I love words. 

I am a word freak, a language maven, a…a vocabularist, if you will. Okay, so maybe vocabularist isn’t actually a real word, but it should be because it describes me to a T. One thing my writing bestie Liz and I share is a love of words. We are both fascinated with language and how we use it, especially unusual or quirky terms.

I think I was meant to be a writer and because I’m a hopeless romantic, writing sweet contemporary romance like Make It Real, just seemed to make sense. Words are my bread and butter. 

Several years ago, a friend sent me a note referencing something she’d read in political pundit Charles Krauthammer’s column, where he used the phrase Esprit d’escalier, referencing the fact that a politician had missed an opportunity to have the last word. Esprit d’escalier (“wit of the staircase”) is the French term for the devastating riposte that one should have given at dinner, but thinks of it only on the way out, at the bottom of the staircase. Those are the stock in trade for a romance writer—we love to end a chapter on a really terrific esprit d’escalier.

Esprit d’escalier—wow! What a great term for coming up with the right crushing reply just a little too late. And it has the added bonus of being French, which is always a win for me. Incorporating French into my everyday usage is fun and helps me remember enough of the language that I won’t embarrass myself next time I go to Paris (that is happening!). 

Mon Amie is one my favorite endearments for friends and I often sign emails to close friends, Bises, which is the word for the French way of kissing each cheek in greeting. C’est la vie, c’est la guerre, c’est la pomme de terre is one of Son’s and my favorites. Translated literally, it’s “that’s life, that’s war, that’s a potato” but it means “That’s the way it goes” or “Dems de breaks,” and sometimes replaces merde (shit) when a disgusted French person is trying to be polite. I use Je ne sais quoi (I don’t know) and je t’aime (I love you) often. Husband and Son simply grin at each other. They know French is part of life with Nan, and that it’s not pretension on my part, but rather just a love of the language. Using French makes me happy.

As a writer and an editor, I have a passion for learning new words and using them. I got it from my mom, who also loved language and insisted we choose our words well. She spent serious time increasing our vocabularies with word games like Scrabble, Boggle, and Probe and crossword puzzles. To this day, family gatherings always include word games. I adore discovering new words and finding ways to use them in my writing.

So talk to me—tell me your favorite foreign phrases—the ones that bring you joy when you have the opportunity to include them in a conversation. Or share a great English word that makes you gleeful when you have the chance to use it.

About the Author.

Nan Reinhardt is a USA Today bestselling author of sweet, small-town romantic fiction for Tule Publishing. Her day job is working as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader, however, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. She can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing—she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten and is still writing, but now from the viewpoint of a wiser, slightly rumpled, woman in her prime. Nan lives in the Midwest with her husband of 50 years, where they split their time between a house in the city and a cottage on a lake. Talk to Nan at: nan@nanreinhardt.com

GIVEAWAY: Because who doesn’t love FREE books?

We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the August romance releases. Comment down below saying which book you’re looking most forward to reading! Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. The winner will be randomly selected and announced at the end of the month.

Good luck and happy reading!

Check out our new romance releases for August!

The Maverick’s Surprise Family by Roxanne Snopek
The Malones of Grand, Montana, Book 3
August 1, 2024

Make it Real by Nan Reinhardt
The Walkers of River’s Edge, book 2
August 6, 2024

All’s Fair in Love and Rodeo by Leah Vale
Grit and Grace, book 1
August 8, 2024

The Wrong Brother by Eve Gaddy
Montana Made, book 1
August 20, 2024

Her Missing Pieces by Susan Sands
Moonshine, book 1
August 27, 2024

Small Town Christmas Anthology by Jane Porter
August 20, 2024

I’m so excited to share this new series with you—The Walkers of River’s Edge. We met the Walkers in previous series—you might remember that Jazz Weaver is now married to Elias Walker, who left his CEO chair to return to being a carpenter in the family business. This series tells the stories of his older brother and his cousins, who are all part of Walker Construction.

The Walkers are struggling to keep their family construction company afloat after losing a big contract to build an auto factory across the river in Kentucky. But their Custom Homes division has the opportunity to build spec homes for the factory workers and executive mansions for the big-wigs. The whole family must pull together prove that Walker Construction can handle the job, and win a bid that will serve the whole community. 

In Book 1, Make You Mine, CEO Jackson Walker knows smart and gorgeous Maddie Ross could be the key to saving his company as long as he hides his heart. But does he have to?

In Book 2, Make It Real, landscape designer, Joe Walker asks horticulturist Kara Sudbury to play the role of girlfriend. They strike a deal that will help Joe handle his tenacious ex and put Sudbury’s Nursery back in the black. But when the pretense feels real, they’re both reminded that every rose has its thorns.

In Book 3, Made for Mistletoe, cabinetmaker and reservist Cameron Walker has big plans for the holidays until he meets a beautiful distraction. Widowed teacher and artist Harper Gaines can’t risk her heart to another soldier. Cam has never felt such a strong connection, and he won’t give up without a fight. But will Harper’s fears keep her from taking a second chance on love?

And Book 4, as yet untitled, but we’re playing with a few choices, architect Annabelle Walker is a force to be reckoned with and is enjoying her career and her single life She’s not looking for any kind of a relationship, until she meets up with Sawyer Braxton, the new veterinarian in town. An injured puppy and the handsome vet turn Annabelle’s well-structured world upside down.

This series has meant a lot of research for me. I’ve googled and asked questions of experts about designing and building homes, creating beautiful landscapes, and cabinetmaking. I’ve learned a lot, but chances are good, I won’t retain very much of what I’ve researched. Just as when I used to copy edit nonfiction—textbooks, computer how-tos, and general reference books like the For Dummies titles—I couldn’t possibly remember everything I read. My brain would explode. But it’s funny what you do hang onto. I recall very little from reading Beauty Secrets for Dummies except that women over forty shouldn’t wear sparkly eye shadow. No clue why that fact stuck, but I don’t wear shimmery eye shadow because of it. 

I’ve learned a lot as I’ve written the Walker family’s stories—how Japanese gardens flow, facts about concrete hardening and building custom cabinetry, what kinds of woods work best for different kinds furniture and how the Pennsylvania Dutch cabinetmakers created their gorgeous painted dower chests, and how glass ceilings affect women in the construction business. It’s been a wondrous adventure and I’m so happy to invite you to share it with me.

Make You Mine releases April 16. Make It Real hits the shelves on August 6, Made for Mistletoe will be out October 24 and both are currently available for pre-order. Annabelle’s book will be out in January 2025. Welcome back to River’s Edge!

About the Author.

Nan Reinhardt is a USA Today bestselling author of sweet, small-town romantic fiction for Tule Publishing. Her day job is working as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader, however, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. She can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing—she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten and is still writing, but now from the viewpoint of a wiser, slightly rumpled, woman in her prime. Nan lives in the Midwest with her husband of 50 years, where they split their time between a house in the city and a cottage on a lake. Talk to Nan at: nan@nanreinhardt.com