I'm utterly delighted to announce that I'll have a story in the 2024 WMG Holiday Spectacular! And our cats are even more excited, because it's the sixth year in a row with a Magic Cat story included!
Way back in 2019, our somewhat oddly put together tabby cat Zortea inspired me to write the first story set at the Hidden Springs Inn and Spa, and it was my first holiday-themed romance as well. Much to my surprise, "The Magic Cat of the Hidden Springs Inn and Spa" went into the first Holiday Spectacular.
It's sort of an Advent calendar packed full of fantastic fiction. Each day, readers get a brand-new short story in their inbox to enjoy one at a time, in batches, or all at once. One of the best parts about participating is I get to read the stories, too!
Every year since Zortea's tale, I've focused on a different one of our real-life kitties for a new romantic holiday tale.
"The Inn, the Black Cat, and Two Halves of the Same Heart" featured sweet Lafayette and his remarkably long tail. "Sometimes Strange Magic Casts the Best Spell" put our big tuxedo boy AJ center stage. My sweetest girl Loretta starred in "A Fluffy Black Ball of Pure Naughtiness." And our two girls Ivan and Brigit teamed up for "The Most Impressive Courage of a Little Tortie Cat" in 2023.
This time around, I focused on our brand-new rescue, a little black cat with white toesies on her back feet named Huka. Her tale, "The Sweet and Subtle Magic of a Sugar-toed Cat" will appear for the holidays this year!
To celebrate, I decided to create a batch of holiday-and-cat themed merchandise, all suitable for the season.
Since Zortea was my first feline muse, it's only fitting that my favorite photo of her now graces pillows, mugs, and notebooks. So not only will I have a place to scribble my holiday shopping lists while sipping hot cocoa with a pillow to snuggle, but folks who love cats, romance, and the holidays can share the love.
The other cats insist on getting their own merchandise, of course, so I'll be adding those as soon as I can. And Jason A. Adams and I will be branching out to items featuring other stories as well, along with fun stuff inspired by Frank Kilgore's nonfiction.
One of the best parts of having our own online store is we can set up all kinds of fun discounts and such. In this case, Zortea insisted that anyone who has the excellent taste to purchase her merchandise should get a free copy of her story.
So an ebook copy of "The Magic Cat of the Hidden Springs Inn and Spa" will be included, too! I'll do the same with the other cats' stories once their fabulous merch is available.
I hope folks love what I've put together, and I'm looking forward to what the cats and dogs help us come up with next.
Happy snuggling, sipping, scribbling, and reading!
And keep an eye out for more about the WMG Holiday Spectacular, with a great chance to shop for all the readers on your list!