Holiday Bites: A Collection of Vampire Paranormal Romances by Michele Bardsley

 
    Christmas for Eve
     
    EVE MOORE READ the review posted on The Blog Bitch and sighed. Leaning over the shoulder of her friend Val Carter—who was the bitch in question—she tapped the screen. “That’s a harsh review of Madra Milton’s book.”
    “Hey, I pay good money for novels. If they disappoint me, I have a right to say so.” Val logged off her blog site and shut down her laptop.
    “When’s the last time you bought a new book?”
    “Yesterday.” Val pushed away from the tiny desk and stood up. She grinned. “Adora LaFortune’s Midnight Mask .”
    “You didn’t! Val … no.”
    “Oh, yes. I’m saving it for my Holiday Hell Reads.”
    Eve grimaced. Lately, Val had gotten more delight out of trashing than of reading romance novels. Not even her favorite authors were immune from her increasingly negative opinions.
    “It seems ironic that a woman named Valentine can’t find anything nice to say about love, romance, intimacy or the books that celebrate those emotions.”
    Val shrugged. “Just because I’m named Valentine doesn’t mean I have to buy in to the whole concept of soulmates and happily-ever-afters.” She looked at Eve. “Just because you’re dating Adora doesn’t make her immune from The Blog Bitch. How is ol’ Stevenander Jones, anyway?”
    Eve was relieved at her friend’s change of tone. “Almost finished with his next book. He makes more money writing erotic romances as Adora, but his first love is the horror genre.”
    “Good thing I don’t review horror books. C’mon. Let’s get some wine.”
    Eve followed Val from the bedroom into the apartment’s small kitchen. Val retrieved the bottle of blackberry merlot from the fridge.
    “I don’t know how the man researches his horror novels,” said Eve, as she watched Val pour the wine, “but what we do for the erotica is fun.”
    “Hmm. He doesn’t come out during the day, he doesn’t like junk food, he’s a wine snob, and the dude needs a tan.” Val grinned. “Obviously, he’s a vampire.”
    “For a man who’s undead he sure doesn’t mind garlic,” said Eve. “Besides, he collects crosses. You should see his house. Seems like every wall has some sort of cross or crucifix on it.”
    “Are you sure there’s not anything wrong with him? You’ve reached the six-month mark, which is a record for you.” Val gave her a glass of blackberry merlot then leaned against the counter.
    “I feel like I’ve known him forever. He’s wonderful.” She sipped the wine then looked beseechingly at her friend. “Do you have to blog about Midnight Mask ?”
    “You didn’t protest this much when I blogged about Swelter , which was your favorite Adora book of all time. Of course, that was before you met the almighty book god and started boinking him.”
    Startled at Val’s vehemence, Eve frowned. “That’s not fair.”
    “You used to think The Blog Bitch was funny as hell until you got mixed up with Steven.”
    “You are still funny as hell. But I worry about you, okay?” Eve put her wineglass onto the kitchen counter. “The blog was your therapy. The divorce was hard on you and you needed the escape. But it’s been a year, Val. Don’t you think you should try to have a life?”
    Val swirled the merlot and stared at the liquid. “The Blog Bitch is my life. I’m making a little income from the ads. I’m getting thousands of hits every day. In fact, I’ve been invited to the Heart of Readers romance convention in February.”
    “That’s great.” Eve finished her wine and placed the glass into the small kitchen sink. “Will you be home tomorrow?”
    “It’s Christmas Eve,” said Val with a sigh. “Where else would I be?”
    Eve’s heart went out to her friend. Val was an only child. Her parents had died years ago in a car accident. She had no one with whom to celebrate the holidays. Eve had no siblings, either. Her parents died had died when she was ten-years-old and she’d been raised by her maternal