Author: Jaycee Weaver

When New Mexico resident and USA Today bestselling author Jaycee Weaver isn't reading or writing, she enjoys dates with her brainiac hubby, drinking coffee, crafting, pretending she's a nature photographer, and making her teenagers cringe. Jaycee considers herself a recovering perfectionist and frequent hot mess. She does her best to live her faith in action authentically, trusting God to be Lord over the good, the bad, and the ugly even when it’s hard.
From Fury to Feelings (+giveaway)
Giveaway · New Releases

From Fury to Feelings (+giveaway)

Jaycee Weaver30 Comments

I LOVE hate-to-love, enemies-to-lovers, whatever you prefer to call the trope. For me, it comes second only to friends-to-more as my favorite! There’s something about the fury, the chemistry, the potential for so much emotional entanglement.

It’s funny, since I’m not a huge fan of drama. Those books where a misconception and/or refusal to talk makes you want to throttle them both… yeah, not my favorite. Maybe it’s because I don’t mind a little confrontation. I’m a firm believer in airing your grievances (with love and grace and tempering that tongue) and not leaving things unsaid for too long because then they fester. But I LOVE me some infuriated characters who get annoyed easily or drive each other nuts—especially if one of the characters gets a kick out of poking the bear. Maybe I’m a little twisted… LOL!

It can be a tough trope, though. In fact, we talked about it in detail on an episode of the StoryChats @InspyRomance Podcast a while back. It’s worth a listen if you love or hate this trope!

After writing two more emotionally intense stories in my Sinclair Sisters trilogy, I knew Cindy’s story was going to be a lot more fun and less dramatic for my newest book, Not Another Christmas. Which is HILARIOUSLY ironic, considering she is by far the most dramatic of the three sisters. I knew right away that she lived apart from her Christmas-obsessed family, and that in her past she was enemies with her love interest. That was about it for the longest time.

Cindy Lou Sinclair, so named by her fanatical parents for that adorable little Who, has grown into a highly organized, independent young woman who’s worked her way up to hotel concierge and has her sights set on being top dog at the Coconut Springs Hotel in sunny Fort Lauderdale, FL. Her plans are thwarted by the arrival of the hotel owner’s nephew, who just happens to be an all too familiar (and dang it, handsome) face. The boy-next-door; her teenage nemesis, constant competitor, and irritating prankster.

Now that Nick Hoover has gained some experience to go with his degree, he’s ready to return to the place he grew up and reconnect with his Florida family after his workaholic father moved him across the country from them fifteen years ago. The last person he expects to see in Florida is the New Mexico girl he loved to infuriate most, but he’s not complaining.

Tension, irritation, and attraction unfold, and soon they fall into familiar old patterns (read: PRANK WARS) until her fury evolves into friendship, which gives way to feelings. It was such a BLAST writing their pranks, both in their history and in the present. I did a TON of research and had so many laughs reading blogs, anecdotes, and my own family’s devious ideas. Pranks have never come naturally to me, so being able step into Nick and Cindy’s shoes for a bit was a hoot.

What do you think about books with the enemies-to-more or hate-to-love trope? How about pranks? Tell me WHY or WHY NOT below in the comments!

I’ve collected quite a list of reader-recommended titles featuring pranks, so if, like me, you find these books to be a perfect escape for an afternoon of laughs, here you are:

(Disclaimer: I have not read all of the titles in this list, but the authors are known for writing clean books.)

I would LOVE more recommendations on CONTEMPORARY titles with pranksters and jokesters, especially if you can find Christian and/or inspirational titles! I’ll even go for enemies-to-more or hate-to-love. Anyone who comments with their remarks on the tropes, what you think about Cindy and Nick’s book, and/or title recommendations will be entered into a giveaway for a FREE EBOOK of Destination Christmas, out now on Amazon (which you could buy instead for 99¢ or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited)! Void where prohibited.

*I may receive a tiny commission from purchases made via provided links.

Until next month, my friends!

Sister Stories
New Releases · Story Inspiration

Sister Stories

Jaycee Weaver12 Comments

The sister relationship is one of the most complicated. From best friends to mortal enemies, every set of sisters has a different dynamic and relationship, and that’s true not only from family to family but sister to sister within the same family.

