Guest Post & Giveaway ~ THE NICK BEFORE CHRISTMAS by K.L. Brady

The Nick Before Christmas
by: K.L. Brady
Genre: Seasoned Holiday Romance
Release Date: October 24, 2023
Publisher: LadyLit Press

Will an angel's dire warning, a quest to discover a second act by Christmas Eve, and a touch of Christmas Magic lead Nickie Wright back to the one that got away?

Nickie Wright is ready to celebrate the big 5-0 for Christmas in July, but a hot flash leads her to a sobering revelation: her life has hit rock bottom. Her successes--the home and the car--feel empty. Her vision board has been a waste of time, her job is unfulfilling, and she's mulling over a proposal from Smith, who she's not sure she likes. The best day of her life spirals into the worst. During a near-death experience, a meeting with her guardian angel presents Nickie with an ultimatum - either go to heaven or return to Earth and find her second act by Christmas Eve. If she fails, her future's bleak -- her life will be filled with days no better than her worst.

Her second act sets her on a collision path with Evan Goodman, the man who makes her content, and Jordan Devlin, the first love who drives her crazy. She's torn between two worlds--contentment and safety, passion and excitement.

Time is running out for Nickie.

She only has from Christmas in July until Christmas Eve to find her calling, follow her dreams, and figure out which romantic interest will help Nickie embrace the best of herself.

The Nick Before Christmas is the perfect romantic comedy to help you find your calling and renew your faith. It delivers unforgettable moments of self-discovery and romance. It's an enchanting story to fill your heart with joy this Christmas.

Thank you for inviting me to post today. I’m going to talk about Nickie Wright, Evan Goodman, and Jordan Devlin because they are all critical to the love triangle in The Nick Before Christmas.

Nickie, the story's main character and the core of the love triangle, is blessed and grateful for the life she's built for herself (the house, the cars, and the reliable, stable job that allows her to pay the bills). However, as she reaches her fiftieth birthday, a significant life milestone, she begins questioning whether being blessed means she's happy. Nickie questions whether her contentment with the things she acquired and the "easy button" she'd pressed to succeed in her career prevented her from finding true happiness by following her calling. She's at the top of her field, anticipating a vice presidential role in her company, when she’s sent into a tailspin. This question is answered, at least partially, during a life-changing accident that leads her to a guardian angel, a very familiar figure from her life, who essentially threatens her to find and follow her calling or else be cursed with a lifetime of really bad days. Nickie’s journey was inspired, very loosely, by my own quest for my second act—becoming a published author at forty.

The search for her calling leads her to two men. The first in the story is Evan Goodman. Under the influence of the good drugs (hospital prescribed), she calls Evan, Dr. Feelgood. He's intelligent, hot, a lifesaver, but he's also comfortable with the present state of his life. He's taken the path of least resistance in his life, in his father's and mother's footsteps. Because he's comfortable with his own contentment, he's satisfied with her contentment, which may be the kind of man she wants, but is he the kind of man she needs? She's clearly attracted to him, but she doesn't find out whether or not he feels the same until a surprise house call.

The second man, Jordan Devlin, is "the one that got away" (under questionable circumstances), and he ends up being the gatekeeper to her second act. Years ago, during their relationship, they both had similar dreams – to be writers. They went to college together and majored in journalism. When pursuing their callings and becoming journalists, he followed the direct path, and she cowered for multiple reasons. Now, under threat from her angel, she returns to the site of the original calling, asking Jordan for a chance to pursue her dream. She seemingly meets with resistance from Jordan, an opposition she doesn't quite understand (until late in the story).

Nickie's story is inspired by the idea that one is never too old to achieve a dream and pursue a calling. Both men were inspired by the two kinds of people encountered when following a calling (or second act): the people comfortable with contentment and those who encourage growth. Neither one of them means harm to Nickie in the things they do (or don't do), but only one kind of person will get her to her second act (or calling). Nickie appreciates both kinds of men in her life, at least as she identifies what she wants to achieve. One man teaches her the sort of man she wants—and the other leads her to the kind of man she needs.

One of my favorite parts of the story is not only Nickie's journey of self-discovery but also how she discovers the man she truly needs—and how they discover they need her.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Great. An uninvited visitor.

Nickie gulped hard and groaned. She assumed Smith had shown up to un-reverse his reversed proposal. When she asked, "Who is it?" a pleasantly surprising voice responded.

"Hi, Nick. It's your doctor…from the Memorial Hospital?"

Stunned, she tipped backward five steps to increase her distance and said, "I'll be right there," then she swiped her index fingers under her eyes and combed her fingers through her hair.

She swung the door open. "Dr. Feelgood…I mean, Goodman. What're you doing here…I mean, here?” She pointed to the ground.

"Well, I have two answers to offer. If I may, I’ll come inside and explain inside."

Jehovah witnesses. Anyone from the Republican party. Her mother. Nick would sooner expect to see them at her door than Dr. Goodman. Yet, there he stood, in his fineness and splendid glory—a polo with dockers, sunglasses, and hiding his left hand behind his back; she could see the craft paper shopping bag.

Songs had been created for men like him—Whatta Man, by Salt and Pepa. Why'd You Come in Here Looking Like That? by Dolly Parton. And I Luhya Papi, by JLo were among the soundtracks playing in her mind. She wanted to sing his praises, and she might…but first, he must cross the threshold.

“Dr. Goodman.” She stepped aside. "Please, come in. Make yourself at home." Forever.

Purchase The Nick Before Christmas from:

Amazon | Paperback | Goodreads

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USA Today Bestselling author K. L. Brady is a D.C. native and award-winning author of 20 novels. She self-published her first book, THE BUM MAGNET, after an Oprah "live your best life" moment, which was picked up by Simon & Schuster in a two-book deal. She’s been publishing romantic comedies ever since.

K.L. is a Washington football fan and professed nerd-girl who loves all things Star Trek, Star Wars, and Big Bang Theory. She lives to write stories involving hilarious quirky characters looking for love. She's hard at work on her next several projects, including Sincerely, Santa, a heartfelt romantic comedy that also celebrates the special friendship between her late mother and grandmother.

Places to find K.L. Brady:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

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