Emily Conrad Brings Holiday Cheer with her Christmas Novel

 It's a doggone blessed time of the year! And Merry CHRISTmas to all! I have one last holiday book for you and it's not too late to grab a copy! I've leashed in author Emily Conrad and her new book Risking His Heart for your last minute stocking stuffer, plus her real-life story of the cutest surprise Christmas present ever.

May each of you be blessed by the Lord this Christmas Season as we take time to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

PT: Hello, Emily, and welcome during this special season. Could you tell us all how did you come to be a writer and write in contemporary Christian fiction?

EC: I’ve been writing since childhood, but after a middle school short story unit, fiction became a constant hobby for me and something I dreamed of doing as an adult. Writing contemporary Christian fiction came naturally to me, as it’s obviously the time period I live in and my faith is integral to how I look at the world. Blend those elements with emotional depth and romance, and you’ve got the building blocks of a story that captures my interest.

PT: Do you write in any other genre (or secretly want to) or do any other type of writing?

EC: I’m very happy in the contemporary Christian romance genre and don’t have any plans to switch. I’ve found my happy place, at least for the foreseeable future.

PT: So share with us what genre you mostly read.

EC: I’ve narrowed down to reading mostly contemporary Christian romance, but lately I’ve purposely dabbled in some historical romance and some no-spice general market romances too. I occasionally read other genres as well. For example, one of my critique partners writes contemporary fiction, and I enjoy her stories as well. Reading inside my genre helps me understand what readers like mine are looking for, but reading outside of it helps me look at the bigger picture of what makes a compelling story. Either way, I also just enjoy a good story as a reader myself!

PT: Regionally, are you East Coast, Midwest, West, or West Coast?

EC: I live in the Midwest. The multi-author series Christmas in Redemption Ridge was set in Colorado, so I had to learn more about an area of the country I had only visited before for that, but I have happily set the rest of my novels in the Midwest, where I’m most familiar with the setting and way of life.

PT: Favorite Christmas memory?

EC: When I was 18, I wanted a dog. I was attending college, but I lived at home, and my parents didn’t want a dog, so I knew I couldn’t get one. For Christmas, my parents gave me an ornament that was a ceramic dog bowl. They also gave me a dog treat jar, and at that point, I remember thinking it was a little cruel to remind me of what I wanted but didn’t have. Little did I know they’d rescued a nine-month-old black Lab. I wish I remembered the exact moment of realization, but I think the picture where I’m reading in the collage is when I read that they’d gotten me a dog. The guy in the photo was my then boyfriend (now husband), who was there for the big reveal. He’s the one who drove me to go pick her up. She was such a sweet, good dog. These were the days before camera phones, so I don’t have a ton of good pictures. The one in the lower right is her a few years later, dressed for a winter walk.

PT: Awww! That was a heart-melting story! Anything with paws makes the holiday even more special. So, do you have a favorite Christmas food?

EC: My family makes a certain cutout sugar cookie recipe that, to me, says it’s Christmastime like nothing else. They’re time-consuming to make, but they’re always a hit!

PT: Pro-snow or hate snow?

EC: I am pro-snow any time of year when it’s going to be cold and dark. For example, in Wisconsin right now, the sun has been setting shortly after 4pm. The snow we have on the ground brightens up the night considerably! It’s also something I really like to have for Christmas. Years when my part of the state doesn’t have snow as Christmas is approaching find me checking online white Christmas predictor maps. Thankfully, more often than not, we have at least a dusting of snow.

PT: Oh, me too. I am so pro-snow, but I always feel sorry for those who have to travel in it. Now, tell us about your new Christmas book, Risking His Heart.

EC: Risking His Heart is a best-friends-to-love romance set in a small Colorado town. It includes a little bit of mystery, some laughs (I hope!), and a whole lot of heart.

Falling for her best friend is not on her (forced, way-too-early, medical) retirement bucket list.

