Hannah's Hope - A Christmas Novella

Hannah's Hope is a Christmas novella written as part of my Silver Bay series, and will be available for purchase November 10th, 2021.

As a writer, it's easy to get attached to certain characters. Some of them are not a part of the original outline but present themselves as you write. For me as I continue to write, those personalities grow and develop, bringing with them friends and family members I didn't initially intend, but who become some of my favorite characters to write.

Hannah and Paul Wagner are two of those characters for me. They show up first in Return To Silver Bay - Hannah as Maggie's best friend from high school and Paul as Hannah's high school sweetheart. They are now married and run a successful real estate business in town.

In Return To Silver Bay, we get a glimpse of Hannah and Paul’s desire for a family, as well as their journey through infertility and eventually adoption. By the time I completed Return To Silver Bay, I had in mind a Christmas story for Hannah and Paul. For some reason I saw them as a couple who would love that holiday, and especially in Silver Bay. The fact that they both grew up there and share a love for their home town, made it seem like the right fit for their story to take place at Christmas.

I always start my stories with the characters. I "interview" each one to get the details of their background, what they like and dislike, and even what car they like to drive and why. As I dive deep into who each character is, their stories begin to form and from there, their connections to one another grow.

Hannah's Hope is the first time I have written about a couple who are already married, and I loved sharing more of Paul and Hannah's history together. I believe that romance does not die over time in a marriage, it deepens. It was fun for me to write a couple who already had a deep connection to one another and then see how they navigate life together.

I honestly believe that romance and Christmas are meant for one another, much like Paul and Hannah.

What are some of your favorite Christmas books?