Debra: Hi Carolyn! Thank you for visiting the Inkwell Inspirations Blog and agreeing to some questions! I can't be the only one surprised to see contemporary romances (*with hockey!) from an author whose historicals have been so popular. Which genre did you write when you first started?
CAROLYN: The first book I ever wrote (before writing any historicals) came from watching the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010, when I saw an Aussie female athlete holding hands with a US male athlete as they entered the closing ceremony. I was struck by how two people from different countries and (presumably) different sports could meet, let alone sustain a relationship, especially given the gruelling nature of their elite athlete training schedules and all those time zone differences. Despite my best efforts, I never found out who they were, so I made up 'their' story, which became Love on Ice, an Olympics-focused book about an Aussie short track speed skater (bc I like stories about tough chicks), and an ice hockey player (also tough – but handsome ;). Love on Ice is now the second book in the Original Six series, and The Breakup Project precedes it, and incorporates some of the same characters I’d used all those years ago. So yes, even though my historicals were the first published, I’d written maybe 4-5 contemporaries prior – so it’s wonderful to finally return to my writing roots and see these books get the chance to shine!
New Year. New Resolution. New Romance?
What happens when the best-laid plans break a friendship?
As
the twin sister of hockey’s hottest forward, romance-loving Bree
Karlsson is used to being ignored, leading to a New Year’s resolution to
not date any athlete in her attempt to find Mr. Right. But what happens
when the man who might prove to be her personal Mr. Darcy is her
brother’s hockey-playing best friend?
Mike Vaughan might be happy
playing in Boston, but he’d be even happier if Bree could one day see
him as more than a good friend. He agrees to help Bree with a special
project in the hope she’ll finally see him as something more. But when a
misunderstanding ends in a Valentine’s Day disaster, Bree realizes that
her breakup project may have broken her friendship with Mike in two.
Can she ever redeem her mistake?
This friends-to-more romance has
plenty of heart, humor, and swoon-worthy kisses in this first book of
the Original Six, a sweet, slightly sporty Christian contemporary
romance series.
Debra: What's the best part of having two genres in your wheelhouse?
Carolyn: I love the refreshing nature of switching genres. I’ve recently just finished edits on my next historical (Midnight’s Budding Morrow, out May 31) so it was great to dive back into contemporaries having had a mental ‘palate cleanse.’ I think readers are coming to expect certain things from my books (solid ‘unapologetically Christian’ themes, some banter and humor, relatable characters, and touching on grittier issues) so I think they’re looking for that kind of story, and aren’t super fussed on whether it’s set in contemporary times or 200 years ago in England.
Debra: Can you tell us why you chose hockey for the first of the 'sporty contemporaries'? and what's to come from the rest of the series?
Carolyn: This series is a hockey based series, mainly because I think the sport is awesome! It’s a tough sport with 82+ games per season, and I’m awed by the physicality and skill of skating at huge speeds, the danger and excitement of the games, and the stories behind the players who play at an elite level. The first book is set in Boston, one of the original six teams of the National Hockey League, with the other stories set in other cities of the original six (Detroit, Chicago, Montréal, New York and Toronto.) Each book can be read as a standalone, but the interconnected characters (NHL players who are Christians involved in an online Bible study – which I was thrilled to discover is a legitimate thing!) add some extra fun factor as people read through the series. I hope readers enjoy travelling to these places (four of these cities I’ve visited) as I have, and learning a little more about this sport. But don’t worry – early readers who aren’t hockey fans tell me it’s not too sporty, and have described the romance as ‘swoonworthy!’
Debra: I know we are looking forward to it! Carolyn, what's something you'd like to share with our readers about your life or hobbies?
Carolyn: I’m something of a creative, and I have long enjoyed playing music and creating through art. It’s been fun to write songs and albums and incorporate some of these things into some of my stories. Two of the books in this new series see my characters involved in these activities, such as leading worship and doing artwork in Checked Impressions (which might also see some of my love of the Art Institute of Chicago from my visit there), and what it’s like to play music and write songs in Muskoka Blue, the sixth book in the Original Six series.
Debra: If you could do any travel in 2022, where would you like to go?
Carolyn: I visited England and the UK back in 2015, so I feel like it’s really time to revisit some of the wonderful places I’ve seen, and explore some new places too. But next year also sees my 25th wedding anniversary so France would be ideal, please.
Debra: Thanks so much for participating! We wish you the best with both series!
Carolyn: Thanks so much for having me!
Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher.
A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and LM Montgomery, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her contemporary romance series includes the Original Six hockey romance series, and the Independence Islands series, and her historical series include the Regency Brides and Regency Wallflowers series.
Connect with Carolyn at: website | facebook | pinterest | twitter |
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