With three daughters and a sister of my own, it’s definitely a relationship I have a lot of experience with. I’ve had a lot of conversations with mom friends who grew up with sisters or raised multiple daughters, and the best word to describe each sister relationship is, perhaps, complicated.

A sister is both your mirror and your opposite. – Elizabeth Fishel

Family dynamics fascinate me, especially birth order studies. I love exploring the commonalities and differences. But there’s just something extra intriguing about sisters, which is why I wrote a trio of them in my Sinclair Sisters trilogy.

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost. – Marion C. Garretty

While each book focuses primarily on the heroine finding romance, I did something a little different in this series. In each book, each chapter contains a peek into their pasts as well as their unfolding present day story. Often there’s an interaction between the hero and heroine that plays into their present day romance, but equally as often there’s another relationship played a role in pushing her forward toward resolving a conflict with the hero: her sister.

It’s funny, because I never set out to make these ROMANCES into a sister trilogy. From the beginning of This and Every Christmas, Clari talked about her sisters. They were united in their parents’ obsessive affection for all things Christmas, and slowly I began to understand how vital the relationship between the three girls was to them. Clari was a natural teacher and mother figure to Lucy (and her other students) in large part because an oldest sister grows up playing those roles by default.

As I wrote this book during the pandemic quarantine of 2020, my three daughters were stuck with each other 24/7 with no way to distance except for their bedroom doors. I began to realize how important the sister relationship was to each of them (my girls AND the fictional Sinclair girls). They fought like crazy but became incredibly close. They developed inside jokes. Shared experiences. They will forevermore have stories that only the three of them know and understand. Even now that we’ve moved on to a more normal life as teenagers, they still have secret conversations, sister sleepovers, push each other’s buttons, and fiercely defend when an outsider treats one of them poorly.

We didn’t want to admit it then, but we were friends. – Shannon Celebi

In writing Charlie—aka CJ—Sinclair’s book Now and Forever Christmas in 2021, the sister relationship played an even larger role in helping CJ’s romance with Tobin unfold. In the past scenes, youngest sister Cindy proves the perfect listener when CJ needs one, providing insight she didn’t expect from someone three years younger. In the present, CJ found refuge and healing in her older sister’s home. She’s the bridge between her oldest and youngest sister, equally close to both but in very different ways.

You’re not my best friend. You’re my sister, and that’s more. – Jenny Han

Cindy’s story has been the most difficult to write because I watch my youngest trying to find her own place with two older sisters who are polar opposites and understanding Cindy probably felt the same way. While the Sinclair sisters bonded over their mutual teenage embarrassment, they grew apart over the years as distance and life experience separated them. Cindy chose to stay in Florida after college. She loves her independent life, but of course, she still misses her family. Still longs for their former closeness. A part of her would love to live nearby and watch her nieces and nephews grow up. But she also needs her space and to live life on her own terms. It’s been fun to explore the way she sees that sister dynamic through a third lens I haven’t yet explored.

So distant yet so close. So different yet so similar. That’s why I love my sister. – Maxime Lagacé

Cindy’s story, Not Another Christmas, comes out next month in the 2022 Christmas Lights Collection, Destination Christmas. I’m excited to share it with you October 18th! If you haven’t already read them in the 2020 and 2021 Christmas Lights Collections, the first two Sinclair Sisters books are available now on Amazon.

The greatest gift our parents ever gave us was each other. – Unknown

I know Tara Grace Ericson and Marion Ueckermann have contemporary romance series following sisters, but I would LOVE it if you’d share any other CONTEMPORARY Christian/Inspirational romance series or books where the sister relationship plays a significant role. Or if you’ve read Clari and CJ’s stories, tell me if you thought the sister dynamic rang true for you! OR, share with us some of your own sister stories! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Until next time,

The Black Moment
Devotional Thought · Real Life

The Black Moment

Jaycee Weaver40 Comments

The Black MomentLast week, our own Lindi Peterson touched briefly on the topic of black moments framed from the perspective of The Storm Before the Rainbow. Many of you know I’ve experienced my own storm this past year, and I’ve clung to the hope of seeing the rainbow with everything I’ve had. Today I’d like to go deeper on the topic, and maybe even get a little personal.

