OHIO, USA — Like it or not, dreary weather has settled in for the season. Gray skies and an early sunset make it hard to resist the urge to get cozy on the couch and crack open a book.
If you are in the market for something new to read, a holiday love story is making its debut, and it's written by a local author.
Jill Kemerer has just released her newest Christian romance novel, "Her Cowboy Till Christmas." It follows the story of a lonely widower with a young son. He gets the shock of his life when an ex-girlfriend shows up on his doorstep with the identical twin he didn't know he had.
"It’s a heartwarming reunion romance with all the Christmas feels," Kemerer said.
As a Publisher's Weekly best-selling author, Kemerer is no stranger to fiction writing. In total, she has written 24 novels.
"Ten are published, ten are languishing on my computer, three are contracted for future publication and one is my work-in-progress," she said.
Kemerer has gained notoriety for her other holiday-inspired stories like "The Rancher's Mistletoe Bride" and "Yuletide Redemption." Her books seem to often take place in the rural countryside, which may be inspired by her youth.
Kemerer grew up out in the country near Oakley, Michigan but now lives in a small Ohio town. As a child, she had a love for the arts, nature and - of course - reading.
"Even as a kid I wrote little books and magazines to amuse myself. In college, I started writing romance stories to give myself a break from my never-ending math homework, but they were just for me," Kemerer said. "I wrote my first novel when I was 25. It was terrible! But, I was hooked."
Although she writes novellas, blogs and even dabbles in non-fiction, romance novels are what have truly taken hold of her heart.
"There's something exciting, nail-biting and heartwarming about watching people fall in love," Kemerer said. "Romance novels promise a bumpy ride to happily ever after. I'm fascinated by the obstacles - internal and external - that keep people apart. I read and write romance because it takes guts to trust someone with your heart."
"Her Cowboy Till Christmas" marks Kemerer's 10th novel with Harlequin Love Inspired and is the first in a new series titled "Wyoming Sweethearts."
The book is available now at most major retailers, or you can order it directly from Kemerer's website.