#Delectable December: B.G. Thomas’s Christmas Miracle & the Story Behind the Cover
I’m so excited to host B.G. Thomas as part of Delectable December. We met in Albuquerque at the secret Icelandic booze party that has now become a GRL tradition. Experiences like that bond people, even if you don’t see them for a whole year, and when we met up again in Atlanta, we started chatting again and just bonded like we’d been friends forever. We spent hours in the Melia lobby, late into the night most nights and I feel so lucky to have had the chance to really make a special bond with Ben.
And I’m thrilled to learn the story behind his latest cover because I instantly recognized the models. You’ll love the story behind the story, and make sure to curl up with a big mug of Hot Buttered Rum to read his brand new Grumble Monkey and the Department Store Elf.
So There I Was…Last Christmas…Recovering from A FULL Knee Replacement…!
So there I was, last Christmas season, stuck in the house and recovering from a full knee replacement. It wasn’t fun, kiddies, believe me. On the other hand, the constant and chronic pain that I had been in for several years was GONE! It had departed! Vanished! Flown the coop! It was past, finito, quit, had run off, dried up and departed. Sure there was the pain of the surgery and the recovery and the physical therapy. But compared to what I had been going through? When I had become known as “Waddles?” (and truth be known that hurt my feelings). When my every step horrible and there were times I would go hide and sob? I was in heaven. It was a Christmas Miracle!
But for those of you who know me or know of me, I am a social butterfly. I love the nightlife, I like to boogie… Ah, well, I hadn’t “boogied” in quite a while (I couldn’t), but I liked to get out of the house and be with people. And I couldn’t. I couldn’t get up and down the stairs without my amazing husband or my visiting daughter there helping me.
And I was in mind-blowing Cabin Fever! I wanted to go out! I wanted to see people! We had no Christmas cookies! I wanted to try my best friend John’s Hot Buttered Rum (and he had no car.) I even posted about it on Facebook (now isn’t that pitiful?).
I was a sad puppy despite the Miracle of No More Pain.
Then I get this phone call. It’s John telling me to have my husband go look out and look on the front porch. Guess what? My friend with NO CAR took a taxi to the grocery store, ran in, got me Christmas cookies, took the cab to my place, dropped cookies and a batch of his hot-buttered rum mix and left it there for me.
I was as happy as a little kid. It was so good! And by the way, the mix doesn’t have rum in it so you can have a hot drink to warm you up even if you don’t want the rum (although heaven knows why you wouldn’t! *grin*).
Somehow, that never left my mind as I was writing my holiday story for this year’s Dreamspinner Press Holiday Advent Calendar. That hot-buttered rum found its way into my story, “Grumble Monkey and the Department Store Elf.”
Dreamspinner Authors and Artists: Jonathan Treadway, B.G. Thomas, Jamie Fessenden, Shobana Appavu, Paul Richmond and Catt Ford
Something else really cool happened this last year. I had met the amazing artist Paul Richmond in 2012 in New York for a Dreamspinner Press workshop. I connected with him immediately. We even went to the famous drag club “Lips,” and had a great time! In 2013, the DSP workshop was in Chicago and we connected even more—and I met his future husband (and by the time of this writing his legal husband!) and wow, Dennis is just as amazing as Paul (but in a much less flamboyant manner and, well, I am all about the pageantry!).
As I wrote “Grumble Monkey and the Department Store Elf,” I couldn’t help but imagine Paul as my splendiferous department store elf (and artist) Kit Jeffries. And even though Dennis is certainly not a grumble monkey, he was in my head the whole time I was writing my story.
One day I got the brass cojones to ask Paul if he would consider doing my cover and if he and Dennis would be the models for my characters. And OMG!! He said yes! I was so excited!
So there you have it! Two (three!) of the major inspirations for “Grumble Monkey and the Department Store Elf.” And here’s the cover blurb:
Kit Jefferies, a part-time department store Christmas elf, is an artist who loves life and his family. Unfortunately, his car dies at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere as he is heading home for Christmas. Enter Nick St. George.
Nick is a very unhappy man—he’s achieved his professional goals only to find the rest of his life bleak and empty. Deciding there was only one way to make everything right, he is on his way to San Francisco on a dark mission, and even the horrible sleet storm that blocked his path won’t deter him. That’s when he found Kit.
At first, Nick is pretty sure rescuing Kit was a big mistake. Kit’s personality is just too, well, effervescent. But as the miles go by, Kit begins to bring light to his dark heart. It might even be bright enough to illuminate a Christmas miracle.
And just what is a “grumble monkey?” Why you’ll just have to read the story to find out! I sure hope you will. I just love this story. You can find it right here:
Buy “Grumble Monkey and the Department Store Elf” from Dreamspinner Press or Amazon
And as a special holiday pressie, and per the wondrous E.M. Lynley’s request for recipes, here’s how to make the mix for hot buttered rum. It’s a pretty big batch, but believe me, put it in smaller containers and give this out as gifts and you are going to get a lot of happy people!
So Happy Merry Chrismasolstikwanzaakah and may your new year be the best ever!
And remember always… Leap and the net will appear!
B.G. Thomas
Buttered Rum Recipe
- 1lb Butter (unsalted)
- 1lb Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 Gallon French Vanilla Ice Cream
- Allspice to taste
Melt everything in a large saucepan on low heat.
When done, place in containers & freeze for later use.
Once frozen…
Place two heaping tablespoons of your mix/batter into a HOT mug of water. Don’t forget a jigger of rum. It will warm your tummy and your bones!
The Giveaway
B.G. Thomas is offering the chance to win any of his backlist holiday stories. (Sorry Grumble Monkey isn’t up for grabs this time). Leave a comment about anything, ask B.G. a question, tell him what a hot Santa he makes, or share your own holiday miracle story. Comments double your entries in the month-end raffle, so be sure to enter with Rafflecopter too.
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11 Responses to “#Delectable December: B.G. Thomas’s Christmas Miracle & the Story Behind the Cover”
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Such a fun post! (I’m sorry about the knee replacement woes…you could come up with some really fun story about why you needed it, though. And I think Bobby Orr needed both replaced, and he seems to be doing well now.) I’ve never thought of ice cream as a hot buttered rum base, what a clever idea!
I did have both knees replaced. Last Dec in was the left and April a year and a half ago was the right. And I am happy I did it! PAIN free now for the first time in years! Thanks for the nice words. Let me know if you try the recipe! (((HUG)))
Great story – can’t wait to read it!! And I am so making that recipe 🙂
Let me know if you try the recipe! And if you like the story! (((HUG)))
I loved reading how this story came to be. That recipe sounds so yummy.
I hope you will check the story our for yourself. And let me know if you try the recipe. It is very very yummy.
Love you so much Ben. You were one of my most favorite people before I ever read a word that you had written. Then I read your work and fell head over heels in love with it. I am getting ready to begin Grumble Monkey tonight. Keep writing my darling friend.
I can’t wait to read Grumble and try the recipe out!
You will have to let me know if you like it! (((HUG)))
And. My favorite holiday food is those chocolate Christmas tree cookies you see in the bakeries along with the peppermint – candy cane ice cream.
I thought the cover looked like Dennis and Paul! Question: Which book was the hardest for you to write – and which book was the funnest one for you to write?