The Great Charade

Abby Carpenter is in a tailspin knowing she is about to spend 10 days in the company of her ex-girlfriend - who is now engaged to her brother - for a family holiday gathering in Red River, New Mexico. The same ex-girlfriend who last year at Christmas had lured her into bed. Abby's solution? A pretend girlfriend for the holidays would surely keep her ex away and in her own room at night, right?

Nic Bennett's life has been far from ideal and Christmas is her most dreaded holiday of all as she relives horrors from the past. When an attractive stranger approaches her with the offer of a chance to get away for ten days, she agrees but with a counteroffer that brings both anxiety and excitement to the desperate Abby.

Among the holiday lights and snow-covered grandeur, the lines between pretend and reality blur as the two women have the time of their lives while Abby learns it isn't her ex she cannot resist and Nic learns what it means to be part of a family for Christmas.

A proposition, a counteroffer, and a Christmas charade heal two souls and meld two hearts into one.

Gerri Hill lives in East Texas, deep in the pines, with her partner, Diane. They share their log cabin and adjoining five acres with two Australia Shepherds, Casey and Cooper, and a handful of furry felines. Her books include Hunter’s Way, Behind the Pine Curtain, and No Strings to name a few.

Abby Craden is a professional actress and voice artist who can be heard in numerous TV and radio commercials, video games, and audiobooks. An AudioFile Earphones Award winner as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2012, Abby is an award-winning stage actress and a resident artist with the prestigious theater A Noise Within.