If you’re still not clear on the term “black moment,” it’s that pivotal point between the second and third act when all hope seems lost. The main character is faced with losing what their heart longs for most—what they’ve been fighting for or against the whole story—and must face internal conflict that’s driven them to or from their goal all along.

Generally, it’s a false belief (i.e. I’ll never love again, I can’t be with him/her) or fear (i.e. everyone leaves, I’m unworthy of love) or both. Whatever it is, that thing holds them back from moving forward toward their happy ending until they confront it and accept the truth.

It’s especially beautiful in Christian fiction because we know the Source of all hope, freedom, and love, so when the hero or heroine faces their darkest moment, there’s a natural opportunity for them to be free of it in Christ. Obviously, that doesn’t always require a profound salvation moment on the pages. Many times it’s simply applying what they know to be true because of their faith and finally surrendering it to the Lord. Christian characters, like real-life Christians, naturally go through storms that require us to surrender.

To be completely honest, I don’t always love black moments in fiction.

I’ve been known to choose books by authors who don’t write them at all (like Brooke St. James), simply because I’ve had enough black moments in my life or in my loved one’s lives that I just need something completely happy to escape into. A romance where the relationships are easy. There’s conflict, obviously, because conflict always drives any story, but that conflict doesn’t always come from an internal issue or tension between hero and heroine. Sometimes it’s a circumstance or inconvenience that they deal with, without a lot of drama, and everything ends well.

girl hugging a bookBut while I thrive on those books, they aren’t typically the ones that stick with us. The books that leave a profound mark—when we close the cover with a sigh and simply hold it in our arms, savoring that deliciously satisfying feeling—give us that satisfaction by putting us through the wringer. By putting the characters through the wringer. The deeper the lows, the more gratifying the highs.

It’s been two years of black (at at least dark and bleak) moments for most everyone I know, but this is where the power of story really hits home for me. Where story translates from fictional escape to real-world application. The victories we read on the pages give us hope that in our own black moments, God will be there for us, too, speaking love and truth and peace into our storms and reminding us that He made the rainbow to come after as a promise.rainbow and raindrops

Sometimes I write my own personal black moments into my characters.

For instance, Ada in More Than Enough battles perfectionism and feelings she’ll never be enough no matter how much she does and does and does for other people. It was hard to knock her down in the length of a novella, but I know all too well how those feelings can be a tripping hazard and get in the way of surrendering all to the Father. I sat in that theater with her, knowing intimately that no amount of doing and helping and fixing will ever be enough to silence the lies that I AM NOT enough. But HE is.

Jenna from Whatever Happens Next cries out to God because she used to hear His voice so naturally. She sees the dust on her Bible and opens its pages and wonders why He no longer speaks to her that way. Does He still love her? Why can’t she hear Him anymore? Feel His presence? Oh, how I cried with her because I was going through my own dry spell spiritually and I ACHED to feel His embrace again.

And while I’ve never personally endured what Gina in Whatever Comes Our Way did, I’ve had panic attacks. I’ve felt the slithers of anxiety crawling under my skin and keeping me from trusting the Lord completely.

For these characters, their black moments had the potential to keep them separated from the loves of their lives, from finding romance and happily ever afters. That may not be the risk we face in our own black moments, of course, but that doesn’t mean fictional black moments don’t still translate into our own realities.

Every time I’ve faced my own darkest moments, knowing God was there, that He saw me, CHANGED ME permanently. He took something that was crushing me and keeping me from Him and performed open heart surgery, removing that issue and replacing it with a story of victory that I can walk in each day. I can remember MY story and help impact someone else’s by sharing it in some way.

Next month, I’ll be speaking at a women’s conference on my very blackest, capital letters Black Moment. Reliving it all as I put together my message—looking at the pictures of what I looked like at my worst in the hospital as I fought for my life, re-reading texts and posts from those weeks—has been HARD. It’s putting me through the wringer all over again. But I can’t wait to tell this story. I can’t wait for the opportunity to write those feelings into future characters.

All because of the power of story; the power of testimony. The power of the black moment to move us from our stuck place, our worst place, into HIS best for us. The line between fiction and reality is often a thin one. And praise God for that. Because isn’t it wonderful to have hope? To know that after the darkest of night comes the dawn?

So tell me in the comments—what fictional black moment resonated deeply within you? What character’s pivotal moment left an impact on you because you understood it and felt understood yourself? (Titles/authors without spoilers, please.)

