Hello, it's me, lavinialeigh here.  I am your host of the book club this month.  When we decided to do a book club, I jumped on December like Santa on cookies.  I am a complete Christmas girl, and pretty much wait all year long for the holidays.  I may just be the person who starts humming Christmas carols in September - no judging! lol!

Soo without further ado, on to the exciting stuff:

Honestly, there is no better time to curl up with a book and a hot cup of cocoa than now, especially when we have an awesome new book to read.  So here's the deal, Leigh W. Stuart, know to us as BindingTies , a beloved member of the romancesparks team, author of The Twelve Dares of Christmas, had just freshly launched her first book with Owl City Press.  In celebration, she is offering those who want to read along with us a free copy of her book from now until the end of December 2016. That's right, you can have a free copy!

Here's the Book Pitch

The Twelve Dares of Christmas

'Tis the Season to be Daring...

Lauren Hall has one wish for Christmas this year—raise money to build a new, no-kill animal shelter for the town of Sycamore Cove. And she is prepared to do anything to make it happen. Even dare a man she just met to perform a strip tease for the local knitting society.Gabe Nicholson has one wish too—obtain the job of a lifetime to launch his career. Only his wishes get snowballed when his best friend's little sister hands him a pair of stripper pants and a bottle of eggnog-flavored body oil.It's all sugar plums and mistletoe until a scandal caused by Lauren's fundraiser threatens to ruin it all. With Gabe's work opportunities disappearing before his eyes and Lauren's fundraising efforts tanking, their game of dares stands to burn them both. Unless it ignites a spark of Christmas magic.  

To get your e-copy of the book so that you can have fun with us please leave a comment here.

Seriously, you're gonna want to in get in on this!  I loved this book.  It balances with naughty with the nice in this spicy holiday novel with that warm Christmas ending that makes you fall in love with the holidays all over again.  

I thought that perhaps it would be fun to start this month's book club with an interview with the author.  Fortunately, Leigh was really happy to answer the questions and I didn't have to tie her up with tinsel until she did!

Lavinia:  What made you decide to write a Christmas story?

 Leigh:  There was a call for submissions from a romance publishing house that gave me some great ideas, and I thought I'd give it a try. I wrote the bulk during CampNaNo of April 2016. When the story was done, I submitted it to the publisher, but also pitched it during a pitchmad. Lucky for me, I did! In the end, that's how I wound up being found by City Owl who loved my story.

Lavinia: I am a huge Christmas fan. I love everything about it, the lights the decorations, the time with family. What special Christmas traditions to you have in your house?

Leigh:  I love the lights and the outdoor Christmas markets here in Switzerland! The best tradition we have in our family is that we go to my mother-in-law's house on Christmas day and to give the gifts we play bingo. The kids love it (OK, I love it, too and have been known to jump up and yell when I win!) and it makes the day especially fun.

Lavinia: Lauren, the main character is an ambitious, brave woman who will stop at nothing to accomplish her goals. Was it important to you to write a strong female protagonist?

Leigh:  Absolutely! Women are so strong in so many different ways that I would never write about one who is completely helpless and needs her man to save her. It's just not in me. However, my character also has her flaws and weaknesses. Don't we all need support from those who love us?

Lavinia: This is your first published book. What was it like when you heard the news that you had been accepted by a publisher?

Leigh:  It was wonderful. Simply wonderful. I think I sat and stared at the email in shock for several minutes before jumping up and down like crazy and calling my husband to tell him the news.

Lavinia: Cooper, Lauren's brother is obsessed with keeping the house bone chillingly cold. Is this something you like as well?

Leigh:  Ugh, no! This is actually inspired by the true story of my dad's house in the dead of winter! He and my step-mom turn the thermostat way down and night, but it gets even colder in the basement. My husband, our son who was 9 months old at the time and I spent the Christmas holidays with them once and I remember the three of us snuggling together for warmth on the fold out bed downstairs under 4 layers of blankets every night! (Spoiler: I would have lost Gabe's dare not to touch him during the night, too!)

Lavinia:  What brought you to wattpad?

Leigh:  I read an article about it in Writer's Digest several years back and made a profile to give it a try. I quickly gave up, though, since it seemed like fanfiction and vampires or werewolves was all anyone wanted to read, and I didn't do those genres. Several months after that a published author who I admire posted several short stories there, so I gave it a second chance. This time I got lucky and found a fabulous group of like-minded ladies and we hit it off. Wattpad got under my skin and the rest is history.

Lavinia:  Gabe, the love interest is a bit of a bad boy who takes some big - possibly career ending chances to help Lauren. How did you come up with his unique character?

Leigh:  I needed someone who was willing to take risks, even bad ones in order to get what he wants. He loves to play games, which works for and against him in the story. He is also a departure from the typical, take-charge and rescue the maiden Alpha Male we see so often in Romances, because he isn't afraid to let Lauren's light shine brighter than his, and he wants to have too much fun to always be perfect!

Lavinia:  What scene was the hardest to write?

Leigh:  The opening. I wrote it three times before my editor got her hands on it and she asked me to make some major changes too. The ending was a breeze, though, and I made myself giggle the whole time I was writing it!

Eeep!  Thanks so much Leigh!  I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions!  

So I guess all you have left to do, is start reading the book.  I would love to hear from you about it.  I'll leave my answers to the questions in the comments, but I'll wait a few days so that there are no spoilers for new readers.  You can also check back here, because I know your comments are going to inspire some more questions for us to talk about.  

Do you have any questions for the author? (I still have the tinsel on standby)

What is your favorite scene? 

Lauren has a super protective big brother.  Is he a hero looking after his sister, or stepping over the line?

Gabe is a bad boy who thanks to Lauren seems to find himself in some unusual situations.  Do you think that it is really a case of love at first sight that makes him do it, or is it because he is overwhelmed by the situation?

I can't wait to hear what you guys think! 

Lastly, if you do read the book, take a second and review it.  When a book gets a lot of reviews, retailers take notice and then make it easier it is for new people to discover it.  I have made a rule for myself that if I get a book I like, I always make sure I review it.  It's like a Christmas present for your favorite- authors! 

Please leave a review! Reviews are bread and butter to authors. They are like whipped cream and a cherry on top. Like fuzzy socks on a cold night. Seriously, reviews make authors thrive. Here are the links to where you can find The Twelve Days of Christmas if you would like to leave one.

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/DaresAmz

B&N: http://smarturl.it/DaresBN

GoodReads: http://smarturl.it/DaresGR

-Lavinia Leigh xo