An Aussie Summer Christmas
Six new inspirational romance novellas
Dear Readers, I'm thrilled to introduce this Christmas novella collection to you. I'm personally acquainted with the first 4 authors. I just finished reading this collection last week. It interfered with my working time, but I just had to read a few more pages. Now that I've enjoyed a book by each of the other 2 authors, I'll be looking for more of their books. I know you'll enjoy this collection as much as I did.
Melbourne Memoriesby USA Today bestselling author Marion Ueckermann
What surprised you the most when writing Melbourne Memories?
I had originally started this story to submit as another Passport to Romance for my publisher. However, when Narelle Atkins asked me about putting the Aussie story I’d started into this set, I decided this was the home for this story. For Passport to Romance stories, the authors have to write using three writing prompts, and so I’d planned my story around those. One of them was an artist. Wanting to think out of the box, I decided that my heroine would own one of the most popular coffee shops in
Melbourne
and create amazing latte art. What I didn’t know when I started planning and writing this story—and of course I was ecstatic when I discovered it in my research—was that
Melbourne
is renowned for its coffee culture. I’m always amazed at how God directs my writing—even when I don’t know, He knows, and plants the story ideas in my mind, and then surprises me when I discover how well the story fits for its storyworld.
Next Door Santaby USA Today bestselling author Lacy Williams
What is special about your novella in this collection?
I love Christmas books and movies and always have. (While You Were Sleeping, anyone???). So being invited to this collection was a big YES from the start. I'm from
Oklahoma
in the
U.S.
and we have mild/cold winters here, so imagining the warmth of a beach Christmas was great fun! I'd love to go one day when my kids get bigger and experience it myself. Another fun thing that I included in the book was the dog, Ollie. I'm a huge dog person and loved doing some research about dogs and vets in
Australia
and incorporating that into the story.
Seaside
Christmas by Narelle Atkins
In Seaside Christmas, Gus is a political advisor and
Chelsea
can’t stand politics. Does politics play a big role in the story?
The answer is yes and no. Gus works for a NSW Senator based in
Sydney
,
Australia
. This means Gus lives and works in
Canberra
, the national capital, when Parliament is sitting. His job involves travel and this aspect of his career is explored in the story. During the story
Chelsea
meets Gus for coffee in Parliament House and we gain an insight into his political career. His political party affiliation and political views are not mentioned in the story.
Chelsea
’s father was the mayor of her local council when she was a teen. She’s not interested in talking about politics with anyone, including. Gus. The focus of the story is on their romance and how his career impacts their developing relationship.
A Christmas Resolution by Rose Dee
Considering most resolutions happen on New Year’s Eve, what is your novella, A Christmas Resolution all about?
Resolution is the name of my fictional island that sits off the Australian tropical coast. For those who have no idea where this is, it’s up the top of the country – where the
Great Barrier Reef
is. This story ties in with my Resolution series. Think long sandy beaches, clear blue ocean, salt air, and as it is set at Christmas time, summer breezes. In the story, you will find romance, some drama, the Aussie larrikinism our country towns are known for, as well as a message of faith and overcoming. Each of my Resolution books hold stories of redemption, and the resolution to our struggles that only comes from faith in Jesus. And I believe those sort of resolutions can happen any day of the year.
All is Brightby Andrea Grigg
You mention that Josh, the hero in All is Bright, is a secondary character in your first book, A Simple Mistake. Why did you decide to write your novella about him?
It was a no-brainer really. I’d always felt sorry for Josh and was thrilled to be able to give him his Happy Ever After. When we’re introduced to Josh in A Simple Mistake, he’s already a widower. He meets Lainey straight after coming back from teaching overseas, where he went to “get away from it all.” He’s ready to find love again, and is pretty annoyed when things don’t work out, and for good reason! (Those of you who’ve read A Simple Mistake will know what I mean J).
The hard part about writing Josh’s story meant I had to write about finding love after losing a spouse; not an easy topic, and not one I’ve experienced myself. Putting myself in his shoes made me teary a few times, believe me!
Falling for MaddieGrace by Meredith Resce
Why did you choose to use Aussie Rules football as the backdrop for your story?
I am a mad footy fan and watched the emergence of women in this sport, mostly in support-staff roles. During one game, the young female goal umpire was nearly steam-rolled by one of the players. Fast, fit and large, if he’d hit her, she would have been flattened. This stirred my imagination. I decided Maddie was going to be
Australia
’s first professional female umpire, who gets hit by one of the players, Zac.
Zac’s public faith is often scrutinised. The media are waiting for him to fall from grace. When they are both knocked unconscious, he regains his senses, and carefully wipes blood from her face—in the eye of every camera. It’s taken out of context, and they are accused of a secret affair, and a breach of professional ethics.
An Aussie Summer Christmas– six new Novellas set in the land Downunder is available now at Amazon for the special price of $.99.
https://www.amazon.com/Aussie-Summer-Christmas-inspirational-novellas-ebook/dp/B01LJQS4FQ/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Thank you, Marion, Lacy, Narelle, Rose, Andrea, and Meredith for sharing this collection with us. I fell in love with Australia decades before it became so popular in the US. As a matter of fact, I have an unpublished novel that is partially set in Australia. Maybe I should pull that out and finish it. Meredith and Andrea--all of you really--I love to promote other Christian authors, and all of you would be welcome to schedule an interview on my blog with your other books. I've feathered Marion, Lacy, Narelle, and Rose before.
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