Career-driven cop Neenah Casper is forced by an injury to turn in her badge at age thirty-two. The same day she’s named guardian of an orphaned fifteen-year-old girl. With all her plans in pieces, it’s no wonder she starts feeling more than friendship for her supportive best friend Cody. But life’s taught her nothing lasts forever, and surely these feelings will pass once she finds a new life’s purpose.

Though Neenah friend-zoned him years ago, Officer Cody Adams has never stopped watching her back and hoping for more. Helping with her new ward could be just the opportunity to show her how much more he could be. Meanwhile, he’s also fighting to earn a promotion and impress his unpleasable police chief father by catching a home burglar and a Christmastime prankster. Neenah’s newly minted neighborhood watch might help him save Christmas and earn the job, if only the group didn’t bring complications of its own.

As Neenah and Cody wrangle octogenarian vigilantes, Christmas bandits, and complicated families, the chemistry between them only grows. But if they act on it, they won’t be able to go back. With their friendship and careers on the line, is love worth the risk?

PT: Is this part of a series? How did the setting get started?

EC: Risking His Heart is the final book in the Christmas in Redemption Ridge series. Some readers love a long series, in which case they’ll be happy to hear there are 18 books! But readers who prefer shorter series or standalones will be happy to learn each book can be read as a standalone. The series has been written by 6 different authors, who each contributed 3 books. It’s loosely connected to an earlier series organized by Tara Grace Ericson called The Heroes of Freedom Ridge. When they ended that series and started a new one, that group of authors had a slot open up, and they invited me to join the fun. The series has been such a blessing to me.

PT: Is there more books for this series?

EC: The Christmas in Redemption Ridge series is now complete. I wrote three books for the series, however, so if readers are looking for my other contributions, they are Bidding on a Second Chance, and Matchmaking the Cowboy.

PT: What’s next on your writing agenda?

EC: I’m hoping to release three Christian romances in 2026. Two of them are shorter romances I’ve already drafted that I need to polish up for their edits. Then, I’m working on A Faithful Protector, which is book two in my main ongoing series, The Many Oaks Romances. Stories in this series are longer and delve into grittier topics, (alcoholism and recovery is one example from A Faithful Protector), but always through the lens of faith and redemption. I find one way I experience God most powerfully is through fiction that deep dives into realistic questions and conflict, and I’m so excited to see what He does with this one.

PT: It's been great having you, Emily, at the Diamond Mine of Christian to tell us more about Risking His Heart. Readers, if you would like to be part of the book giveaway for Emily's book, leave a comment or use our contact form.

May your heart and soul be blessed as we commemorate our Savior birth!

Doubly Talented Author and Artist Jenelle Hovde

Hard cover copy of Winter Weather to be given away to one blessed reader! Stay tuned!

PT: Hi, Jenelle! Tell us a little background on yourself, how you started writing, and why you write in the genre you write in. And, for my curiosity and maybe for a few readers, how you pronounce your last name. 😉

 JH: Hi Peggy! Thank you so much for the chat! My last name is Norwegian, and it’s pronounced Huv-dee. I write in several genres, including Regency romance, historical biblical fiction, and World War II cozy mysteries with a time-split element. I’ve always loved reading and writing! My mother taught high school English and passed her passion for literature on to me.

 PT: What part of the country are you from, and what part of the country appeals to you the most? 

 JH: I’m a Canadian now living in Florida. My husband is a pastor of a small church, and we love the beach life! Florida truly feels like paradise.

PT: So jealous! I LOVE the beach. Okay. Fast get-to-know-you questions: country girl/city slicker? Pets/no pets? Coffee, tea, or something else? 

JH: I’m a Saskatchewan farm girl who also loves nature and shopping—I want both city and small-town living! I have two cats, Annabelle and Shadow. Shadow is a rescue kitty. I drink both coffee and tea! Mostly coffee, with a dash of heavy cream or coconut oil. My favorite authors include Mesu Andrews, Elizabeth Camden, Michelle Griep, Mimi Matthews, and Laura Frantz. I have a desk, but I’ll write anywhere I can find a good seat.

PT: I know the readers will be interested to know that you are not only are you gifted in writing, you also have a talent for art. Tell us more about that.

