#elisesthoughts – Page 4 – Avonna Loves Genres

Friday Feature Author Interview #1 with Elise Cooper: Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet

Book Description

When Beth March is found dead in the woods on New Year’s Day, her sisters vow to uncover her murderer.

Suspects abound. There’s the neighbor who has feelings for not one but two of the girls. Meg’s manipulative best friend. Amy’s flirtatious mentor. And Beth’s lionhearted first love. But it doesn’t take the surviving sisters much digging to uncover motives each one of the March girls had for doing the unthinkable.

Jo, an aspiring author with a huge following on social media, would do anything to hook readers. Would she kill her sister for the story? Amy dreams of studying art in Europe, but she’ll need money from her aunt—money that’s always been earmarked for Beth. And Meg wouldn’t dream of hurting her sister…but her boyfriend might have, and she’ll protect him at all costs.

Despite the growing suspicion within the family, it’s hard to know for sure if the crime was committed by someone close to home. After all, the March sisters were dragged into the spotlight months ago when their father published a controversial bestseller about his own daughters. Beth could have been killed by anyone.

Beth’s perspective told in flashback unfolds next to Meg, Jo, and Amy’s increasingly fraught investigation as the tragedy threatens to rip the Marches apart.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet takes the Little Women story by Louisa May Alcott and turns it on its head. Readers who loved this timely classic will be intrigued how Bernet takes Beth’s death and turns it into a murder mystery, puts the characters in the modern day, and has many twists with many people of interest. Although it is listed as a YA book, adult readers will also find it enjoyable, gripping, and riveting.

Beloved character Beth March is found dead in the woods on New Year’s Day. As the suspects pile up people are wondering if the March sisters’ father could have killed Beth. After all, he dragged the March sisters into the spotlight with his controversial bestseller about his own daughters’ lives.

The sisters’ lives have been turned upside down with all the publicity causing them to doubt and question themselves. With Beth it goes even farther because she feels the need to prove self-worth. In the dad’s book he has Beth die in a car accident and noted that she had to be the sister to die because Beth seems to be the one who made an imprint on the readers and the characters in the story.

This is a who done it with the sisters trying to find the killer along with the detectives who seem to have tunnel vision. The story is narrated by the four sisters, Meg, Jo, Amy, and in flashbacks by Beth. Grief and loss have the characters re-evaluating their life, their relationships with each other, and their relationship with Beth.

For those who loved Little Women people will still be able to see the framework of the original characters, yet Bernet adds dimension to those supporting characters who did not have much page time in the original. Anyone who loved the sisters in Little Women will be riveted to their seat as they turn the pages to find out who killed Beth and why.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Katie Bernet: I wrote a love-hate list. On one side I wrote all the things I love and the other side on everything I hate. I pulled out a bunch of different combinations with Little Women and mystery thrillers one of those combinations. Then I remembered when I was in first grade at a sleep over my best friend’s older sister was watching a movie, Little Women. She was crying and told me, ‘Beth just died.’ This was my first impression of Little Women.

EC: What do you think Alcott’s style was and how did that play in your book?

KB: I modernized the story because I did not want it to have that old English feel to it. I wanted to explore how would these characters be in modern day. I think Jo would thrive today. In Little Women Louissa May Alcott had social issues of women’s rights with emphasis on moral lessons and personal growth. The story had spirituality and religion which I did not really keep. She liked to highlight women’s strengths, resilience, ambition, growing up, and familial bonds, which I hoped I did in this book because that is what I loved about Little Women with each sister having different forms of strength. Both books are about sisterhood and family.

EC: Why did you kill Beth?

KB: I am a huge fan of Little Women because I am one of three sisters and a huge fan of mystery thrillers. I had fun thinking about how these sisters would act in this situation having Beth killed instead of dying from illness. I thought how impactful it is to lose a sister and, in my book, I had Beth die in chapter one.

EC: Describe Meg the older sister?

KB: In both books Meg has a desire for luxury, longing for security and stability. She wants a safe and loving home. She is torn between wanting simple values and a comfortable life. She is mother-like, protective, conscientious, and smart. The only difference between the books is that in my story she pursues wealth, not through marriage, but through schooling. I have her going to Harvard and wanting to become a doctor.

EC: How would you describe Jo?

