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Meet Cozy Romance Author Jaqueline Gillam-Fairchild

Cozy Romance Author

Cozy Romance Author? What is this blog coming to?

I try hard to be unpredictable. So take a break from science fiction and fantasy–Oops! Scratch that. This romance author has some fantasy in her books.

Let me introduce you to a writer who has fascinated me for five years. Her work is some romance, with enough fantasy or unbelievable things happening to keep me reading.  We met at a book event and I thought, ‘I want to be where she is’. What I meant by that, was I want to have and sell a lot of books as she did.

And when you get to the end of the interview, you get free stuff from me.

Cozy Romance Author Jaqueline Gillam-Fairchild Gets Zached

Jacqueline Gillam Fairchild, I know my readers all believe in Santa Claus, how could you not? But other than just believing, haven’t you ever wondered if Santa ever changed? Aged? Retired? Or was once young … just starting out?

And exactly what is Santa’s Village like?

Does he have neighbors? Who are they?

Is Santa ‘up there’ year-round or does he have a summer house?

Jacqueline: Thank you Andy for sitting down with me to talk today.

Yes, Santa in fact does change, though very slowly. Time in Santa’s Village is unlike the time in the real world as we know it.

Santa, in fact, has aged, had his knees replaced, and can no longer maneuver the chimneys causing Mother Nature to help find a Santa Claus replacement or new Santa.  The old Santa, just like a president, will always retain his title but will retire.

Certain qualities that are essential to becoming Santa, one is being able to instantly tell just what it is someone would like as a gift. The other is being able to determine if you belong on the naughty or nice list. These are inherent qualities someone either has or has not.

Andy: So you are saying there is a new Santa on his way?

Jacqueline: Yes, he has the necessary qualities needed as he is a toymaker and Santa Stand-In on Nantucket. He is also drop-dead gorgeous, and a widow with a young son, adding a little complexity to the situation. Plus it is not that he is a non-believer, he simply has never thought it through. Also, his name goes against him as a choice. He is not a Nick or Chris or any deviation of any name we all associate with Santa Claus. His name is Harvey. Not as in the big rabbit, but Harvey Nickols as in the department store in London. This is highly irregular and possibly a stumbling block.

He has also not dated, mind fallen in love for an exceptionally long time. When a woman literally falls from nowhere on Nantucket, somehow, he becomes beyond attracted. He is in over his head with love. She has amnesia which he assures her means nothing to him. They can work through whatever or wherever she is from …

Until she starts to remember. She is convinced she was brought to him to not only become the next Santa Claus but that she is on a time limit, with Christmas Eve looming.

Suddenly Harv freaks out, his love forgotten. He cannot believe one impossible thing before breakfast, mind seven. It is too much for him to handle and he withdraws back to his lonely shell. But his son Walter is convinced this is going to be his new mom. He cannot let go of the idea or understand his father’s unwillingness to accept he is destined to be the next Santa Claus.

What’s next, O Cozy Romance Author?

Jacqueline: Well, I do not want to give too much away but the young woman needs to return to Santa’s Village to help get ready for Christmas Eve. Once she is gone Harv’s loneliness outweighs his fears, and he starts hopping on planes to try and find her. On the way he stops in Candy Land.

Candyland board

Andy: As in the board game?

Jacqueline: Yes, the board game comes to life on Harv’s journey to Santa’s Village, including King Kandy.

Andy: So Santa’s Village is real?

Jacqueline: Quite real.

Andy: And is Christmas saved? And does the boy get the girl?

Jacqueline: You need to read it to find out. But let me assure you as we just had a Christmas with gifts and treats, yes, the legend goes on.

Andy: And Walter, the little boy?

Jacqueline: Well, we all want certain things for Christmas and Walter very much wanted a mom …

Join me in Nantucket Tuck You Inn Becoming Santa for an armchair adventure that is both a vacation to the excessively small island of Nantucket and a peek into the world Up North you can only imagine, while sharing a romance that will make you smile and become a believer…

Available on Amazon and through my website teatimewithhermajesty.com

Cozy Romance Author: Do you just leave your readers once Christmas is over?

