Racing with Deadlines by Stephanie Queen

 Even though Myren, my chauffeur, bet against me–he had a pool going among all his chauffeur pals down the street corner apparently–I did it!  I won the race with my Deadline!  After 35 days during which I threw the gym out the window, ate like I was 12 years old again keeping all those wonderful-god-bless-their-souls junk food companies in business, slept like an insomniac and turned into a hermit, I completed my latest novel–on time!

If I were a man, I’d now have an unshaven beard, rumpled shirt, an ashtray filled with cigar butts and an empty bottle of Jack Daniels on my desk. As it is, I have owl eyes, a rumpled bathrobe, scary halloween-witch hair, a wastebasket filled with candy wrappers and an empty Fritos bag on my desk.  Decidedly behind in the pursuit of the glamorous writer image.

But at least my pink divan is intact and Myren insists on driving me to a decent restaurant tonight–after he approves of my clean-up. He’s barricaded the doors until I ‘get myself together for pity’s sake’. He doesn’t want me to reflect poorly on his reputation with all his street-corner chauffeur pals.

I offered to buy him a pair of dark glasses and a fake mustache.

But I digress as usual.  A Small Town Glamour Girl Christmas is a minor miracle for me, my own Christmas miracle if you will. Not that the story has anything to do with Christmas miracles, because it doesn’t. The story is a romance mixed with small town warmth vs. big city glamour drama and a little bit of coming-of-age, and a dash of other man/other woman conflict.  Now I know you have no idea what the heck the story is about based on that description, but I bet you’re dying to know. It’ll be available on Halloween–when all us shopaholics conscientious shoppers start our Christmas shopping–the new official start of the holiday season!

When do you all start your holiday season frenzy of decorating, shopping and celebrating with everyone you know and also complete strangers?