Remember, we’re in the middle of the Back to School Bash, so your comments become entries into our many, many amazing giveaways! I can’t wait to see what inspirational romance titles you suggest. And if you have some go-to authors for escaping black moments entirely, well, I’m totally open to those as well. We need a bit of balance in our lives, don’t we? Ha ha!

Until next time,

Jaycee

Summer Love and Cookouts
Reader Input Request · Roundup

Summer Love and Cookouts

Jaycee Weaver18 Comments

It’s a gazillion degrees outside here in New Mexico. We’ve spent weekends in Arizona, Colorado, and Kansas in the past two months, and it’s been H-O-T hot there too. I know it’s not summer for half the world right now, but many of you still know the sticky, sweaty, blazing sun, furnace-blast-to-the-face feeling of a hotter than normal summer.

If you’re from outside the US, I’d love to hear what people in your region do to beat the heat. Across the US, the consensus seems to be a lot of indoor activities, retreats into the mountains, trips to the pool, and cookouts.

Now, if this were any other kind of blog, I could tell you all about the differences between a cookout and a barbecue, but I’ll let you Google that instead so we can chat about what we DO talk about here: romance books.

Food is an integral part of the human experience, so it only makes sense that those common elements of summer would feature heavily in fiction as well. Family cookouts, church picnics, barbecues, and other outdoor dining experiences bring us together and thus make a perfect setting for moving a story’s plot forward. My mind immediately thinks of all the potential for creating a little drama or tension, opportunities for busybody side characters to drop their nuggets of wisdom or insight, or even a great place for our hero and heroine to meet or reunite. Where better to stir up some trouble that forces a couple to face something they’ve been avoiding? So. Much. Potential.

Virtual Cookout MenuToday, in honor of the outrageous summer heat here in the US, I have compiled a list of must-bring dishes submitted by friends and readers, as well as a list of recommended reads that feature cookouts, picnics, barbecues, or other pivotal summer meal scenes.

Here’s our virtual cookout menu for today before we get to the books:

Meats: smoked brisket, grilled chicken, pulled pork, plus hamburgers and hot dogs

Sides: potato salad, macaroni or pasta salad, corn on the cob (or my preferred variation, elote), baked beans, and deviled eggs (I’m adding a veggie tray with ranch!)

Sweets: ice cream, ice pops, summer fruits, marshmallow fluff salad (AKA ambrosia, the one thing on this list I won’t touch), and glorious fruit pies

Cold Drinks: sweet tea, unsweet iced tea, aguas frescas (lightly sweetened fruit waters)

And now for the books (I haven’t read all of these, but they’ve all come recommended by CF readers):

… so many scenes from other books come to mind, but I’m blanking out on titles. If any come to mind for you, I’d love to see them in your comments! And while you’re in the comments, share what must-have foods you’d bring or want to see on the table if we hosted a virtual summer cookout. I love talking books and food, so I can’t wait to chat with you about both!

Summer Reading List + an apology
Escape into a Story · Reader Input Request

Summer Reading List + an apology

Jaycee Weaver27 Comments

Things have been weird in JayceeLand the past several months. I’m still trying to find my groove again, and what mojo I do find comes in small snippets that disappear soon after. So rather than force myself to write, I’m taking the summer off to focus on my family, my home, side projects I’ve set aside too long, and OF COURSE, reading. How better to beat the heat? (Or cold, if you’re in the southern hemisphere!)

I’ve been enjoying quite a bit of sweet-and-clean romance and romantic comedy the past few months. It’s been hard to focus on anything of much depth, but there have been a few titles I’ve been delighted to read that have both the lighthearted humor I’ve needed as well as character growth. So while the topics haven’t been exactly hard or complicated, the titles I’m sharing have plenty of substance. And since I adore novellas and shorter titles, I’ll include a few of those as well. Those of you who enjoy longer works can share your suggestions in the comments!

First, though, I owe an apology. I put a giveaway into my post last month and then completely forgot to draw a name and announce a winner. Let me rectify that now. Naomi M is the winner of a copy of Braver With You! I’ve sent you an email with the details for claiming your prize. I’m sorry I neglected to draw and announce last month!

Now, back to our summer reading list. I would love to hear what’s on YOUR summer reading list (or winter for those of you on the other side of the globe)!

