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Jaci Burton | Joys of a Small Town
December 7, 2010
I have a thing for small town romance, which I’ve always found kind of
interesting since I didn’t grow up in a small town. I grew up in St. Louis. Big
city. Professional baseball and football teams, lots to do, major commerce,
heavy traffic—all the big city things you would expect of a—well, a big city. But here and there I’ve lived in small towns. And oh, I love them. I raised my
sons in what was then (but isn’t now) a small town. The kind of small town where
if you lived there long enough, you’d run into people at the grocery store who
knew who you were, or knew you were the parent of one of their friends. People
on the street where I lived used to have block parties. No one stayed in their
houses keeping to themselves. Everyone knew everyone else. If you went out at
night, you knew your neighbors were watching your house (or your teenagers, much
to their dismay). I live in a small town now, on an acre and a half of land, but still live on a
street where I know my neighbors, where people watch out for you, where high
school football reigns supreme, where the graduating class of the local high
school might be around forty or fifty kids. There’s just something about a small town that signals close-knit community,
that sense of warmth and a family atmosphere. I love to write about it. I’ve
written several books about small towns and they always include a family with
those small town values. ALL SHE WANTS FOR
CHRISTMAS is one of those books about small towns. The Kent family is one of
those closely-knit families. They’re not perfect—far from it in fact, but in the
end they love each other and are there for each other no matter what. So when
Ethan’s mistakes come back to haunt him in the form of Riley Jensen, his family
is there to back him up, and to help him out when he has to make amends for his
mistakes of the past. I love the Kent family. Ethan, who grew into a man who made a mistake, then
stood and took responsibility for it. Wyatt, who broods over a divorce that’s
left him bitter, and Brody, the fun loving brother who takes nothing seriously.
And through it all, the Kent brothers’ parents, who stand behind their children,
but don’t make excuses for them. Riley Jensen returns home and faces up to the past she ran away from, and the
man she once loved. She’s made a life in the bright lights and big city of
Nashville. She found fame and fortune and thinks no one in the town wants
anything to do with her anymore. But town is family, and once you’re family,
you’re always family. Riley’s in for a lot of surprises in ALL SHE
WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS. I hope you come home with her and visit. Jaci Burton Buy ALL SHE WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS at Carina Press
Comments
9 comments posted.
Re: Jaci Burton | Joys of a Small Town
I really like to read this book for I like small towns myself, I live in a small kinds town, I know my 2 neighbors but not like I did when I was gorowing up, but we do watch out for each other. I live in the country, but these days are changing where were all too busy to get to know each other, but I like the quietness that we have here. Happy holidays to you and I'm going to look for your book..
(Carole Fiore-abshire 7:56am December 7, 2010)
I, like you, grew up in a large town. I thought that was my lot in life up until about 3 years ago, when fate put me in a small town. I wouldn't give up my life for anything now!! I have new friends, as well as a new way of looking at life. This is also a farming community, so I've done a complete 180, as far as getting used to things around here. There's really no such thing as running up to the corner store, or walking down a paved street. When it gets dark, you can't see your hand in front of your face!! When you look at the sky at night, it's almost as if you can reach out, and grab a star for your very own!! You'll have to take me out of here kicking and screaming!! I'm never going back to the city to live again! Give me the one stop light town any day!!
(Peggy Roberson 12:37pm December 7, 2010)
Living in a small town myself really draws me to this story. I grew up in a village but when I was in junior high my family moved to a city. Moving to a city across the country for college and than another move and marrying in another city, I was thrilled when my husband and I moved to a small town before we settled down to have children.
While one still lives in the area the other moved and even though he lives in a city he and his wife decided to settle in an area that has that "small town feel". There is something about the sense of community that a small town has that can't be duplicated in big city life. The sense of feeeling safe in your neighborhood where neighbors become family and watch out and care for one another, are there to join in your celerations,encourage you when times are trying and support you through illness and sometimes are even the family you might never have had.
Thanks for setting your families in "my kind of town" - I can't wait to read it!
(Jeanne Miro 1:07pm December 7, 2010)
Hi ladies, and thanks for commenting. I totally agree about small town life. It's
just a slower pace, warmer atmosphere and a chance to really get the know the
people you live around. I love living it and writing about it. :-)
Happy Holidays to you!
(Jaci Burton 1:59pm December 7, 2010)
Small towns generate a different vibe in fiction as in life.
(Mary Preston 4:41pm December 7, 2010)
I live in a small town and have lived in small towns all my life at times it's great and at time's not so great but our town is close and we stand by one another when in need but we also know more anout one another then I would like but you have to take to good with the bad.
(Vickie Hightower 6:01pm December 7, 2010)
I loved bringing up my children in a small town, less than 10,000 people lived there. You knew so many, talked to everyone you saw, met at different functions and hung out at parks and school meetings together. And my children always had friends to hang out with, to study with and have fun. I miss that.
(Diane Sadler 9:12pm December 7, 2010)
I thought my hometown was small, but at 13,000 people it kept the flavor of a small town with a village square and Main Street of Broadway. I like reading about small towns too and how everybody knows stuff practically right away.
(Alyson Widen 2:59pm December 8, 2010)
I grew up more at my Grandmothers home than mine. She lived in a small town, still does and I would sit in her window seat at night over main street and watch people come and go. My Grandpa was the editor and owner of the newspaper and they had an apartment over the press office. I loved that small town and still do! I love reading about them!
(Brenda Rupp 11:18pm December 8, 2010)
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