meant to say, “She’s gorgeous.” But it came out… “George is us.” And it stuck.
What was the hardest part of writing All She Wants for Christmas? What part are you most proud of?
The hardest part was editing. I hate editing. But the story was so much fun, it just kept pouring and pouring out. There’s a scene between Ben and Constantine (Ben’s evil grandfather) that I love. Whenever I read it, I want to run and read it aloud to someone.
Is there any book or author who inspired you to pursue your dream of writing?
I have several. My mom read to me when I was little so I was introduced to the great books of the world.
- King of the Wind – Marguerite Henry
- Son of Tarzan – Edgar Rice Burroughs
- Sherlock Holmes – Arthur Conan Doyle
- The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew – Margaret Sidney
- Winnie the Pooh – A.A. Milne
Hero On a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes – I’m looking for more historical novels for my history class to read.
Finally, do you have any other upcoming projects that we can look forward to?
I’m putting the finishing touches on a Ben and George prequel. Since they live for a LONG time, I wondered if perchance they had met before. It’s called Wishing You a Merry Christmas – if you read All She Wants for Christmas — you’ll understand why that’s a very dangerous title. And I’m editing a WWII Romance, Vanguard, and a WWI Children’s Historical, Nicola’s War.
And finally…I was asked this week to turn my new YA romantic comedy, My Life as a Lumberjack or How I Fell for the Wrong Guy(s), into a screenplay. And if you don’t think THAT’S daunting….!
Thanks for letting me stop by! And Merry Christmas to all!
My Review
I've become a fan of sweet romances of late, and All She Wants for Christmas is a perfect one to read to get in the Christmas spirit. It is a clean romance that begins with a fairly instant attraction between Ben and George, despite her hesitance about his family, that develops into more. It's not exactly two people hating each other that fall in love, but it was close enough to that style to be of interest to me. Also, there's the bit about saving Christmas, which is always fun for the holidays.
If you couldn't gather it in the summary, Ben and George are basically two opposite people from two families with an ancient rivalry. (No, this isn't a Romeo and Juliet thing.) Ben comes from a family that hates Christmas, but he loves it, and George is the daughter of Santa Claus and is tired of the fuss. Another way they are completely different from one another is that George won't use her magic or family money and has chosen to make it in the human world on her own. Ben, on the other hand, prefers the finer things in life like limousines, box office seats at ballets, and being filthy-stinking-rich in general. This creates a bit of tension between Ben and George until they finally realize that they're on the same side.
There were only two very little things worth mentioning that interrupted my enjoyment of All She Wants for Christmas. The first was there were a few editing slips that I noticed. They weren't enough to make me want to grab a red Sharpie, but I noticed them. (I mostly don't notice these things anymore from lots of practice, but they were there.) The second is George thinking it was very important to kiss Ben, even though she had no idea who he was and knew he was - for all intents and purposes - stalking her. I admit that there is a certain thrill in kissing a strange man, but if I had some strange dude showing up everywhere I went (like my apartment building), I'd get a restraining order.
Other than those two issues (I promise they're not as bad as it may sound), I found All She Wants for Christmas to be an entertaining and unique Christmas story. If you're looking for a book to get you in the Christmas spirit, I definitely recommend this one.
Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Sara V. Olds has been telling stories for as long as she can remember. One of her favorite memories is of unfolding a tale for friends while they were all bundled in sleeping bags watching a comet shower in the Uintah Mountains.Mother of three: Large, Medium and Small, she welcomes her newest role, that of mother-in-law.
Life has taken her from thither to yon and back again—she's moved 22 times during her marriage. She breathes to travel. Longs to fulfill a lifelong dream of owning a horse. Is an addictive reader. Enjoys swimming, skiing, violin and movies. Wonders if she'll ever get to SCUBA dive again. And has found a calling that fulfills her in ways she never could have imagined—teaching history to—wait for it—8th Graders.
Her stories consume her. There's nothing she'd rather do than spend all day, all night and the next day conversing with her latest set of characters. History, adventure, action, romance, humor. Adults, YA and kids. Yep, she does it all. Looking for something to enjoy on a quiet rainy afternoon? Or wanting a pulse-pounding, stay up all night turning pages adventure? Or a you've-GOT-to-be-kidding romp? You'll find them in her pages.
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Giveaway
Ends at 12:01am EST on December 21st
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To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received a digital advance copy of the book for reviewing purposes in exchange for an honest review. The book was provided by the author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.
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You are going to put words in my box?! *squeezes you* Now I shall stalk YOUR blog!