by Di Jones
What should she do? Her heart was pounding uncontrollably, adrenaline pumping through her system. Aiden needed her help, and she couldn’t sing very well anyway, so it was an easy choice. She turned, stopped singing and moved back toward the curtain and Aiden, when she realized someone had hold of her hand and was squeezing it tight.
“Mom, Aiden needs me,” she whispered then saw that Anita was comforting her son. Of course Aiden didn’t need her…in fact Aiden looked completely changed. Anita had her arm around her son, who was dancing up and down in excitement. But why was the little boy looking so happy?
Harmony turned to her mother, but it wasn’t Gladys that had hold of her hand.
It was Emery. One of his hands was still tightly holding hers, but his other hand held the microphone. As the band continued to play, and not her band, but his—which is why, she realized, they were so much better than at rehearsals—he started singing their song, his voice deep and emotional. At a pause in the song, he let go of her hand, put his fingers over the mic, and whispered to her. “Look at me, baby, and forget about all the people here. You can do it. I know you can.”
As she looked into his eyes, happiness flooded her. He’d come back. Who cared why…he was here and that was all that mattered. Her arms tingled, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she opened her mouth, willing the words to come.
They did, and as she sang, tentatively at first, the applause started, and the people who’d stood to leave sat back down. People re-entered the hall, then as her voice and his rang out in perfect harmony, soaring with power and control, the audience went wild. The townsfolk cheered and whistled, then as she and Emery finished the song, it seemed that every single person in the audience stood in a standing ovation. Harmony shook with emotion, and before she could bow, Emery put his hand on the small of her back and bent her backwards in a dip. He pulled her up again and his lips met hers in a kiss.
“I’m sorry, Harmony. I never should have left you,” he said into the mic. As he spoke the words she knew the townsfolk didn’t understand his meaning, but she did. “I love you, and I don’t want to be apart from you ever again.”
The cheers that rang out in the auditorium masked her reply. “I love you too.”
He led her off stage, and someone stepped out of the shadows. Harmony’s heart beat faster as she saw it was Carmen standing in their path. Something had to ruin this moment, didn’t it?
“Carmen,” she said in a cold voice. “You came back with Emery.”
“I had to. I’m his manager after all. Anyway, Emery told me how good your voice is. I was curious…and hearing you sing together made it worthwhile coming all this way.” Carmen gave her a broad, friendly smile. “Harmony, you have an amazing voice.”
“Thank you,” she said, wondering if Emery’s manager was for real. After all, Harmony had thought Carmen was her enemy, but maybe she had it all wrong.
“Emery, have you two ever considered doing a duet at your show?” Carmen was absolutely fizzing with enthusiasm.”
“I hadn’t before today,” Emery replied, “but you know, Carmen, that’s the best idea you’ve come up with for a long time.”
Harmony’s heart beat faster as Emery turned to her and took her hands. “I think we should do it, as soon as I can convince you to come to LA with me. What do you think, sweetheart?”
He gazed into her eyes and she could see his love. Then when she smiled, he pulled her in to him, and his warm lips met hers. His kiss was at the same time powerful, soft and gentle, speaking of his passion and commitment. And as she kissed him back, Harmony knew—in every fiber of her being—that she and Emery would never be apart again.
Want More from Harmony and Emery?
Did you enjoy this book so much you'd like to know what happens next? I wanted to know too, so I wrote a bonus epilogue, set three years later.
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Then turn the page for more Christmas—and other—romances.
Christmas Hero (Home For Christmas Book 2)
Betty Hayes is a pushover, something she hates about herself. She can’t stand up for herself when her sister-in-law asks her to stay in town, cancel her holiday plans, and run her tiny bookstore over the Christmas holidays. Betty isn't happy with her life, but isn't sure how to fix it. Getting away at Christmas was supposed to help her figure out what to do about it but now that option is closed to her. Worse still, Betty also can't say no when that same sister-in-law tells her that her and her husband are traipsing off on their own vacation, and she’ll be expected to entertain her sister-in-law’s cousin over the holidays—whatever that means.
Andy Levee has been home from the military for about five minutes. And he’s already being passed around family members. The one event he was actually looking forward to—spending two weeks in the tiny home town he spent childhood holidays in—is ruined when he learns everyone is going out of town except his cousin's frumpy sister-in-law, who somehow got roped into running the family bookstore over the holiday season.
Andy didn’t expect the small and beautiful but fiercely fuming woman he meets when she picks him up at the airport. She refuses to speak to him the entire way to her home and he is starting to get the feeling she doesn’t want him there.
But things start to change when Andy volunteers to help Betty in the store. He instills her with confidence, helps her stand up for herself, and shows her that a holiday in her hometown is magical and everyone else is missing out.
