My guest today is Katy Eeten, author of Christian romance. She is here today to tell us about two of her Christmas novellas.
Before we talk about your books, Katy, tell us a little bit about yourself:
I live in southeast Wisconsin with my husband and our two sons, ages 14 and 11, where I work full time in the business world crunching numbers and analyzing data. I love to write, read, bake, take walks, play board games, and spend time with my family. My publications include two contemporary Christian romance novels and three Christmas novellas, two of which I’m sharing about today.
What are your Christmas novellas about?
Christmas in Meadow Creek is about a fourth-grade teacher named Sarah who moves to the small Wisconsin town of Meadow Creek, where she meets firefighter Lincoln. They hit it off right away, but when they discover that Sarah’s troublemaking student is none other than Lincoln’s beloved nephew, their newfound relationship is put to the test. Can they navigate through the complexities of family dynamics to find a love that will last?
In Wrong Turn Christmas, April’s family is facing insurmountable debt from her dad’s cancer treatments. While seeking legal assistance to help her parents, she ends up at the wrong house. Even after he realizes her mistake, Jake can’t get April off his mind. But with the financial situation she’s facing, he believes he has nothing of real value to offer her. Or does he? One wrong turn might just end up turning a Christmas crisis into a Christmas miracle.
Reading Christmas novellas is a fun way to get into the spirit of the holiday. It’s fun to write them, too.
Here are some questions that readers want to know the answers to:
As an author, what book do you wish you would have written?
I’m a big fan of the Hunger Games series. I think the story is really engaging and well written. I wish I had the ability to write action-packed scenes like that, and make the adventure come to life in people’s minds!
How did you come up with the names of your hero and/or heroine?
For Christmas in Meadow Creek, Lincoln is the name of my firstborn son. For Wrong Turn Christmas, I just pulled the names out of thin air. I try to change up the first initial of my main characters when I’m writing so I don’t accidentally mix up who’s who. Sometimes they mean something, but often they are just random names I like or that I think sound good together.
What does your family think of your writing?
My family is super supportive. My husband is not much of a reader, and romance is not his genre of choice. Yet I’m humbled to say that he has read every one of my published books! My mom and siblings also read my work and spread the word to their friends. Even my kids understand that writing and editing can take up a lot of time, but I try not to let it consume me. I am blessed to have such a great family!
If you didn’t write books, what would you do for a living?
It’s not practical, but I think it would be so cool to work for a game show. I love watching game shows and think it would be so fun to create the Wheel of Fortune puzzles or Pyramid clues, or to come up with new rules and fun twists on the traditional games.
Thank you for being my guest today. What plans do you have next for you as an author?
I have a completed manuscript that’s written from the viewpoints of six former college friends. It has primarily romantic elements, but entails other plotlines as well, so it doesn’t fit into the traditional “romance” genre. That makes it challenging to find the right publisher, but I’m hopeful I will. It’s a beautiful story that weaves together multiple relationships and showcases the way their faith and friendships impact all that they do.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4
I don’t know if my faith has ever been tested as much as it has been in the last three months. After I lost my husband in 2010 I spent many years in grief, then a lingering depression. Yet in all those times I never doubted that God was with me and had a plan for my life.
As recently as July of this year, I felt that God had brought me out of the dark times in my life and I was now living in the light of His blessings. Things were going amazingly well.
Then in August, my tower of faith began to tumble, one brick at a time. I’ve shared much of the struggles over the past few months in previous blog posts, so I won’t get into the details here.
I think my faith was tested in every way possible.
Well, I thought it had been every way possible.
Now as I face a health challenge and uncertainty about the results, I find that my faith is wavering.
The “What-Ifs” are building up this health problem into the worst case scenarios even as I try to tell myself it’s probably nothing and will easily be resolved. It’s human nature to worry, to want to control the outcome anything we come up against.
Then as our plans start to crumble, we realize how little control we have over some areas of our life.
God is faithful.
He is a good God.
He has a plan for my future.
He is my Provider.
He is my Healer.
I believe these promises for a fact.
Yet I know that everything doesn’t go according to “MY” plan.
I can’t see beyond today to know what “HIS” plan is for me. But I can trust in His unfailing love.
The sunshine of the past few days, a break from leading children’s church for a week, and the removal of my husband’s old Chevelle from our yard all worked together to give me a relaxed state of mind. I’ve experienced some stress over the past few weeks related to work issues, car problems and financial challenges. It feels good this morning to say, “I made it through the storm.”
God is so good to me.
He promised to never leave us nor forsake us, and His word is good. We don’t ever have to question whether or not He loves us. Sometimes we rebel against His authority, however. We want the things that we want when we want them, whether they are healthy for us or not. I’m not immune to having some unhealthy habits and making choices that are not the best for me. We all have challenges in life and sins we struggle with, but that doesn’t mean God doesn’t love us.
His love is unconditional. His love is true, faithful and honest. He makes the storms of life go away or helps us walk through them. I cannot comprehend how God can be in all and over all and know all, but I can believe it’s true because the Bible tells us so.
How can I question the God who raised Jesus from the dead?
Jesus’ disciple Thomas questioned Jesus’ resurrection. This passage is from John 20:24-29:
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
We are blessed because we haven’t seen Jesus but believe in His birth, crucifixion and resurrection anyway.
I feel that blessing this morning as I start a new week.
I received notice from my boss of a cancellation for tomorrow. That means less money in my paycheck for next time.
But I guess God knows what I need. I’ve said since I started this job that God controls my schedule. I can’t control whether people get ill or cancel for other reasons, or when I might get sick and need a day (or days when I’ve had Covid) off.
Next week’s children’s lesson is the story about God providing manna for the Israelites when they were wandering through the desert.
The Bible verse to go with the lesson is:
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
As I write the lesson point for this week’s lesson it will also be a reminder to me of how God provides what I need before I can ask.
Cora is a 6-year-old, spayed, domestic shorthaired cat.
Cora has a rather tragic story behind her.
Cora came to the Animal Rescue Coalition from a home with 13 cats when her owner passed away. She had noticeable eye issues so we took her to the vet and found out she had eye ulcers.
Cora was treated and her left eye is back to 98%. Her right eye will always have some white cloudiness and limited vision but the ulcer is gone.
Cora is loving, playful, and gets along with all the other cats at ARC.
She loves to strut around with a glitter ball in her mouth and loves attention.
This beautiful, playful girl would be a great addition to any family
If you have room in your heart and home for Cora, you may find out more about adoption through The Animal Rescue Coalition of Mecosta County, Michigan.
Inspirational Author 