Interview & Giveaway ~ CHRISTMAS IN EVERGREEN: BELLS ARE RINGING by Lacey Baker

Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing (Christmas in Evergreen, #4)
by: Lacey Baker
Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Release Date: November 2, 2021
Publisher: Hallmark Publishing
Amazon | Paperback | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Goodreads

Welcome back to Evergreen,
the town built on Christmas wishes…
And learn what happens
after one snow-globe wish comes true.

Life is going great for Hannah, really. She’s fallen in love with her best friend, her brother is getting married, and she’s looking forward to another festive Christmas in Evergreen. Still, between her job, taking charge of the choir, and being the town’s jill-of-all-trades, she’s feeling uninspired…especially when Elliot starts to question his own role in the town.

Hannah finds fresh inspiration in the brand-new Evergreen Christmas Museum, and she volunteers for their storytelling project. When she interviews her fellow Evergreenians, however, she learns that not everyone wants the museum around; specifically Mr. Cooper who owns a third of the building. As Hannah finds herself with more and more responsibilities, and as her relationships with Elliot and her family grow strained, she starts to wonder about what she really wants. Can her love and newly-found purpose survive the changes that loom after the holidays are over?

Hi Lacey. Welcome to Read Your Writes Book Reviews. How are you?
Hi! Thanks so much for having me. I’m doing well—especially since Christmas movies have begun playing on TV 24/7.

Isn’t it great! I really just want to veg out on the sofa and do nothing but watch Christmas movies and read Christmas romances. Speaking of Christmas, you have a new Christmas romance out, called Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing. Before we get into the book, let’s go back a little. The Christmas in Evergreen series is set in the fictional town of Evergreen, Vermont. Can you please tell readers about it?
Ok, so you know how you walk around in a Christmas store and you see the Christmas village that stretches the length of an entire table? Well, that’s how I envision Evergreen, the perfect little Christmas town. With snow covered streets and trees, Main Street full of decorated storefronts and a town square with a huge, decorated tree. And, as we love to see small towns, Evergreen is full of quirky citizens who love Christmas.

Who are some of the characters readers will met in the town?
I love so many of the citizens of Evergreen. LOL Nick is my favorite because he’s the one who gets to watch while everyone makes their wish on the snow globe and then sit back to see how that wish is granted. He’s always so jovial and patient, I just love him. Mayor Michelle with her perpetual worrying, the lovely Cooper Sisters who’re always finishing each other’s sentences, David who makes the best hot cocoa and of course, Hannah and Eliot who must find a way to save their love.

Christmas in Evergreen, Bells are Ringing is the fourth book in the series, but the first book written by you. What was it like taking the mantle over from Nancy Naigle?
Daunting. LOL When I was asked to write this book, that was the first thing I thought. How am I gonna do this after Nancy’s done such a great job with the first three books? I think it helped tremendously that I’ve been a fan of the Evergreen movies for years and that I knew the town and the characters pretty well before I even began to write.

I’m a huge fan of Hallmark Christmas movies. Last year, Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing aired. Is there a difference between the movie and the book?
I tried to keep the book as true to the movie as I possibly could. But one thing I knew I wanted to do was to add a little more depth to Hannah and Eliot’s relationship. I remember when I watched the movie I felt like I wanted to know more about their past, what happened after they fixed the snow globe together in Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy? I enjoyed having the opportunity to add that bit of extra to the story.

Usually, books come first, then the movie. Was it difficult to follow up the movie?
Yes, this is the second time I’ve written a novelization and each time, it’s been after the movie has aired. What makes that difficult is that the expectation is already there. People have seen the movie so I have to write all the things that happened in the movie, even if I might’ve done things differently if I were writing the book first. I guess the good thing about doing a novelization is there’s already a road map for how the story starts and where things end up.

Did you take a different approach to writing Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing, as opposed to say your writing approach to writing The Sweetest Valentine?
Actually, part of the process was the same. I always research my characters, establish their GMC (goal, motivation, and conflict), find inspiration pictures, then write a chapter-by-chapter outline for my stories before I begin to write. I did this with both books. One of the things I did differently with Evergreen was I watched the movie half a dozen times before I started my character research. The outline process was a little different as well since I had the movie scenes to build on.

I hear you are a HUGE fan of Christmas.
Absolutely! It’s my favorite time of year. But really, I listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas movies all year long. The only thing I actually wait to do is decorate the house and that’s probably only because my family objects to me doing it anytime before Thanksgiving. LOL

I have a cousin who actually leaves a Christmas tree up all year long. Do you have any Christmas traditions, if so, what are they?
So many, but my favorite and most cherished is going to Christmas Eve service at church.

Lacey, thank you so much for taking the time to answer some of my burning questions.
Thank you so much for having me.

You’re welcome.

Purchase Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing from:

Amazon | Paperback | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Goodreads

Note to readers: If you purchase something through the Amazon affiliate links the blog and I may earn a small commission. This commission is then used to offset blog-only giveaways.

The Christmas in Evergreen Series:

Lacey Baker, a Maryland native, lives with her husband, three children, two grandchildren and English Bulldog in what most would call Suburban America–a townhouse development where everybody knows each other and each other’s kids. Family cook-outs, reunion vacations, and growing up in church have all inspired Lacey to work towards her dreams and to write about the endurance of family and the quest to find everlasting love. To date she has written in several genres including small town romance, YA paranormal (as Artist Arthur), a cozy mystery series titled Rumors and adult paranormal (as A.C. Arthur).

Places to find Lacey Baker:

Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram | Amazon Author Page

You can follow the Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing Blog Tour here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow