Just One More Paragraph: The Road to Christmas: Sheila Roberts Interview

I am so very happy to welcome Sheila Roberts today. I'm sure that you don't need an introduction, as you all know her either by her books and/or by the movies that have been based on her books. I am humbled, as well as excited because she's taken the time out of her busy day for an interview!!!

USA Today and Publishers Weekly best-selling author Sheila Roberts has written over fifty books under various names, ranging from romance to self-improvement. Over three million books have been sold to date. Her humor and heart have won her a legion of fans and her novels have been turned into movies for both the Lifetime and Hallmark channels. When she’s not out dancing with her husband or hanging out with her girlfriends, she can be found writing about those things near and dear to women’s hearts: family, friends and chocolate.

Her latest book is the women’s fiction/romance The Road to Christmas (Harlequin/Mira, September ’22)

Visit her website at http://www.sheilasplace.com. Connect with her at Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

The Interview

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have been writing for a loooong time and I love what I do. It’ so much fun to sit around and make up stuff. When I’m not writing I’m playing tennis, going line dancing, watching movies with my husband, hanging out with girlfriends or throwing a party. And, of course, there’s reading. So many books, so little time!

In one sentence, describe "The Road to Christmas".

This is a road trip story involving three branches of a family tree, everyone on their way to their holiday destination – three different adventures and one big happy ending.

What inspired you to write it?

That is a good question. Often I am inspired by something that happens in my life or something I read about or see. This time it just came to me that it would be fun to write about a road trip. Road trips are always interesting and often things happen that you didn’t even remotely plan for. So a road trip story offers lots of potential for drama, laughter and falling in love. I hope I’ve given readers all of that in this book.

Do you have a favourite character? Why is s/he your favourite?

One of the first characters I adored was Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. A determined woman, who never let the opinions of others (including a snobby Mr. Darcy) shake her sense of worth. IMHO, we all should get in touch with our inner Elizabeth Bennet.

I know some authors have strange rituals when they write. Some have to have a certain food, lock themselves in a room, only work at night, etc. What's yours?

Alas, I’m boring in that respect. I have no ritual. Much as I enjoy writing, it is still a job. So every day I sit down with my laptop, enter my fictional world, and get busy creating.

Can you give us a hint on what your next project is?

We writers are always working ahead. Right now I’m halfway through next year’s Christmas book and enjoying it immensely. (Christmas is my favorite season!) Soon I will be hearing from my editor and polishing my spring release, Mermaid Beach, part of my Moonlight Harbor series. I’m excited about that one and hope readers will enjoy this next installment in the series.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Why are things like reviews and pre-orders such a big deal to you writers?

I know it’s not an esoteric or exciting question, but a bit of business it would be good for readers to know. That first week of sales is important, therefore pre-orders are important. A first week of good sales can land a writer on a best-seller list, and our publishers love it when that happens. And we love it when our publisher is happy. Also, it’s a validation for a writer’s work. The same is true of reviews, because those reviews help boost our visibility on sites such as Amazon, and introduce us to new readers. We writers so need our readers. If nobody knew of us, who would we have to tell our stories to? As you can see, reader support is really important. And let me tell you, it’s really appreciated!

Is there anything else you'd like to tell your readers?

Only that I appreciate you all so much. I love hearing from readers and I really enjoy interacting with them on social media. So come find me on Facebook (funwithsheila), Instagram (sheilarobertswriter) and now, TikTok sheilarobertswriter, funwithsheila)

Thank you so much Sheila! It was such a pleasure getting to know you!

Thank you so much for having me. I enjoyed chatting with with you!

Title: The Road to Christmas

Author: Sheila Roberts

Publisher: Harlequin (MIRA)

Pages: 320

Genre: Women’s Fiction/Romance

BOOK BLURB:

Michelle and Max are not planning on a happy holiday. Their marriage is in shambles and the D word has entered their vocabulary. But now their youngest daughter, Julia, wants everyone to come to her new house in Idaho for Christmas, and she's got the guest room all ready for Mom and Dad. Oh, joy.

Their other daughters, Audrey and Shyla, are driving up from California and hoping to meet a sexy rancher for Audrey along the way. What they don't plan on is getting stranded on a ranch when the car breaks down.

The ones with the shortest drive are Grandma and Grandpa--also known as Hazel and Warren. It's still a bit of a trek, and Hazel doesn't like the idea of driving all that way in snow, but Warren knows they'll have no problem. They have a reliable car--and snow tires and chains if they need them. They'll be fine.

Surprises lie in store for all three sets of intrepid travelers as they set out on three very different adventures, all leading to one memorable family Christmas.