Romantic Reads: Wish You Joy

Interview with Jan Thompson about her book, Wish You Joy:

Alexis: Wish You Joy is a unique and sweet, holiday-spirit giving title for a story! What was your inspiration behind this title creation? Explain the significance in relation to the story.

Jan: Thank you. The title centers on the word “joy,” which is one of the undercurrent themes of this Christmas book. In Nehemiah 8:10, we read that “the joy of the Lord” is our strength. At Christmastime, I feel that we are constantly reminded about having peace, love, and joy. Thus, my book title could have been Wish You Peace or Wish You Love as much as it is Wish You Joy. Without giving away too much of the story, let me just say that one of the main characters in my book needs to experience the joy of the Lord, so it is befitting that the title points to that.

Additionally, Wish You Joy is book 9 in my Savannah Sweethearts series of contemporary Christian romance set in the coastal city of Savannah, Georgia, and across the bridge in the beach town of Tybee Island. This entire series has books with similar titles:

Prequel: Ask You Later
Book 1: Know You More
Book 2: Tell You Soon
Book 3: Draw You Near
Book 4: Cherish You So
Book 5: Walk You There
Book 6: Love You Always
Book 7: Kiss You Now
Book 8: Find You Again
Book 9: Wish You Joy
Book 10: Call You Home

Alexis: Tell me about Christmastown. What is it about? Why do they have a new CEO?

Jan: A Christmas decorating business based in Savannah, Georgia, Christmastown has been in the Untermeyer family for years. Having undergone some health issues, Mrs. Untermeyer is no longer able to run the business on her own, especially with no help from her grown children, some of whom haven’t been home in a while. As a result, she decides to sell her majority share of the company to the businessman nephew of a family friend.

Alexis: Who is Cyrus and what role does he play in this story?

Jan: The new CEO of Christmastown, Cyrus Theroux easily takes over the reign of the business, becoming the caring and present son that Mrs. Untermeyer hasn’t had in a long time. Cyrus continues the legacy of the family business while also keeping an eye on his elderly aunt and uncle living in Savannah. When Mrs. Untermeyer’s daughter comes to town to see what has happened to Christmastown, he feels that he has to convince her of his good intentions.

Alexis: Who is Amy and what role does she play in this story?

Jan: Amy Untermeyer is the only daughter of Mrs. Untermeyer. A destination wedding photographer, she travels the world and rarely goes home to Savannah. When she finds out that her mother has sold over half the company to someone whom Amy considers to be a stranger, she hightails it home to see if her mother has been swindled. She is skeptical about Cyrus and his intrusion into her family.

Alexis: Has Christmastown always been a family-owned organization? Why was it started?

Jan: Amy’s grandfather started Christmastown many years ago. As long as Amy has been alive, she remembers visiting the warehouse where they store all the artificial trees, wreathes, decorations, and everything Christmas. Amy’s parents inherited the business, and it was up to them to keep the family business going. However, after Amy’s dad passed away, Mrs. Untermeyer ran the company alone while her three children went to school and then left town for college and careers.

Alexis: How does your real-life faith in God play into your fiction storytelling?

Jan: My Christian faith informs every aspect of my fiction books such that I let my characters behave within the scope of what it means to be a Christian. My characters have issues, as Christians also do in real life. My characters feel the pains of life and seek the healing of God. My characters learn and grow in their lives, just as a real Christian would in this world.

Alexis: Did you listen to a favorite Christmas song while writing this holiday story? If yes, which one?

Jan: I tend to write in complete silence, although from time to time I do listen to music as I write. Mostly instrumental. In planning, plotting, and penning Wish You Joy, I drew upon my favorite Christmas carols, such as “O Holy Night.” That hymn speaks volumes about Christ as our Savior and Lord.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11, KJV).

Alexis: What do you want readers to remember most about Wish You Joy and its characters?

Jan: This is my only Christmas book so far, and I hope that, after seeing the journey of life that Amy and Cyrus go through, my readers will affirm the joy of the Lord in their own hearts by the time they reach the end of the book. The bottom line is that God is still God.

I usually include some Bible verses that play a significant role in each book that I write. In Wish You Joy, one of the Bible verse is this: “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Jan! Would you like to share closing thoughts?

