Amy R. Anguish's Blog, page 31

Behind the Story: Tina

Let's talk best friends. Because, to be honest, Christiana and Jordan wouldn't have much of a story in Writing Home, if not for Tina.
Tina and Chris grew up down the street from each other in their Nashville suburb, and were almost inseparable until Chris left to go to Huntsville for college. Now, Tina is still at home, and wishes Chris were, too.
When Chris asks for a pen pal, Tina immediately thinks of her cousin Jordan, who she used to write in middle and high school. And maybe for a few other reasons, too, but she's not disclosing those yet.
Tina loves to have fun, and is changing her hair every few weeks, adding colors or curls. She dresses trendy, and Chris has often wished for her sense of style.
But Tina doesn't have much luck when it comes to love. She flits from boyfriend to boyfriend, but never stays with one for long. It doesn't bother her ... much. She just goes on to the next social event and sees who is there who might be her next date.
Tina and Chris are a great example of opposites attracting, because they don't have a ton in common outside of their history. But they both know the other will be there for her, no matter what, despite the two and a half hour distance.
​Do you have a best friend who is always there for you though sometimes not as helpful as she seems? Just a few more days until you get to meet Tina! And Chris and Jordan, too.

Behind the Story: Jordan

Jordan White, the other main character of my book, Writing Home, lives in Louisiana. Just outside of Shreveport on his family's land, to be exact. He inherited his grandfather's cabin, just down the yard and across the driveway from his parents' house.
Growing up in that part of the world, it's natural for him to love all things outdoors--hiking, fishing, hunting, football. And since they have several acres of wooded area, as well as a pond, he's pretty happy to stay right where he is.
Jordan is four years older than his cousin, Tina, who is Christiana's childhood best friend. When Tina asks him to be Chris's pen pal, he isn't sure what to think, but goes ahead and gives it a try. After all, it won't take much time.
He works as a nurse practitioner for a pediatric clinic in Shreveport and loves his job, most of the time. A few middle-of-the-night calls during his on-call turn aren't appreciated, but for the most part, he's very happy.
He leads singing at church services, and is involved in men's and youth activities, as well.
His younger brother Nick drives him a little crazy, but isn't that what brothers are for?
He loves to cook and is often pulling together a scrumptious meal in his kitchen, when he doesn't head across the yard to eat with his family. He keeps his face shaven except during the winter, when he lets it grow out into a trimmed beard to keep his cheeks warmer.
Jordan was fun to write about, too. And I think you're going to fall in love with him just as much as someone else did in the book. ;-) If he sounds too perfect, just wait. He's got a few flaws mixed in, too.
What do you think? Does Jordan sound like someone you'd like to spend some time with?

Behind the Story: Christiana

As we gear up to welcome my newest book into the world in a week and a half (not that I'm counting or anything), I wanted to give you a sneak peek at the characters and some other behind-the-scenes tid-bits.
Here's Christiana Jones. She grew up hearing stories of Huntsville from her dad, who went to college there. It became her dream, so she went to school there and stayed. But for some reason, it doesn't feel like home to her. Maybe that's why she hasn't unpacked all of the boxes in her apartment despite having been there almost three years.
She's working at a pediatric clinic as one of the receptionists, and is good at her job, but it no longer brings satisfaction. She loves to bake, and has perfected her grandma's roll recipe, but cooking normal things eludes her. After all, baking is an exact science and she knows things will come out right if she follows the directions. Cooking dinner is more of an experiment, and more often than not, she ends up with raw meat or mushy vegetables.
Her childhood best friend Tina still lives in their hometown suburb of Nashville, and begs her to come "home" with every text and call.
Her two older brothers, Shawn and Mark, have a bet going that she won't stay in Huntsville, but will move back to TN like Tina wants. And she can't let them win, of course.
She loves a hike in the fall, watching the snow in the winter, a good town carnival in the spring--especially if there's a ferris wheel to ride--, and the air conditioning in the summer. She does live in the south, after all.
I loved developing Christiana, who knows she's not perfect, but decides to work towards it in the book. And I hope you love her, too, as you read the story of her and Jordan writing letters to each other. (More about Jordan next week.)
Do you see anything in Christiana that makes you want to know more?

