There’s a moment in every great love story where everything is uncertain, where the heroine stands at the edge of her own life and has to decide whether to trust, to hope, to reach. That moment is why I write.

I believe love stories matter. If you’ve ever stayed up far too late turning pages because you needed to know these two people would find their way to each other, then we understand each other.

Who I Am

I’m Josie Riviera, a USA Today bestselling author of sweet, clean, and inspirational romance. I spent many years in upstate New York before putting down new roots in the Charlotte, North Carolina area

When I’m not writing, I’m a piano teacher, which means I spend my days helping people find beauty in discipline, patience in repetition, and joy in a skill slowly, stubbornly mastered. I’m also devoted to my dog, who is excellent company during long revision sessions and entirely indifferent to deadlines.

I believe in faith, in the power of a well-chosen word, and in a story that leaves you better than it found you.

What I Write

I’ve written over forty sweet, clean, and inspirational romance novels, and I approach each one with the same conviction: that a love story told with care and genuine feeling can change a reader’s day. Or her week. Or the way she looks at her own life.

My books have taken readers from the coasts of Ireland to the warmth of a Vermont autumn, from the drawing rooms of Regency England to the wide-open skies of a Montana ranch. I write characters who are real enough to frustrate you or make you cheer, and that love, in all its grace-filled forms, is always worth the journey.

One of the first series I wrote was the Seeking Series.

Four Regency inspirational romances that explore the rich, often misunderstood world of the Romany people in Regency England. These books grew from a deep fascination with a culture that has been romanticized and marginalized and rarely told on its own terms. I wanted to tell those stories with honesty, weaving Romany traditions and beliefs into each story.

Why Readers Trust These Books

Years of research, but also a lifelong love of history and a curiosity that makes it impossible to walk away from a question until it’s answered properly. I don’t write about faith lightly; I write about it because it is real to me.

The writing community has been generous in recognizing this work. A Summer to Cherish received the coveted first place RONE Award for Inspirational Romance, an honor that means more to me than I can say because it comes from readers and peers who take this genre seriously. Seeking Rachel earned a 4.5-star review from Publishers Weekly, which called it a “charming Cinderella-style Regency” that “will delight fans of Julie Klassen.”

An Invitation

If you’ve never read one of my books, browse the shelves and read the first page of any title that catches your eye.

If you’re already a reader, a sincere thank you. You are why these stories exist.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Books

• A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
• Anything by Judith McNaught.
• The Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. Myron’s best friend, Win, steals every scene he’s in, and I adore their friendship.
• The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb, because he writes characters so real they feel like people you’ve grieved

Movies

• CODA — I’m a musician, and I loved it. Then I watched it again.
• Hamnet — grief and love rendered so achingly beautiful it stays with you for days

Television

• Outlander — for the history, the sweeping romance, and Jamie Fraser
• Call the Midwife — faith, community, and the kind of quiet heroism that never gets old
• Everything on HGTV (see Fun Facts below)

Music

• Handel — Messiah especially.
• The wonderful Barry Manilow.
• The Mamma Mia soundtrack. Such fun!
• Worship music—especially For King and Country or my home church and Elevation Worship.

Musicals

• Les Misérables — my absolute favorite; especially the harmonies in “Bring Him Home.”
• The Phantom of the Opera
• Mamma Mia
• Miss Saigon
• Hadestown

Food

• Italian, always, fresh pasta, good olive oil, and unhurried meals.
• Korean cuisine. Endlessly varied (though I will decline the kimchi)
• Symeon’s rice pudding and O’Scugnizzo’s pizza in upstate New York.
• The macaroni and cheese at Drift in Lake Wylie, SC. comfort food.
• Any meal in any restaurant in Calitri, Italy, authentic and inexpensive.

Places

• Symeon’s, upstate New York
• Drift, Charlotte, NC
• The beaches of the Carolinas
• Ireland, Scotland, Morocco, Gibraltar, Sedona, Montana, and the many other places our home exchanges have taken us
• Calitri, Italy — always!

Connect with my Author Page Here and click the Follow button.

Have you ever tried something you were afraid to try because it mattered so much to you? I did, when I started writing. Take the chance, everyone, and just do something you love.

I also won first place in the prestigious Golden Pen Award for outstanding romance writing.

Facebook Live Author Reading for Chocolate-Box Hearts.