“No matter what happened tomorrow, she would always have the memories of the good things that happened today. What more could she ask for?”

Countdown to Christmas – Dianna Houx

Dianna Houx is certainly my new go-to author for fun, easy-to-read gems, especially when it comes to holiday season! After recently reading the first in this author’s Holiday Countdown Series, I’m desperate to read them all! I asked her some questions about the story, her writing experience, and who inspires her to write. Read on for more! You can also read my review for Countdown to Christmas here.

1. I loved Grace and Granny’s relationship in Countdown to Christmas. Were either of these characters/their specific relationship based on anyone you know from real life?

Grace and Granny’s relationship is based on the relationship I had with my grandmother growing up. My grandmother didn’t raise me, but she was such an important person in my life. All of my fondest memories include her and when she passed I was absolutely devastated. In a way, this book gave me one last Christmas with her, though that wasn’t my intention starting out.

2. How long did it take for the idea of this book to be fully formed in your head? And how long does it usually take you to write a book from start to finish, including planning, editing, etc.?

This book came to me Sunday morning, Dec. 4th, 2022, as I was lying in bed crying and feeling sorry for myself because my kids had announced they were ‘too old’ for Christmas. Not only were they ‘too old,’ but they were actively trying to convince me I was too busy to put up a tree. As my husband attempted to comfort me, the book began to take shape, and I began to write. I finished the book in eleven days, then spent several more editing and formatting it. I usually take a little longer than that, but this book wasn’t just a story; it was a culmination of all my feelings and memories from Christmas past, as cheesy as that sounds!

3. I love knowing that Grace & friends all appear in other books in the Holiday Countdown series! In your own words, can you tell us what we can expect from the books in this series? And how many books are there?

As of now, there are 6 books total. There is a major change in book 2, Countdown to Valentine’s Day, but after that you follow the characters as they try to navigate their new lives. The books become more humorous, but there are also stories of redemption and forgiveness woven through the drama and humor. Grace is a woman who is learning to find her voice, her new friends help her with that, even when they’re the ones she needs to use that new voice on.

4. What are your own favourite memories of Christmas? Did you include any of this in Countdown to Christmas?

All of the activities Grace plans for her guests were taken from memories I have from either my childhood or my kids childhood. My goal was to relive those memories in a way that made me feel happy. My favorites are decorating Christmas cookies, snowman building contests, and decorating the Christmas tree!

5. Which character did you have the most fun creating in this book? Were there any characters who were particularly difficult to create?

It is so hard to pick one character, I love them all! If I have to pick, I would say Grace was the most fun. She had the most character growth and really found a way to push herself to achieve her goals, even when she had no idea what she was doing and was way out of her comfort zone. Carl was the most difficult. His loss was so painful, but he was such an integral part of this story and the message I wanted readers to receive. Some of his scenes still make me cry!

6. What is the best thing about being an author?

Getting to create worlds and fill them with all the characters I have running around in my head is awesome, but the best part is when someone reads my book and says it impacted them in a meaningful way. One woman said my book gave her back her childhood Christmases. That’s something I hold very close to my heart.

7. What are some of your favourite books and which authors have been your biggest inspiration as a writer?

There are too many books to list! My go-to book when I’m feeling down is The Ladies Room by Carolyn Brown. I also love The Clause in Christmas by Rachael Bloome. Both of those authors are people I greatly admire and draw inspiration from. Especially Rachael Bloome, since she is also an Indie author.

8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

I’m not sure what the future holds, but I know I will still be writing!

9. What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on Countdown to Christmas Eve. A lot has changed in a year, but I’m bringing back a lot of characters from the first book. This one is going to be special.

10. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to new authors?

Things take time. A lot of time! There are days you will want to give up, but push through those feelings and keep going, better days are just around the corner.

About the author

Dianna is a wife, mother, reader, writer, and small-town girl at heart. She resides in a rural Missouri town of less than twenty-five hundred people with her husband and three boys in a late 1800s home they’ve been lovingly restoring when she isn’t busy working on her next book.

A romantic at heart, she believes in happily-ever-afters rooted in realism and, most importantly, humor!

She is the author of Forsaking the Dark, a paranormal romance, The Queen’s Revenge, a historical romance, and the Holiday Countdown Series, a sweet, small-town romance series.

You can visit Dianna’s website for more information about her books. Grab your own copy of the first book in the series (as well as all the others) on Amazon now!

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