JH: I started painting to relax after a long day of homeschooling and writing. Several authors reached out to see if I offered commissions. Right now, I’m booked into October 2025 with clean fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction commissions. As long as I can tell a story with the art, I’m happy. I have the best clients! Readers who subscribe to my newsletter also get special prints just for them. Authors can find my portfolio at jenellehovdeauthor.com and reach out with any questions. I illustrate novels, book covers, character cards, and posters!

PT: And your paintings are amazing! I hope readers check them out. Now, several of your books are published by Guideposts. How can a reader be sure to get one of your books through Guideposts? 

JH: Two of my Guideposts novels are offered on Kindle Unlimited through Amazon: Eve’s Story: The First Daughter and Ruth and Naomi’s Story: A Harvest of Grace. Otherwise, readers can purchase my cozy mysteries at shopguideposts.org. Readers can buy individual books or sign up for the whole series! My upcoming Tyndale Regency Romance, No Stone Unturned, is available wherever books are sold. It releases July 15, 2025. 

PT: You’ve had several books come out recently: Ruth and Naomi's Story: A Harvest of Grace came in August,  Eve's Story: The First Daughter in September, Winter Weather comes out soon, and yet another, Among the Giants: Achsah’s Story, will release in early 2025. How do you manage such a heavy writing schedule? 

JH: Honestly, I had to make significant changes because my brain felt like mush. I stopped reading the news and scrolling social media. I cut all sugar and highly processed foods, focusing instead on natural foods like meat and fruit. I also started working out to take care of my body and mind. I’ve learned to say yes or no to opportunities, no matter how amazing they seem. I’ve made some mistakes along the way, especially while homeschooling. I’m still learning to balance my life better, but cutting distractions and taking care of my health has proven helpful. I stick to a tight schedule as well. 

PT: Let’s focus on Winter Weather. Give a rundown of what this Christmas novel is about, where it’s set, its cast of characters, and where readers can get a copy. 😊

JH: Readers can purchase Winter Weather at shopguideposts.org. It’s book nineteen in the Whistle Stop Café Mysteries series.

Christmas in Dennison is a magical time, and Debbie Albright is determined to make this holiday season perfect. To kick off the festivities, Debbie and her friends will be performing in a live Nativity on the Christmas train, which will be filmed by the TV show Days of Yesteryear! When local businessman Ricky Carosi shows her a Nativity scene his great-uncle painted, Debbie is thrilled to display such a beautiful piece in the Whistle Stop Café. The painting’s history reveals the Carosi family’s involvement with the Italian resistance in the 1940s. But then the painting is stolen! With a list of suspects—including Ricky’s contentious cousin, Leo, and high-handed TV host, Maurice Devons—will Debbie and her best friend, Janet Shaw, be able to recover it? Or will Debbie’s Christmas gift to Ricky be the news that she lost his family’s priceless heirloom?

PT: What Biblical concept would you say Winter Weather focuses on?

JH: Winter Weather focuses on standing up for what’s right, even when societal pressures make it hard. Defying the Nazis took tremendous courage. The novel also touches on forgiveness and grace when family lets us down. 

PT: Tell five things fast about Jenelle Hovde that have nothing to do with writing.

JH: I’m a pastor’s wife and teach Sunday school to amazing kids! I was once a doctor of Audiology but chose to leave my career to homeschool—no regrets! I’m still Canadian. I married a Marine. And I love Jane Austen films.

PT: What direction are you going in next?

JH: I’m currently writing book two of my Bluestocking Series for Tyndale. My first book, No Stone Unturned, releases July 15, 2025, wherever books are sold.

It’s about a vicar’s daughter who discovers a Roman mosaic in a field. She wants to uncover the past. He wishes to build a future. Set in the rolling hills of West Sussex, this Regency romance follows two opposing wills as they discover that their fate may lie in the common ground. Miss Bridget Littleton’s passion for history defies social conventions, even in her small village. 

