It’s the MOST wonderful time of the year – for reading Christmas novels, that is! With that in mind, I’m devoting this month’s column to two authors who have recently released absolutely delightful Christmas books that straddle the line between romance and women’s fiction, Susan Wiggs and Sheila Roberts. In a nod to the titles of their books, I’ve posed twelve questions that will help you know more about Susan and Sheila’s Christmas likes, traditions, disasters, and special memories. (There might even be a recipe in there!) But before we get to the Q&A, let me give you a little peek into these two charming, heartwarming holiday novels! THE TWELVE MONTHS OF CHRISTMAS by Sheila Roberts When three friends have horrible holiday fails, they decide to try again. And again. And again. And again, all through the year, trying to keep the holiday spirit alive. Through laughter and tears, they’re bound to find hope, love, and a happy ending after 12 months of Christmas. THE TWELVE DOGS OF CHRISTMAS by Susan Wiggs Hoping to escape Christmas–which has never gone well for her–newly-single Brenda volunteers to transport a vanload of rescued dogs of all shapes and sizes from Texas to a wintry town…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WELCOME TO BEACH TOWN 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A controversial commencement speech exposes a small beach town’s scandals and secrets, sending a young woman on a journey she never imagined. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love the beach, I’m really bad at surfing, and I like renovating old things…so I made my fictional character, Nikki Graziola, a world-class surfer who returns to the beach town of her youth to deal with the past she ran away from—a past that includes some derelict Airstream campers. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Totally. Nikki is super-cool, with her unusual background, her talent at surfing, and her passion for art and design. Plus, she likes to have Frito pie for dinner, and soft serve ice cream and cones of fried clams on the beach boardwalk. What’s not to like? 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Honest (painfully so which is what gets her in trouble in the first place. Athletic. Artistic. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That every town has its secrets. And that…

Hi, Susan! Welcome to Fresh Fiction! Please tell us about yourself and your new book, THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP. First of all, thank you for making this a fun conversation. You’re the first real person I’ve talked to all day, since I’m deep into my book-in progress. This is my favorite moment in the life cycle of a book–the moment it finds its way into readers’ hands. Suddenly it’s not my baby anymore. It belongs to the readers, the reviewers, the book groups, the librarians, and I can’t wait for them to read it. I wrote this book during a momentous year in my life. It reflects one of my sweetest fantasies–owning an independent bookshop. Even when I was a little girl, I used to imagine what it would be like to live in the garret of a creaky old building, above a bookstore that is a vibrant community center. The fantasy comes to life on Perdita Street in San Francisco’s historic district. Natalie Harper is a wine exec in Archangel, California (shout out to readers of The Apple Orchard and The Beekeeper’s Ball). She never planned on taking over her mother’s beloved but struggling bookshop. She never planned…

“How do you say goodbye to a piece of your heart? If you’re a quilter, you have a time-honored way to express yourself. “A quilt is an object of peculiar intimacy. By virtue of the way it is created, every inch of the fabric is touched. Each scrap absorbs the quilter’s scent and the invisible oils of her skin, the smell of her household and, thanks to the constant pinning and stitching, her blood in the tiniest of quantities. And tears, though she might be loath to admit it….” That’s a quote from the beginning of THE GOODBYE QUILT, a story about letting go, leaving home, and obviously, quilting. I am not a quilter, but I’m a quilt-appreciator. The background of the author photo for this book is a family heirloom quilt, which is about a century old, yet just as sturdy now as when it was stitched. A really good quilter knows how to make things that last. When my own daughter was leaving home, I made her a scrapbook. However, The Goodbye Scrapbook doesn’t resonate in quite the same ways as THE GOODBYE QUILT. In the novel, the narrator, Linda, creates her quilt from the bits and pieces…

February 2011 On Sale: January 25, 2011 Featuring: Elizabeth Wiggs; Susan Wiggs 240 pages ISBN: 0373892276 EAN: 9780373892273 Hardcover $21.95  Add to Wish List Non-Fiction Memoir, Humor Buy at Amazon.com A mom, a daughter and the most important day of their lives… How I Planned Your Wedding by Susan Wiggs, Elizabeth Wiggs Maas The all-true story of a mother and daughter surviving the happiest day of their lives Bestselling author Susan Wiggs literally wrote the book on happily-ever-after love. But orchestrating her daughter Elizabeth’s real-world wedding turned into a different story altogether, and one that takes two to tell—the mother and the bride. Here is the all-too-true tale of a mother and daughter collaborating on life’s ultimate celebration—a dream wedding. Often poignant, sometimes irreverent and always hilarious, this charming book is also packed with useful advice from both ends of the cupcake-tasting table. Join mother and daughter as they wade through the trenches of flowers and favors, grueling gown decisions…and the cold, cruel realities of a budget. With luck, love and loads of patience, they come out on the other side, bloodied but unbowed, replete with life lessons—and closer than ever before. Excerpt I was born to be a bride….

When you first sell a book, did you dream about going on tour? Did you imagine yourself putting on grown-up clothes, lipstick and new shoes to sally forth to meet your adoring public? Maybe you pictured yourself with a slick-looking Moonsus business tote slung jauntily over your shoulder, dashing from one bookstore to the next, leaving a trail of avid readers in your wake. Then one day-be careful what you wish for-you find yourself on a book tour. You’re going to bookstores and big-box stores, doing signing after signing. And grim reality sets in-the inhuman hour you have to get up to get to the airport in time for your flight. The soul-sucking lines and security measures at the airport. The dearth of media coverage, forcing you to confront the reality that no, the publication of a novel about a woman’s emotional journey to self-actualization is not exactly the news hook the papers have been looking for. Then there are the events themselves-the frighteningly empty seats at the readings, the painful absence of book-buying fans. The oh-shit expression on the bookseller’s face when she realizes no one is coming to buy a book. You’re asked where the bathrooms are, where…

Susan Wiggs was the Plano (Texas) book club’s author for our April get together. I was really looking forward to this month’s call because I had just read and enjoyed Susan’s latest book, Snowfall at Willow Lake. This is the fourth book in The Lakeshore Chronicles series, but don’t fear. Those of us who had read Snowfall at Willow Lake and not the other Lakeshore Chronicles did NOT feel like we had just landed in the middle of the series. We didn’t feel like we were missing any information nor were we trapped in a series summary for the first few chapters. The book truly stands alone…That’s not to say I don’t want more! But back to book club. Susan was super excited to be part of our book club. She had recently been to visit her publisher and been treated to the full Queen for day routine in Toronto and had not had a chance to rave about it to anyone. By Queen for a day routine, we’re talking about large flower bouquets, limo ride, 1st class seat during flight, 5 star meal out with publisher, etc. Of interest to Susan’s fans, the publisher expressed interest in a Lakeshore…

So I splurged a little on a dress for to wear to the tea. Never mind that I’ll only be there “virtually.” Sometimes the perfect dress is called for, even in cyberspace. And okay, I splurged on the shoes, too. And, um, the bag. As a working writer, 90% of my clothes are the kind of thing you wear to clean out the garage. The other 10% of my wardrobe looks more like this. And how did I earn this hot little number? See for yourself. This is a shot of me at a booksigning–yes, a booksigning–at a military base in Florida. The day was organized around an air show, and there were tables and booths set up in the hangars along the air strip. I found myself sharing a table with an army ranger and his pet, Roxanne the Snake. The ranger wanted me to hold his snake. I said no. I hid behind my tower of unsold books. He insisted, so I told him I would only hold his snake if I sold all these books. (I never sell out at a signing.) But people kept buying books, and I was down to 3, so the ranger bought…