Diana Brandmeyer’s The Festive Bride begins in a reflective tone.
Diana’s novella is a poignant story of love between a widow and a widower, which reflects her own personal experience–though she didn’t have to fall in love quite so fast!
The 12 Brides of Christmas stories all feature gifts and that’s where Diana began thinking about her story. “I wanted to set my novella long enough after the Civil War that healing had begun; it was a time for the country to breathe.” ”
It took some thinking to find out what was available at the time that could be used.
“I wasn’t sure paint would have been used on glass. I asked my son, an artist about the paint Alma uses for Roy’s gift and found out I was on the right track.”
As she wrote, she fell in love with the quirkiness of her heroine’s character. “She was fun to write. I named her after a friend of mine which could be what made her so special.”
As happened to many of us, other characters grew out of our novellas and captured our hearts. Most of them will find their way into The 12 Brides of Summer sequels coming out next year.
“Pete Dent is the hero in my next story. When I wrote his small part in The Festive Bride his character wanted to be bigger so I had to hold him back until The Honey Bride could be written!”
The Festive Bride can be purchased here.
Pioneer life appealing?
Diana’s own family traces back to Revolutionary days, though she wouldn’t want to be a pioneer herself. “I like reading about this time period, love looking at the old houses and wondering what it would be like…but live during that time? No. I’m way too spoiled by microwaves, cell phones and warm cars!”
Diana is thrilled to be part of The 12 Brides of Christmas ebook collection. “This has been one of the most exciting writing endeavors I’ve had, 12 authors one topic-Christmas!”
For her, personally, Christmas was a simpler time growing up. “Our family Christmas’s were not huge affairs. My mom stressed the importance of making gifts and the love that goes with that effort is worth more than an item you can buy.”
Who is Diana Brandmeyer?
Click to Tweet A multi-published author, Diana Brandmeyer began her career in 1987 writing devotionals for children. From there, she
“followed the stories that God placed in my heart. I’m not saying He told me to write them, but the ideas that I get I feel do come from him.At first it was contemporary fiction, then I was led to write about the journey my family took to become well blended. Now I’m writing a historical fiction novel. I love the surprising way God works.”
She writes historical and contemporary novels and a non-fiction book based on her experiences joining two families into one: We’re Not Blended-We’re Pureed, A Survivor’s Guide to Blended Families.
Together, Diana and her husband have three sons, several daughter-in-laws and an adorable grandchild.
She lives in Illinois, not far from where The Festive Bride takes place.
For more information, you can visit Diana’s website: http://dianabrandmeyer.com/
Or find her on social media:
The Festive Bride can be purchased here.
Got them all?
I keep looking for this collection, White Christmas Brides, at Walmart.com and cannot find it. Do you know when it comes out? Thanks for your post and I wish you well on your book, The Festive Bride!
White Christmas Brides is only available in limited quantities at select Walmarts. My local store, for example, only carried three copies. All twelve stories will come out in one book next Christmas, 2016, in The Twelve Brides of Christmas Collection. We’re sorry for your disappointment. White Christmas Brides isn’t even available through walmart.com or any other online book seller.
Thank you so much for highlighting me today, Michelle.