Spotlight & Giveaway: Puppy Christmas by Lucy Gilmore

Posted September 20th, 2019 by in Blog, Spotlight / 40 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Lucy Gilmore to HJ!
Spotlight&Giveaway

Hi Lucy and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Puppy Christmas!

 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Writing about puppies is serious business. Not only do I have to look at pictures of puppies all day, but I have to study their behaviors and traits. I have to watch YouTube videos of them being trained as service animals. I have to stop by the local shelter and do some hands-on research about how fluffy and adorable they are…
 
Okay, I don’t technically have to do that last one. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t routinely stop by every pet store and shelter I pass just to say hello to all those tiny, adorable fur babies.
 
Although my Forever Home books are romance novels, and human love takes the center stage, the dogs are an important part of each story. Not only are they service animals who take on the big job of supporting the men, women, and children in their lives, but they’re part of the family. Their needs and desires become just as important as those of their human counterparts, and no HEA is reached until everyone—including the puppies—have discovered what it means to love and be loved.
 
With that in mind, it makes sense to feature puppies for this post. Here’s what you can expect to read about in Puppy Christmas, puppy-style.
 
P: Parenting. Ford, the hero of this book, is a single parent struggling to raise a daughter on his own. He always puts Emily first, even if that means forgoing romantic relationships in favor of more practical ones. Fortunately for him, Lila is about to shake things up!
 
U: Underwear. This is a romance novel, so there’s underwear. And the removal of said underwear. And, um, all the things this fun activity entails. (U is a hard letter to do!)
 
P: Princesses. Lila is the last woman anyone would mistake for a princess, but that’s exactly what happens when she makes a fashion faux pas at a charity event. For the sake of Emily and for her job as a service dog trainer, she decides to embrace the full princess lifestyle. She dresses up, throws royal tea parties, and wins the hearts of all.
 
P: Pirates. Yes, pirates. Emily might be obsessed with all things princess, but her two boisterous neighbors prefer their make-believe adventures to be of the pirate variety. For one night only, Lila has to forgo the princess façade and adopt a pirate one instead.
 
Y: Yuletide. As the title suggests, Puppy Christmas is a book about the holiday season. It’s the perfect setting for a heartwarming tail (see what I did there?) about love, family, and what it means to find your forever home.
 

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would you use for the audition of the main characters and why?

