Chill
Out
Candy
Hearts Series
Jana
Richards
Genre:
contemporary romance
Publisher:
The Wild Rose Press
Date
of Publication: January 4, 2016
Number
of pages: 90
Word
Count: 20,000
ASIN:
B018L29ZUY
ISBN:
978-1-5092-0370-3
Cover
Artist: RJ Morris
Book
Description:
Renata
Cabral needs to hide for the weekend. Her cousin’s Valentine’s
Day wedding means she’ll face embarrassing questions from her
large, extended family. Questions like “Why aren’t you married
yet?” Since the breakup of her last relationship, she’s not
ready to answer that question. She invents a work-related excuse and
escapes to a friend’s lakeside cottage.
Noah
Brownlee has been hiding for two years. But now he’s ready to come
home and mend his broken relationship with his brother. When a friend
offers the use of his lakeside cottage, Noah arrives in the middle of
a blizzard with his English Mastiff, only to find the place is
already occupied. With her big brown eyes and quirky sense of humor,
Renata stirs feelings he thought long dead.
As
the blizzard rages, the candy hearts predict love. Can Valentine’s
Day work its magic between them?
This
is part of a multi-author series of novellas The Wild Rose Press has
put together for Valentine’s Day- all can be read as standalone
titles
Excerpt
“Dylan
wasn’t just my brother, he was my best friend, and in some ways, he
was like a father. When our mother died, he petitioned the court to
make him my legal guardian so I wouldn’t have to go into care. He
made sure I studied, pushed me to apply to med school, helped me with
expenses.”
“He
sounds like a wonderful big brother.”
His
lips curved in a sad smile and Renata’s heart ached for him. “He
was, and I know he’s going to be an amazing father. I want this
animosity between us to end. I want my brother back.” His voice
cracked. “But I’m not sure he feels the same way. I said some
ugly things…”
“Perhaps,
with the baby coming, he wants to mend the rift between you as much
as you do.” She hoped she was right.
“Maybe.
I’ll find out tomorrow. I’m going to phone Dylan and try to
arrange a meeting.”
“It’ll
work out. You’ll see.”
He
leaned toward her, the corners of his eyes wrinkling with his smile.
“I appreciate the pep rally.”
“Well,
I was a cheerleader in high school. Rah, Rah.”
He
laughed softly, then cupped her face with his hand, his thumb idly
stroking her cheek. Her breath hitched at his tender touch. “Thank
you for making this easier for me, Renata.”
He
leaned in and her heart pounded in anticipation of his kiss. When his
lips touched hers, a firestorm of longing ignited inside her. She
strained toward him, needing his kiss, needing to heal his pain. His
lips parted against hers, and she opened her mouth eagerly, reveling
in his taste as his tongue danced with hers. The world faded away,
and nothing existed for her except this man and all the tenderness
she felt for him. It felt so right to kiss him, so perfectly,
completely right.
About
the Author:
When
Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two
things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to
paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew
she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met
a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance,
romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in
lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun,
she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of
the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things”
was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.
In
her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a
mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She
enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not
necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Western Canada
with their Pug/Terrier cross Lou and several unnamed goldfish.
Interview
Where are you from?
I live in western Canada, and have all my life. I
grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan and now live in a large city in a neighboring
prairie province. I have to admit I’m a real flatlander; while I enjoy the beauty
of mountains and oceans from a distance, up close and personal contact with
them makes me nervous!
Tell us your latest news?
My latest news is the release of CHILL OUT
which is happening today! It’s a fun Valentine’s story about finding the
courage to love again. It’s part of the Candy
Hearts Series from The Wild Rose Press.
When and why did you begin writing?
I’ve been writing for almost twenty years, but I
really started to get serious about my writing about ten years ago. Why did I
begin writing? The only thing I can say is that once I caught the writing bug I
couldn’t not write.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I guess I didn’t really consider myself a writer
until I was published in 2007. And when my editor at the time called me a “real
writer” for taking the time to do some edits that weren’t required but made the
book better, I knew I’d arrived!
What inspired you to write your first book?
The very first book I wrote, which was written in
long hand and shall forever remain under the proverbial bed, was inspired in
part by personal heartache. I’d had several miscarriages, and my heroine in
that story also suffers a miscarriage. I think writing the heroine’s story was
my way of dealing with it, even years later.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I try to incorporate humor into many of my books, if
the subject matter allows it. I love witty dialogue in other writers’ work and
so I try to emulate that wit in my own work.
How did you come up with the title?
Like all the titles in the Candy Hearts Series,
CHILL OUT comes from an actual saying on candy hearts, the heart-shaped candy
so synonymous with Valentine’s Day. The titles for these stories came first; we
had to submit a synopsis and a title for acceptance before going ahead and
writing the story.
Is there a message in your novel that you want
readers to grasp?
Just that a second chance at love is always
possible, but you have to have the courage to go for it. Love is always worth
the risk.
How much of the book is realistic?
The setting is real. Falcon Lake is a real place. I
think the emotions between Noah and Renata are realistic. But other than that,
the story is a product of my imagination.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events
in your own life?
The “someone” I know is actually a dog! Noah’s
English Mastiff Spike was inspired by my friend Michelle’s Mastiff named Indigo.
I made Renata an accountant like I am, but unfortunately I have never been
snowbound in a cottage with a handsome stranger!
What books have influenced your life most?
As a kid, I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little
House on the Prairie series, probably because I was a little girl on the
prairie and I could relate in some ways. Later, I enjoyed books by authors like
Leon Uris, Neville Shute, James Herriot, and Agatha Christie, among others.
Then I discovered romance and began reading authors like Victoria Holt, Rosamunde
Pilcher and Mary Stewart. Then I started reading other romance writers like
Johanna Lindsey, LaVyrle Spencer, and Nora Roberts. I think I’ve learned something new about storytelling from each writer
I’ve read over the years.
If you had to choose, which writer would you
consider a mentor?
Probably Nora Roberts, because I’ve read so many of
her books!
What book are you reading now?
I’m working my way through another series I was part
of with The Wild Rose Press, the Lobster
Cove series. It’s a fun group of stories about a
small town on the coast of Maine and the people who live there. My story in
this series is called ONE
MORE SECOND CHANCE.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your
interest?
Perhaps they’re not new, but they’re new to me! In
the last couple of years I’ve discovered Lisa Klepyas, Julie James, Jill
Shalvis, and Sally MacKenzie, and I’ve really enjoyed their work. Another
writer whose work I’m anxious to try is fellow Carina Press writer Jeffe
Kennedy. So far I’ve only read excerpts of her work and it’s pretty hot stuff!
What are your current projects?
I’ve got three series on the go at the moment. The
first series is about three sisters who inherit an old fishing lodge in north
central Minnesota and try to bring it back to life, while at the same time
solving the mystery of their parents’ deaths when they were children. The next
series is set in a small town in North Dakota and centers around a veterinary
clinic where many of the characters work. I love writing small town romances! My
third series is a time-travel romance. In order to enter heaven and earn his
wings, a man must help others go back in time and find the love they lost in
the past. My goal for 2016 is to complete one, if not all of these series!
What would you like my readers to know?
I’d like them to know that I love hearing from
readers! They can contact me through my website at http://www.janarichards.com
or at jana.richards@hotmail.com
Or they can stay in touch by subscribing to my newsletter.
She
loves to hear from readers. Connect online at:
Website:
http://www.janarichards.com
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_
Amazon
Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards
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Thank you for having me on your blog today. I enjoyed your interview!
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