When
Tiffany Marano’s high school sweetheart drove off to join the Marines and never
looked back, she swore off men. Now, she’s content to teach at Summer Creek,
South Carolina’s local elementary school, lead a Sunday school class, and spend
weekends with her niece—until Nick Walsh suddenly reappears wearing a wedding
ring and with a daughter in tow. Everything about Tiffany’s calm, quiet life is
now one disordered mess.
Nick
Walsh comes face to face with Tiffany after all these years, and sparks fly. But
not the happy glittering kind, because each of them thinks the other
responsible for their estrangement. Before they can work it out, though,
Tiffany’s sister disappears. Left with custody of her niece and forced to work
with new police detective Nick to find her sister, old feelings begin to
resurface. As they start to unravel the truths that left them confused and
apart for too long, Nick must learn to let go of his past. But can Tiffany let
go of her fear and learn to trust that God isn’t the only one who won’t abandon
her?
Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to
them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?
Christmas Confusion is my first
published piece of fiction, so I haven’t had reviews in this arena before.
However, as a professor, I’ve had student evaluations for decades. I’ve been
told to respond only to the good and not to engage with the bad. I hope to
learn from honest critiques and then move on.
If you had to choose, which writer would
you consider a mentor?
My actual mentor
is Eloisa James. She writes Regency romance, and has been a friend and
inspiration to me for over a decade.
While I don’t write in that time period, clear, witty writing transcends
genre and I hope I’ve learned my lessons well.
What book are you reading now?
I’m always reading
multiple books at a time--I’m in Numbers in
my the Bible, halfway through my husband’s book, The Last Hurrah, and for my romance side, Jude Deveraux’s Lavender Morning.
What books have most influenced your life most?
The Bible, C. S.
Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, any Louisa
May Alcott book, and The Island Stallion
by Walter Farley (author of The Black Stallion). I also love Jane Austen’s
books and Victoria Holt. So many. Oh, I
love all of Grace Livingston Hill’s books set in the early twentieth
century. Oh, and Karen Kingsbury’s books
are fantastic and have helped build my faith.
Who is your favorite author and what is it
that really strikes you about their work?
I am actually
being honest, and not just being nice to my mentor, but Eloisa. Her books are
full of intelligence, but also make you fall in love with love.
Are there any new authors that have grasped
your interest?
Rachel Hauck, a
Christian romance author, whose stories are enchanting. The Wedding Shop is a fantastic blend of history and contemporary
and faith.
If you didn't like writing books, what
would you do for a living?
I actually make my
living as a psychology professor, and hope to continue that while writing more
and more as time allows.
Can you share a little of your current work
with us?
Tiffany
had stood there gawking while everyone else but the two of them vacated the
room. Now, she felt like an idiot for not running while she could. “Well, I
need to go pick up Haley.”
Nick
once again held the door for her. “So, how are you, Tiffany?”
His
voice must have dropped an octave because the depth sent shivers down her
spine. He was married. The bitterness in his voice while he’d accused women of
being the more unconstant sex might not have been aimed at her. He had also
asked for prayers for himself and his daughter as if his wife wasn’t part of
the picture.
He
wore the ring.
Confusion
almost overwhelmed her. Finally, she answered a noncommittal, “I’m fine.”
The
polite follow-up would have been to ask after his health as well, but there
were so many other questions piling up in her head that she ended up saying
nothing. Plus, the distance between the young adults’ classroom and the
preschoolers’ was only a matter of a few steps.
“Daddy!”
A little girl with a pink polka-dot bow perched crookedly on top of a mass of
brown curls escaped the high school-aged warden who had been blocking the door
with her body. There was no mistaking the genetic connection between the little
girl with the big sunflower eyes and the man who scooped her up in his arms.
When
the dam burst and let loose one little fishy, the others followed in a flood.
Haley had her arms wrapped around Tiffany’s knees before she could process the
pain that sliced through her at watching Nick hold another woman’s child. He’d
been out of her life for years, so why did she feel like this? “Hey, Haley.”
She rubbed her niece’s head. “What’d you learn today, bugaboo?”
“I
learned about Jesus, just like always.” Haley sounded like the lesson was old
hat, when, truth be told, the little girl only came to church when Aunt Tiffany
brought her. She was super intelligent,
though, and often drove her mother over the edge with all of her questions.
