411 on Books, Authors & Publishing

What was your inspiration for this book? What gave you the idea to write it?

Inspiration comes to me from many places – literally as well as figuratively. In 2014, the good Lord decided to plop into my head the idea of a woman inside a Christmas wrapped box outside of a hotel room.  He does this to me all the time … especially when I’m driving and can’t jot it down until a red light.  It usually starts off with one or two words or a simple idea. 

The Christmas Mistake started off as a one line pitch from out of nowhere.  It sat in the back of my head for years while I worked on other novels.  Then, the characters started demanding my attention.  By that I mean that I would daydream about scenes, and they would swirl around my brain until I wrote them down.

In December of 2017, I had shoulder surgery.  I watched a lot of Christmas movies.  So much that I was inspired to get this story written.

As for particular chapters (or scenes), I write like I’m watching a movie. I take a lot of pictures when I go places, and I use these to help describe those places in my novel.  Sometimes, those pictures spark other ideas either for the story I am working on or for a new story.

The Christmas Mistake was super fun to write, and at first I was going to write it all from Carina’s perspective.  Then the idea hit to do one chapter in her point of view and then the next chapter to rewrite from Rad’s viewpoint. That really stretched my writing skills!

The setting for The Christmas Mistake is New Orleans and Baton Rouge.  As I live in the latter city, it makes it easier to describe places around town. Additionally, adding local lore and traditions give flavor and authenticity.  For instance, in The Christmas Mistake, I incorporate everything from dinner at The Court of Two Sisters in New Orleans to Mardi Gras Baton Rouge style.

Now grab a cup of hot chocolate and your favorite blanket because it’s time to get cozy on the couch with a sweet holiday romance story – The Christmas Mistake.

Enjoy!

The Christmas Mistake
Josephine Templeton
Publication date: December 1st 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Dressed in nothing but Christmas lingerie, Carina has a bellhop deliver her in a gift box to her fiance’s hotel room, but the last thing she expects when she is unwrapped is to see a sexy stranger in holiday boxers who looks like he just stepped off a magazine cover – definitely NOT her fiancé! How in the silver bells was she delivered to the wrong room?

As the owner of a small flower shop, Carina’s surrounded by romance on a daily basis. Her workaholic fiancé has been distant for the past several months, so she decides to drive from Baton Rouge to New Orleans to surprise him on Christmas Eve. However, that distance between them has brought loneliness, and the mere thought of the sexy stranger plucks at her mistletoe. When she discovers the reason for her fiance’s lack of attention, will she put him on Santa’s naughty list and take the stranger for a sleigh ride?

Goodreads / Amazon

 

Author Bio:

Josephine Templeton has six published novels that range from historical romance to urban fantasy. She has been to numerous conferences, including Heather Graham’s Writers for New Orleans, as well as a former member of Romance Writers of America.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

GIVEAWAY!

Hosted by: