In my not so humble opinion, New Zealand’s adopted Christmas tree, the Pohutukawa, is the most beautiful tree in the world. It’s certainly my favourite, and every time I see one covered in gorgeous crimson bristles I know Christmas is only weeks away. This photo was taken by my husband on a beach in the very Far North of New Zealand, the place where my Bounty Bay series books are set. You can read the first book in the Bounty Bay series for free here if you haven’t already. All of these books heavily feature the pristine coastline of the subtropical beaches near the top of the North Island.

But back to the Pohutukawa trees. Every December, I’m treated to this view on my street:

That’s right, I live in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, and many of Wellington’s coastal suburbs like mine have these stunning trees planted around them which flower every year. They are the epitome of Christmas to New Zealanders with their dark green leaves and bright red flowers. Their image has become very stylized and iconic (with good reason) and appears on everything from souvenirs to Christmas decorations to artworks and fabric. Recently a friend of mine made some adorable Pohutukawa themed bunting which I bought from her Etsy store to hang around my living room. Super cute, right?

Yep, I love them so much you can imagine how thrilled I was when my cover designer showed me her ideas for my 4th Stewart Island book, Christmas With You.

The Kiwi barbecue isn’t the only thing sizzling this summer…

She’s a Holiday Grinch…

Carly Gatlin doesn’t want to spend another Christmas alone. With her beloved father gone, she’s desperate to be part of a family—so she’s spending the holidays with her step-brothers on Stewart Island. But even with sand, sun, and not a snowflake in sight, everything reminds her of what she’s lost. So no tree trimming, cookie baking, or kisses under the mistletoe for her, thanks. Especially not from Due South’s sexy bartender, Kip.

He’s a too-hot-for-his-Santa-suit killjoy…

Kip Sullivan’s moved hundreds of miles away from his family who’d like to see him married off before his next birthday—on Christmas Eve. Then ten days before the big event, his meddling relatives arrive en masse, and dear God, they’re planning to stay. With match-makers breathing down his neck, it’s becoming harder to ignore the temptation to unwrap Carly like a present under the tree. Kip agrees to help make Carly’s first New Zealand Christmas special. He’s got five holiday missions to complete—one involving a frisky fake reindeer—before he hopes to claim a mistletoe kiss…and maybe even Carly’s heart.

Christmas just isn’t Christmas without this spicy yet sweet Stewart Island novella.

Christmas with You is available FREE for a limited time at these retailers:

Amazon / iBooks / Nook / Kobo / Google Play

Don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter below to go in the draw to win a $150 gift card or 30 free e-books! 

And oh – wishing you a wonderful festive season wherever you live in this big, beautiful world of ours!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you missed any of the early blogs you can find them here – just scroll down and click on any of the names on the list. Next up is Leesa Bow! Don’t forget to check out yesterday’s post by Nikki LeClair.