Erika Marks took some time to chat with us at Tule about her newest release, Christmas Comes to Snowfall in this week’s Tule Author Q&A.
TULE: What was your inspiration for Snowfall, Vermont?
EM: I grew up in a small town in Maine where I spent much of the winters enjoying snowy activities (with the requisite hot cocoa warming-ups afterwards!) so I had a lot of wonderful memories to draw upon as I was building the cozy, quaint world of Snowfall—both in terms of the town layout/architecture and the emotional setting of a small, historic New England resort town.
TULE: What is your favorite holiday tradition?
EM: This is such a tough question because we have so many in our house. But the ones that always rise to the top of the list involve something to eat or drink—or both! One of my favorite traditions is making the first batch of my mother’s family egg nog recipe which uses whipped egg whites for a topping instead of whipped cream (to cut the sweetness). Brandy is added later—and liberally—so the littler ones can enjoy their fair share. Holiday tip: leftover nog makes for great egg nog French toast batter! (Which is, not surprisingly, another holiday tradition in our house!)
TULE: Maggie seems like she’s pretty open to all the quirky small town Christmas celebrations. Was this a “When in Rome” attitude for her or did you want her to be over-all adventurous?
EM: Great question! Maggie is very much about control and predictability when she arrives in Snowfall, so I wanted to show how the magic of the town—and the season—gave her an opportunity to loosen up a bit. And of course, as she gets closer to Alden and finds herself attracted to him, and his more carefree attitude about seizing the day and trying new things, she finds herself truly throwing herself into situations that she might previously have shied away from (high-speed tubing, anyone?)
TULE: Did you have a particular celebrity in mind when you were creating Alden?
EM: Let’s just say if I were a casting director, I would DEFINITELY cast Ryan Reynolds as Alden. Not only do they have similar physical features, but they both have that easy charm and sharp wit!
TULE: Lastly, what are you reading now?
EM: I’m a movie junkie so I love reading memoirs of actors and actresses. Right now, I’m reading Sally Field’s new memoir, In Pieces, and it’s wonderful. After that, I’ll look forward to loading up my TBR pile with holiday-themed books, and I have a pretty good idea where to find some;)!
Christmas Comes to Snowfall is available now!
Erika Marks is a women’s fiction writer and the author of Little Gale Gumbo, The Mermaid Collector, The Guest House and It Comes In Waves (July, 2014). On the long and winding road to becoming published, she worked many different jobs, including carpenter, cake decorator, art director, and illustrator. But if pressed, she might say it was her brief tenure with a match-making service in Los Angeles after college that set her on the path to writing love stories (not that there isn’t romance in frosting or power tools!) A native New Englander, she now makes her home in Charlotte, NC, with her husband, a native New Orleanian who has taught her to make a wicked gumbo, and their two little mermaids.
I enjoyed the interview and really enjoyed Christmas Comes to Snowfall.
Loved the Q&A. Makes me thirsty for eggnog with a side of her Christmas book.
that egg nog French toast batter French toast sounds fantastic! book does, too!
I enjoyed the interview! I’d love to try eggnog French toast. Turkey Hill makes a great eggnog ice cream. I love to have a little eggnog at Christmastime.