It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas (Reads) GIVEAWAY: Royally Yours (+ guest post)

today’s book: royally yours by liz johnson

Christmas is only 13 days away according to Google (if we get to Dec 25th and we have days left over, blame Google, not me lol.), BUT now ’tis the season when I start craving cozy Christmas reads. (Okay – I crave them all year round but now’s when I can get away with talking about them LOL) This year I’m continuing my annual blog series spotlighting new and recently-released Christmas reads, and I’m super excited! Christmas books make me happy!

So… snuggle in, grab your fave hot beverage and comfiest blanket, turn on some Christmas tunes and start your own bookish Christmas list! Oh… and did I mention there are GIVEAWAYS with EACH POST in this series??!! (Because authors are awesome!)

Today’s featured book is a charming contemporary romance novella collection + author Liz Johnson talks about the trouble with writing a Christmas book!

ROYALLY YOURS
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance Collection
RELEASE DATE: November 5, 2019
PAGES: 520

Tinsel, Vermont is known for its no-paparazzi policy and Christmas decorations that are fit for a queen. This holiday season, join four royals on a stroll through town square as they each find their Christmas wishes for a happily-ever-after…tiaras optional.

One Royal Christmas by Melissa Tagg
In the wake of the worst year of his life, His Majesty Jonah Harrison Archer Davies makes the drastic decision to temporarily abdicate the throne and travel to Tinsel, Vermont, in hopes of finding the peace and privacy he needs to heal, discover his vision for his country . . . and somehow believe himself worthy of the crown. But when he meets charming librarian Rowan Bell,on a quest of her own to save Tinsel’s quaint cottage library, he’s more torn than ever before as duty to the crown collides with an enchanting Christmastime romance he didn’t see coming.

The Reluctant Princess by Betsy St. Amant
Princess Eleanor is weary of the protocol that comes with the crown, along with her lack of voice on causes she holds dear. She takes a holiday in the safety of Tinsel, Vermont, to determine her next steps–and certainly didn’t mean to fall for the average Joe assigned as her chauffeur. But Miles Channing isn’t so average, after all. He’s Liam Neal, part of the notoriously famous American Neal Family, and is hiding with secrets of his own.When Christmas comes and the truth shakes her life like a snow globe, Eleanor must decide once and for all where she’ll be standing when the snowflakes settle.

A Royal Wonderland by Liz Johnson
With his public break up still making tabloid headlines,Prince Andrew Tennesley hopes a few weeks in Tinsel will help the gossips move on and give him a chance to propose a program the people of his country need. When Andrew is left to decorate a home for Tinsel’s Christmas lights contest, he has to rely on pretty hardware store owner Charlotte Hudson for help. Charlie doesn’t mind hanging twinkle lights with him. She just isn’t interested in the spotlight. But as they set out to create a winter wonderland, Andrew has her wondering if she’s been hiding out in Tinsel too and missing out on the best gift of the season–love.

A Tinsel Holiday by Ashley Clark
Princess Beatrix has already met the love of her life. Two years ago, an American journalist named Tyler was assigned to write a feature story about her. But the twenty-four hours that followed changed the two of them forever. Now, Tyler has returned home to Tinsel and traded his career in journalism to run The Melody Inn. Though the quirky mayor and eccentric town traditions are a far cry from the world travels he once enjoyed,Tyler has settled into small-town life and made peace with the knowledge he will never see Beatrix again. But when an American tour brings Princess Beatrix to Tinsel, she and Tyler will have another twenty-four hours together and one more chance at love. Only this time, with gingerbread and mistletoe.

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Also available to read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

The Trouble with Writing a Christmas Book

by Liz Johnson, author of “A Royal Wonderland” in Royally Yours

A little over a year ago, I got a message from a couple of friends—Betsy St. Amant Haddox and Ashley Clark. They asked if I’d like to join them in a Christmas novella collection. About royals.

I could not sign on fast enough.

Betsy, Ashley, Melissa Tagg, and I spent almost a year talking about our fictional New England town—what would draw royals to it? What kind of characters populated it? What were their Christmas traditions? What made them unique?

We talked about the various businesses that lined Main Street and the town square where shenanigans would surely ensue.

I could not have been more blessed by my time brainstorming with them. But then then doubts set in.

Here’s the trouble with writing a Christmas book—you never actually get to write it at Christmas. I’ve written a few Christmas stories over the years. One I wrote in February. A few in the summer. And A Royal Wonderland in Royally Yours? I wrote that in September.

In Arizona September means flip flops, sunshine, and 100-degree weather. It’s not exactly conducive to fostering the Christmas spirit. And trust me when I say that my neighbors don’t take to me blasting Christmas carols almost four months before Christmas. I didn’t have time to decorate my home, and apart from turning my air conditioner down to 45, I couldn’t come up with any reason to cozy up in my favorite sweaters.

So how was I supposed to write a Christmas novella—one set in snowy, secluded New England at that—when I was stuck in the desert?

For about a chapter, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to write this story. It was too distant—too far from my actual situation. And I wasn’t sure my imagination could conjure something even close to Tinsel, Vermont. And that’s when I remembered that the heart of Christmas isn’t in the cold weather or snowy setting. I just had to tap into three things.

1. The joy of giving.
2. Creating shared memories.
3. The greatest love of all time.

I didn’t have to decorate my home or sip a cup of hot chocolate. I didn’t have to wear a pair of fuzzy slippers or snuggle up before a roaring fire. While I can include those wonderful moments in my story, the heart of a Christmas story is simply that—the heart of the season. It’s about sharing moments with loved ones old and new. It’s about giving from the heart. It’s about reflecting the love of God, who became man at Christmas.

When I finished my novella, A Royal Wonderland, I knew I’d included the things that make Christmas the most special to me.

A prince and a hardware store owner. A snow-covered gazebo in a small New England town. Laughter and family. All of them came together because I remembered what’s most special to me.

What makes Christmas special to you?

By day Liz Johnson works in marketing. She finds time to write late at night and is a Christy Award finalist and a two-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. Liz makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona where she enjoys theater, exploring local history, and doting on her nieces and nephews. She loves stories of true love with happy endings.

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Other Authors In Royally Yours

Liz Johnson is offering one of my readers a print copy of Royally Yours & a $10 Starbucks gift card! (US only) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What about you? What interests you most about Royally Yours? What makes Christmas special to you?