Author Interview: Allison Pearl

Happy New Year all! I'm excited about bringing a whole new set of interviews to you this year, and first up is Allison Pearl. She's a sister author with Anaiah Press, and her books sound so good. I've really enjoyed getting to know her, and I think you will, too.

Hey Allison, I notice that all of your books have my favorite food on the cover. :-) What about donuts made you think murder mystery?
​
The murder part was more of an afterthought. First on the brain was doughnuts. I probably would’ve put them in anything, but I can’t do cookbooks, so murder it is. 

If you had to branch out and write about a different kind of food, what do you think you'd pick?

I love a good pie. And they’re not easy either, which would be good in a book. The crusts and filling are finnicky and complicated. They’re hard work, but worth it. There’s got to be a story in there somewhere.

Pies are hard, yes. I've never perfected making a crust, so I totally get the analogy.
I'm noticing some names like Knightly and Bennet in your book descriptions. Any relation to the beloved characters of Jane Austen or did you just like the names?

The names are absolutely Austen inspired. To me, she was the first of us. She wrote amazing stories that kept you turning the pages long after bedtime. And even though the endings were always happy, she didn’t shy away from weaving the real struggles of women in her time into the narrative. Struggles that in some ways we are still dealing with today. Ultimately, I wanted my first published novels to be a nod to the woman who started it all. That's so neat.
I know you're a tea-drinker as well as I am. What's your go-to favorite tea?

It really depends on the time of day. If it’s early morning, I want a black tea blend and I want it unsweetened. Throughout the day, I like to treat myself with a cinnamon tea latte or a chai. And there’s nothing better at bed time than chamomile. But just because I love tea doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy, or more likely NEED, a cup of coffee too.

If you had to give up one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Waiting in line. I know it’s an unavoidable part of life and that we all have to do it, but… UGHHHHHH. Now, I’m not saying I throw a fit or act like some of those ‘Karen-y’ people that mumble complaints or ask for a manager when the lines get long. That’s not cool. I keep quiet and patiently wait my turn, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t give it up in a second.

Okay, last question I ask everyone (which means you must answer it ;-) ). Please tell us one thing about yourself that very few people know.

This is a weird one, but I never got all my teeth. I remember, we were doing a dental coloring sheet in school and we were supposed to count our teeth. I kept getting the wrong number and couldn’t figure out why. I told the teacher and she just insisted I had miscounted. Turns out I was missing the two incisors on either side of my front teeth and I never got them. Or wisdom teeth either for that matter. They did x-rays and they’re just not there. With an extensive amount of dental work, my smile worked out fine, but I did have to spend quite a few Christmases listening to my brother taunt me with the holiday song, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Allison. I never got my wisdom teeth, either, so there's one more thing we have in common. :-)

If you want to get to know Allison a bit more or find out about one of her yummy mysteries, keep reading.
​Allison Pearl is a small-town girl who’s lived just about everywhere. She loves books, tea, chocolate, and watching old movies with her husband and black lab, Sal. To keep in touch on social media and get updates about upcoming releases visit www.allison-pearl.com. 
​Lizzy Bennet loves life as a lawyer in the city. And not just because of the miles it puts between her and her ex. However, when she’s attacked on the street just hours after learning her identity was stolen, she tries to call home for help and ends up with the last person she expects: the very same high school boyfriend who broke her heart. He says he’s there to help, but she’s not so sure, and now, all the endless questions and regrets are clouding her judgment and preventing her from seeing the dangerous saboteur closing in.
 
Small-town auto mechanic, Koby Knightly, is looking forward to seeing a car show in the city. But when an unexpected call from his old girlfriend disconnects suddenly, he rushes to her aid. Throwing his plans out the window, Koby makes it his mission to protect her and discover the identity of the person trying to frame her. Will he also be able to figure out what went wrong between them back in high school or will a killer get to her first?

