Christmas Treat Interview Series:
His Holiday Family by Margaret Daley
How did this project come about?
I grew up in Biloxi, Mississippi where over the years several hurricanes have struck. I wanted to show a town going through a hurricane and how they can pull together to rebuild.
Is your book part of a series or a compilation? Any advice for writers who are collaborating on a project?His Holiday Family isn't a collaborating project. It is a series I have written for Love Inspired, but I have taken part in quite a few continuity series for Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense. My advice is be flexible and willing to give and take on the formulating of the stories. Brainstorm with the other writers. It can be fun.
What is the theme of your novel or novella? How did you tie Christmas into the story? How did you go about choosing a theme for this story?
The theme is forgiveness which is often a theme in my books. It is hard to do in real life but important. Gideon, the hero, has never been big on celebrating Christmas. He usually works on Christmas and letting the firefighters with a family have the day off. Kathleen teaches him the importance of Christmas. He teaches her to forgive.
What is your best advice for writers working on a seasonal novel or novella? Did you set a mood as you wrote in order to get into the Christmas spirit? Did you write it at Christmastime in past years, or during the hot summer months? ;)
I have written Christmas stories at all times of the year. I love the spirit of Christmas. I'm the lady who will listen to Christmas music all year long.
What are you hoping readers take away from your story? How will your story minister to readers? How can writers help their readers glean the takeaway?
Kathleen had a hard time forgiving her husband. He blamed her for everything. When he died, Kathleen discovered that he had put the family into debt. With two children, she struggled to make ends meet. So often we immerse ourselves in anger at another and can't forgive them. It is hard to move on when that happens.
Thank you for visiting Seriously Write! We wish you all His best this Christmas season and always.
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Margaret Daley, an award-winning author of seventy-five books, has been married for over forty years and is a firm believer in romance and love. When she isn’t traveling, she’s writing love stories, often with a suspense thread and corralling her three cats that think they rule her household. To find out more about Margaret visit her website.
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About the book:
About the book:
His Holiday Family
When Hurricane Naomi tears through a small Mississippi town, a daring rescue unites two heroes. Nurse Kathleen Hart is a single mom racked by guilt over her husband's death. Firefighter Gideon O'Brien—orphaned as a young boy—has lost too many people he cared for. To rise above the storm's devastation, Gideon helps Kathleen and her sons rebuild their home. As Christmas approaches, they discover that even the strongest of storms can't destroy a romance built on the foundation of faith.