When a farmer uncovers an elaborate mosaic in his field, Bridget dreams of making a name for herself by restoring the Roman ruins. Unfortunately, her quest puts her at odds with the new lord who recently inherited the title and Hawthorn Abbey. Captain Rafe Hawthorn, recovering from wounds both physical and emotional, is determined to restore his neglected ancestral home. His plans to revive the abbey’s orchards require a road straight through Bridget’s trove of artifacts. He won’t—can’t—fail again, no matter how moved he is by Bridget’s passion. Yet this impasse might not be their greatest obstacle. 

A natural disaster and a series of suspicious accidents threaten their plans and the livelihood of the villagers who depend on them. With their dreams on the line, Bridget and Rafe must join forces to fend off an unexpected enemy more dangerous than either could have imagined.

It's a sweet Regency romance filled with hope, faith, and an enemies-to-lovers dynamic—perfect for fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, or Abigail Wilson. I also have another biblical fiction piece, Achsah’s Story: Among the Giants, releasing next year with Guideposts Fiction.

PT: Wow, so many books for readers to enjoy! Thank you, Jenelle for stopping by and sharing your books with us.

Jenelle is giving away one hard cover copy of Winter Weather! Please comment that you are interested in being entered into our giveaway or leave your info on our contact form.

 

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A Little Sugar Plum Magic from Carrie Fancett Pagels!

 

Vera~You are the winner of Carrie's book, The Sugar Plum Fairy! Expect an email soon about the details. Thanks everyone!

Oooh, it's that Christmas magic time! Trees twinkling, wrapping paper crinkling, silver bells ringing and carols singing! All to give out the good tidings of Christ's birth on earth! And I can't resist bringing in another Christmas novel to celebrate this holy time of year. The Sugar Plum Ladies by our spotlight author Carrie Fancett Pagels is just the heartwarming story you readers need for your happy holiday sigh meter! Let's unwrap this interview with Carrie, because I can't stand the anticipation. Let's meet Carrie Fancett Pagels.

PT: Hi, Carrie! Welcome to my sleigh, LOL. Give us a rundown of how you started writing and the genre you write in and why.

CFP: I was a psychologist for 25 years, working with young people and kids and I loved it. I’d planned to write CF when I retired at about 70. Unfortunately, I developed severe Rheumatoid Arthritis and some other medical problems and became physically disabled, including about 5 years where I could barely walk. I’d started writing as a child, as I believe most authors do and was a born storyteller, making up stuff and changing the ends of stories I wanted more from. I had been published in nonfiction as a psychologist. However, my first Christian fiction publications, and about 20 more, have been in historical romance. I’ve recently switched over to Contemporary Women’s Fiction in CF. I do have a love of history, and enjoy romance, but at this point in my life I’m really wanting to write stories about women’s relationships and some romance thrown in there, too! I will get rights back to my historical CF stories, too, and will enjoy sprucing those up!

PT: Tell a little about your newest release, The SugarplumLadies and how you came up with the idea, the setting choice, and the names of your hero/heroine.

CFP: The Sugarplum Ladies was part of The Victorian Christmas Brides collection, which I headed up about 5 years ago for Barbour and invited a bunch of my fave CF authors to join in on. We all have our rights back now. I expanded my story by about 40%, mostly smoothing out the transitions. Wow, it really needed that! People are loving the new version! PTL!

I’d read about real-life social reformers in Detroit who, after the Civil War, headed up training and also catering agencies to help widows support themselves and their families. Eugenie Mott was inspired by the article I’d read. Barrister Percy, needed to be of British background and living somewhere that Victorian traditions were celebrated, so I put him in Windsor, Ontario, Canada—a place I enjoyed visiting as a child!

PT: Do you have any special Family Traditions for Christmas? And is your tree up yet? LOL

CFP: We enjoy going to Christmas service. The children, both grown now but one in college and still living at home when not at UVA, make a birthday cake for baby Jesus with me. Our tree goes up after Thanksgiving and we leave it up until after Epiphany (I celebrate until then just like my hero does!) We had a family, multi-generational British tradition (my great-grandparents immigrated from Maidstone, Kent, in England) of having an orange in the stocking—but for my generation I made the new twist of it being a chocolate orange! Those were available only online last year during pandemic but available now in stores again! I enjoy reading the Christmas story in the Bible, too, during this time of year, with my family.

