It's Beginning to Read a Lot Like Autumn and Christmas -Featuring Michelle Wang

What drew you to write your seasonal books? Could you give a short synopsis on the book for my readers?
That’s a good question - I’ve never really thought about it that way because (as one of my friends put it) I feel like I’m an “accidental picture book author”. So, I wouldn’t say so much that I was “drawn” to write seasonal books many years ago but rather I was simply looking for a book like this to read to the grade one class I was teaching about autumn to at the time and didn’t find one. I had some pretty specific ideas of what I wanted to see in such a book and being too unmotivated to do a super deep dive into the Dewey decimal system for one, figured it was just easier to write my own instead. When many years later, it became clear that It Must Be Autumn was actually going to be a published book, it only made sense (to someone who has actually created a lost piece from scratch to complete a puzzle) that the other three seasons needed to be written as well: call me Captain Obvious, but the next two titles are It Must Be Winter and It Must Be Spring.

As for the short synopsis, here is the book blurb from the back cover of the first book: It must be autumn…and this book’s fun-loving family out to discover all the wonderful signs of the beautiful fall season. Join in their antics as they shake and rhyme their way to a surprise ending that is sure to delight readers of all ages. There’s even a couple of wisecracking squirrels to keep the laughs coming as the pair frolic through the pages telling jokes that will leaf you fall-ing over into a great big pile of chuckles.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
What AREN’T some of my favourite Christmas traditions? Christmas is just the best time of year: spending time with family, eating delicious food, the laughter and fun, Santa Claus and stockings, and of course, the reason for the season. Pretty much pick up any Hallmark greeting card, and that would be my answer.

What’s next? 
I will be finishing up the last book It Must Be Summer to complete the series. As well, I’ve been working on a bit of a passion project that I’m not entirely sure will be a professionally polished piece of work or just a personal book for some pretty special people in my life. Also, the squirrels have been the real breakout stars from the books for sure, and there is a pretty strong fanbase (i.e. people not even directly related to me 😊) asking for a spin-off series for them. So there seems not to be a shortage of ideas floating around the way too cluttered space between my ears that can only generously be called my brain. Finally, I have some local book signings and author visits lined up (if the super shy 9 year old whose report card always started “Michelle should speak up more…” would stop screaming in terror long enough to do them).

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given you’d like to share?
Wow, now you’re making me use that brain to think. Okay, best tip? I guess it would have to be the old classic: Just write. If you feel like you have something to say on paper (or screen), just go ahead and start writing. That’s the beauty of writing - as many people as you want or nobody at all can read it. It’s up to you (unless you’re trying to market a book, and then it’s up to an infinite number of factors and variables, and no one, it seems, really knows how to do that exactly right).

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?
I’d say everything and nothing. I’ve never been much a planner so things just sort of happen - sometimes to me, around me, and/or because of me. If I had known how much fun AND how much work it was going to be, I may have been more motivated but also more discouraged to even start. Which is why I think things happened exactly as they should have…I have learned so much (marketing is hard) and have so much more to learn (marketing is hard). “And one fine morning - "

Any last words or tips?
I’ve got to be honest here, I’m feeling a little bit “imposter syndrome” going on right now. I’m not sure if I’m qualified to give any last words (oh wait, that’s Last Rites. My bad.), let alone tips! I do think that everyone does have a story (or many) to be told and with the way Indie Publishing is going right now, it has never been easier to do just that. I would encourage everyone who feels that need, to just go for it. But (and there’s always a but) you need to know your purpose for writing and your audience. 

You may not be the best writer, you may not be able to afford professional developing and editing services, and there are others who are and can. When you put your work out into the world, you need to be prepared for people to react to it both positively or negatively or not at all. And if you’re not, and you’re really just writing it for yourself, or someone specific, that should be enough. Writing for the sake of writing is its own reward. (Wow, I guess I did have something to say after all).

Are there any other books that you’d like to tell my readers about?
Look for It Must Be Summer coming out soon!

That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Michelle's writing, here are some links to get you started. And here's a chance to win a free eBook. Go to her website, and sign up for her newsletter and you'll be entered into the drawing!

Website: https://itmustbebooks.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Wang/e/B099G7TYD1
Facebook: https://www.facebook/mustbebooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram/itmustbebooks

Celebrating Christmas Books with Caroline Mickelson

Caroline Mickelson has written over twenty books in multiple series. For this interview, we're focusing on her 8-book Christmas rom-coms. Read on to learn about her writing journey.

