Rachael Phillips & Clash of the Titles "A Door County Christmas"

Clash of the Titles, Where Authors Compete and Readers Judge

Clash of the Titles got off to a strong start in the last quarter of 2010. With their new spin on book promotion within the Christian Fiction marketplace, you can't help but sit up and take notice. With us today is Michelle Massaro, Assistant Editor for COTT, to highlight another five featured authors.

Rachael: What do I enjoy most about COTT? It's fun--and instructive--to interact with the readers, meeting new friends who love Christian fiction.

Rachael's story is part of a collection called A Door County Christmas. Of her novella, Ride with Me into Christmas, she says:

Most romances involve a young heroine and hero, some of whom experience parental resistance. Instead, I created sixtyish widowed characters whose Grinch-y grown children had no intentions of letting their late-life romance bloom. I also made Joanna and Paul cyclists, sharing a pastime my husband and I learned to enjoy--after we actually learned how to ride our bicycle built for two. Like us, my characters learned lack of communication and cooperation can mean a crash! The cycling theme worked very well in Door County, as it boasts many scenic bicycle trails--the perfect setting for love on wheels.

Fun fact: Two of my novella partners were Wisconsin natives. I'm from Indiana--not too far away. But our fourth partner was from Texas and had never seen snow! We told her to leave her flip-flops at home and join us in Door County, which she did, in November 2009. We spent three crazy days (that included a power outage as we were writing) in Door County together. Not only did our meeting produce fun romance novellas, but close writing friendships that continue to endure. We're hoping to do it again sometime!

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I look back over 2010 with a very full heart at all of the authors who have joined the COTT family. The Lord has been good to us. Readers and writers are being brought together, brothers and sisters are connecting, and I have made some good friends. I can't wait to see what's in store for 2011 and I sure hope you will join us- both as a reader and as a competitor. Authors can get information on participation at www.clashofthetitles.com/contact.html. Come take part in the website where authors battle and readers judge!

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Michelle Massaro is the Assistant Editor for Clash of the Titles website and an aspiring novelist. She and her husband Mike live in Southern California with their four children, two dogs, two cats, ten guppies, and one rat. They attend Living Truth Christian Fellowship where they teach origins science to the youth and where Michelle is involved in the worship ministry.