One of the best things about being part of Pelican Book Group (PBG) is getting to know other Christian authors. This week, I’m glad to introduce you to Carol James, a fellow author at PBG. She’s been an encouragement to me in my writing. I’ve read several of Carol’s books, and they are wonderful. I’m excited she’s here to share with you today.  She’s going to talk about her new Christmas novella, Redeeming Christmas. You can find my review at the end of the post.

Carol, can you tell us a little bit about where you got the idea for Redeeming Christmas?

 Ideas are everywhere. Each moment of every day is a possible storyline.

            Writers are always working. We can’t restrict our minds to working only between the hours of nine and five. We never know when a word, an image, an experience will prompt an idea for an upcoming novel. If I learn how to western dance, the heroine in my work in progress is suddenly Texas Two-stepping across the pages. Sometimes I go out to dinner with my husband, and I sneak a picture of a waiter because his face tells a story. He sparks a thought, a possible storyline.

            It was this imagination, this tripping across story ideas in my everyday life that nurtured the creation of a non-worldly heroine who believes adversity has placed her in a position where romantic love will never be a part of her life. And Olivia St. Madeleine, novelist, was born.

            She writes about love, but has none. She is always plotting and planning, constantly composing narrative in her mind. Since my writing style is fairly simple and direct, I had a really fun time composing flowery, romantic language for Livy to imagine.

            And then, of course, I needed a hero that had been wounded by life and romance, who was not at all looking for love, and Gabriel Winter (a fun name for a Christmas season hero) introduced himself. 

            And then God steps in and redeems their brokenness.

            I love writing romance, but not romance for romance’s sake. Redemptive Romance, stories that paint pictures of God’s sacrificial, redeeming love for us.

 I’ve had the same thing happen to me. A little snippet of conversation or an article in the news leads me to jot a note to include in a storyline. I love how your characters always experience a picture of God’s sacrificial love. That’s what makes your books so powerful. Let’s hear a little bit more about your newest book, Redeeming Christmas.

Novelist Olivia St. Madeleine is intrigued by a handsome and mysterious stranger she sees when she’s Christmas shopping. Who exactly is he, and what is his story?

Gabriel Winter definitely has a story. One he’s been running from for years. He’s renovating a house next door to a friendly and persuasive grandmother, who is, unbeknownst to him, Olivia’s Nana.

Through Nana’s insistence, Liv helps Gabe wallpaper and paint, and in return Gabe fulfills one of Liv’s secret childhood dreams.

But past hurts and secrets threaten to drive them apart rather than draw them together.

Will they find the courage to share their secrets with each other and with God, and allow Him to redeem Christmas?

And now, for an excerpt from Redeeming Christmas!

             Liv picked up the Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum Peppermint lotion from the seasonal display. Turning the bottle over, she pretended to read the back label, but she focused her attention on the male customer in the center of the store.

            The salesgirl stuck to him like a piece of chewing gum on the sole of a shoe in summer. Gooey and annoying.

            Liv couldn’t blame her, though. He was tall with dark brown hair, meticulously combed back from his forehead. His olive skin enhanced his cleft chin. He wore a charcoal gray wool suit with a white shirt, a red and navy striped tie, and black wingtip shoes. Maybe he was an attorney.

            Common sense told Liv to make her purchase and leave. Intrigue argued she should browse and gather more information. As “Jingle Bells” played over the speaker system, she ignored common sense and crept closer to observe.

            His brown eyes studied every move the clerk made, as if he were considering her as possible dating material. But that made no sense. Esscential Scents was a women’s store. Why would he be sizing up one woman while he was shopping for another?

            Because he wasn’t shopping. A policeman. Maybe he was an undercover cop posing as an attorney, trying to sneak some information out of the salesgirl. No, that couldn’t be right, either. So far, the sales clerk had done all the talking. But then again, the best investigators were good listeners.

            Miss Bubblegum rested a hand on his forearm while she gestured toward the mountainous display of home and body products in the center of the store. “And this is our most popular fragrance, Scent-uous. A wonderful choice to pamper that special lady in your life.”