How did you come up with the idea for your Christmas book?
Back in 2011, I took my four kids to see an animated holiday movie called ‘Arthur Christmas’. It was enjoyable. On the way home, I started to wonder what would Santa’s family be like? And so, my Christmas Central rom com series was born.

Could you give a short synopsis on the book for my readers?
Santa tasks his daughter Carol with spending the holidays with a single father and his two young children, hoping she can turn around the man’s plans to write a book called ‘Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Children about Santa is a Bad Idea.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
I love outdoor lights! I always hang my light-up, musical Elvis stocking with care, and I miss the old days of a mailbox filled with Christmas cards.

I would love to see a picture of that stocking! What’s next in writing for you?
I’m currently working on the ninth book in this series, titled ‘My First Big Greek Christmas’ which I plan to release this November. So far, it’s been fun to write.

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given you’d like to share?
The very best writing tip is to allow yourself to write poorly. First drafts are not meant to be a finished showroom for the story. They’re meant to be a construction site.

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?
I wish I’d learned that time spent wringing my hands about a story was time wasted. I’ve learned to just write it quickly. The magic is in the editing.

Any last words or tips?
A thank you to the readers who send me an email. I enjoy them so much. It helps me feel connected to readers, and that’s gold.

Are there any other books that you’d like to tell my readers about?
I’d love your readers to know that my books are all available in audio book format. I’ve had the good fortune to work with some terrific narrators. The audio books can also be found on and listened to for free on my YouTube channel.

What an amazing offer for audio users. Turn off the TV and listen to a book! That's the end of today's interview. If you would like to learn more about Carolyn's writing, here are some links to get you started.

Website:  https://www.carolinemickelson.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyKA-pPc8L_hoOspnbkyZhA

Celebrating Christmas Books with Jean Oram

How did you come up with the idea for your newest Christmas book?
Moms need love too!
Sweet Joymaker is my newest Christmas story, and I wrote it for a multi-author story world set in the beach town of Indigo Bay, South Carolina. Several of us have been writing in this world for several years, and this is my fifth book set in that world.

When I was working on Sweet Joymaker, I was also working on a five book series set in Sweetheart Creek, Texas. This is a cowboy brothers series. I knew I wanted Sweet Joymaker to tie in with the cowboys series as they’d be releasing together.

While I was writing the brothers, I realized that their mother, who had been divorced in one of the earlier Indigo Bay books (Sweet Troublemaker), could use some love in her life, too. Of course, she didn't believe that, but that's where the local mechanic Clint came waltzing in! He follows her to Indigo Bay just before Christmas and convinces her that she could use a boyfriend.

The tricky part was that the storyline for Sweet Joymaker ties into the same timeline as the third book (The Cowboy’s Second Chance) in the Cowboys of Sweetheart Creek, Texas series. That was a fun challenge as I had to make sure the conversations and timelines lined up with each other. But it was worth giving Maria a heartwarming second chance at love.

Could you give a short synopsis on the book for my readers?

Maria Wylder’s not used to catching the eye of the local mechanic Clint Walker whose gaze lights up every time he sees her. When they both end up visiting the beach town of Indigo Bay to help with a Christmas fundraiser, will it become a chance for them to step outside their tired old roles and discover something new together while proving there's no age limit on falling in love?

I agree. There is no age limit to love. I recently met a couple who had both lost their spouses several years  and found love again in their early 70s! What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
One of my favorite traditions is to go downhill skiing on Christmas day. I did this a lot as a child and there's been a few times that I've done this with my own family as well. Although, I have to say the year we gave the kids Nerf guns and bought two for ourselves was pretty fun. We had a Nerf gun war throughout the house on Christmas morning. There's nothing like starting the day off with lots of laughs.

What’s next? 
A spinoff series for the Cowboys of Sweetheart Creek, Texas is coming! Some of the secondary characters such as Daisy-Mae Rae from the series won over my heart and they need love too!

Daisy-Mae Rae is a former beauty pageant queen with a major crash on a cowboy who happens to be an NHL star. I’m writing her story right now, and it's a lot of fun putting these two together. I don't have a title for the book yet nor a release date, but if you follow me online you'll hear about these two when their book is ready.

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given you’d like to share?
I think the biggest thing is realizing that we are all very different. From what we want to write, to how our workday is organized, to even the little things like how much we write in a day. 

