Puppy Wishes & Candy Kisses
Kringle Falls Book 1
Jennifer Faye
Lazy Dazy Press
Nov 24, 2024
Puppy Wishes & Candy Kisses by Jennifer Faye is a great read. This book is very heartwarming and has readers wondering will the hero be able to open his heart again after his losses. Intertwined are three homeless puppies, town lonely hearts, and a massive snowstorm.
The heroine Candi Goodman has no family, has lost her job, and the animal shelter she volunteers is closing. She agrees to drive the last three puppies from her hometown in Ohio to a homeless shelter in Maine. The hero, Michael, finds Candi desperately in need of help after her car is ready to fall off a cliff. As supervisor of the roads in Kringle Falls, he finds Candi in a van and helps to rescue her and the three puppies. With no place to stay and no vehicle, Michael allows her to stay at his house in his extra room. He is kind but distant after losing his wife and child in an auto accident. As he and Candi get to know each other sparks fly, but Michael is resistant to not only Candi’s feelings but one of the pups, Tank. The puppy has fallen in love with Michael, refusing to leave his side and makes himself at home in his bed. But after Michael insists the puppy be taken in by a foster care person, Tank runs away.
This story will pull at readers’ emotions. It is a page turner to see if the puppies will find a home and what will happen to Candi and Michael’s relationship as well as the relationship between Tank and Michael.
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?
Jennifer Faye: I get this question frequently and I never have a good answer. My imagination is always churning out new ideas. But I figured that puppies and Christmas are a winning combination. I write sweet romances. A lot of them are set in small towns. They are so much fun to write about, but every now and then I like to switch things up and write about something else.
EC: What would you say the theme is?
JF: Love is the greatest gift of all. Sometimes it’s hard to find and sometimes we’re afraid to let it in. That’s the case for Candi and Michael.
EC: What role did the weather and terrain play
JF: When the book starts the heroine, Candi, is delivering three homeless puppies to a no-kill-shelter in Maine. However, a detour and major snowstorm leave the heroine, and the puppies stranded in the snow, until the hero happens upon them.
EC: Why the setting in Vermont?
JF: It’s a beautiful state and lends itself to snowy settings, which make for beautiful Christmas settings. Kringle Falls is not the only fictional town I’ve set in Vermont. I’ve also created the Bayberry, Vermont series that follows the lives of four best friends in a small Vermont town.
EC: How would you describe Kringle Falls?
JF: It’s first a small, closeknit town. It is also a Christmas town, where they celebrate Christmas year-round. It has colorful and warm characters. And there’s a waterfall in the center of town that the town is named after.
EC: How would you describe Candi?
JF: Candi has a big heart. Candi is frustrated, sassy, feisty, thoughtful, kind, and does not want to depend on anyone. She will go out of her way to help someone—to the point of driving from Ohio to Maine to help three puppies.
EC: How would you describe Michael?
JF: He is caring, impatient, grumpy, steadfast, grief-stricken, lonely, and grouchy on the outside but soft inside. He’s afraid to step into the future because he isn’t ready to let go of the past.
EC: Describe the similarities and differences between each puppy?
JF: Tank is mostly husky. He is black and white. He’s the leader of their little pack. He’s learned to be brave after he was abandoned as a little guy.
Odie is a small cavapoo mix of some sort with curly orange fur. He’s outgoing and greets everyone with a wagging tail.
Tater Tot is a mut, but they think he might be a Jack Russell + Chihuahua mix with short brown and white fur. He isn’t afraid to speak his mind, but in the end, he’s a follower not a leader.
EC: How would you describe Tank?
JF: I wouldn’t label Tank as a troublemaker. He is an alpha dog, who is driven to care for those he cares about. And being a husky (or part husky in his case) he loves snow.
EC: Do you have a dog-if so what kind, its name, and did you base the puppies on your dogs?
JF: Actually, my husband and I got a puppy for Christmas. It was our gift to each other. His name is Dasher and he’s a Cavachon. He is a little black and white ball of energy. We got him after PUPPY WISHES & CANDY KISSES was published so none of the puppies were based on him. However, I’m sure I’ll have a lot more puppy mischief to share in future books.
EC: How would you describe the relationship between Candi and Michael?
JF: Their relationship is awkward at first, but that is to be expected since they were total strangers who were suddenly in each other’s lives. I think they work hard to make the best of the unusual situation and Candi puts Michael off kilter. He’s had his heart shredded in the past, so he’s got his guard up where she’s concerned.
EC: How does Michael’s past backstory affect their relationship?
JF: Michael’s wife and son were tragically killed in a car accident. He’s been grieving for them every day since. He is distant from everyone, refusing to open his heart again. He swears he’ll never love again. But we all know what happens when you say never.
EC: Why include a deaf dog and what do you want to tell readers about adopting all kinds of dogs?
JF: Oh, you’re referring to Snow. She is introduced much later in the book. She is a white boxer, who was born deaf. It is a genetic condition that can occur in white boxers. Dogs are just like humans, none are perfect. But when it comes to adopting a dog, it’s their warmth and their immense love that matters most.
EC: Next book(s):
JF: I don’t have pre-orders up for the next book because I have a puppy. Who knew caring for a puppy could be so time consuming? I certainly didn’t. As soon as I sit down and open my file and get started writing, he’s into something that he shouldn’t be in. Sigh. After I sort that out and sit back down, I must figure out where I am in the story and regain my train of thought, which isn’t always easy. Before I know it, it’s time to take him outside for a potty break. Rinse and repeat. As he gets older, I hope he slows down just a little. Fingers crossed.
THANK YOU!!
