Step into a world where ballet slippers are traded for renovation boots, and an old European coin holds the key to unexpected romance. In this week's Jen's Jewels, author Lindsay Gibson introduces us to THE CHRISTMAS COIN, a heartwarming tale set in the enchanting town of White Bridge, Connecticut. Through her protagonist Amelia Collins, Gibson weaves together the magic of holiday traditions, the challenge of starting anew, and the serendipitous nature of finding love when you least expect it. From snow-tubing adventures to caroling beneath a historic covered bridge, Gibson draws from her own Connecticut roots to create an authentic New England Christmas experience that will have readers believing in second chances—and perhaps a touch of Irish luck.
Jennifer Vido: Amelia Collins’s shift from ballet dancer to home renovator is quite a leap! What inspired her to take this new direction, and what drew her to settle in White Bridge, Connecticut?
Lindsay Gibson: Amelia’s grandfather always inspired her with how he’d reconstruct historical homes. She’d spend time as a child listening to him tell her all about the old homes he had been working on and found it interesting the way he’d preserve their structures. When her grandparents passed away, they had left her and her twin brother, Andrew, with that “nest egg” money she’d mentioned early in the story…and when she lost her ability to continue as a ballerina, she’d decided to take a new “leap” in a different direction and find that nest egg. Landing her in White Bridge, Connecticut in a historical farmhouse to remodel!
Jen: Are there any real-life experiences or personal inspirations that helped shape Amelia’s character and her journey?
Lindsay: Like many little girls, I had dreamed of being a ballerina when I was young and have very fond memories dancing in The Nutcracker. While dancing never surmounted to anything for me, I knew that I wanted to re-create these childhood dreams in Amelia. When I watch professional dancers on stage today, I’m always so impressed by their talent! So being able to create this profession for Amelia was so much fun to do. When I was putting together what would happen in the storyline, the doctor that had delivered my middle daughter during a very high-risk and challenging pregnancy came to mind, especially because he had just passed away. I have a love of dancing Zumba, and he had told me once during the height of this hard pregnancy, “Don’t worry, you’ll be dancing again soon!” This moment with my doctor is what helped me draw up Amelia’s struggles in the story and also what Andrew had said from the very beginning to her, “You haven’t had your final curtain draw yet.”
Jen: The town of White Bridge plays a significant role in the story with its magical holiday traditions. How do you bring a sense of community and warmth to life in your writing?
Lindsay: It is all I know! I grew up in Connecticut and spent forty years in these magical towns. White Bridge is drawn from a favorite town of mine called Cornwall, Connecticut. Everything from the iconic red covered bridge, caroling, the Twelve Days of Christmas Walk, the tree farm and even the snow-tubing that you will find in the story are all real-life experiences of mine and what you would experience in Connecticut during the holidays. It’s no wonder Hallmark loves it there for their movie inspirations!
Jen: Amelia finds an old European coin in her attic, which plays a key role in the story. Without giving too much away, how does the coin's discovery tie into her personal journey?
Lindsay: Ah, the coin! A little personal share: My husband actually had found an old European coin in our own historical 1784 home in Connecticut, which inspired the beginnings of this story. With my husband being from Ireland, I also had to throw in a little “Irish Luck” into the storyline. When Amelia finds the little felt bag with the coin and letters, she had no idea of its history or what it represented…but she strongly felt it didn’t belong to her. While trying to return it to its rightful owner, Amelia had no idea it would take her new journey in White Bridge down an unexpected lucky twist of fate.
Jen: Benjamin Walsh is a single dad and, coincidentally, in charge of Amelia’s remodel. What was it like developing the dynamic between Amelia and Benjamin? Did their relationship evolve naturally as you wrote, or did it take any unexpected turns?
Lindsay: Many turns! Ben is juggling so much, raising two girls on his own. His protective nature to keep them shielded from the world after losing their mother had inadvertently put a wall around him as well. Trying to bring them together, so they could develop a relationship on the other side of that wall was tricky!
Jen: The festive season is almost a character in its own right. What aspects of Christmas do you love incorporating into your work, and how do you keep it feeling fresh for readers?
Lindsay: Each town in my novels are inspired from a real place. I spend a lot of time researching these towns before I write. What traditions they do that others may not and drawing in different recipes from local restaurants there also helps set it all apart. I have found that in my own travels, food is a core memory of everywhere I’ve visited! I also try my best to describe the decorations a little different each time too! However, what I find with each story I write and when I read other author’s Christmas books, is that because each story has fresh new characters, that is what sets it all apart. Their struggles, their touching moments…all different—making these holiday traditions distinct in their own special way.
