This week we're spotlighting author @Laurie Beach who writes about small southern beach towns, quirky friendships, and true love. LUV: You have a story in a Christmas anthology that was published last week (November 14, 2024) . Can you tell us about your novella and how this kicks off your new book series coming in 2025? What can you share with us—how many books, when, connecting theme/character/setting, etc. What inspired you? Laurie: I would love to! The anthology, A SOUTHERN CHRISTMAS, gives the reader a glimpse into quirky little Goose Island and the secrets held tight among the live oaks and generations-old homes. The novella is the precursor to four twisty Lowcountry novels about loves lost and rediscovered, how our childhoods inform our adult choices, and the age-old question about whether it’s better to love with your heart or your mind. Readers will find a local winery, a rustic resort, a bright yellow food truck, and a vintage gas station run by a lawyer named Fred. The series is a little Dirty Dancing, a touch of Steel Magnolias, and should appeal to readers who enjoy Mary Alice Monroe, Kristy Woodson Harvey, or Cassandra King Conroy. The South Carolina Lowcountry has inspired me since my freshman year of college when I experienced first-hand the magical ecology of the sea islands. It’s a land of turtle nests and pelicans, shrimp boils and oyster roasts, friendly neighbors and juicy gossip. The culture is as rich as a gooey casserole and as sweet as a summertime scuppernong. It is the setting that carries through and connects all of my books. The great thing about this anthology is that the reader gets two more novellas from brilliant authors Susan Sands and Sinclair Jayne. It’s three separate Christmas stories in one book, and each author’s contribution is also part of their latest series. I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it.

Posted by LUV Team at 2024-11-18 16:40:49 UTC