REVIEW - Dreamspinner Press' 2016 Advent Calendar, 'Bah Humbug': '#ChristmasHatesYou
Title: #ChristmasHatesYouToo
Series: A Story from the Dreamspinner Press 2016 Advent Calendar Bah Humbug
Author: E.F. Mulder
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Published: December 1, 2016
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Erotic Romance; Contemporary Romance
Length: 66 Pages
Tags: Gay; M/M; Holiday: Christmas; Novelette
About #ChristmasHatesYouToo
Born December 25, Noel Beebe is tired of having his birthday overshadowed by all things Christmas. While looking for love on social media, he comes across a prospective new beau just in time to celebrate the Big 3-0, someone who encourages him to take back his day and say thumbs down to Christmas! On a trip to the Big Apple, Noel does just that, flipping off the Rockerfeller Center tree and demanding his coffee in a nondecorative paper cup as a fun birthday prank. His act of defiance is caught on video and soon goes viral, leading to a backlash all over the Twitterverse, Internet, and TV. Suddenly what Noel thought would be his best birthday - and even Christmas - yet is shaping up to be his worst. Can his family and his potential boyfriend prove to the world that Noel isn’t the Scrooge he’s been labeled?
A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2016 Advent Calendar Bah Humbug.
4 HEART READ
REVIEW:
#ChristmasHatesYouToo had me captivated from the first chapter. E.F. Mulder’s engaging use of social media as a medium into a new world was one I could easily identify with!
The lead, Noel, has traits we can all recognise in ourselves; making the story feel personal and readily familiar.
Some authors miss the subtlety of introducing new characters during the telling of a tale, but Mulder’s descriptions were seamless and brought Noel’s whole world to life in a way that is rare to experience.
The blend of humour and suspense were artfully produced by E.F. Mulder within #ChristmasHatesYouToo. And even though it is merely a short story, it has a completeness to it that one doesn’t often find within these brief glimpses.
A copy of #ChristmasHatesYouToo was provided to Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, by Dreamspinner Press, in exchange for our fair and honest opinion.
About the Author
E.F. Mulder has been an avid reader and storyteller since childhood. Whenever a book was assigned for class, E.F. would be thrilled, even as other students grumbled. Soon, that love of a good story expanded to creating them herself. E.F.’s mother received a ton of catalogs in the mail and E.F. would spend many a lazy summer afternoon or quiet Sunday envisioning the goings on of the men and women—or men and men—in pretty clothes or decorating their Christmas trees when the holiday books showed up in late fall. This creativity also came in handy when playing Barbie with her sister and sometimes her brother. Since E.F.’s mother was a soap opera fan, sitting down for half of Another World and General Hospital daily after work, E.F. came to appreciate that sort of storytelling as well, where love could be a struggle, but also a miracle that conquered all. This sort of yarn spinning led to E.F.’s Barbie and her beaus going through some very interesting plotlines and later came in handy writing romance novels where the road to happiness has plenty of bumps. To this day, E.F. and her writing partner, David, love to throw romantic soapy twists into their tales.
E.F. also enjoys rainy days, crisp autumns, Christmas decorations, her four kitty cats, Molly, Speckles, Tuxedo, and Mama Bear, and working on a virtual farm when not writing. It’s so much easier to clean under the fingernails when done digitally. A love of QVC means the kitties have a fresh rotation of new boxes to play in and the cute UPS man gets to visit often. Maybe there’s a story there….
