Today I’m pleased to welcome Rebecca Raison, author of the popular “Gingerbread Cafe” books, to the blog.
Rebecca has graciously agreed to share her thoughts on how her books came to be…and to tell us how difficult it is to say a final goodbye to Lily and CeeCee and all of her other wonderful characters.
So imagine now that it’s nearly Christmas, and the snow is falling, frosting the roofs and fences with white as the little town of Ashford, Connecticut prepares for a wedding…
When I wrote the first Gingerbread café book, Christmas at the Gingerbread Café, I had no idea it would eventually become a series of three books. I had the idea for a Christmas novella after seeing a submission call from a publisher. Instantly I pictured the main characters, and ‘heard’ them talking. Of course it was midnight so I had to switch on the bedside light and make notes of what they were trying to tell me.
Once it was published I had reviewers, one in particular, Kate Beedan, ask when the next book in the series would be available. The thought of heading back to the small town of Ashford and picking back up where I left the girls was an exciting prospect.
When I broached the subject with my editor she said she was hoping I’d shelve the story I was working on and continue with the Gingerbread Café. So it was as easy as that.
The second book Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Café was born, and once again I grew closer to my main characters who by this time seemed so real to me. The small town also came alive in my imagination where I had ideas for spin off stories with different main characters who also wanted their stories told. Sarah from The Bookshop on the Corner became a novella, with a second book planned for next year. Her best friend Missy from The Sassy Salon also has some huge life changes in store, and needs to share her new path with the world.
And so the small town of Ashford, Connecticut, a real place, has become my own little town. Filled with the kind of people you’d want to be friends with. And some of course, you’d rather avoid.
My editor and I thought about the café and decided one last story would be enough for the girls at the Gingerbread Café. Once last Christmas story, like a bookend, to their lives.
Writing it was harder than I expected. It turns out I didn’t really want to say goodbye to Lil and CeeCee. And I had so many threads to tie up so I could leave them in a good place. Like any small town people often stick together, especially at Christmas. And when friends fall someone is there to pick them up. But this year there’s also the small matter of the wedding to attend to.
As I wrote more ideas sprang to mind about what might happen to Lil and CeeCee in the future. It felt like I was saying goodbye to real friends, and once the draft was finished and sent in, I was pining for them. Crazy?
There’ll be more stories set in the town of Ashford, and I know those characters will have to pop into the Gingerbread Café, so it won’t be a forever type of goodbye. Just a goodbye for now.
I hope if you’ve read the series, you’ll understand why I did what I did, and that you feel like the girls will be okay. And that you’ll think of them on Christmas Day, just like I do every year.
Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Café
Released October 15th
You are invited to the wedding of the year!
Snow is falling thick and fast outside the Gingerbread Café and inside, its owner Lily is planning the wedding of the year. Her wedding! She never dreamt it would happen, but this Christmas, she’ll be marrying the man of her dreams – in a Christmas-card-perfect ceremony!
The gingerbread is baking, the dress is fitted and the mistletoe’s in place – for once, everything’s going to plan. That is until her mother-in-law arrives… Suddenly, Lily’s famous cool is being tested like never before and her dream wedding is crumbling before her eyes.
In the blink of a fairylight, the Gingerbread Café has been thrown into chaos! Lily thought she had this wedding wrapped up, but with so much to do before she says ‘I do’, can Lily get to the church on time – and make this Christmas sparkle after all?
Pre-order the book here:
Rebecca Raison, author of the Gingerbread Cafe books
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