“We’re going to the symphony. We’re visiting art galleries and sipping overpriced white wine. Oh, I’ve got it! You’re taking me to the fanciest store in the city and buying me a new dress. I’ll be like Pretty Woman, except you won’t have to pay me for s-e-x later.”
Ford cast a sidelong look at Lila. She’d caught her lower lip between her teeth, but she didn’t look up from the phone in her lap.
“I like to make the first one free to get the ladies hooked,” he explained. “Then I ratchet up the price accordingly.”
That didn’t get her to take the bait, either. “Turn right at the next intersection,” she instructed him. “Parking should be in the big lot on the right. And for the record, I don’t think that’s a very good way to run your gigolo business. Why would the cow pay for milk after the fact?”
“The cow isn’t the one paying for the milk. The cow is the one providing it.” He clucked his tongue and shook his head. “And here I thought you were supposed to be the smart one.”
That got her to glance up, her gaze sharp. “I never said that.”
“No, you didn’t,” he agreed cheerfully as he pulled his minivan into the last of a row of cars. “But that doesn’t make it any less true.”
She had no response to this, which was just as well since they’d arrived at their mystery destination. He had no idea where they were or why, but he didn’t care. The fact that he was on an actual date with Lila was enough.
It wasn’t just any date, either. He’d had to lift nary a finger to make it happen. Apparently, Lila took her role as invitee very seriously. From dropping Emily off at her mom’s house to planning the evening from start to finish, she’d handled everything on her own. All Ford had to do was doll himself up and wait to be whisked away for an evening of romantic bliss.
It was a new experience for him—and a delightful one. Lila was wooing him. Lila was wooing him hard.
He, too, was hard just thinking about it.
Although that wasn’t really fair. He’d been in the same state of agonized anticipation for days. No number of cold showers or hot showers or short, frantic showers with his cock in his hand had helped. Nor had Lila’s constant presence in his home. How she managed to sit with his daughter and Jeeves, cool and collected as she went through the steps of puppy training, was a mystery.
“Here. We’re going to need this.” Lila reached into the pocket of the white wool coat she wore and handed him a flask. “It’s like fifteen degrees outside. It’s straight bourbon, in case you’re wondering.”
“You remembered,” he said as he accepted the flask and took a long pull. “My vice of choice.”
It wasn’t the cheap stuff, either. The woodsy-sweet taste coated his tongue and throat, the warm burn making him feel almost giddy.
“I have my occasional value,” she admitted. “Remembering things in painstaking detail doesn’t make me a very endearing person, but it does make me a useful one.”
He opened his mouth to argue, to tell her that her value lay primarily in her ability to make him feel relaxed and happy and like a hot-blooded man again, but he didn’t have a chance to get the words out before she pulled a white knit cap over her head and secured her gloves onto her hands.
Lila was a stunning woman almost all the time, her poise and grace so ingrained that he doubted she was aware of them, but there was something about the way the cap framed her face that almost undid him. She looked absurdly youthful, her cheeks flushed from the bourbon and the cold and—he hoped—the company.
Unable to help himself, he leaned across the console and dropped a kiss onto her slightly parted lips. Surprise rendered her delightfully malleable, her mouth giving way to his for a full ten seconds before she realized what was happening and kissed him back. That was delightful, too, but for entirely different reasons—most of which had to do with the fact that she wasn’t about to let him have his wicked way with her without giving him his own back again. In fact, that was a thing she’d done since the day they’d first met. He could, on occasion, catch her off guard, but it rarely lasted for long.
She proved it by deepening the kiss. The assault of her tongue and the warm press of her mouth against his invoked every sense he had—taste and smell and glorious touch. She even released a soft moan into his mouth that made his head whir with possibilities.
And then she ended it as quickly as it began.
“Let’s skip the date,” he said before he’d even managed to open his eyes again. “I don’t care if we’re flying to the Eiffel Tower on a private jet run entirely on champagne. Let’s stay in this van and make out instead.”
She didn’t move. “You don’t want to see what I have planned?”
He’d opened his eyes by this time, but the parking lot lighting was dim, and what little vision he did have was obscured by the stars dazzling his vision. Actual g-o-d-d-a-m-n stars.

Excerpted from Puppy Christmas by Lucy Gilmore. © 2019 by Lucy Gilmore. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway: Paperback copy of Puppy Christmas by Lucy Gilmore

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What are you looking forward to the most this holiday season? Any plans to include a four-legged friend in the festivities?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Book Info:

These adorable service puppies
are matchmakers in the making…

Lila Vasquez might not be the “fun one” at Puppy Promise—the service puppy training school she runs with her sisters—but she can always be counted on to get things done. So when her latest client shows an interest in princess gowns over power suits, Lila puts aside her scruples, straps on the glittery heels, and gets to work.

If only the adorable six-year-old’s father wasn’t such an appealing Prince Charming.

Ford’s whole life revolves around his daughter…until he meets Lila. Smart, capable, and amazing at helping Emily gain confidence with her new service puppy at her side, Lila is everything he ever wanted—but she’s way out of his league. Good thing Emily and her new pup are up to the matchmaking task. This Christmas, it’s all hands (and paws) on deck!

Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo |

Meet the Author:

Lucy Gilmore is a contemporary romance author with a love of puppies, rainbows, and happily ever afters. She began her reading (and writing) career as an English literature major and ended as a die-hard fan of romance in all forms. When she’s not rolling around with her two Akitas, she can be found hiking, biking, or with her nose buried in a book. Visit her online at http://lucygilmore.com. She lives in the Spokane, WA area.

 
 
 

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40 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: Puppy Christmas by Lucy Gilmore”

  1. Latifa Morrisette

    I’m looking forward to the food. I don’t have any four legged friends.

