I’m happy today is my turn to tell you about Brianna’s Season for Miracles, my book in the wonderful Love, Christmas 2 Holiday Romance Collection.
Brianna’s Season for Miracles is a sequel in every way I suppose since it is a sequel to Last Christmas, Book 1 of my Small Town Texas Romance series which appeared in the all first Love, Christmas Collection: Songs of the Heart.
Brianna Walker was introduced in Love, Christmas 1, and she was–well, let’s say she wasn’t a very nice woman. In fact, just about everyone in the small town of New Estacado disliked her.
Redeeming a Hated Character
I actually received email about Brianna after Last Christmas came out. Everyone hated her. When I decided to make her the heroine of my romance for Love, Christmas 2 Holiday Romance Collection, I knew I had a tough job ahead.
I wanted my romance for LC2 to be an homage to one of my favorite Christmas movies, Season for Miracles. At first, I thought it would be a miracle if I could make Brianna liked and understood, but I knew the underlying truth about Brianna: why she acted the way she did and what her facade hid from the world.
I don’t want to spoil what I built up in the story to be a surprise, but I will tell you why I chose to write this kind of story. Because so many people have something they’ve struggled with all their lives–something they’re hesitant to confess except to the closest of friends. Sometimes this something is so shameful IN THEIR OPINION that they don’t want anyone to know.
Some Secrets Can Damage
The more powerful the secret; the more it rules one’s life.
In Brianna’s mind, her secret is the bane of her existence. She’s always done everything she could to hide it.
Even when she finally confronts the issue and does something about it, she still feels the need to hide. She still sees herself as this imperfect woman.
Like many smart people, Brianna found ways to cope that don’t reflect who she really is, but she finally realizes the woman the world knows is not her authentic self.
Last Christmas was the last straw for Brianna Walker. She hated her life and decided if she wanted her life to be different, she had to change. She ditched her so-called friends and the seductive persona she hid behind. She knew changing her habits and behavior patterns wouldn’t “fix” her, but she had to start somewhere.
When her father demands she come home for the holidays, she’s afraid she’ll revert to old habits to deal with social situations that always terrified her. Then she meets Daniel Kelly.
His warmth and kindness—qualities she’d never found in any of the men she’d dated—attract her. To her surprise, she finds his intelligence, courtesy, and niceness enormously appealing—and sexy. She usually avoids men like him for fear she might want forever out of the relationship. Daniel would never want forever with her if he truly knew her, but knowing that doesn’t stop her from falling for him.
Daniel already knows the secret Brianna is hiding. He also knows he shouldn’t complicate the situation he’s in, but the attraction between them is hot and sizzling.
What will happen when Brianna realizes Daniel has a secret too?
This was a hard story to write, but I really loved the characters and it seems readers do too. I hope you’ll love it and all the other stories in Love, Christmas 2 Holiday Romance Collection.
Our Gift to You
Remember, to pick up your free copy of Favorite Holiday Recipes. Each recipe appeared in one of our books in Love, Christmas 2.
Thanks, Readers, for helping us hit the USA Today Bestsellers list with Love, Christmas 2 Holiday Romance Collection.
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Joan Reeves—Keeping Romance Alive…One Sexy Book at a Time—is a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance. From Romantic Comedy to Romantic Thriller, all of her books have the same premise: “It’s never too late to live happily ever after.” Joan lives her happily-ever-after with her hero, her husband, in the Lone Star State. They divide their time between a book-cluttered home in Houston and a quiet house in the Texas Hill Country where they sit on the porch, stare at the big night sky, and listen to the coyotes howl. Sign up for Joan’s Mailing List and be the first to know about new books and giveaways.
This is a beautiful post, Joan, – – I think challenging yourself to breathe new life (or encourage your fans to change their opinions) about a character, while at the same time allowing the character to develop on their own is a meaningful way to create – I can’t wait to read this one.
Hope things are going more smoothly with your SIS. How’s Adina? I haven’t gotten a web post from her in a while.
Hugs,
Sue xo
Thanks, Sue. I think the word chaos pretty much describes the last few months. Sis in law doing pretty good. Daughter still recovering from her first real vacation since her back surgeries. Younger brother had a stroke this past Saturday. Surreal, right? He’s rebounding though. Home network at country house was hacked. My wonderful husband got everything cleaned and running again. Company that maintains electricity transmission lines have been working in this area–checking all underground cables to see what needs to be replaced after last year’s hurricane flooded surrounding neighborhoods–so power out all day today. Will be the same tomorrow starting at 8am.
Not quite biblical plagues but chaos none the same. Just thankful to be alive.
This sounds great, Joan. But then, I love all your books!
Thanks, Jacquie. That’s very kind of you.