Novella Lovers Unite!

Craving some fun, fast holiday reads? These four awesome authors have crafted just the treat to satisfy your hunger. Check out Big Apple Christmas by Carrie Turansky, Gail Sattler, Lynette Sowell, and Reyes Acosta.

ABOUT THE BOOKS:

Moonlight and Mistletoe by Carrie Turansky -- Christmas plans are set askew when professional organizer Sarah Montgomery meets free-spirited poet Justin Latimer. As they work together on a project for her neighbor, romantic sparks fly - but will new revelations douse them?

Shopping for Love by Gail Sattler – Two tourists try to lose themselves in the holiday shopping crowds. But when Bryan Evans literally knocks Emily Jones off her feet, her heart's secrets are spun even more off balance.

Where the Love Light Gleams by Lynette Sowell -- Christmas in Rockefeller Center puts a widow's spruce tree on center stage. Professor Theophilus Stellakis volunteers to host Gwynn Michaud, and they both find new dreams in the glow of the holiday lights.

Gifts of the Magi by Vasthi Reyes Acosta -- The gift of the Magi comes full circle for two lonely Latinos when Cecilia Montes takes time out of her busy schedule to help an old friend with youth group activities. But can she trust her heart to Elias Perez?



THE AUTHORS TALK ABOUT THEIR BOOK:


Readers often say that memorable characters are what make a book enjoyable. Describe the hero and heroine in your novella.


Vasthi: Cecilia Montes is a grad student dependant on her own strength and wisdom. Elias Perez, the youth pastor, was a childhood friend of Cecilia.


Carrie: Sarah Montgomery is a professional organizer who likes to feel she has everything under control in her life. Justin Latimer is a free-spirited children’s poet who is spontaneous and fun loving.


Lynette: Gwynn Michaud is a nontraditional Grandma with a big heart for her family. She's not looking for love. Then her surroundings change, and her family must do without her for the holidays. Theophilus Stellakis loves his ordered life and teaching college chemistry. When Gwynn comes to stay with him and his daughter, she brings a delightful splash of color to his life.

Gail: Emily has made some big changes in her life, and she thinks New York City is the perfect place to get lost in the crowd and regroup. Bryan needs some vacation time.

How do these characters grow and change in your novella? Or what do they discover about themselves or others?


Vasthi: Cecilia discovers that her old childhood friend, Elias, is not the sickly boy she remembers. And as she begins to fall in love with him she learns to rely in God's wisdom and strength not her own.


Carrie: Sarah has put up a protective wall around her heart, and she must learn that faith is the remedy for her fear. Justin discovers how important honesty is in building a strong relationship.


Lynette: Gwynn realizes during her time in New York that she's let herself slide, and that her family can function without her for a while. Not that she loves them any less, of course. Theo realizes how he's pushed people away, but he needs people to enrich his life, and that God often uses people to show us how much He loves us.


Gail: They both discover companionship and friendship is best found in unexpected places, and helping a stranger, or being willing to be helped, can be the best way to find a new friend.

What other books have you written?


Vasthi: I've written a trilogy based on a contemporary adaptation of the story of Ruth with Latino characters, titled MANGOES AND APPLE PIE. It is not yet published.


Carrie: I have written two other novellas, “Wherever Love Takes Us” and “Tea for Two” which is a finalist for the ACFW Book of the Year Contest. I’ve also written ALONG CAME LOVE, for Love Inspired. I just finished SURRENDERED HEARTS and hope it will be published soon.


Lynette: I have novellas in three other anthologies, plus my first two cozy mystery novels release in 2008, A SUSPICION OF STRAWBERRIES and THE WILES OF WATERMELON.


Gail: Too many to list here. You'll have to go to my website at http://www.gailsattler.com/, then you can see everything, including the covers.


Tell us something fun about yourself that we might not know.


Vasthi: I love to ride roller coasters. If I'm lucky enough to get a seat in the front, I sit back and watch the sky as the car climbs up and up and up and then when its at the tip just about to take the plunge I throw my arms up and scream all the way down. Yes! It's exhilarating.


Carrie: I love Africa! Our family spent a year in Kenya as missionaries, and I left a big piece of my heart there. I love to see what God is doing there through missionary friends and Christian organizations like Charity is:, and Samaritan’s Purse.


Lynette: Like my heroine Gwynn, I have an art degree and I love to paint...but I haven't done it in years. I'm thinking of picking up my brushes again.


Gail: I belong to a local jazz band, and I'm just taking on a new project - an electric upright bass.


We hope you will stop by the special new web site we created for this book. You can read excerpts of each novella, learn more about the authors, see some of our favorite Christmas recipes and enjoy photos of New York City. http://www.abigapplechristmas.com/.


You can learn more about the authors at their websites:
Gail Sattler: http://www.gailsattler.com/
Lynette Sowell: http://www.lynettesowell.com/
Carrie Turansky: http://www.carrieturansky.com/