One of the best parts of reading a novella collection is enjoying more than one story without having to grab another book. In this new collection I am part of, releasing September 27 (we’re so close!), you get all four seasons, each set in a different small town during that town’s main street festival. Today, I invited my fellow authors to join me as we give you a little peek into our festivals and how they tie in to our romances. Make sure you read all the way to the end for giveaway information. ;)
Regina Rudd Merrick — Spring Has Sprung
Small towns in the south are the perfect place for spring festivals. Warm weather, local vendors selling amazing food and wares, contests, and live music—it all comes together when folks gather to celebrate the end of winter.
Assistant city manager Maia Pascal is suffering through spring allergy season, and is tasked with pulling together the Daffodil Festival in her hometown. The new doctor in town, Dr. Owen Roswell, grew up in the desert, so he is excited to experience the changing seasons. He volunteers to be on the organizational committee, vowing to bring Maia around to appreciate spring as much as he does.
Can the hope of spring bring to life an appreciation for the Dogwood Festival, or for her asssitant? Will unpredictable weather and the threat of flooding cancel it altogether? Find out in my story, “Spring Has Sprung!”
The watermelon fruit carved
Amy R Anguish — The Missing Piece
Summertime in the Southern US can bring all sorts of festivals. I’ve even seen one dedicated to cotton. But my story features the Watermelon Festival. Is there a fruit more reminiscent of summer? Even if it’s hot, the fruit feels cool in your mouth.
I had a ton of fun researching different ideas for this festival. Did you know watermelons can be carved similar to a pumpkin? There are many varieties of drinks made from the fruit, as well as pickles, sorbet, salads, and more. I’m all about festival food!
And don’t forget the craft booths, beauty contest, talent show, seed spitting, and melon bailin’ (where they literally toss a melon as far as they can). Don’t you want to come check out the booth for The Missing Piece, the local quilt shop in Sassafras, Arkansas. Beth has been sewing up a storm … in more ways than one!
Sarah Anne Crouch — A Sweet Dream Come True
When I moved to Middle Tennessee, I discovered that every town in the area has its own fall festival or parade. We especially enjoyed visiting Depot Days near our home. We rode the kiddie train, ate barbecue, listened to country music, visited the fire trucks, and consumed all the free cotton candy we could handle.
There is a lovely shop with the very best ice cream in downtown Smyrna, TN. That shop and Depot Days were the inspiration for “A Sweet Dream Come True.”
Best Fest has my favorite parts of a fall festival: good food, great music, and all kinds of fun booths. There’s even a storefront decorating contest—the Best Dressed Best Fest Contest. I hope you’ll join me at Best Fest. Be sure to stop at Mr. Dream Ice Cream to check out the new fall flavors and cool off from the warm southern afternoon sun.
Heather Greer — Sugar and Spice
Living in the rural Midwest, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and holiday festivals abound. While these provide opportunities for hometown fun, I’m intrigued by quaint towns hosting festivals tailored specifically to them. I’ve dreamed of visiting towns that are throwbacks to the past or ones that look like they stepped out of a fairy tale to enjoy these types of events.
This desire sparked the idea for New Kuchenbrünn, Missouri and the Annual Gingerbread Festival in Sugar and Spice. A midwestern town with German heritage and architecture. Several German-inspired towns host Christkindl markets, but I wanted something different.
Gingerbread. Using it as the theme, I incorporated my love of baking with all the traditions readers expect from contemporary romances in December. It’s everything I hope to experience some day. I hope Emmie and Ryker’s story leaves you in dreaming of New Kuchenbrünn’s Gingerbread Festival too!
So, what do you say? Want to come fall in love during festival time? Which one sounds the most fun to you? I’ll pick a winner from the ones who comment (US only this time) by 9/23 and send them a copy of our new collection. Can’t wait that long? Pre-order yours here.
Want another chance to win? Starting 9/23, my fellow authors and I are doing a fun scavenger hunt for the two weeks surrounding our launch. Click here to find out more.
Amy R Anguish grew up a preacher's kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good.
Wow, all those sound amazing! I didn’t know watermelons could be carved, but that makes so much sense, and makes me very interested in yours. As an allergy sufferer, I’m also drawn to the springtime one. I really look forward to reading these!
Sounds like a delightful collection!
Thank you so much! And yes! Carved watermelons are gorgeous!
Thank you so much!
I love reading books set in different seasons, I usually try to read along with the current season to match up! The festivals in these stories sound great, as it’s getting into autumn her in the UK I love the sound of the fall best fest. And also the name 😂
(I’m not in the US so not eligible for the giveaway).
