Guest Post and Giveaway: The Road to Frosty Hollow by RJ Scott and Meredith Russell

We’re so pleased to welcome authors RJ Scott and Meredith Russell to TNA today on the tour for their Holiday Romance, The Road to Frosty Hollow. They’re here to share their answers to a few reader prompted questions, and they’re also offering one lucky reader the chance to win a $15 Amazon gift card.

Welcome, RJ and Meredith!

Thanks for having us today at The Novel Approach, here we’ve answered a few questions from our readers :)

How did you create the journey and keep tabs on what day Cameron and Nick went where?

RJ: I created the map in Google Maps, chose towns and cities that were spaced apart about 300 miles or so. Some were landmarks like Mount Rushmore, others were cities like Chicago – I even managed to get a mention of Crooked Ranch in the book, I think Meredith was okay with it.

Meredith: I was okay with it. RJ did ask if I was. I just told her she had to make sure to anyone who hasn’t read that series *raises hand* that there was nothing that left readers wondering what was going on, but at the same time could be a nice easter egg for fans of that series.

RJ: LOL, well, you didn’t make me take it out, which is one thing! So, back to the journey. We made a google doc, detailing each place that was being visited, choosing hotels, and looking at film locations for Cameron’s book of movie photos. Then when we wrote the book we had the places, dates, mileages and times in each chapter heading to keep us on track. It was a fascinating process.

Meredith: There was much counting on fingers to check how many days we’d covered lol. The google map helped us keep track, along with notes within the story document as to roughly where they were supposed to be or heading by each chapter. Actual plotting occurred in that respect lol.

RJ: Next year, we’ll write a road trip from London to Inverness, via Cardiff and Dublin!

Meredith: That one sounds like it needs hands on research. Maybe check out some key plot points that need to be spot on like pubs and restaurants. No? Was worth a try.

RJ: I’m up for that…

RJ – I know you love writing Christmas stories and stories set in Winter, so this question is for Meredith. Meredith do you enjoy writing stories set in and around winter (I know you wrote a book called Just Jack, based on your take of Jack Frost – will there be any more in that series?)

Meredith: I do love stories set around winter, Christmas in particular. There is just that extra bit of magic and romance to them, especially when there’s snow. In terms of my writing, I have the Sapphire Cay Christmas story written with RJ, the fourth book in the series, then I suppose Alter Ego could count as it’s set in February and there’s some snow, and then yes Jack Frost. Will there be more in the series? I hope so. I have ideas for two more ‘Jacks’ and do hope to find the time to write them one day.

RJ: Oh, I loved Just Jack.

Meredith: Thanks. I hated The Christmas Throwaway. Joking! I have actually read that one and love it :)

RJ: It’s easy to go off people you know…

I know you both co authored the Sapphire Cay series, and the standalone The Art Of Words. Now we have Frosty Hollow. My question is will there be any more jointly written stories between the two of you? And do you find it easy to write together?

Meredith: I hope so and we do have a new series lined up. We’ve mentioned it before, a police series, but with our separate projects it didn’t really ever get going. I do like writing with RJ. Though we write different things and at very different speeds. Seriously, it’s like there’s cartoon running lines as she types and she’s bounded off like Tigger and I’m bringing up the rear as Eeyore. She’s Tiggered off!

RJ: LOL

Meredith: What was I saying? Oh yes, I enjoy working together. We communicate well and share thoughts and ideas about where things are heading. I feel like we’re quite similar in our writing to a degree, obviously she has written way more and has her own style, we both do, but we’re able to make them fit and I’d like to think chapter to chapter it all flows for the reader. I’m looking forward to our next story.

RJ: I can’t wait to start writing this in the New Year. I love cop stories as well, and want to write something gritty. Oh and you should see the cover art for book 1. It’s gorgeous. Watch this space for more news. Meanwhile I’ll let Meredith tell you more about the art, because she is the expert on that side!

Meredith: I’m pretty sure you posted it way back when we first decided to do this series. We wanted something a bit different, different men not found on the usual stock sites. I’d recently found Strangeland Photography (Varian Krylov) on Facebook and thought the images there suited what we needed. I bought images for the first two books. I threw some ‘arting’ at them, but really the pairings in the shots make the covers for me :)

About the Book

Nick and Cameron face old demons, and find new love, on a Christmas road trip.

Former Marine Nick Sheridan is at a crossroads. With his entire life ahead of him he struggles to find direction and his place in the world. Car sharing to get home for his sister’s Christmas wedding seems like a good idea at first. Spending the time with the man he kissed and left years before, maybe not so much.

Cameron Bennett lost most of his teenage years to cancer and he now lives every day to the fullest. He decides to drive from Seattle to Vermont for his best friend’s wedding and capture moments of it on film. He hadn’t planned on car sharing with the man who kissed him ten years ago, but somehow he ends up with a brooding Nick by his side.

Along the way, the men learn that sometimes life plans mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. Love can be found in the most unexpected of ways, and facing your demons head on is sometimes the only way to live.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

About the Authors

RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

Email || Website || Facebook || Goodreads || Twitter || LibraryThing

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Meredith Russell lives in the heart of England. An avid fan of many story genres, she enjoys nothing less than a happy ending. She believes in heroes and romance and strives to reflect this in her writing. Sharing her imagination and passion for stories and characters is a dream Meredith is excited to turn into reality.

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You can find Meredith’s blog on cover art, including information and portfolio HERE