Blue Christmas (Leisure romance)
Elvis is alive and well, at least in spirit, in these four fun novellas, set simultaneously in time in Memphis at Christmas. "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Amy Elizabeth Saunders brings strong writing, well-drawn characters, and a wonderful way with Elvis lore to the pairing of a starchy, workaholic magazine writer and a vibrant, open-hearted waitress who offers him a ride to Memphis when a blizzard and robbery leave him stranded. In "Always on My Mind" by Linda Jones, a young woman seeks out her former lover in hopes of fulfilling her young daughter's Christmas wish--getting a daddy.  Sharon Pisacreta shows how an earnest career woman falls for Elvis mania and a fun-loving music tycoon, in "All Shook Up."  And in "Fever" by Sandra Hill, a Wall Street investment banker gets the hots for a local farm girl who poses as Priscilla in an Elvis-inspired nativity scene. All four stories feature the Original Heartbreak Hotel, decorated according to Elvis movies and haunted by the King himself, and are enlivened by Elvis impersonators, Elvis's favorite foods, and an Elvis Santa who knows more than he should. A funny, energetic, and inventive collection that's sure to win over even the most cynical skeptics.--Ellen Edwards