Please welcome Annie Rains to Book Reviews & More by Kathy.
Kathy: Thank you so much for chatting with us today. Can you tell us a little about your new release, Christmas on Mistletoe Lane?
Annie Rains: Thank you for inviting me to chat! Christmas on Mistletoe Lane is a story about two people whose paths cross when they each inherit half of a bed and breakfast in the North Carolina mountains. The will stipulates that they must both stay and run the inn for 2 months or they forfeit it to charity. The hero, Mitch Hargrove, has no intention of staying in his hometown, but this is exactly the fresh start that the heroine, Kaitlyn Russo, needs. After convincing Mitch, they have a long road ahead to make the B and B profitable, and along the way they fall in love. They have a lot of obstacles to finding their happily ever after though!
Kathy: Did you find it more difficult to write a holiday themed novel ?
Annie Rains: Actually, no. I think Christmas books have a natural pace that is set by the impending holiday. I love reading and writing Christmas books. I might even say they’re my favorite. I’ve written 3 now and I hope to write more because they’re so much fun.
Kathy: What do you think Kaitlyn Russo’s and Mitch Hargrove’s best trait is?
Annie Rains: Kaitlyn’s best trait is her determination. She just doesn’t stop. She had several setbacks in this novel and she just kept shaking them off and continuing toward her goal. I really admire that about her. She doesn’t back down from a challenge.
Mitch is an honorable guy. He has a tragic past that makes it hard for him to be in his hometown, but he stays because not doing so will mean that Kaitlyn also loses the B and B. He works hard and protects the ones he loves, including his B and B partner by the end of the book.
Kathy: Christmas on Mistletoe Lane is a small town romance. Why do you think readers gravitate toward novels which feature small, close-knit communities
Annie Rains: I think readers love small town romance because the towns are usually places where you would want to visit. That’s one of the reasons I love to write small town romances. They’re quaint places with interesting and quirky characters. Sweetwater Springs has a fudge shop run by Dawanda who offers complimentary cappuccino readings. I’d love to sit down with Dawanda myself and see what my future holds. There’s also the Sweetwater Café where everyone loves to hang out and have coffee. I’d spend all my time there if I could. Then there’s the Ladies Day Out group in town. I’m so jealous of the women’s outings! I want to join the group and go too. I hope in reading this first book of my new Sweetwater Springs series that readers will keep wanting to come back!
Kathy: Do you work from an outline while writing your novels? How closely do the finished novels fit your original vision of the characters and storyline before you begin writing?
Annie Rains: I come up with character sketches and a basic plot these days. I used to do more than that, but my books change as I begin writing. Sometimes I feel like they’re writing themselves because I don’t know what’s going to happen until it happens. The characters, for the most part, stay the same. I’ll learn things about them while I’m writing though that gives greater depth.
Kathy: What project(s) are you currently working on?
Annie Rains: I just finished writing book 3 in my Sweetwater Springs series (Snowfall on Cedar Trail) and I’m about to start writing a short story in the series.
Kathy: Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions! Hope you drop by and visit with us soon!
Annie Rains: Thank you so much for the interview! This was fun!
Title: Christmas on Mistletoe Lane by Annie Rains
Sweetwater Springs Series Book One
Publisher:Forever
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 432 pages
Summary:
This USA Today bestselling author invites you to the delightful small town of Sweetwater Springs where the magic of Christmas brings to strangers together in this “story you won’t forget” (RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times bestselling author).
Christmas is coming to the North Carolina mountains, and the air is fresh and crisp and filled with promise. After the devastating loss of her job in the big city, the small town of Sweetwater Springs feels like heaven to Kaitlyn Russo. She’s inherited her grandparents’ charming (if a little rundown) bed and breakfast, and it’s just the new lease on life she needs. Only “heaven” comes with a catch-and a handsome and completely infuriating one at that.
After what he hopes will be a quick trip, Mitch Hargrove wants nothing more than to put his hometown in the rearview mirror. But his plans get derailed when he learns he’s now half-owner of the Sweetwater B&B. The fact that he’s given only two months to make the inn a success is a huge problem, but it’s his pretty-and incredibly headstrong-partner who’s the real challenge. With the holiday fast approaching and a grand re-opening looming, will Mitch keep running from the ghosts of Christmas past . . . or will he realize the true gift he’s been given?
Includes the bonus short story “Midnight Clear” by Hope Ramsay!
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Purchase Links: Amazon * B&N * Google Play * iTunes * Kobo
Author Bio
Annie Rains is a USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional places in her home state of North Carolina. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s living out her own happily ever after with her husband and three children.
Author Links: Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads
Giveaway
I am giving away TWO PRINT copies of Christmas on Mistletoe Lane (US Addresses ONLY). To enter today’s contest, fill out the form below. PLEASE NOTE: Contest is open to US mailing address ONLY. Contest ends 5 PM mountain time Monday October 1st.
CONTEST OVER
The books for this giveaway have been generously provided by Forever Publishing. Winner will be selected by random.org. Forever will mail the prize to the winners. Not responsible for lost or misdirected packages.
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