PT: Give us a little peek of what your own Christmas celebration is like.

CFP: There’s a turkey in the oven. Our son used to refer to these holiday dinners as “The Feast” and it was his fave thing to have everyone gathered together. The china is set out. The silver is shined. The crystal is on the table (although the crystal is getting passed on to my daughter this year). The candles are lit on the dining table. After that amazing Christmas luncheon of turkey, dressing, gravy, potatoes, green bean casserole, homemade dinner rolls, some sides that my SIL likes such as turnip casserole (don’t snicker it’s good!), sparkling cider or juice, the Baby Jesus birthday cake, and more we have a cup of coffee or tea and start opening gifts in the living room.

PT: Favorite Christmas gift?

CFP: My closest girlfriends usually send me personal and special gifts that are unique and often homemade—those are my faves because my mom would make us so many wonderful things and I know the love and time that goes into every handmade item. It’s one reason I really try to make at least one jewelry item, e.g., earrings, for my friends and family members each year. One of my dear friends and critique partner, author Kathleen L. Maher, is an artist, and I love what she makes especially treasure the homemade Christmas ornaments and the other dear friend also critique partner, author Debbie Lynne Costello, makes amazing crafts but also picks out really cool things she finds. This year I did a ton of baking and candy making and sent those boxes out early to special friends and family members who asked for those treats!

PT: Tell us a little about what readers can expect from a “British Christmas.”

CFP: Crackers for one! And I don’t mean saltines! We actually did these in my family one year and they were fun (if a bit underwhelming the way I did them lol!) These are like a two-part cardboard cylinder  that has a special gift inside and they are wrapped lightly and ribbon on the ends. You pull them apart to open them! The British tradition, within the Anglican church, is to celebrate through Epiphany. When I was in England one Christmas the other thing modern day Brits did was to celebrate Boxing Day, which we don’t do in my novella! Plum pudding is a British treat and one Christmas my Great Uncle Fred made us plum pudding! I have a funny story about that but I won’t share it here!

PT: Favorite recipes/Christmas recipes?

CFP: Usually we’ll have gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting and I also make sugar cookies and unique twists on eggnog such as coffee eggnog but this year I went a little crazy making fudge variations like my newest creation a Straits of Mackinac mint vanilla turquoise fudge!! I also made my husband’s fave, a huge sheet pan of peanut butter bars from his mom’s recipe. A new fave is also a dried cherry, white chocolate chip, oatmeal cookie. My chia seed brownies were a failure so I’m returning to regular ones! I like a pound cake made with dried Christmas fruit in it and I also like certain fruitcakes through the mail—I’m the author of The Fruitcake Challenge, which was recommended by Woman’s World Magazine last year as a Michigan Christmas read and was a Selah Award finalist and a #1 Amazon bestseller in Christian historical romance.

PT: How many books do you have published?  Do you have a favorite book out of all you’ve written, and how do you keep your writing “fresh?”

CFP: I believe it is twenty-five. My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island is my top seller and I believe The Fruitcake Challenge is right behind and these are two of my own favorites. My fave Christmas story is a short story in Guideposts Books Christmas collection called Snowed In because it is inspired by my real life parents’ and family’s stories which I fictionalized. It’s set right after my father came back from WWII, at Christmastime, and it is a fiction but it is inspired by a bunch of true things. But I also am very proud of The Substitute Bride and I love the Sonja Hoeke character who is probably the one character, in all of my books, who is most like me. As far as other non-Christmas stories, my first Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Butterfly Cottage, which won second place in the Selah Awards, is my current favorite because I had a whole bunch of friends and family members who had died during a short period of time, and I had stopped writing. Then Covid hit. This story was my first with a family cast of three generations of women and they became very near and dear to my heart and almost real! Right now I’m spending lots of time with Dragonfly Cottage, which releases in June 2023! I think almost all my books are my favorites!