Jacqueline: Oh no, the adventure continues as two very spoiled sisters challenge their uncle Max to find out if Santa has a summer home on Nantucket. The story is Nantucket Tuck You Inn Looking for Santa, book two in the Nantucket Tuck You Inn series

Andy: A summer home?

Jacqueline: Uh-huh. New York Times reporter Maxwell Kilmartin jumps a ferry to the seven-mile island of Nantucket with no more than a notepad and a duffle bag to prove to his nieces there is no summer home, there is no Santa Claus.

Andy:   No Santa Claus?

Jacqueline: Max figures he will be in and out but never plans on falling under the charms of the elusive Noel, fashion designer to the most exclusive boutique on Nantucket, and fashion designer to all the important stars at Santa’s Village.

Andy: And this story is exciting because?

Jacqueline: Max shows a vulnerable side as he goes down memory lane with thoughts of his kind grandma and his childhood when he believed all things were possible.  And let’s just say the interaction with Noel, well, the romance does get a tad steamy.

Andy: Does Max venture ‘Up North’?

Jacqueline: Yes …

There is also quite a bit of over-the-top fashion from Noel’s creative designs for the Nantucket boutique and the outfits she designs for the superstars ‘Up North’. Retail with faerie dust, that kind of thing …

Andy: Does Max ever discover if Santa has a summer home on Nantucket?

Jacqueline: Let’s just say the island is out to lynch him and prevent ANY reporting on Santa or Nantucket.

Andy: Okay, you have me hooked.

Then What, Cozy Romance Author?

Jacqueline: Coming out soon are two new stories in the Nantucket Tuck You Inn series. Next door to the Tuck You Inn …

Andy: Is the Tuck You Inn the basic headquarters for Becoming Santa and Looking for Santa?

Jacqueline: Yes.  There is an abandoned mansion next door to the Tuck You Inn that has been locked for 100 years. The time has come to open it and discover its secrets.

Andy: More Christmas?

Jacqueline: No, this is the story about a pirate who loved a mermaid and built her a mansion, her untimely death, and a current parallel story. It also introduces 5-year-old Clemmie. For any of your readers who have read my Scrap Book Trilogy set in the Midwest and followed the antics of Auntie Clara, the very senior woman takes a vacation to Nantucket and now becomes a regular, bringing her special brand of magic with her. I hope your readers will join me on an adventure of pirates and tender love in Nantucket Tuck You Inn The Mermaid Mansion. Coming soon.

Andy: Didn’t you say there were two books coming out?

Jacqueline: Yes, following the Mermaid Mansion is Nantucket Tuck You Inn The Chocolate Fiancé.

Andy: That sounds like a story about chocolate and love.

Jacqueline: A chocolate pastry chef from England and a love story with a man she literally has made up.  And an additional romance with the boutique owner Gwyn and the head chef at the Wauwanet Inn.

Andy: And will there be more in this series?

Jacqueline: In production is Nantucket Tuck You Inn The Antique Bride and Groom, the story of one woman’s antiquing journey from Roundtop Texas to Nantucket and the long-gone people whose antiques she acquires and the influence they have on her.

Andy: These long-gone people, are they real?

Jacqueline: Yes, caught somewhere between here and there…because they are needed.

After that is Nantucket Tuck You Inn The Reluctant Photographer. Every time Pierce takes a photo, uninvited images or characters appear in his photographs. They are all from the past, with a story to tell…except one, a young woman who comes into his life via a photograph for a reason.

Andy: Have you written anything else that my readers might enjoy?

Jacqueline: Yes, I have a Mid-west series: Estate of Mind about a bed and breakfast and the absentee owner who finally returns to see his home turned into a business.

Make Me Over, a determined interior designer who works round the clock until she is put on the Bachelorette Show and is forced to deal with all her buried emotions.

