Thanks for pausing at my stop on the Christmas Wonder Giveaway Hop. Visit all the blogs to see what we love most about the season and which books have made our Christmas wish lists! Each stop has a prize. Mine's a $5 gift card, and the Rafflecopter at the bottom explains the rules.

Happy Hopping, and an early Merry Christmas to you all!

Me, during one of Washington D.C.'s many Snowpocalypses (aka a balmy Boston winter). — Me, during one of Washington D.C.'s many Snowpocalypses (aka a balmy Boston winter).

My Love Affair with Winter

I call it a love affair because there's definitely an on-again-off-again quality to my fondness of snow and sleet. When I first moved from Bangkok to Boston, I abhorred the period between Thanksgiving and, well...mid-March. Having lived the majority of my life in a place where temperatures rarely dipped below 70F, I hadn't been prepared for the interminable blizzards that covered my university in waist-deep snow on a regular basis, or for the fact that classes were never cancelled. I loathed those winters, hibernated through most of them, and couldn't wait to leave the city.

Fast-forward a few years, and I found myself in Washington, D.C., where the weather was far more temperate. Surprisingly enough, I started to miss those Boston winters. After all, 2-3 days of storms did not an excuse for UGG-buying make. And when the first "Snowpocalypse" hit, the capital's complete inability to deal with a few measly feet of build-up led to a 10-day snow-cation, for which I have very fond memories.

Then we upped and moved to Abu Dhabi, where temperatures averaged 100F year-round (with 90% humidity). At this point, I started daydreaming about winter. I remembered the icy white flakes through rose-colored glasses, my memory enhanced by heavy doses of nostalgia. My husband's job followed up the Emirates with Pakistan, where locals dug out fleece-lined coats on the rare occasions when combatting 68F weather had been necessary. As I sweltered through what seemed like a never-ending multiple-year summer, I started to set book after book during snowy winters, in worlds where my main characters could snuggle by fireplaces and sip hot cocoa.

Of course, when I moved back to D.C. after several years in desert-like environments, the winter of 2013 proved far less romantic than my many fantasies. However, now that I'm living once again in a temperate region, I'm sure my love affair with winter will return to inspire another holiday romance or two.

The 2 Winter Romances on My Wish List (so there's room for many more!)

I've always been a fan of Christmas romances. Since my birthday is on December 23rd, I have the perfect opportunity to load up my Kindle. Here are the 2 eBooks currently on my Wish List.

Shield of Winter: Okay, I know it isn't set on Christmas, but I'll bend all sorts of rules for my favorite author, Nalini Singh. I've been waiting since June for the December 30 price drop (a writer must pinch pennies), but this baby should fall into my book budget just before New Year's.

The Lady Most Willing: A devout Julia Quinn fan, I'll read anything with her name on it. I'm a bit behind on her releases, and this collection is set on December 22nd. I wouldn't mind greeting the big 3-0 with a hot mug of tea and some steamy regency goodness.

What's your favorite Christmas read? Let me know in a comment, and enter your details in the widget below. By the way, I should let you know about the completely separate $15 giveaway I'm running to celebrate my book birthday. Find out how to enter by clicking the banner below.