This week I am featuring contemporary romance author Christine Feldman whose latest book is a just released Christmas themed novella.
Pastels and Jingle Bells by Christine Feldman
Synopsis
Trish Ackerly never expected to cross paths with Ian Rafferty again, but when she spots the former bully of her childhood years through her bakery window, she thinks she may just have been given the best Christmas gift ever: the opportunity to finally give Ian the comeuppance he deserves.
But clearly she does not have a knack for this whole revenge thing, because before she can make good on her plans, Trish gets inadvertently drawn into Ian’s life in an unexpected way that lets her see just how different the man is from the boy he used to be. In fact, much to her astonishment, she actually starts to like the guy.
A lot.
Trouble is, Ian doesn’t know who she really is, and explaining it to him is going to be a little difficult now—which is bad news, because Trish is starting to realize that all she really wants for Christmas this year…is Ian.
Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK
Interview with Christine Feldman
Why did you decide to become an author?
I had a love affair
with writing (and reading) ever since I was a very young child. I’d type up paragraph-long stories about the
Black Stallion on my parents’ typewriter and illustrate them myself. Writing was a way I could really exercise my
imagination, and I just had a blast doing it. I set aside writing for several years as an
adult, but I missed it so much that I found a way to make time for it
again. And I’m very glad I did!
How do you balance writing with other things in your life?
This year I’ve been
fortunate enough to be able to take a leave of absence from my day job: teaching kindergarten So this year I have a lot more time to
write, which is a good thing since there are so many aspects to the writing
world that I didn’t fully know about before I was published. Writing, marketing, social
networking…everything takes time. Prior
to this year, I just squeezed what writing time I could into evenings and
weekends. It’s challenging sometimes to
find the right balance (there are lots of friends whose faces I haven’t seen in
a while since I’ve been in my “writing cave”), and I don’t have any easy
solutions. I do, however, have a very
sweet and understanding husband, and that helps a lot!
What is your favourite thing about being an author?
Just the chance to
let my imagination run free—I love creating storylines and populating imaginary
settings with characters I’ve dreamed up!
And I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside when I hear from someone who has
read one of my books and enjoyed them, too.
To me, that’s a win-win kind of situation.
What are your favourite books?
I love all sorts of
genres, so I don’t think I could ever limit myself to just one genre, let alone
just one book. But one of my favourites
that I come back to every so often is Lord of the Rings, and I love to get swept
up in its epic storyline. But I also
love mysteries, chick lit, romance… lots of stuff. It’s just all so good!
Are there any books/authors that inspired you to write?
Well, I loved the
Black Stallion books as a kid, along with the Narnia series. Nancy Drew was another favourite. What else did I read… I read lots of Piers
Anthony books, Orson Scott Card, J.R.R. Tolkien, Julie Garwood, Nevada Barr,
LaVyrle Spencer, Stephen King—Oh, boy.
This could take a while…
Describe your book in one sentence.
When Trish Ackerly
crosses paths with former childhood bully Ian and plots a little much-deserved
comeuppance, a mistaken identity and an unexpected set of circumstances lead to
a sweet holiday romance instead.
Where did you get the idea for Pastels and Jingle Bells, did
anything inspire you to write it?
I like unexpected
romantic pairings in stories, and I thought a romance between a former bully
(now reformed) and the person he used to pick on could create an interesting
dynamic. I also like the idea of showing
how people can change and overcome their pasts, so…voila! A story was born.
What made you decide to write contemporary romance novels?
Well, for one thing
it’s one of the genres I enjoy reading, too.
Plus, let’s face it—I’m a sucker for a little romance and a happy ending.
What would you say makes your book unique and worth reading?
It’s lighthearted in
tone yet has some meaningful underlying messages that combine to make a
wonderfully satisfying holiday read—or so many reviewers seem to think so far! :)
Is there any specific message you wanted to convey in the
book?
Don’t let your past
dictate your future.
What are your plans for future books?
Oh, man…there are so
many projects I want to work on that it’s hard to focus on one at a time. Right now I’m working on the third novella in
the Heavenly Bites series, and after that I plan to rewrite one of my
screenplays as a novel. I’ve got another
contemporary romance storyline, too, along with a romantic suspense book I’m
excited about. Just not enough hours in
the day, you know?
Do you have any hobbies and Interests unrelated to books?
My favourite would be
ballroom dancing. My husband and I met
while dancing at a local ballroom, and I can say that he literally swept me off
my feet! But I also like to dabble in
lots of other things, from arts and crafts to bellydance. Keeps life interesting!
Would you ever consider putting these (answer to above) into
any of your books?
I’ve often thought it
would be fun to write a story or even a series around the various ballroom
dances, although maybe that’s the kind of thing that’s more engaging to watch
than to read about. I don’t know—what do
you think?
FUN STUFF
If you could meet any one author (dead or alive) who would
it be and why?
Tolkien, because he
created such an amazing and memorable world in his books.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself.
Um…I know how to ask
where the post office is in Japanese! By
saying it out loud, though, not spelling it, so I won’t attempt to do that
here.
What is your favourite food?
Ice cream. It’s a toss-up lately between cookies ‘n
cream and mint chocolate chip.
What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done?
Wrestled an
alligator. (No, not really, but wouldn’t
it be cool if I had?) Hmm…I took a
fencing class once. Didn’t get to use a
sword on anybody for real, though.
Bummer…
If you could be any supernatural creature which would you
choose?
Is it cheating to say
something that can shapeshift into any other form? Because some days I might be in a dragon sort
of mood, but other times I might prefer an underwater jaunt as a mermaid. Why limit myself? :)
About the Author
Christine S. Feldman writes both novels and
feature-length screenplays, and, to her great delight, she has placed in
screenwriting competitions on both coasts—and has even won a couple of
them. In 2012 one of her screenplays was
featured as a staged reading in New York City at the Gotham Screen
International Film Festival (http://www.gsiff.com/content/staged-screenplay-reading-1),
and later that same year she signed her first publishing contract. When she is not writing, she is teaching
kindergarten, puttering around in her garden, ballroom dancing with her
husband, or doing research for her next project. Please visit her at her website http://christinesfeldman.com, on
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChristineSFeldman,
or follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FeldmanCS.
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