Page 1 of Mistletoe Wishes and Dragon Kisses

PROLOGUE

A NEW ADDITION TO A GREAT SERIES!

Hi! Hello! And how are you doing today? I am so glad you’re here. My name is Ada Sloane Brown, and I am the… Well, that is to say, I am…

Okay, let's try this again. Hello there, fellow reader. My name is Ada Sloane Brown, and I am the Brown Witch of TBD. Yes, I know that means To Be Determined, but TBD sounds better than saying, "Hi. I'm Ada Sloane, the Brown Witch of Who The Hell Knows", right? Yeah, I thought so, too,heeheeheee. All of this is, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, to say that at this moment in time, I have not been Blessed by the Great Goddess of All with my One True Gift.

Of course, I'm not worried at all. No, seriously, I'm not. I wouldn't lie to you. I am really not freakin’ out the tiniest bit, and here’s why…

If you remember, my Cousin Davie hadn’t found out what her Gift was until she took a long journey to perform the Ancient Ritual of Revelation and Renewal by summoning the Mystical Flames of the Fire of Tailtiu, the the Celtic Earth Goddess–and she waswayolder than I am. (Don't tell her I said that. Do not even mention that I so much as hinted that she is nowtwo hundred years old. She gets testy about her age. I have no clue why, but it's better to be safe than sorry. I seriously do not want the Brown Witch, who, along with her Mate, is Blessed by the Goddess, to be the Protector of Magic, who also chases away the Chill of Winter and Ushers in the Glow, Growth, and Rebirth of Spring, to be mad at me. She has been known to make sunflowers grow out of orifices that shouldn't be mentioned in polite society of any person who upsets her–and I do not look good in yellow. You know what I mean? Good! Thanks!) So, anywho, based on Cousin Davie’s experience, I figure I’ve got time to figure out what my One True Gift is.

That, my friend, is why I am not stressing.

Also, I’m not one to embark on expeditions. The Great Goddess or another equally important Deity will get in touch when the time is right. I’ve seen it happen before, and I know it will happen again–for me.

Also, I'm a homebody who likes to read, read, and, well, read some more. I love the written word in all its forms from Ancient Antiques to Zoology and everything in between–with a special fondness for Romance. Yep! It's true. A good love story with an independent woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind and a handsome Alpha man who are just head-over-heels for each other is my thing with a capital T-H-I-N-G! Therefore, I am pretty darn happy about the downtime. It means no one can tell me to get my nose out of a book or holler when there is yet another crisis that needs the attention of a Brown Witch.

It also bears mentioning my other reason for staying close to home. You see, my Familiar, Daphne, is a mini-Book Dragon. Yes, they are real. Well,sheis real and swears that her Clan is also–which I have to believe since she exists. Let me say it again: Book Dragons are real, and let me assure you that Daph is not just a slogan on a T-shirt.

Book. Dragons. Exist. (She made me say it again.)

And that long, drawn-out explanation of who my Familiar is, the one being other than my One True Fated Mate that the Great Goddess decreed that I would share my soul with, is to get to one important point–that a true Book Dragon does not like to fly. Daphne Ruby Dragonfire does not even like to flap her wings to get to the highest book on the highest shelf. She says the Universe, the Great Goddess, and all The Powers That Be gave her Magic for a reason, and she will use it rather than lose it.

Furthermore, she says flying makes her wings tired and makes her sweaty, and using Ancient Mysticism to stay hidden from human eyes is just too much work when there are still so many books that need to be read. On the latter, I must agree.

Also, there was a method to the Great Goddess's Madness because not only do Daphne and I share a love of reading and are both homebodies, but we also both love a steaming bottomless mug of specialty coffee sweetened with Splenda and lightened with cream. As if that wasn't enough to keep me in my cute little cottage with floor-to-ceiling bookcases on every available wall, there is the tedious little fact that my Familiar has a nasty habit of shooting flames at my rather beautifully bodacious behind if I even mention venturing outside the city limits of Nowhere, USA.

Therefore, we stay home, read to our hearts’ content, drink coffee, and have a whole load of fun.

Now, all of this rather long-winded introduction is my way of saying that I, Ada Sloane Brown, will be narrating this story, and with any luck, the rest of the fantastical tales of the Brown Witches and Archer Dragons included in the Dragon Guard Holiday Love Stories series. It is a great honor. One I do not take lightly and will do everything in my considerable power to execute to the best of my abilities.

I am also so excited that I’m butt-dancing in my comfy chair. When I got the invitation from Auntie Eleanor and Julia Mills todo this special retelling, I was so happy that I baked blueberry scones for Daphnefrom scratch.

Likewise, it bears mentioning that I am over the moon ecstatic to get to meetyou. I just know we’re gonna be fast friends. I mean, we're starting off on the right foot. We both like reading about the Archer Dragons and Brown Witches, right? Yay!

Okay, so without further ado, and because Daphne says I have gone on too long, it is my pleasure to tell you the story titled Mistletoe Wishes and Dragon Kisses.

Talk to you after we find out if one very special Brown Witch and her hunka-hunka-burnin’-love Archer Dragon find their happily ever after.

Until then, happy reading.

Your friend and fellow avid reader,

Ada Sloane Brown, The Brown Witch Extraordinaire of TBD

1

“Okay., okay, okay, I’ll…”

“I just don’t know what to do, Glo. I mean, we’ve got… That is to say, we need… Or maybe I should be saying thatyouneed… Or would it be better to say thatsomebodyneeds…? Oh! Wait! Is there anyone else we can…?”

“I understand,Gustav,” she stressed, putting all the emphasis on his name with the hopes that he took a breath. When he didn’t, she plastered on a smile she hoped was reassuring even as it felt incredibly fake and ignored the incessant beeping in her head. Then, shoving a shit-ton ofHappy-Happy-Joy-JoyEnchantment into her voice, she continued in a soothing tone. “Iassureyou that you’ve come to the right person, my friend. Have I ever let you down?”

“Well, no, it’s just that we…”

“Yes, we have worked together for years,” she continued what she hoped he was trying to say in an effort to keep the conversation moving. “Some might even say centuries, and we havealwaysgotten the job done. We can do this, Gustav. We are an unstoppable team.”

With her frustration and trepidation levels rising at an astronomical rate, she couldn’t help but feel like a real Reindeer’s behind for giving one of the nicest people she knew what could only be described as a hope and a prayer. Sadly, she didn’t know what was happening and if she could fix it because she hadn’t had a second to think, much less assess the situation.

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