We all have our own methods that develop overtime, and while we are bombarded with “shoulds” (We should do this, we should do that), I think the system that we develop naturally is always the best one to follow. Of course, there are ways to tweak and improve those systems, but I think we writers could trust ourselves a little more instead of secretly fearing we’re doing it wrong.

How true! What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?
Sometimes I think that if I’d started out knowing all the things I know now I’d be a millionaire writer! It definitely would've been a fast forward for me. But I also think it would've taken the fun out of this writing gig, maybe made it too serious and full of pressure and maybe even burned me out. I kind of believe that we are where we are supposed to be right here, right now. Even when it’s tough!

Any last words or tips?
I’ve been thinking about joy a lot lately. I personally think that if something isn't bringing you joy, it's a good time to take a look at it and figure out how to bring the joy back or decide whether it’s time to move on. Life's too short to drink crappy drinks, and it’s too short to have an absence of joy.

Are there any other books that you’d like to tell my readers about?
I have over 30 books to choose from which is really exciting as both an author and a reader who likes sweet, small town romances. If you like one of my books it’s like dicing into a treasure chest because there’s more bounty waiting for you!

I love being an author who makes readers laugh and feel good. That brings me joy.

If you want to check out my books, I have five series—and almost every single book can be read as a standalone. I have I have the five brothers family saga—The Cowboys of Sweetheart Creek, Texas. I have a five-sister family saga set in Canada which is The Summer Sisters series. I also have seven lighthearted romantic comedies set in the Blueberry Springs series, and a spinoff series set in that world that centers around marriages of convenience called the Veils and Vows series. I also have my Indigo Bay books as I mentioned earlier.

There are lots of places for readers to dive in! Find one that speaks to your heart and go for it!

That's all for today's interview. I hope you enjoyed learning about Jean's writing journey. If you'd like to learn more about her books, here are some links to get you started.
Website:  https://www.jeanoram.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJeanOram/
Instagram: at https://www.instagram.com/author_jeanoram/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeanoram

Celebrating Christmas Books Featuring Sharon Sala

Today's interview is with a New York Times/USA Today, bestselling author with 132 plus books published in seven different genres, including Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Young Adult, Western, Fiction, Women's Fiction and Non-Fiction. Read on to learn more about her writing and books.

Tell me about your Christmas book and how it came about.
Doing a Christmas book was my publisher's request. So I just told another Blessings story and set it at Christmas. For the readers who are familiar with the series, it's Wade and Birdie's story. It's a sweet story with many heartfelt moments and some tragedies, with several families getting their Christmas wish. There's also a most memorable Christmas parade down the Main Street of Blessings, and I know my readers are going to love the story.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
Baking and candy making are two favorites. Having a big family dinner at Christmas was a must back when my family was all still here. The holidays are a bit quieter for me than they used to be, but still enjoyable and blessed.

What's next? (future books, novellas, etc)

The last book in the Blessings series will be out in April of 2022. It's called The Best of Me, an it is my all-time favorite of the 14 books that make up the series.

What's the best writing tip you've learned and would like to share?
This goes without fail, and is something I do to this day. I always quit writing for the day in the middle of a scene that I am anxious to finish. It makes going back to it the next day, something to look forward to.

What do you know now about writing and publishing that you wish you'd learned sooner?
I don't think I can answer that the way you want. I learned what I needed to know, when I needed to know it. And the business has changed so drastically from what it was thirty years ago, when I sold my first book, to the way it is now that there are few ways to compare it.

Any last words or tips?
I just want to thank my readers who've been with me from the start, and to welcome all new readers into my world of stories.

Are there any other books you'd like to tell my readers about?
I just finished a women's fiction book that I'm self-pubbing. It's called The Broke-Ass Women's Club, and will be out sometime before the end of the year. It's funny and poignant and heartwarming and sad. about four women who discover they're victims of a bigamist after he is killed in an accident. Not only that, but he has been forging and embezzling money they had before they married him, and his death has left three of the four bankrupt and about to become homeless. After the women meet for the first time at the funeral home, and their situation is revealed, the first wife, (the only legal one) still has her old family home, and invites them to come live with her until they can get back on their feet. They meet as strangers, and become sisters of the heart.

That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Sharon's books, start with these links.

