Finding Christmas Love and Other Stories by Juliette Hill
This week, we are pleased to feature : Juliette Hill, Author. Welcome to my blog Juliette. You have such a beautiful names.
When did you start writing and how did that come about?Sometime in 2010, I met Annie Acorn, a friend of my sister’s, after Annie started a small writers’ group in the DC area. Subsequently, Annie founded her boutique publishing venture, Annie Acorn Publishing LLC and asked me to be a charter member of her group From Women’s Pens, contributing to the first Annie Acorn Christmas Treasury with a short Christmas story in the fall of 2011.
Tell us about you, what you want readers to know. After an almost 11-year career as senior editor for an educational journal, I left that job in 1998, to care for an aging parent. Having had the time to really consider my next career move, I went back to school and received my Legal Assistant Certificate in 2004, but soon came to the realization that I needed to do something more creative.It took a few years, but low and behold opportunity knocked, and I started writing inspirational, romantic fiction. Now I enjoy writing, and in my spare time, cooking, traveling with my husband, going to antique and flea markets, and collecting vintage items.
Do you have suggestions for new authors? Tell us how you started and what struggles you overcame. My suggestion to new authors would be to never give up! Your first book may be a hit, and the second my take a year of two to gain its audience. My continuing struggle remains balancing the tasks of writing, while maintaining a strong marketing effort for multiple works. I have found that organization and diligent time management skills help in this regard.
How do you structure your works and what is your current work in process? I am definitely a plotter/planner, rather than a pantser. Most often, I start with an idea for a story, then move forward with a basic outline and deeper character development. Once I begin to write, my characters tell the story, although sometimes, they do get a little side-tracked. Currently, I have two new works in progress. (I tend to like to work on at least two projects simultaneously.) The first is my newest Love Inn Style series story, A Blueberry Lane Christmas, and the second is the fifth installment of my Christmas Shoppe Magic series called Christmas Shoppe Magic Strikes Again.
How do you relax? Travel, anything you like to do in your downtime? My happy place is the beach! I love the water no matter if it’s a lake, river, sea or ocean. I love the sound of the water of waves pounding against the shore. Taking walks, playing golf (I’m just a beginner), collecting cookbooks and experimenting with new recipe’s are just a few of the other activities I enjoy.
Chocolate or vanilla? Both! I prefer one scoop of each with hot fudge and whipped cream! Good choice!
Have you thought of writing a screenplay? Yes! I would love to write a screenplay someday and have been learning more about that format in my spare time.
Name one actor you think would make the perfect protagonist in your book and why? In my book, Finding Christmas Love, my protagonist is a strong, independent woman with a deep sense of family and tradition. I would love to have Keira Knightly play my character Holly Carlyle. She usually plays a strong female lead character, but also has a sweet, feminine quality as well, which shines forth on the screen.
If you could move in time, such as going back in time or to the future, which would you choose and why? I think if I could go back in time, I would want to experience life during the early 19th century including Pioneer life – exploring the western wilderness and blazing new trails with unexpected challenges and adventures.
Tell us anything else you want my audience to know. I also write a collaborative, contemporary women’s fiction, family saga series, Captain’s Point Stories along with Annie Acorn. Our collaborative writing pen name is Charlotte Kent (aha! I know that name!). Our series consists of four novels, a boxed set, as well as various short stories, novellas and novelettes. I love writing Happily Ever After stories. My story, Finding Christmas Love was a joy to write, and so vivid in my mind. I had a lot of fun creating a Christmas Tree farm in Vermont and picturing the characters’ day to day lives. Over the years, my writing tends to center around New England, a region I romanticized about a lot growing up. Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delaware seem to dominate my locales, but I’ve expanded to Texas and the Great Plains in a few of my latest works. I also want to thank my loyal readers, talented fellow authors, and aspiring writers for their awesome support and making this experience the most rewarding career I have ever embarked upon.
Book links: FINDING CHRISTMAS LOVE AND OTHER STORIES
Amazon US http://amzn.to/2c50lvL
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/2c8Dzpp
Amazon CA http://amzn.to/2cmbmed
Amazon AU http://amzn.to/2cegDHQ
Amazon (Paperback) https://amzn.to/2pz0YXe
Kobo http://bit.ly/1FC1kB1
Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/1KNXvFV
iTunes http://apple.co/1MSDROS
Now available as a novella!
Non-writers don’t often understand what authors go through. We seal ourselves away, hunched over a keyboard, and block the outer world. Sooner or later, no matter how diligent our attempts to balance family life and writing, our craft can infringe on time spent with loved ones.
2. A Tough Exterior
Do you want professional looking print and ebooks to delight your readers? Of course you do!
When Angels Fly 