It’s the holidays, and author K.L. Gilchrist is giving us all the feels with her latest release. I recently spoke with her about A Christmas Kiss.
Tell me about your latest book.
My latest book is the sweet holiday themed romance novel, A Christmas Kiss. Natasha Laurens, a heartbroken ex-professor, returns to her hometown, Bethany Hills, to open a new store. She reconnects with Thomas Barber, her old high school crush, and sparks fly. However, their relationship is complicated by their differing views on a local issue and a scandal from Natasha’s past. This story is all about second-chance romance and finding love at Christmastime!
Why did you decide to write it?
I’ve enjoyed writing women’s fiction novels for years, but I thought it would be fun to take a chance and write a story for ladies who love clean romance. One day my husband and I were sitting in the kitchen having coffee, and he challenged me to go on and start penning some Christmas fiction. The next thing I knew, we were going back and forth, brewing another pot of coffee and scribbling down a list of random ideas that made no sense. A snowy Christmas memory. A pie diner. A villainous mayor. An entrepreneur. A baby. A date at a museum. A Navy SEAL. Somebody named Mabel. I took the idea list to my desk, signed up for NaNoWriMo, which helped me write faster than usual, and three weeks later, I had the first ten chapters of A Christmas Kiss.
Who is your favorite character and why?
Definitely Thomas Barber. I kind of fell in love with him about halfway through the story. In the story, he’s the strong male protector type for sure. But as I was writing the character, it surprised me to see that he was courageous enough to open up and reveal his vulnerability and inner pain to the woman he’s falling in love with. I started rooting for him to pray for Natasha, love Natasha, and ultimately win her heart.
When did you fall in love with the written word?
I was in kindergarten. My family lived with my great-grandmother, whom we called Nana. Every night after Nana got me and my older sister ready for bed, she would let us pick out a book for her to read. These were Little Golden Books that she’d bought from the store and put on our shelves—The Pokey Little Puppy. The Gingham Twins. The Calico Cat. Easy-to-read books like those. She’d sit on the side of our beds and read until we fell asleep. I can still remember the deep sound of her voice, and how she would slowly turn the pages. She eventually taught us to read along with her, and then to read the books to her. Nana was the one who took me to my elementary school book fair, gave me money, and let me pick out and buy a book for the first time. I was young, so I picked a book about a cartoon character. I read that thing until the pages fell out. In middle school, books became some of my best friends, and by high school, I’d started collecting books by my favorite black authors like J. California Cooper and Maya Angelou. My love for books has never left me, and I’m happy that as I mature, I find new favorites every season.
If you could pick another profession, what would it be and why?
I’d be a financial advisor for Vanguard or Schwab. Within the last five years, I’ve become a little obsessed with the opportunities that are available for people to save and invest money in the stock market. Besides writing, my second passion is helping young people understand how to start building wealth during their teenage years. So much so that I wrote a little resource book for my kids and their friends called What We Not Gon’ Do With Money. I print copies and distribute it free for students at the local high school down the street from me. There’s so much information about good budgeting, finances, and investments that I never knew as a teenager, that I want to pass on to others.
What author would you fangirl over?
Okay, let me be completely transparent: I have actually fangirl’d in front of my two favorite authors. I met Terry McMillan and was so starstruck I could barely tell her my name when she signed a copy of her book for me. And one year I signed up for a ZOOM event with Kimberla Lawson Roby as the guest speaker; my mind blanked so badly I couldn’t think of questions to ask her. I’ve learned I can’t behave properly around my faves!
What books have you read lately and loved?
Last December when the movie The Color Purple was released, I was too busy to go see it. I finally rented it from YouTube last month and enjoyed it so much that I got a copy of The Color Purple by Alice Walker and devoured it from cover to cover. Though I’d read parts of the book decades ago, last month felt like I was reading it for the first time. There’s so much truth about life, I think, in the conversations that the character Celie has with Mister when they are older and they’ve both experienced extreme heartache from Shug. I think there’s a message in the dialogue, about how we’ve all been through pain and hardship. What can help us forgive others completely is when we understand that and accept it.
What books are you most excited to read next?
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. I’ve wanted to read it since it was released, but James McBride is such a phenomenal writer that I’ve saved the book until I can take a break and give it my full attention.
What’s next for you?
I have a romance series planned for 2025. But, I’m also working on my next women’s fiction novel about three sisters who have to push past their issues with one another in order to provide care for their mother. All of my books are faith-friendly—stories that intertwine themes of conflict, love, hope, and spirituality to offer readers not only an enchanting escape but also a deeper reflection on their beliefs and values.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
Thanks so much for reading this interview! Also, this Christmas, I’d like to ask avid black fiction readers to find a great novel or novella for a pre-teen or teenager they know and send it to them this season. That book might become life changing for them.
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of A Christmas Kiss by K.L. Gilchrist.
To learn more about K.L. Gilchrist, visit her website or connect with her on social media.
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