Friday Book Interviews

Hi Marianne. Tell us about your holiday release. I love romantic comedy and can't wait to learn more about this one.

“The Christmas Curse” is a romantic comedy about a woman who never has anything right happen at Christmas, so when she literally bumps into the most handsome man she’s ever seen, she knows there has to be a catch (besides being stranded in a broken down elevator). And there is.

I love titles. How did you come up with this one?

With a storyline like that, what else could it be?

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book?

Nope. Sadly, several of the things that happened to our heroine actually happened to me. I’ll let you try to guess which ones.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

The Wild Rose Press did a call out for Christmas stories back in mid-2007, but I only had a few weeks to write the story. I remembered some of the truly embarrassing things that had happened to me (only one at Christmas, actually, but who hasn’t had any number of things that happened to them that were absolutely mortifying AND unforgettable?), and it just morphed from there.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

It might be a toss up between Molly and “Pasty Faced Man” (yep, you’ll have to read it to see who I’m talking about!).

Where can we get in touch with you and purchase your book?

You can find me at www.mariannearkins.com or www.reading-writing.blogspot.com and The Christmas Curse is available through www.thewildrosepress.com or any other place you normally get your eBooks.

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Hi Stacey. Tell us about your holiday release. This one sounds heart-warming.

The easiest way is to give you the blurb: Jake Coburn’s antique shop is barely surviving, so the last thing he should do is buy costume jewelry at a price that won’t turn much profit. Then again, it’s Christmas, and he hasn’t been able to say no to Loral Evans since the first time she entered his shop almost a year ago.

Loral’s mother is a cancer survivor, and much as they don’t want to sell their family heirlooms, surgery and prescriptions aren’t cheap. Jake’s offer of one thousand dollars for a dragonfly brooch that Loral knows is fake stings her pride, especially since he knows she can’t afford to walk away. Selling the brooch, which is more than it appears, turns out to be a blessing in disguise. During a season of giving, Loral learns there’s a big difference between pride and dignity, and Jake’s determination to do the right thing brings rewards beyond what either of them ever dreamed of.

I love titles. How did you come up with this one?

Much as I wanted to come up with a Christmasy title, because the dragonfly brooch is such an integral part of the story, Dragonfly Dreams was my first and only title. It fits perfectly with Jake and Loral; with Loral’s great-grandmother; and, lastly, with their future.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book?

My mom is really into antiques, especially costume jewelry, so I had some help from her. I did some research on the internet to find McClelland Barclay, and also to brush up on my Titanic facts.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

At my mom and dad’s rummage sale a couple years ago a guy told a story about how he’d pawned an old rifle as a kid for $100.00 and found out in the paper a few months later that it was a mint condition revolutionary war rifle and the pawn shop owner had resold it for $400,000. That’s right. Four hundred thousand dollars. I thought that could provide some great conflict, especially if the seller was in dire need of funds, but I decided to go with jewelry instead of the rifle. My wonderful critique partner suggested an antique shop instead of a pawn shop, and I had to agree it would set a better stage for my characters.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I am partial to writing the men in my stories, so I’d have to say Jake. Although, it’s not like I understand men better than women, so I can’t really say why.

Where can we get in touch with you and purchase your book?

You can reach me at my website www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com, and my book is available to purchase at The Wild Rose Press.