The Holiday Hoax by @SkylarMCates | Tams Audiobook Review, Fun Facts Guest Post & #giveaway #mmromance @Dreamspinners

THE HOLIDAY HOAX by Skylar M Cates

Part of the 12 Days of Giveaways event 

presented by TTC Books and more

giveaway from Dreamspinner Press! 

I’m Evan Goodman, budding actor, future star, college freshman. Oh, and let's not forget—recently dumped. If only my family wasn't expecting to meet my new boyfriend over the holiday break. Enter JD Laurens—a sweet and quiet science major who mostly keeps to himself. When he gathers the courage to come out, poor JD gets abandoned by his only family right in front of me, and now he has nowhere to go for Christmas. But I have a proposition for him: pretend to be my boyfriend for the holidays so I can take him home. It’s a win-win. What could go wrong?

Buy links: Dreamspinner | Amazon e-book | Amazon Audio | Audible | iTunes

Tams Audiobook Review...

First, let me just say thank you to Skylar Cates and Dreamspinner for making this post possible. And, can we all agree that this cover is fanfriggintastic!

"Such a cute Holiday themed story."

Overall

Performance

Story

What made the experience of listening to The Holiday Hoax the most enjoyable?

It was festive, got me in the Christmas spirit

Who was your favorite character and why?

Evan. I liked that to spite the crappy day he was having, he stopped to think about some one else and to help them with their crappy day.

What does K.C. Kelly bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I haven't read the book, but I really enjoyed the audio version. I like when narrators can bring the characters to life in my head.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Evan had to come clean with his family.

Any additional comments?

When Evan Goodman's 'boyfriend' breaks off their romance just before the Christmas Holiday, he is loath to go home and deal with his families "oh honey, what happened?" So when he sees a guy he recognizes from school at a local coffee shop, having an even worse Christmas then him, Evan approaches JD with a suggestion. JD can pretend to be Evan's boyfriend, therefore alleviating his nosey families questions, and also give JD a self, welcoming place to stay for the Holiday. Over the two week break at Evan's home, he and JD learn more about each other and grow closer, both of them eventually wanting more than just 2 weeks. But when Evan's cheating Ex calls, will Evan run right back into his revolving door arms? Or will he realize how much more JD has to offer him?

Such a cute Holiday themed story. Evan and JD both were so miserably cute together at the start, growing more confident as individuals by holding each other up and sharing their strength. The epilogue was amazing, I love when stories jump forward and show where the characters are down the road. Narrated by KC Kelly and I heard a different tone from Kelly than I've ever heard before, and I've listened to a lot of audios by him. He's really good with the gruff, brooding voice which is what he used for JD. But the tones and inflections for Evan were new and unique. I could hear the frustration and loneliness in both men in the beginning. Then by the end the confidence really shined through.

Definitely a must read for fans of Kelly's audios, and those that like fun romantic stories will enjoy this one as well.

Fun Facts about The Holiday Hoax

By Skylar M. Cates

Hello there! Skylar, here. I wanted to wish everybody a wonderful holiday season and share some behind the scenes facts about my holiday novella The Holiday Hoax. I hope you all enjoy my little list.

FACT ONE:

The inspiration for the book came from a call at a radio station. While driving to my day job and fighting the endless traffic, I heard a funny story on the radio. A young college student was about to visit her family for Christmas, and she was sick and tired of her relatives quizzing her about her single status. The call focused on her idea to pay another student to pretend to be her boyfriend and get her family off her back. Laughing, I filed the story away in my brain, but it gnawed at me. What if a young gay student felt this way? What if he did not pay the other person, but had alternative motives for the ruse? As the possibilities revolved around in my mind, slowly The Holiday Hoax story was born.

  

FACT TWO:

One of my favorite parts of the book is when they stargaze together. Oregon has this fantastic area for stargazing in Bend. Having gone there the previous summer, I had pictures of it in my study and was staring at it while writing The Holiday Hoax.

I thought how the starry night had all the makings of a beautiful love scene. Since in my real life it was more of a family event than a romantic one, I gave the fantasy moment to Evan and JD. This is one reason why love being a writer. If I don’t get the romantic moment, I’ll make certain my character do!

  

FACT THREE:

Maybe I’m a little odd, but I never became excited about shopping or presents. My favorite part of the holidays is the ability to stay home.

 I love staying in my pajamas all Christmas morning. I usually make my children hot cocoa, and I treat myself to the same (except mine has a splash of Amaretto), and we watch movies, read books, or play board games all day. It’s heavenly.

  

FACT FOUR:

A scene that never made it into the book was where Evan sings on stage. I originally had this plotted for a Christmas party scene. I even knew what Evan was to sing: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Karen Carpenter. I love her voice, particularly in this song. Do you all have a favorite holiday song?  This one gives me the feels every single time she sings it.

I really wanted it in my holiday novel.  I thought it was perfect for Evan too. The story, however, just never had the correct spot for it. Sigh. Maybe in my next holiday novel?

FACT FIVE:

What I am most proud of in The Holiday Hoax is the blend of two religions: Judaism and Christianity. This allowed me the freedom to express so many fun traditions for Hanukkah and Christmas, as well as emphasize the holidays should be about love and acceptance.

FACT SIX:

The moment I saw it, I fell in love with this cover. In fact, it might be my favorite cover of any of my novels. The amazing and talented Paul Richmond drew exactly the scene I wanted. I gave him the all the details: the Christmas wreath, the menorah, the snowy border, and especially the crossed fingers. Covers rarely become in reality what an author first asks for—this is usually due to copyright restraints or budget restraints. None of those issues applied here. I got the cover I had described and Paul made it truly shine.

 The Holiday Hoax has a perfect cover that really captures the story in my mind. I’m so grateful! It makes me smile whenever I see it.

Skylar M. Cates loves a good romance. She is quite happy to drink some coffee, curl up with a good book, and not move all day. Most days, however, Skylar is chasing after her husband, her kids, and her giant dog, Wasabi. Skylar dreams about spending her days writing her novels, walking along the beach, and making more time for her good friends. On a shoestring budget, Skylar has traveled all over in her early years. Although, lately, the laundry room is the farthest place she has visited, Skylar still loves to chat with people from all around the globe.

Thanks for hosting me! Happy holidays to all!

Giveaway: A COPY OF THE HOLIDAY HOAX

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