In each of my books there’s a little piece of me. I don’t write autobiographical stories by any means (honestly, my life is a little too boring for that!) but I like to explore themes that mean something to me personally such as family, body image, female empowerment and self-acceptance.
Millionaire Under the Mistletoe, however, goes a little deeper than that. I originally wrote this story back in 2013 (and it’s gone through several iterations between then and now). My life was very different back then—I wasn’t yet published and I was still climbing the corporate ladder back home in Australia. My grandfather was still alive.
Unfortunately, after a fierce battle with cancer, he passed away while I was writing this book. I can’t even remember if I’d told him that I wanted to be an author, because it was a secret little desire that I held close to my chest for the longest time.
So this book helped me to come to terms with losing him. The heroine, Stella, has also lost her grandfather and is dealing with the grief in the wake of having to make some adult decisions about what to do with the estate that he’s left her. I must admit there were a lot of tearful moments while I was writing and revising this book, and readers who are familiar with my other books might find the tone of this a little different than my usual rom com-style stories.
But I believe it’s important that fiction—even that designed for entertainment—should explore universal issues and grief is something that we’ve all experienced at one point in our lives. And don’t worry, I didn’t scrimp on the romance or the sexy bits. Millionaire Under the Mistletoe has one of my favourite elements: a hero and heroine with a rocky past.
Don’t you just find those stories so delicious? There’s so much tension, so much wonderful push and pull. I love those kinds of stories. Add to that a sprinkle of Christmas magic, a family secret and a sexy London retreat and you’ve got this story in a nutshell.
When you sit down to read this book make sure you have a blanket and a hot cocoa (marshmallows optional but recommended) on hand to fully get into the festive winter spirit.
I really hope you enjoy Evan and Stella’s journey to happy ever after. It truly is a book from my heart.
About Millionaire Under the Mistletoe:
Stella Jackson would rather stab herself in the eye with her own stiletto than return to England. Especially in winter. But to fulfill her grandfather’s last wish, she has to spend Christmas at the estate she inherited from him…with the one man she wishes she could forget.
Self-made millionaire Evan Foss wants one thing from Stella–her estate. But thanks to their rocky past, he’s the last person she’ll sell to. So when she takes him up on a bet, with the estate as the prize, Evan can’t believe his luck. The only problem is that seeing her now, sexy and all grown up, tempts Evan to finish what started years ago between them.
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About Stefanie London:
Stefanie London is the USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance with humour, heat and heart.
Growing up, Stefanie came from a family of women who loved to read. Thus, it was no surprise she was the sort of student who would read her English books before the semester started. After sneaking several literature subjects into her ‘very practical’ Business degree, she got a job in Communications. When writing emails and newsletters didn’t fulfil her creative urges, she turned to fiction and was finally able to write the stories that kept her mind busy at night.
These days she lives with her very own hero and is currently in the process of doing her best to travel the world. She frequently indulges in her passions for good coffee, French perfume, high heels and zombie movies.
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