A few of the books I’ve read and LOVED this month:

Betsy by Sarah Monzon – A delightful conclusion to a refreshingly different and thoroughly wonderful series!

The Bluff by Emma St. Clair – I literally laughed out loud through the whole book.

Maybe I Will by Melanie Jacobson – This series makes me want to visit New Orleans.

How to Kiss Your Best Friend by Jenny Proctor – My favorite trope, friends-to-more, handled so well!

The Next Worst Thing by Sara Jane Woodley – an unexpected delight!

The Hate Zone by Gigi Blume – I got Messy Love and its related freebie, and now I’m hooked on the whole Precio family!

And ones I’m looking forward to in the next month:

Love at Second Sight by Liwen Y. Ho – I LOVE her Fab Forties series!!

Battleshipped by Savannah Scott – Friendshipped and Courtshipped (a freebie short) were really good!

Complex by Kortney Keisel – Compared was SO STINKING GOOD, I’m excited about this one.

The Billionaire’s Best Friend by Elizabeth Maddrey – I LOVE Beth’s unusual takes on common tropes, so I cannot wait to see how she did a billionaire bestie book!

An Unlikely Alliance by Toni Shiloh – this one came out TODAY! Congrats, T!

To Believe in You by Emily Conrad – I added this just because the cover is so stunning, and now the whole series is on my TBR.

PLEASE be sure to leave your comments with some suggestions for my TBR on can’t miss reads coming out the next month or two or that recently came out. I’m especially looking for books that either aren’t heavy or handle heavy topics with a light and gentle hand, books that are funny but romantic, cute and sweet, silly, fun, and/or short. If they’re in Kindle Unlimited, I’ll be extra appreciative!! Thanks for hanging out with me today on the blog, I can’t wait to see what you’re reading. 🙂 And while I’m taking a break on social media, I’m still blogging here every month and sending newsletters. So if you want to keep in touch, be sure to subscribe at https://jayceeweaver.com/newsletter. See ya soon!

Is it Romantic Women’s Fiction or Romance? (plus giveaway)
Escape into a Story

Is it Romantic Women’s Fiction or Romance? (plus giveaway)

Jaycee Weaver47 Comments

Romantic Women's Fiction or Romance?You’re ready to grab something new off the TBR or a gorgeous cover snagged your attention, but you’re in the mood for a certain kind of tale. It might be a tearjerker, or maybe that’s what you want to avoid. Or perhaps you want a little romance, but would prefer it takes a backseat to the rest of the story. How can you know ahead of time whether what you’re in the mood for is actually romantic women’s fiction or romance?

After doing quite a bit of research for an upcoming re-release, I have a few pointers to help you narrow the search. Of course, this post may or may not be entirely helpful considering not all booksellers make much distinction. I know Amazon does, because in the ads console they allow publishers to choose which categories to target for a particular title, but that’s not always the case with brick-and-mortar stores or other online booksellers. Plus, some publishers and indie authors place their books in both genre categories, so…

Let’s first talk about the basic characteristics of romance, since that’s what we focus on here at InspyRomance (specifically CCR):

Boy meets girl. Sparks fly. They’ve each got something that keeps them from leaping in with both feet for a while, but you know they’ll have to work through it eventually. There’s the dance, the push and pull, chemistry, whatever you want to call it, but that troublesome thing keeps cropping up until they’re forced to deal with it. It might break them apart for a bit, but after some soul searching comes that decision to fight for the relationship, likely some swoony kisses, and BAM, happily ever after. The end. Authors can fancy it up with different tropes, varying levels of faith and drama, but we know without a doubt our hero and heroine are going to get through it together and we’ll all have that happy ending we’ve been turning pages for. Essentially, romance = happy ending.

What about women’s fiction—specifically romantic women’s fiction?

There’s often quite a bit of overlap, but there are a few key points that differ, and as readers we want to be prepared for them (yet another reason why reviews can be so helpful in knowing what we’re getting into!). They are NOT the same thing!

