Celebrating Christmas Books with Dana Mentink

Dana has received two ACFW Carol Awards, a Holt Medallion Award, and a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award. She's written over forty mystery and suspense novels for Love Inspired Suspense, Harvest House, and Poisoned Pen Press. Read on to learn about her Christmas book and others.  

How did you come up with the idea for your Christmas book? Could you give a short synopsis on the book for my readers? 

I've always had a deep connection with my three sisters. They are an integral part of my life which led me to the question...what would I be prepared to do to save one of them? Interesting question! Since I was knee deep in writing the Roughwater Ranch Cowboy series, I wanted to capture the beauty and magic of California's Central Coast and the holidays all in one book. A tall order, but one does one's best! 

Here's a quick blurb.Posing as her sister for Christmas is the only way to save her, but Maggie Lofton needs help—even if it means working with her twin’s cowboy ex-boyfriend, Liam Pike. But between the bull’s-eye on her back and the dangerous connection she’s forming with Liam, Maggie’s mission is harder than expected. Will their tenuous partnership be enough to shield her when the killer closes in?

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? 

Definitely making homemade pizza with my daughters on Christmas Eve. The dough is left to rise before church and afterwards the topping craziness commences! Papa Bear Mentink is the champion of dough!

What’s next? (Future books, novellas, special appearances you want to mention) I'm deep into a series that takes place in Death Valley which has been amazing since that is one of my favorite places! It's called the Desert Justice series and book two just released...Missing in the Desert. I'm also pretty stoked about my October release, Yukon Justice. It's part of a continuity series and it's about danger at a reindeer ranch in Alaska.

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given you’d like to share? 

If you want to be a professional writer, act like one. Work at it every day, not just when the mood strikes you.

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner? 

Networking is crucial. Writing can be a solitary job, but you need others to help you on your way and they need you!

Any last words or tips? 

Be as generous as you can with your time, talent and goodies. Writing is really about relationships with readers, not just the words on the page.

Are there any other books that you’d like to tell my readers about? 

For you cozy mystery lovers out there, I kicked off a series of Shake Shop Mysteries with Poisoned Pen Press. The first is entitled Pint of No Return. Such fun...and I got to consume a lot of ice cream during the research process!

That's all for today's interview. Love the idea of a Christmas pizza and how you did serious research on ice cream. Those mysteries sound like a lot of fun. I have an outline for a cozy mystery and the first chapter for one, but that's as far as I've gotten with the book. 

If you'd like to learn more about Dana's writing, here's a link to do that...

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Dana-Mentink/e...