Anthology-Snow Day- Three Authors Interviews

Hi Happy Friday and welcome to The Reading Frenzy where today I'm interviewing all three authors from Harlequin's Snow Day Anthology.
Heart of the Storm by Shannon Stacey
Seeing Red by Jennifer Greene
Land's End by Barbara Dunlop

This would make a perfect last minute gift for that Anthology lover on your gift list!
Enjoy!

• ISBN-13: 9780373837823
• Publisher: Harlequin
• Publication date: 12/31/2013
• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Pages: 320

Overview:

HEART OF THE STORM by Shannon Stacey
Brody Rollins is back in tiny Tucker's Point, Maine, for the first time in five years, and now he can't escape from former neighbors, old regrets or maddening glimpses of his ex-fiancée.

I welcome NYTimes Bestselling author Shannon Stacey to The Reading Frenzy

Shannon, hi Welcome to The Reading Frenzy

Thank you for inviting me!

Tell us a little about your novella in Snow Day-Heart of The Storm.

“Heart of the Storm” brings Brody Rollins back to Tucker’s Point to meet his sister’s newborn son. He thinks he’ll get in and out without running into anybody he used to know, especially the woman whose heart he broke, but Mother Nature has different plans. As the storm worsens, Delaney Westcott thinks wrangling her neighbors at the emergency shelter will be the hardest part of her job. Then Brody shows up and there’s nowhere to run.

Who was your favorite character in the novella?

I fell in love with almost everybody in this novella, including Delaney and John (the hero’s dad), but my favorite character would be Brody. In making the decision to leave Tucker’s Point to save not only himself, but Delaney, from a bleak future, he hurt a lot of people and now he has no choice but to face the damage. He honestly believed he was doing the right thing for both of them and realizing he didn’t is a hard lesson.

What is the most special part about the holidays at the Stacey home?

We like to make our own traditions and I think those are what makes the holidays special for us. We have a quirky assortment of tree ornaments, including an M&M dressed like Darth Vader, a frog riding a train, and a Lego Spider-Man that spends the season playing hide-and-seek in the branches. And our traditional Christmas dinner is cheeseburgers and tater tots, because we like those more than turkey and squash. Someday, when my sons are married, my future daughters-in-law might find that odd, but I’m guessing they’ll like cheeseburgers, too.

What is your favorite holiday activity in your hometown?

Our schools do a holiday fair every year for the district’s families. There are Christmas crafts to make, some holiday shopping to benefit the PTO, and pictures with Santa. It’s a fun and festive opportunity to share the Christmas spirit with the community.

Shannon thanks for answering

It’s been my pleasure. I hope you and your readers have a wonderful holiday!

Happy Holidays!!

Connect with Shannon - Website - Facebook - Twitter

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SEEING RED by Jennifer Greene
Stranded at her grandfather's seaside cottage, Whitney Carr prepares to face the blizzard alone. But unexpected help soon arrives—in the form of her secret high-school crush.

Please welcome Award Winning author Jennifer Greene to The Reading Frenzy

Tell us about your novella in Snow Day, Seeing Red.

      The three of us created the imaginary town of Tucker’s Point…we all wanted our stories to be independent, but hoped readers might enjoy the anthology more if there was a memorable setting that pulled them together.  (I love working with other authors!  It’s like having temporary sisters!)

    For my story—SEEING RED—I wanted to play with the old ‘first love’ theme.  I think we all remember the first boy we kissed…the first boy we had a serious crush on….the first time we knew we were in love.  Stories bring back those wonderful feelings, even if, like my characters, they couldn’t possibly make it together when they were young.  Red’s the blue collar type; Whitney’s the classy princess type—another theme I love to work with…the pull of opposites, and why they’re attracted to each other.

You also have a Special Edition Christmas novel out. The Bonus Mom.
Tell us about this. (ps I’ll be adding my review courtesy of RT for this one)

      The Bonus Mom is the last story in the Whisper Mountain trilogy about the Mackinnon family.  I invented the mountain—but not the area.  I’m in love with the mountains in South Carolina, and loved having the excuse to explore more about the area for these stories.

