Eli and Boone's Christmas Lists by Carol Ross and Amy Vastine

Hooray! It’s December! That means Eli and Boone, the heroes from Amy’s and my December books, are finally being introduced to the world. We can only hope our readers will love these guys as much as we do.
We don’t know about you, but Christmas shopping for the “real” men can in our lives can be kind of a challenging chore. But when it comes to imaginary heroes, we discovered this task to be much easier – fun even. Maybe that’s because we know that these guys will like whatever we give them/write for them? Just another thing that makes fiction writing so much fun.
In the spirit of the holidays (while indulging in some real-life shopping procrastination) we thought it would be fun to talk about some items on our heroes’ Christmas lists.
Eli Pelletier – As a Coast Guard officer and helicopter pilot, Eli is extremely career-focused.  He’s confident, ambitious, determined and excellent at his job. And with all the training, working out, and saving of lives stuff that goes along with it, he doesn’t take much time for frivolity. But even tough guys have weaknesses, right? That makes them even more appealing, in my opinion. Here are a few things that would help make Eli’s holiday merry and bright.
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Forgiveness – Twelve years ago, Eli had to leave Aubrey, the love of his life. Problem was he couldn’t tell her why he was leaving because the reason would have destroyed her - and her family. Aubrey’s family means everything to her. Aubrey means everything to Eli. This year, Eli would really like to reveal the truth and finally be forgiven.
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Peace – A constant inner turmoil nicks at Eli’s happiness. Growing up as the only child of a single father, Eli and his dad were very close. Tim Pelletier was a great dad, but Eli watched him struggle with depression his entire life. If there was only some way Eli could quell his dad’s demons maybe they could both find peace for the holidays. Unfortunately, as Eli discovers and must somehow learn to accept, a loved one’s internal struggles can’t always be fixed.

A hot glue gun (and instructions and maybe a pair of gloves) - Well, he might not ask for one of these but he needs one. After an epic screw-up, Eli tries to win Aubrey back with a homemade Christmas gift. Let’s just say that those Pinterest crafts can look a lot easier than they really are. Good thing, as far as Aubrey is concerned, that it truly is the thought that counts!



Boone Williams is the kind of guy most people would hate to buy presents for because what do you get the guy who has everything? Boone is a country singer with lots of money and fame. But Boone has hit rock bottom and if he doesn’t get his act together, he could lose everything he holds dear (which he learns have nothing to do with money or fame!) Under all Boone’s tough exterior is a heart of gold and a wounded soul. He cares more than he wants to admit, but Ruby and Violet change all that.

First on Boone’s list would be Parenting Teens for Dummies. He’s struggling to connect with his daughter, Emmy, and even though he’s having better luck winning over Violet (Ruby’s daughter), he still has no clue what is going on in their heads. Boone would love a little insight so he could begin to repair the damage he did when Emmy was younger.

Next up would be a big box of his favorite junk foods. Good thing Boone works out because this man loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, gummy bears, and barbecue potato chips. He’s not exactly a health nut. It’s a good thing Ruby isn’t much of a food connoisseur either! They’re happiest when they’re sharing some greasy take out.

Last on Boone’s list would be some humility. Boone’s pride and addiction led to his demise. It’s been a long road, but he’s finally at a point where he might just be able to look at himself and accept the good and the bad. Ruby and Violet are trying to teach him about forgiveness and unconditional love -- he just has to be humble enough to accept it! Tim McGraw's Humble and Kind is Boone's theme song.

Now that we’re all thinking about Christmas lists, anyone have any gift ideas for their “real life” men they’d like to share? C’mon, we’d love to steal your ideas, um, we mean hear about your ideas.
Amy and Carol are both on tour! Follow our blog tours for excerpts, guest posts, and some lovely reviews Catch a Fallen Star and Christmas in the Cove. Don’t forget to sign up to win some fun prizes in our giveaways! Click the banner to link to the tour schedules.



Comments

  1. I look forward to getting to know both Eli and Boone!

    Also, thank you for sharing the video for Tim McGraw's "Humble and Kind." The lyrics are always a good reminder for us all, but especially this time of the year.

    As for your question about gifts for my husband...I have a hard enough time keeping him from guessing correctly what I get him. I'm not about to post it publically! :)

    Best wishes for a wonderful Christmas!

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    1. Thank you, Kate! How funny about your husband guessing his gifts. I'm wondering if he shakes them while they're under the tree? Happy Christmas to you, too!

