One of the questions authors get frequently asked is … “Where do you get your ideas?” It’s not a question only aspiring authors ask–it comes from curious readers. They want to know what sparked the idea–anything in real life? If they did the same thing, could they find their true love?
When we were first dating, my DH and I wrote some books on a few winery regions in California. One of my favorite interview questions was to ask a winemaker about the story behind their first or favorite bottle of wine. These were fascinating stories, ranging from one man invading his father’s wine cellar as a boy, to a spectacular meal and bottle of wine in France. I learned to appreciate the “story behind the bottle.”
My stories don’t come all wrapped up in a pretty bow–at least most of the time. I just keep observing, learning new things, and listening to other people. Add in a dose of what’s going on in the news and spice it up with what I’ve learned throughout my life, and the idea comes together.
I belong to an organization called Missoula Businesswomen’s Network (If you’re in the neighborhood, I’d love to see you at the Symposium on January 30, 2016.) In October 2014, we had our fall social at the airport. Chris Jensen, the director, along with a security officer/firefighter/EMT (ah … man in uniform) gave us a tour of the airport. I was impressed with the knowledge and responsibility these men had, as well as their gleaming green firetruck!
They said one of their jobs was to help people find lost cars. (I used to travel a lot, and I know how easy it is to forget where you park your car–especially in a big lot like Newark.) Hmmm. Perfect opportunity for boy meets girl. So I had my hero.
It took a while to come up with my heroine. One of my fellow writers makes chocolate in a local sweet shop. The more I pondered, the more I realized that a lady chocolatier would be a wonderful Christmas heroine.
Now all I had to do was give them problems to solve, and solutions that made it impossible for them to be together. Piece of cake–or chocolate!
Sweet Montana Christmas is available today. I encourage you to pick up a bottle of Zinfandel, some dark chocolate, and a copy for your e-reader. Put your feet up and come to Missoula. It’s a really nice place to be at Christmas.
Load Up Your e-reader for the Holidays!
My books will be in four new bundles coming out over the next month or so. Yep! Four! These bundles are available for a limited time and are generally under a dollar. It’s a great chance to read one of my books at a low price and discover many other authors at the same time. So load up your reader now, and enjoy the time once the holiday craziness has settled down.
Read about the bundles by going to the Coming Soon page.
Don’t forget two bundles are already out, including the first four books in the California Romance series.
Happy shopping!
P.S. Don’t forget to do something for those who don’t enjoy our first-world blessings. Even a few dollars in the red bucket helps make the holidays brighter for someone.
Leave a Comment