I’m so excited to have Mary Pat Johns chatting with me today!
Christina: What is your book called?
Mary Pat: Lighting Up Christmas
Christina: When was it released?
Mary Pat: It released September 29, 2026 It’s a collection of four Christmas novellas by different authors.
Christina: Can you share you blurb with us?
Mary Pat:
In Lighting Up Christmas, four heartwarming holiday romance novellas shine with cozy charm, clean romance, small-town warmth, and the gentle reminder that God can bring light to even the dimmest season.
Christina: What inspired you to write this book?
Mary Pat: I always wanted to be part of a novella collection, and getting to write a Christmas story was an extra bonus.
Christina: What’s your favorite part of your writing process?
Mary Pat: Revising my first draft until it checks all the boxes for the story I wanted to write.
Christina: Can you share any challenges you faced during the research or writing process?
Mary Pat: It’s a Christmas novella, but I wrote the draft during summer. I’d done the research, but it was hard to get into the Christmas spirit when it was toasty outside. LOL
Christina: How do you develop your characters? Do they come to you fully formed, or do they reveal themselves as you write?
Mary Pat: They’re pretty quiet. I have to dig deep to find out who they are, especially the main characters. Even then, they reveal themselves, kicking every step of the way. There are a couple of notable exceptions.
Christina: If you could give one piece of advice to budding creatives, what would it be?
Mary Pat: Hang in there! This is going to take longer and be harder than you think.
Christina: What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
Mary Pat: Perhaps some insight into people who have birthdays on or around Christmas. And just a fun, light reading experience.
Christina: Now for some fun! What is your favorite snack to get your creative juices flowing?
Mary Pat: I rarely snack when I write, but I love sweet coffee or green tea.
Christina: What childhood story has stuck with you through adulthood?
Mary Pat: One day my dad brought home a tarantula. He poked at it with a stick on the back porch to make it jump. It scared my brother and me, but we loved it, too. Later that week, I was running through the yard and stepped on the tarantula’s cold, lifeless body. Scared me all over again. I gave that corner of the porch a wide berth ever after.
Christina: Yikes. I might never have walked back on that porch again! What book are you reading right now?
Mary Pat: Sanctuary and Sabotage by Lori DeJong.
Christina: If you could have dinner with any author, living or deceased, who would it be and why?
Mary Pat: It would be Laurel Blount. She’s a writer friend I’ve never met in person, but I adore her, and her stories are wonderful.
Christina: You just won free tickets to anywhere in the world! Where are you going? And who are you taking?
Mary Pat: We just returned from an Alaskan cruise, and I’d go back in a heartbeat. None of the pictures do justice to that part of the country.
Christina: Are you a Plotter or Pantser?
Mary Pat: A bit of both. I have a skeleton of the plot and a reasonable grip on the main characters, but getting the story fleshed out is where the pantser technique comes in. The characters say and do things that surprise me, and the plot goes places I hadn’t intended.
Thank you, Mary Pat, for joining me today. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you better!
Mary Pat lives in South Texas with her husband and their two dapple dachshunds. Her grown children and five grandchildren are useful sorts who keep her grounded with her reading/writing obsession. You can find her at the gym, at her computer, or reading a good book. She’s written a column for her local newspaper, stories for Chicken Soup for the Soul, and a contemporary romance series, Romance in Valiant.
To connect with Mary Pat, check out these links:
FB link: https://www.facebook.com/marypatjohnsauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marypatjohnsauthor/
Website: https://www.marypatjohns.com
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-pat-johns
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/marypatjohnspin/_saved/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/43636180.Mary_Pat_Johns