Every family has their own unique holiday traditions. To celebrate that spirit, I have included a Christmas themed novel in my Charmed Loved series titled The Magical Christmas Cottage. The first in the series The Magical Tea Shop was a springtime story that culminated in a community Memorial Day kite flying event.

The second book, The Magical Bed & Breakfast, was an autumn story and took a darker turn with a touch of eerie Halloween fun and finished up with a found-family Thanksgiving dinner. Each story features charmed objects that serve to bring our romantic couple together; although, admittedly, those charmed objects mostly complicate their lives at the start. I must make my characters work hard for those well-deserved happily-ever-afters! 

For me, anticipation of the holiday season begins in August. As the weather changes bit by bit, I began to plan. As summer leans into autumn, I lean into holiday prep. I began to bake. I start with blueberry pie which leads to apple then pumpkin and then walnut pie which somehow becomes chocolate cake by the end of the year. And cookie baking in my home is quite the extravaganza. For The Magical Christmas Cottage, I created an original recipe that I plan to try out on my unsuspecting friends later this month.

Naturally, my home décor gets in on the fun as colors transition from the bright summery look of fresh flowers to orange pumpkins, yellow gourds, and then, gradually, into an evergreen scheme because, I’ll be honest, my favorite holiday item is the Tree, yes, with a capital T. I collect Christmas ornaments all year long, wandering into Christmas-Year-Round shops while on vacation, much to my husband’s chagrin. He’s actually been known to just wait outside for me! 

Each year, new ornaments join my collections, because how can I resist? Over the years, I’ve themed trees by colors: red & green, white & clear. Over time, my tree decorations have edged toward purple with touches of magenta, blue, and green. One year, when the kids were little, and we had just moved back to California from Texas, we had a Mardi Gras themed tree in purple, green, and gold festooned with harlequin masks and beads. 

Each Christmas is magical all on its own. The decorations combined with scents of cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg set the mood to settle in and celebrate. I still have fond memories of one Christmas eve in the early days of my marriage, when my husband ordered pizza, and we sat on the floor on our new area rug to open our gifts from each other. 

So in this book, my very first Christmas novel, I sought to weave the magic from my holiday experiences into the story, scattering decorated trees throughout the community of Hazard.  I got to decorate each one just a little bit differently. But the tree in the cottage is a unique patriotic display in honor of the town’s intrepid dame Hazel Bestwick, who proudly claims her lineage back to the mythical founder of the community, Captain Edwin Hazard of the American Revolution. Because traditions take time. And holiday traditions brought to life make the best stories. 

About the Author.

Having lived in both California and Texas, Aimee O’Brian now resides in the beautiful wine country. With her three children grown and experiencing their own adventures, she and her husband are free to explore the world. When she’s not reading, writing, or planting even more perennials in her garden, she can be found stomping through ancient ruins and getting lost in museums.