What is the premise of the Montana Mistletoe?
DEBBY: This book shows how four friends work toward honoring their pact to find true love by their twenty-eighth birthdays.
Give us a brief blurb about your stories.
LISA: When Madison Graham leaves the quant town of Mistletoe, Colorado for New York City to buy products for her year-round Christmas store, Under the Mistletoe, she’s positive she’s met her man. Albert Kendall is everything she’s ever dreamed of. Successful, good looking, and well off. But is worldly success really what she’s looking for in a man, or have the bright lights of the city blinded her so that she’s forgotten the real meaning of Christmas?
DEBBY: In "Return to Mistletoe," when Deanna’s high school sweetheart Anthony returns to Mistletoe, she’s not prepared for her own reaction. Fighting the urge to fall in love with him again, she works hard at adding sparks to a relationship with someone else. Anthony continues to show up at the most unexpected times—not only to see Deanna but to help the town he’s loved since childhood.
KIM: In my story, "All I want for Christmas. . .is You," Kathy Morgan has gotten caught up in the corporate world of writing advertising jingles at a San Francisco advertising company--a far cry from the simple world of Mistletoe. As Christmas approaches, an unexpected bonus gives her the opportunity to return to Mistletoe for a trip down "Memory Lane" where she can consider the marriage proposal of long-time co-worker Chad. But postman Erik Hoffman becomes a distraction that makes her wonder if she needs to evaluate more than Chad's proposal...perhaps more than romantic love, she needs the love of Jesus in her life.
LENA: Lori Compton is the youngest mayor ever elected in the year around Christmas town, Mistletoe, Montana. She plans a turnaround in the local sagging economy by finding ways to bring more tourists to Mistletoe. The only possible suitor she can find is the single pastor of Living Word Chapel, but deep in her heart, she wants real love, not just a convenient answer to the Mistletoe Pact.
Is there a character who you relate to and who made an impact on your life?
LISA: I always learn from the writing process. In Under the Mistletoe, Madison is searching for that elusive something we all tend to look for at one time or another. Happiness doesn’t always come in a gold-wrapped package or with a better pay check. It comes from the little things around us. Friends, a warm summer day, and knowing God loves us. A good reminder.
Can you share any tidbits of wisdom on getting published?
KIM: P E R S E V E R A N C E! If you feel that "tug" to write, there's a reason, so keep at it even when it's tough. Trust God to take you where He wants you to go in your writing, and enjoy every step of the journey. There's a purpose in all of it.
Any advice in working together as a team/preparing a novella proposal?
DEBBY: Present your ideas and listen to others. Remember that you all have the same goal of excellence for your project.
Any writer’s resources you could recommend?
DEBBY: Dwight Swain’s Techniques of the Selling Writer is one of the best books for craft. I also like Donald Maass’s book, Writing the Breakout Novel. For ongoing craft and marketing education, I like Writer’s Digest Magazine.
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If you want to learn more about the authors of Montana Mistletoe, check out Rhonda Gibson’s blog on September 26th at http://www.rhondagibson.blogspot.com/
Winners! Winners! Winners!
Want a chance to win a FREE copy of the book and a $30 gift certificate to ChristianBooks.com? For more information, visit our official Montana Mistletoe blog at http://montanamistletoe.blogspot.com/ by October 1st!
Lena Nelson Dooley: http://www.lenanelsondooley.com/
Lisa Harris: http://www.lisaharriswrites.com/