Jan: Thank you very much for inviting me over to Romantic Reads for the third time this year. I am happy that we have reached the end of the year as we approach Christmas. I wish you joy in the Lord!

For readers who missed my other two interviews, here are the links:

Interview about Smile for Me (Vacation Sweethearts Book 1):
https://capturingtheidea.blogspot.com/2020/09/romantic-reads-smile-for-me-book.html

Interview about Know You More (Savannah Sweethearts Book 1):
https://capturingtheidea.blogspot.com/2020/10/romantic-reads-know-you-more.html

In Christ,

Jan Thompson

~*~
Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson writes clean and wholesome multiethnic contemporary Christian romance with flavors of women’s fiction, Christian romantic suspense with elements of mystery, and inspirational international thrillers with threads of sweet Christian romance.

Her books are for readers who love inspiring stories of faith, family, and friends.

~*~
Book blurb for Wish You Joy:

Christmastown USA has a new CEO. But owning a majority share of the holiday-decorating company makes no difference for Cyrus Theroux if the other forty-nine percent refuses to cooperate… 

A Christmas-themed holiday romance, WISH YOU JOY is Book 9 in USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson's Savannah Sweethearts series of sweet, clean, wholesome, and inspirational multiethnic contemporary Christian romances celebrating faith, hope, and love in Jesus Christ. This series is set in the historic southern city of Savannah, Georgia, and on the beaches of small town Tybee Island by the Atlantic Ocean, two of the most romantic places in the world.

Against a backdrop of ocean, sand, and sun, this mix of novels and novellas showcases various aspects of the human need for God and for one another.


Cyrus’s Christmas…
Whoopee! Christmastime is here again.

Cyrus is so excited that he is beside himself. Never mind that it’s ninety-three degrees outside in the middle of a hot July in Savannah. Christmas will be here any day now.

He has checked his Christmastown USA warehouse twice, counted his inventory four times, and added ten new team members to join his thirty. He can spread them all over town.

Sure, he can manage the decorating teams himself, even if his business partner can’t handle it.

What’s with Amy anyway? Maybe he should consider buying her share of the company. He will keep Mr. Untermeyer’s memories and wishes alive. Yes, that’s what he’ll do. Kick Amy off the sleigh and keep Christmastown all to himself—

No. There was something about Amy that draws Cyrus to her. Something he can’t put his thumb on…


Amy’s Angst…
Christmas is too commercialized!

Amy simply cannot believe how anyone could focus on the Christ of Christmas when people overspend and get stressed out at festivities they cannot enjoy with family members and relatives they do not wish to see or buy presents for.

Why Mom has given Amy a forty-nine percent share of Christmastown USA, she’ll never know. Amy doesn’t want it, but she can’t sell it. To sell her share to some stranger would disrespect the memory of Dad, who inherited this business from Grandpa Earnest, who had started the company back in the fifties. The entire Untermeyer family lives from Christmas to Christmas. It was because of Christmastown that Amy’s parents were able to send her and her two brothers to college.

Amy cherishes the happy memories of her childhood and the Untermeyer legacy until some devastating news makes her question everything she has ever known about the Untermeyer family…

~*~
Buy Wish You Joy on Amazon

~*~
Connect with Jan:
Website: JanThompson.com
Book News: JanThompson.com/newsletter
Amazon USA: JanThompson.com/amazon
Goodreads: JanThompson.com/goodreads
BookBub: JanThompson.com/bookbub
Facebook: JanThompson.com/facebook
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thompsonauthor

~*~
Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

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Romantic Reads: Know You More

Welcome Jan Thompson to the blog! 

She's here today to talk about her book Know You More. 

Enjoy the interview!

~*~

Interview with Jan Thompson about her book, Know You More: Christian Coastal City & Beach Town Romance (Savannah Sweethearts Book 1)

Alexis: Why did you write this book?

Jan: I wrote Know You More in part to show that multiracial and multiethnic Christians can worship God together in peace and harmony in a Christian church. In fact, Riverside Chapel somewhat mirrors the first century churches that the Lord led Peter and Paul to start. For example, in Acts 2:5-11, we saw a list of believers from many countries coming together to hear Peter preach at Pentecost. Also, back in the day, cities like Ephesus and Corinth were trade crossroads in which people from all over the known world congregated to do business and meet one another. Those were the places Paul planted churches.