KB: In both books she is resistant to romantic relationships, does not want to lose her independence, wants a close bond with her family, and is driven by wanting to be a successful writer. Jo is adventurous, daring, blunt, has a temper, impulsive, and brave. She is a tomboy and most like her dad.

EC: How would you describe the youngest sister, Amy?

KB: She is a very unlikable sister. She pursues artistic excellence. Amy wants to be a part of high society. In both books she is spoiled and selfish, a rebel, and reckless.

EC: What about Beth?

KB: Kind, always wants to please, wants to become a pianist, and wants to stay close to her family. In both books she is mostly bashful, shy, quiet, cautious, timid, optimistic, selfless, and sweet. Beth is a good observer, listener, and is reserved. She sees mostly good in everyone except for a few characters in my book who become people of interest in her killing.

EC: What about Laurie, Jo’s best friend?

KB: In both books he is bashful, easy temper, brother-like to most of the girls, although not Amy, generous, witty, and can be sly.

EC: What about the dad?

KB: He shuts people out. He is ignorant, abandoned the family, seems uncaring, negative, irresponsible, and self-centered. This description fits my story but not the original Little Women. He is a character who I changed the most. In the original he left his family for altruistic reasons but something about that seemed a little selfish to me. I took that and ran with it.

EC: Did the mother play a role?

KB: Yes. She is honorable, caring, and knows her daughters. In my version she is drained out by Beth’s death. In the original version she is so strong. But I questioned that and wanted to show her vulnerability and weakness.

EC: What about Henry?

KB: He was Beth’s first boyfriend who is humble, tough, and a computer expert. This is accurate for my story because in the original he was not much of a character.

EC: What was the role of the dad’s book?

KB: He gets criticism for exploiting his daughters. He made Beth question herself, made her perfect, sensitive, and not ambitious. He writes Amy as a party-girl, someone who is jealous of the other sisters, sick of being in their shadows, melodramatic, selfish, and vain. Meg in his story is clever, caring, materialistic, and status-seeking. Jo was made to be quick-tempered, lonely, and the brave hero. He makes each of them the stereotypes they are in the original.

EC: How does the relationship and dynamics between the sisters play into the mystery?

KB: It makes it easy for them to suspect each other. Their differences make them suspicious of one another. They can suspect and blame each other but then turn a 180 and still support and love each other. In the original version Beth dies from complications of scarlet fever, so they had time to accept the fact she was going to die, while in this story it comes as a shock. This is why the sisters have so much anger and blame in my story.

EC: Do you think the detectives had tunnel vision?

KB: They did take the motives without having much evidence. I wanted the main detective to not really understand Jo and has a bias against her.

EC: Is Beth in the middle of everyone’s secrets?

KB: Beth is at the center of everyone’s secrets. I think her character in the original story has her more of an observer and quiet. In the original there is a quote that I am paraphrasing, “Many Beths sitting in corners waiting until people need them.” She goes unnoticed and can pick up on things others cannot.

EC: What is the point of the male boyfriends?

KB: Amy has Laurie as her first love. Jo has turned down Laurie’s desire to be more than friends. Romance is a bother for her because she wants to concentrate on her writing career. His absence makes her see that she cares about other things more. The point of John’s character is to show how Meg struggles to want to make something of herself, but at the same time is falling in love with John. He is a piano instructor who is not pursuing a big fancy career. Henry helps Beth reflect on what type of character she was in her dad’s book. He is part of Beth’s rebellion.

EC: Next book?

KB: I am working on another retelling of a literary classic as a mystery thriller.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Maybe One Day by Catherine Bybee

Book Description

Mari D’Angelo’s life is complete. Her children are all married. Two grandbabies fill her days, with two more on the way, and her thriving family restaurant is running on autopilot. Not once in the ten years since she’s become a widow has Mari considered another love of her own. Until she sets sail on a singles cruise to placate her recently divorced best friend. Then James comes crashing into Mari’s world.

Charming, witty, and with two daughters of his own, James isn’t looking for love either. But Mari is as irresistible as she is beautiful. As their simmering attraction grows, Mari’s resolve to ignore the spark James has ignited slowly breaks away. She promised her beloved late husband she’d find someone new. Maybe that impossible day has come.

