The Romance of Christmas

I have a confession to make. I haven’t read a single Christmas story so far this year. Not one!

Christmas romances are close to my heart. In the ten years I’ve been writing, I’ve written four of them. And each one has been significant for different reasons.

  His Christmas Angel was my debut book. Rachel Bailey tells me that book is sprinkled with fairy dust. And it truly felt that way when I received the call from my editor in London. It signalled the start of my publishing journey with Harlequin Mills & Boon. It’s a book that will always hold a special place in my heart.

 Speaking of firsts, Christmas Wishes New Year Kisses was my very first self-published title. Some of you might remember that it was part of the LoveCats DownUnder Hot Summer Nights box set. It was a joy to work in collaboration with the other Cats who took part in the project, and to dip my toes into Indie waters. It taught me a lot! Also, it’s set on a tropical beach. What’s not to love about that? ;-)

As for learning experiences! No book I’ve ever written has taught me more than Christmas at Candlebark Farm. When I received the third set of revisions for that book (yes, you heard that right – the 3rd!), I realised the book had to be completely rewritten. So I rewrote it…in a month. It was the book that forced me to look closely at character motivation, to streamline conflict, and to focus it all on the hero and heroine. I hope that no book I ever write is that hard again. Still, I’m awfully proud of the book.

 Last but not least is The Nanny Who Saved Christmas. This one won The Booksellers Best Award (announced and awarded at the Romance Writers of America’s conference and collected by the wonderful Susan Meier on my behalf). I still get tingles whenever I recall her email telling me I won. Awards and kudos aren’t necessary, of course. But I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t enjoy it. :)


 You can probably figure out by now, after all of this talk of Christmas romances, that it's pretty unusual for me to not have drowned myself neck deep in Christmas titles. And, of course, all of this reminiscing has me dying to write another Christmas story.

First, though, I should be reading oodles and oodles of them for inspiration, right? So, have you read any brilliant Christmas romances so far this November and December? What would you recommend I pick up?