It was hate at first sight.
After a run-in with the rude best man, Peter, at her best friend’s wedding and a subsequent meltdown on New Year’s Eve, Hazel is ready to make major changes. Realizing she’s a serial dater, she vows to take a break from dating and focus on reinventing herself in her career—and putting down roots for once in her life.
But when the jerk from the wedding moves in next door, Hazel can’t believe her bad luck. She does her best to avoid Peter, until a massive blizzard forces her to take shelter at his house. The icy tension between them starts to thaw as they get to know each other, but when they’re still snowed in four days later—on Valentine’s Day—tempers flare as passions rise.
Confused and unsettled, Hazel has no idea what to do with her conflicting feelings, and avoiding him doesn’t seem to be an option. Can she find love with this enigmatic man amid the winter storm brewing within and between them?
Snowed In on Valentine’s Day is my second published novel, and it was just released on February 6, 2024. It’s part of a series, but they’re really just interconnected standalones. The first book was Meet Me on Christmas Eve, which I wrote last fall and published in November. In that second-chance holiday romance, Mariana thinks she’s overcome her internal struggles and past trauma, with the help of her best friend Hazel. But then the wounds are ripped open when she encounters her ex, Terry, in the little town of Shipsvold and finds herself at odds with him—and with herself—at every turn. Writing the book was not easy, as I had a difficult timeline and about a month of bronchitis in the middle of it all. Still, after writing the book and somehow managing to learn the whirlwind business of self-publishing, I introduced my debut novel to the world in November. What a ride it was! I was looking forward to relaxing for the holiday season.
So when my husband suggested—only a week after releasing Meet Me on Christmas Eve—that I write a sequel and publish it on Valentine’s Day, I laughed hysterically. My exact words were “Yeah, no.” Yet the seed had been planted, and I couldn’t stop thinking about Hazel’s story. By December, I had committed to this crazy idea and started penning the second novel in the Shipsvold holiday series. I knew that keeping up with my writing goals over the holidays would be tough, but I underestimated just how challenging it would be. As always, my ideas were far bigger than my ability to execute them all. Still, I kept at it, and I wrote an enemies-to-lovers story for Hazel, a fan favorite from my first book.
I say “first book,” but what I really mean is my first published book. The first two books I wrote are not published yet, but I’m hoping to release at least one later this year. The first one, Austen Inspired, is a friends-to-lovers story I started writing over a decade ago. It’s cliche to say this, but it was truly a labor of love, and it’s had a thousand and one revisions. You can visit my website at https://alanahighbury.com/books to learn more about this series!
All my books (so far) are what I call “sweet but angsty.” They’re closed door and have some rom-com qualities, but you’ll find mild to moderate swearing, innuendo, plenty of angst, and serious themes at times. And they’re truly slow burns, in the vein of Mariana Zapata and Jane Austen, two of my biggest inspirations.
What’s next for me? Well, besides stopping to take a breath, or maybe several? I’m working on the third book in my holiday romance series, the love story of Roxy (Hazel’s assistant) and Jeff (financial advisor for Hazel and Mariana). Think enemies to lovers, secret identities, workplace romance, social anxiety, and of course, slow burn. Look for that release around October 2024.
But seriously, for now, can I just breathe? Putting our book babies out into the world is one of the hardest things I’ve done, but it’s also one of the most fulfilling. And exhausting. But mostly fulfilling.
As a newer indie author, I always appreciate follows and shares on social media and bookish sites:
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Last but not least, I love hearing from readers, so shoot me a message on Instagram or Facebook anytime. Thanks for hosting my blog post, Cameron!
