Every once in a while I get asked where I get ideas for my stories. As a writer, I’m always trying to come up with interesting characters and unique situations. That’s not an easy endeavor. Yet I’ve noticed one thing over the dozen or so years I’ve been writing. My best books have come from everyday happenings that I’ve experience.

For example, I outlined one of my romantic suspense stories while on a plane going on a trip with my son and husband. My son was 15 at the time and was (and still is) an aviation buff. He was excited and talking to his father about taking flying lessons. It’s one thing to fly as a family to a vacation destination. As morose as it sounds, if the plane crashed, I’d at least be with my loved ones. But when the situation is turned around and my only child is talking about soloing in a tiny plane it’s beyond scary. I kept my fears to myself and encouraged him to follow his dream. At the same time, I took the fearful emotions and added them to a story. Of course, I didn’t follow my outline, but at least I had an idea of where to start. From there my characters emerged and so did the story. I’m happy to say, he’s following his dream as an Air Force pilot and I got an interesting book out of the experience.

But doing a Christmas novella is special, requiring a different approach. Readers who liked my first Christmas story expected more. I dug deep and pulled together a story from a few experiences I’ve had that meant something to me. If I can create a story that contains the lessons in life I’ve learned and be entertaining at the same time, then I feel I’ve accomplished a miracle. My miracle wasn’t just finding love, but accepting it. Funny, I never thought I was one of those who ‘searched for love in all the wrong places’ but back then I was. I learned from my journey and thought it a worthwhile topic for my novella.

I’ve always considered my husband my gift of love from God. But I will admit I had to figure out why I kept dating the wrong guys—the emotionally unavailable ones I thought I could change. The hardest step was taking that first one, where I decided I was worthy. I said no to all those guys who didn’t follow through on their promises. If they didn’t mean what they said or say what they meant, they were history. That was an empowering time for me. I will be honest and let you know that if I had met my husband before making that decision, I might have let him slip by because he was a ‘nice guy’, who said what he meant, and meant what he said. In over twenty-five years, I’ve always been able to trust that. That was my miracle.

This Christmas season, I wish the same miracle for anyone who is searching for someone to share their life with. But first you have to find yourself worthy. As sappy as that sounds, it worked for me.

I’m excited to say I’ve put my novella in a boxed set with five other authors who wrote wonderful stories that are meant to lift the heart during this season. Christmas With You.

What about you? Have you had any experiences that might be considered a Christmas Miracle to share? Or a wonderful Christmas experience? Leave a comment and you’ll be entered into a drawing for an e-copy of A Christmas Miracle: The Gift of Love.

A Christmas Miracle: The Gift of Love

For all who are searching for their someone special. May the gift of love reach your hearts this holiday season.

Angie Reynolds’ heart aches for a husband and family of her own. Unfortunately, she’s looked for love in all the wrong places with nothing to show for it but disappointment. None of the guys she’s dated is worthy of her, including her ex-husband. This Christmas season looks to be another one spent alone. Yet until Angie realizes her own worth she will never be able to accept the gift of love from someone like Brad Miller.

An excerpt of the first scene when Angie begins to realize her worth:

Fingering the stem, she struggled for a way to ask the right questions. A lump formed in the back of her throat.

Finally, Angie found her resolve and raised her gaze to capture his. “What about our future? Is marriage part of it?”

“I hadn’t thought about it.” Drew broke off, remaining silent so long, she wasn’t sure he would expand his statement until he said, “Now that you’re bringing it up, I’ll be blunt. When the time comes, I’ll want someone six years younger than me, not six years older.”

Technically, only five and a half years separated their birthdays. She would soon turn thirty-three, and he celebrated his twenty-seventh birthday just months ago, but she refrained from pointing that out. It didn’t matter.

“So, you were just going to play house with me until you felt the need to settle down, and then dump me for a younger woman?” That was worse than being married and finding out he was an ass.

“Hell, I don’t know. I don’t see the problem. I thought we were on the same page. Just having fun. You know?”

“Yeah, I know.”

Lord, did she ever know. She’d wasted one of her best years on him. Apparently everything had changed between men and women during the time she was married. At least, to her it had. Men could get away with drinking all the milk they wanted without having to buy the cow, as her grandmother was always fond of saying, and Angie was obviously one of those women who let them.

“What you really mean is our relationship never had a chance from the very beginning.”

Drew’s lips curled into a snarl. “Look, I’m committing to the here and now. That should be enough.”

Her romantic evening had just morphed into a horrible nightmare.

Angie laughed, but the sound that came out was too brittle to convey humor. Blinking back tears that threatened, she fought to retain her dignity. She refused to cry over a man who didn’t deserve it.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied the waiter bearing down on their table carrying two salads, one in each hand.

He set one in front of her and the other in front of Drew. “Would you like some ground pepper?”

Screw dignity.

Angie stood and picked up her plate. “No, but he might need a new pair of pants.”

The jerk deserved a scene for two-timing her and then thinking she’d jump at the chance to move in with him. She proceeded to dump her salad into Drew’s lap.

“In case you’re wondering”—she made eye contact with Drew—“that’s a definite no.”

About to turn, she glanced at the shocked waiter. “Cancel my dinner. I won’t be staying.”

Head held high, she walked with purpose toward the door.

As much as it hurt to be rejected, it hurt more knowing she’d made an error in judgment in her choice of men. Again.

Bio:

A former sales rep for a major manufacturer, Sandy Loyd has traveled extensively throughout her working life, so she has a million stored memories to draw from for her stories. She spent her single years in San Francisco and considers that city one of America’s treasures, comparable to no other city in the world. Her California Series, starting out with Winter Interlude, are all set in the Bay Area. The Promise of Tomorrow is the fifth book in the series.

Sandy is now an empty nester and writes full time. With almost two dozen books published in several genres including contemporary romance, romantic suspense, time travel romance and historical romance, she strives to come up with fun characters—people you would love to call friends. Her writing friends call her the queen of twists. No matter the genre, she always tries to weave a warm love story into her work, while providing enough twists and turns to entertain any reader.

She has two Christmas Novellas out. A Christmas Miracle – book 1 and A Christmas Miracle: The Gift of Love – book 2.

A Christmas Miracle: The Gift of Love is in a boxed set Christmas with You

Website: www.sloydwrites.com