Guest Author: Ane Mulligan

A great big, very warm welcome to Ane Mulligan! I always enjoy Ane's visits to Chirp 'N Chatter. This time, she brings a fun post about her part in a soon-to-be-released collection of novellas centering around tiny houses. I am so jealous! Had I known this collection was in the works, I would have been clamoring at Ane's door, begging for my name to be on one of the novellas. Tiny houses...oh, my! What a charming concept! Love it, love it, love it! You'll be excited to know that Ane will be giving away an electronic copy of Love is Sweeter in Sugar Hill. Just leave a comment to be entered in the drawing.

While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, award-winning author Ane Mulligan has worn many: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that's a fancy name for a lobbyist), CEO of a Community Theatre group, playwright, humor columnist, and novelist. She firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. Ane resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband. You can find her on her website, Amazon Author page, Novel Rocket, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Tiny Houses, Big Ideas

Have you ever had something completely off-the-wall capture your imagination? That's what happened to me when I saw the first TV show about tiny houses. I love the idea of being able to take your home with you when you travel. And I love to travel. I know it's the romantic in me, and I could probably adapt quite well to one. After all, I spend hours a day, working in a small space, while my imagination takes me worldwide.

When the mayor of Sugar Hill asked me when I was going to place a book in our town, I decided I'd put my fascination with tiny houses into the book … sometime. I still had the last two books in my Chapel Springs series to finish. Then, some of my writing pals brought up the idea of us doing a novella collection together. So I tossed out the idea of making a tiny house the unifying element.

They asked questions; I sent them links from a newsletter I get. We shared photos back and forth of the ones we liked. Within a short time, all were onboard. We wrote blurbs for our projected stories and came up with a title: Coming Home ~ a Tiny House Collection.

I took my story idea from an episode of Tiny House – Big Living about a traveling nurse, who was tired of closing up her place and renting on the road. She was buying a tiny house so she could take it with her. I should have done more research on the job of a traveling nurse rather than on tiny houses.

I'd already started working on my outline, when a plot point took me to my critique partner's daughter, who's a nurse. My idea of what a traveling nurse did and what they actually do wouldn't work for my story. Terrific.

Here it was, my idea, and all my writer pals had their stories finished or nearly so. Me? I was at the starting gate without anything. So I did what I always do in this spot. I call my critique partner Micelle Griep. A short time of brainstorming and we were on to something. Michelle's mind works so much like mine—or maybe it's because we've been critique partners for 13 years. Whatever, it works.

The city motto for Sugar Hill is "the sweet life," so naturally, I titled my novella Love is Sweeter in Sugar Hill. And while it gave me fits in the beginning, it worked out in the end to be a sweet romance.

Love is Sweeter in Sugar Hill, by Ane Mulligan

She has a tiny house. He lives in a mansion. She vows to charge a doctor with malpractice. His job depends on that doctor's finances. Will love find a way?

Kayla's Challenge, by Linda W. Yezak

She was one "I do" short of marrying the man her pushy parents chose for her. Now, half a country away, she needs a tiny house to finally be free.

If These Walls Could Talk, by Pamela S. Meyers

Both claim to have inherited the same Queen Anne until an unexpected blessing changes everything.

First Love, by Yvonne Anderson

Betrayed by her husband and desperate for healing, she can only move forward by going back home.

Dash of Pepper, by Kimberli S. McKay

His responsibilities tie him to the small town he loves, but her career plans will lead her to the big city. Will he cut his roots for her or will she clip her wings for him?

Big Love, by Michael Ehret

Homelessness expanded her world and constricted his. Now she needs his help, but he only remembers the pain. Can they find big love in a tiny house?

The Light Holding Her, by Chandra Lynn Smith

Friends since childhood. She's being stalked. He's in danger. Is their faith big enough to carry them through the trials into a deeper relationship?

Delia here. Don't these tiny house books sound amazing? I can't wait to dive right in. Short of owning one of these little jewels, I can certainly dream of having one...by visiting the fictional worlds created by all these authors. 

Let's chat! Would you like to own a tiny house? If so, how do you see yourself living in one?