Ascendance Release Week Contest continues.

I am continuing the contest for a free copy of my new release Ascendance. For the contest this week you can be entered once a day with comment with your name and email address on the blog and also once for following the blog. In addition if you share this on Facebook and/or twitter that will gain you additional entries. Please comment that you have shared.  Drawing will be held and announced on Saturday Nov 10th. 


Christmas was so not my holiday. My mom, Tanaka Rou, a leader of the Dominion, had always made a show of having a big party for Solstice, presenting a big tree, cut fresh each year, in the foyer, full of decoration. Beneath the tree sat hundreds of multicolored presents for little Dominion girls. The giggling and rushing of fluttery dresses always annoyed me. I remember sitting on the top of the stairs watching those unknown girls tear into gifts from a mother from whom I’d never received a single present.

Gabe paused and turned my way, patting Sam on the shoulder before skipping back to me, eyes twinkling and smile huge. He was just a big kid and Christmas was his thing. “They aren't very big, but they smell nice.”

They smelled like dead tree and cleaner. I just smiled at him. He sighed and pulled me away from Jamie, hugging me tight. “I can get a fake one if you want.”

’Cause plastic smelled so much better than cleaner, right. I shook my head at him, then kissed his nose. I could make compromises too. He wanted a dying tree in his living room, so be it. “Go pick your tree.”

“You sure?”

“Yep.” The faster he picked the tree, the faster I was in the warm car headed for home and maybe some snuggling. A recipe for cocoa sat on the counter next to the stove, a little smiley face drawn on it by Kelly. Nothing said Solstice more than the smell of melting chocolate, cream, and cinnamon.