My name is L. B. Joyce. I am the author of the Contemporary Romance series, Twelve Months, Twelve Love Stories. Published in December 2019, A January to Remember is the sixth book of the series.
I grew up and have lived in the Northeast suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, for my entire life. For the past thirty years or so, I have lived in Chagrin Falls, a city in that area.
If there was ever a perfect little town for the set of a romance movie, it would be Chagrin Falls. For those of you who’ve had the chance to visit, you know what I’m talking about. For those of you who haven’t, you should make it a point to stop by and spend a day with us. I know you’d love the small-town atmosphere. And yes, as indicated in the name, there is a falls. As a matter of fact, there are two – one is natural, the other man made.
Now, a little bit about me. If someone were to write my story, I’m afraid it would be a mod-podge of things. First of all, you should know I never intended to write a book, let alone think I’d ever be referring to myself as an author. For the past thirty years, I’ve freelanced as an artist. I’ve also participated in quite a few recipe contests and even won a few. I’ve always been a big reader, books, magazines or whatever. But writing an actual book? This is something I thought was for other people, not me.
Recipe contesting was probably what influenced me to start writing. As a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off (2008, 2010 and 2012) I became close to a few of the other finalists, with many emails exchanged between us. It was during that time, it was suggested I write a book about the experience. A humorous take on the ups and downs of competitive contesting.
So, I sat down one day and started to write. But it didn’t turn out to be a story about recipe contesting. No, it was a story about romance. After hanging on to the manuscript for over two years, afraid to let it go, I finally took the leap and A Million Decembers was finally published.
How did a humorous take on recipe contests turned into a romantic fairy tale kind of story? I haven’t a clue. But I do know I love writing in this genre. I like that there is always a happy ending. I don’t know about you, but when I read a book or watch a movie, I want the satisfaction of knowing everything turns out well in the end.
When I was working on A Million Decembers, I had no intention of turning it into a series. This happened only after the few select people I let read my manuscript, convinced me to turn the story into a series. For a while after that, I often wondered what convinced me to do this, setting myself up to write twelve books? What was I thinking? But here I am, ready to start on book seven and still going strong.
And I still love writing, now more than before.
The time period of the series is now, give or take a few years. A Million Decembers, starts out in Chicago. Kevin, who makes an appearance in this first book, gets drafted by Cleveland’s professional baseball team and moves the story to Cleveland. From this point on, all of the stories take place in the Cleveland area and this is where I intend to keep them. The main characters have all become good friends and the cast of characters have grown, each with their own distinct personalities.
Book six, A January to Remember is probably my favorite of the stories I’ve written so far. But then I say probably only because I say this about every book when I finish it, something I think most authors can relate to. Leaving behind the main characters, to move on to the next, can be hard. This is why I love writing a series. The characters never really leave. They can pop up again at any time to help carry on the story.
To anyone who is thinking about writing a book, I say go for it. Read everything you can about writing, publishing and marketing. Connect with other artists and listen to what they have to say. Take that leap like I did. Remember your goal is not to become famous, only to bring out what you maybe didn’t know you had inside and put it all down into writing. Who knows what you’ll find out about yourself?
Take care,
Linda
A January to Remember:
It’s been said third time’s a charm and Hannah Michaels was only hours away from making this happen. After a misunderstanding, an unexpected departure and too much time lost before and after, she was more than ready. The first real date Sean had promised was about to happen.
But then she did something so incredibly stupid. While out for a run, she stepped out in front of a speeding motorcycle. Sailing head-first into a parked car, she was suddenly left with no recollection of the last two years of her life.
Unfortunately, Sean fell into this void.
Even though Sean Young had been next in line to take over his family’s cattle ranch in Australia, baseball had always been his first love. His goal to play professionally was realized when an offer by Cleveland had him leaving the ranch and his family behind to fulfill this dream.
Never did he expect to take one look at Hannah and have her steal his heart. Nor, after returning from an unexpected trip home due to a family emergency, did he think he’d have to start all over again, proving the love they’d shared before her memory loss was still the real thing.
Will this third time become that promised charm? Will Sean’s persistence pay off?
Another captivating addition to this series, A January to Remember is a love story you won’t want to end. A true romance at its best.
See why so many romance novel enthusiasts are hooked on this series and the cast of characters. True romance at its best, get caught up in their stories. Find out who will be the next to fall in love.
Link to A January to Remember:
https://books2read.com/u/mgGpVq
Link to the series, Twelve Months, Twelve Love Stories:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B0798SF1WG
Website https://www.lbjoyceauthor.com
Blog https://www.lbjoyceauthor.com/blog
Twitter https://twitter.com/bibbolinda
Facebook https://www. facebook.com/LBJoyceAuthor/
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Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/L.-B.-Joyce/e/B01N2AFD4L/