Meghan Gorecki and I grew up in the same circles (same school scheme aka homeschooling, nearby communities, same church), but we didn’t really meet each other until we’d both blossomed into stunning young women. (Okay, so I’m biased toward Pittsburgh women) But I was so excited to find another writer bent on making the writing life happen.
And this Pittsburgh lady is on fire. In the last few years, Meghan Gorecki has published two books with plans for more. But today, we’re talking her Pittsburgh-based Christmas novella entitled Wrapped in Red.
About Meghan Gorecki:
Meghan M. Gorecki is an author of inspirational fiction about what God can make beautiful from the ashes of history, and hearts. A lover and avid studier of people, times gone by, and fiction, she has been writing since childhood and now houses her books under Northern Belle Publishing. Coffee and red lipstick color her days as a redhead from a box, alongside her treasured tribe of family and friends in her beloved hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Connect with her on social media and at her blog/website at: www.northernbellemeg.com
About Wrapped in Red:
A Steel City holiday romance sure to melt your heart.
The holidays haven’t been the easiest for Merry Grainger. Five years ago, she lost her grandfather and got dumped by her boyfriend right before Christmas. Each season since sees her determined to avoid getting hurt again, and so she keeps a steel-like grip on her hopeless romantic heart.
Music used to soothe Sam Shepard’s soul until the death of his biggest cheerleader broke his heart, family, and dreams into pieces. Now he’s focused on thriving in the city, and with the people, he’s grown to love—all to keep the hole in his heart from opening anew with every passing holiday season.
Thrown together by a church play and meddlesome family armed with mistletoe, will Merry and Sam unwrap their guarded hearts to let in the true hope of Christmas—and each other?
Purchase on Amazon.
Author Interview: Wrapped in Red by Meghan Gorecki
Quick (1-Word) Answers:
Meghan: Yeah I love you but I’m totally breaking the one-word answer rule here. 🙂
Cordially Barbara: 😛 Hahha. No one does really!
Favorite Dessert: homemade custard
Pet Peeve: people not using turn signals whilst driving
Current Read: The Esther Paradigm by Sarah Monzon, and One Enchanted Noel by Melissa Tagg as my First-of-The-Season holiday read
Song on Repeat (include artist): In Over My Head (Jenn Johnson/Bethel Music)
In-Depth Questions
1. Which character from Wrapped in Red do you see the most of yourself in?
Merry, for sure. She is a character I wrote on purpose rather than one who was vivid at the get-go. I poured my heart into and wrote where I was at that season into her journey and personality.
2. Since you grew up in Pittsburgh, how did the city inspire Wrapped in Red? Did you discover something new while writing?
At first it wasn’t so much our great city, but my family Christmas traditions—old and new—that inspired Wrapped in Red. The new ones included trekking downtown to visit PPG Place and the Christmas markets, and it just snowballed. Pun totally intended. I fell in love with our city anew last year at the holiday season. It gets decked out for Christmas, and the melting pot that is the city’s backbone comes alive in all the traditions of each area of Pittsburgh.
Something new I discovered (much to my plotting chagrin) was that Light Up Night occurs before Thanksgiving. Which meant I had to totally rework my original timeline—I desperately wanted to include the night when Pittsburgh officially ushers in the holiday season, but, alas—considering Merry and Sam would have had to meet on that night for the timeline to work? It would’ve lost romantic punch if I had included it. And that is why we have them meeting in the middle of a November snow squall instead.
Check out the Book Trailer below:
3. On a day of inclement weather (rain or snow), what would your protagonist be doing?
Merry would probably be having an old movie marathon while cleaning or reorganizing some section of her apartment at the same time.
4. Is there a line or quote from Wrapped in Red that you just love?
I confess to totally spending way too much time on this question, but this one is a favorite. Total God-inspired moment, not my own. It’s in Chapter 14, from Sam’s POV:
“Maybe he only got this short time with Merry to show him the weight he hadn’t known was there until he felt the freedom. The freedom, the pain, and the grace in letting go, and just letting God.”
We all have baggage, scars and issues. But they make up our stories—the wounds are where the light of grace, of God, shine through, and I feel so immensely privileged to get to share that through both Sam and Merry’s journeys in this little novella.
CB: I think that’s so beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
5. Do you have plans for sequels after Wrapped in Red? Find love for a few of Merry’s siblings?
Perhaps is all I can say! I know I will definitely write other holiday novellas—and one may even be a prequel novella about Merry’s younger sister Kara and her Jackson.
6. In my book review, I compared Wrapped in Red to an Eat ‘N Park sugar cookie, but I’m curious! What would you compare Wrapped in Red to?
A chocolate crinkle cookie. For obvious reasons. *snicker * It’s light and crisp-paced, sweet and soft in the middle…and the hero has chocolate-crinkle eyes.
Bonus Question: Meghan, I know you have other books in the works. When can we expect to grab our copies and can you share a tiny bit of the story with us? Sneak peek, pleassssssssse?
Eek! YES. Next book. Amongst the Roses, Civil War romance / first in a series, releasing April 12, 2018. It has been a huge part of my heart for most of my life thus far, growing up with me and now becoming a dream come true of finally, finally being done! Well, that’s if I survive edits. LOL I will say before I share the blurb, it’s not a typical historical romance, and there’s an enormous twist at the end (don’t hate me!) but Margaret Bryant, Connor and Adam Doyle? These people may not fit together at first glance—but their journeys woven together make something rather special if I do say so myself. Read on for a little glimpse at their story:
The War Between the States shakes Margaret Bryant out of her comfortable upper-class life when her father enlists in the Army of the Potomac. Despite being safely ensconced above the Mason-Dixon Line in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Margaret finds her strength tested by opposition from familiar faces and Confederate threats. Will she let a young man from a lesser station into her heart even as war rages ever nearer to the homefront?
Restless Connor Doyle sees the war as a way to escape from his family’s farm and his identity as a poor Irishman’s son. His brother, Adam, torn between duty to country and his family, enlists alongside Connor. Adam dares to hope in a future with Margaret when he begins a courtship correspondence from the warfront. The two brothers make a vow to protect one another at all costs, but when faced with death and destruction from all sides—will they be able to uphold it?
The three bloodiest days in America’s history brings these three together at Gettysburg and tragedy’s cruelty threatens to tear two hearts apart—and bring two unlikely allies together.
Thank you SO much for having me here, my friend! I so loved getting to visit virtually with you—now let’s make a real life visit happen soon! 🙂
