Writing the Holiday Romance by Jana Richards

 I love holiday romances. I can easily overdose on the Hallmark Christmas movies. There's something magical about falling in love during a special time of year.

That was one of the reasons I jumped at the opportunity to be part of The Wild Rose Press's Candy Hearts Valentine series back in 2016. Every novella in the series is named for a saying on one of those heart-shaped candies that used to be a part of Valentine's Day. There are titles in the series such as "Three Wishes", "Say Yes", "You and Me" and "One Kiss". After researching Candy Heart sayings, I chose "Chill Out", mainly because I set the story here in Canada, and let's face it, it's chilly in February. I also choose the name because the main characters needed to relax and chill out. I had a lot of fun including many of the actual sayings from the candy hearts in the story. Each time Renata choose one, it seemed to either comment on what was going on between her and Noah, or predicted they would fall in love.

Unfortunately, I have not yet written a Christmas romance; it is definitely on my to-do list. But writing a holiday romance set on Valentine's Day was a whole lot of fun!

Today is the last day of my .99 cent sale on CHILL OUT so hurry and get your e-copy now!

Blurb:

 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?

Excerpt:

Noah stared at the ceiling of his bedroom. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What had prompted him to make such a rude remark to Renata? One minute she’d been smiling at him, her lovely brown eyes full of amusement, and the next he’d panicked and opened his big, fat mouth. She was sweet and funny and, according to Tyler, wicked smart. Exactly like Kendall. 

What had made him think he could come home? 

It was too late to regret his decision. After two years, he was back in Canada. He’d meet his brother in Winnipeg and then decide whether to continue his self-imposed exile or make his homecoming permanent. His stomach knotted. Would Dylan even want to meet with him? 

Spike rolled over and took most of the blankets with him. Noah tugged them back. Apparently Spike’s former owner had allowed him to sleep in her bed, under the covers, no less, and no matter what Noah did, he couldn’t persuade the dog to sleep on the floor. In the week they’d been together, on their drive from Toronto to Falcon Lake, Manitoba, Spike had pushed his way into his hotel room bed every night. When they got their own place, he was going to have to lay down some laws, and the first was going to be that dogs slept on the floor. 

He changed positions, trying to make himself comfortable once more. Despite his discomfort, it was hard to stay mad at Spike. Noah smiled when he thought of the way his dog had won over Renata. Once more he saw her dark, expressive eyes, ringed by long, thick lashes. She was a nice woman, and he’d insulted her by insinuating she wouldn’t be able to keep her hands off him. 

What a joke. He knew he didn’t exactly look his best these days, and until now his appearance hadn’t concerned him. Stroking his beard, he tried to remember when he’d last shaved. What about his hair? How long since he’d cut it? Two years? Three? Where he’d been, no one cared about his looks, and he’d stopped caring too. But maybe it was time to return to the land of the living. And good grooming.

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