The Scrap Book Trilogy: Creating Memories, Grand Memories (takes place at the Murder Mystery at Grand Hotel), and Charmed Memories. Three ancient aunties scrapbook with a twist. Everything they put in their scrapbooks happens. Eventually, they start to manipulate their granddaughters.

The Greater Expectations Four Book Collection: Trish’s Story, Maggie’s Story, Pandora’s Story, Jillian’s Story. Four friends past their best before date chip in and join a costly dating agency and split up the men. Tender and humorous both.

Winding Up, and Free Stuff Coming Afterward

Andy: Where can my readers find you?

Jacqueline: Under Jacqueline Gillam Fairchild on Amazon. Or my site teatimewithhermajesty.com where I also sell very British things, review other writers and artists, and toss in Royal tidbits.

Facebook: Jacqueline Gillam Fairchild

Email: [email protected]

Instagram-coming soon.

 Pinterest, Linked In, Twitter.

Thank you, Andy, for taking your time to visit with me.

Free Stuff You Can Get From Andy, Following Down Below

That winds up your Cozy Romance Author interview. Now, the free stuff.

You’ll get free ebooks, free audiobooks, and notification of books on sale and author events by clicking here.

Got questions or comments for me? Contact me here.

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Andy Zach Gets Interviewed and Reviewed – and vice versa

Review of Andy Zach's book Oops

Andy Zach Gets Interviewed–by whom? About what? Where? You’ll find your answers here.

Who Interviews Andy?

You may think you know me–but do you really? Dr. Wesley Britton gets to the bottom of my mysterious persona. This is the same guy I interviewed and who reviewed my book Oops!.

Andy Zach Gets Interviewed
Dr. Wesley Britton reviews Oops! by Andy Zach

Where’s this interview of Andy?

Right here, right now! It was only published in Wes Britton’s newsletter. (Subscribe to Wes’s newsletter here) (Subscribe to mine here.) I got permission to post it on my blog. So you’re special!

ANDY ZACH GETS A GRILLING!


As I’ve read four of your books now, that means I’ve read your comic author autobiography multiple times. And of course, I know it’s completely fictitious.
 
1. So–tell us, Andy, what’s the real poop? Who are you when not presenting your humorous personae?
 I delegate all my legal and financial issues to the real person and my CFO, Jeff Smith. He’s got an MBA, so he likes all the financial stuff.  For some reason, suppliers don’t like pseudonyms and fictitious personae. Isn’t that a violation of my Constitutional rights?

Sadly, his real life isn’t as interesting as my fictitious one. He had a career as a programmer, systems analyst, project manager, and 6 Sigma Black Belt before he retired to be my CFO.

 And unlike me, he has three children, a wife, and a dog, instead of five phoenixes. But I like him anyway. Not everyone can be a comic paranormal animal author. Or a disabled superhero author.

Andy Zach Gets Interviewed – Question 2

2. Your  “life After Life” series is extremely imaginative, to put it mildly.  Tell us something about your writing process, how do you start out with each concept, what sorts of goals do you have for your stories?

Your 10 Best Science Updates
Click to get Zombie Turkeys.

Zombie Turkeys began with a fried turkey. “What if this turkey came back to life?” I asked as I set it on the table. “It’d be a zombie turkey!” someone said. “That’s the title of my new book, ‘Zombie Turkeys’!” I cried, eureka-ly. (neologism) From there, I worked out ‘Zombie Turkeys’ as a parody of the zombie genre, complete with a boring anti-hero, Sam Melvin.

Hello Books My Undead Mother-in-law
My Undead Mother-in-law cover. Click to get yours.

Naturally, I had to top that with my next book, so I introduced zombiism to people in ‘My Undead Mother-in-law’. Here I examined the social aspects of having zombie in-laws and what kind of civil rights zombies would have and how they’d be treated. I had to turn every zombie trope on its head, so I made the zombies the heroes of the book.

Long answer continues . . .

Andy Zach Gets Interviewed
Cover image. Click to get yours.