12 Days of Christmas

Looking for something fun and bookish to do over the next few weeks? Scrivenings Press is hosting a 12 Days of Christmas bash on their facebook page. Swing by from December 13 through 24th to play fun games, chat with authors about some of their holiday favorites, and possibly win some bookish prizes. Each day one person who participates will win an ebook of their choice. And at the end of the week, someone is going to win the promise of an ecopy of every book Scrivenings is publishing next year (over 25 books!). And don't forget the recipes you can receive, too. ;-)
We hope you'll come by and party with us as the holidays approach. It's a great way to end 2020.

Author Interview: Sara Beth Williams

Hi all! Today, I'm pleased to introduce you to a new-to-me author. The joy of working with several different publishing groups, is I get to meet and know several different authors, too. Today, I'm chatting with a fellow Anaiah Press author, Sara Beth Williams. Read on because she's pretty fun!

Sara Beth, welcome to my blog. I love getting to know other authors on here. To start, can you tell us what inspired you to start writing?
 
I’ve been writing since junior high. I’ve written poetry ,and copy cat stories, kids' stories, and YA stories. Then later, as I matured, and began reading Christian Romance, specifically Hallee Bridgeman’s Jewel series, I fell in love with the genre and thought to myself – I can absolutely write this.
 
Nice! What are some ways that your stories stand out from other romances (yes, I know this is a hard question--especially since I write romance, too)?
 
I love to write characters who are authentic and deep and messy. My characters deal with a lot of family drama. I also stray from writing about rich characters. My third book releasing in March, 2021, also delves into a little bit of mental illness. Those characters sound like the kind I like to read about.
With two kiddos at home, something I always find I'm having to work towards is making sure I have a balance between focusing on work and focusing on family. Have you found any tips that you could share for how to keep the balance? How do you find time to write?
 
It is hard! I am right there with you, with two young girls of my own. I do my best writing at night. I tried to do it early in the mornings, but find I’m either too tired, too distracted, or it simply doesn’t work in my schedule. But I write down my ideas anytime of the day in a notebook. Then I make time to sit and (try to) write and plan for at least an hour or two a night. It’s also extremely important to take time to be with your spouse and family. Every Friday night we do a family movie night. Unless I am on a deadline or have other work responsibilities, I try to spend at least one weekend night completely with my husband, just hanging out together to read, or watch TV or whatever.
 
That sounds like a great plan!
Both of your first books are set around college-aged characters. What led you to choose that age-group to write about? Would you ever consider branching into another?
 
To answer the second question, yes! I have thought about writing stories for the Young Adult genre, and I have thought about writing stories with older characters (30s? 40s?)
 
To answer the first question – the beginnings of When Hearts Collide began as a YA, but the more I wrote and finalized the story, the older the characters felt. I knew there needed to be a longer passage of time s well. (that won’t make sense unless you read When Hearts Collide lol) I also wove in a lot of personal college experiences (vaguely) and so because I’d recently finished college, it was easy to recall such experiences and interweave them into the storyline.
 
What do you have coming up book-wise? What projects are you working on now?
 
My 3rd book, Anchor My Heart, comes out in March 2021. This is the conclusion (for now) to my contemporary romance series and I love this story so much, I cannot wait for you all to share in Matt and Tara’s journey. You can follow me on Bookbub and Goodreads to make sure you don’t miss out on any book release updates.
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sara-beth-williams
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18403465.Sara_Beth_Williams
 
And one final question which I ask all my authors. Can you tell us something not many people know about you?
 
I love to create and apparently have a knack for visual and kinemetric learning, which comes in extremely handy while balloon twisting! I learned how to balloon twist when I was 18 and fell in love with it. I’m a sucker for anything I can do that brings joy and excitement to kids and adults too! ​

Well, that's just cool! Thanks so much for stopping by and chatting with us today, Sara Beth.

Want to know more about Sara Beth and her books? Keep reading! Sara Beth Williams is a wife, mother of two daughters, and temporary caretaker of a lovable old lady pit and a spunky Pomeranian-Shih Tzu mix. She lives in Northern California. When she's not held hostage by the keyboard, she enjoys music, teaching, reading and spending time with her family. She is all about connecting with readers! Find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, Bookbub and AllAuthor.
Second Chance Novels:
#! When Hearts Collide
#2 A Worthy Heart
#3 Anchor My Heart: COMING SPRING 2021
Where to find Sara Beth Williams
Amazon / Goodreads / Bookbub
Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
  Website / Newslette
A Worthy Heart by Sara Beth Williams

A Second Chance Novel #2

A 2020 SELAH AWARD FINALIST  
Joel Bennett has always known Serena Hayes as his sister's gregarious best friend. In the three years since Lacey began college, Serena became a regular houseguest, but lately, she's absent more than not. When Joel discovers she's in an abusive relationship, protectiveness from within roars to life.

With only a part-time job to support her and nowhere to go, Serena fears leaving her current relationship would jeopardize her chances of graduating college. After a brutal attack leaves her no choice, she courageously moves out. On her journey toward regaining confidence, self-worth, and independence, Joel falls in beside her, encouraging her. The way he emulates Godly love and compassion draws her close--not just to him, but to the God who can satisfy her longing for love better than any man,

Attraction sizzles between them, but events from their pasts cast shadows of doubt. When the unthinkable happens, can Serena open her heart to a second chance at love, or is she destined to be alone?

Excerpt from A Worthy Heart: Chapter 1

“Serena!”
She lifted her gaze at the sound of her name and scanned the lines of halted and slow-moving cars for the source of the voice. Doesn’t sound like Chris. She needed to find her phone. By now’ he might already be at the birthday party, wondering why she hadn’t arrived.
Then she identified the source of the voice. Tall and lean, clad in black slacks and a collared shirt, jogging along the bike lane past the stalled traffic was Joel Bennett. Her best friend’s brother. The same best friend whose birthday party was happening right now. What’s he doing here? Why isn’t he already at the restaurant with Lacey?
Panting, he stopped in front of her. “Serena, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
She sniffled and swallowed the emotion clogging her throat. He was the last person she wanted to see her cry. “I’m fine. My car…not so much.”
Without warning, she found herself wrapped in his arms. For a brief moment, she allowed her eyelids to sink closed and laid her forehead against his chest. Then she thought better of it and quickly stepped out of his embrace. What am I doing? I have a boyfriend. Who would flip out if he saw me hugging another guy!
“You sure you’re all right?” 


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Nanowrimo 2020 Recap

This year was different. I set out with a plan and a hope, and I finished my Nanowrimo story by the 21st--the earliest I've ever "Won" Nanowrimo. My personal goal was 60,000 words (normal Nanowrimo goals are 50,000, but I'm an overachiever), and I ended at 58,118. Not my personal best, but not the worst, either. Especially since I know my story will grow and evolve during edits over the next year or two.
​So, what's next?
Well, this story I just wrote is the second in a series, so I still have to write the third, but I'm working on a proposal to submit for them now so that maybe we can see them published as early as 2022 (?). It's a hope and a prayer. That means early next year, I want to finish the third one, too.
But first, I need to write my Christmas novella that will be releasing in September 2021. It's to be included with four other stories, all set on a beach during the holidays. Mine will be on St. Simon's Island, Georgia, a place I love dearly--it's where we honeymooned. So, be looking for more on that soon.
AND, my March release, Writing Home, has been moved UP to January 19th. So, stayed tuned for more about that story, too. I'm so excited for you to meet Chris and Jordan and fall in love with them just like I did.
Have you accomplished some goals you set lately? Were you pleased with how they turned out or a little disappointed?​