     The Bonus Mom, though, challenged me in new ways.  It was meant to be a Christmas story-but I wanted something ‘different’ than the same-old Christmas traditions.  I LOVE tradition, but just thought readers might want a fresh take that they hadn’t read before.  My Rosemary needed a ‘secret’ that was worth keeping, something seriously tough, something that took a frightening amount of trust for her to share.

What special holiday traditions do you follow Jennifer?

       One of my favorite traditions is to cook or bake recipes that come from loved family members—especially those loved ones we’ve lost—my mom, my grandmother, the kids’ fraternal grandmother, etc.  For the same reason, I try to use a dish or something on the table unique to those we’ve loved and want to remember.  I didn’t think the family noticed—until one year I dared to NOT make a salad in the ‘sacred’ glass apple bowl.  (I didn’t make THAT mistake again!)

What is your favorite holiday event where you live?

     I love my tree—my daughter, mom, and I, made each individual bulb—so she’s a beauty.  But truthfully, I’ve never cared where we have the holiday as long as we can share it together.  I love everything about Christmas—from the cookies to the lights and presents—but honestly, the priceless thing every year is being with my loved ones.  Sharing.  Helping.  Remembering.  And just doing a major hug thing as often as possible.

Jennifer thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions.
Happy Holidays!!

Connect with Jennifer - Website

My review of Bonus Mom
courtesy RT Reviews

RT Rating

THE BONUS MOM (4.5) by Jennifer Greene: Holed up in her family’s lodge for a self-imposed, soul-searching Christmas, the last thing Rosemary MacKinnon expects is twin tornadoes and a man crashing her holidays and changing her life. Whit Cochran and his daughters are spending Christmas on Whisper Mountain S.C., away from home and the daily reminders of their terrible loss. Little do they know a woman who will steal their hearts is there, too. Will these damaged souls make a love and a family connection? Greene combines tender humor and wit in her fabulous romance, but it’s her characters who really shine. The couple pulls on your heartstrings and the pair of magpie twins will win you over with their antics.

Reviewed By: Debbie Haupt

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LAND'S END by Barbara Dunlop
Tessa Ambroise is desperate to ditch the charming, infuriating hotelier circling her late aunt's century home like a vulture. But the snow piling up outside the mansion puts both their plans on hold.

Please Welcome USA Today bestselling author Barbara to The Reading Frenzy

Barbara Welcome!

Tell us about your novella in the Snow Day Anthology Land’s End

New Year’s, in the seaside town of Tucker’s Point, Tessa Ambroise is cleaning out her family’s two hundred year old castle, Land’s End, discovering a treasure trove of precious memories.  When she’s realizes her brother wants to sell the property, she is devastated.  When she discovers her ex fiancé Colton Herrington plans to buy it, she’s angry.  Then a snowstorm moves in, and she’s stranded at Land’s End with Colton.  While she fights with him for her heritage, she’s forced to reveal her secrets and vulnerabilities.  In turn, she learns what he’s been hiding from her all these months.

Barbara, as far as I’m concerned romance and Harlequin make the world go round.
Why did you choose to write romance?

I love anything romantic: films, songs, stories even photos and paintings.  When you combine a love of romance with a love of writing, the choice of genre is very easy.

Do you have any family holiday traditions that you follow?

I have a big, extended family, and we try to get as many members together as we can over the holidays.  We love fine food, fun drinks, and traditional decorations, some of which have been passed down through the generations.  We live in the wilderness, so we enjoy tromping out into the snowy woods with the kids to cut down a tree.  It’s often well below freezing, but we build a big fire and pour mugs of hot chocolate.

What’s your favorite holiday event where you live?

Wow, it’s hard to pick just one.  We’ve done everything from a Christmas Eve snow mobile ride, to skating on a frozen lake, bonfires out in the snowy woods to driving through town to enjoy the lights.  But I think my favorite part of the holiday is the chance to visit with family members who are strung out across the country.

Thanks Barbara for answering these questions
Happy Holidays!!!

Thanks!  Happy Holidays to you, too!

Connect with Barbara - Website

You can also visit them on their pages in the Harlequin Community