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  2. Loved this very original and amusing post! And you're right - so much easier (and maybe more fun?) to shop for the imaginary men in our lives. I say that after 47 years of marriage! LOL

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    1. Thank you, Janice! And it is so true, right? Honestly, my husband I quit buying for each other years ago. Every once in a while if I find something I know he'll love I'll just buy it and surprise him any time of the year.

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  3. Have always loved Tim McGraw and his music. Looking forward to Boone and Eli. Gifts for men and boys are a mystery to me. I have trouble buying for my sons-in-law and grandsons, too. Girls are so easy as there's a million items out there for women. Tools for guys? They all look alike at Home Depot and Ace Hardware.

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    1. Roz, I LOVE him, too. I've been a fan since his very first album. Seeing him in concert was on my bucket list. I finally got to go last fall. It was amazing. I'll be picturing him the whole time I read about Amy's Boone. And I agree about buying gifts for all men, not just my husband. Not only do all those tools look alike, if you buy one inevitably you will learn that it's not quite the right one!

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  4. Great post, ladies. I've got Eli and Boone loaded on my Kindle and I hope to get to know them better over the holidays. With some time off from work, I'm tempted to put my writing projects aside and just read. A little gift from me to me. :)
    Shopping for the men in my life is always a struggle, especially my father.
    Thanks for sharing Tim McGraw's song, it's beautiful and perfect for the season.

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    1. Oh Jill, that sounds like the best gift you could give yourself! I might steal that idea, if only for a few days. My man-gift fall-back idea is always the unoriginal but popular edible gift, like chocolates or nuts.

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  5. Congratulations, you two! Your books sound great and the pix of your heroes aren't bad either. 😉 I have no clue what to get my hubby for Christmas except maybe the new Jason Bourne movie. Tim McGraw plays a small part in my May 2017 release. He's so yummy. Happy holidays to all!

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    1. Thank you, Leigh! A movie sounds like a great idea. I haven't seen the new Jason Bourne yet. And I agree about Tim McGraw, he is yummy.

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  6. Congratulations to you both! I'd have enjoyed the post just for the pictures, but the heroes and their stories sound wonderful.

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    1. Thanks so much, Liz! I love the visuals as well. It's always fun ;)

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  7. Hi, Carol and Amy! What a way to start the day - Matt Bomer and Tim McGraw! 'Humble and Kind' is one of my favorites. Bought Ron a Scooter for Christmas with a basket to hold his art stuff, a light, a horn, and me chasing along behind. That should keep him sketching, and me in fighting trim. Great post, Guys!

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    1. I first heard the song when I was writing this story and thought Tim McGraw must have been inside my head! This is the exact song Boone would have written while on his journey to self-discovery! Fun how sometimes things all come together without me even trying.

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  8. Now that's the way to start a day!! Wonderful post you guys. I can't wait to dive into these books this holiday. <3 And bonus points for putting Matt Bomer right at the top of the page. Le sigh.

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    1. Never can go wrong with Matt Bomer. Carol knows how to pick them!

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  9. What a great way to introduce your books' heroes. Looking forward to learning more about them as I read the books.

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    1. Thanks, Linda! We decided we needed to get a little creative.

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  10. What a fun post! I'm in the middle of Boone's story now and am loving it. Every time Violet rolls her eyes, I have flashbacks of my girls when they were teenagers. Thank goodness those days are over! And Eli is super yummy, so I will devour that book next. :)

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    1. My children are deep in the eye-rolling stage right now. In fact, I dedicated the book to my dear daughter and told her I hope she will forgive me for perhaps putting some of her in Violet! I will survive this, right?

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  11. What a fun post. Eye candy in the morning and a tantalizing introduction to your heroes. Thanks!

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  12. Can't wait to read about these guys. My hubby, ever the practical engineer, picked out the exact fly-tying vise he wanted. Now the trick is getting it away from him so I can wrap it and put it under the tree.

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    1. Oh Beth, you lucky lady! My husband will never say that he wants anything. Anything I can afford to get for him anyway, Lol.

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  13. Oh, oh, they both sound so good. I'm thinking of stealing Carol's photo to use for the hero in my current WIP. Any chance he's 36? Oh, and I love country music. And, Tim McGraw is a favorite :)

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    1. Steal away, Pamela! I didn't even know who he was until I read these comments. (I knew he looked familiar and was pretty sure he was someone famous.) I think that means he can be as old as you want him to be. So, yep, he's 36!

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  14. Loved getting to know your characters. And thinking about stealing the hero, too. lol.

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    1. Thank you, Patricia! And yep, steal away. The beauty of it is this guy will never know(:

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  15. Why did I picture Eli was blonde while I was reading it? I like your version of Eli, Carol.

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