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Holidays and Unclean Critters

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What makes it a holiday novella? Is there like a type?”

Kelly

Believe it or not, there are some unofficial criteria for a holiday novella. You won’t find it spelled out anywhere, but if you say “holiday novella,” most commercial authors will immediately know what you mean.

It’s a short work of between 20,000-39,000. At 40,000 it technically becomes a short novel. The holiday novella usually has a holiday in it, for US, typically Christmas or Thanksgiving, and has themes of reconnecting with friends and family. It’s often sentimental and it packs an emotional punch, but it’s ultimately designed to be uplifting. You should feel better after reading it.

I had proposed a different holiday novella prior to us writing the Sweep With Me. I was told by both Gordon and Jeaniene Frost that child murder was not an appropriate topic for the holiday novella.

By the way, did you know that Jeaniene Frost has a book coming out in 12 days?

No?

I am so glad I told you.

Anyway, I was like, dark gods and murder, and they were like you lost your mind. In retrospect, they were right. Here is the start of the never to be failed holiday novella for your enjoyment.

The endless steppe stretched in front of him under a moonlit sky. Tall dark stalks of kovyl, the feather grass, reached to his thighs. In the distance, black clouds churned, lying low on the grass, a supernatural darkness, cold and alive.  It had no eyes, but it stared at him all the same, impatient.

 A gust of wind came. The kovyl bent, the silvery feathers of its flowers and leaves shivering in the wind.  Waves rolled across the grass ocean.

He picked up his black robe and walked through grasses to the darkness… 

“Roman?”

A woman’s voice fought through his dream.  Someone shook his shoulder. 

“Roman!”

His eyes snapped open.  A woman leaned into his view, her big blue eyes open wide.  Her red hair, put away into a slick bun the night before, stuck out around her head in lose curves.  He rather liked it messy, he decided. 

“Someone’s in the house,” she hissed.  “I heard a noise.”

His head hurt.  Getting out of the soft, warm blanket and looking for the source of the noise was absolutely the last thing he wanted to do right this second. 

“Let them be,” Roman muttered, sinking back into the drowsiness.

“Roman!”

“Okay, okay.”  He sat up and swung his legs out of the blanket. Cold bit at his naked flesh and he shivered.  The magic was up, which meant the furnace had no power.  He’d left a fire burning in the fireplace, but it must’ve died down during the night.  One of the drawbacks of the magic waves among many.  Oh, so many.

Something banged in the kitchen.

Behind him Layla gasped.

He crossed the bedroom to the doorway.  He didn’t bother with feylanterns.  There was no need.   His vision was as good in darkness as it was in daylight, and even if it hadn’t been, he’d memorized the contours of the house a long time ago.  He could walk around his home blindfolded and never bump a single thing.

Another noise, a ceramic clink of one plate on another.

A cold draft iced his back, and he jerked in response, shivered, and walked into the kitchen. Moon shone through the window, sending gauzy light at the U-shaped arrangement of cabinets. He never understood the need to fill each horizontal surface, and the black granite countertops gleamed slightly in the moonlight, mostly bare.  The dirty dishes in the sink were an eye sore.  He would’ve washed them last night, but Layla had interesting ideas about the rest of the evening, and he’d decided they were worth exploring.

A dry staccato of claws clicked on the wood.  He spun right, following the sound.  A small dark shape darted to the left.

Behind him the window banged, and a fresh gust of icy wind lashed his bare back. Well, that explained it.

He sighed, closed the window, and latched it shut.

Claws scurried behind him.  A cabinet door thudded.

He’d had a hard week. All he wanted was a quiet weekend, a good meal, sex, and ten hours of sleep to catch up on all the downtime he’d been missing. He would’ve settled for eight hours.  Hell, even six.

He pulled a little bowl out of a cabinet, opened the refrigerator, took out a jug of milk, and poured some into the bowl.

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Comments

  2. Oooh. It was a dark and stormy night – that was my first thought when you said dark gods and murder. For the amount of short stories I have read I never really made the connection that they were mostly happy ones.

    Thank you for the snippet!

  8. Oh oh, now you’ve done it. The BDH will now be baying for the new story, especially if it features Roman. You know what happened when you teased us with Hugh’s story of redemption and what are you committed to because ot that? A trilogy, that’s what!

