When Jessica Martin met Johnny Devereaux that December, holiday magic filled the air but their love was no enchantment... he was, without doubt the love of hher life and by summer, they were happy newlyweds with all their life and holidays ahead.
But when he failed to return home from a fishing trip on the Fourth of July, Jessica's world is rocked to the foundation and when the authorities tell her that her husband is missing, presumed dead, she refuses to believe it.
As the months and seasons pass, no one else holds out hope but Jessica believes.
She knows he'll be home for Christmas no matter what. Her family calls her crazy, Johnny's family tries to help her find closure but Jessica's heart refuses to surrender hope.
When Christmas comes, the truth will come out to shock them all.
A native of the old historic city of St. Joseph, Missouri, one time home to both Jesse James and the Pony Express, she now lives and writes in the beautiful Missouri Ozark region.
Her romance novels include Wolfe's Lady (December 2010 Evernight Publishing), Love Tattoo, (March 2011, Evernight), Love Scars (June 2011, Evernight), Love Never Fails (May 2011, Rebel Ink Press), Kinfolk (July 2011, Champagne Books), The Marriage Cure (Astraea Press, July 2011), Love Scars, July 2011 (Evernight Publishing). Love Tattoo, Love Scars, and Love Knots are the first three volumes of her Love Covenant paranormal romance series. Love Shadows, book four will be out in December.
Just released in October are Witness Protection Program (Rebel Ink Press, A Time To Love (Champagne Books. Coming soon are Sing We Now of Christmas (Rebel Ink Press, December 2011).
Upcoming in 2012 are four (for now!) more Rebel Ink Press titles (A Patient Heart, Miss Good Samaritan, Guy's Angel, In Love's Own Time) and a novella, Long Live The King (Champagne Books).
Her work also appears in multiple anthologies . She earned a BA degree in both English and History from Missouri Southern State University as well as an AA Degree in Journalism from Crowder College.
She worked in broadcast media for a decade and has also worked in the education field.
Also by Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy
Wolfe's Lady (Evernight Publishing Dec 2010)
Love Tattoo (Evernight Publishing) March 2011 (book one Love Covenant Series)
Love Never Fails (Rebel Ink Press) May 2011, June 2011 (paperback)
Love Scars (Evernight Publishing) June 2011 (book two Love Covenant series)
The Marriage Cure (Astraea Press) July 2011
Kinfolk (Champagne Books) July 2011 August 2011 (paperback)
Love Knots (Evernight Publishing) August 2011 (book three Love Covenant series)
Witness Protection Program (Rebel Ink Press) October 2011
A Time To Love (Champagne Books) October 2011
An Interview with Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy
By Holly Hewson for The Romance Studio
HH: Lee Ann, thank you for talking with us at TRS! Your featured book is Sing We Now of Christmas. Where did you get the idea for this breathtaking holiday story?
LA: I'd been pondering an idea for a story revolving around someone who was missing, presumed dead and after a trip to the lake, the idea for what became Sing We Now of Christmas started coming together in my mind so I knew I had to write this one.
HH: What do you like best about Jessica and why will readers relate to her?
LA: Jessica's stubborn faith in her husband is something I admire. She refuses to give up no matter what. I love her tenacity and I think readers will too. I think they'll also like the way she deals with her less than perfect family.
HH: What do you like best about Johnny and why will readers love him?
LA: One of my favorite things about Johnny is that he's just an ordinary guy. He's not a CEO or a wealthy playboy or a Duke but he loves his wife and his family very much. I think he's the kind of guy a lot of gals would love to meet.
HH: What draws today's readers to the romance genre in your opinion?
LA: With the economy, the news always sounding so bad, the extreme weather, I think readers look for something offering some hope. Romance draws readers because everyone wants to believe in love and romance novels deliver love.
I've learned that more guys read romance too than I ever dreamed and they identify with the heroes.
HH: What else do you have in store for lucky readers?
LA: The past year has been amazing for me and I've got several more releases lined up for 2012. I have two coming in February from Rebel Ink Press, a Valentine's release called A Patient Heart and a time travel/ghost/contemporary love story In Love's Own Time, a sweet action packed suspense romance in April from Rebel called Miss Good Samaritan, a novella that my editor just called "a sweet little romp" called Long Live The King from Champagne Books (and the king is Elvis, just saying) and a historical romance set in the 1920's with some paranormal elements in June from Rebel Ink called Guy's Angel. I also just signed the contract for another historical, this time World War II, called In The Shadow of War also with Rebel Ink Press. So there's a lot coming and some of it, including the historicals, are a new direction for me.
HH: What's a day in the life of author Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy like?
LA: My day starts early, before daylight most of the time because my husband has to be at work early so I get up with him. I have an hour or so to check emails, blogs, details before I wake my three kids (two in high school, one in middle school) and get them off to school. I spend the morning writing and promoting, pause for lunch and a few household chores, do some social networking and then meet my kids when they come home from school. I sometimes do a little more writing in the evening and then I unwind. Most days are a little crazy and hectic but in a good way. I'd rather be busy than not!
HH: What goals have you set for yourself at this point in your career?
LA: For years my goal was to have a novel published and now I've met that one, I would like to continue to write and see my novels out, I'd love to pen a runaway bestseller and I'd like to make enough money from the novels to be self-supporting.
HH: What are you reading at the moment?
LA: I'm reading Jean Joachim's Now And Forever 2: The Book of Danny. I just finished reading Midnight Seduction, a Halloween theme anthology from Evernight Publishing, and next up is Service Rendered by Michele Hope and I also have KT Bishop's new release on my schedule.
HH: Where is your favorite place to shop for books?
LA: Online, it's Amazon.com and All Romance Ebooks. In the real world, I like Books A Million or the few remaining little hole in the wall privately owned bookshops.
HH: Any special plans for the holidays this years?
LA: I'll be hosting at least one Christmas dinner - some years I do one for my side of the house, one for my husband's and celebrating at more small gatherings than I can count. That's pretty much the usual holiday season around here so no special plans... just celebrating the season with my near and dear.
