Michelle was kind enough to invite me to visit as part of the Sharing the Joy event – so thank you so much, Michelle. I’ve been a guest here before, when my first book,
The Christmas Village launched in 2011. Well, I’ve written a sequel called,
Return to Canterbury, which will be released (knocking wood and crossing fingers, toes and eyes) by mid-December.
Both books are set against the backdrop of holidays. In
The Christmas Village, it’s Christmas of course, and in
Return to Canterbury, it’s the Fourth of July.
Why did I do that? Well, it was always a given for me that I’d write a book that takes place at Christmas because I have such vivid memories of childhood Christmases growing up in New England. In my mind, those holidays are preserved like Currier and Ives images, complete with snow-covered ground, fresh cut greens on the mantel, carolers at the door, wood fires in the hearth and candles in the window. Those memories create in me such a longing for days gone by and for a return to the innocence and magic of it all. Using Christmas as a backdrop for my story adds an emotional tug that makes our young hero Jamie’s adventure more intense and his longing for home more heart-wrenching. Wanting to be home for Christmas is what
The Christmas Village is all about.
At first I didn’t want to write a sequel to
The Christmas Village. After a while though, and with much prodding from my readers, I decided that I too, wanted to visit with our characters and the town of Canterbury again. But I didn’t want to repeat myself by setting the next story at Christmas.
Today you’re among the first to read the story summary for
Return to Canterbury.
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| First time cover reveal!!! |
Here it is:
Things have settled down for thirteen-year-old Jamie Reynolds since last Christmas. That’s when he time-traveled to 1932 and wound up in the town of Canterbury, Vermont. There he met Kelly and Christopher Pennysworth, who quickly became his best friends. Back in his own time again, he misses them every day. But as the July 4th, 2008 holiday approaches, the biggest black cloud still hovering over Jamie’s life is the mystery of what happened to his dad, who has been missing for almost a year.
Little does Jamie know that he will soon reunite with Kelly and Christopher for an adventure even bigger than their last. Together they’ll uncover a secret plot that threatens to destroy Canterbury. But will they be able to stop it before it’s too late? And will Jamie finally solve the mystery of his father’s disappearance? Return to Canterbury with us and find out!
So why did I choose the Fourth of July as the setting for
Return to Canterbury? Because I also have fond memories of summer events in my town, like our Sidewalk Bazaar, Clown Town and Fourth of July fireworks. In
Return to Canterbury, I was able to combine all those events into a July 4th backdrop.
Both stories are adventures in which Jamie and his friends Kelly and Christopher come up against villains who threaten their family, friends and their beloved town of Canterbury. The action plays out as the days leading up to each holiday unfold, heightening the urgency and intensifying both what’s happening and how we feel about what’s happening. I hope that you will enjoy my books, the characters and your visit to the fictitious, yet very-real-to-me town of Canterbury, as much as I enjoyed writing them.
When released in December,
Return to Canterbury will be available in paperback and e-book for Kindle from Amazon.com and in all digital formats from Smashwords.
There is also a Goodreads Giveaway for Return to Canterbury that can be found
HERE
The Christmas Village is already available in all formats from Amazon and Smashwords. Here are all the links:
The Christmas Village Facebook Page
Amazon Link to The Christmas Village
Smashwords Link to The Christmas Village
The Christmas Village on Goodreads
My Author Blog
YouTube Video Book Trailer
Read my
review of
The Christmas Village HERE.
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