It’s no secret Laurel Greer is one of my fave romance authors today. I love her voice and her flair for contemporary romance. I’m so pleased to welcome Laurel today!
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The romance genre pivots on its HEAs, and those endings are a big part of why I love writing and reading in the genre. Psychological studies have found that storytelling and immersing ourselves in story help us to become more empathetic and connected, and in my view, loving other humans is one of the most universal experiences we share. As I was thinking about what to write for this, I realized I don’t picture my favourite characters living “happily ever after” in a literal sense. It’s not about a fairy-tale ending for me (though that can make for a good read). It’s about trusting that the characters will go forward together with a hopeful, loving worldview.
An HEA means that even though the characters I’ve grown to love and care about will encounter problems and difficulties after ‘the end’, they will flourish. They will take what they’ve learned about how to live fulfilling, honest lives, will work to support the people they love, and will accept/ask for support themselves. Not only is there an emotional rush in finishing a story where people have overcome their trials and found love and hope, well-crafted HEAs make it easier for me to believe love and hope can triumph for real people, too. I like living in a world where we believe in these possibilities. Getting to write stories that prove the power of human connection is truly the best.
The Holidare by Laurel Greer and Dee. J. Holmes
Pro-hockey star Noel Beckett is determined to avoid his family’s holiday chaos and anything remotely festive. Enter his sister’s roommate Gwen Darling, a curvy artist with a heart of gold who lives for the season. Wanting to sprinkle some glitter over Noel’s Grinchiness, she dares him to be her holiday plus-one.
Noel’s not one to back away from a dare, and he expects his grumpy ways to be validated. But Yule shenanigans and flirty Christmas games with Gwen break through the hot athlete’s commitment to all things Scroogy. Why does she feel like the dash of magic he’s been missing? Is this a Holidare they both can win?
Raised in a small town on Vancouver Island, Laurel grew up skiing and boating by day and reading romances under the covers by flashlight at night. Ever committed to the proper placement of the Canadian “eh,” she loves to write books with snapping sexual tension and second chances. She lives outside Vancouver with her law-talking husband and two daughters, and fills her creative well by continuing to stay up way too late reading, chugging vats of tea, and falling down Pinterest rabbit holes.
Rosanna Leo 
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