Can't Wait For "Christmas Eve"~ Sit Down Surprises with Ivy Bateman!

Ivy Bateman is a fabu author I've met since joining up with Breathless Press and I was only to happy to turn the blog over to her today!  "Christmas Eve Surprise" drops on the public this Friday, December 20th...keep an eye out!

Hello Everyone

Today I'm here visiting Torie because I'm shamelesly promote my upcoming release Christmas Eve Surprise. It comes out this Friday, the 20th, from Breathless Press. It's a warm and funny tale about a couple named Stella and Tim who are desperately trying to find a way to rekindle the flames of their slightly burnt out romantic life. I had a lot of fun writing this story and I based it on one of my favorite Christmas tales "The Gift of the Magi".

Torie asked me to talk about a Christmas poem or story or what not that is a particular favorite and what it means to me. I guess I could talk about the one I just mentioned, but instead I'm going to talk about "Frosty the Snowman". I wouldn't call it my favorite, but it brings back very happy memories from when I was very young.

The first time I saw the special was in kindergarten. Do you remember when they would air specials back before you could get them on DVD or watch them on You Tube? It wasn’t simply sitting down to watch a TV show, it was an event!  My family would gather in the living room, the fire would be lit, the lights low and we'd hold our breath as an announcer with a deep voice said something along the lines of "The usual scheduled program has been preempted in order to bring you this very special program." Then there would be a swirl of light and music on the screen as the show you only got to watch once a year began. It was wonderful.

So, back to Frosty. The first time I saw it was right after the school Christmas concert. My class had sung "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth." I remember being very envious of the girl who sang beside me because she actually didn't have front teeth and so didn't have to wear black, disgusting wax on her still existing baby teeth. I felt robbed somehow of a chance to be a bit of method performer. I don't think that was my exact that thought, but I do remember feeling duped somehow.

After the performance, I remember being in the cloakroom (ah…cloakrooms) , getting my boots on and announcing to all who would listen that I was going to get to stay up until 8:00 because "Frosty the Snowman" was on at 7:30 and my Mum was letting me stay up to watch it even though it was a school night. This was a huge deal and why this memory is such a fond one. My Mum was a stickler for an early bedtime. She always said that it was because my brother and I got sick easily and so we needed lots of sleep, but really I think she just wanted us out of her hair.

The actual special, I was always so, so on. It drove me crazy that Frosty said "Happy Birthday!" every 45 seconds, I really hated the bad guy and to this day I can't understand why Santa left Sally, or whatever that girl's name was, on the roof of her house! How on earth was she supposed to get down! What was he thinking? But, put all that aside, Frosty warms my heart because at the age of 5 being able to stay up late to watch it made me feel very grown up.

Thanks very much to Torie for having me on today. I wish all you the very best of the holiday season.

Happy Birthday!

Ivy Bateman

Blurb for Christmas Eve Surprise

It's Christmas time and Tim and Stella are on the hunt for the perfect Christmas gifts for each other. Since last Christmas, their hot love life has cooled substantially. Tim feels he's to blame and Stella thinks it's her fault, but this Christmas both of them have put a lot of thought into how to make the other happy and put the fire back in the bedroom. However, with such unorthodox gifts ready to be revealed, will their Christmas Eve present opening be a pleasant surprise or an unwelcome one?

 Excerpt from Christmas Eve Surprise

 As the weeks crept closer and closer to Christmas Eve, Tim had had begun to worry that he wouldn't find a man that would have sex with him in front of Stella. He had fixated so much on this fantasy-fulfilling evening being his Christmas present to her that he'd not taken the time to find her another gift. Both he and Stella took finding each other the perfect gift very seriously. It wouldn't do if she was to present him with a gift she'd put a lot of thought into, like the beautiful chain she'd gotten him for his fob watch last year, only to be presented in return with a cardigan she didn't like or a hat she'd never wear.

He pulled out a key, unlocked his desk drawer, got out his black book, and pored over all of his carefully written notes. Tim looked at the dozens of entries he'd written about most of the single and attractive men in his office. None of them had seemed to be someone who would be willing to have a night of hot man sex in front of his wife. He felt doomed to give Stella a gift she would remember forever, but only because it was one he hadn't put any thought into. With a heavy heart he closed his black book and returned it to the drawer.

As he was locking it, his boss Terry walked in with an extremely good-looking man. The stranger filled his office with a god-like presence. He must be the new fellow.

Ivy Bateman's Links:

Ivy's books are available from the Breathless Press Website:

Ivy Bateman on Breathless Press

Ivy B Misbehavin

Or follow Ivy on Twitter:

Or Like Ivy on Facebook:

Or drop Ivy a line at: ivybmisbehavin@gmail.com