New Book Release: The Daze Before Christmas

She fled her old life for a new one. Trouble is, she can’t remember why she ran.
 
Struggling artist Gwynn Sadler never planned to return to her hometown after escaping from a teenage tragedy nine years ago. She left everyone to believe she’d died, including the boy she loved, and buried painful memories in the process.
 
Such is the price for safety.
 
Then an unsettling encounter with a jolly old gentleman three weeks before Christmas triggers a hasty return to her mountain roots, where Gwynn collides with her former crush and wrestles against the dark secrets in her past.
 
Unable to immediately retreat to the security of her new life, Gwynn feels trapped. The Lord promises the truth will set her free, but how can she confront the very memories that might reveal a monster in the mirror?

An inspirational Christmas romance with a splash of intrigue and a dash of whimsy.

We here at the Storyteller Squad are celebrating! The Daze Before Christmas will be available in paperback and ebook on most major platforms on November 1st. While the plot wraps around mystery and is doused with romance, the characters wrestle through issues of faith and forgiveness. This book is both entertaining and soul-stirring. I chuckled at the flirty conversations, and I fussed and fretted when Gwynn remained blind to love. Yet, all her ups and downs lead to a wonderful ending.

One of our very own authors, Laurie Germaine, is a master at writing from a deep-point-of-view, which means instead of telling a story, she “shows” the story unfolding like a movie, letting the reader feel the characters’ emotions and experience the scenes as they play out. This is a clean romance with only a few kisses and some hand-holding. However, most female readers will swoon over Gwynn’s former crush, the down-to-earth, but strong and handsome Cash Cooper.

While there are a few references to a Santa-type character, The Daze Before Christmas unfolds in a contemporary setting. This differs from Laurie’s two other Christmas novels, Tinsel in a Tangle and Tinsel in a Twist, which include delightful elf characters and touches of fantasy. All three Young Adult books deliver cozy Christmas scenes and entertainment for older teens and adults of all ages.

Whether you want to read this for yourself or are pulling together a holiday gift list, The Daze Before Christmas can be special-ordered at any local bookstore, including Barnes & Noble, or click the link here for its listing on Amazon (the paperback option will show up on November 1st).

Wishing you many cozy moments for reading. Blessings Always!

Gretchen Carlson

A brief interview with Laurie:

What inspired you to write The Daze Before Christmas?

I’d had a WIP (work-in-progress) lounging in my laptop for years and years. It had gone through tons of revisions, but though I loved my characters and the chemistry between them, I had so many subplots that the story had become too long and overwhelming. I decided to pare it down and just concentrate on the main plot line. But after an initial burst of creativity, I quickly stalled out until God (I’m giving Him the credit, anyway) suggested to work around a Christmas theme. Anyone who knows me knows Christmas is my favorite subject. It’s not a struggle for me to think about cozy fires, warm blankets, and hot cocoa even in the spring and summer months. Christmas makes almost anything bearable.

Did your initial vision or major plot elements change during the writing process?

During this latest WIP-revamping, I had hoped to keep Gwynn’s true identity hidden from the reader until halfway through the book, but after feedback from those who initially critiqued my second draft, it became clear that was causing confusion for my crit partners and they felt distanced from my main character. So, I went back and changed the narrative and internal dialogue to allow the reader in on Gwynn’s secret from the beginning. Definitely a positive change!

If your readers could only remember one thing about your book, what would you want it to be?

I want them to know they can come to God with whatever is on their hearts. They don’t have to sound like a priest or pastor; they don’t need to stand on formalities. God knows what we’re thinking, and it’s very cathartic to just open up to Him, even when we’re angry with Him. (Yes, Christians get angry with God; it’s okay to be mad at Him—we just don’t ever want to stay mad at Him.) Be real with God; you won’t regret it, and it will deepen your faith.

If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring writers, what would it be?

Don’t hang on too tightly to your first manuscript(s). I know each novel represents months of time—sometimes years’ worth of work—but those first stories are how we cut our writing teeth and find our voices and hone our skills. Sometimes, they’re not for the world to see. Later on, we can choose to go back and rework an earlier story if we want (like I did with The Daze Before Christmas), but many times, we realize that those early stories are simply part of the learning process.

While driving through a stress-inducing snowstorm, Gwynn and Cash play a This or That game, so let’s play a few quick rounds with Laurie.

• Cats or dogs? Dogs
• Cash or gift cards? Cash
• Driver or passenger? Passenger, so I can work on my knitting projects. 😁
• Organized or messy? Um … organized clutter. 😬
• Casual or formal? Casual
• Rustic or modern? Rustic
• Camping or glamping? Glamping. I need my plumbing. 😂
• Attend a party or host a party? Attend, except around Christmastime … 😉
• Skill or popularity? Skill
• Predictability or excitement? Predictability (yes, the older I get, the more “boring” I become, haha!)