  • Women’s fiction is issue driven, meaning the characters’ emotional journeys take priority.
  • Relationships are often the focus—familial relationships, friendships, and yes, romantic relationships—especially how they help or hinder the heroine’s emotional growth throughout the book.
  • Though the story is often told from only the heroine’s POV, this isn’t always the case. Women’s fiction can be dual-POV too, so long as the hero either has a deeply emotional issue of his own to work through OR his emotional growth revolves around the female protagonist’s emotional journey (i.e. how he’s supporting her, trying to understand so he can better support her, or how her issues impact his).
  • Women’s fiction can still have romantic threads with kissing (and in mainstream books, bedroom scenes), but it always takes a backseat to what else the story is really about.
  • Romances can be highly emotional. YES! We love all the feels. But in romance the feels come from the romantic tension. If the feels are mostly coming from what they are going through within themselves, apart from the relationship, it’s not romance. It’s women’s fiction.
  • Happy endings are not guaranteed in women’s fiction. Sometimes they’re reflective. Sometimes they’re bittersweet. Sometimes they’re happy. Sometimes they’re downright tragic.

I hope that helps clear up a bit of the confusion if you’re like me and knew there was a difference, but couldn’t quite pinpoint it. To boil it down really simple, if the romance is a thread in the fabric of the story, it’s women’s fiction. If romance is the whole fabric and everything would unravel without it, it’s romance. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Now that you’re considering things, perhaps there are a few titles you’ve loved recently that weren’t romances but women’s fiction? (Think Carolyn Brown, a popular mainstream author whose books often get miscategorized under romance but are actually Southern women’s fiction.) Do you find you’re more drawn to one or the other?

Due to my own research, I recently realized that several of my own books are miscategorized and I now need to go update their genre categories so they will reach their appropriate audience. My novella Braver With You, for example, which appeared in October 2021’s Save the Date anthology is being re-released on its own next month. I ended up rewriting the blurb for women’s fiction because Ashlyn and Conrad’s relationship isn’t the central theme of the story, it’s Ashlyn’s need to stand up to her mother and their need to work through the trauma of the past so that she and Conrad can move away and begin their lives together without her mother’s influence. So while there is romance, and they’re planning a wedding, it’s not A romance. I had no idea. LOL!

To celebrate us all learning something new together plus the re-release, I’ll choose a winner at random from the comments to receive a signed paperback of Braver With You. Open to US residents only, should an international winner be selected, winner will receive an eBook edition instead. Thank you!

Edge of Seventeen (+giveaway)
Giveaway · New Releases · romantic comedy

Edge of Seventeen (+giveaway)

Jaycee Weaver32 Comments

Are you hearing Stevie Nicks right about now with that title? LOL! I’ve had 80s music queued up on my Spotify for months now as I’ve been working on my seventeenth book, which just released yesterday. Seventeen. Just the word makes me a little nostalgic, you know?

My 17 year old last weekend before prom (face covered for privacy).

My oldest is seventeen and just attended her junior prom last weekend. The weekend before that I was digging through old photos and came across a few from the 90s when I was also seventeen. Sure About You, which appears in The 80s Rom-Com Club, is book seventeen in my career, and like my memories and watching my kids grow up, it’s got me reminiscing.

Me around age 17

Apparently, I’m not alone in this. There’s a huge trend for all things nostalgic going on in the US right now. Movie and television reboots of hits from the 80s and 90s, Gen Z’s fashion throwbacks, even popular brands from back in the day are revisiting their old logos and/or packaging to engage with their customers on an emotional level. The last couple of years seem to be all about the nostalgia, and for good reason—we’re all recovering from two of the strangest and hardest years in which we’ve been forced to face our own mortality, and as a result we’re desperate to reclaim some of those happy feelings we associate with simpler times.

Of course, trends had absolutely nothing to do with why we created The 80s Rom-Com Club. The six of us just wanted to celebrate the sheer joy of romantic comedies we love from one of the most fun decades in recent history. If that brings a bit of nostalgia, great! But honestly, what’s better than escaping between the pages into worlds of fun, lighthearted humor, complexity balanced with hope, silly social media conversations between girlfriends, faith, and a guaranteed HEA for characters we’ve come to love?!

Not much, am I right?! LOL! At least, we don’t think so.

That’s why we’re so excited to be releasing this set right now. Life is hard. The world is nuts. Throw on a loose off-shoulder sweater and some neon leggings, wrap your hair in a scrunchie, crank up the 80s tunes, and bring on the rom-coms! And don’t forget to enter our release week giveaway over at https://teresatysinger.com/80srcc_giveaway/!

