I’m so excited to have all 5 of the McKnight family books out this Saturday that I’ve set up a giveaway.

You can find the books here.

And you can enter to giveaway here.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy the final book in the series!

Happy reading,

Lucy

Dear Reader,

Did you have a favorite Christmas story when you were a kid?

I was lucky. My mom started a wonderful tradition that truly brought the spirit of the season every year.

Each night in December, we would read a Christmas story by candlelight.

There’s something magical about candles isn’t there? They chase away so much harshness and soften the edges of the world. 🕯

Anyway, we would light the candles and read a story. Some she’d collected from magazines or newspapers, others were xerox copies from friends or neighbors. One of my all-time favorite stories was of a little shepherd boy who, after seeing the Christ child, spent his life giving. As he grew up, he noticed he didn’t grow older–though he did grow a long white beard. As he grew more generous, including every child in the world in his Christmas Eve trek, his ability to give was increased through the Grace of God.

You guessed it, the little shepherd boy became Santa Clause.🎅🏻

Not all the stories were that deep. Some were just for fun. Like this one:

It’s a tribute to the 80’s and Santa and cows all rolled into one. You have to understand, my grandpa was a dairy farmer so cows were a part of life.🐄🐮 And this book SPOKE to me. 🙂

It’s a funny book that brings just enough silly into the holiday to make you feel like a kid again. I looked it up on Amazon today and it’s out of print. 😢I still have a copy of the book on my kids’ reading shelf. Maybe I’ll pull it out tonight, turn on the tree, and light a few candles and read them the magical story of “Santa Cows.”

Do you have a favorite Christmas story from when you were young? There’s so many classics out there!

A newer movie I discovered last year was “The Man Who Invented Christmas”. It’s about the writing of a Christmas Carol and it holds me captive every time I watch it. If you’re looking for a great show, that’s one I’d recommend.

If you have any movies or books that you’d love to share, leave a comment below.

Happy holiday reading,
Lucy

Dear Reader,

Picking a name for a character can be difficult. Not as hard as naming your children…but still. Spending time with these characters means you have to like what you call them.

Choosing side-characters’ names is much easier. I have a list of most popular baby names and I draw from it.

Main characters get a lot more attention.

For example, in the Marrying Miss Kringle series, each daughter’s name has a meaning that reflects either their physical appearance or their natural Kringle talents.

Robyn–The new bird of winter. Robyn is the first born and was suposed to be an only child. BUT, she was also supposed to be a boy. So, when she came out a girl, it was a surprise–like seeing the red breast of a robin.

Lux– Light. Lux Christmas Magic is made of light. Light is also knowledge. Lux is a smartie. Her addition to the family enlightened them that things were going to be very different.

Ginger– Spice. Ginger spiced things up when she was chosen to be the next Santa. Her spice is the kind that welcomes everyone into a warm home or soothes nerves after a hard day in the workshop.

Stella–Star. Like the star on the top of the tree, Stella draws the eye. She’s a charmer who works to bring Christmas cheer to one and all.

Frost–Fresh, white, pure. In this case, Frost was named because of her frosty white hair. But, it’s kind of misleading because she is the one Kringle who can tell a lie. She’s also the one Kringle who would never have the desire to mislead someone.

The other names in the series also have holiday connections. Gail Kringle is named after a neighbor I grew up with. Her husband is a full-time Santa and her birthday is on Christmas. She’s a wonderful woman and I couldn’t think of a better example of a Mrs. Kringle.

I hope this sheds some light on the process of picking names. In my latest release, One Tough Christmas Cookie, I named the female lead Faith, because she needed a dose of faith in her holiday. 🙂

What character names do you like best? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment below.

Happy reading,

Lucy

I remember the first time I heard someone say they didn’t like to read.

I was floored.

There wasn’t anything about reading that I didn’t love. The smell of paper as I turned the page. The feel of the ink–smooth on the rough page. The way I could curl around the book and have it all to myself. The fun of exploring different places, meeting new characters and having things go wrong but work out all right.

As a writer, I want to create books that bring happiness into the world. I feel like it’s only fair, considering the vast joy I’ve gotten from reading other authors’ works.

What have you read that made an impact on you as a child?

I’d love to hear about it! Drop me a comment below.

Happy reading,

Lucy

It’s snowing here.

Our first big storm of the winter. We may have “The Greatest Snow on Earth” but it doesn’t arrive until right before Christmas.

I’m totally in love with it though because I have 4 books on my Kindle just waiting to be read. Not to mention a cup of hot cocoa that’s calling.

I hope you have a great snow day–wherever you are. 🙂

Happy reading,

Lucy

Dear Reader,

I love reading reviews on my books.

For a long time, authors said, “Don’t read them. They’ll depress you.” Or, “Reading reviews stops your creative process.” For a long time, I believed them.

Then, one day, I had someone call me and say, “What are you doing? This reviewer says you’re changing up your style and aren’t writing Christian and family books anymore.”

I jumped on the computer and looked up the review, finding a whole lot of lies about my book, me as a person, and my pet parrot (which I don’t have.) I was concerned. What had I done to merit such an attack?

I quickly scanned the other reviews on the book and found that nothing like that was mentioned in any of the other reviews. Either this person didn’t read my book; or, they read another book and accidentally posted it on my page.

I went back and read the other reviews again. Just to be sure. What I found delighted me. Some of the reviewers had a wonderful turn of phrase. Some were short and quick, others long and detailed. It touched my heart that they’d taken time to think about my book after the last page–and to share their thoughts with other readers. To me, it was huge.

So, if anyone asks if I read reviews, the answer is YES! I love it. I love reviewers!

Here are a few samples of reviews left on my latest release, Snowed In at the Castle.

“I’m in love with this new book and series. I am delighted by the plot and the characters. Truthfully, I kind of wish the author would continue a new series based on this country and the inhabitants. **Cough, cough** It was a quick, fun read. It was a great happy ending and a good one to put a smile on your face!” ~Brandy Hatchel

Brandy, I hear you. 🥰 I thought about that while I was writing the book. The trouble is, I didn’t give Matteo any brothers or sisters old enough to get married. I could fast-forward time and write stories for his little sisters… Hmmm. It’s something to think about.

“Fun, quick read. Engaging.” ~Anonymous Kindle Customer

“I got a print-on-demand book and was a bit disappointed by the paper quality and in general the way it looked and felt. I expected a “real book”. I haven’t read it yet but I hope the plot is good.” ~GJ Rode

This makes me so sad. 😢 I don’t have any control over the print quality Amazon uses for their print-on-demand paperbacks. I’ve double-checked to make sure the cover is high-rez and ordered a copy for myself to see what’s going on. Thanks GJ for bringing it to my attention.

Thanks to everyone who has taken time to leave a review! I appreciate you!

I hope you all enjoy this fun Christmas romance. (You can pick up a copy here.)

Merry Christmas and Happy Reading,

Lucy

Sometimes, in order to get a book up for preorder, I use a temporary cover. Then, when I’m closer to release, I put up the actual cover from the designer.

The Reindeer Wrangler Ranch Book 1 was one of those times. 🙂

Check out the new cover, and enter to win some great prizes too.

Click here to enter to win.