Tiffany
looked at Lauren, her substitute teacher. “How was she?”
“She
was great.” The girl spoke with enthusiasm, which wasn’t a good indicator of
the child’s behavior. Lauren tended to ooze awesome.
“Did
you behave, Elloree girl?” Nick looked at his daughter sternly as if he
understood the high school-aged teacher wasn’t going to say a bad word about
anybody.
“Yes,
sir.” The daughter sounded as if she was saluting a superior officer. “Best
behavior, Daddy.”
Nick
glanced in Tiffany’s direction, and pride surged through her that she had
progressed to the
meeting-his-eyes-as-if-there-wasn’t-a-past-a-mile-wide-between-them stage.
“She’s a lovely little girl.”
For
a heartbeat, Tiffany had no idea what he was talking about. Then, realization
dawned. “Oh, Haley isn’t…”
Before
she could finish the thought, Elloree grabbed her daddy’s face between her two
small hands. “I have to go to the potty, Daddy. And I mean now.”
“All
righty, then.” The big man’s chiseled cheekbones flushed a bright red, and it
was the best sight Tiffany had seen all day. “Well, I guess we’ll see you next
week.”
She
deflated, shoulders dropping. Church was her sanctuary, and she didn’t know if
she could face a lifetime of seeing him in another pew with the absent wife who
would certainly arrive at some point. “Yes, have a good week. Good to meet you,
Elloree.”
“Daddy.”
Her whine could destroy a chalkboard.
“Bye.”
He grimaced and started to move past her. When he drew even, though, he
frowned. His free hand rose up as if by its own accord, and he moved her bangs
to the side. “Ah, Tiffany, what’d you do?”
“Long
story,” she answered, even though her brain synapses had been short-circuited
by the electricity his touch sparked in every cell of her body.
“Same
old Tiff.” He gave a crooked, side grin. “Watch out for your mama, Haley.” He
looked down at the little girl with a wink and was gone.
“Why’d
he want me to watch out for my mama?” Haley let go of Tiffany’s knees and
peered up with those so bright blue eyes. Every member of their family had
those eyes. “Is something wrong?”
Tiffany
shook her head and squatted down to look her niece in the eye. “No, nothing’s
wrong. He just thought I was your mama since I’m here with you. Next time, I’ll
be sure to make it clear I’m your aunt.”
“Oh.”
Haley squinted. “I’m hungry.”
Tiffany
stood and captured the little girl’s hand. “Good thing it’s lunch time, then.
What do you want to eat?”
“Cheese
pizza!”
“Can’t.
We don’t have time to order. Your mom will be picking you up before you know
it.” She swung their arms in a big arc to take the bite out of her no. “I’ll
make us lunch at home. How about bugs on a rug?”
They
walked and talked, Tiffany trying to focus on the precious child at her side.
Her
body still reeled from Nick’s touch. After all these years, he could take her
breath away. He’d also been the only one to notice the injury and remind her of
just how flawed she was.
At
the same time, he was the only one to notice because he had always been the
only one to see the real her.
What book do you wish you could have
written?
There are many,
but I’ll narrow it down to Redeeming Love
by Francine Rivers. I also realize I gave a different answer on the publisher’s
blog so it’s a good thing I’m not a politician.
Share your bio, links for social media and
to buy:
Bio: A member of American Christian
Fiction Writers, Christina Sinisi writes stories about families, both the
broken and blessed. Her works include a semi-finalist in the Amazon
Breakthrough Novel Award contest and the American Title IV Contest where she
appeared in the top ten in the Romantic Times magazine. By day, she is a
psychology professor and lives in the LowCountry of South Carolina with her
husband and two children and loves a good cooking challenge. Please visit her
at Christina Sinisi-Author on Facebook and christinasinisi.com.
Social Media:
Website: https://www.christinasinisi.com/
Twitter: @ChristinaSinisi
Instagram: @csinisi123
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/csinisi/
To Buy: Don’t
have this yet
2 comments:
Nice learning about Christina Sinisi with the interview. Yay, another Christmas story to add to TBR Christmas list.
Marilyn, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I'm excited you might add The Christmas Confusion to your TBR list. Please drop by Christina Sinisi--Author on Facebook and let me know how you like it. Have a great day!
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