Wednesday, December 4, 2019

What Inspired Julie Arduini to Write Restoring Christmas


Two Christmas Places That Inspired Restoring Christmas

by



Julie Arduini

Last year I was honored to participate in the boxed set A Christmas to Remember with my novella, Restoring Christmas. The idea first came to me after I visited Castle Noel in Medina, Ohio. The tourist attraction features Christmas movie props in a guided tour that starts with the RV from Christmas Vacation. It ends with everyone going down the slide where Ralphie asks Santa for the Red Ryder BB gun. There was a room with over ten thousand ornaments hung from the ceiling and a “chimney” where guests see how easy it is for Santa. I left there completely in a Christmas mood and even wondered how I could write such a place into a romance. My first question was, what if someone worked at a place like that and hated Christmas?

Castle Noel wasn’t the only place that inspired me. Growing up, our family used to visit The Christmas House in Elmira, NY. Filled with decorations in a Victorian home, I remembered the porch as guests entered. However, in Restoring Christmas, the porch is where Holly Christmas realizes how long she’s been away.

I’m a visual person, so having Castle Noel and The Christmas House as references really helped me write. When I wasn’t feeling very Christmas-y, I’d visit the websites and looked at the pictures.

If you aren’t able to check out Castle Noel in person, you should visit the website. The same for The Christmas House. They will help you get in the Christmas mood.

And of course, grab a copy of Restoring Christmas!



Holly Christmas left Geneseo Valley and her family’s holiday tourist attraction, The Christmas Mansion, as soon as she graduated.  Now both her parents have passed, and Holly returns when her uncle needs her help running the mansion. On Holly’s first day back, a blunt middle-schooler proclaims Holly hates Christmas. His comment forces her to reconcile the past while planning for the mansion’s future.

Kevin Holt is invested in offering hope to students with challenges. His best friend’s son is in Kevin’s class, and Nathan needs guidance. Their community project placement at The Christmas Mansion is an opportunity to make a positive difference. When Nathan blurts out his thoughts to the beautiful co-owner, Kevin wonders if he has what it takes to help restore the mansion to its former glory, mentor Nathan, and convince Holly Christmas she’s exactly where she needs to be.

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To learn more about Julie and her books, visit her website at http://juliearduini.com/


Julie Arduini

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