Fresh? Every writer, IMHO, needs to take a break to refresh and renew. My writing ministry comes only from God. I have significant health issues. I can’t write without Him. But if I don’t remain in Him and get refreshment and renewal in the Vine, I’m lost. People burn out churning out stuff that was never from the Lord to begin with. I am working on only one book a year that is a new release, recently. I have gotten rights back to books that are getting re-released, such as The Sugarplum Ladies, but my upcoming new release, Dragonfly Cottage, in Spring 2023, is the only novel I’ll have written in the past year. That gives me time to get recharged and also to deal with life.

PT: What Bible verse is dear to your heart at this time?

CFP: I’m really into listening to Father Mike Schmitt on audio right now. The Word is a blessing every single day. I also read Joyce Meyer’s devotional every night which includes scripture. Divine Scripture is a blessing. I’ve always loved that super short verse, Jesus wept, and given these End Times we are in, that verse comforts me.

PT: Do you inject a Biblical message in your books? If so, does it “just happen” or do you plan it?

CFP: My tagline is Hearts Overcoming with God and for a long time I had a blog entitled Overcoming with God so that’s a theme in most of my stories. Yes, I always have a spiritual arc in the books. Christian fiction is “supposed” to include that. Sometimes, often in fact, Danny Gokey or another Christian musician seems to write a song “just for me” and my stories! God’s grace may be the message. God’s blessings. Having faith when there seems to be no way. I’ve been blessed with songs that match the spiritual theme of my stories. For upcoming Dragonfly Cottage, Build a Boat by Colton Dixon has my hero’s message, and the song, Just Getting Started, matches the heroine’s journey!

 

PT: Tell 5 things about Carrie Fancett Pagels that have nothing to do with writing.

CFP:

1. I was a psychologist for 25 years and grew up by a state mental hospital.

2. I am prayerfully considering getting my psychology license back again and will be taking CEUs in 2023 as my health permits.

3. We tease that I gave birth to my own grandchild because I had a son at age 44.

4. I nearly died 12 years ago, and I left my body, and God let me stay here for my son and husband.

5. My heart really does belong on Mackinac Island and my ashes will be scattered there if my family follows my wishes!

PT: What book/story line is on the horizon? Have you settled on a setting/release date?

CFP: Dogwood Plantation is a sequel to Butterfly Cottage, but is a stand-alone with some new characters. I got inspired by a sweet young lady who worked at a coffee shop on Mackinac Island and came to one of my book signings. I did the “What If” thing of asking what if she was actually camping out in one of the often-vacant mansions (called cottages!) on the West Bluff? Then I needed someone to clash with her. And I had the “What if” there was a truly annoying big brother of her former BFF who was rehabbing the cottage next door? But I had to weave this in with another character, Mrs. Parker, in her 70s, who was a difficult person in a couple of other stories but who has had her “Come to Jesus” moment (as has Rachel, the young heroine). So these two, have spiritual story arcs. Mrs. Parker has more secrets than a Virginia summer has degrees lol. Slight exaggeration. But her deceased husband had a secret that will upend everyone’s world in this book! So come to Mackinac Island with me, via this novel, in 2023! Pegg Thomas is the editor and I should have a cover soon, from Carpe Librum Book Design Group in Montreal.

PT: Thank you so much for sharing with us, Carrie. And as usual, Carrie is giving away one copy of The Sugar Plum Ladies! Please share this opportunity with everyone! We need at least 5 people to leave comments with their email or their email information on our contact form. CALLING ALL BOOK GIVAWAY READERS! Now is your chance. Leave a comment with email to enter!

Bio:

Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D., is the award-winning author of over twenty-five Christian fiction books, including ECPA and Amazon bestsellers. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn't "cure" her overactive imagination! A self-professed “history geek,” she resides with her family in the Historic Triangle of Virginia but grew up as a “Yooper.” Carrie loves to read, bake, bead, and travel – but not all at the same time! You can connect with her at www.CarrieFancettPagels.com.

 Website: www.carriefancettpagels.com

Blogs: Overcoming With God and Colonial Quills

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 Links to purchase:

 The Sugarplum Ladies

Amazon

'Tis the Season for Author Toni Shiloh

Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas! 

