Interview with Betty Shreffler, author of Countdown to Christmas

What can you tell us about your new release, Countdown to Christmas?

Countdown to Christmas is a naughty and nice, sweet and sexy, friends to lovers romance mixed with the spirit of the holiday season.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I’ve been a writer since I was 12 years old. Writing was an emotional escape for me and a way to cope through the hardest times. It still is to this day. I didn’t consider writing as a career option until my senior year of high school. My hobby transitioned to an aspiration when my creative writing teacher told me I had real talent and should pursue classes in college. In college, my major was not creative writing or English, but I did take courses as electives. I didn’t believe I was capable of becoming a published author. It was a dream that seemed out of reach. That is until I met a co-worker in the National Park Service who was traditionally published. Meeting her opened my eyes that it was possible. That fire that had always burned inside of me became a bold flame. Several years later, I published my first novel.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

Oh wow! I’d like to be able to narrow my reads down to the top 5, but I’ve read so many amazing books in my 20+ years I’ve been reading, I can’t pick only 5. The ones that do come to mind are all in the sub-genre of romance. I’ve had a love for romance books since I first got my hands on Nora Roberts, Anne Rice, and regency romance books in my teens.

Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

Nora Roberts. I’d ask if she ever worried about running out of plot ideas or worry about her writing becoming repetitive and what she did to combat those worries. I’d also ask what her writing moto was to keep her going in the times that being an author is the most challenging.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

1) Beginning a new book when the characters are fresh and the words can’t be typed fast enough. 2) Reaching the end and completing another novel. 3) The cover design. It’s another creative outlet and exciting to see your story turned into a book cover. 4) The first 5-star reviews that roll in after the book is published. 5) When readers message you to share that your story touched them emotionally or gave them a great escape.

What is a typical day like for you?

Every single day is different for me, which is what makes my job of being an author so fun. I do try to have somewhat of a routine and it consists of doing house chores and exercising at the gym or taking my dogs to the city park to walk the 1-mile trail in the morning. Afterward, I begin work in my office of either writing for the day or do author business activities. Friday is my social media day where I spend the day interacting with readers and fellow authors. In the evenings, I make dinner for me and my husband, then cuddle with my pups to watch TV or a movie with my husband. If I’m actively writing a story and the characters won’t stop talking in my head, I’ll sometimes go back to writing after my husband goes to bed.

What scene in Countdown to Christmas was your favorite to write?

The scenes I enjoyed the most were the intimacy scene between Jaxson and Sophia when they fully open up to one another and the scene where they have sex in their boss’s bathroom. That scene makes you smile and giggle.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

(No dream is worth dreaming if it’s not lived in life.) It’s a quote I created, sign in books, and have in my office. It’s a reminder to pursue my dreams and never give up.

Betty Shreffler is the author of the new book Countdown to Christmas.

Connect with Betty:
Author Website
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