Book Extract: Mistletoe Moments by Stephanie Wood

I am pleased to be welcoming Stephanie Wood to Novel Kicks. Today, we are saying happy book birthday to Mistletoe Moments, book five in her Christmas on The Close book series. 

You are invited to spend CHRISTMAS ON THE CLOSE where each of the neighbours are celebrating in their own special way.

Veronica and Owen are looking forward to a happy Christmas on The Close with their friends and neighbours.

Their son, Travis, is due to take some important exams, but will he be able to concentrate when a serious crush derails his schedule?

As their fortieth birthdays approach, some significant celebration will be required, but how can Veronica agree to Owen’s life-changing request?

The fifth standalone episode of ‘Christmas on The Close’ shows how sharing a treasured life with someone does not necessarily result in sharing the same treasured dreams.

In celebration of its book birthday, Stephanie has shared an extract from Mistletoe Moments. We hope you enjoy it. 

*****beginning of extract*****

Teenager Travis has a crush on his neighbour’s daughter and knows she is out of his league, but with an opportunity to get close to her, he dares to dream about what might happen…

*****

 Travis wasn’t sure how he’d got away with it, but he had convinced his parents he would rather revise for his English Literature exam than go to the fireworks display and they had left him to it.

He couldn’t imagine anything he would rather do less than translate a passage of Shakespeare into readable English, but somehow they had believed it and agreed to give him the space to study in peace and quiet.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go to the firework display as it was usually pretty good, but it wasn’t spectacular and what he had planned was far better than standing around in a muddy field with sparklers and toffee apples.

He changed into his best jeans and switched his football shirt for a more grown-up plain black top, adding a generous spritz of Lynx first. Hopefully it would work as well as it did on the advert.

He checked his phone again but no message had arrived. He put his ear to the wall and could just about make out some music, but couldn’t hear any voices.

He had to sit tight. She would let him know when the coast was clear.

When he had casually asked Summer if she was going to be around for the firework display, he was disappointed to hear her say that it wasn’t really her kind of thing. He’d been hoping to introduce her to his school friends and watch their amazement to find he was friends with such a knockout babe. His street cred would rocket sky high and he could enhance that by suggesting they were more than just friends, although he knew he would never convince them that they were an actual couple.

His automatic response had been to agree and say he wasn’t bothered about going anyway, but what else was there to do around here? He almost fainted when she said that her dad would definitely be going as he always did and, if they were both at a loose end, he could pop round and keep her company instead. Of course, he had agreed, but even now he couldn’t remember his exact words. He’d probably gushed a bit, (who wouldn’t have done with an offer like that?) but whatever he said hadn’t put her off and she said she’d message him when her dad left.

So now he was waiting. Waiting and hoping. Hoping and imagining. Imagining and sweating. Oh, that wasn’t good. He went to the back door and opened it to cool down. He listened out for any voices next door but still couldn’t hear anything. Surely Nate should’ve left by now?

Maybe he should just go round? They were friends anyway, so it shouldn’t look weird to her dad, but he was sure the excitement was written all over his face so if Nate saw that, he would know straight away what he was there for. He could live without that embarrassment.

*****end of extract*****

About Stephanie Wood – 

I write contemporary fiction in the form of novels, novellas and short stories.

I have two series of linked standalone stories; one is a collection of Greek holiday reads called Aegean Sun and the other is Christmas on the Close which is set in a suburban cul-de-sac and reveals what is happening in each of the neighbours’ houses over the festive period.

I live in Lancashire where I have a large garden which takes a lot of maintenance, but I also enjoy reading lots of different genres and watching the soaps Emmerdale and Neighbours because I love character-based stories.

Say hello via my website, X and Facebook. You can also follow the series on X. 

Mistletoe Moments is book five in the Christmas on The Close book series. It was released on 3rd September 2020. Click here to buy on Amazon UK and Amazon US. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.