Can't get enough of author Francis Ray!

Yes, I featured best-selling author Francis Ray here at Sizzling Hot Romance not too long ago. But I just have to bring her back for this special announcement. I just received her latest newsletter and found out that she is giving away a free story for Christmas. The title is The Wish. It was previously published in Gettin' Merry.

I just downloaded it for myself and can't wait to read it. Thanks so much for the very nice Christmas present, Francis! You rock!

To get your copy, go to Francis Ray website and click the download link.

Oh and if you haven't gotten her latest novel, One Night With You, I urge you to do so. I finished reading it a few weeks ago and it is fabulous! I treasure my autographed copy. It is definitely going on my "keepers shelf" in my bookcase. There's just something about those rugged Montana men that gets the little ole heart pounding!

Here in Francis' own words is her idea behind writing The Wish:

Why I wrote "The Wish"


My mother gave me a copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales when I was about ten years old. Even before then I was a dreamer and believed in the power of wishes. Christmas is the perfect time for wishes and dreams to come true. There is something magical in the air during this season, an irrepressible feeling that anything can happen if you believe strongly enough. I wanted to bring all of this joy and hope to the page when I was asked to write a novella for the Christmas anthology, Gettin’ Merry. I thought what better way to incorporate all of these elements than to write about a modern day fairy godmother who grants wishes.

I usually start with characters when I begin a new story, but this time I built the story around a small close-knit fictional town called Jubilee, Texas. Jubilee closely resembles my hometown where everyone knows everyone and secrets never remain secrets for long. In Jubilee family is important, traditions are strong, and neighbors are always ready with a helping hand, a word of advice or a home-cooked meal.

Once I had the setting, I visualized my hero, Nicholas, and my heroine, Andrea, and knew instinctively that he would be businesslike and pragmatic, and she would be down-to-earth and a dreamer. Nicholas thinks it’s ludicrous to believe that once a wish is spoken into the universe it simply waits until the appointed time to be granted. Andrea believes in wishes, but she doesn’t believe she’ll ever have one granted. Nicholas and Andrea are about to learn that when it comes to wishes, anything is possible.