    Anne in Virginia

  9. Please tell us that this means there will be a Roman story in the future!?! It doesn’t have to be a holiday novella, but if you have your heart set on it as a holiday novella, maybe it can be a Halloween novella! Dark gods and murder definitely work for Halloween. ????????

  10. Hi, Roman! Nice to see you!

    Well, now you’ve teased us! I’m pretty sure you could still write it and make it a normal short story. We’d read it! BTW, my newest grandson’s name is Roman!

  12. To be honest, I’m ready to pre-order a story about Roman . . .even if it isn’t written! I love him as a character and want to know more about him. Forgive me for being a pushy member of the BDH!

  13. O-M-G. ROMAN.

    I love ROMAN. I NEED more ROMAN.

    I WANT THIS PRECIOUS! That would have been the perfect holiday gift for me.

    Oh cruel fate, doom mistress. How you tease!

  14. Oooohhhh… I’m sooo for it! *__*

    (just got the print of Sweep with Me – after devouring the ebook for the second time in as many days… ^^)

  16. YES!!! A Roman story!!! I have always liked his character!!! And I would love to read more about his god and pantheon…grin

  25. This could still be a holiday novella just do it for let’s say Halloween?? It’s Roman nobody would be disappointed!!

  26. I short circuited at “Roman”- too much excitement!
    The BDH could take a dead child plot at Christmas, I feel but thank you so much for Sweep with Me and for this snippet! ????????

  27. It will definitely be worth reading. Just don’t ever refer to it as a ‘holiday novella’ and no one will be upset that it contains murder. This is a Roman novella.

    Bring it on!!!!

  28. Oh, now! I feel spoilt. Roman and Sweep with Me. House Andrews does it again….
    Many Thanks from a happy member of BDH.

  30. A Roman novella would be fantastic. He was always amusing in the Kate Daniels books. Could always be a Halloween holiday novella?

  32. ROMAN!!! OMG! It could be a *not* holiday story. OMG!! Sorry, I know you have a lot to do but I’m afraid teasing us with a ROMAN story is gonna get a lot of attention.

  33. As for child murder… There are moments when grounding them for life seems inadequate. Sometimes these moments occur during the holidays. You could lock yourself in a quiet room with a pot of tea and a book, or your knitting. My mother would go out to lunch for a couple of hours. She referred to this as “running away from home .” Actual child murder, never. Contemplating it … may have happened.

  34. Laughing at myself because I shrieked at Roman’s name. Dark gods and murder can be uplifting if it means we get a Roman story.
    Sweep With Me is a fun story and will be reread numerous times. Now I also get to look forward to more Roman eventually.
    The Emerald Blaze chapter was also an exciting read, made more fun by the research blog post about cell phone cameras.
    Thank you thank you thank you!

  35. Oh come on! That’s a holiday novella I could totally sink my teeth into. ???? During the holiday season I get burnt out on Hallmark movies and that type of book and start looking for the darkest reads I can find. Hope maybe someday that’ll be released anyways.
    P.S. Who doesn’t want a naked Roman at Christmas???

  37. I mean…Halloween is technically a holiday and what’s Halloween without a little mayham and murder?

  39. Okay, so Jeaniene is your friend for a reason. No child murder in a holiday story…let’s call it a life rule. ???? And yes, I did know that
    JEANIENE FROST HAS A BOOK COMING OUT VERY SOON!
    Sorry about that. Shouting it from the rooftop is kind of a habit of mine. Very excited! You probably guessed that, right?

  42. Uh-oh. Left dirty dishes in the sink – did Roman anger his Domovoi?

    (Yes. I googled Russian mythology and milk. 🙂 )

  43. Roman?! I’d love a holiday novella (any novella… Or series) featuring Roman! Dark gods and murder are acceptable. 😉

  44. As soon as I saw the name “Roman” I knew this wouldn’t be a great holiday story. BUT I love Roman with all my heart and I very much like to read this! You taunt me with this delicious tidbit!!!

  45. Uh-oh. Left the dirty dishes in the sink. Did Roman anger his Domovoi?

    (Yes. I googled Russian mythology and milk. 🙂 All hail the google.)

  49. I now would like more of my favorite dark molovich (was that right?) 😀 i loved him since Andreas book *-*

  50. Oh, wow. I love Roman! He’s such fun, warm, conundrum of a character. He totally deserves his own story someday!

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