And to celebrate my own (Edge of) Seventeen moment here (just like the white-winged dove…), I’ll draw a name out of the comments by this Friday night for winner’s choice of one of my books if you answer these TWO questions: 1) What’s your favorite 80s flick, and 2) How many of my seventeen books have you read? Can’t wait to read your responses!

In Love vs. I Love (is there a difference?)
Story Inspiration

In Love vs. I Love (is there a difference?)

Jaycee Weaver53 Comments

In love vs I loveDo you have certain phrases that a character says that immediately get your hackles up? For me, it often happens when a romance has been building up so beautifully and the characters have overcome so much and then finally comes the declaration I’ve been waiting for.

Only one of them says, “I’m in love with you” instead of “I love you.”

Every single time I feel let down. And don’t get me started when one says, “I’m in love with you,” and the other goes, “you love me?” Um, NO, that is not what they said.

These phrases mean completely different things. And when the distinction isn’t made in Christian fiction, the disappointment is especially keen. Why?

Well, let’s compare the two.

in love vs i love chart

In love is only the beginning. It’s the butterflies and warm fuzzies and spark that can lead to lasting love, but in love is barely a sprouted seed in a wet paper towel.

I love you goes beyond the chemistry. It says I see you, I choose you. It holds the promise of that sprout growing roots below the soil and unfurling into something beautiful above it.

When I’m reading inspirational or Christian romance, I want my characters to fall in love. Absolutely. Maybe they realize they’re in love and that drives them to later prove the depth of their love. But the true climactic moment needs to be more than that. I want to see how they’ve developed those 1 Corinthians 13 qualities before choosing forever—in other words, is it patient, kind, humble, truthful, and willing to put the other person first?

Being in love is wonderful. But knowing someone loves you—all of you, even the parts you’re afraid to let them see when you’re in love—is glorious. And that’s what makes a truly climactic declaration in any romance. With that kind of love, their happy ending is only the beginning.

Have you given much consideration to the difference between the two phrases in your own reading? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

And real quick before I head out, I wanted to make sure you heard the exciting news! I’ve got a fun, lighthearted novella coming out soon as part of The 80s Rom-Com Club next month! If you love romantic comedies (especially movies from the 1980s!), you’ll love this set. You can pre-order it here.

Until next time, be blessed!

Quotes and Highlights
Escape into a Story

Quotes and Highlights

Jaycee Weaver27 Comments

I used to be a paper-only book snob. Then, a few years ago, hubby bought me an iPad mini and the first app I downloaded was the Kindle app and I’ve been hooked ever since.

There are rules for paper books (at least for fiction. They don’t apply to non-fiction where marking up is essential to learning). Don’t fold or crinkle the pages. Use a bookmark or other flat object to mark a spot, never turn it upside down and stress the spine. Use caution when reading near food and drinks. And when it comes to writing, underlining, or highlighting, I shudder.

Now with my eBooks, there are no rules. I’m free to highlight to my heart’s content. A funny line? Highlight. A truly swoony moment? Highlight. An inspirational truth? ALL the highlights!

Since joining GoodReads, I’ve amassed quite the collection of highlighted passages. Which makes me wonder, do you highlight favorite quotes? How do you record those beautiful lines you want to savor later? Do you do anything else with them, like keep them in a journal to read later or make graphics for social media?

For the street teams I’m on, I usually try to create graphics using quotes that stood out or resonated with me. My own street team has been wonderful about doing the same for some of my books as well. Most often, though, I simply keep the highlights saved to my Kindle app to reread later.

One of my favorite recent quotes comes from the sweet rom com Saving The Secret Prince by Kristin Canary: “There’s something about love that makes you weak in all the best ways—able to be vulnerable, to admit that you need each other, to see that you are strongest when you’re together, because a braided cord holds up much better than two individual strands on their own. But love also makes you strong, because a good partner challenges you to be a better version of yourself.”

And how about this kiss in Sara Beth Williams’s Anchor My Heart: “He leaned forward and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. Sweet as honey. Right as home. Fluid and beautiful as an acoustic song. He needed more like he needed air and music and God’s abundant love.” (SWOON! Not even that descriptive, but it’s beautiful!)

