About Writers On Reading

Welcome to Writers on Reading! You can expect a great author interview every Friday. Plus some fun drawing giveaways you won't want to miss during the month of June! So make sure you enter! Click here for scheduled interviews. Our goal is to present the books writers love, so through their interviews, you can get to know writers as readers too. (And hopefully find new favorites!) I remember a special thrill whenever I heard my favorite writers loved the writers I loved. Here, I hope you'll share my delight of discovery. I am arranging interviews and will soon be listing upcoming guests. If you have a question you'd like asked, or if you'd like to be guest, please use the contact form below. Thanks for visiting!

Friday, 11 December 2015

Writer Amanda Cabot On Christmas Reading



Amanda, welcome to my Christmas series of Writers on Reading. I’ve been looking forward to these interviews like—well, excuse the cliché—but a kid at Christmas! So with your recent Christmas story, “The Christmas Star Bride,” part of the 12 Brides of Christmas Collection, released October 1. What is your favorite part about a Christmas-themed story?

Like you, I’m a kid at heart when it comes to Christmas. I love the fact that, for most of us, this is the happiest time of the year. I also love knowing that for those who least expect it, it can be the season of miracles, a time to find peace and joy.

Beautifully said, Amanda! I don’t know about you, but many of us associate this season with traditional baking. I don’t think a Christmas novel would be complete without those special scents floating around in your head. What are your favorite Christmas goodies to read or write about?

Oh, yes, I definitely associate Christmas with baking. That’s why I included a special recipe at the end of Christmas Roses, my first Christmas novella, and why the heroine of “The Christmas Star Bride” is a baker. I’m not sure I have a favorite Christmas goody to read about, but there’s no question about my favorite to eat. It’s a special Christmas cookie that I associate with my childhood: date pinwheels.

Oooh, sounds delicious. What is on your Christmas fiction to-read list this year? And what is
your ideal Christmas reading experience?

This year’s list includes several books by Melody Carlson, who can always be depended on to give readers a heart-warming story that celebrates the wonder of the Christmas season. I also have a couple novella collections on my TBR pile, including A Log Cabin Christmas. Somehow, I missed that when it was first released.

For me the ideal Christmas reading experience is a story of ordinary people struggling to find happiness at this most wonderful time of the year. I’m particularly drawn to stories of people who—for one reason or another—don’t expect to have a merry Christmas but who find happiness against all odds.

Those are special. Thank you for sharing. Over the years, has any Christmas novel or novella really stuck with you that you’d like to share with our readers? And is there one you’re looking forward to rereading?

I started my Christmas reading early this year and was enchanted by Stephanie Grace Whitson’s “A Patchwork Love,” which is part of A Patchwork Christmas Collection. Stephanie is one of my favorite authors, and I think she’s outdone herself with this story. It has every element that makes a Christmas story special for me. This is one I’m planning to reread each year.

Well, that’s a recommendation! We’ll have to add it, and Christmas Roses to our lists—which, of course, already include the 12 Brides of Christmas Collection—don’t they, folks? Thanks for
visiting, Amanda. You can continue to connect with her at this link https://www.sff.net/people/amanda.cabot/.

With both parents avid readers, it's no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction, which included a play for her fifth grade class entitled "All About Thermometers," were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she's sold more than thirty novels under a variety of pseudonyms. When she's not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and - of course - reading. 


Christmas Roses: http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Roses-Amanda-Cabot-ebook/dp/B008B9HRA8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447893718&sr=1-1&keywords=amanda+cabot+christmas+roses

12 Brides of Christmas:  http://www.amazon.com/Brides-Christmas-Collection-Heartwarming-Historical-ebook/dp/B0159JAEZW/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Christmas Star Bride: http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Star-Bride-Brides-Book-ebook/dp/B00NVZW7PW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1447893831&sr=1-1&keywords=AManda+cabot+Christmas+star+bride

2 comments:

  1. Deirdre, thanks so much for inviting me to be part of your blog. I enjoyed our conversation.

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    Replies
    1. Amanda, it was a delight having you and sharing your Christmas Reading! :)

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