Knowing her protective sons would not approve, Mari chooses to keep the romance a secret. After all, there is no reason for her family to know about James if their relationship doesn’t work out. It’s up to James to prove he can be trusted with the heart of a woman he’s come to cherish. But without her family’s approval, their love doesn’t stand a chance.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Maybe One Day by Catherine Bybee is a home run like all her other books. Every time a reader picks up a Bybee book they take a heartfelt journey with the characters.

Mari D’Angelo’s life is complete. Her children are all married. Two grandbabies fill her days, with two more on the way, and her thriving family restaurant is running on autopilot. She is an adoring Italian mother and grandmother who absolutely lives for her family and the restaurant she owns. She has centered her life on making sure her children and grandchildren are fulfilled and happy after being a single mother when the love of her life, her husband Paulo, died ten years earlier. While they are all now grown and married with families of their own, her best friend Rosa convinces her to focus on herself or possibly a relationship. Rosa is the wild one while Mari is more reserved. Rosa convinces her to try some new activities that include a singles cruise; she reluctantly agrees.

James Russell is a divorcee with two daughters, and like Mari is not looking for love or a relationship. His twin girls are getting ready to head off to college and want to make sure he’s not alone. To get them off his back he agrees to go on a single’s cruise, the one Mari is on. Mari and James meet and forge a friendship that turns to more. As their simmering attraction grows, Mari’s resolve to ignore the spark James has ignited slowly breaks away. Maybe that impossible day has come. Knowing her protective sons would not approve, Mari chooses to keep the romance a secret, and James realizes without Mari’s family’s approval their relationship does not stand a chance even though both know there is a strong chemistry and attraction between them.

This book has what readers expect of Bybee, an emotional story, a great cast of characters, and terrific banter. Even though the featured characters were in their mid-fifties the story is relatable to readers of all ages, especially with the supporting characters.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Catherine Bybee: I wanted to write a romance involving a couple in their 50’s. After divorce, after raising children and in Mari’s case, after losing her husband. The D’Angelo family was the perfect setting.

EC: Did you have as much fun writing this story as people had reading it?

CB: Absolutely. I’m in my 50’s and have several single and divorced friends finding romance in mid-life. I recently took a cruise with some friends and realized that the older crowd was having just as much, if not more fun, than the younger passengers. Which of course sparked ideas for this book. I suppose the research for this story is where my fun happened.

Writing the book is always work.

EC: The scene with losing a loved one was very powerful. Was it based on anything and what was your thinking when you wrote that scene?

CB: Death should be powerful. I’m glad I captured that in my writing. This scene wasn’t based on any one personal experience, however; I lived long enough to know people who have lost a spouse they loved deeply. I think the best gift a loved one can give on their death bed is permission for a spouse to live a full life after they are gone. Mari was given this permission slip but never made good on it. True love is wanting what is best for the survivor. Sometimes that is starting over.

EC: What was the role of Rosa in this book-was she the influence over Mari to move on from losing her soulmate, her wing person?

CB: I felt there was a need to compare and contrast how widows and divorcees approach relationships differently. Mari adored her husband and feels she’s lived a full life, vs, Rosa who put her life on hold for a husband who was alive but wasn’t there. Rosa is running toward her third act in life grasping as much as she can. All Mari can do is be supportive. So yes, her wing person. But watching someone come alive after years of being dormant sometimes remind us that we might have more life in us than we originally thought.

EC: How would you compare and contrast James’ daughters Ellie and Madison

CB: Ellie was strong willed, an independent thinker, and bold while Madison was a rule follower who did not like to make waves. I framed Ellie to be a bit reckless and Madison more grounded. Siblings, even twins, have completely different personalities. But they both share the same love for their father and each other, which makes them so loveable.

EC: How would you describe James?

CB: James, much like Mari, is happy in his own skin and life. He is protective about his daughters, but realistic enough to make sure his daughters can talk to him about anything. Even if they choose not to, it’s not because he is judgmental. I think his charm when it comes to Mari speaks for itself. Dating is like a muscle, if you don’t do it very often, it sometimes hurts. But charm is something deep inside that shows even when you’re not trying to make an impression. James has this trait deep in his core. He’s charming, witty, pragmatic and more concerned about his daughters than himself. He is a very selfless man. Divorce didn’t make him bitter, which is an oddity in fiction novels and completely opposite of our other divorcee in the book, Rosa.

