Hi, Sarah! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband, two kids, and two cats. I’ve been a flight attendant for twelve years (My usual route: up and down the aisle. My favorite place to go: home). When I’m not writing, I’m probably procrastinating by taking a nap or watching TV (Current hyperfixations: Abbott Elementary, Taskmaster, Bob’s Burgers, Derry Girls). If there’s a record for my re-listens to Terry Pratchett audiobooks, I probably hold it.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

In elementary school. I had a fantastic librarian who fed my love of reading and parents who had to ask the question “How do you ground your kid from reading?”. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was writing Unicorns of Balinor and The Jewel Kingdom fanfic during writing time.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: On my own? The American Girl Doll books, specifically the first Felicity one because I was a new kid at my school and another girl told me I wasn’t allowed to check it out because it was a chapter book and I said “watch me”.
• The one that made you want to become an author: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Your latest novel, Who Needs Mistletoe?, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Charming, funny, witty, swoony, relatable.

What can readers expect?

A book that makes you feel the same way you do after watching a 90s rom-com. It’s fun and heartwarming. Readers get to dive headfirst into a second chance romance between former childhood neighbors who missed their chance all those years ago. It’s a story set during Christmas but it isn’t about Christmas. This is a slow burn that pays off (hint hint, wink wink).

Where did the inspiration for Who Needs Mistletoe? come from?

Movies! I really tapped into my love of cinema for this one. Major influences: The Family Stone, Sabrina (Harrison Ford), While You Were Sleeping.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

There’s a scene where Ivy (female lead) chases her parents’ cat Hastings through the snow in her mom’s bathrobe and the cat runs up the tree. Ivy decides to climb up after him and they both get stuck. Grant (male lead) happens to be leaving his parents’ house and rescues her and the cat from the tree. It’s peak rom-com.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

There was a period of time while writing this book where I was convinced I had been cursed by an Etsy witch. Any time I made any progress the first three months I was working on this book, something bad would happen. I got strep throat twice. My youngest got pneumonia. Our boy cat tried to shuffle the mortal coil by eating hair ties. We all got lice. I finally had to ask my best friend to fly in from Northern Ireland to meet me in Canada so I could write in a hotel room for a few days right before my deadline.

With the festive season drawing near, what are some of your favourite festive movies or books you like to turn to?

The Muppet Christmas Carol. I love it so much that I made it a centerpiece of the book.

Honorable Mentions: White Christmas, Elf, The Holiday, The Family Stone, While You Were Sleeping, When Harry Met Sally, The Year Without A Santa Claus.

What’s next for you?

I am working on the second Coeur-de-Lac/Underwood Sibling book.

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

I’m really looking forward to picking up Love Felt Like This by fellow Muppets enthusiast Julie Olivia and Isn’t He Romantic by Adib Khorram.

I did get peer pressured into joining the crawl and I’m on the third Dungeon Crawler Carl book.

Will you be picking up Who Needs Mistletoe? Tell us in the comments below!

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