Website: https://sharonsalaauthor.com/ 

WriterSpace: https://www.writerspace.com/sharonsala
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharonsala/

Celebrating Christmas Books Featuring Carol Nemeth

How did you come up with the idea for your Christmas book?
My publisher came up with a collection of novellas, Christmas Lights and Romance, and I wanted to be a part of it. I was thrilled to write Parade of Hearts, my second Christmas story.

Could you give a short synopsis on the book for my readers?
New to Old Colorado City, Hannah Overman is excited about the success of her bakery. However, Hannah’s elation is soon overshadowed by the fact that her position on the Christmas parade committee isn’t going as well she had hoped. The mayor has taken a dislike to her and doubts she can do her job. The committee voted unanimously in favor of her idea to invite recently returned troops from Afghanistan to march in the Christmas parade. 

Hannah soon finds one particular Army captain is more than willing to lend a hand. However, when things turn sinister in the old town, Hannah and Capt. Caleb Ryan are caught up in something no one ever expected. Between lemon crumb muffins and threats aimed at Hannah, tension grows as the little western town prepares for the Christmas parade. Can Caleb determine what’s going on and who’s connected to the threats? His Grandpa Ed, the town pharmacist, and the whole Ryan family become involved. Hannah quickly finds herself supported by the town folk who have welcomed her as their own, but is it enough to stop the one person determined to take her out?

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
It’s hard to have Christmas traditions in our family. My son is in the Army and my son-in-law in the Air Force. Both my son and my daughter and her family live so far from us. They don’t make it home for Christmas every year. My in-laws have generally spent Christmas with us every year until my father-in-law passed last year. Now my mother-in-law is the last one to still spend Christmas with us each year. We hope the kids and grandkids will come when they can. We always have a Christmas ham, green bean casserole, chocolate pie and kolachkies. When I was growing up we generally opened presents on Christmas eve because we went to my grandparents on Christmas morning. 

What’s next for your writing? 
I’m working on the fifth book in my Faith in the Parks series that will be set at Gettysburg National Military Battlefield Park. I also have a couple other books planned after that. I’m also in a great collection with some amazing authors. Dangerous Pursuits is available  at Amazon, Apple and Barnes and Noble.

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 read, read, read. You can’t be a good writer, if you don’t read a lot.

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

To quote Snoopy, “Writing the book is 20% of the job; marketing it is the other 80%.” From Snoopy’s Guide to the Writing Life. He nailed it. If you’re not published by a large publishing house where they market you, it’s up to you to do your own marketing, and it takes an exceptional amount of time to do it if you want to get your name out there. Not only time but patience.

Any last words or tips? 

Prayer. I pray over my writing continually. I pray that it will bring honor and glory to the Father and that He will give me the words He wants me to write. That the story will be His story. That it will reach the readers He wants it to reach. More of Him and less of me.

Are there any other books that you’d like to tell my readers about?
Sure, I’d love to. If you’re looking for another Christmas book, Yorkshire Lass, is for you. It’s a historical romantic suspense full-length novel set in England at the end of WWI.

If you'd like to learn more about Carol's writing, here are some links to get you started.

Website: https://www.jcarolnemeth.com/ Subscribe to her newsletter for book news, contests, giveaways, author news and more.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/J.CarolNemeth
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/J-Carol-Nemeth/e/B01F45LWY8?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1624373688&sr=8-1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nemeth_jcarol
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15163292.J_Carol_Nemeth
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/j-carol-nemeth

Celebrating Christmas Books and Movies with Karen Schaler

Today's interview is with Karen Schaler who is a three-time Emmy Award-winning storyteller, screenwriter, author, journalist, and national TV host. She has written original Christmas movies for Netflix, Hallmark, and Lifetime plus the books for some of those movies. Read on to learn more about her writing and what’s coming up next.

How did you come up with the idea for your Christmas book?

I’ve written numerous Christmas stories and my current release was inspired by an earlier one that I wrote for Netflix’s first original Christmas movie, A Christmas Prince. A Royal Christmas Fairy Tale is one of the two sequels.

Could you give a short synopsis on the book for my readers?

The last things New York City reporter Kaylie Karlyle expects to find on her European freelance assignment is a charming Christmas village, a storybook castle, a royal ball, and a gorgeous prince. But when the family she's interviewing turns out to be the royal family of Tolvania, Kaylie has a meltdown. The quirky queen wants her to write a Christmas fairy tale for the spunky, young princess. Kaylie must battle the princess's father, who doesn't trust the media and her own insecurities about writing anything beyond the news.

