Get ready to be whisked away to the charming town of Star Creek in Lindsay Detwiler's heartwarming new holiday romance, THE HOLIDAY BAKE-OFF. In the latest Jen's Jewels interview, Detwiler serves up a delightful behind-the-scenes look at her novel, where the aroma of freshly baked cookies mingles with the sweet scent of second chances. From the small-town bakery setting inspired by her own experiences to the emotional journey of protagonist Lucy Carter, Detwiler shares how she kneaded together the perfect recipe of holiday magic and authentic human experiences. Join us as we explore the ingredients that make this story rise above the rest, proving that sometimes the best gifts come dusted with a little flour and wrapped in the warmth of coming home.
Jen: What inspired you to choose a bakery as the central setting for this holiday romance? Did you draw from personal experiences or memories of small-town bakeries?
Lindsay: Honestly, I have such a sweet tooth, and visiting small-town bakeries is one of my favorite things. I have a favorite in the town over from where I live, and it’s my go-to for a pick-me-up. I feel like a lot of readers associate such happy memories and moments with bakeries, and it felt like such a fun, festive setting for the story I wanted to tell.
Jen: The protagonist, Lucy Carter, is at a crossroads between her original dreams and family obligations. How did you approach balancing these conflicting priorities in her character development?
Lindsay: I always try to focus on real, raw emotions in my novels. So many of us often find ourselves at this very same crossroads, and I wanted to capture both the struggle and joy that comes from it. Life is so often a balancing act, and Lucy finds herself in the middle of one of the most difficult decisions. However, as the story unfolds, both Lucy and the reader hopefully see that it isn’t always about the choice you make—it’s about the people around you when you’re making it.
Jen: What inspired your decision to begin Lucy and Will's relationship with friction rather than instant chemistry, and how did this choice enhance their story's emotional journey?
Lindsay: Will and Lucy are both so hurt at the beginning of the novel from their past experiences. That hurt doesn’t just go away—and when you put two hurt people together, sometimes it brings out the deep, raw emotions more intensely. That’s really what’s happening with Lucy and Will at the beginning of THE HOLIDAY BAKE-OFF. They’re both trying to move on from the past, but it keeps haunting them. And together, that hurt resurfaces, reminding each other of hardships they’ve been through. Healing is such a journey, no matter who you are, and I think the fact that Will and Lucy’s story starts with tension creates a deeper bond in them when they are able to break through the pain and recognize what’s between them.
Jen: How did the Christmas bake-off challenge serve as a metaphor for Lucy's journey, beyond just adding holiday charm to the plot?
Lindsay: The bake-off in the book really serves as a metaphor for Lucy’s crossroads. She’s stuck between this life she thought she wanted in the city and the small-town life she’s always admired in Star Creek. As she works on the bake-off and begins to do things she didn’t think she was capable of, she not only gains confidence in herself, but she gains confidence in the fact that sometimes the life you thought you wanted isn’t right anymore. The bake-off helps her see a new possibility for her life full of family, friendship, and belonging.
Jen: Small towns are a beloved setting in holiday romances. What makes Star Creek unique, and how did you create its charm and atmosphere?
Lindsay: As with any small town, it’s the people who make Star Creek special and come to life. From Mrs. Beesworth and her daughter at the Star Creek Bookstore to Catherine at the bakery, there are so many characters who make the town special because they’re rooted in the traditions.
I grew up in a small town and still live there, and I think that’s what makes any small town special: the people you get to know. It’s going into my favorite local shops who have been family-owned for longer than I’ve been alive. It’s the passion people have for their communities and their work. It’s the fact that you get to know people, really know people, on a deep level. That’s the magic of Star Creek that helps heal both Will and Lucy.
Jen: Food often evokes powerful emotions and memories, especially during the holidays. How did you use descriptions of baking and desserts to enhance the characters' emotional journeys?
Lindsay: There are so many childhood memories for Lucy in the bakery, and the recipes really bring back the past for her. Will, too, as a baker, has his own emotions tied to certain recipes. Both of them are able to find some healing, though, in talking about the memories—and food brings them to that point.
The snowball cookies in the book that become an important symbol are actually based on my own experiences. My grandma, who passed many years ago, used to make them every Christmas as a child. My mom and I used to make them growing up, and now, as an adult, they are part of my own holiday baking traditions. Every time I go through the work of making them and bite into the first cookie of the season, it takes me back through all of the memories of the past. It’s the same for the characters in the book. The recipes in the bakery are recipes that take all the characters on an emotional journey through all sorts of memories, something so many of us experience during the holiday season especially.
Jen: I love how the story walks that delicate line between healing and new beginnings! What inspired your approach to Lucy's emotional journey during the holiday season?
Lindsay: The holiday season is often seen as a happy time with all of the traditions, celebrations, and foods we make. But for some, it’s also a difficult time of reflection. The past sometimes comes back during this season, loss can be felt more prominently, and with the approach of the end of the year, we sometimes feel guilty that we didn’t reach all of our goals for the year. The holiday season, thus, can be a complex, emotional time for all of us. I wanted to capture that with Lucy and with Will.
Lucy especially is facing a really difficult decision and time of her life. Still, the power of Star Creek, her family, and the bake-off to help her heal and find joy again around the holiday season—it really is what the season is all about, in my opinion. It’s about finding warmth, joy, and connection, even in the cold, dark days of winter. It was such a fun experience to take that journey with Lucy, and I hope readers find the same experience.
Jen: Holiday romances often balance festive magic with realistic relationships. How did you approach creating a story that feels both enchantingly Christmas-y and grounded in authentic human experiences?
Lindsay: My goal in writing is to never shy away from the tough emotions, and this book was no exception. It’s set in a beautiful, Christmas-y focused town with a fun festival coming up, and the setting really lends itself to that light feel. However, the book digs into the difficult emotions, too. From grief to second-chance romance to giving up on dreams, the characters still experience life in a “realistic” way.
I think that’s true to life; there are moments of shining, magical beauty, but there are also difficult moments mixed in. The characters are three-dimensional in that they experience radiant joy typical of the season while also battling their own inner demons with the past at the same time.
Jen: We'd love to keep up with your writing journey! Where can your readers find you online to catch all your latest book news and updates?
Lindsay: I love to connect with readers! They can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and my blog. They can join my mailing list.
Jen: I have to ask—what's your favorite holiday tradition?
Lindsay: I would probably say baking cookies. My grandma was Polish, and we have her original cookbook with her recipes. Every year, we make my favorites from the book, including Snowballs and Candy Cane Cookies.
My husband and I also have a tradition of staying up late on Christmas Eve, exchanging gifts, and watching our favorite Christmas movies to usher in the 25th.
Jen: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat about The Holiday Bake-off! Wishing you all the best with your new release!
Lindsay: Thank you so much for having me! I really enjoyed your questions and talking about THE HOLIDAY BAKE-OFF with you! Happy holiday season!
Delight in the most delicious Christmas story of the season with this charming holiday romance, perfect for fans of Nancy Naigle, Rachel Hanna, and Debbie Macomber.
Nothing can stop Lucy Carter from chasing her dreams until her boyfriend drops the bomb and tells her he’s leaving her for someone else. Complicating things, she gets a phone call from her ailing grandmother, asking her to return to the small town of Star Creek to help out with her beloved bakery. In the name of family loyalty, Lucy is forced to leave her aspirations behind.
Putting her turmoil aside, she’s ready to help, but is she up for the task?
The bakery competes in the Christmas bake-off every year at the annual Christmas festival. Lucy doesn’t know a thing about crafting the perfect dessert, and the festival is in less than a month. She also might have learned a little faster if the bakery’s newest employee and expert baker, handsome Will Westerly, hadn’t been so tough to deal with.
As the bake-off quickly approaches, it becomes clear that broken hearts don’t heal as soon as they thought, and big decisions will have to be made once the last cupcakes are served.
Get ready for a magical Christmas journey that will have you tasting the sweetness of the sugar bowl and craving the warmth of peppermint cocoa. If you’re in the mood for a heartwarming, small-town romance, this is the perfect read for you!
Romance Contemporary | Romance Holiday [Harpeth Road Press, On Sale: October 17, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781963483031 / ]
Lindsay Detwiler is a romance author and a former high school English teacher. She is also the USA Today Bestselling author of The Widow Next Door with HarperCollins UK.
Lindsay's goal with her writing is to show the power of love and the beauty of life while also instilling a true sense of realism in her work. With her novels coming from a place of honesty, she wants her fiction to resonate with readers as candid, poetic, and powerful.
Inked Hearts, released in 2017 with Hot Tree Publishing, was named a Romance Times Top Pick. Additionally, Remember When, released in April of 2017, was named a Route One Reads Romance Pick by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book. She is also a USA Today Bestselling author with HarperCollins UK under the penname L.A.Detwiler.
Lindsay currently lives in her hometown of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Chad (her junior high sweetheart); their six rescued cats; and their Great Dane, Edmund.
In addition to being a huge bookworm, Lindsay's also a fan of cruelty-free makeup, coffee, chocolate, Outlander, and shopping.
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry, earning acclaim as the award-winning author of the Gull Island series. Her debut novel, "Serendipity by the Sea," secured the prestigious Best First Book award from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. In 2024, Vido's talent garnered further accolades, with Baltimore Magazine readers naming her Best Local Author in their annual Best of Baltimore poll, while the Baltimore Sun acknowledged her with an Honorable Mention in their Best of 2024 Author category. When not writing fiction, she interviews authors for her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, leads water exercise classes, and directs a legal nonprofit. Currently residing in Maryland, she and her husband are proud parents to two grown sons and a rescue dog named Fripp.
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