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A Christmas to Remember Collection, Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, Christian fiction, Christmas fiction, Clean read, excerpt from Until I Met You by Kimberly Rose Johnson, Kimberly Rose Johnson, Sweet read, Until I Met You
Today’s Wednesday Writers’ guest is Kimberly Rose Johnson. Kimberly is no stranger to Wednesday Writers, and I’m glad to have her back today talking about the Christmas collection A Christmas to Remember she’s put together just in time for the holidays, and specifically her novella Until I Met You. Welcome back, Kimberly!
Thanks, Catherine.
In early 2018 I decided that I wanted to put together a Christmas collection so I posed the idea to several authors and all the spots were quickly taken. A Christmas to Remember has a total of eight Christmas novellas. My contribution to the collection is Until I Met You.
Until I Met You is the prequel to my Brides of Seattle series. There are two books that follow this one. As I wrote The Reluctant Groom (book 1) I realized Brandi needed her own book. Brandi is the best friend of the heroine in The Reluctant Groom.
Writing a prequel was quite a different experience since I had to back up and create the beginning of her love story. It was a fun process because when I wrote her in book one I hadn’t thought about how her romance how it had come about, I only knew the part of her backstory that related to Katie, the heroine in book one.
I thought it’d be fun to interview Brandi here.
Kimberly: Thanks for joining us today, Brandi. When you first met Ian you were taking a break from dating. What prompted you to do that?
Brandi: It seemed to me that I was always in a relationship—not that I bounced around from boyfriend to boyfriend, but for the most part I was the other half of a couple. Somewhere along the way I lost who I was and my relationship with the Lord had suffered. One of my small group leaders suggested I take a six-month hiatus from dating and spend that time digging into the Bible and getting to know God and myself again. It sounded like a great idea until I met Ian.
Kimberly: The two of you had an interesting meet cute.
Brandi: Yes. I for one will never forget it.
Kimberly: Speaking of your meet cute, I like to share it with the readers here today, if that’s okay with you.
Brandi: Sure.
Kimberly: Thanks, for taking the time to visit with us Brandi. Without further adieu here is the meet cute for Brandi and Ian.
Excerpt from Until I Met You
by Kimberly Rose Johnson
Early Saturday morning, Brandi Prescott held her latte in one hand and opened the door to leave her favorite coffee shop in the Green Lake neighborhood of Seattle. She raised her hood and tightened the belt of her trench coat as rain pounded the ground.
“Bring it on.” She tilted her head and spoke to the black cloud overhead. Nothing was going to ruin her good mood. It might be a dreary fall day, but it was the weekend, and she planned to spend it reading beside a cozy fire in her apartment a few blocks away.
She walked to the crosswalk and frowned at the huge puddle of water blocking her path. How had it rained that much in such a short time? When she’d crossed the street, ten minutes ago, it had been fine. No way could she use the crosswalk without soaking her feet. She should have worn rubber boots instead of sneakers.
A vehicle careened through the yellow light. “Oh no!” She ducked her head as a wave of water splashed over her, knocking her latte from her hand. She balled her fists at her sides and glared after the red SUV.
“Of all the nerve!” She wiped water from her face, which had managed to get her even though she’d ducked her head.
The car braked and pulled into a parking spot. A man with dark hair hopped out. He jogged toward her. “Are you okay? I didn’t notice the standing water until it was too late.”
She squared her shoulders and raised her chin. “My coffee is ruined, and I’m soaked. Otherwise, I’m fine.” She bent down and picked up the paper cup and the plastic lid that had popped off.
“I’m really sorry. Let me get you a new one.”
She studied the man a moment. His neatly trimmed beard and mustache framed a young face with kind brown eyes. “That would be nice. Thank you.”
“It’s the least I can do, considering I nearly drowned you.”
She chuckled. “Well, I don’t know if I’d go that far. My coat did a pretty good job of keeping me dry.”
He raised a brow. “Come on. Let’s get out of the rain.” He walked toward the coffee shop and pulled open the door. “After you.”
I hope you enjoyed the excerpt! You can pick this book up on Amazon for only 99¢ until December 30th. The collection will no longer be available after that time. Here is the link to A Christmas to Remember.
Until I Met You
Graphic designer, Brandi Prescott hopes to work her way to the top at the Seattle ad agency where she’s employed. She’s dedicated and distraction-free since she’s taking a hiatus from men to focus on her relationship with the Lord and get to know herself without the influence of another person.
Software engineer Ian Parker is in a good place. He loves his job, his social life and the direction his life is going. At least that is the case until one fateful rainy morning when he inadvertently drenches a woman standing on a street corner. He pulls over to apologize and is intrigued. The only problem is, she won’t go out with him because she made a pledge to not date for six months.
Brandi’s six-month pledge ends on Christmas. Will Ian wait or will his scheming to get to know her destroy what might have been?
About the Author:
Award winning author Kimberly Rose Johnson married her college sweetheart and lives in the Pacific Northwest. From a young child Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing. She especially loves romance and writes contemporary romance that warms the heart and feeds the soul.
Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.
Connect with Kimberly at Kimberly’s Website: Facebook: Twitter
Announcing five new stories filled with faith, hope, forgiveness, and of course happily-ever-afters. Each story focuses on an element of the Nativity, from the angels to the wise men. Be swept up in the love of the season and the promise of forever that the Christ child, the true Heart of Christmas, brings.
