I’ve had the privilege of working with Johnnie Alexander on a blog for a few years now, so I’m excited that she’s joining The Story behind the Story this week. Before we dive into her inspiration for this novella, here’s a little bit about it.

They have everything in common. So why aren’t they a perfect match?

Bre Fisher wishes she’d said no when her grandmother gave her a trip to Matchmaking Week, especially when Nate Hunter takes the seat beside her on the puddle-jumper to Joy Island. He’s the last person she expected to see.

Nate figures he can’t go home if Bre is his match. The longstanding business rivalry between their families makes romance with a Fisher impossible. 

Yet in addition to the same family expectations and obligations, Bre and Nate have the same interests ~ maybe even the same dream. 

Will a week on Joy Island spark another feud? Or prove they’re a crazy perfect match? 

Love the premise for this book, Johnnie. Can you tell us what inspired you to write it?

“Match You Like Crazy” is one of the novellas in the Resort to Romance Series. The premise for all ten stories is the same—eccentric twin sisters host Matchmaking Week at Joy Island in the Bahamas. Though they’ve never married, these unforgettable sisters are hopeless romantics.

I’m a bit of a romantic, too. Since this is such a fun and lighthearted story, I named my main characters for my son, Nate, and his girlfriend, Bre.

Since Nate is a proud Flo-Grown boy, born and raised in the Sunshine State, I decided fictional Nate and Bre both would be from Florida, specifically the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. Since Bre has lived in Oklahoma all her life, and Nate and I now live there, too, a secondary character is an Okie. Both Nates love sports and both Bres love Harry Potter.

Other than that, genuine Nate and Bre don’t have much in common with their namesakes. Fictional Nate and Bre are accomplished scuba-divers, and that shared interest brings them together in the novella. Real Nate and Bre swim and have a good time in the pool. But neither has explored the ocean depths.

I’ve used the names of real people in my novels before, including Nate’s name. In What Hope Remembered, he is mentioned as the guy who wasn’t the best influence on the hero when they were teens. A few friends have been given roles as minor characters.

But this is the first time I’ve named the main characters for people who are close to me. As the story developed, “Match You Like Crazy” Nate and Bre were separated from their living, breathing counterparts in my imagination.

Until I got to the kissing scene.

Which is why my fun and lighthearted novella has the lamest kissing scene in the series. I hope you all will read it—and love it—anyway!

Sounds like a really nice, light-hearted read. Perfect for summer!

Johnnie Alexander creates characters you want to meet and imagines stories you won’t forget. Her award-winning debut novel, Where Treasure Hides, is a CBA bestseller. She writes contemporaries, historicals, and cozy mysteries, serves on the Serious Writer, Inc. executive board, co-hosts an online show called Writers Chat, and interviews inspirational authors for Novelists Unwind. She also teaches at writers conferences and for Serious Writer Academy. Johnnie lives in Oklahoma with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, her raccoon-treeing papillon. Connect with her at www.johnnie-alexander.com and other social media sites via https://linktr.ee/johnniealexndr.

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Thanks for being with us, Johnnie! Always good to have you!