I love festival and look forward to the Mountain State Forest Festival coming in October here. All your festivities sound fun but I love watermelon so I will choose it. Thank you for sharing. Congratulations 🎈
Looks wonderful!
Looks like one to read
I love all the different seasons even though I am not fond of summer, not a fan of the heat. Since I’m not a fan of summer, I love the sound of A Sweet Dream Come True And Sugar & Spice! They both sound so good, I couldn’t pick just one! I live in one of those small towns but I would probably say the one around Christmas would be my favorite!
These sound so good!!! I’ve not been to a festival for things, but I have been to different places that had things at a set time, like a Christmas Parade of Homes where we paid to go into historic homes all decorated for Christmas to raise money for charity. I’ve been to small Fall festival-type things that a group of stores did, but nothing that a small town has done. I’d love to go, though! Fall would be my choice, if you can’t tell! lol!
The gingerbread festival sounds like it would be a lot of fun to attend. I’m guessing there there are probably some awesome gingerbread houses on display.
I can’t choose. They all sound amazing. That carved watermelon is amazing too!
Looks great
That looks awesome! Can’t wait to read it! Thanks!
All of them sound great.
Thanks for commenting! Fall is my favorite, too. ;)
Your festival sounds fun, too!
Thank you so much!
That’s what we love to hear! :)
The Christmas-y one is definitely a fun one!
The things you attended sound fun, too! Thanks for your comment!
She has tons of different gingerbread activities in it! That’s a great choice.
So glad you think so! The great news is they all come together in one book so you don’t have to choose. ;)
Thanks so much!
Thank you so much!
So glad! We enjoyed creating them. :)
This sounds like such a great book with stories that fall during the different seasons! They all sound like great reads and the book cover is Beautiful, I love it! Thank you for sharing about it. I will definitely add it to my TBR list. Have a Great weekend and stay safe.
Thank you so much!
I love fall! I’m sure fall in Tennessee looks a bit different than in the UK, but that’s part of what makes reading so enjoyable!
I love going to small-town fall festivals! That made fall a natural choice for me to write about!
Thank you! We’re really pleased with how the cover turned out too!
They all sound wonderful! And even though Fall is my favorite season, I want to check them all out. :)
Fall is my favorite, too, but I’m glad they all sound good to you!
All of these sound good!
congratulations. I love this cover. That is one reason I love books with multiple authors. Another is I can read a story from authors I havent read from yet. These all sound wonderful. I am not sure I can pick just one.
I’m fortunate that my allergies occur in the fall, not the spring! LOL! The worst part for me is the pollen that lands on everything! Hope you enjoy!
Lori, I’m with you – I’ve found more favorite authors reading a novella in a collection! We’re thrilled with the cover, to. So pretty!! Hope you enjoy ALL the seasons! :)
A Sweet Dream Come True. Thank you for sharing. God bless you.
Wow they all sound good but I have to say spring the daffodil festival (even if I love tulips more) but the winter one sounds good too (even if its summer here for winter) We have a German township here that people visit a lot and I could imagine this novella set there.
It looks like a book I would love. (I like novellas). Congrats on the release
A Sweet Dream Comes True sounds like fun with the Depot Days. I love trains, bbq, cotton candy, ice cream, and some country music.
Thanks for the opportunity for the giveaway. Have a great weekend.
I don’t live in the US so not participating this time. But I will put this book on my wish list on kindle.
I really like summer and spring but I’m attracted to winter festivals, the idea of being with the family at home eating sweets and talking! with a cozy book to read.
Sugar and Spice
So glad you think so! Thanks for commenting.
So glad they all sound good to you. And I agree novella collections are a great way to find new authors. :)
I enjoy that story for sure!
Sounds like you’d enjoy several of these (hopefully all of them). Thanks for stopping by.
That’s definitely a fun festival. It’s based on the one in my hometown so I can vouch for it.
Thanks for commenting! And that definitely sounds cozy.
That’s a fun one!
This collection sounds great! All of the festivals sounds wonderful but I’m really partial to fall festivals and Christmas ones. There’s just something about that time of year that makes it all the more cozy.
I live in Atlanta, GA and though its not a small town we have festivals a lot. I grew up going to them and performing at them. I don’t go much any more because of my health. But I loved them.
Agreed. Big towns have fun festivals, too. :)
Agree completely. I love the “cozy” seasons. :)
I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to choose a favorite festival! They’re all fun for different reasons and I love any excuse to have a community get together.
Agreed! It’s so fun to be able to get together in communities again!
I think the Gingerbread Fest sounds the most fun, I enjoy baking so they fit together. Best Fest with the ice cream also sounds pretty good.
Sounds like you’re my kind of girl–one who loves yummy food. ;)