In Love By Christmas From Fantasy.Visionary Author, Sandy Nathan

...I've always wanted to write a Christmas book. One of those warm glowing things that make you feel good and have a sweet cover.

Aha! Why not combine Leroy and a Christmas book? This is that combo. In Love by Christmas, starring Leroy Watches Jr. and the love of his life. Unfortunately, I am constitutionally unable to write anything soft and fuzzy: In Love by Christmas is the most badass Christmas story ever written...

You've been warned...

The farewell dinner party was that night. So many things had happened at the retreat that Will found himself feeling exalted and pole-axed at the same time. Tomorrow. they'd pack up and go back to Palo Alto and the corporate headquarters. He would never be the same, and neither would Numenon, Inc.

As dusk deepened to night, he strolled around the camp watching Jon Walker, his chef; the three surviving drivers, and a few Indians prettying up the place. Will smiled at the transformation of their vehicles and encampment.

When they got there, the Numenon caravan had consisted of four matched motor homes and his rolling masterpiece, the Cass. They sported the corporate colors: pristine ivory, burgundy and gold. Their impact was tasteful and elegant. Jon had parked them in a circle like a wagon train, turning the central court into an outdoor living room.

Everything was different now. Two nights ago, demons had come streaming out of the earth and roared over the retreat site. They tore up everything, killing everyone they could. They painted pornographic graffiti on the Numeron RVs. The images were disgusting and insulting to his staff and him. And they couldn't get them off...

The spectacular Leroy Watches was on the stage, straddling some kind of enormous wooden drum. Even seated, he looked tall. Broad back and shoulders, massive neck. Slim hips. Feathers bristled from the back of his neck. He looked like a throwback to a primitive age. When his huge hands hit the rawhide drumhead, the whole place seemed to shake It wasn't that loud, it was just Leroy's playing. He played and all the other instruments seemed to fill in the cracks. Get vibrant. Come alive. Hold a beat.

He turned his head to his friends, smiling, and laughing. Will could see his white teeth flash. Energy surged around him. The man was vividly alive. He was Grandfather's blood grandson and it showed,

Will began to feel that the answer Grandfather had suggested would work. His worry--the biggest worry--let up. Maybe he was just dreaming. Maybe the crazy vibe of this place had him fantasizing that  things could turn out right...

~~~

In Love By Christmas

By Sandy Nathan

When Sandy Nathan mentioned to me that she had a Christmas novel, I immediately thought I'd want to read it this month. I admit it never occurred to me at that time that I'd just read a trilogy by Nathan that was, to the say the least, not the average set of books... Even when, in the Introduction, she gave her readers a warning, I went on reading... So, as part of my review, I must say upfront that the violence and sexual abuse is graphic... At the same time, however, this is a story that pits good versus evil in the best possible way... Nathan has unbelievably presented an unforgettable, intriguing story that I highly recommend...if you are willing to confront the reality of good and evil...and see who wins...

Will Duane is the richest man on earth at this time. His company Numenon holds most of the rights on any type of electronic equipment that is being produced. However, he has always been an effective and honest owner of his companies... On the personal side, however, he was not only not faithful, he was involved with so many women nobody could keep track. His wife and daughter were both aware and hated what he was doing to his family...

A perfect time for evil to attack Duane's empire. Now, many of us know that criminals are evil in all that they do...but, Nathan takes it right down to reality. These criminals are actual demons who can transform back and forth to human people. It is this group of demons, led by Enzo Donatore, that have started working to destroy Will Duane and all that surrounds him. Enzo starts by seducing Will's wife and immediately welcomes her daughter, Cass, into his life as well...

At the same time there are those on the Board of Numenon who have started trying to move Duane toward making short cuts aimed to make the company even more profitable... At that point, Duane sets up a retreat with Native American Shaman leadership... Even there, the demons found him, but, amazingly Duane stood up to them and with Grandfather's help, the people at the retreat was not completely destroyed...

During that time together, we meet Leroy, who was also born to be a Shaman and had been training under his Grandfather all of his life. He was a healer who had began using this gift at the age of four... It was when Duane brought out pictures of his missing family that Leroy first saw a picture of Cass, touched it, and knew she was his soulmate--the knowledge between his soulmate and a shaman is like no other earthly connection... Grandfather also looked at the picture and confirmed Leroy's announcement. Leroy had fallen in love with her picture.

Leroy is racially African-American and Native American and stood tall and strong. It was not long before he had agreed to find Cass on behalf of his father... which he did...

Without details, Cass was immediately placed in a hospital under constant care, and on total life support...

In the meantime, as happens to some who have religious experiences, Cass' father began to question the potential relationship between Cass and Leroy and, telling Leroy that he was not allowed to visit Cass, he sent him off to a grand tour during which he would be trained to live "in society..." You know, using the right silverware, how to address royalty...

What Will had not realized was that Leroy and Cass had already formed a bond while Leroy had rescued her and was with her shortly in the emergency room... Leroy was making contact with Cass no matter where he traveled...

I loved the blend, the merge of supernatural, paranormal and fantasy, especially the inclusion of various religions each being used to fight the fight against evil... The surprises happening seem to be considered impossible, but were easily being done by those with the inner power coming to them from The Great One. In fact, the vision of the author moves forward and faster as we read, with no doubt or hesitation in what was being performed in His name... The book is a potpourri of horror, action adventure, spirituality, climaxing in a great wonderful, supernatural mystery!

Although some parts are hard to read, as we see evil at work on earth...the miraculous overcomes and love did come at Christmas...


Highly recommended


GABixlerReviews

I used to be a princess. My parents were born in the hungry days of the Great Depression. They overcame the poverty of their youth by becoming extremely successful. I spent my time showing horses and water-skiing behind my dad’s obscenely overpowered boat. That life vanished when a drunk driver hit my father head-on in 1964, killing him. 

Not instantly, though. My dad's death was the stuff of horror movies and plunged my family into years of darkness. 

My old life disappeared. I lived at close to poverty level for a while. What happened in the following decades opened my eyes. I've seen and lived the over-privileged existence I describe in the Bloodsong Series. I've seen how it can warp those who are lost in it. I've seen how the power of money can mask mental illness and allow evil to ruin lives.

I know the mental and emotional landscape of the San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley, as it has come to be known. I know the physical geography just as well; I lived on the San Francisco Peninsula for fifty years. I made my home in the iconic cities and towns of Atherton, Woodside, Cupertino, and Palo Alto during that time. 

How did such a hothouse flower end up writing the rough and visceral fiction I do? It’s because of what happened in those dark years. 

My writing has a bite. My life has had a bite. Recovering from what happened to me has taken many years. And I have recovered. What was legitimately mine came back to me, along with the fruit of my own labor. If your life echoes mine, you might like to see how I healed; it’s in my books. 

My writing isn’t for everyone. I write about people getting better and the world working out, but it’s not always gentle and nice. A reviewer described one of my books as “equal parts horror, spiritual, romance, and action.” If that’s for you, you’re my reader. 

I consider what I write as falling primarily into the visionary fiction genre, which is about psychological maturation and making the world a better place. I have had huge spiritual experiences all my life, as well as gentler, ongoing inner guidance. Whatever is behind these experiences and this earthly life wants me to tell you my visions through my tales: my darkness and light.

Now for my “regular bio”: I’ve been in school a very long time and have two advanced degrees. I’ve had prestigious careers. My writing has won thirty national awards. I’m very happily married; my husband and I have been together forty years. I have three grown children and two grandchildren. My husband and I live on our California horse ranch and love it. We still ride the trails together, metaphorically and on our horses.