Month: December 2024

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What Kind of Year Has it Been

Kristbethke

Well, 2024 is officially coming to a close. And it’s been a heck of a year! I worked from home and so was able to write more, which was a boon to my soul. Here’s a quick recap!

Tia Fielding and I wrote and released the first two books in our Black Dog Inn series. Rebuilding Charlie and Renovating Law were labors of love. We love this world and characters we created. It’s got all the good small town feels, some heavy themes, but a lot of love and joy and fun too. Restoring Felix is up next and we hope to have it out in the beginning of next year!

In July, I released another book in the Landry’s Fall series, for JMS Books’ anniversary. Falling in a Fortnight took a while to get started, but once I got rolling, I was able to crank it out. Jay has been around for a while, if you’ve read the other books in the series. He first showed up in Twas the Play Before Christmas and ever since, I’ve been wanting to write his tale. He also made an appearance in last year’s As Luck Would Have It, and in turn, Kyle is a side character in Jay’s story. It’s got more of those small town feels, a healthy dose of BDSM, and two men falling in love quickly and easily. When it’s right, it’s right! Like all Landry’s Fall books, there’s no need to all of them or read in order to get the whole story, but if you choose to, you’ll see plenty of cameos!

And to round out the year, I released my holiday novel Home for the Hawley-Daze. I love holiday stories, and punny title aside, it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever written. Something about these two just hit home for me. Once again, I set it in a small town (catching a theme here?). Hickory Hollow is vaguely based on the region where I spent a great deal of my childhood and absolutely loved writing it. So much so, I accidentally created a series. That should come as no surprise to anyone who has been following along. I love series. I love to read them and I love to write them. Hickory Hollow is quite a town and I can’t wait to revisit it. Barrett and Morgan are adorable, and with holiday shenanigans as a backdrop, they fall in love. And Barrett finds his home.

So what am I planning for 2025?

Well, as I mentioned, Tia and I will be releasing the next book in the Black Dog Inn series. We also have thoughts about a new series we are planning on hashing out, so look for more from this writing duo!

As for my solo work, I’m definitely diving into to Hickory Hollow again. I have a rough idea for 3 more books. If you’ve ready Home for the Hawley-Daze, you might be able to guess who is up next. Any guessing on who else will be getting books?

Other than that, we’ll see where the muse takes me!

I also have a short story in a charity anthology called Love is Free that will be coming out in January! All proceeds are going to the ACLU. With the US in the state it’s in, and what may be coming, we need to keep fighting for equality for all. I’ll post links when they’re available. Definitely check it out.

Here’s wishing you a healthy and happy New Year! Remember to take care of yourself.

new release

Out Today!

Kristbethke

It started with the blip of an idea, as most stories do. It went through about 7 iterations before the story actually worked. I knew what I wanted: a man who hated where he grew up, a man who adopted that place as his own, and Christmas. Eventually we got there. Barrett has reasons to reset his childhood, Morgan has reasons to love his little town, and plenty of holiday shenanigans.

Hickory Hollow was born and took on a mind of it’s own. It became another character in the book, a perfect backdrop to Barrett and Morgan falling in love. It spawned future possibilities. We’ll see where they lead.

But out today Home for the Hawley-Daze. A punny title, perhaps. But so fitting for these two guys. You can get it here!

Barrett McKinnon is at a crossroads. Newly retired from the Marine Corps, and at loose ends, he heads back to the town he was forced to spend half of his childhood in. He never thought he’d ever set foot in Hickory Hollow again. He tells himself it’s only for the holidays. Just to spend some time with his uncle, the only family he has left. Come January, he’ll head out and start the next phase of his life.

But Hickory Hollow is not like Barrett remembers. Morgan Hawley is the driving force behind the town’s now booming economy. The festivals and events Morgan plans have taken it from ghost town to tourist destination. When Barrett unwittingly gets roped into helping Morgan get ready for the Holiday Festival, he starts to see the town in a new light.

Morgan loves the little town he’s adopted as his own, and Barrett can’t wait to get away again. But the more time the two men spend together, the more things change. No matter how much he fights it, Barrett is drawn in to the holiday magic Morgan is creating. And, more importantly, to the man himself. But when the daze of attraction and Christmas cheer settles, it’s up to Barrett to figure out if Hickory Hollow, the town he thought he hated, is now the place he can call home.