I adore Christmas. I love snow and twinkle-y lights, and hearing holiday songs on the radio. I love warm gingerbread cookies, Advent calendars filled with German chocolate, and crying while watching It’s A Wonderful Life. But one of my favorite things about the holidays is putting up my Christmas tree.

Thing is, I have a lot of Christmas ornaments. I’m talking hundreds. Possibly a thousand? Let’s just say too many. Some of them are nostalgic, and a few of them are from my childhood. I’m American, but my father was in the U.S. Army, so I was born in Germany and lived in Europe for several years; I still have an ornament that I begged my mother to buy when we were on vacation in Rotterdam. Many of my ornaments are vintage or they look vintage—like my blown glass movie-theatre popcorn bucket, atomic robots, and sushi plate. There are even a few bizarre ones: shrunken head, oyster-shell mermaid, Crazy Cat Lady. (Keep Christmas weird!)

I never meant to accumulate so many, but one Wizard of Oz flying monkey led to another, and now I’m knee-deep in glitter, baubles, and tin soldiers. I promised my husband I wouldn’t buy another ornament—not a one—so I suppose I’ll need to cherish what I have. I mean, I really don’t need that 1940s one-eyed turkey, or that hand-painted Dracula ornament from Etsy. Right…?

Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett
Published by Simon Pulse on April 16, 2019
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After an awkward first encounter, Birdie and Daniel are forced to work together in a Seattle hotel where a famous author leads a mysterious and secluded life in this romantic contemporary novel from the author of Alex, Approximately.

Mystery-book aficionado Birdie Lindberg has an overactive imagination. Raised in isolation and homeschooled by strict grandparents, she’s cultivated a whimsical fantasy life in which she plays the heroic detective and every stranger is a suspect. But her solitary world expands when she takes a job the summer before college, working the graveyard shift at a historic Seattle hotel.

In her new job, Birdie hopes to blossom from introverted dreamer to brave pioneer, and gregarious Daniel Aoki volunteers to be her guide. The hotel’s charismatic young van driver shares the same nocturnal shift and patronizes the waterfront Moonlight Diner where she waits for the early morning ferry after work. Daniel also shares her appetite for intrigue, and he’s stumbled upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—might be secretly meeting someone at the hotel.

To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell…discovering that most confounding mystery of all may be her growing feelings for the elusive riddle that is Daniel.

Jenn Bennett is an award-winning author of several young adult books, including: ALEX, APPROXIMATELY; STARRY EYES; and SERIOUS MOONLIGHT. She also writes romance and fantasy for adults. Her books have earned multiple starred reviews, won the RITA® Award, and been included on Publishers Weekly Best Books annual list. She lives near Atlanta with one husband and two dogs. Visit her at www.jennbennett.net.

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In Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas, I combine two of my favorite themes: found families and gift giving. Growing up, Camille’s tiny family never celebrated holidays, and she continued this tradition—or lack of traditions—as a solitary adult. When she’s drawn into Steve’s life, however, she’s dropped right in the middle of celebration central—after all, Steve and his family own a Christmas tree ranch. There’s no avoiding the holiday spirit, and Camille quickly finds that she doesn’t want to.

I love writing about found families, lonely people finding each other, fitting together perfectly without having to change who they are. Borderline hermit Camille only had her grandma, who died years ago. Steve’s affectionate, rambunctious family is overwhelming to her at first, but they also represent everything she didn’t realize she longed for. As they welcome her into the fold and introduce her to their holiday traditions, she finds—to her surprise—that she fits right in like the missing puzzle piece.

Camille’s not the only one benefiting, however. As she grows closer to Steve and his children, all of their lives become richer. They start new traditions that include Camille. Not only do Steve and his children fill the hole in her life, but she fills the empty spot in their hearts, as well.

Gift-giving is one of those traditions that Camille never fully experienced before being included in the Springfield family’s Christmas, and the present exchange was one of my favorite scenes to write. The gifts people give each other are such a wonderful physical expression of their connections. Camille and everyone in her new family paid attention to each other, so they knew exactly what to make or buy. The thought behind each present was a gift in itself, making the receiver feel seen, understood, and loved.

Christmas isn’t the only time of year when people are lonely and family issues cause stress, of course, but the holidays seem to intensify these things. In the same way, finding a new family during this time of year makes everything extra sweet.

New families, new homes, new loves…these are the best Christmas gifts.

Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas by Katie Ruggle
Series: Rocky Mountain Cowboys #1
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on September 25, 2018
Genres: Adult Fiction — Christmas, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
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In the heart of the Rockies
In the arms of a cowboy
One white Christmas can change everything.

When firefighter and single dad Steve Springfield moved his four kids to a Colorado Christmas tree ranch, he intended for it to be a safe haven. But he never expected danger to follow them to his childhood home…

Or that he would come face-to-face with the one girl he could never forget.

Folk artist Camille Brandt lives a quiet life. As the town’s resident eccentric, she’s used to being lonely–until Steve freaking Springfield changes everything. Brave and kind, he’s always had a piece of her heart, and it doesn’t take long before she’s in danger of falling for him and his rambunctious kids. But as mysterious fires break out across the sleepy Colorado town, Steve and Camille will have to fight if they want their happy family to survive until Christmas…

About Katie Ruggle

A fan of the old adage “write what you know”, Katie Ruggle lived in an off-grid, solar- and wind-powered house in the Rocky Mountains until her family lured her back to Minnesota. When she’s not writing, Katie rides horses, shoots guns (not while riding, although that would be awesome), cross-country skis (badly) and travels to warm places where she can scuba dive. A graduate of the Police Academy, Katie received her ice-rescue certification and can attest that the reservoirs in the Colorado mountains really are that cold. A fan of anything that makes her feel like a bad-ass, she has trained in Krav Maga, boxing and gymnastics.

You can connect with Katie at KatieRuggle.com, www.facebook.com/katierugglebooks, or on Twitter @KatieRuggle.