Jen: Your readers have a deep connection with your characters. How do you engage with your audience as you develop new stories, and have they ever influenced your writing process or character development?
Lindsay: Absolutely! My background prior to writing romance is working with clients in mental health nutrition. With all my psychology training, this is what develops my connection to my readers through my characters. My stories will always be relatable to some aspect with my readers and that’s my goal. I want my readers to finish my books being able to point to a part of themselves and inspire and encourage them to move forward with a happier and more positive mindset. I’m also pretty real on social media, showing the ups and downs of juggling my girls, working and doing “all the things”. You’ll never see this romance author with prefect aesthetic anything, ha!
Jen: Are you working on a new project right now? If so, please give us a sneak peek. Are you exploring themes similar to Amelia’s story or heading in a completely different direction?
Lindsay: Right now, I am editing both my books for 2025! My summer novel will have a completely different feel to it with a love-triangle trope! Plus, it’s set on Matha’s Vineyard…can’t go wrong with that setting! That trope was a doozy to write, but I love how it turned out, complete with a happy ending for all the characters. My Christmas novels will most likely always have the dual-timeline, and my Vermont based, Christmas story next year will continue that tradition. I just handed in draft one and it came out better than when I first imagined the outline. I also had a lot of help with historians on that one too which is fun. I am a huge history lover! All my novels will be featured somewhere in New England, and I am starting to get requests from readers what area they’d like to see next! So if you’d like to see a certain place written about in one of my stories in New England, let me know!
Jen: What do you hope readers take away from Amelia’s story? Are there any themes, like starting over, embracing change, or discovering the magic of Christmas, that you want to resonate with them?
Lindsay: What I take away from her story is reminding myself that life will throw us a lot of curveballs and while learning how to navigate those changes is never an easy process…we have to embrace them so we can keep going and not get stuck in life. I want my readers to take Amelia’s story as a push to keep moving forward and that sometimes when we are abruptly redirected and must start over in life—the new path that you may find yourself on, just may be exactly where you’re meant to be.
Jen: One last question! What’s your favorite Christmas tradition? Thanks for sharing your holiday spirit with us!
Lindsay: Cutting down a fresh Christmas tree with my husband and girls will always be my favorite tradition! The smell of real evergreen trees always brings such a happy and nostalgic feeling for me every year as this was something I did growing up as well. And I want that same feeling for my daughters one day when they are older, remembering this tradition we did as a family.
From the newest sensation in contemporary romance comes a delightfully heartwarming holiday story that’s perfect for fans of RaeAnne Thayne, Denise Hunter, and Debbie Macomber.
Art buyer Charlotte Moore is given the chance of a lifetime to be head buyer for the esteemed Wallace Gallery’s Christmas charity gala. But when she arrives at auction, after the most prominent pieces are all bought up, in a panic, she bids on the final painting—an unsigned sunset landscape she’s nearly sure her boss will despise.
To save her job, she finds herself in the beautifully festive New England coastal town of Seabreeze, the setting of the painting. When a nor’easter blows through, she’s stuck at the adorable Cove Hill Inn, all decorated for the holiday and brimming with Christmas magic. While it’s not an awful place to be snowed in, her ability to work is at a standstill, with the gala looming closer.
And she isn’t expecting to meet the innkeeper’s soon, ruggedly handsome Aiden Bennett, a distraction she definitely doesn’t need. Even the inn’s cherry scones and the town’s Christmas fair are no match for Aiden’s charm.
However, when she uncovers a family secret that could impact everyone, including herself and Aiden, it might shake up more than just the holiday. Under the shimmer of the town twinkle lights and the snow-covered Christmas trees, will Charlotte find the answers she’s looking for? Or has she unearthed something else entirely?
A heartwarming, holiday love story that will have you on the edge of your seat, reaching for the gingerbread cookies and hot cocoa.
Romance Contemporary | Romance Holiday [Harpeth Road Press, On Sale: September 19, 2023, e-Book, / eISBN: 9798987711552]
Lindsay’s first book, her memoir, Just Be: How my Stillborn Son Taught Me to Surrender, won the Book Excellence finalist award in 2018. She has been featured in Elephant Journal, Green Child Magazine, and Self Magazine.
Lindsay now writes emotional romantic fiction, full of heartfelt love, good friends, and family, sprinkled with humor and tender warmth, where her characters discover that love is the reason for everything. Her debut romantic fiction novel The Christmas Promise with Harpeth Road Press, set in a charming New England town at the holidays is now available.
When not writing fiction, she is working on her exclusive weekly newsletter Love is the Reason about all things love, food and healthy living. She spends the rest of her days chasing her three daughters around their hometown in Connecticut and hanging out with her Irish husband whose brogue still makes her blush.
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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