HOLIDAY BRIDES ANTHOLOGY
Heavensent.com
by Stefanie Worth
Leisure Books
September 2009
ISBN 10: 0843963190
ISBN 13: 978-0843963199
Amazon.com | Barnesandnoble.com
Year after year, Brenna Campbell checks off all her life’s accomplishments but one: snagging Mr. Right and tying the knot. Evan Shephard’s last date convinces him that he hasn’t found the right woman because he’s fishing with the wrong bait: Maybe he should consider the “M” word.
The Detroit co-workers know enough about each other for friendly banter and a one-night stand, but don’t have enough in common – they think – for anything close to love.
It’ll take a pair of guardian angels and the help of an online dating site to
turn Brenna’s New Year’s resolution into her dream come true..
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How did THE HOLIDAY BRIDES ANTHOLOGY come about? How were the authors chosen?
I don’t really know how the three of us were chosen. Our editor contacted each of us to invite our participation.)
What common theme(s) does the anthology have besides the Holidays?
The fun and challenge of this anthology was not only to celebrate the holidays, but to develop a relationship to marriage readiness. Each story deals with a different aspect of the holiday season – Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s. The unifier in the stories was getting the couples wed on New Year’s Day.
Please introduce our readers to HeavenSent.com. What is the story about and what can readers expect?
Year after year, Brenna Campbell checks off all her life’s accomplishments but one: snagging Mr. Right and tying the knot. Evan Shephard’s last date convinces him that he hasn’t found the right woman because he’s fishing with the wrong bait: Maybe he should consider the “M” word. The Detroit co-workers know enough about each other for friendly banter and a one-night stand, but don’t have enough in common – they think – for anything close to love.
It’ll take a pair of guardian angels and the help of an online dating site to
turn Brenna’s New Year’s resolution into her dream come true.
Readers can look forward to a mix of very contemporary setting interspersed with an alternate view of the afterlife.
Can you describe briefly the character of Brenna Campbell?
I like Brenna. She’s tried so hard to make her life perfect – professionally, financially and personally. But as if to spite her need to control every aspect of that life, the social side just isn’t cooperating.
She’s smart, pretty and confident, but not arrogant. And at the end of the day, she wants to satisfy that intrinsic need that we all have: just to be loved.
Evan Shepard, the hero in HeavenSent.com, is having trouble finding the right woman. Do you feel this is a common problem for men? (as well as women) If so, why?
I think the problem for Evan – and real men in similar situations – is that unlike Brenna, there’s the chance he’s let “the one” get away. Until recently, he hasn’t really had a hankering for more than easy sex and good times. He’s been content with casually disconnected. But now, the years have slipped by and he’s suddenly realized there’s more – and he wants it.
For Evan, like other successful bachelors I’ve known, the realization is complicated by a need to separate true partners from those attracted to his social trappings. To me, trusting a stranger with his heart is as much a problem for men as it is for women, despite the differing reasons behind the doubt.
HeavenSent.com is a fictitious dating site. Is it based on a real one? If so, which one?
I did visit a few online dating sites in my research. I was kind of amazed at the variety available – everything from “let’s hook up for sex tonight” to “I’m looking for a life partner.” I was able to set up a profile without cost at a couple of sites and was both surprised and disappointed in my matches. Some men set no criteria whatsoever and I totally seemed to match men very different from those I thought I would.
Do you believe true love can be found online?
Just as some people thrive on false personas face-to-face, I’m sure they’d operate the same way on a dating site. But I think it has to be easier to hide your true self online – particularly at those places that ask few questions. If nothing else, the sites that ask a gazillion questions might eliminate more of those who are insincere simply by wearing them out. Lol
Ultimately, no matter how wonderful the match seems on paper or online, I think there has to be a face-to-face interaction to sense the chemistry, assess the body language, and validate the online personality presented.
So I think you can find love through a dating web site, but that relationship will require the same dedication to make it work, no matter how easily the match was made.
How do Angels play a part in this story?
The HeavenSent.com angels live in a non-traditional heaven where earthly life has ended, but there’s still work to be done. Kay’s “job” is to watch over Brenna – a chore the guardian is insulted to perform. She feels she’s earned a higher calling than what she looks at as babysitting.
Do you believe we all have Guardian Angels?
Angels have been a part of my upbringing. Though I’m no longer Catholic, I was raised in that faith and the religion is filled with symbolism, saints, angels and such.
As an adult, I’ve come to believe that not all angels are deceased. Many of the wonderful blessings in my life have come at the hands of every day people I very much consider guardians of my health and happiness. I would venture to guess that most people can point to someone who’s performed an unexpected “save” in their life. In that regard, I’d say yes, we all have guardian angels.
Why do you feel people struggle to find true love?
There are so many variables involved in meeting someone and developing a relationship that it’s a wonder people ever find love at all. From what I’ve encountered, observed and researched, I think people aren’t always honest with themselves and each other about what they want and need in a relationship. Compound that with a society that demands instant gratification and quick-fix solutions and you find that sometimes the stick-to-it-ness necessary for a relationship to thrive isn’t there. Real love is much more than piercing gazes, warm words and great sex. Funny that readers expect realism in a story, yet people often look for fantasies in real life.
What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?
Maybe I need a few more years to figure that one out. So far, I feel like I’ve been asked tons of questions about the hows and whys of what I write, who I am and how I got started. I can think of an unexplored area at the moment.
Completely Random Questions
Please tell us 3 themes of romance you would love to write about but haven’t yet.
I’d still like to explore mythical creatures, a fantasy world, folklore in my writing.
Describe HeavenSent.com to us in 3 words.
“Don’t stop believing!”
What do you enjoy about the holiday season?
My kids really make the holidays what they are for me. I still have one child who believes in Santa, so the fun is in keeping the secret. I’m not quite sure what the holiday will be like when
To learn more about this author,
be sure to visit Stefanie's website at: http://www.stefanieworth.com
Monday, November 30, 2009 at 11:48AM 
Sharon Ashwood is one of our featured authors in our Eye On Romance Community Network. You can find out about her latest release, SCORCHED, on Paranormal Romance Writers. Check it out here: http://www.paranormalromancewriters.com/bookofthemonth.cfm