EC: Why have them meet on the cruise ship-was it from personal experience?

CB: A recent cruise did help me choose the setting. But in order for the reader to get to know Mari the woman, and not Mari the mother and grandmother, I needed her to be away from her family and the restaurant that occupies her every day.

EC: How would you describe James and Mari’s relationship?

CB: I would say this is a slow burn romance with a reluctant heroine not looking for love. He falls first. This is her first real opportunity to look at life as a woman and because she still loves her husband, it makes her take things slow.

EC: How would you describe Mari?

CB: Mari is the matriarch and therefore the cornerstone of her family. She keeps it all together. She’s wise beyond her years and loves unconditionally. She is unexpectedly funny and surprisingly adventurous when not burdened by a family close by.

EC: How would you describe the reaction of the children to James and Mari’s relationship?

CB: Son’s have a hard time seeing their mothers as women, where daughters don’t. That might be a blanket statement, and certainly not all sons and daughters think this way, but in my personal experience, that is the way it is. I don’t think Mari’s sons are selfish, I just don’t think they ever considered their mother would find another love. That is threatening in some ways. Her sons felt the need to protect their mother after their father passed. Now another man enters the picture and steps into that protective role. It’s hard to let that go.

But the girls… They see the big picture. Besides, they are all happily married and want the same for their mother. They also don’t see Mari as just a mom, or just a grandmother. They see a beautiful woman still young enough to live another love.

EC: Next book(s)?

CB: I’m moving on from the D’Angelos, but there might be a future book with Rosa as the heroine. I suppose that will depend on my readers and if they enjoy romances with older players.

“The Queen Anne Hill Series” and Lead Me Home, the first book in this series is a huge shift from the love and dependability of the D’Angelos. This series takes you deep into the roots of generational trauma and how it takes healing and courage to allow romantic love in. While this first book in the series is a work of fiction, it is based on my own lived experience that almost makes this creative non-fiction.

I started the D’Angelo Series off with a story based on my father… Lead Me Home is about my mother and my very troubled childhood.

This book is up for pre-order and will be released on June 9^th, 2026.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Strangers in the Car by C.M. Ewan

Book Description

Late at night…

Abi and Ben are driving home down foggy country roads, arguing about having had to cut short their weekend away when they take a wrong turn. Abi’s driving, but her eyes leave the road for a moment as she says something to Ben – just as he gasps. A man is in front of the car, waving a torch. Abi swerves to avoid him.

You see a family stranded…

Ben tells her they should stop and go back, but Abi refuses. It’s dark, the roads are isolated and they don’t know this stranger. But, as Abi continues on, they see a broken-down car. Every instinct is still telling Abi to drive by, but then she notices the woman holding a car seat with a baby in it.

Would you stop?

For a moment, Abi hesitates, but they can’t leave a mother and baby on the side of the road. Agreeing to give the family a lift, they set off again. But now these strangers are inside their car and it might be the worst mistake they have ever made…

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228646255-strangers-in-the-car?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=2Hrt3LXQo1&rank=1

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Elise’s Thoughts

Strangers in the Car by C. M. Ewan will take readers on a roller coaster ride.

The plot has Abi Foster and her boyfriend Ben Simmons driving home, having cut their weekend vacation in Cornwall short due to a crisis at Ben’s law firm. They are arguing about cutting the weekend short when Abi misses a turn in the foggy country roads. They spot a stranded family with a young baby whose car has stalled. They learn the father is Paul, the mother is Samantha, and the baby is Lila. They offer the family a ride to Bristol but offering them a ride takes Abi and Ben down a treacherous road. It seems Paul has a lot of gambling debts and is trying to avoid the bad guys. At this point the story is told from three different perspectives with dual timelines. The author weaves in flashbacks from Samantha and Paul’s events from prior in the day.

This is a story where readers will think of the idiom, no good deed goes unpunished. The story is intense from beginning to end and people will be on the edge of their seats.

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Author Interview

EC: How would describe Abi’s boyfriend, Ben?