Nanowrimo 2020 Update

When I started thinking about doing Nanowrimo this year, I hesitated. My calendar was already so full and busy, adding one more thing seemed like a bad idea. That being said, I pushed on and decided to go ahead and at least attempt it. After all, even if I didn't "win" this year like I had so many times before, at least I'd have more words typed up than I started with.
Little did I know that my fingers would fly over the keyboard, pounding out several thousand words a day and putting me almost a week ahead. Yet, that's what happened. I am squeezing in writing time in the afternoons I'm home and the evenings when the afternoons are full. Some days I'm doing both. And I'm averaging over 2000 words an hours, guys. I'm shocking myself.
​At the time of my writing this post, I'm sitting at 39,090 words, 14,085 ahead of where a typical Nanowrimo author should be right now. That's basically over a week ahead of schedule. Want to know more about what I'm working on?
This book is the second in a three-book series and I'm going to have to categorize it as Chick-Lit or something instead of my typical romance because the couple is already married. That's right. This is their honeymoon. But nothing is going right. Want a sneak peek? Keep reading. Here's the opening scene.
     “Is this real?”
     Bree Hart looked up from where she’d been admiring her shiny new wedding ring and over at her husband—her husband!—and grinned. “It must be real. I’m too tired to be sleeping.”
     “Sorry our flights were so early. They were the cheapest.” Nathan wove his fingers through hers. Even after neither of them getting much sleep the night before, he looked as handsome to her as he had the day before in his tux. “I bet we have time to nap awhile this afternoon.”
     “Nap! Who can nap when there’s so many exciting things to do?” She craned her neck around to check how long before their departure. “It still confuses me that we’d have to travel through DFW to get to New York. I’ll never understand airlines.”
     Nathan shifted in his seat, running a hand through his brown curls. “So, here’s the thing ...”
     Uh oh.
     “I know you really had your heart set on spending our honeymoon in New York City.”
     Bree straightened, beginning to worry about what he’d say next. “Nathan, where are we going?”
     “Now, hear me out.” He patted the air as if to lay out the facts. “I did look at New York City as an option.”
     “Why am I hearing a ‘but’ in that statement?”
     “As I was doing the math, adding up all the things you’d mentioned wanting to do ...”
     The downside to being married to an accountant was beginning to show.
     “And it was getting pretty expensive.” Nathan shot her a guilt glance. “And then, because I’d been doing all that travel research, of course I started getting all sorts of ads for various vacations. Really good deals.”
     Bree squeezed her eyes shut, as if it would help block the dreadful image forming in her mind.
     “And I thought, we could do New York anytime, but how often would I find such a good price on a Caribbean cruise?”
     “Wait, wait, wait.” Bree cocked her head to the side. “You’re telling me you found a cruise cheaper than five days in New York?”
     “Yes.” His grin took over his whole face, like a little boy waiting for praise for a job well done.
     She desperately wanted to give him the adulation he was expecting, but she was still swallowing her disappointment over not getting to kiss him on top of the Empire State Building. Besides, a cruise required a completely different packing list. She’d packed for June in the northeast, not the Caribbean. She’d still included a swimsuit, but ...
     “I didn’t pack a fancy dress.”
     He blinked twice. “Do you need one?”
     “Every cruise has a night where you’re supposed to dress up for dinner.”
     “Really?”
     She had a momentary pinch of guilt at his crestfallen expression, but shouldn’t he know these things? Hadn’t his cruise sent him an itinerary or a list of suggested items to bring?
     “I guess we’ll have to figure something else out that night.” She offered a tiny nugget of hope. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go on a cruise—it just wasn’t what she’d dreamed of for almost a year.
     “Maybe there’ll be a store on the ship.” Nathan perked back up.
     “So much for this being cheaper than a trip to NYC.” She shook her head.
     Nathan looked confused but didn’t have the chance to ask what she meant.
     “Flight 453 to Houston has been cancelled due to weather.”
     “Cancelled!” Nathan jumped up, knocking over his carry-on. “I’ve got to see if we can find another flight. We’re supposed to meet the ship this afternoon.”
     Bree’s eyes wandered to a nearby television, something she’d paid no attention to earlier. She tugged on her husband’s sleeve. If that said what she thought it did, there wasn’t going to be another flight. And probably not a cruise, either.
     “Bree, I have to go talk to the lady at the counter.”
     “Look.” She pointed to the screen.
     A huge red blob swirled off the coast of Texas, orange and green spinning off it and covering most of the state. How had she missed hearing about a hurricane? Not to mention not noticing the rain lashing at the windows around them.
     Maybe because for the last week her sole focus had been on the wedding yesterday. She hadn’t checked the weather except to make sure it wasn’t raining in Nashville this weekend or New York City next. Nathan slumped into the seat beside her.
     “Oh no.” His voice was flat, deflated.
     ​“Something tells me our cruise probably isn’t leaving Houston this afternoon.”