Still trying to outdo myself, in ‘Paranormal Privateers’ I put my zombie family on a superyacht and gave them a letter of Marque from the President to fight all enemies, foreign and domestic. Then, when I was running out of adequate villains in the world, I added an alien invasion.

Finally, I decided to try my hand at short stories. Having only written one short story, I made a collection. I took all my left-over ideas (I record each one in my book notes), brainstormed more, and created about 24 story ideas.  Some seemed to write themselves. Others were more of a struggle. So I drafted Jeff Smith’s two daughters, Olivia and Tori, to contribute two of their short stories. With that, I had 14 stories, which sufficed. Since many of the stories were based upon accidents, I chose the title Oops! It’s set in my Zombie Turkey universe.

Andy Zach Gets Interviewed – Question 3

3. Since you enjoy playing with comic approaches to your stories, who are your influences in humor? Favorite comics, movies, TV shows, books?
Let’s begin with Terry Prattchett of Disk World fame, may he rest in peace. I’ve read all his books and especially liked ‘Going Postal’ and ‘The Color of Magic’. 

 For my zombie influence, I read John Ringo’s Dark Tide Rising series. I also like Eric Flint’s 1632 series with the juxtaposition of technologies in history.

Science fiction influences were Heinlein, Asimov, and Silverman. Fantasy influences were Tolkein, CS Lewis, and Patricia McKillip.

Favorite comics were Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, and The Flash in my childhood. I gave up on comics at 12 when I realized they violated laws of physics and the superhero’s powers were not internally consistent.

TV shows influencing me were Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Time Tunnel, Lost in Space, Star Trek. Movies were Forbidden Planet, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Star Trek and Star Wars movies.

Andy Zach Gets Interviewed – Question 4


 4.  As a blind writer, I was especially interested to see your use of disabilities in your “Secret Supers” characters.   How did that come about?  What is your background with folks with physical disabilities?

My daughter Tori has had cerebral palsy since her premature birth, so I was familiar with that. In my church in Cleveland, I was friends with four different blind men. I roomed with two of them in hotels, so I got a feel for what that was like. 

Along the way, I’ve become friends with various wheelchair and walker bound people who were amputees and afflicted by spinal meningitis. Knowing the problems my daughter faced, I imagined what the others would face as kids in a special ed class.

Andy Zach Gets Interviewed – Question 5

5. In your Oops short story collection,   you credit a batch of folks as co-authors. And you included “The Story of Sound” written by Olivia Smith even though it had nothing to do with “Life After Life” or “Secret Supers.” Why? What was all that about?
First, I really liked her story. It was light and humorous and unexpected. It seemed to be outside my universe, but who can say? Without any strain, I can imagine her fantasy universe as the precursor to our universe, accessible only by Tori Smith’s time-traveling wheelchair.

Then there’s the fact she’s my daughter. Tori is too. That’s in their favor.

Finally, I like surprising my readers. I don’t want them settled into knowing what to expect.

New Review of My 2nd Book in My 2nd Series

You do know I have a second books series about four disabled 7th-graders who get superpowers, right? Feast your eyes upon the latest review of my latest book.

Villain's Vacation cover
Villain’s Vacation cover Click for your copy.

And the free book follows the review.

When you look at my rating for Andy Zach’s Secret Supers Two: Villain’s Vacation, please keep in mind I’m not twelve. The Secret Supers series is definitely for school-age children.

If I had to describe Mr. Zach’s book it would be Adam West’s Batman meets The P.J. Masks. There is nothing wrong with this mash-up. It is a fun and quick read for a grizzled old bookworm like myself. 

The hook that caught my attention was that these superheroes are disabled. The leader, Jeremy has cerebral palsy and is wheelchair-bound. Dan is blind, Kayla is mute because of her complications with meningitis, and Aubrey has two prosthetic legs. Each hero has a superpower to compliment the disability that allows them to have a sense of independence. 

Click here to read more of the review.

B.W. Harold

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