Tag: romance

Guest Post: “Why I Write Stories set in WW2” by Author Jana Richards

A guest post by Jana Richards, author of I’ll Be Seeing You, a time-traveling romance. Learn about her inspiration for her latest time-traveling romance.

I love exploring different historical times through the eyes of great characters! Jana Richards, author of I’ll Be Seeing You, brings to life the voices of people living during WWII and opens the door for us to feel every emotion through their experiences. In her guest post Richards explains how her exploration into those times helped her learn more about her own father and how those discovers inspired her writing.

By: Jana Richards

I’LL BE SEEING YOU (release date: March 1) is a time-travel romance, set partially during World War Two. Frank is a WW2 veteran who, in his old age, is visited by apprentice angel Gabriel who proposes to take him back in time, to the days shortly before D-Day in 1944, to give him a second chance at love.

This is the third story I’ve written set around the events of the Second World War. I’ve always had an interest in stories about World War Two, and in particular, anything relating to the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. My father was WW2 veteran and participated in D-Day. In 1942 he signed up with the Regina Rifles. The nickname for members of the Regina Rifles was the Farmer Johns, because so many of them were farmers named John. My dad fit right in since his first name was John, and he was indeed a farmer.

A hand holding a smartphone displaying the book cover of 'I'll Be Seeing You' by Jana Richards, with a blue floral background and text indicating availability in 'unlimited'.

He spent almost two years training, first in Canada, and then in Scotland, before being shipped to the south of England in anticipation of the invasion. On June 6, Canadian troops, including my dad, landed on Juno Beach in Normandy. By June 9, he was captured and spent the rest of the war as a POW. 

I’d known since childhood that he’d been a POW, but I didn’t realize until a few years ago when we requested my father’s army records that his family didn’t know for months whether he was alive or dead. His army records included copies of telegraphs sent to his father. The first one arrived June 23, 1944, informing my grandfather that his son was missing in action, with a promise to provide more information as it became available. The next telegraph didn’t arrive until November 10, 1944. This one stated that the army had learned through “indirect channels” that Dad was a prisoner of war. The third, and last, telegraph arrived May 2, 1945 to tell my grandparents that Dad was “now safe in United Kingdom twenty-ninth April 1945”.

A couple leans in for a kiss, symbolizing their deep love, with the book 'I'll Be Seeing You' by Jana Richards displayed prominently, promoting it as available for free reading.

I find those three telegraphs so poignant. I can’t imagine what those months were like for his family, not knowing if he’d return. If my child, or brother, was missing I know I’d be devastated. And yet my grandmother never spoke of it when I was growing up.

I can’t imagine what the experience was like for my father either. He didn’t talk much about his experiences during the war either, at least not to me. I wish I’d asked him more questions. I’m left to imagine.

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woman, brown, rust, gap, glasses
Jana Richards

When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal.

When not writing up a storm or dealing with dust bunnies, Jana can be found pursuing hobbies such as golf (which she plays very badly) or reading (which she does much better).

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren and a senior calico cat named Layla. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.com

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More about Jana Richard’s Time Travel Second Chance Romance books:

Themes: Time travel, angels and Heaven, second chance at love
Keywords: time travel romance, historical fiction, WW2 time travel, WW2 love story, angel paranormal romance, second chance at love romance
ISBN: EBook 978-1-0696239-2-8 Print 978-1-0696239-3-5
Print Length: 336 pages
Heat Level: PG
Release Date: March 1, 2026
Cover Artist: 100 Covers

Social Media Links:

Website:  http://www.janarichards.com
Blog:  https://www.janarichards.com/blog
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAutho
Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janarichards155/
Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards
Amazon UK Author Page:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B002DEVWWG
Newsletter Signup: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/k2b4c3
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janarichards155
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/janarichards.bsky.social
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274.Jana_Richards
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jana-richards

Discover Gail Halverson’s Award-Winning Novels and Awards

Gail Avery Halverson is an award-winning author of three historical fiction novels, including “The Boundary Stone,” “The Skeptical Physick,” and “A Sea of Glass.” She has also created musical plays for children and has had screenplays optioned. Halverson holds a B.A. from UC Davis and is working on her fourth novel.

Gail Avery Halverson, Little, book, blonde, woman, chair

Award-winning writer, Gail Avery Halverson, is the author of three historical fiction novels, “The Boundary Stone,” “The Skeptical Physick,” and most recently, “A Sea of Glass.” Set in mid-17th century England, “The Boundary Stone” is a Chaucer Award Finalist (historical fiction), a Cygnus Award Finalist (speculative fiction), and a Chatelaine Award Winner (historical romantic fiction). “The Skeptical Physick” also won the Chaucer Award for historical fiction and the Chatelaine Award Grand Prize for romantic historical fiction.

Halverson is the playwright and composer of musical plays that have been performed for nearly 300,000 children since 2004, and has had two screenplays optioned by Longbow Productions. Writing for both theater and television, she holds a B.A. in English Literature/Communications from the University of California, Davis; and is currently at work on her fourth novel. She lives in Northern California with her husband and their rambunctious Wheaten terrier, Murphy.

Click here to read the Chanticleer Book Reviews interview with CIBA Award-winning author Gail Avery Halverson.

Books, Sea of Glass, The Skeptical Physick, Boundary Stone, Gail Avery Halverson

Love Between the Covers

Falling in love with a good book is a process. The same process as falling for a lover.

Falling in love with someone is an special event that affects our minds, our bodies, and our spirits. Falling in love with a good book follows the same path to our hearts. Our minds are intrigued by a compelling plot, our hearts beat erratically as we travel the rough roads of a burgeoning relationship, and our spirits soar when the boy and girl finally realize their love for each other.

Romance is found in just about every genre. I recently wrote about the process of falling in love with a great book, from the time a cover catches your eye to the sadness you feel when you turn the last page and know it’s time to move on from that love affair. If you find yourself falling in love with a book, you might see yourself in the article, and you can read it here.