Welcome to the Blog Tour for Mistletoe and Malice by Lori DeJong, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Mistletoe and Malice
Series: Guarded Hearts Series #1
Author: Lori DeJong
Publisher: Scrivenings Press
Release Date: October 21, 2025
Genre: Romantic Suspense

He’s sworn to protect her life … but guarding his heart may be his biggest challenge.

After barely escaping an attempted abduction, Houston attorney Riley Hudson is forced to accept her wealthy father’s demand for private security. The last thing she wants is a bodyguard—especially one as maddeningly arrogant, bossy … and handsome as Colton Blankenship. Yet as the threat against her escalates, she begins to rely not only on his skills, but his steadfast presence.

Colton isn’t thrilled about giving up his hard-earned holiday vacation to protect a spoiled heiress. But he soon learns Riley is nothing like he expected. Fierce, independent, and unwavering in her faith, she’s everything he thought he’d left behind after tragedy shattered his own beliefs. As the unknown threat circles closer, the tension between them ignites into something deeper … and far more perilous.

When a second attempt on Riley’s life nearly succeeds, Colton faces a terrifying truth. Protecting her means risking more than just his life. Haunted by a past he can’t outrun, and a faith he’s all but lost, he must decide if he can trust God again … before he loses Riley—and his heart—for good.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookBub

Also Available

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About the Author

Lori DeJong is a contemporary Christian romance author who enjoys penning stories full of grace and the redemptive power of God’s love that inspire others to hope regardless of circumstance, find joy in the moment, and grow in their faith. She resides in Georgetown, Texas, with her husband and two fur-babies, with a daughter and son-in-love in DFW. Lori’s debut novel, Love’s True Calling, was the 2022 winner of the ACFW Genesis Award for Romance, a double finalist in the 2024 Selah Awards, and was named the 2023 Scrivenings Press Contemporary Book of the Year. Love’s True Home, Book 2 of the True Calling Series, was a 2025 Selah finalist. Love’s True Measure released in June. Lori’s Christmas novella, Jingle Bell Matchmakers, a part of A Match Made at Christmas novella collection, was named a 2025 ACFW Carol Award finalist.

Connect with Lori by visiting loridejongwrites.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Why Christmas Makes the Perfect Backdrop for Romantic Suspense: Combining warmth and danger during the most wonderful time of the year

Lori DeJong

When writing Mistletoe and Malice, I loved the extremes of a lurking evil weaving itself through what is usually a joyous time. Defense attorney Riley Hudson’s favorite time of year is Christmas, as it is with many of us. But when she takes on a new case, then becomes a target of an unknown threat, her holidays take a decidedly dark turn.

Enter Colton Blankenship, who would rather escape the holidays than face them after a devastating loss. And when he’s called upon to lead a protection detail for a society princess, he’s not at all happy to give up his holiday golfing trip that he so desperately needs.

Writing scenes where the sounds, colors, and traditions of Christmas were underscored by this thread of evil that nobody could see offered the perfect contrast. Black and white. Good and bad. There was no gray area where they could live together. Taking a Christmas ball and turning it into a crime scene, a charitable Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless turned into a hunt for a faceless threat. Even Christmas morning gift-opening overshadowed by heartbreak. A final showdown that could end in tragedy, or a new beginning. Such wonderful contrasts to play up both the joy and the fear.

But over it all is a promise. A promise that God is in control. That He works it all out for the good. Even when we can’t see it.

The scripture passage that came to be the theme of this story as I was writing it is from Lamentations 3:20-23 NLT.

“I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.

Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.”

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card, a signed copy of Mistletoe and Malice, and a signed copy of A Match Made at Christmas novella collection (released in Oct 2024)!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 3, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 10, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!