Family is very important to me and, interestingly enough, to my stories. They play very important parts as both a solid unit and as the individuals that make up that particular unit. In my first book my heroine, Melissa, is raised by her Uncle Lou and Aunt Stella. It was at their knees that she learned about food and love and how the two are related. Lou and Stella are larger than life. They live the joy in their lives in an infectious manner.

Uncle Lou and Aunt Stella were important to Melissa and Jake’s story. Melissa still needed their guidance and wisdom even when she had achieved all her career goals and was living her dream of owning her own restaurant, publishing cookbooks. She had it all – except for love. Jake was the missing ingredient in her life and it her aunt and uncle played a large role in getting her embrace that.

Here’s a glimpse of how Uncle Lou and Aunt Stella live as they love. Melissa stops by their house to ask her uncle a favor.

They opened the back door and found Uncle Lou bent over at the waist, tying some tomato plants to their frames.  His movements were a little slower than they used to be as he unfolded himself to his full height of five feet.  His jet-black hair had gone silver in the intervening years, but his coal-black eyes still gleamed mischievously.  His voice still had the same boom as he turned to greet them.

“Now isn’t that a pretty picture.  Never have I seen such beauties before!”

“Oh, Lou!” Stella smiled, still blushing at his words as he bussed a kiss on her temple, enveloping them both in an embrace.

“What brings you all the way out here, Mellie?”

“I just wanted to come by to say hello and to ask a favor of you.”

“Anything for you, cara.  What do you need?”

“Well, I think I’d like to have you act as host at the restaurant.  I think people would love to see a familiar face and the tourists would really enjoy having a charmer like you greet them at the door.  What do you say?”

 “Yes, well, I’ll have to think about it,” replied her uncle scratching his head.

“What’s to think about, old man?”  Bellowed her aunt, eyes narrowing in on her uncle, hands fisted on her hips. “Your niece here is asking for your help.  What are you going to say?  NO?”

“Take it easy, Stella!  I just said I was going to think about it!  I didn’t say I wasn’t going to do it!”

“The man’s crazy!  Melissa it’s a great idea.  It would get him out of the house and out of my hair for a few hours a night.  A woman has to have her alone time with a good book and a soak in the tub.  He’s cramping my style.”  Aunt Stella blustered, the twinkle in her green eyes belying the tone of her voice.

“Come inside with me, Mellie.  I’ll make us a nice tall glass of iced espresso, va bene?”

“Sorry, I have to get going.” From the corner of her eye she could see her uncle cross himself while pleading his case to the heavens.

 “LOU!” Stella yelled out the door, “Mellie’s leaving.  Come and say goodbye.”

”Well, cara. We are both so excited for you.  I see only great things coming from this.  I’m getting one of my feelings.”

“Don’t listen to her, he uncle begged her, “One of her feelings usually means she has indigestion.”

“Stop that!” Stella yelled, playfully swatting him in the arm.  He looped his arm around her and gave her a big, sloppy kiss to stop her from bickering any further.

These people make sense to me. Lou and Stella are in love and their love is so simple and so strong. They provide a perfect mirror to what is possible when one opens oneself up to loving and being loved.

In my second novel, tentatively titled No Soup For You, Val’s family an eccentric, eclectic group embraces his fake fiancé, Nola, as one of their own. Nola and Val’s family are artists at heart with entrepreneurial souls. In a way, their crafts are what fuel their successes. Val has yet to learn this secret and so spends his life in a straight forward path to success. Straight forward meaning dull and lifeless in their eyes.

The following is Nola’s first introduction to Val’s family. They mistakenly think Nola is engaged to Val. This rouse provides the perfect cover for Val who feels that if his family thinks he’s in love, they will leave him alone to pursue his career.

Nola took in a deep, cleansing breath as Val reached for the front door knob. She found her exhaling breath squeezed out of her by two tree limbs that came around her crushing her to a barrel chest.  Rapid fire Russian sprang up over her head.  Her meow of pain brought the crush-fest to a halt. 

She smiled weakly at the handsome visage of Val’s father.  If she had age progression programming, Val’s father represented what Val would look like twenty years from now. Great! His looks like fine wine would age wonderfully with time.  If she was smart, she’d run like the wind.  If she was smart, she would turn herself over to the authorities and confess her transgressions.

Too bad she’d never been too terribly bright.

‘Come in. Come in.’ cupping her face in his hands. ‘Val, what a gorgeous face.  I must paint it. Natasha – get my paints.’

Val’s father chuckled as he propelled her into the living room. It was huge and it was packed. The room had built in bookcases chock full of everything imaginable. It was as if a museum collided with a research library and landed in New Jersey. Dusty tomes that looked as if they’d been catalouged by Alexander the Great were piled atop what looked to be encrusted petree dishes.

‘NO PAINTS! I just cleaned the living room out.’ Came a determined voice form the kitchen. Val’s mother came out of the kitchen drying her hands on a dishtowel. Nola held out her hand. Smiling, she reached for Nola’s hand, only to drag her into yet another spine crushing hug.  Who knew that a woman who barely topped five feet and walked like fairy-like could be so strong.

‘Cleaned it out? Where am I going to paint?  I must have the light in the living room to paint.’

‘What’s wrong with the light in the back? Didn’t we build it for you to paint.’

‘I don’t like that light.  It no longer speaks to me.’

‘So change the light bulb.’ She quibbed.

Val’s parents are electric and alive to me. They are driving forces in the story and need to be reigned in on occasion but the story wouldn’t move forward without them in it.

There are many other families who’s stories have drawn me to them. Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton had us returning again and again to reach each sibling’s story. One of the best parts for me was seeing most of the siblings together again in each novel. It was like seeing relatives you love but don’t get to see very often. Eloisa James’ Essex sisters were four ladies whose stories made us laugh and cry and fall in love with each book. Stephanie Lauren’s Cynsters have managed to keep thousands enthralled. Some of my favorite contemporary families keep me coming back for more. Chief among my favorites are Nora Roberts’ McKades, Lisa Kleypas’ Travis family (delish) and Christina Dodd’s Manly brothers and who can forget those Wilders!

I’ve just named a few and shared with you a glimpse into my fictional families. Do you have any family favorites among romances? Do families figure in at all in your own writing?