What an Honor

If you look in the back of Saving Grace, you'll see something that isn't in my other two books. Know why? Because this year, I joined a book club. And several of the girls in the group always look for discussion questions for the book of the month. And since they honored me by choosing my book as the October read, I wanted to make sure these questions were there.
So, being read by a book club is a huge deal to me. This is my third book and this is the third club to choose one of my books as their read. I know how hard it is to pick books, especially if no one in the group has read them yet. And even though these ladies had read my other stories, they didn't know anything about this one.
Being chosen by a book club is also a bit intimidating. Why? Because, at least this time, I was going to be there for the discussion of what they thought. Would they love it? Would they find nitpicky things to pull apart? Would they censor what they said because I was sitting right there with them?
I'm happy to say that Monday night, when we discussed the book, they all liked it. And had plenty of good things to say. And the ones that weren't all praising were mostly just pet peeves or personal preferences, and nothing awful.
So, when you see the discussion questions in the back of the book, you can thank my local book club for that. And, if you're in a book club and need a new read, I'd love for you to check me out. I'll even join via zoom or messenger, if you want.
​Do you like having questions in the back of a book? Do you belong to a book club? What do you look for in book club reads?

Author Interview: Jennifer Chastain

One of the privileges I've discovered with being published by multiple houses is that I have multiple publishing families. I'm still getting to know the authors over at Anaiah Press, but I'm enjoying it, too. And I hope you'll enjoy getting to know brand new author Jennifer Chastain with me. Here's the fun interview about her and her new novel, which sounds like so much fun!

How does it feel to have your first book "birthed?" 

    How do I describe my first book being published? When I saw the email saying, "Congratulations! We'd like to offer you a book contract for "The Mistletoe Contract", I started crying. But these were happy tears of joy. It's surreal, exciting, scary, and all those other adjectives thrown in! It's been a long awaited dream coming to fruition with a lot of long nights of writing. I guess I can sum it up in one word - overwhelming. 

I completely agree with all those adjectives. :-)
When did you first decide to become a writer?

    Oh wow, this is another tough question. Over twenty-five years ago I felt this strong urge to write. However, I was unsure and scared and really had no idea where to start. I have loved to read since I was a young child and was always making up stories for my Barbie and Ken dolls. However, six years ago, I felt God's call again and I said "I should write a book. I think I could do that." Before this, I lacked confidence in myself and my abilities but God kept nudging my heart to do this. And to be honest, He wouldn't let me rest. So I did a Google search for "How to write a novel"  and up popped Novel Academy/My Book Therapy, with Susan May Warren teaching the StoryCrafter classes. I learned so much and am still learning.   I have heard so many good things about that course. I'm glad it helped you gain the confidence you needed. Okay, with one book releasing now, what are you working on for the future?

    I am working on a trilogy about three brothers - the Jamison family. And the stories are set in the same small town as The Mistletoe Contract. I just finished finished editing Preston's story. He is the youngest of the three brothers and has always felt like he was in the one who was unseen, in his older brother's shadows. Preston, is a CrossFit athlete. I'm hoping to send this to the acquisitions editor by the end of October. I have also written about the middle brother, Tanner, a former NFL quarterback, but since this was the first story I had written, it needs a serious overhaul. And finally, the oldest brother, Brennan's story is almost finished. I also have a couple of novella ideas that need to be developed as well. I'm planning on putting my nose to the grindstone during NaNoWriMo in November.

Nanowrimo is also my major writing time every year. It's a crazy challenge but so rewarding! Your website says you write Second-Chance romance. I love that trope. What made you decide to write that type of story versus another?