Alexis: Describe the setting of this story. Why did you set it in a coastal city and beach town?

Jan: Know You More is the first book in my Savannah Sweethearts series (not counting the prequel, Ask You Later), and sets the tone for the entire series about a community of multiethnic Christians who attend Riverside Chapel, a church housed in a riverboat that’s docked on the Savannah River in Savannah, Georgia. The churchgoers live in the area, in the coastal city of Savannah, and also on the beaches of Tybee Island across the bridge.

I grew up on a tropical island, and my family lived about ten minutes (depending on traffic) from the bay and beaches. Many of my contemporary Christian romance books gravitate toward beach towns, and I find that my experience of having lived on an island and in a coastal city enables me to describe life by the ocean. I love the coasts and beaches, and so I write about what I love and have experienced in my own life.

Alexis: You’ve described this story, Know You More, as a “multiracial romance.” What is the ethnicity/racial makeup of your main characters Diego Flores and Heidi Wei?

Jan: Diego Flores’s father is a Hispanic-American pastor who is now the part-time counseling pastor at Riverside Chapel. The semi-retired senior Flores doesn’t want to do it full time because he wants to spend half his time traveling with his Italian wife, Diego’s mom, to Italy where they like to spend the summer. However, Diego still talks to his dad regularly to get pastoral advice on church and love.

Heidi Wei is a Chinese-American Christian who is an active member of Riverside Chapel, as is her brother, Ming, who happens to be Diego’s best friend. They all attended the University of Georgia some years ago before Diego was called into the pastoral ministry and went off to seminary. They all met again years later in Savannah, when Ming invited Diego to pastor their church. Know You More begins over a year after the friends have reunited.

Alexis: Describe Diego’s church, Riverside Chapel. What makes it special to him?

Jan: Diego has been an associate pastor in the previous churches he worked in. This is the first time Diego is the senior pastor of his own church. Needless to say, he is quite nervous about shouldering such a heavy responsibility. As with any growing church, finding space to house Sunday morning services becomes a challenge for him. Diego sees how God comes through for his church every time they have a need. As his church grows in number, God provides for them a bigger space. Even though it’s on a riverboat, it’s rent-free. Diego is thankful to the Lord that Riverside Chapel continues to grow without getting into financial debt.

Alexis: What role does faith in God play in the lives and hearts of your main characters?

Jan: As the senior pastor of Riverside Chapel, Diego not only preaches the Word of God, but he also has to live what he is preaching. As they say, he has to “walk the talk.” Diego sees that his friend Heidi Wei has a strong faith and wants to do everything she can to help their church grow. Together, they learn to minister to their congregation, while God works in their hearts about their relationship with each other.

Alexis: How does your real-life faith in God impact your fiction storytelling?

Jan: My Christian faith plays a very integral role in my storytelling. I have to understand what God is saying before I can write it in my books through the eyes of my characters. That is to say, if I don’t understand a Bible passage, I cannot explain it. In some of my novels, I allow the characters to study and learn more about the Scripture, and sometimes it becomes clear to me as I write out the scenes and chapters.

Savannah Sweethearts is more involved because all eleven books are about members of the Riverside Chapel church community, starting with their pastor. Diego and Heidi show up in every book, so I do have to remember what their theology is. After all, Diego is their pastor. In fact, he is also a counseling pastor to several people in my spinoff series, Vacation Sweethearts.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Jan! Do you have closing comments?

Jan: Thank you very much for inviting me to Romantic Reads for this interview. I appreciate it. I’m happy to write the books I enjoy reading, and I hope that there are readers out there who also love to read the types of books I like. My publishing imprint has a verse that has been an anchor for me in the process of publishing and marketing my books: “That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works” (Psalm 26:7). 

Ultimately, to God be the glory!

~*~
Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson writes clean and wholesome multiethnic contemporary Christian romance with flavors of women’s fiction, Christian romantic suspense with elements of mystery, and inspirational international thrillers with threads of sweet Christian romance. 

Her books are for readers who love inspiring stories of faith, family, and friends.

~*~
Blurb for Know You More:

He loves her… He loves her not… She’s waiting for him to decide.

A young pastor of a growing church in a thriving coastal community, Diego Flores has to come to grips with God’s will for his pastoral and personal life as he falls in love with his best friend’s sister.