To spark inspiration for the fairy tale, the queen recruits the prickly Prince Alexander to show Kaylie the family's most spectacular royal holiday traditions. And sparks definitely fly when the only thing Kaylie and the prince agree on is that they're both more "bah humbug" than "ho, ho, ho." But somewhere between sleigh rides and snow angels, merrymaking and mistletoe, upside-down Christmas trees, and a legendary Christmas crown, Kaylie and the prince open their hearts to Christmas and start believing in themselves and each other.

It's a real-life fairy tale in the making until Kaylie discovers a secret about a royal Christmas heirloom that jeopardizes everyone's happily ever after. Can the magic of the season save this holiday happy ending?

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

I think some of my favorite traditions are the ones I’ve had since I was a child, like picking out a real Christmas tree in the forest and decorating the tree with family. Actually, decorating anything for Christmas is always a favorite pastime. Making special Christmas recipes is also something I enjoy and that’s why I share my family’s favorite holiday treats and new recipes with my stories. Royal Christmas Gingerbread Pancakes and the Berry Christmas Dark Chocolate-Covered Cranberries are in A Royal Christmas Fairy Tale. All my books also include some of my favorite fun festive traditions and activities you can do with your family to help get everyone into the holiday spirit.

What’s next in writing for you?

Right now, I’m working on my next Christmas novel and also three different movies. I’m also working on a summer rom-com that’s a lot of fun. Starting the new year I’ll be at a fabulous RomaDrama event in Palm Beach, Florida (January 7-9). This event brings fans together with their favorite Hallmark, Lifetime, and Netflix TV stars. I’ll be on several of the writing panels sharing tips and behind the scenes stories about writing movies and novels and there are some other great surprises planned. Tickets are on sale at www.romadrama.com and I can’t wait to see everyone!

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

One of my favorite tips is ‘to write before the world gets in the way’ and I live by that. I do my best writing when I wake up. I don’t check my email or texts or turn on the TV. I find going straight to my computer and writing before I have any distractions is when I do my best work and am most productive. Once I go out into the world, I have a hard time getting back to my writing. It helps that I’m a morning person!
 

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

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember but when it comes to publishing, I was surprised to learn how in traditional publishing editors often want a book 18 months to two years ahead of a pub date. I come from a background in TV news where you write three stories daily so I write quickly and have that immediate gratification.

For my debut novel, Christmas Camp, I had written the Hallmark movie first and then decided I wanted to also write the book and release it at the same time, which was just a few months away. I was very fortunate to have May Chen at HarperCollins, William Morrow, do a 'crash publish' to get Christmas Camp out that October.

I’ve now started my own publishing company it’s very challenging to get all the mechanics of the book, the editing, proofreading, typesetting, cover design, marketing, advertising, etc., done in just a few months. Now I understand why publishers want their books so early!

Any last words or tips?

My number one tip is that if you’re a writer you have to write every day. I know we’re all busy, but you have to make the time and make your writing a priority. Whether you write early in the morning (I often get up at 5am) or late at night, even if you only have a few minutes, sit down and do it. Writers write. You owe it to yourself and your craft. When life does get in the way and makes it impossible to do, don’t beat yourself up, just get back to your writing as soon as you can.

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

If you love feel-good, funny, uplifting, and empowering Christmas stories that are a wonderful escape when you need a break. You can find all my books on Amazon and at all the major retailers and libraries.

 Here are my “babies”...

Christmas Camp (2018)
Christmas Camp Wedding (the novella sequel) ( 2019)
Finding Christmas (2019)
Christmas Ever After (2020)
A Royal Christmas Fairy Tale (2021)

I’m also working on writing the movies for all of my books, so stay tuned! I also do a ton of giveaways and freebies on my social media and website. And speaking of FREEBIES I’ve put together a festive fabulous Christmas Camp DIY Guide that includes a lot of my recipes and activities from all my books and movies so you can create your own Christmas Camp at home!

That’s all for today’s interview. If you’d like to learn more about her books, here are some links to get you started.         

https://www.karenschaler.com/books/current-giveaway/

Website: www.karenschaler.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/traveltherapy
Twitter: www.twitter.com/karenschaler
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/karenschaler
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/karenschaler

Facebook: www.facebook.com/karenschalerofficial