 I love the idea of second chances. And third. And fourth,  etc. From a personal perspective, we all make mistakes. I've  made a ton of mistakes over the years, but God will always forgive me if I only ask for His forgiveness. His forgiveness is not conditional, it's freely given. That's what I love about this trope. My main characters are flawed and have made a lot of mistakes. And as a result of those mistakes, they feel so guilty, so unworthy, and so unloved. But when the right person enters the main character's life, they want to be a better person, and they actively seek to make changes in their lives. Perhaps the main character hurt the other in the past through actions or their words. My characters have to work through their issues, and with a little help from their love interest, they learn to let go of the hurt and the pain. Their journeys are uncomfortable but they learn so much about themselves and are able to grow as a person. The same is true for me and my personal walk.  I can't allow the shame and guilt of the past to hold me back from God's purpose for my life.

I love that. Now, onto something personal. You're a Yankee transplant? What's the hardest thing you've had to adjust to since moving south?

   We moved South when I was a teenager. As you can imagine, it was very difficult to leave all my friends, and start over. There were two things that I had to learn to adjust to when we moved south: the southern accent and the food. Believe me, I've picked up a slight accent after all these years and now enjoy most southern dishes - well, I enjoy everything except grits, boiled okra and boiled squash! 

I can't do boiled okra, either, and I've lived in the south my whole life. :-) I ask the same question at the end of all my interviews: can you tell us one thing about you that very few people know?

     Let me see...I think most people don't know that I attended school to become a Paralegal. 

Nice! I'm so happy you've discovered your writing voice. I look forward to seeing how far you go. Thanks so much for stopping by today.

​If you want to know more about Jennifer and her new book, keep reading.
​Confirmed bachelor, Nathan Rutledge shut his heart to romance when he was forced to break the heart of the only woman he loved. Now, with his father’s retirement from the family conglomerate, the torch has been passed to him. But there are two problems—first, he needs a wife in order to take over the family business. Second, someone has been embezzling company funds. With the pressure mounting, and time expiring to find both a wife he can trust and the thief, Nate needs a Christmas miracle.
 
Forensic Accountant, Meredith Mitchell’s life is in a shambles. Her mother needs a lifesaving transplant, Mom’s medical bills have bankrupted Meredith’s meager savings, and she’s sold everything of value, but it’s still not enough. Worse, she’s now tasked with discovering accounting errors for a new client—none other than Nathan Rutledge—the same man who gave her a broken heart for Christmas eight years ago.
 
Meredith wants to run. Nate wants the chance to right his wrongs. When he proposes a modern-day marriage of convenience, she balks at the idea. But he desperately needs a wife, and she really needs the money he offers. Is this the answer to her prayers? Or will this mutually beneficial arrangement re-open old wounds that can’t be healed? 


It sounds good, doesn't it? Here's where you can order it. More about Jennifer


Ever since she was a little girl, living in her small town in New York State, Jennifer has been a voracious reader. During the summer months, she would ride her bike to their library and return with a basketful of books. Her dad’s job moved them to Charlotte, NC in her teen years, but the memories of growing up in a small community have stayed with her. A Yankee transplant, she has grown to love the grace and charm of the South. In fact, she even married a native Charlottean.
For the past five years, she and her husband have been host parents to several
international high school students. They have experienced the joy of seeing these students blossom into young adulthood.
Jennifer is a member of ACFW, ACFW-NC, and My Book Therapy/Novel Academy. Several of her other stories were finalists in the Blue Ridge Mountains Foundations contest and she was a finalist in the Touched by Love contest, sponsored by the Faith, Hope, and Love chapter of RWA. Her contemporary romance stories contain the themes of redemption, grace, forgiveness, and second chances.
A hopeful romantic, Jennifer loves dark chocolate, Diet Coke, old movies, and a good romantic movie. She loves to experiment with new recipes in the kitchen, and when not cooking, she’s baking. Growing up in the snowy North, Christmas has always been her favorite holiday, with the scents of cinnamon, vanilla, and pine scenting the air.
She and her husband have been married for over 25 years, and they are permitted to coexist with their black rescue cat.
 
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