Listening to: Beethoven
Reading: next on TBR
You might’ve noticed from the squeaking on Twitter and FB that I have a new book out this week – and it’s with three good writer friends (adjective applies to both nouns, there). One of them, Heidi Rice, just so happened to tag me in the Next Big Thing blog event… so here goes!
What is the title of your book?
Tis the Season to Kiss Santa, which is one of four novellas in the Baby It's Cold Outside anthology from Entangled Publishing.
How did you come by the idea?
The three other authors in the anthology – Aimee Carson, Amy Andrews and Heidi Rice – and I decided to write four stories set over the Christmas and New Year season, linked by a freak snow storm on America's Eastern Seaboard. I begged to do the Christmas Eve Santa one because I lurrrrve writing Santa stories. And then I thought, what if Santa didn’t want to be there and hated Christmas? And what if the Chief Elf loved Christmas, but was four thousand miles away from where she should be? And what would happen if they got snowed in together? (Yup, it’s one of my opposites-attract stories.)
What genre does your book fall under?
Contemporary romance. Oh, and it’s Christmassy!
Which actors would you choose to play your characters if it were a movie?
That’s a tough one, because my automatic response to my hero would be Antonio Banderas… (Sorry, but he is utterly gorgeous and comes across as such a nice guy and clearly loves his wife to bits. Real romance hero material.) I think possibly Ben Affleck. He’d do a great uptight workaholic hero. And my heroine needs to be English, quirky and cute - I think Kate Beckinsale.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
With the help of a sprig of mistletoe and some snow angels, a recently single pastry chef teaches a highly successful and sexy Scrooge the true meaning of the holidays on a snowy Christmas Eve that quickly heats up.
Will your book be self-published or traditional?
Entangled are primarily an epublisher, so the anthology's going to be an ebook in their Indulgence line.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It’s a novella, so – um – do I have to admit to this? Let’s just say I write quickly, and this was done in proportion to my M&Bs :o)
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I think I should refer you to Heidi’s answer for this one! (I love the idea of us being a cool 60s girl group. Y’know, actually, we could do it…) Ahem. It did start out as my chocolate book, but then it worked better with the heroine as a pastry chef. And I did grill some of my American friends about Christmas baked goods (thank you in particular to Julie Cohen and Kimberly Lang). And Philadelphia is on my travel wishlist, so... it all worked together.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Snow angels. The differences between UK and US Christmas traditions. Gingerbread. Sexy man in a suit getting very wet (think Mr Darcy in the pool - except it's snowy). And, most of all, it’s in an anthology with three other cracking stories about the holiday season, from writers I love. (You just cannot miss the sex-and-shopping in Heidi’s, the strip Scrabble in Amy’s, or the hot toyboy in Aimee’s!)
Oh, wait. I forgot something. The COVER. :o)
It's available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
To close, I've nominated three other authors to tell us about their NEXT BIG THING on Tuesday 27th November. (It would have been a couple more except I messed up the dates, and lovely Fiona Lowe is going to be in the middle of a very impressive 591km bike ride.)
Scarlet Wilson
Shirley Jump
Lucy Gordon
2 comments:
I'll be on the lookout. Fabulous!!
Thanks, Mary!
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