Well…maybe not! But I always think mid-summer is a great time to re-visit those Christmas books, a Christmas in Summer sort of thing! And, I have the perfect romance for you by an amazing author. I have Toni Shiloh hanging out with me in the sleigh, and she has a little wrapped gift just for you! So deck your halls and fa-la-la yourself while social distancing, and wrap yourself in a warm blanket with the air-conditioning on high (and maybe that fireplace DVD???) and get to know our author’s most close-kept holiday secrets!

PT: Welcome, Toni! A blessed summer Christmas to you. The readers are sipping sweet mint hot chocolate, anxious to learn all about you. So,tell us your genre and how you became an author.

TS: I write Christian contemporary romance because I love all things romance. I’ve always been a big fan of reading and when I got older, I decided I really wanted to honor God by writing. And here we are. 😊

PT: Hallelujah for that! We’re featuring, I’ll Be Home, hence the corny Christmas vernacular. Where is I’ll Be Home set and does the heroine have anything in common with you? (One eyebrow raises to the brim of my Santa hat.)

TS: I set the book in Washington, D.C. because I thought it would be fun to change the pace from small town to a bigger and well-known city. The heroine doesn’t have anything in common with me, LOL, so it was fun to write her and discover who she was.

PT: Interesting. Where did the idea of this story come from?

TS: I keep seeing a woman having to go home but dreading the reasons. From there I had to brainstorm a little and ask questions to find out why anyone wouldn’t want to go home for the holidays. Then the idea began to take shape and voilà.

PT: Don’t you love brainstorming the possibilities of a novel? Is there a Biblical theme/lesson in your book?

TS: I always try to include a lesson in every book I write. I wanted Starr to realize that she was enough. That she didn’t have to be like her siblings to be special. The faith is light but there and guiding the way.

PT: A very important message for most women. Being enough. Favorite holiday, color, gift?

TS: My favorite holiday is probably Easter with Christmas being a close second. I love the color pink and the best gift I ever received was an e-reader.

PT: E-readers are the bomb late at night. Not even the tree lights are necessary. Let’s go to reviews, the stuff by which we writers live for. Paraphrase the best book review you’ve ever received.

TS: It was from another author, and she listed everything she loved about the book which happened to be the things I loved as well.

PT: Where do you settle in to write? Tea, Coffee, or other for writing?

TS: I usually write in bed, but I just got a new chair I’m hoping will be the new place to spin my stories. In the wintertime, I always have some hot tea to drink. In the warmer months, usually water.

PT: My favorite! Name 5 things fast about Toni Shiloh that have nothing to do with writing.

TS:

1. Dallas Cowboys fan

2. Pen hoarder

3. Earrings collector

4. Always have my nails painted

5. Always have a book within reach.

PT: A book within reach. That is practically life itself. So, what’s your next project? Adding to the Lewis Family Series?

TS: I will be adding to the Lewis Family series. I’m giving Starr’s sister, Angel, a story. 😊

PT: You just got a sneak peek of Christian Author, Toni Shiloh, readers! Perhaps you need a silent night, cuddled up with your e-reader, eyes fastened on Toni’s I’ll Be Home beaming from the screen? Then here’s your link to get it right now! (Pssst! It’s only $1.99!~what a deal! And what a beautiful cover!)

click here:
I'll Be Home by Toni Shiloh

What could be worse than being laid off right before the holidays? For Starr Lewis that list would include returning home jobless, single, and, oh yeah, just in time to attend her sister's wedding on Christmas Eve to Starr's ex-boyfriend. But life finally decides to be kind to her and her brother's best friend, Waylon Emmerson, soon has her wondering if she can take another chance on love.

Toni is giving away one copy of I'll Be Home to one lucky person who comments below with your email!

Want to catch up with Toni? Here's where you can find her:

Blog: https://tonishiloh.com/2020/04/30/tbt-book-spotlight-giveaway-the-secret-things/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorToniShiloh/posts/2587444244806783

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonishilohwrite/status/1255850200826105863