Marist Grad Releases Holiday Romance Novel
Author Courtney Giardina, and Marist College ‘06 grad, is no stranger to the romance novel world. With a handful or original novels already under her belt, Giardina’s newest masterpiece embodies two of her passions—Hallmark movies and writing. Her novel, For the Love of Gingerbread, tells the tale of a magical holiday romance straight from the Hallmark channel, but with Giardinia’s signature flair for crafting strong, independent leading women.
The story revolves around the town of Cold Spring, a village in New York about an hour south of Marist, which is “the epitome of small town life,” says Giardina. In reality, Cold Spring is as quaint as in the story, with many businesses having been passed down through generations. Giardina knew she wanted to center her story around a struggling store in a small town, and was inspired to set her story at a coffee shop. The novel’s two protagonists are drawn together to help save the coffee shop in a holiday romance rife with nostalgia.
Marist alumnus Courtney Giardina has released a handful of romance novels so far, but her most recent book, “For the Love of Gingerbread,” is the perfect winter read. (Credit, Courtney Giardina ‘06)
All of Giardina’s novels invoke the desire for a whirlwind romance like her characters, but she always features confident women, unafraid to chase their dreams. She breathes life into her characters through their “insecurities and drive,” highlighting key takeaways –– to not be afraid to take a risk, to ask for help or to believe in the possibilities of success.
While at Marist, Giardina was a business major with an interest in public relations. She fell in love with the marketing and PR side of the field. “Marist opened my eyes to the realm of possibilities,” Giardina said. Her interest in marketing led her to minor in the field, interning at Red Parlor records in Cold Spring, where For the Love of Gingerbread is based, and helped “light the fire” for her to embrace her passion. She eventually wrote for a country music blog, which eventually became the feature of her book, Behind the Strings. Giardina still continues to follow her passion for public relations, creating her own publicity as an author.
Giardina always felt drawn to writing, having won an award in second grade for a book she wrote. She was also involved in journalism in high school, but focused more on creative expression throughout her time at Marist, getting involved in the Dance Club and the Emerging Leaders Program. “Staying involved in creative things gave me the courage to keep staying creative,” Giardina said.
Her blog is another outlet for her creativity as she describes herself as “a marketing nerd who loves to do the formatting” and views her blog as an “arm to the writing world that is not about romance.” Always looking for new ways to express herself, she also signed with a talent agency to do commercial work.
Just like her characters, Giardina’s drive helped her write three books in this past year alone. Her favorite novel she has written so far? –– Falling in London, as she was able to travel throughout the city and research the history behind much of the architecture.
Although For the Love of Gingerbread is her first holiday novel, Giardina hopes to add two more holiday books to her collection. Until then, she is spending the holidays this year catching up on Hallmark movies and spending time with her family.
Giardina’s holiday romance novel, “For the Love of Gingerbread,” is set in the small village of Cold Spring, just an hour south of Marist. (Credit, Courtney Giardina ‘06)