Michelle Major Interview - The Magnolia Sisters ~ JeanBookNerd

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Michelle Major is the Publishers Weekly best-selling, RITA award winning author of over thirty sexy and sweet contemporary romances. She loves second-chances love stories, smart heroines and strong heroes. A Midwesterner at heart, she’s made the Rocky Mountains her home for nearly half her life and is thrilled to share her books with readers. Connect with her at www.michellemajor.com.

What inspired you to pen your first novel?
I came to reading romance late—I was almost 30 (and still can't believe how many years of missed reading I had to catch up). But as soon as I started, I was hooked and realized that the little stories I told myself in my head could actually be romance plots. To me, writing a book is a little like a puzzle and I love figuring out where all the details fit. I also love that I can take my laptop and work anywhere. And one more huge thing I love is readers. I still want to cry (happy tears) every time I get an email or comment that a reader loved one of my books. It's such an honor to be part of someone's life that way.

Tell us your latest news.
In addition to The Magnolia Sisters, the second book in the series, The Merriest Magnolia, will release in October. I also have three books in a new series, Welcome To Starlight, with Harlequin Special Edition so it’s an exciting year for me! 2021 will continue both series and hopefully even more books to come.

Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?
I can't even name all the authors that inspire me. Anyone who is working in this industry to put out the best books they can write while balancing all the other details of life is an inspiration to me. It's part of what I love about the writer and reader communities on Facebook—it really makes me know that although I'm alone in my house most days at the computer I'm never really on my own. The romance community is the best.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
At a signing a couple of years ago, a reader introduced herself and told me that my books had gotten her through chemo treatments. I was so humbled.

What do you hope for readers to be thinking when they read your novel?
During this time in our world, I hope I give them some time to not think about reality for a few hours. I would love to know that they enjoyed an escape to a place that is hopeful—a town they might like to visit with characters they’d like to meet (even from a six foot distance!).

In your new book; THE MAGNOLIA SISTERS, can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about it?
The Magnolia Sisters is a series that focuses on three women who discover they share the same father after he dies and how they manage to forge a bond in the small town of Magnolia, North Carolina. In the first book we meet Avery, a big city transplant who is starting over and definitely not looking for love. Spoiler alert: She finds it with a sexy firefighter. I loved (as always) writing an emotionally charged romance but also having the opportunity to explore the relationship between the three sisters.

What part of Avery and Grayson did you enjoy writing the most?
Dialogue is always my favorite. I love banter back and forth, especially as readers get to watch the hero and heroine falling in love before they realize it.

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
That’s a great question and one I’ve never thought of before! My first series was set on the western side of North Carolina in the fictional town of Brevia. It would be fun to have the three Brevia ladies take a road trip to Magnolia. I think they would all get together for chips and salsa and maybe a margarita or two.

What’s the most ridiculous fact you know?
I am a walking encyclopedia of useless Hollywood trivia—names of actors and which shows/movies they’ve been in. But it makes me a good partner for game night!

What according to you is your most treasured possession?
My kids’ art from when they were little.

Best date you've ever had?
This is so lame but my husband and I have been together 20 years and we’ve always owned ‘fixer upper’ houses. I still love going to Home Depot with him on a Friday night then to grab Mexican. It’s the little things, right?!

What were you doing the last time you really had a good laugh?
Having dinner with my family.

What would be the most amazing adventure to go on?
Omg, at this point it feels like any kind of travel will be an adventure!

What event in your life would make a good movie?
When I moved to Colorado after college, I lived in a tent in the mountains for a summer while I was waiting on a job to come through. My own version of Wild.

Which incident in your life totally changed the way you think today?
Becoming a mom.

An inheritance brought her to Magnolia, but love just might keep her there…

Avery Keller arrives in Magnolia, North Carolina, with one aim: collect her inheritance and quickly put the quirky town in her rearview mirror. But the father who didn’t acknowledge her when he was alive has left Avery a mess to sort through—along with two half sisters she’s never met and a gorgeous single dad living next door. Soon her plan to keep this colorful, close-knit community at a distance gets complicated….

Grayson Atwell has rescued plenty of people in his firefighting career. His work and his little girl, Violet, are his entire world and there’s no time for anything—or anyone—else. But the vulnerability beneath Avery’s prickly facade brings out a fiercely protective side of him. Despite her protests, Gray can see that Avery’s falling under Magnolia’s spell—just like he’s falling for her. Now the only question is: How can he convince her to give them both a chance at forever?

Praise for THE MAGNOLIA SISTERS

"Striking the perfect balance of romance, heat, and drama, this optimistic love story is a sweet start to a promising series, perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber." —Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review on The Magnolia Sisters

"Perfect for readers of Nicholas Sparks and Cecelia Ahern, The Magnolia Sisters will give you hope that there is always a chance of happiness." —The Nerd Daily

"Major’s characters and small-town romance worldbuilding are unique, engaging, and emotionally compelling. Avery and Gray’s romance is complex, but the Magnolia backdrop adds a dimension and texture to the story. A dynamic start to a series with a refreshingly original premise.” —Kirkus Reviews on The Magnolia Sisters

"A large cast of well-drawn characters and a host of intriguing story threads enlarge the hopeful, heartfelt charm of Major's engrossing new romance series.” —Shelf Awareness

You can purchase The Magnolia Sisters at the following Retailers: