Spotlight: One Winter Night by Heather Tullis
/
HEATHER TULLIS has been reading romance for as long as she can remember and has been publishing in the genre since 2009. She has published more than twenty books.
When she’s not dreaming up new stories to write, or helping out with her community garden, she enjoys playing with her dogs and cat, cake decorating, trying new jewelry designs, inventing new ways to eat chocolate, and hanging out with her husband.
Learn more about her and sign up for her newsletter on her website.
Jonah Owens thought moving to Echo Ridge to open his art gallery would solve all of his problems. The need to sell his grandma's house adds an unexpected complication. It would be easier if his neighbor didn't have all those farm animals.
Kaya Feidler's family has owned their land for nearly a hundred years--long before the neighbors were there. There's no way she's giving up the animal therapy business she's been struggling to make profitable. She gets a temp job helping Jonah in the gallery.
Spending time together is a recipe for romance, but can they overcome their own hangups to be more than friends?
Q&A With the Author:
1. Describe yourself in 50 words or less.
I'm a small-town girl who loves writing sweet romance--even my mysteries have romance in them! When I'm not writing I and trying out new recipes, working in my garden, renovating my house, or getting sucked into someone else's story.
2. What do you love most in the world?
Snuggling up with a great story and a cup of cocoa.
3. What inspired you to become an Author?
I've always had stories in my head, even when there wasn't a book anywhere in sight. When I was going through a rough period in 2000, I decided to write one of them down and I haven't been able to shake the desire to write for long since then.
4. What is your favorite Winter / Holiday tradition?
Spending time with family and friends and putting up the tree! Oh, and making really terrific food.
5. What is your trick for getting past writer's block? And what advice do you have for other authors who are struggling to tell their story?
For me writer's block usually means that I don't know where the story is going, so I sit down and do some journaling about the characters and the story until things start to flow and I'm able to figure out where I was going wrong. Very occasionally it's not about the storyline, but because my brain is legitimately pre-occupied with something in my real life and then sometimes you just have to put the story aside while you work through whatever is demanding all of your attention--just make sure that it's a legitimate real-life problem and not an excuse to procrastinate that you're using instead of putting the words on the page.
6. Now that we've gotten to know each other, tell me a story. It can be long or short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it's yours. What's your story?
When I had been out of college for a few months and was still looking for a job, I took on a bunch of temp jobs, including a one-shift job rolling burritos at a frozen burrito factory. I was told the shift would last for 8-10 hours, or until the batch was done. I worked 14 hours that day and have had trouble eating frozen burritos ever since--and it's been nearly twenty years.