If you enjoy reading clean and wholesome Christian beach romance, you’ll enjoy USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson’s Savannah Sweethearts series set in the coastal city of Savannah, Georgia, and the neighboring beach town of Tybee Island on the Atlantic Ocean. Savannah Sweethearts begins with Know You More, the multiracial romance of Pastor Diego Flores and Heidi Wei.

Diego’s Disquiet…
Diego Flores has been interested in his best friend’s younger sister since their college days, but his calling to grow Riverside Chapel takes up most of his time. 

When Heidi Wei becomes his strongest supporter in his church ministry, how does Diego show his feelings for her without giving her the wrong idea?

Does she see him as potential husband material or just the pastor of their church?

Heidi’s Hurdles…
Heidi suspects that Diego is sweet on her, but he seems to believe that his divine calling prevents him from acting on it. If it isn’t meant to be, she’s not going to push for it. Yet every time they are together, something happens between them. Have they moved beyond the platonic relationship they have enjoyed all these years to something more personal?

When a crisis hits Heidi’s family, Diego has to balance pastoring his congregation and ministering to Heidi without losing either one. Being in love while pastoring a church is difficult for him to juggle. Which path is more important? Which one should he focus on?

If you like Know You More, you’ll want to read the rest of the Savannah Sweethearts series. The next book is Tell You Soon, a romance with suspense featuring Heidi’s brother, private investigator Ming Wei. In this second book, there’s romance, there’s intrigue, and there’s a beach house for sale. Have some tea, settle in a comfortable reading chair, and enjoy these sweet celebrations of faith, hope, and love in Jesus Christ.

~*~
Buy Know You More on Amazon

~*~
Connect with Jan:
Website: JanThompson.com
Book News: JanThompson.com/newsletter
Amazon USA: JanThompson.com/amazon
Goodreads: JanThompson.com/goodreads
BookBub: JanThompson.com/bookbub
Facebook: JanThompson.com/facebook
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thompsonauthor

~*~
Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

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Romantic Reads: Smile for Me (book)

Welcome Jan Thompson to the blog! 

She's here today to talk about her book Smile for Me. 

Enjoy the interview!

~*~

Alexis: What inspired you to write an interracial romance novel for the Christian fiction book market?

Jan: As a Christian Asian American, I have felt for many years that interracial romance is under-represented in our current Christian fiction market. In the words of Toni Morrison, “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”

Taking it a step further, as a Christian who is in a multiracial family, I think that the current Christian fiction market largely does not reflect my real world. While not all my books are multiracial, I have made an effort to do so whenever the characters fit the story. I have several multiracial romances in my Savannah Sweethearts, Vacation Sweethearts, Protector Sweethearts, and Binary Hackers series.

Alexis: How did you come up with title “Smile for Me” of this first book in your Vacation Sweethearts series? Explain how your book title plays into your storyline.

Jan: Before I write the first book in each of my series, I agonize over the titles until I have all the book titles ready to go. This way, it’s easier for me to send the branding specifications to my cover designer. Vacation Sweethearts has book titles that end with “for Me.” The seven books in this series are Smile for Me, Reach for Me, Wait for Me, Look for Me, Pray for Me, Care for Me, and Cheer for Me. Each novel focuses on a couple at a vacation location that is familiar to me, somewhere I have visited in real life.

In this series, I try to mention the title at least once in the book as part and parcel of the story. In Smile for Me, my Christian beach romance set in the Bahamas, I wanted to contrast careful Byron from carefree Tina. There is a scene in which Tina asks Byron to smile for her. At the end of the novel, Byron is all smiles. I’ll let readers read it to find out why.

Alexis: How did you research this story? Did you travel to the Bahamas where it’s set?

Jan: Yes, indeed. Many years ago, my husband and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas, and I had such a memorable time that I never forgot it. I can still remember the towns and people, beaches and hammocks, ocean and sky. Since I grew up on yet another tropical island in a former British colony, I was able to relate to Nassau and Freeport. We walked about the towns, visited nearby islands, and rested under swaying coconut trees. Smile for Me is a mix of my memories of this visit, plus the recollections of my childhood days in the tropics.

Alexis: Why is your story’s hero, Byron Moss, a “deadline-driven workaholic assistant school principal” and a meticulous planner too?