  2. Ginger Connatser

    I’m am looking forward to getting together with friends and family. Also looking forward to the time off of work. My cat is always included in the celebrations.

  3. Amy R

    What are you looking forward to the most this holiday season? food and decorations
    Any plans to include a four-legged friend in the festivities? special dog treats will be given to multiple fur babies

  5. Lori R

    I am looking forward to spending time with family, meeting my new niece who is in NICU, and of course there will be a standard poodle added to that mix.

  7. SusieQ

    All the food! My furry friends usually get special treats for the holidays

  8. Caro

    Just spend it with the family. I have cats and dogs and they see it as a normal day, lol. But I do get them some treats and new toys. 🙂

  9. jovialvampyre

    Our grandson will be two so I’m looking forward to him really enjoying Christmas for t he first time. Yes, the fur babies are always included :).

  11. Glenda M

    Having everyone home – and the 4 legged members of the family are always included!

  13. Colleen C.

    At Christmas, we always involve our pets… they get their own stockings and gifts to open…

  17. erahime

    I have a b-day mixed among the holidays, so that’s something to look forward to.

    Unfortunately, no four-legged fixture will be with me during the holidays.

  18. kim hansen

    See all the colored lights. Oh and the 12 days of Christmas hanging on the walls of the places around downtown.

  20. Mary Preston

    The holiday season is a great time to catch up with loved ones – two legged and four.

  21. BookLady

    I am looking forward to visiting with family and friends (including furry friends) this holiday season.

  22. Kay Garrett

    Looking forward to things slowing down and spending time in the kitchen with hubby baking. Mom always taught me to create the smells of Christmas and spread the joy from the bounty of the kitchen afterwards.

    All of our activities involve our furbaby. Snickerdoodle will be 15 before Christmas and is the apple of our eye. We plan our vacations around where he can go and then see if we want to stay there. He has his own chihuahua Christmas tree, doggie train and stocking so he definitely likes to do his part to decorate the house for the holidays. 🙂

    Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy of “PUPPY CHRISTMAS” by Lucy Gilmore. sounds like a fabulous book and I can’t wait for the chance to read it.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

  23. Lori Byrd

    I’m looking forward to 2 weeks off from work and spending time with family. Yes, we have a Great Dane who loves the holidays.

  25. Vicki Clevinger

    Spending time with my family. I have a new grand baby due Christmas Eve so that is what I’ll be doing

  26. Ellen C.

    Lots of relatives, lots of cookies, and maybe some visiting furry friends.

  29. Shannon Capelle

    I am looking forward to spending the holidays with my husband and our 4 kids and furbabies just glad I get to after finding out I had cervical cancer and had surgery last month, I am so grateful for more time with all of them!!

  30. Lynne Brigman

    I am looking forward to having the kids and all the grandkids home. I really look forward to all the family time.

  31. Pamela Conway

    Looking forward to spending time with my friends & family. I have two dogs so yes plans will include them.

  36. laurieg72

    This year we will stay at my daughter’s home in Wisconsin. I am looking forward to sharing the day with 4 of my grandchildren! YAY! I saw 2 of my granddoggies in Florida last May. I recently returned from a visit to Portland, OR where I saw my 8 week old granddaughter, my other granddog and my grandcat. Living all across the country makes getting together very difficult.

  37. Tina W

    I’m lookiing forward to having a tree this year! This will be the first year in many many years that we won’t have a young rescue cat in the house, so I’m going to give it a try. (99% positive it will still get knocked over since all my cats are a wee bit crazy, but I’m giving it a try!)

  39. Patricia B.

    We already have 2 4 legged members of our family and really can’t add another to the mix. The pack dynamics wouldn’t work. I look forward to having all the children and their families home for a few days – not nearly long enough. all but one have dogs and she will hopefully have one soon. They are waiting to be matched with a diabetic service dog soon.

  40. Terrill R.

    We will either be having a destination Christmas or flying my daughter up to be with us for the holidays. Our 4-legged family members are always part of the festivities.