Hi guys, we have Charley Descoteaux visiting today to show off her stunning cover for her upcoming release Holiday Weekend, we have a brilliant guest post, a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway! So peeps, check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~ 

Holiday Weekend

Charley Descoteaux

Ryan Orchard moved from small-town Idaho to Portland almost two years ago and still feels like a hick. When Paulie Nesbitt dumped him, he wasn’t even surprised. Despite losing twenty-five pounds since then, Ryan’s confidence is nonexistent and his life has stalled. Not only is he convinced the career he wants is beyond his reach, he’s given up on relationships. A new job at a familiar restaurant—and his gorgeous coworker—could be just what Ryan needs to believe in himself again.

Glenn Hernandez might be the only nineteen-year-old in Portland who dreads his days off. Between his horrible housing situation and the ever-present temptation to crawl back into the bottle, Glenn prefers to keep busy. He volunteers at the Elliott Foundation House, a homeless shelter helping LGBTQ sex workers. As an alum of the shelter, Glenn finds it hard to leave his past behind. But when the new server at the trendy restaurant where he works catches Glenn’s eye and works his way into his heart, Glenn finally has a reason to start a new life.

Charley Descoteaux!

Hello everyone! I’m thrilled to be at MM Good Book Reviews to unveil the cover for my Christmas story, Holiday Weekend (Buchanan House: Book Five)!

I love cover art, it’s one of my favorite parts of preparing for a new release. But, to be honest, figuring out what to ask for in a cover is hard. I never know whether to use the cover to warn readers about the angst level in the story, or to depict the sweetest part as a hint that it all turns out okay in the end.

While working on the cover request for Holiday Weekend I had those concerns and also had to consider how the cover would look alongside the others in the series. I love the way L.C. Chase has alternated the colors in the Buchanan House covers—they all fit together and also aren’t so similar that it’s hard to tell one from another. After Safe House, it was time for another subdued color scheme, and this is what we went with!

The snowy beach looks lovely with the other four covers. And there is a scene with snow on the beach, so it’s a perfect fit for the story too. I hope this cover has the right balance of angst and sweetness for the story. After you’ve read it, I’d love to know what you think!

Readers, what kind of cover do you prefer—one that warns of angst ahead, or a cover that shows the happiness the characters earn in the end?

Answer in the comments to enter the giveaway: a signed paperback of either Tiny House or Safe House (winner’s choice) and swag (US only; for international winners a choice of a backlist book—anything except Holiday Weekend).

Excerpt

Two days before Halloween, Glenn cornered me in the alley at the end of our shift. I had taken out the trash, and when I turned to go inside, Glenn was leaning in the doorway.

“What are you doing for Halloween?”

Damn, even that sounded naughty. “Nothing.”

“You feel like changing those plans?” Glenn pushed off from the doorjamb and stepped out into the alley. “How do you feel about zombies?”

“What?” I laughed, and finally the tension I’d been holding onto since that night at Kel’s place broke. “Zombies?”

“Yeah. There’s a Zombie Walk, but first they’re going to dance in Pioneer Square.”

Oh, yeah. Glenn dancing is something I’m up for. Literally, it would seem.

“Do you have a costume?” I took a few steps toward the door, and by the look on Glenn’s face, he’d noticed the way my body was reacting to the conversation.

Glenn snickered. “Not really. I figure they won’t care too much if some of the zombies are fresher than others.”

“I’m game.”

“Good.” Glenn walked right up and into my personal space. He looked up, and his heavy-lidded eyes said maybe he was feeling something too. “I know an all-ages dance party after. If it rains, we can still dance.”

“Yeah. That sounds good.”

Glenn held my gaze for another long moment, and the charge in the air between us had goose bumps rising on my arms. I wanted to touch Glenn (way more than just touch, although that would be a good start), but we were standing in the alley behind the restaurant. It would be even worse to only get a taste and then struggle through the rest of the day, so I stepped back. Just a half step, not enough so it would look like I didn’t want to be near Glenn.

“Then it’s a date.” Glenn winked and went inside.

I watched him go for a few steps and then followed.

About Charley

Charley Descoteaux misspent a large chunk of her youth on the back of a Harley, meeting people and having adventures that sometimes pop up in her fiction. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area during a drought, and found her true home in the soggy Pacific Northwest. Charley has survived earthquakes, tornadoes and floods, but couldn’t make it through one day without stories.

Where to find the author:

Facebook | Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Pinterest | Blog | Dreamspinner’s Author Page | e-mail: c.descoteauxwrites@gmail.com

Giveaway!

Win a a signed paperback of either Tiny House or Safe House (winner’s choice) and swag (US only; for international winners a choice of a backlist book—anything except Holiday Weekend).

Readers, what kind of cover do you prefer—one that warns of angst ahead, or a cover that shows the happiness the characters earn in the end?