Jan: Byron is based on the planner side of me, which stemmed from my past career as a computer programmer. I meticulously plan everything and I even have plans for plans. I need deadlines to complete tasks or they would take forever if I let the perfectionism in me take over. So I decided that Byron would carry his iPad around his neck to show how tied he is to his planner.

Alexis: Why is your story’s heroine, Tina MacFarland, an “easygoing art teacher and studio potter with no sense of time” who likes to live life season to season?

Jan: Tina is based on the artistic side of me. In my life, I have done wheel pottery as Tina does, and like Tina, I have painted in many mediums and enjoyed art. These days I’ve been writing more than I’ve been painting (though I hope to get back to that soon). When I did a lot of painting, I rarely looked at the clock. I could paint all day long if given the chance. I thought that as a contrast to Byron, Tina would have “no sense of time” not because she doesn’t care, but because she finds the clock limiting to her artistic side.

Alexis: What role does Summer by the Sea Day Camp play in bringing the hero and heroine together? Paint a picture (with words) of Summer by the Sea Day Camp.

Jan: Sponsored by the Chapel by the Sea Christian School in Nassau, the Summer by the Sea Day Camp run by assistant principal Byron Moss provides schoolchildren of all grades an opportunity to enrich their hobbies and interests that they might not be able to do during the regular school year. The students can go beyond their regular academic curriculum. There are actually more than just art and music camps, but in Smile for Me, I only focus on the art camp because that’s where Tina interacts the most with Byron. The two cannot avoid each other, and they must confront the friction carried over from two summers ago.

Alexis: What happened the first time that Tina and Byron met that made them at odds with each other? Is there hope for a better, healthier and happier working relationship now that they’re in the same place again?

Jan: When Tina first went to Nassau to teach in the summer camp two years ago, she and Byron didn’t get along. Tina likes to say that Byron made her cry that summer because he kept a very strict schedule in the summer camp and she could barely keep up. Byron would roll his eyes over that accusation and say that she needs to learn to be better organized.

Alexis: Does Tina think that things will be different between her and Byron as she agrees to be an art teacher for his students this second time around? Why or why not?

Jan: Now that time has passed, and each has grown spiritually and gotten wiser when my novel begins, both of them have hopes that they can work together. After all, it’s for just one month to begin with. After four weeks, if they still can’t stand each other, Tina would go home to Savannah, and that would be the end of it.

Alexis: What role does Tina’s faith in God play in her giving Byron a second chance?

Jan: Tina and Byron discover that God is always loving and ever forgiving. Once they own the truth of God in their hearts, they begin to see the special love that God has in store for them. I loved writing about how they come together this time and how God’s love conquers all. As in all my other fiction books, I often include scripture verses that my characters learn as they travel along in life.

Alexis: Why is Byron so uptight?

Jan: Byron’s family makes its fortune in the hotel and cruise industry. His brother, Donovan, enjoys his yacht, for example. His mother, Nancy—the matriarch of the family—has to run their family business alone after Byron’s father passed away suddenly. Byron has chosen the career path of an educator, earning a lesser salary than his jet-setting brother. I think Byron feels that he must be the best in his chosen profession and rise to the top, not only because he is in ministry for the Lord at a Christian school, but also to show his family that he has made the right decision for his own career.

Alexis: What are Byron’s greatest dreams for his career path and how does that goal affect how he operates?

Jan: His aspiration to become the principal (aka headmaster) overrules all else in his life. When the opportunity comes sooner than he expects, Byron plunges into more work. At the same time, he falls more and more in love with Tina, and begins to wonder if running a Christian school, with its many details, is something he wants to do for the rest of his life.

Alexis: What is it about seeing Tina again that hints to Byron’s heart that his adverse feelings for her are transforming into something more … romantic?

Jan: I think that deep in Byron’s heart, he finds Tina fascinating because she is so carefree. His work at the school is demanding, and the big shoes he has to fill as acting principal carries with it a heavy burden. When Byron is with her, he lets his guard down and he can be himself. He doesn’t have to perform or keep up protocols. He is free to seek God’s perfect will for his life without putting preconditions on himself. As he grows spiritually, his attitude towards Tina changes. Tina’s view of Byron as the taskmaster also changes, and her heart softens toward him.

Alexis: What’s the moral of the story?

Jan: There are several Bible verses in this novel, but two would probably describe the main themes of Smile for Me:

“A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps” (Proverbs 16:9 KJV).