Buy Christmas Hero on Amazon.
Christmas Kisses Down Under (Christmas Lights Book 1)
As director of International Boutique Hotel Group, Spencer's job is to acquire holdings to build his real estate empire. He's identifed his latest target: the Ocean Surf Motel in Byron Bay, Australia, which he wants to knock down and rebuild as a luxury condominium.
The owners won't sell, but that doesn't deter him—he jumps on a plane to Australia a few weeks before Christmas. He's just broken up with the woman he was planning to marry, and he figures that some time in the hot sun is just what he needs. He's always wanted to learn to surf and time at the beach will harden and tan his body. It'll be an added bonus if he can close the motel deal he couldn't close from London.
But the Morrison family isn't selling the Ocean Surf. Not only is Spencer thwarted by that, but he's physically frustrated over a pretty, long-haired surfing instructor named Summer. A girl with a cool demeanour, mesmerising eyes, and a body to die for. He's determined to win her over, and have a hot holiday fling with this Australian surfy chick.
Buy this Christmas romance from Amazon.
Hot Kisses in Cold Christmas (Christmas Lights Book 2)
On his way to England, Reef Morrison finds a letter with a strange address: Tamsin Willoughby, Cold Christmas. It turns out that Cold Christmas is a real place with a haunted church, and curiosity piqued, he decides to visit and deliver the letter by hand.
Tamsin is a shapely blonde school teacher who’s chillier than the weather. She’s been jilted at the altar, and the letter Reef carries stirs up her pain and makes her wary of him. He tries to convince her to trust him, because he's determined to get to know the beautiful English rose.
But what he doesn't expect is the connection Tamsin makes between her runaway fiancé and Reef. Can Reef convince her he doesn't know him, and that she should spend the holidays staying warm with him?
He thought he wanted to broaden his horizons. But now what he wants is right in front of him.
Buy this Christmas romance from Amazon.
Author’s Note and Free Book
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Thank you for reading Christmas Harmony. I hope you enjoyed this Christmas romance, which I had tons of fun writing.
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The LA Lights series combines action, adventure and romance, served up with fabulous friends, hot heroes, and delightful dogs. Each LA Lights book is a no-cliffhanger standalone with its own story line. You can read the books in any order and don't need to have read the others in the series, although they are more enjoyable if you have, because the stories interconnect and the characters recur.
Get started at www.dijoneswrites.com.
Also by Di Jones
LA Lights Series
The Audition
Taking the Lead
Acting Up
Transplanting Holly Oakwood
Barking Bad
Stealing the Show
LA Lights Series Box Set Volume 1: Books 1-3
LA Lights Series Box Set Volume 2: Books 4-6
London Lights Series of Standalone Romances
Meeting Miss Mollie
Liverpool Kiss
Cast Aside in Como
London Lights Series Box Set Books 1-3
Christmas Lights Romance Series
Christmas Kisses Down Under
Hot Kisses in Cold Christmas
Christmas Lights Series Box Set Duet Books 1-2
Home For Christmas Romance Series
Christmas Harmony
Christmas Hero
Standalone Romances
Romancing the Rock Star
Hard to Love
Follow Your Heart
Short Stories
Grief is a Hungry Business: And Other Short Stories
About Me
Born in Liverpool, I started my working life as a librarian and have worked in a variety of jobs since, but none was as much fun as the one that allowed me to write and get paid for it. That was a few years ago, and each year it’s become more and more apparent to me that what I want to do is write full time, a dream that first occurred to me at seventeen.
Like my characters, I love my family and friends, beautiful shoes, anything sparkly, the “occasional” drink, parties, and a good belly laugh. I’m addicted to shopping, chocolate, bubble baths and anything else that smells nice, and the sort of TV programs you’d never publicly admit to watching. Did I mention that, like my characters, I also love dogs?
I’ve lived in England, Canada, and the United States but now call New Zealand home. I live in a lovingly renovated farmhouse overlooking Auckland’s beautiful Waitemata Harbour with my trusted Great Danes, Dolce, Gabbana, and Armani, and their two cats, Charlie and Jamie. The dogs keep me fit and exercised (or maybe run me ragged), scare the burglars away, sit loyally by my side throughout my late-night writing sessions, and hang on to my every word when I read my final drafts aloud. They truly are my biggest fans, and I theirs! The cats, on the other hand, hang out by themselves and ignore the dogs and me.
I love my life but not so much that there’s not room to live a load of other lives, through the hearts and minds of my characters, all of whom I adore, and some of whom I’m fortunate enough to call friends.
I love to hear from my readers, and your e-mails and messages motivate me to keep writing, so keep them coming! I answer every one personally. Here’s how to touch base:
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