📚 A Bookish Chat with 'Starry-Eyed for Christmas' Sheila Roberts #AuthorInterview

Today we welcome Sheila Roberts to The Writer's Life e-Magazine! Sheila is the author of the new holiday romance, Starry-Eyed for Christmas, and this interview is part of her virtual book tour sponsored by Pump Up Your Book. Enjoy!

USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly best-selling author Sheila Roberts has written over sixty books under different names, ranging from devotional, self-improvement and memoir to fiction. Her novels have been turned into movies for the Lifetime, Hallmark and Great American Family channels. Her 2024 Christmas novel, The Merry Matchmaker, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Sheila is happily married and lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Visit her website at www.sheilasplace.com.

Connect with her on social media at:

❄︎Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Sheila-Roberts-100044180452595/

❄︎Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheilarobertswriter/?hl=en

❄︎BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sheila-roberts

❄︎TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sheilarobertswriter

Your book, Starry-Eyed for Christmas, is an unconventional love story wrapped up in the magic of the holiday season. What makes it unconventional and why the holiday season?

It has a bit of an unconventional hero. John Smith happens to be visiting from out of town. A long ways out of town. He’s from another galaxy. I se this story at Christmas because I love this time of year and I thought if ever there was a time for another being to come to the U.S. and check us out it would at the holidays when we are hopefully at our best.

Can you give us a brief description of the characters?

Starr Conner could qualify for a Hallmark movie. She’s cute and sweet and is a small town girl waiting and hoping to find true love with the perfect man.

Where does your story take place?

The story is set in a fictional beach town on the Washington coast.

What was your favorite scene or chapter to write?

I must confess I had so much fun writing about John’s introduction to Earth. He has a lot to figure out when he first arrives - how to work that borrowed birthday suit he’s been given, how to learn about everything from food to bathrooms. And oh, my, when John first falls for Starr…literally. What can I say? I crack myself up.

Which specific scene or chapter gave you the most difficulty or was it all a breeze to write?

Working out the plausible science of how John could visit Earth and then why he couldn’t stay was a bit of a challenge. Thank God for buddies to brainstorm with!

What do you think sets Starry-Eyed for Christmas apart from other books of the same genre?

It's definitely different. And I hope a fresh take on the romcom genre.

Do you think writing romantic comedy is more complex than writing books of other genres?

I think writing any book comes with challenge and complexity - plot, character growth, setting a scene. Writing is much harder than it looks. But it’s always rewarding.

What’s next for you?

There is a historical novel looming on the horizon. Something that is a departure for me and that I’m very excited about.

Starr Conner is longing to find the perfect man. She hasn’t found him in her beach town of Port Haven. She just knows he exists. Somewhere. Maybe this year Santa will come through for her.

John Smith is new to the area. Actually, John Smith is new to Earth. Making his visit in the special human form provided for him, he gets to experience a taste of life there. And he’s just in time for the festival called Christmas. Long before he meets Santa, he meets someone even better: Starr.

Starr is thinking her dream man might have finally arrived, but there’s just one problem. Earth’s atmosphere isn’t as welcoming as she is, and much as he wants to, John can’t stay permanently. Can an out of this world love conquer all?

Starry-Eyed for Christmas is available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/099943988X .

╰┈➤Book Details

● Title: Starry-Eyed for Christmas
● Author: Sheila Roberts
● Genre: Romance
● Sub-genre: Christmas Romance
● Language:English
● Pages: 170
● Paperback ISBN: ‎978-0999439883
● Publisher: Roberts Ink
● Publication Date: October 18, 2025
● Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/099943988X
● Price: Paperback $12.99, Kindle $9.99