It's beginning to Read a Lot Like Christmas: Featuring Sheila Roberts

Today's featured author has published almost 50 books. With all those books, it's not surprising that she's a frequent USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author. If you're not familiar with her writing, it's time you learned about it. Read on...

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

This is a road trip book, following three branches of the same family as they make their way to their holiday destination. We have Max and Michelle, on the verge of divorce, Hazel and Warren, the grandparents, still in love but facing some health challenges (and “eek” moments along the way), and the sisters Audrey and Shyla. Ah, sisters. Gotta love ‘em. And speaking of love, maybe Audrey will finally find true love thanks to a flat tire. It’s always so hard to pin down how you come up with ideas. I think sometimes, they just drop into my head. This one certainly did.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the big, extended family gathering. My family is big and boisterous and lots of fun. Our Christmas Eve includes playing games, singing carols, and, of course, reading the Christmas story from the Bible before we eat. And, speaking of eating, when my own little family gathers, my kids expect red velvet cake. One year I thought it would be fun to try something different. Boy, did I hear about that!

What’s next in writing for you?

I’m happy to share that the Great American Family channel featured a movie inspired by my novel, Christmas on Candy Cane Lane, that aired earlier this month. Come spring I will have another installment of my Moonlight Harbor series out – Mermaid Beach – so lots of fun things coming up.

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

I think the most important thing I learned was don’t stop with your first draft. Plots often need expanding, characters deepened, writing polished. So take your time!

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

To “pick a horse and ride it” – settle into one genre or type and stay there. When I was first writing I was all over the map, trying to write all kinds of things. While that was great fun, it took me longer to get a career foothold. It’s much easier to build a reader base when you focus in on one thing.

Any last words or tips?

Be persistent and never stop learning! Your local library and bookstore have a treasure trove of books on writing. We should all always be working to improve our craft.

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

Let me mention one more. My novel, A Little Christmas Spirit, has been re-released this year and is available in mass market paperback form. It’s truly one of my favorites and I am so in love with the message behind it.

That's all for today's interview. If you love Christmas stories, check out the books on her website. She has a bunch of them for you to enjoy! And she has a current giveaway this month of 2 of her books to one reader as part of Writerspace.com. So sign up for her contest, you could be a winner. Here's the link. https://sheilasplace.com/contests/

Here are two other ways to connect with her as well! 

http://www.sheilasplace.com

https://www.facebook.com/funwithsheila/