A Seasons of Love Anthology of Romance Stories
I don’t often get to interview anthology authors and learn why they participated and what they took away from the experience. Let’s hear what five of the authors of Seasons of Love 2 discovered about being part of an anthology.
What inspired you to write a story for this anthology?
Victoria Buchanan – I’d been toying with this idea of a coven of witches in Sleepy Hollow, and a theme I’ve been exploring in general has been of “finding your own power.” Those two things combined, and when I sat down to write the first draft, it just flowed. Too well. I wrote almost twice as many words as requested! Slimming it down and still having it make sense was harder.
Carol Henry – “Claudia’s Dilemma” was so easy to write—the premise is so close to my own experience with my own December wedding. Although we didn’t go to college together, we did graduate from high school together and were high school sweethearts. My now-husband immediately enlisted in the military. After waiting months for him to complete basic training, we married that December. I couldn’t resist putting Claudia in almost the same situation.
Joan Koster – “A Solstice Night” was inspired by a winter camping trip I took with my husband to Bish Bash Falls State Park in New York. I remember the cold very well and sharing a sleeping bag. Camping is no longer allowed in that park, but in my research I discovered boondocking and thought a Solstice night to be the perfect setting for a little warming up.
Karen Denise – My family and my childhood spent Christmas holidays visiting the snowy North Country inspired me to write “Christmas Vacation.”
GL Robinson – I love history and typically write historical romances. The Triple Cities of the Southern Tier where I live (Binghamton, Johnson City, and Endicott) were important manufacturing hubs for most of the twentieth century. Those industries have since departed, and driving down the old parts of town you can see the empty buildings. I imagined a contemporary love story involving that history.
What did you enjoy most about participating in the anthology?
Victoria Buchanan – I hadn’t written fiction in so, so, so long. And here I was working on a novel. Working on the anthology story gave me something else to focus on and let me try out a lot of things I had learned while working on the novel. There was pressure, but the good kind.
Karen Denise – I enjoyed writing the story the most. Going through the writing and revision process, and working with my critique partners to get it just right was my favorite part about participating in this year’s anthology. I can’t wait to do it again!
Carol Henry – I loved being part of the cohesiveness of the STAR members and getting to know the new authors as we shared bits and pieces of our works in progress for the Anthology. What was best was the knowledge that I was part of a great group of romance writers.
Joan Koster – This is the fourth anthology I have participated in. Anthologies require the participants to think of the other writers as they write their own stories. I loved how everyone in Seasons of Love 2 worked hard to weave their stories into New York State and a special holiday. I can’t wait to make all the recipes.
GL Robinson – As part of the local Chapter of RWA, I see our function as supporting published authors who are busy with their latest novel and encouraging those who want to publish but haven’t been able to yet. The short story format is ideal for everyone. It was a real pleasure to see it come together.
Romance and Recipes for the Holiday Season.
From Halloween to Valentine’s Day, from witches to cosplay, celebrate the seasons with some of your favorite romantic tropes—from sworn-off love and second chances to forced proximity and enemies-to-lovers. Despite the cold, the stress, and life’s complications, love always finds a way.
Journey from the majestic Adirondack Mountains through the shimmering Finger Lakes Region and onward to the iconic romance of Niagara Falls as each story pays homage to the beautiful state of New York. And while the romance is always sweet, our original recipes offer new delights to savor.
Best-selling and award-winning authors stand shoulder to shoulder with exciting new debuts in this collection, all offering heart-warming, never-before-published stories written just for this season-spanning celebration.
A Spell of Her Own Making, by VK Buchanan: A potions witch, trapped by her own childhood magic, gets a shot at love on the most powerful night of the year—Halloween.
Lights in the Forest, by Christina Morgan-Pearce: When a hiking accident in the Adirondacks brings a spurned woman face-to-face with her past, she just might have something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving.
A Solstice Night, by Joan Koster: A call for adventure leaves a teacher and an independent electrician stranded in the wilderness on the night of the longest night of the year.
Claudia’s Dilemma, by Carol Henry: Worried that the man she loves is drifting away, a determined girlfriend creates an aphrodisiac menu to entice him back.
Christmas Vacation, Karen Denise: A snowstorm accident on the Tug Hill Plateau reunites a recent divorcee on her way home for the Christmas holidays with the opportunity to love again.
Love is Love, by GL Robinson: A daughter, mourning her father’s death at New Year’s, rediscovers joy and love.
When Niagara Falls, by Thea McGinnis: A Valentine’s weekend jaunt might turn friendship into something more. Because when it’s Niagara Falls, romance rules!
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About the Authors
VK Buchanan is a former theatrical producer and marketer who has decided to write what she reads – paranormal romance. She writes, bakes, and skis out of Rochester, NY, where her two cats and cat-like husband reside with her.
Karen Denise strives to captivate her audience with a good tale. A wife, mother, and English teacher, she writes contemporary romance and historical women’s fiction. Her soon-to-be debut novel, The Snow Angel, captures the heart of the American Dream when it’s most fragile, when one can see no opportunity or every opportunity in the time of Prohibition.
Carol Henry is an award-winning, #1 Amazon Best-Selling author of contemporary romance and Destination: Romance—Exotic, Romantic Suspense Adventures. Carol lives with her husband in the beautiful New York State Finger Lakes region, surrounded by family, friends, and wildlife. A world traveler, Carol enjoys sharing her adventures with readers in her ‘Connection’ series and writes for major cruise lines’ deluxe in-cabin books and magazines.
Award-winning author Joan Koster loves hats, cats, and stories about true love. She writes eye-opening biographical historical fiction about women who should never be forgotten as Joan Koster, and under the pen name Zara West, thrilling romantic suspense adventures.
Born in Manhattan, Thea McGinnis considers herself a true New Yorker, no matter where she lands. She never takes for granted the natural beauty and grandeur of New York State, especially Niagara Falls. She and her family currently divide their time between Upstate New York and Virginia. This is her second published work of fiction.
Christina Morgan-Pearce earned a BFA in Fine Art Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology with a minor in creative writing and a concentration in British Romantic Literature. When not writing about Regency England, she gets lost writing about the Adirondack Mountains. She loves to read. She lives to hike. She swims to stay sane, and she spends most of her time being a mom to an amazing little person and a wife to the hero of her happily-ever-after.
GL Robinson has published twenty historical romance novels, including a Global Book Award winner, four Amazon Best Sellers, and a Top New Release. Most are available in audiobook, and three have been translated into German. She says she likes to write about the early nineteenth century because she is so old that she can almost remember it!
About Southern Tier Authors of Romance (STAR)
The Southern Tier Authors of Romance is an affiliated chapter of the Romance Writers of America. We draw our members from Upstate New York and meet monthly either in person in Binghamton, New York, or via Zoom. Our mission is to promote excellence in romantic fiction, help writers become published and build careers in their writing, and support published romance writers.
In addition to our regular meetings and the publication of the Seasons of Love anthology series, we hold writing retreats and sponsor in-person and online presentations by experts in the field of writing. You can get news of STAR events by visiting our website and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky.
Ever participated in an anthology? These authors would love to hear from you.
