Shannon Richard is the author of the new novel Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction. Her other novels include Dog Days Forever. She lives in Tallahassee, Florida.
Q: Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction is a follow-up to your novel Dog Days Forever--why did you decide to focus on your characters Lucy and Theo in this book?
A: When it comes to my books, I always have a band of supporting side characters who I thoroughly enjoy developing on the page. Whether it’s the family my main characters are born into, or the family they have found, these relationships are pivotal in me discovering exactly who my hero and heroine really are.
The thing is, I always end up falling in love with these side characters and want all of them to have their story told.
When I start a new book, I don’t always know who my next story is going to be about. It’s usually about the characters who call to me the loudest.
That wasn’t necessarily the case with this series. During the plotting process of Dog Days Forever, Lucy and Theo were always my intention for book two. And as it turned out, the second I started writing them on the page, they were the two who called to me the loudest. I was so excited to discover what their story would be.
Q: Is the town of Cruickshank, North Carolina, where the story is set, based on a real community?
A: I love small towns with big personalities. My first series was the same way, except it was on the coast of Florida (just south of where I live). I wanted to change up the scenery and get mountains over sand with this series.
Thomasville, Georgia, is about an hour north of me, and I’ve always loved going up there. The downtown area with its beautiful storefronts was a big inspiration for Cruickshank. Also, I’ve got Gilmore Girls ingrained in my soul, so Stars Hollow was a big influence as well.
Q: Did you know how the story would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: There were so so so many changes made during the editing process, and the ending to Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction was pretty much an entire rewrite. Almost nothing that I had originally plotted ended up in the story. Bless my editor and her patience with me.
I think I listened to “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone on repeat for an entire week while I was writing the ending. It turned into something so much more than I thought it could be and it’s one of my favorite endings that I’ve ever written.
Q: What are some of your other favorite novels set at the holidays?
A: So I’d never read a romance novel until after I graduated college…way back in 2009. I was staying at my parents for the holidays and was craving a Christmas book.
I went in to Books-A-Million (where I’d worked in high school and college) and found a collection of short stories by Donna Kauffmann, Jill Shalvis, and HelenKayDimon called Kissing Santa Clause. That book quickly became my gateway drug and is what got me into writing romance novels.
I had the privilege of meeting Donna Kauffmann before she passed away, and I told her she was the very first romance novel I read. I was also lucky enough to meet Jill Shalvis and was so grateful to her for blurbing my very first book. Sometimes life just comes full circle in the most beautiful of ways.
Anyways, that wasn’t the question you asked, but I thought that story was appropriate.
As to my list of Christmas books:
Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun
A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas (I just adored this series so much and this book is a little cherry on top)
A Bad Boy For Christmas by Jessica Lemmon
That’s a pretty short list…I think I watch more romantic Christmas movies than read Christmas books. I of course do the Hallmark movie marathons with my mother, but here are a few of my favorite movies:
The Holiday
Dash and Lily
The Family Stone (this one might be a hot take)
Elf
Love Actually
Bridget Jones (I know this isn’t technically a Christmas movie, but I always watch it during the holidays. The ending is one of my favorites of ever).
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I had not intended for book three to be about Gavin and Sasha. Well, actually, Gavin had always been my hero, but I had no idea he was going to end up with Sasha until I was writing this book.
It was a subtle development on the page, and the more I had them in scenes together, the more they were screaming at me that they were in fact supposed to be together (this isn’t a spoiler…it’s hinted at in chapter one).
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: This book is dedicated to my rescue dog Teddy. I adopted him almost eight years ago and he has stolen my heart and completely changed my life. There are so many animals out there desperate for a second chance, so if you can and are willing to adopt, your life might be changed for the better too.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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