This week LUV is spotlighting author @JuliaAmante ✍️ Julia writes emotionally rich stories about family, love, and the passion of chasing and achieving one’s goals. LUV: CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU, your first Christmas romance, recently hit the shelves. Can you tell us about the book? What made you want to write a holiday story? What was the experience of Indie publishing like? Julia: I teach writing at a local university, and after I wrapped up final exams, grading, and the semester last year, I was exhausted. I decided to bake cookies, sit in front of my TV to watch Christmas movies, and not move for at least a day. After about the third movie, it occurred to me that I’ve never written a Christmas novel. I love the guaranteed happily-ever-after promise of Christmas romances. I love everything about Christmas: the snow, the decorations, the food, the rush of buying gifts for people you love, and the overall kindness of the season. So, as I was sitting there in a sugar coma from the cookies I ate, I decided I would write one. After celebrating New Year in Rapid City, South Dakota, I sat with a notebook, wondering if I still wanted to write a Christmas novel and what I would write about. A common theme in Christmas romances and movies is one of second chances. Usually, one of the main characters returns to a small town. Since I was sitting in a small town, I wrote Rapid City in my notebook. I also wanted to add magical or supernatural elements to my story, something I’ve never done before. Before I knew it, a couple of hours later, I had a brief idea or outline for the story. When I returned to California, I continued to outline and plot the novel. I gave myself the challenge of writing the story in one month, and started writing in mid-March, finishing the rough draft in mid-April. Again, it was something I’d never done before, but it was a fun challenge. Then I took three months to revise and edit. This is how CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU was born.

Posted by LUV Team at 2024-10-28 14:00:01 UTC