A Gansett Island Christmas Read online

  “Nah. We’re good. Right, buddy?”

  “Mmmmaaammmm.”

  “You hear that? He almost said mama! Remember how I taught Thomas? Time to start your training, buddy. You should always say mama first. Happy mom, happy life.”

  “It’s supposed to be happy wife, happy life,” Maddie said.

  “I’ll teach him that one later. I’ve got so much to teach you, pal.”

  “Oh dear God,” Maddie muttered.

  Mac laughed at her predictable comment. “Let me tell you the rest of the best bedtime story ever… So your mommy, she fell madly in love with me…”

  * * *

  “Best Christmas yet,” Big Mac said to Linda, who was cuddled up to him in bed. He’d left the door open so he could hear the goings on downstairs, which had been highly entertaining.

  “By far. Having everyone sleeping under our roof again is like old times.”

  “There were a lot fewer of them back then.”

  “When we bought this hunk of junk house, you said you wanted to fill it with kids. I’d say you more than succeeded.”

  “We succeeded. What a family.”

  “And how about Ned? Has there ever been a better friend?”

  “Not that I’ve ever had.”

  “Me either. Maybe we should make the blizzard party an annual tradition.”

  “I like that idea.”

  “I wonder how many more people we’ll have next year.”

  “What do you know Voodoo Mama?”

  “I predict Grace, Stephanie and Mallory will have babies in the next year, and maybe Adam and Abby will get their miracle, too.”

  “God, I hope so. They’d be such great parents.”

  “They’ll get there. One way or another.”

  “So we may be looking at close to thirty for next year’s blizzard party?”

  “Could be. Who knows if Mac and Maddie are done.”

  “At least Janey and Joe are, thank goodness.” He couldn’t bear to think of Janey giving birth to Vivienne on the ferry. What a day that had been.

  “Yes, thank goodness indeed.”

  “Here’s to another year on Gansett Island,” he said, kissing her.

  “I can’t wait to see what happens.”

  Thank you for taking the ferry for a special holiday visit to Gansett Island. I hope you enjoyed spending Christmas with the McCarthy family. More to come from our favorite island in 2018! I can’t thank you enough for all your support of my books in 2017. I’m excited about what’s ahead in the New Year!

  Make sure you’ve read all my 2017 books:

  Green Mountain/Butler, VT

  1. Every Little Thing, Book 1 in the new Butler, Vermont Series, a continuation of Green Mountain

  2. Can't Buy Me Love, Book 2, Butler, Vermont

  Gansett Island

  3. Episode 1: Victoria & Shannon

  4. Episode 2: Kevin & Chelsea

  5. A Gansett Island Christmas

  Fatal

  6. Fatal Threat

  Quantum

  7. Delirious

  Single Title

  8. Sex God

  Rereleases with extended epilogues:

  9. Love at First Flight

  10. Everyone Loves a Hero

  11. Line of Scrimmage

  * * *

  That made for ONE BUSY YEAR! Not to mention, I wrote Here Comes the Sun, Fatal Chaos, a super-secret new BIG book that I can't talk about yet but I'm really excited about, and a big chunk of Fatal Invasion.

  * * *

  So what can you expect in 2018:

  1. Here Comes the Sun, Book 3, Butler, Vermont (Jan. 23 PREORDER NOW)

  2. Fatal Chaos, Book 12 (Feb. 27 PREORDER NOW)

  3. A new full-length Gansett Island book featuring Riley McCarthy

  4. A new full-length Quantum book featuring Leah and Emmett

  5. Fatal Invasion (December 2018)

  6. Maid for Love, Fool for Love and Ready for Love in Mass Market Paperback (April, May and June)

  7. A fifth (and final) Treading Water book

  8. More info on the super-secret project. I hope.

  In addition, I'll be writing two more Fatal books for release in 2019 as well as two books in my new Gilded historical series for release in 2019.

  So I'm settling in for a long winter's nap before the new year. Merry Christmas to all and to all a GOOD NIGHT! Have you read all of this year's books? What are you most looking forward to next year?

  * * *

  A very special thank you to my amazing team who made it possible for me to get this novella out to you on Christmas Day: Julie Cupp, Lisa Cafferty, Holly Sullivan, Isabel Sullivan and beta-reader-in-chief Anne Woodall.

  * * *

  From my home to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!

  xoxo

  Marie

  The Gansett Island Series

  * * *

  Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-3

  Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 4-6

  Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 7-9

  Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-10.5

  Book 1: Maid for Love

  (Maddie & Mac)

  Book 2: Fool for Love

  (Joe & Janey)

  Book 3: Ready for Love

  (Luke & Sydney)

  Book 4: Falling for Love

  (Grant & Stephanie)

  Book 5: Hoping for Love

  (Evan & Grace)

  Book 6: Season for Love

  (Owen & Laura)

  Book 7: Longing for Love

  (Blaine & Tiffany)

  Book 8: Waiting for Love

  (Adam & Abby)

  Book 9: Time for Love

  (David & Daisy)

  Book 10: Meant for Love

  (Jenny & Alex)

  Book 10.5: Chance for Love, A Gansett Island Novella (Jared & Lizzie)

  Book 11: Gansett After Dark

  (Owen & Laura)

  Book 12: Kisses After Dark

  (Shane & Katie)

  Book 13: Love After Dark

  (Paul & Hope)

  Book 14: Celebration After Dark

  (Big Mac & Linda)

  Book 15: Desire After Dark

  (Slim & Erin)

  Book 16: Light After Dark

  (Mallory & Quinn)

  Book 17: Victoria & Shannon (Episode 1)

  Book 18: Kevin & Chelsea (Episode 2)

  View the McCarthy Family Tree here.

  * * *

  View the list of Who’s Who on Gansett Island here.

  * * *

  View a map of Gansett Island.

  About the Author

  Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, including the indie-published Gansett Island Series and the Fatal Series from Harlequin Books. In addition, she is the author of the Butler, Vermont Series, the Green Mountain Series and the erotic romance Quantum Series. In 2019, her new historical Gilded series from Kensington Books will debut with Duchess By Deception.

  All together, her books have sold 6.5 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list many times. She is also a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller, a Speigel bestseller in Germany, a frequent speaker and publishing workshop presenter as well as a publisher through her Jack’s House Publishing romance imprint. She is a two-time nominee for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA® award for romance fiction.

  Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.

  Join Marie's mailing list for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter @marieforce and on Instagram. Join one of Marie's many reader groups. Contact Marie at [email protected].

  hristmas