On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Author Interview
What inspired you to write The Christmas Promise?
This book is really the sequel to His Saving Grace (August 2020) – the story how a teenaged prank went terribly wrong, ending in the tragic death of a young boy. Grace Winters, one of the teen perpetrators of the prank, tried to make amends and atone for her role in His Saving Grace. But another teen, Ella Jacobs, was also a victim of the prank and subsequently blamed for the event that led to Brandon’s death. Her return to where it all happened is a quest to face those involved.
In both books, I wanted to explore the themes of forgiveness and redemption. Can someone unjustly accused, like Ella, learn to forgive while setting the record straight?
What do you love most about this story?
Ah, so many things it’s difficult to focus on one aspect more than another. I was drawn to the locale – the coast of Maine in winter. I was also interested in the process of forgiveness – can it overcome hurt and injustice? Is love still possible afterwards?
What challenged you about writing it?
A big challenge was ‘getting into the heads’ of the main characters – Ella and Ben. I could only imagine what it must feel like to be considered a pariah, not only by a family, but by a whole town. And unfairly so. That’s the memory Ella had to carry since that summer she was sixteen.
And Ben had a secret role in the town’s - and his family’s – tragedy and I had difficulty imagining what a burden that secret must have been for him afterwards.
What character do you most relate to and why?
Henry Jenkins, the retired bookstore owner who’s known the main characters since they were teens and who is a Winters family friend. Henry has the benefit of his age to be the non-judging listener in the stories of Ella, Grace and Ben. This probably accounts for my sense of connection to him, as he rails against unnecessary change in Lighthouse Cove and knows intuitively that Ella and Grace won’t find peace until they learn to forgive themselves first.
What do you hope readers will take with them after they’ve read it?
First, I hope that readers will understand that love doesn’t occur in a void. It’s often tied up with sometimes opposing emotions – grief, guilt, blame and regret. The characters in The Christmas Promise – Ella, Ben, Ben’s sister, Grace, and even his parents, Evelyn and Charles – all must learn to see another side of a painful story and to forgive before finding inner peace. And second, I’d like readers to come away with the sense of hope and trust in love that Ella and Ben finally achieve.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?
My non-writing time is spent hanging out with my family, especially my toddler granddaughter. Then cooking, baking and travel – especially to a cottage we rent annually. And always, reading. I feel blessed to enjoy these basic pleasures and privileges. The Christmas Promise is my 15th Harlequin romance – I’ve been writing a long time and have been lucky to enjoy some successes.
This book is really the sequel to His Saving Grace (August 2020) – the story how a teenaged prank went terribly wrong, ending in the tragic death of a young boy. Grace Winters, one of the teen perpetrators of the prank, tried to make amends and atone for her role in His Saving Grace. But another teen, Ella Jacobs, was also a victim of the prank and subsequently blamed for the event that led to Brandon’s death. Her return to where it all happened is a quest to face those involved.
In both books, I wanted to explore the themes of forgiveness and redemption. Can someone unjustly accused, like Ella, learn to forgive while setting the record straight?
What do you love most about this story?
Ah, so many things it’s difficult to focus on one aspect more than another. I was drawn to the locale – the coast of Maine in winter. I was also interested in the process of forgiveness – can it overcome hurt and injustice? Is love still possible afterwards?
What challenged you about writing it?
A big challenge was ‘getting into the heads’ of the main characters – Ella and Ben. I could only imagine what it must feel like to be considered a pariah, not only by a family, but by a whole town. And unfairly so. That’s the memory Ella had to carry since that summer she was sixteen.
And Ben had a secret role in the town’s - and his family’s – tragedy and I had difficulty imagining what a burden that secret must have been for him afterwards.
What character do you most relate to and why?
Henry Jenkins, the retired bookstore owner who’s known the main characters since they were teens and who is a Winters family friend. Henry has the benefit of his age to be the non-judging listener in the stories of Ella, Grace and Ben. This probably accounts for my sense of connection to him, as he rails against unnecessary change in Lighthouse Cove and knows intuitively that Ella and Grace won’t find peace until they learn to forgive themselves first.
What do you hope readers will take with them after they’ve read it?
First, I hope that readers will understand that love doesn’t occur in a void. It’s often tied up with sometimes opposing emotions – grief, guilt, blame and regret. The characters in The Christmas Promise – Ella, Ben, Ben’s sister, Grace, and even his parents, Evelyn and Charles – all must learn to see another side of a painful story and to forgive before finding inner peace. And second, I’d like readers to come away with the sense of hope and trust in love that Ella and Ben finally achieve.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?
My non-writing time is spent hanging out with my family, especially my toddler granddaughter. Then cooking, baking and travel – especially to a cottage we rent annually. And always, reading. I feel blessed to enjoy these basic pleasures and privileges. The Christmas Promise is my 15th Harlequin romance – I’ve been writing a long time and have been lucky to enjoy some successes.
The Christmas Promise
By Janice Carter
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 216 Pages
January 1, 2021 by Harlequin Heartwarming
The Christmas season…
Is perfect for new beginnings
After a tragedy seventeen years ago, author Ella Jacobs never wanted to come back to Lighthouse Cove. Not to the whispered rumors, the judgment or even to Ben Winters, the boy she loved. Now she’s returned in time for Christmas—and some much-needed closure. But old flames burn bright. Can Ella find her way back to Ben…or will the secrets of their past extinguish their love for good?
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About the Author
Tour Giveaway
Ends January 27, 2021
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