Last Friday, I got to do something very special. I returned to the campus where I attended college and spoke to a class of English majors. This made me so happy.
You see, years ago, when I was a student, another author came to speak to one of my classes. And she became a mentor, steering me in the right direction, and helping me meet people who would later become my publishers. And since becoming a published author, I have so many other authors help me figure things out and learn. I wouldn't be where I am today without all those people who shared their knowledge and experience. To be able to share at least a little of that with others is an amazing feeling.
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When I think of Christmas, two flavors come to mind. Peppermint and gingerbread.
I'm sure some people want to include eggnog in there too, but it's not one I prefer. Needless to say, when writing a Christmas novel, there was going to be some seasonal flavors mixed in. Of course, I don't think I realized Trudy was going to run away with one of them. That's right. My characters sometimes take over my stories. You see, Trudy loves peppermint. To the point that she puts it in her hot chocolate and her coffee. And her truffles. And decorates in that theme too. She just can't help herself. Today, I'm introducing you to one of my publishing family. Debbi Migit has some really neat stories to tell, and I think you're going to enjoy getting to know her. Make sure you read all the way to the end to learn more about her newest book, releasing this month. Debbi, congrats on the release of the third book in your series. What made you start writing mysteries?
I wrote my first mystery in 7th grade. Every day I sat by the window in math class staring at an abandoned house across the railroad tracks. I wrote a story about thieves using the house as a base to move stolen merchandise. They placed an old flower pot on the right side of the front porch and when they had items to sell, they moved the pot to the left to alert their buyers. Hopefully, my plotting has improved since then! I know you live in Illinois, so why did you choose to set your series in Montana? I wanted to write a contemporary story set near an abandoned gold rush town. When I discovered Bannack. Montana, I knew I was home. Dillon, Montana is a real town about thirty minutes down the mountain from Bannack. I anchored the fictional town of Justice between those two places. The more I learn about Montana the more I would love to live there. I’ve always been a cowgirl at heart and mountains are my happy place. I’m hoping to visit the area soon, for research, of course 😊 When I started writing Mama Dated Santa, I didn't have a ton of direction. Mostly what I knew was the title and that my main characters were both well, not into the holiday spirit. But as I got to know Trudy, I realized she had been at one point. Then, I just had to figure out what ruined it for her. Of course, with her mom being a widow, it was pretty obvious it was going to have something to do with her dad.
Okay, so then I started exploring her relationship with her Dad. Sure, he loved Christmas. But what made it so special to do Christmas with him? Then, she let me know about their bucket lists. (Yes. My characters talk to me.) So, what is a holiday bucket list? Tomorrow is Halloween. Also known as Nanowrimo Eve.
Is it not also known as that in your house? Hm. Well, in my house, it means I'm gearing up to finally write a new story. With four books releasing this year (a blessing, yes, but a lot too), I haven't had time to finish writing anything. Not even a novella. So, I'm claiming November for myself. I will participate in Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) for the first time in several years, and I will write a new book. At least, that's the plan. By now, you've probably heard quite a bit of my story about how I came up with Mama Dated Santa. How my mother-in-law dated a guy in college who grew up to be Santa now. She probably never even knew about it because we didn't find out until after she'd passed away.
Funny enough, though, she LOVED all things Santa. These pictures are just part of her collection that she'd get out every Christmas. Ornaments, knick-knacks, a wreath, even a big shelf-sitter. They ranged from cute to classic and every style in between. And every time I see a Santa, I think of her. Just no helping it. The very first Christmas after my mother-in-law passed away, I was setting the table and put out one too many plates. I was so used to setting one for her, as well, that I naturally just counted to that number. And when I realized what I had done, I had to stop for a minute. Because the pain was raw. It's been six years. I no longer set the wrong amount of plates at the table, but I still have those moments when I stop and blink a few times and have to catch my breath. Because I still miss her. Grief is real. And it doesn't really go away. It just isn't as sharp after a while. It dulls just enough to be able to catch you off guard, in my opinion. Last year was the first time my father-in-law had put out most of my mother-in-law's Santa collection. And it just made it feel like a part of her was still with us. My first book will officially be 6 years old in two weeks. November 1, 2017 was when An Unexpected Legacy was "birthed." If you had told me back then that I would be able to have 12 more books release over the next six years, I would've thought you were crazy. That's an average of two books a year. And when I got started, they were coming out about every year and a half.
But whether I'd believe it or not, number 13 releases tomorrow. Not only that, but it's my first full-length Christmas novel. A trope I didn't think I'd ever want to write. Come to think of it, I've done several things I didn't think I would write a series. But I enjoyed my roadtrip trilogy and have another series in my head. Just need to find time to write three more novels to go with the first. And now, a Christmas novel. A toy store at Christmas. Sounds frenetic, doesn't it? Definitely busy and chaotic.
But not Russo's Toy Emporium. Not at the beginning of Mama Dated Santa, anyway. Instead, it's suffering the fate of many brick-and-mortar stores today, losing business and unable to keep up. That's why, when Trudy walks in on Black Friday, she's blown away by the lack of customers ... and the poor dilapidated Christmas tree in the Santa section. But it's not her responsibility to help such a mess. Not until her Mom gets her involved, that is. When you think Christmas story, you probably think somewhere up north, where there's at least a chance of snow. Why would anyone set a Christmas story smackdab in the middle of Texas? If they get any cold precipitation, it's more likely than not going to be ice.
And yet, that's where my story, Mama Dated Santa, is set. Why? Well, I have several reasons. The first is, I didn't set it in Temple to begin with. Are you confused? Hang with me. I'll explain. When I first wrote it, I set it in Waco. Thanks to some famous HGTV stars, that town has become quite known over the last few years. And I love how they're revamping their downtown area. It was perfect. Except it was just a bit bigger than I needed. |
This is a place for me to tell you about what I'm writing, talk about the process or where some of my ideas came from, or even have other authors come in and talk about their books.
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