by Stella Bixby
Hello Fellow Cozy Readers!
I am honored to be here for the Cozy Mystery Club’s “12 Days of Cozies.” I absolutely adore the holidays. So much that I’ve told my husband if we ever build our own house, I want to have a dedicated Christmas room—one that stays decorated all year long.
One of the best ways to keep the holiday spirit alive all year is to write Christmas books in the middle of the summer! When I started Mistletoe Malarkey, the temperatures were at their peaks and the humidity was turning my hair into a massive fluff ball.
It can be hard to get into the Christmas spirit when it’s so warm outside (I don’t know how they do it in Australia when Christmas is actually in the summer), but I do a few things to get me in the mood to write a holiday novel.
First, I light a holiday candle from one of my favorite places—Chalk Full of Love. My favorite scents are Santa’s Cookies or Christmas Tree Farm.
Next, I turn on a YouTube video of a fireplace crackling. With this in the background, it makes the holidays seem that much closer.
The third thing I do is play holiday music. I love that Apple Music and Spotify have playlists ready and waiting for my Christmas in July fix.
And finally, if I’m really desperate to get in the mood, I’ll turn the AC up and pull a blanket around me. Usually this is a last resort item because AC is expensive! But I’ll do just about anything to get in the right frame of mind to write a book.
For Mistletoe Malarkey specifically, I went back through all my notes about my time spent in Ireland and looked at photos I took from that trip. Though I wasn’t there during Christmas, it definitely helped get me in the right frame of mind!
I hope you have a very cozy holiday season! Find Mistletoe Malarkey on Amazon (Free with a Kindle Unlimited Subscription.)
ABOUT STELLA BIXBY
Stella Bixby is a native Coloradan who loves to snowboard, pluck at the guitar, and play board games with her family. She was once a volunteer firefighter and a park ranger, but now spends most of her time making up stories and trying to figure out what to cook for dinner.
For More Information About Stella, Please Visit Her Website!