Today’s Wednesday Writers’ guest is Tracey L. Dragon. Tracey will be sharing her dual-time romance When The Geese Fly North – Book 2 of her Return to the Home Front Series. She’s also sharing an excerpt, so be sure to read to bottom of the post. Welcome, Tracey!
Tracey L. Dragon is a relocated New Yorker, former Navy wife, and retired educator who now lives in Florida with her husband. After seven military moves, raising two Navy brats, and twenty years teaching troubled youth, she is now able to put her full attention to publishing the children’s stories and romance novels she’s written over the years. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and Florida Writers Association.
Bonnie Engstrom is a multi-published author who mostly writes romances. She has published fourteen books and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America and Christian Writers of the West.
since they were toddlers. Pura Vida!
Growing up in a small town in Indiana may have been the best experience or the worst depending on your viewpoint. For me, it was the best. My two sisters and I were raised with strict traditional values and rules for the life of a Christian. Once I left for college my horizons expanded, giving me the chance to see many different viewpoints. I wanted to travel the world. Instead, I met the love of my life in college and we married. After retiring from teaching at age fifty-five, it was time to move forward with my dream of writing. After many rejection letters, A DOG AND HIS BOY, was published through a small Christian publisher. I self-published my other five children’s books. During this same time my young adult novel, THE HIDDEN TRUTH, became a reality, thanks to Soul Mate Publishers. When I received my contract to publish it as an e-book, I was ecstatic. New writers often ask for advice from published authors. Here’s mine: be true to yourself, and then, have fun with your writing. Maybe, just maybe, you will become one of those best-selling authors we see featured in the bookstores.
Lindsey P. Brackett writes southern fiction infused with her rural Georgia upbringing and Lowcountry roots. Her debut novel, Still Waters, inspired by family summers at Edisto Beach, released in 2017. Called “a brilliant debut” with “exquisite writing,” 
Fast forward – okay, slow forward – ten years. I was still dreaming about Cassis. About how lovely it looked, how I would love to live there on the shores of the Mediterranean. A story started brewing. “What if?” kept popping into my head. I was writing historical romances then, was on the verge of selling my first one, and in the back of my head, Cassis kept dancing around showing me sunsets over the water, teasing my memories with the scents of water, fish, and lavender.
When not writing, Patricia spends time with her family
Today Wednesday Writers welcomes Ada Brownell back to the blog. Ada will be talking about her book What Prayer Can Do and the miracles she’s heard about and written about in the book. Welcome, Ada!
Ada Brownell has been writing for Christian publications since age 15 and spent much of her life as a daily newspaper reporter. She has a B.S. degree in Mass Communications and worked most of her career at The Pueblo Chieftain in Colorado where she spent the last seven years as a medical writer. After moving to Springfield, MO in her retirement, she continues to freelance for Christian publications and write non-fiction and fiction books. She occasionally writes op-ed pieces for newspapers.
Picture of red flaming bush when it was young
Weedy Day lilies
Multi-award-winning author Catherine Castle loves writing, reading, traveling, singing, theatre, and quilting. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances and both of her books have won awards. You can find her award-winning books 
Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.
Hi, my name is Joan Deppa. I have been a wife, mother and pastor’s wife for many years, but have started a new adventure. I am now an author. They say you should write about what you know, so that’s what I have done in my series, “Seasons of Love.” When I came home from my dad’s funeral, and after a March snow storm that left everything white and clean, Whiter than Snow was born. It’s based on some of my dad’s past, as well as my husband’s, his salvation experience and how it brought about the release of the pain and bitterness of his past, and then the wonderful results it brought. It takes place in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as that’s where we were living when I began writing it. Throughout our ministry, we have counseled many people who have been hurt by the pain of divorce, as well as experienced it ourselves when my parents, as well as one of our sons went through a divorce. It causes a lot of feelings of rejection, insecurities and fears that only Christ can heal, so that is the theme for my second book, Summer Dreams. I am currently writing the third book entitled, Autumn Discoveries. It will deal with the issue of high expectations that we, as well as others, place on us.
Bonnie Turner has recently moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and is enamored by its beauty in the winter time. While enjoying the beauty, Brad Jorgenson “bumps” into her and takes it upon himself to show her the sights and how to enjoy Winter in the Upper Peninsula. But will Bonnie be able to show him how to release the anger and bitterness he’s carried since childhood and introduce him to the Creator of the beauty he enjoys? Can God’s love and forgiveness really make him, “whiter than snow?”
April Phillips is a 6th grade teacher who loves children but feels she should never marry due to the history of divorce in her family. So instead, she pursues her dream to learn to Kayak and buys an older house that she can make into the home of her dreams. However, Aaron Matthews has his own dreams – to marry April and have a family of their own. But first he needs to help her realize that God is able to break her chains of fear and give her a love that paddles through the storms and difficulties of life and thrives. Whose dreams will be realized? Can they both win?
My husband and I have been in church ministry for over 30 years and have counseled many hurting people. I have always loved to read and now write inspirational fiction, sharing God’s love, forgiveness, wisdom and ability to change lives yielded to Him, in a way that people can relate to. My hope is that my readers will find true joy, guidance and forgiveness in Christ from their past and present challenges in life. We have four adult children, eleven grandchildren and have lived mostly in the Midwest. We enjoy seeing all the beauty of God’s creation wherever we are, and I share some of our favorites in my stories. I am a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers.