Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Holiday Madness by Jenn McKinlay

JENN McKINLAY: When I saw the release date for my new romantic comedy THE CHRISTMAS KEEPER,  I winced. Okay, I also cursed -- just a little. As a lover of all things Halloween - my favorite holiday - it physically pained me to have a Christmas book out on OCTOBER 29th. It felt like my publisher was saying, "Yes, we want you to promote your  Christmas book, while gnawing a turkey leg, dressed in your Halloween costume." Ugh.

It's holiday madness, I say!



"McKinlay (The Good Ones 2019) once again serves up her signature literary cocktail of sassy humor and sexy romance expertly spiked with a surfeit of small town charm and holiday cheer." --Booklist (starred review)

But today is Nov 5th and the book has been out for a week. Let's hope it did well. I did promote it online and such, but I just couldn't make myself post about it here before Halloween. It's like wearing white shoes after Labor Day - no, no, no. Yes, I know that's old school but I'm from Connecticut and my people are rather inflexible about these things. Plus, white shoes scuff easily and they make your feet look big, just sayin'.  

So, happy book birthday - plus one week - to me! The Christmas Keeper is my first book set at holiday time and I pillaged my personal life and took all of the  things I enjoy about the holidays, including movies, baked goods, ice skating, and ugly Christmas sweaters and poured them into the book. Yes, my fam enjoys the odd competitive ugly Christmas sweater competition. It's great fun, plus there's a cash prize.

Spolier: The nephew and his gal with the exploding
reindeer won (she made their sweaters!).



Another subplot in The Christmas Keeper taken from my own life is orphaned elephant adoption. Where did that come from you ask?

Well, a few birthdays ago, Hub asked me what I wanted. I said an elephant, because of course I did. Hub and I live a fairly modest life and we've reached an age where we don't need  things as much as we want to make a difference in the world. Thus, Hub and the Hooligans went forth and adopted three elephants for me from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust -- Esampu, Shukuru, and Maktao. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a gift so much as I get to watch them growing up online -- Maktao is a total scamp!




Naturally, when it came time to write The Christmas Keeper, I knew I was going to incorporate ugly Christmas sweaters and orphaned elephant rescue as plot points, significant ones, but how? Well, if I tell you, it will give it away! You'll just have to read it to find out!

As you can see, real life impacts my fiction in many ways, big and small. What about you, Reds? How much of your plot lines come from real life? And, Readers, what story lines have influenced your lives in significant ways? 



True love and holiday cheer combine for an unforgettable romance in this second Happily Ever After novel featuring a North Carolina bookstore from the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Ones.

All he wants for Christmas…
The second Joaquin Solis saw Savannah Wilson, he knew she was destined to be his wife. Unfortunately, Savannah’s sights are set on a happily-ever-after of another kind: skewering the boss who got her fired. Until then, she won’t act on the scorching sexual chemistry that is brewing between them, leaving Joaquin scrambling to find a way to capture her heart. 

When the opportunity arises to use his ranch to boost Savannah's publicity career, Joaquin doesn’t hesitate to invite her into his world at Shadow Pines and woo her with all of his Christmas loving mojo. It’s a gamble since the holidays aren’t really Savannah's thing and helping her might also mean losing her as she plans to shake the dust off of their quaint town in North Carolina and head back to New York City the first chance she gets. 

But Joaquin believes in the magic of Christmas and he knows with a little help from his friends at the Happily Ever After Bookstore, he can convince the woman of his dreams that he’s a keeper…







53 comments:

  1. Congrats on the new book. I can see ugly sweaters working their way into a Christmas book easily, but elephants have me stumped since you aren't talking a white elephant gift exchange.

    If it makes you feel any better, I've been reading new Christmas cozies since September. Got to get them published early so people have time to read them during December. Ironically, even the Christmas books I save for December round up being read in late November so I can review them during December. If I actually waited until December to start them, they would probably be reviewed around Christmas week, too late for anyone else to read them this year.

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    1. That does make me feel better, Mark! Is it Vicki Delany’s series that you’re reading? I love those books!

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    2. Actually, Vicki's was set at Thanksgiving. But Laura Bradford, Julie Anne Lindsey, Leigh Perry, James Patterson, Connie Berry, the Christmas Cocoa Murder novella collection, and Meg Macy all had Christmas books that beat you. Julie Anne's came out the same day as yours. And I was reading James Patterson's 19th Christmas on Halloween.

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  2. Congratulations on your newest book, Jenn . . . the rescued orphan elephants have definitely piqued my curiosity!

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  3. I love those ugly sweater pix! How fun that you worked that into the book.

    I've certainly used my experiences with organic farming and working in the childbirth field to inform two of my protagonists. Have also drawn on both my sons' knowledge about bicycles and that sport for two other protags. I've never owned a restaurant or a bike shop, but hey, that's where research and imagination come in!

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    1. Exactly! I don’t want to work that hard - restaurant ownership - but I love the idea of owning a restaurant!

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  4. Jenn, I love this essay in every way. And no wonder you are creative, with relatives making their own exploding reindeer sweaters! xox

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  5. I hate walking into a store and seeing the Christmas stuff inching its way onto the shelves and displays already, so I can understand your hesitation about your release date. On the other hand, I know what I'm getting my sister for Christmas now!

    P.S. Love the photos!

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    1. Exactly - Christmas trees in August are NOT ok! An elephant, right? They really make superb gifts!

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  6. Hurray Jenn! And I agree with Flora… Now all of our Christmas gift problems are totally solved! And you know what, seriously, for years this @holiday creep” has been happening, and I’ve decided just to embrace the whole holiday thing… It’s all holidays, all the time, and that’s all good. But still… No Christmas music until after Thanksgiving.
    Still floating from seeing all of you in Dallas… It’s very quiet here at home. And I keep looking for people with conference nametags.
    And congratulations, Jenn! You have done it again!
    .

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    1. Thanks, Hank! I have teenagers so it’s not quiet here. Would you like to borrow the hooligans? Seriously, free to a good home!

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  7. congratulations on your new release! It was humbling when my daughters called from college, asking me to ship them my Christmas sweaters and sweatshirts for an "ugly" party. Now one of them runs Christmas road races, complete with ugly hats and high socks over her runners' tights.

    NEWS FLASH: Trader Joe's just received their annual shipment of sipping chocolate. It's sublime, and in short supply.

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    1. Thanks for the heads up! You had me at chocolate and sublime!

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  8. Congratulations, Jenn! Love, love. love the idea of supporting baby elephants! Just on general principles I don't read Christmas-themed books in December. That's when I like to read beach books. But I bet come next summer I will really enjoy your book!

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    1. You are hilarious!!! But I totally get it. When it’s 110 in August, I need snow more than now.

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  9. Congratulations on the new release! I love an ugly Christmas sweater competition. Oddly enough, so does The Girl.

    I drew on my grandmother's experience at Bell Aircraft during WWII as inspiration for my new historical mystery series.

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    1. It certainly helps to have interesting relatives when you’re a writer! Great to see you at BCon!

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  10. Until I started hanging around with authors (in a manner of speaking), I read whatever whenever. It didn't make any difference if I read a Christmas-themed book or a winter-set book in April or July. I just enjoyed reading them if they were good. And I still don't pay much attention to the setting, unless by coincidence I read a story set in the current time. Last week, for instance, I happened to read Brunonia Barry's The Fifth Petal. When I chose it I had no idea it was set at Halloween.

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    1. Meant to add that I am pretty sure I'll enjoy this new book, Jenn, no matter when I get to read it! It sounds like a fun read.

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    2. Thanks, Karen! You’re a peach to be so kind!

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  11. On October 29 I came home from to find an Amazon package on my doorstep. I didn't remember ordering anything from Amazon, but I didn't think anybody would send me a package bomb, so I opened it. What a surprise to find that I'd thought far enough ahead to pre-order The Christmas Keeper to arrive on the pub date! It's on top of my TBR stack, and I'm eager to start. I will read holiday books all year round.

    My first novelette is coming out at the end of the month--an urban fantasy that involves music and magic and deals with the devil, so clearly I have drawn on my real life for the plot points. After all, you write what you know.

    It was great meeting you at Bouchercon!

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    1. Where will your book be available? It sounds like a great combination of elements to make a fascinating story.

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    2. You can check for it on Weird Sisters Publishing--the website or on Facebook. I'm not sure it's kosher to post the url here, but the Facebook page has a link to a tiny preview.

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    3. Thank you, Gigi! I happen to love urban fantasy, so I'll be ordering your novelette. It was delightful meeting you, too!

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  12. Happy belated book birthday!
    If you'd like an alpaca or a water buffalo for Christmas this year, investigate Heifer International, which has been providing farm animals to impoverished families around the world for 75 years. Heifer also provides community development training and education -- especially for women and girls. Last year my grandchildren chose the animals they wished to donate -- a share of an alpaca, a pig, and a heifer, honey bees, ducks, and chickens. I think they're looking forward to choosing more animals this year!

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    1. I love Heifer International! Annually, since the hooligans were little, we collect our pocket change all year and then every spring, we donate bees and chicks (we haven't saved enough for a water buffalo) to villages in need.

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  13. Jenn, I love your blog posts but your books even more! Seriously: elephants?! ReaderKay, thanks for the pointer - what a great idea! Adopt an alpaca or a water buffalo!

    And of course my story lines do come from my life. How could they not? I'm married to a packrat, and though HE'S NOT IN THE BOOK (Careful What You Wish For) his stuff is. His collections of postcards in a fleet of oak library book card catalogue boxes; his WWI vintage fans. His... If only there were a way to ADOPT yard sale finds and appreciate them from afar while someone else stores them.

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    1. Hub collects guitars...I hear you, sister. Adopt a guitar - that totally works for me.

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  14. Congrats Jenn! As for the forever growing Christmas season, stop! Hallmark started in October. That is so wrong. My son came home from work last night and declared he was now officially in hell. The store is playing Christmas music now.

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    1. Ack!!! One month is enough for music and all of it. It's like elections, could we please start three months prior? This two years of campaigning is ridonkulous!

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  15. Jenn, congratulations on the Christmas Keeper! I am adding this to my Christmas reading list. I do not start Christmas until after Thanksgiving, though I admit that I still have some Christmas decor on my mantle ALL year. Like the Kathy Ireland character in a Hallmark movie about Santa Claus' daughter, I would like to celebrate Christmas all year around in little ways. Otherwise, I focus on Halloween, then Thanksgiving. I like to send out Christmas cards the day after Thanksgiving.

    Regarding storylines that made a difference in my life, I cannot recall the exact lines, though I recall the books. I loved The Little Engine that Could, a children's book when I was little. I remember wanting to eat custard after reading Winnie the Pooh. There are many wonderful books that I have read over the years that made me think about certain things.

    There was a teen series that I loved until they killed off my favorite character, who was a lot like me. I felt like the Will Ferrell character in the movie Stranger than Fiction. LOL. I was so mad that I stopped reading the novels. That series did not last long. I think that is the only book I gave a one star review on Goodreads. That series was created by one person then written by several people on a team.

    Diana

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    1. And now I want custard. Childrens books really do change lives, I think. When I was a misfit tomboy, I found my way in Nancy Drew's sidekick George. Maybe that's why i named my cat George, although he is a dude. Hmm. I must think on this. And yes, if they'd killed off George, I'd have had issues, too.

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    2. Exactly! I loved Nancy Drew novels too.

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  16. Huge congrats on The Christmas Keeper, Jenn! If I had an ounce of sense, I'd have pre-ordered it before book tour and Bouchercon. But as it is, I ordered it this morning and am crossing fingers it will come before I leave for England tomorrow afternoon. And, yes, I know I could have bought it on Kindle, but I love the cover so much that I wanted to enjoy looking at it as I read.

    Oh, and the exploding reindeer sweaters totally win!! Your family is so clever!

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    1. Have an amazing trip, Debs! Do post pictures while you're away. Next time I'm coming with you - or at least visiting :)

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  17. PS One bit of early Christmas I don't mind--I think the Christmas lights will be up in London!

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  18. Deborah, did you see the movie The Holiday with Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law? Have a wonderful trip to England.

    Diana

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    1. This film is one of my favorites

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    2. I love that movie! I think Kate Winslet and Jack Black are adorbs!

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    3. Danielle, this movie is one of my favorites too!

      Jenn, Kate and Jack are adorbs!

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  19. Holiday madness is right. Some stores had Christmas decorations and items in the middle of October. It just seems wrong to me, who grew up in the Fifties when Christmas wasn't even a thought until after Thanksgiving, or even mid December. Bah.

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    1. As a mom with a kid with a mid-Dec birthday, I really wish they'd dial it back. People have other stuff, you know? So, I agree, 100%.

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  20. Happy first week birthday book. I love the magical Christmas books and will download this one. But only for reading in December.

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    1. Thank you!!! Yes, do wait. It's not going anywhere! :)

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  21. Congratulations on the new book, Jenn. The Christmas Keeper sounds like a keeper indeed. I love to have a few Christmas books for the season, and yours will be one. Debs, I remember you said you had a short turn-around before heading off to England after Bouchercon, and, wow, you do. I can't wait to see your photos from there.

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    1. Me, too! London’s holiday lights!!! A must share.

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  22. I don't make an effort to read holiday books on those holidays. I'm more interested in keeping the series in order. I'm reading The Christmas Keeper now.

    Agree on not starting Christmas too early. I tried to watch a Hallmark Christmas movie a few weeks ago and couldn't do it. Hopefully I can catch it later. With Christmas movies on 2 Hallmark channels, Lifetime, Netflix, and some other channels that I usually don't watch, I'm sure I can find some to watch in December!

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    1. I have not watched any Xmas movies...yet! Thanks for reading the book! You’re a love!

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  23. I'm sorry I skipped the most important thing: congratulations on your forthcoming book! I hope it sells a million and its the top of the charts!

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