And here are a few of the graphics some of my readers created from my books in the past:

They did great work, right? It’s always such a delight when readers enjoy your work enough to take the time and share a quote, highlight, or graphic. I’d love to read some of your favorite quotes or thoughts on highlights in the comments below!

Thanks for hanging out with me today! See you next month during out annual Birthday Bash celebration!

Bad Girls in CCR
Story Inspiration

Bad Girls in CCR

Jaycee Weaver30 Comments

There’s a lot of talk about bad boys in romance, even in Christian romance. Women love to read about bad boys and rebels, especially ones that turn good. But what about bad girls?

From a Christian fiction author’s standpoint, bad girls are both tricky and a joy to write for many of the same reasons. It can be difficult to create a character readers will connect with and feel compassion and even affinity toward when she’s walked a road our readers might perceive negatively.

As readers we want to see ourselves in the story, don’t we?

For a woman out there in the real world who has been redeemed, these characters are a blessing. This reader feels seen and immediately recognizes herself in the heroine. I will concede that sometimes that “bad” girl’s path may hit a little too close to home and said reader may prefer to DNF the book. Like I said, it’s tricky!

Then you have the reader of lesser-blemished past, and that’s where things can get even trickier.

Let’s say a book opens with our heroine fresh out of a stranger’s bed after a night of hedonistic choices (i.e. Jobie from my novel What Makes a Home). Right off the bat, we’ve got a lot of readers who will flip the cover to make sure they’ve got the right genre or outright DNF. I’ve even read reviews left by readers who only made it to page four then reviewed it glorifies sin then questioning the author’s salvation (none on my books, but still not ok).

You may be like me, saying, “what? They didn’t even give the author a chance to redeem her!” And yet, this still happens. Now do you understand why I say tricky?

But it’s a risk we’ll often take because redemption matters. Understanding just how far our Shepherd is willing to go for one lost sheep matters. Even in fiction.

So how do authors like me write a likable heroine with a “bad girl” past with whom readers will connect, especially if her story starts out more colorfully than more conservative readers may prefer to read or if they don’t want to read about her past at all? And how do we create a realistic portrayal of the side characters in her life, both the loving and the not-so-loving ones without offending readers?

The answer is mindfully and with a lot of prayer. LOL! Sorry, I don’t have a wittier or more insightful answer. I don’t have a magical one-size-fits-all answer because what one reader considers likable is unlikable to another, and that’s true even with the sweetest, most innocent of heroines.

What I do have, however, is a nice list of books from some of our InspyRomance authors featuring “bad girls” if you’re interested in reading their stories.

And in the comments, I’d love to hear your perspective on reading about “bad girls,” specifically in CCR and inspirational fiction. What makes you choose a book with a “bad girl” heroine or put it back on the shelf? What keeps you turning pages and cheering her on?

Here’s that list I promised you:

Jobie in What Makes a Home from yours truly—a free-living artist whose past catches up to her as God brings her home.

Haven in Aspen Crossroads by Janine Rosche—her small town has more than its fair share of small-minded folk, but Haven knows firsthand the value of a second chance, so she’ll do anything to give newcomers a chance at theirs.

Dixie in Valerie Comer’s Dancing at Daybreak—thought she found love with her third child’s father until he found Jesus, now everything’s changed and she’s determined not to.

Mindy in Regaining Mercy from Carolyn Miller—the girl from the “wrong side of the tracks” endures plenty of judgment from her island townsfolk, but will she trust in a love that sees more than who she was?

Deb Kastner’s Angelica in And Cowboy Makes Three—she left him at the altar, and now she’s back, unwed with a baby in tow, willing to withstand the gossip to honor her grandmother’s memory.

Jade in Valerie M. Bodden’s Not Until Us—any girl in town would make a better pastor’s wife than Jade, whose bad-girl past is no secret, but will they listen to gossip or their Father’s voice?

Elizabeth Maddrey has at least three “bad girl” heroines, but my favorite is Lydia in Wisdom to Know. She’s a rebellious pastor’s daughter on a self-destructive path with a best friend who knows she’s the One… but is there a sin love can’t cover? Don’t miss Sara in A Tidbit of Trust or Serena from Cookies & Candlelight!

I’m sure there are more, so let’s stick with contemporary Christian romance titles if you make suggestions in the comments! Thanks for hanging out with me today!