            The man slowly stepped away and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, I—”

            The salesgirl turned and gestured toward the right-hand wall. “Or what about these? Air and Sun. Part of our new Earth Esscentials, all-natural collection. Very popular among the professional crowd.”

            His gaze focused on the clerk. In silence, he nodded.

            Liv recognized the look of panic in the girl’s eyes. When she was in college, she’d worked on commission in a clothing store. The clerk knew she was losing the sale. But what she didn’t know was that she wasn’t losing anything. Because it wasn’t a real sale.

            The girl turned toward the other side of the store. “Or how about…”

            Or a secret agent. Maybe he was a secret agent who’d ducked into the store to avoid the men who were following him, and he had no intention of buying anything. He was simply hiding. Liv glanced back over her shoulder. No fishy characters lurked outside the store entrance. But of course, professional spies looked just like a next-door neighbor. Nothing suspicious about them.

            James Bond spoke, minus the British accent, “Hey, thanks for your help, but I think I’d just like to browse a little…if that’s OK.”

            “Oh, sure. Of course. Enjoy looking around. I’m Candy, if you need anything.”

            And who would she be if he didn’t need anything?

            “Thanks, Candy. I appreciate your time.”

            As the chime signaled the arrival of a new customer, a new male customer, Candy dropped 007 like a sun-scorched rock and scooted across the store toward the entry.

            The spy wandered through the tables toward the display framed by evergreen garland and white twinkling lights on the left wall. His jacket was cut full enough to hide his shoulder holster. He slid his hands into his pants pockets as he pretended to study the lotions and perfumes stacked to the ceiling.

            This was her chance. Liv strolled up beside him. “Overwhelming, isn’t it?”

            He turned toward her. His brow wrinkled in surprise, and then a smile lit his face. “Sure is. Must be over a hundred different choices.”

            Curiosity fluttered her stomach. She’d get to the bottom of this. “So, are you shopping for anyone in particular?”

            “A friend.”

            “I see. A good friend?”

            He pursed his lips and looked far away as he constructed his cover story. He leaned his head to the side. “Not yet. But I’m working on it.”

            A vague response.

            She nodded. “Age?”

            “Mine?” He raised his eyebrows and grinned.

            Trying to distract her with humor. A good ploy. “No, your lady friend.”

            “Whoa, there. I’ve learned never to try and guess a lady’s age.”

            Slick. “I can suggest some general scents that would be popular with most women, but if you could give me a ballpark age, I can point you toward some that might be more appropriate.” She picked up a bottle of shower gel from the display in front of them. “For instance, this Cotton Candy scent would not go over well with a mature woman.”

            As he removed his hands from his pockets, his brown eyes sparkled. “You’re right. OK. Seventy. Ish.”

            “Seventy? Ish? Really?”

            He nodded.

            “Then this”—she returned the Cotton Candy gel to the display—“would be completely wrong. What you want is a classic scent.” She led him across the showroom to the back corner. Liv gestured toward the left side of the display like a gameshow hostess. “Lavender. In fact, that’s why I came into the store. To buy some as a Christmas gift for my grandmother.” She grasped the tester and spritzed some of the perfume onto a card. Then she waved it through the air for him to smell. “My nana loves it.”

            He smiled. “Soft and old-fashioned. Classic.”

Thanks, Carol. It’s a wonderful story, perfect for this time of year.

Readers, see below where to purchase Redeeming Christmas and learn more about Carol and her other books.

Pelican: https://bit.ly/3okBD0z

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dNAyJG

B&N: https://bit.ly/32giEdR

Google Books: https://bit.ly/2JtjzkA

APPLE BOOKS: https://apple.co/3qbShjN

Goodreads: Carol James

Bookbub: Carol James

Social media links:

www.carol-james.com

Facebook.com/CarolJamesAuthor

Thanks so much for sharing with us, today, Carol, and Merry Christmas. Thanks, readers, for stopping by to learn more about a wonderful Christian author. Happy reading!