Cooler temperatures put me in the mood for reading stories about Christmas. Scrivenings Press has launched a great collection of short novellas called Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams. They’re all sweet and romantic, and they all take place on the beach. What could be better? Each day, we will meet one of the authors and find out about her story. After your sneak peak, I know you will want to grab your own copy of this great little book, either in paperback or on Kindle.
Let’s hear from the my new friend, Amy Anguish.
Jenny: “Hi, Amy. Thanks for being the first of the novella authors to visit with us. Have you ever spent Christmas on the beach? If not, what was the most unusual Christmas you can remember?”
Amy: “I have never spent Christmas on the beach. My most interesting Christmas was the first one after I got married. We were young and stupid, and decided to squeeze EVERYONE into one massive trip. We started in ice/snow in Memphis, drove with my family to middle TN for a few days with my dad’s family, then back about halfway to a cabin with my immediate family, then to Nashville with my in-laws at my mother-in-law’s parents’ home, then to Atlanta for a few days with my father-in-law’s family. We swore we’d never again try to do EVERYONE in one trip. It’s too much. And, except for one Thanksgiving, I think we’ve kept that promise.”
Jenny: “Wow. I’ll bet that was a stressful holiday. We live and learn, right? Some of my readers may not be familiar with novellas. Was it difficult to keep your story short? Would you like to write about these characters again?
Amy: “It wasn’t as hard as I thought. I knew I couldn’t have any extra plots going on, so sticking with one basic conflict for each character helped a lot. And I love my characters, so who knows? They might pop up again in a future story. Since Sam is an author, maybe another character could read one of her books. 😉”
Jenny: “I have read this one, and I would love to read about Sam and Charlie again! While we’re talking about Christmas, what dessert do you look forward to most this holiday season?”
Amy: “Pumpkin pie. With a healthy dollop of whipped cream. My five-year-old seems to agree, because he’s already been begging for some, and I told him we need to wait until Thanksgiving when others are here to help eat it.”
Jenny: “Hey, why not start a new tradition? Pumpkin pie would go great at Halloween, too! How about music? What is your favorite Christmas Carol?”
Amy: “I love happy ones and old ones. I tend to gravitate toward Sleigh Ride or Silver Bells.”
Jenny: ” Did writing about the beach make you want to go there? Any new travel plans on the horizon?”
Amy: ” I am always up for a few days at the beach. Unfortunately, we’re talking about going to St. Louis next summer, so no sand in our toes. But still fun.”
Jenny: “For sure. Enjoy all of those family times. Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope all of my readers enjoy Mistletoe Make-believe as much as I did. Have a wonderful holiday season!”
Mistletoe Make-believe by Amy Anguish – Charlie Hill’s family thinks his daughter Hailey needs a mom–to the point they won’t get off his back until he finds her one. Desperate to be free from their nagging, he asks a stranger to pretend she’s his girlfriend during the holidays. When romance author Samantha Arwine takes a working vacation to St. Simons Island over Christmas, she never dreamed she’d be involved in a real-life romance. Are the sparks between her and Charlie real? Or is her imagination over-acting … again?
Author of An Unexpected Legacy, Faith and Hope, and Saving Grace
Amy R Anguish grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good.
Follow her at http://abitofanguish.weebly.com or http://www.facebook.com/amyanguishauthor
Or https://twitter.com/amy_r_anguish
Learn more about her books at https://www.pinterest.com/msguish/my-books/
And check out the YouTube channel she does with two other authors, Once Upon a Page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEiu-jq-KE-VMIjbtmGLbJA)
Last note from Jenny: What are you looking forward to the most this Christmas? Comment here, and win a special Christmas ornament, straight from my tree to yours.
“Sleigh Ride” is such a fun song to sing!
I’m looking forward to putting my trees up. It’s like once we do that, Christmas is officially coming. We put our trees up on Halloween, so our Christmas season lasts a long time. I put up two skinny trees in the main living area and a small tree in my office. None of them take up much space, so they’re not in the way and feels festive. Other than that, I’m looking forward to family gatherings and Christmas themed church services.