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By Kelly Jamieson

Game Changer, the latest of my Wynn Hockey books, is a tropalicious romance! We have:
• Runaway bride
• Road trip (actually 2 trips!)
• Friends to lovers
• Forbidden romance

If you’ve been reading along with the other Wynn Hockey books, you know they’ve all been set in California. I love California and I’ve been there many times. I also did a trip specifically for research, where I hung out in Santa Monica and road a bike along the coast the to soak up setting details.

In Game Changer, the roads trips take us from Chicago (another favorite place!) to California and then to Canada. I didn’t have to do a research trip to Clear Lake, Manitoba—because I know that place like the back of my hand. If you didn’t Google it to see if it’s a real place—it is!! And it’s beautiful.

I spent most of my summers growing up at Clear Lake. My parents had a cottage there (oh, how I loved that cottage) although ours wasn’t on the beach like Jax’s is. We did all the things Jax recalls—riding our bikes all over, buying candy, finding crayfish and minnows. We hung out at the big sandy playground (those swings could go so high!), played tennis at the tennis courts, and checkers on the giant outdoor checkerboard. We did nature hikes through boreal forests and Ominnik Marsh, we canoed on the North Shore, we water skied at Deep Bay, we explored the Interpretive Center. We drove to the bison enclosure to see those amazing animals. They are huge creatures when standing right next to your car!

When I got older, the activities turned more to parties and socials at Danceland, an amazing old log structure.

The lake is just as crystal clear and blue as I describe.

It’s also just as cold! But on a hot summer day, an icy dip in the lake is perfect. We had fires and toasted marshmallows and swatted mosquitoes. The smell of the evergreens (and Deep Woods Off!) will always stay with me.

Along with the romance, I hope readers enjoy the trip to one of my favorite places.

Kelly Jamieson is the author of the new book Game Changer.

Connect with Kelly:
Author Website

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What can you tell us about your new release, Echoes in the Mist?

My fourth novel, Echoes in the Mist, is a romantic suspense story that takes place in the exotic African savannah. A California diva and a South African wildlife conservationist, fall for each other during the safari rides and boat cruises of the Zambezi River. They spend three months together at his family-owned lodge in Zambia, where the thunder of Victoria Falls, brilliant rainbows, and the trumpets of the elephants reign. During her obligatory trip to spread her aunt’s ashes in the river, she learns to acclimate into his wild world and appreciate the animals that had terrified her at first. This unexpected relationship forms a deep bond to overcome the obstacles in their way. I’ve used my personal experiences from a safari trip to Africa to enrich this story with details. There’s never a dull moment. I’ve combined my love for animals and unknown adventures in this story.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I never dreamed of being an author. It just happened. I grew up entertaining my younger brothers with my wild adventure stories, minus the romance. As an adult, their childish wonder for what happens next stayed with me. I now create romantic adventures that bring two unlikely people together in a dangerous situation. They must overcome the obstacles in their way to live happily ever after. I never know what happens next, which is kind of exciting. One scene at a time, the story dictates itself.

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Bridget Jones Diaries by Helen Felding
Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Call of the Wild by Jack London
To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

I’d probably invite Jeremy Wade of River Monsters on TV. In each episode, he travels around the world in murky rivers and lures giant catfish or other dangerous fish twice his size. I’d ask him how he overcomes his fears to keep pursuing his passion despite the danger and loneliness.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

There are no limits to your imagination. Writing allows me to create inspiring love stories in exotic places and share them with others.

What is a typical day like for you?

I start my day with a hot cup of coffee and gaze at the garden. Sometimes the feuding blue jays, squirrels, and glistening dew on the blooming flowers trigger the next scene. I have to write every day or my day isn’t complete.

What scene in Echoes in the Mist was your favorite to write?

I loved writing about the baby elephants and the hero and heroine's interaction with them. My curiosities about animal behavior led to detailed research, which I hope will educate the readers too.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Dream. Believe. Claim. Without dreams, there is no hope or direction. Some wise person said, success is a series of failures and valuable lessons. I’m off to a good start.

Rifi Strawn is the author of the new book Echoes in the Mist.

Connect with Rifi
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