It's Beginning to Read a Lot Like Christmas -Featuring Ellie Hall

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 have written about 15 Christmas romances and most of them are part of a series. But this year, I tried something new. I wrote an entire Christmas series. It’s called The Costa Brothers Cozy Christmas Comfort Romance Series.

Here’s a bit more about it:  Meet the Costa family. A bit loud. A little crazy. A whole lotta lovable! These six brothers go all in, opening a pizza parlor in a small town to help out their retired parents. They anticipate success, but they're not expecting to find love. This clean, feel-good, romantic comedy series brings laughs, friends to love, enemies to love, second chances, grumpy guys, cinnamon rolls, and a lot of sunshine despite the backdrop of winter!

There are six books total, they’re clean and wholesome romance, faith-friendly, stand-alone stories but are best enjoyed together. In my book Christmas in Hawk Ridge Hollow, Frankie Costa had six overprotective brothers and I thought to myself, I’d love to know why they’re still single. Ha ha. So here we are. Plus, I love the small-town setting and wanted to revisit it.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? My favorite traditions include looking at Christmas lights, decorating the tree, and baking. But I especially love something I started when my kids got a little older. Each year, I buy a Christmas jigsaw puzzle and leave it out for about a week or so leading up to Christmas. It’s the perfect way for us to gather together, especially now that my kids are older and in and out more often.

What’s next? (Future books, novellas, special appearances you want to mention) I have two more books in the Home Sweet Home series titled Extreme Heart Makeover and Building What’s Meant to Be. They will be out in early 2023 and are what I call: If Fixer Upper and a Hallmark movie got married and had a baby. Tee hee.

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given you’d like to share? The best writing tip I’ve learned is to keep my stories “fresh yet familiar.” I strive to give readers the tropes, settings, and characteristics they enjoy along with a happy ending while also keeping things fun and creative with new twists and unique features within that framework.

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner? There will be ups and downs. Just like some days, I’m not feeling motivated, sometimes the same can be said on the other end. Likewise, sometimes the words flow and so do the sales, reads, reviews, and reader interaction, which I love!

Any last words or tips? I write clean romance that mostly falls into one or more of these categories: Christmas, Small Town, Cowboys, and Romantic Comedy. With that last one in mind, Chewie, my Pomeranian is my trusty sidekick. He has bad knees and hips so I push him on his walks in a dog stroller. My human children think this is hysterical. But he’d be restless if he stayed indoors all the time. Inevitably, he’ll want out of the stroller and to walk a distance, leaving me pushing an empty stroller. Make of that what you will, but I hope it makes you laugh or brings a smile to your face.

Are there any other books that you’d like to tell my readers about? I have nine complete series. Aside from the Costa Brothers, the most recent is Home Sweet Home with a group of friends who have a home makeover show. In addition to falling in love, first kisses, and lots of festive fun there are some mystery elements!

That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Ellie's current and upcoming books, here's how to get you started.

Amazon author page. https://www.amazon.com/Ellie-Hall/e/B07KQS3GD4

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Website: elliehallauthor.com

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