Genre: contemporary holiday romance
Elevator pitch: A pretty young war widow rediscovers the magic of the holiday season with the help of a homeless vet and an old piano.
Story Summary: What’s Christmas without a tree? Kristen Delaney can’t afford a Christmas tree this year, but she doesn’t want to disappoint her little girl, Rachel. The six-year-old already lost her daddy in Afghanistan. To cheer her up, Kristen hires a homeless vet to play Santa at the private school where she works. Little does she know it was no accident the hunky Santa showed up in Kissing Creek just in time for Christmas Eve. Sgt. Jared Milano promised Scott Delaney he’d take care of his wife and little girl. He also shared with him a secret that would change Kristen’s life, but the IED blast blew away part of his memory. Jared fights his growing desire for Kristen as he struggles to regain his past and overcome the PTSD haunting him. Kristen is lonely and not ready to fall in love again, but she can’t take her eyes off him. When Sheriff Hogan accuses Jared of robbing the Carey Bank, she refuses to believe he’s guilty. With a big snowstorm coming, the thief might be holed up in Kissing Creek. 
The robbery means big trouble for Kristen. Phineas Carey holds the mortgage on the cottage willed to her by her recently deceased Aunt Gertrude. Kristen’s widow’s benefits are tied up in red tape and with the credit card bills Scott ran up, she fell behind on the mortgage payments. Kristen wants to believe Jared is innocent and blurts out to the sheriff he’s an old Army friend of Scott’s, not knowing it’s true. Jared goes along with her. He doesn’t want to tell her about her husband’s last moments until he can remember what his buddy told him. Kristen’s world crumbles when Miriam Oakes (she runs the school along with her docile sister, Betty Ann) accuses her of feeding homeless vets from the school pantry and fires her. Thank God she’s always finding old socks stuffed with five dollar bills Aunt Gertrude hid in the oddest places in the cottage. Somehow, Kirsten finds herself inviting the handsome soldier to spend Christmas Eve with her and her little girl. When a sudden snowstorm turns deadly and Rachel goes missing, Jared uses his skills to find her and prove to Kristen he’s guilty only of falling in love with her.
Out in the cold night, he remembers what Scott told him, but first, he tells Kristen and Rachel the story of the Christmas Piano Tree, how the nuns were so poor they had no tree and decorated the piano. “The piano is made out of wood and that wood was once a tree,” says Jared. “So why not a Christmas Piano Tree?” Kristen finishes for him. They decorate Aunt Gertrude’s old piano and inside they find her life savings (Scott told Jared about the money). But it’s not enough to heal her heart. Jared wants to comfort her, but her pain is still too raw. He was a fool to think she could fall in love with him. His pride wounded, Jared takes off before Kristen can stop him.What a fool I am, she tells herself. When the real bank robber shows up and holds her hostage, Jared rescues Kristen and her child. Jared leaves on Christmas morning, but he promises to come back. Kristen knows Scott would approve, and dreams of a new future with Jared.
Locations and Time Period: contemporary, fictional rural town of Kissing Creek, Kentucky, prologue battle scene in Afghanistan.
Main characters and actors who might be right for them:
- Kristin Delaney: Emma Stone
- Jared Milano: Bradley Cooper
- Scott Delaney: Charlie Hunnam
- Miriam Oakes: Juliette Lewis
- Betty Ann Oakes: Kirsten Vangsness
- Sheriff Hogan: Matt Lauria
- Phineas Carey: Kevin Spacey
- Rachel (6 years old): Drew Barrymore in E.T.
Additional info:
- Jina Bacarr is a 2015 Kindle Scout winner (Love Me Forever) who has written award-winning contemporary and historical erotic romance novels, time travel, as well as contemporary erotic romance short stories, an historical romance novel and a novella, an erotic novella, and non-fiction books. http://www.jinabacarr.com
- Review on Amazon: “The author writes with empathy about a spiritually wounded soldier carrying out a last mission for his buddy–to deliver a healing message to the dead man’s wife and child. With heart and sensuality–but no consummated sex–Bacarr captures their powerful love story along with a welcome measure of suspense”—Jacqueline Diamond
- Amazon link: http://amzn.com/B00OY9L8KO
Contact
Agent: Roberta Brown broagent@aol.com
Author: jinabacarr@cox.net
Libby Sternberg's Film and Dramatic Rights Blog 