Only God has the perfect plan, and I would do well to seek His perfect will for my career and life, rather than plan it however I want and then ask God to bless whatever I purpose. Instead, may His perfect will prevail.

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” (Hebrews 12:14-15 NKJV).

The Bible admonishes Christians to be at peace with one another so that we don’t cultivate the destructive “root of bitterness” that can defile our testimony. When Byron and Tina start understanding each other, they are able to encourage each other in their walk with the Lord.

Alexis: If you could step into this story as a professional counselor for both Byron and Tina, what advice would you give to each person in a private session? Why?

Jan: I would discuss the two Scripture verses above, and pray with them for God’s wisdom to guide their lives professionally and privately. I’d also remind Byron to recall his conversations with his friend, Pastor Diego Flores, who has given him some good advice about balancing his personal life and professional career. As for Tina, I would counsel her to consider adding some structure to her productivity by putting herself on a flexible schedule that allows for her creativity to flow without losing track of time. Above all, I would encourage them to keep studying God’s Word and drawing closer to Him every day.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Jan! Would you like to share closing thoughts?

Jan: Thank you very much for inviting me to your blog website. These are wonderful questions, and I appreciate your taking the time to prepare them. To me, writing is a calling. I have been writing for a long time, and I am thankful to God for the opportunity to be able to fulfill His calling for my life. Sometimes it takes me years to write one book. Sometimes it takes months. Either way, my ultimate goal is to glorify God!

~*~
Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson writes clean and wholesome multiethnic contemporary Christian romance with flavors of women’s fiction, Christian romantic suspense with elements of mystery, and inspirational international thrillers with threads of sweet Christian romance. 

Her books are for readers who love inspiring stories of faith, family, and friends. 

~*~
Smile for Me blurb:

She is laid-back. He is uptight. Never the twain shall…kiss?

A deadline-driven workaholic assistant school principal who meticulously plans his schedule months in advance meets an easygoing art teacher and studio potter with no sense of time, living her life as the seasons come and go. When they cross paths again at the Summer by the Sea Day Camp sponsored by his church in Nassau, Bahamas, how can they get along if they cannot see eye to eye?

From USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson comes Smile for Me, book 1 in her Vacation Sweethearts collection of inspirational Christian travel romance novels. To start off the series, we travel to the Bahamas in the Caribbean, where the waters are clear, skies are blue, hammocks sway under coconut trees, and hearts are in love…

Tina MacFarland is laid-back…

When invited back to the Bahamas for a second time two years after a disastrous mission trip there, potter and art teacher Tina MacFarland isn’t sure she wants to face the obnoxious assistant principal of the Chapel by the Sea Christian School again. The last time she encountered Byron Moss, he found fault in everything she did. It seems that nothing she ever does is good enough for Mr. Uptight, as attractive as he may be to her.

Regardless of her personal concerns, they need art teachers at the Summer by the Sea Day Camp, and Tina answers the call to go. Surely God will help her last for four short weeks. What can possibly happen in a month? Nothing she can think of.

Byron Moss is uptight…

Assistant Headmaster Byron Moss is at a crossroad in his career. On the one hand, he has worked very hard to get to this position at the Chapel by the Sea Christian School. One more step up from this assistant principal position, and he’d be in charge of the entire school.

On the other hand, when Tina returns to Nassau, Byron suddenly feels hemmed in by his career choice. He is restricted from showing his transforming feelings for Tina. He fears he has taken a wrong turn in his career, and that if he keeps going on that route, he may lose his chances with Tina. More importantly, what is God’s will for his life? Somehow, he knows that Tina is part of all that. But she’s so…chaotic! And it drives him nuts. For the first time in his life, Byron is confused about what he needs to do.

Never the twain shall…kiss?

Ah, Byron and Tina. How will they navigate the super-conservative work environment where office romance is frowned upon? Can they change the old rules? Or will the old rules change them?

~*~
Buy Smile for Me on Amazon

~*~
Connect with Jan:
Website: JanThompson.com
Book News: JanThompson.com/newsletter
Amazon USA: JanThompson.com/amazon
Goodreads: JanThompson.com/goodreads
BookBub: JanThompson.com/bookbub
Facebook: JanThompson.com/facebook
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thompsonauthor

~*~

Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway