Meg Bryson isn’t exactly proud of how’s she’s spent the last year and a half – or the two-inch scar across her chin. So when she’s commissioned to paint a mural for a retirement home, she jumps at the chance to get away for a while. There’s just one problem… she has to face her sister and the pain of her past.
But when the reunion with her sister goes much differently than she anticipated, she quickly settles into a new routine. Surrounded by a slew of new friends, including an exceptionally skittish stray dog who eventually chooses her as his new owner, she’s forced to deal with an arrogant, unfriendly veterinarian. But if she’s learned anything from the past, she knows that appearances can be deceiving. Could she be mistaken about Heath Campbell? On a very special Christmas night, she finds the gift of God’s mercy and grace was meant for her, scars and all.
Happy Thanksgiving week, Michelle! Congrats on your latest release, Carolina Christmas.
Tell us how your characters celebrate the holidays
Meg and Dr. Heath Campbell spend their first date at Christmas on Fayetteville Street. For this festive celebration, the streets of downtown Asheboro, North Carolina are closed off and the small specialty shops open their doors to shoppers. There are carolers, Christmas choirs, all to be enjoyed with warm apple cider, hot chocolate, even roasted chestnuts! This is a real event in Asheboro where I live, but the celebration is called Christmas on Sunset. I changed a few details and the street name for my story.
Does you hero have a favorite Christmas carol or movie? Does your heroine?
Meg enjoys listening to the hand bell choir so much on her date with Heath that she stops by the church office to buy a CD for her very special assistant in painting the mural, an elderly woman named Nancy.
What is the theme of this book? If it’s part of a series, how does this book fit into the series?
The theme for CAROLINA CHRISTMAS is one of accepting God’s grace and moving beyond our mistakes.
Why do you write this genre?
I actually love reading historical romances, but writing contemporary and inspirational fiction came naturally for me. I write in memory of my mom, who was my biggest fan, and I find writing inspirational romance therapeutic, as I can usually learn and reflect from the Bible verses I choose to incorporate in my writing.
Any tips to share with fellow authors/aspiring authors?
Write every day or as often as you can. This tip may sound generic, but I do find writing a little every day helps me stay in a creative mindset. I may not always use what I write, but practice makes perfect! The more I write, the more improvement I see in my story-telling.
What is your favorite Christmas memory?
My favorite Christmas memory is baking Christmas cookies with my mom. She always made the holidays special, and I can still picture our living room and the stereo where she played The Living Voices Christmas album. I have the actual LP album with blue Christmas trees on the cover, and I treasure these nostalgic Christmas songs. The album is tucked away safely in storage, but a few years ago I was able to save the album on my music app, and I play it during the holidays for my family. Baking Christmas cookies with my son is a new favorite memory!
Finally! Real Christmas tree? Or fake?
Definitely real! Picking out a live tree is so much fun! We have used fake trees often, however, and we at least get a real pine wreath. Nothing says Christmas quite like the scent of a real pine Christmas tree!
Rachelle Paige Campbell 