I wrote Hope Under Mistletoe for fun. I never had any intentions of publishing. I just wanted to sit down and write what I wanted with no constraints and I had never written a novella at that time and they were gaining popularity amongst readers. So I thought, I wonder if I can actually do that…write a super short story but make it feel like a longer book. I think I did. You be the judge!
When I decided to start a newsletter, Patched In, my agent suggested I give the novella away for free to subscribers. So I did! Then she told me to put it up on Amazon. So I did!
My favorite scene was the ice skating scene. While I worked that scene, I listened to Be Born in Me by Francesca Battistelli that is on the Soundtrack. It wasn’t the words, though they are beautiful but it was the musical score that gave me all the feels to write this scene. If you read the book, go back or think back and listen to the song. Do you feel it too?
This story came as a sort of joke. I told my good friend Susan Tuttle I wanted to write something just for me and at Christmas time. We got to playing around over text and we laughed at the fact that Eden Snow would fall for a bar owner, and take the church to the bar, but then it hit me…why not? We are the hands and feet of Jesus. Then the story just flowed! Praise God!
I wrote this story in less than a week sitting by my Christmas tree looking at the lights. It was wonderful! I didn’t have to rewrite any scenes, but I did tone down a few things Knox said and did because while I wanted him to be authentic to a man who was rowdy and unsaved, I didn’t want to offend readers.
I based a lot of Eden’s son’s mannerisms and voice, Eli, after my son who was the same age at the time.
It’s still my favorite novella to date…I think. But probably because I love Christmas and I love seeing people far from Christ come to Christ. It’s exhilarating!