CME: He insists on doing the right thing. He is responsible, law-abiding, a middle of the road guy. He is also innately selfish. Ben is tested throughout the story where he wakes up to realize Abi’s priorities must be his priorities. He was a complacent character living in his own world inoculating himself from the trauma Abi has been going through. This entire situation forces him to grow up, mature, and confront these things.

EC: Why write the timelines in the style of going backwards when the time is given and the current situation when there is no time?

CME: The Abi and Ben’s story is the essence of the plot and is played out in real time fashion. The excerpts with the time are from earlier in the day until the car breaks down. In the book there is a point where both timelines come together. It did not occur to me to put time markers in the main thread, which is what is happening now. The Abi and Ben timeline is a real compressed timeframe, while the hitchhikers backstory of Samantha and Paul is spread over many more hours during the day.

EC: How would you describe one of the hitchhikers, Samantha?

CME: She was an accessory to the crime of what Paul was doing and complacent. She is Paul’s wife who is troubled. She is a cowed wife to Paul who is a very dominant figure. She is a mystery.

EC: What about Paul?

CME: He is mean, complicit, jealous of Samantha’s family’s money, frustrated, terrorizing, violent, unstable, dangerous, antsy, unpredictable, and frustrated. He was a bully and not that smart. He is very self-serving.

EC: How would you describe the bad person, Collette?

CME: She is a psychopath, ruthless, uncaring, money hungry, violent, a planner who is deceitful, a liar, dangerous, and evil. She is an expert criminal.

EC: What was the role of baby Lila?

CME: She is a baby to be protected. Lila is the reason Abi does everything she does because she wants to protect all children. This is also true of Samantha. The theme of most of my books is how far would someone go to protect those they love, especially children. Lila is needed for everything to make sense and is the driver for Abi to become the heroine she does not know that she is.

EC: Next book?

CME: It is titled Eye Spy. It is a contained thriller set on the Eurostar high speed train from Paris to London. A father travels home to his wife with his four-year-old daughter and his teenage stepdaughter. His younger daughter says she spied a bad man on the train with the family. It will be out in March 2026 on Amazon.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Christmas Cowboy by Melinda Curtis

Book Description

Will he find the ultimate present…

Or lose his heart?

Zane Duvall has one goal this Christmas: attend all Twelve Parties of Clementine and win the grand prize—a small ranch he’s always dreamed of owning. But his plan hits a snag when his well-meaning family decides he needs a holiday romance to go with his holiday cheer. Lily Smith has come to town to confront a man claiming to be her father—and ends up facing a lot of questions she’s not ready to answer. When Zane proposes a fake relationship to keep nosy citizens and matchmakers at bay, Lily agrees. After all, it’s just pretend…right? But when family secrets and old wounds come to light, will their budding romance survive the season?

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Christmas Cowboy by Melinda Curtis is a delightful holiday read. There are some heavier subjects that are heartfelt and emotionally riveting. But the humor is a welcome relief, coming mostly from a five-year-old boy.

Lily Smith has come to Clementine to act as a nanny for her newborn niece and five-year-old nephew, Ford. But there is another reason she is there. She has spent her whole life wondering why her father ignored her and did not treat her like he did her brother, and intends to find out.

She intends to be by herself until she meets Zane Duvall in a bar. He asks her to be in a pretend relationship with him to get both of his biological and foster mothers off his back and stop their matchmaking ideas. She decides to help him be his date at all the Christmas parties so he can avoid every single woman chasing him all over town.

Because Zane knew Lily was a cowboy that has worked on many ranches, he asks her to chase down this wild white Stallion, Solomon that has never been caught. They grow closer and realize there is a chemistry between them. But first, she must find out who is her real father after getting a letter from a local man claiming to be her “real” father as opposed to the man who raised her.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: What are you planning for Christmas?

Melinda Curits: I’m recovering from a severely broken ankle. The holidays have been great because, for the first time in what feels like forever, I’m not cooking! I plan to nap a lot.

EC: What does it mean in your writings?

MC: I use a lot of my family’s decorations and holiday traditions in my writing. It feels like I’m connecting to the past when I include a special side dish, ornament, or game in my stories.

EC: What is the role of Christmas in this story?

MC: It has Christmas Cards, 12 parties of Christmas, Santaplooza Parade, and Rowdy is like Scrooge. This is a fake dating story, so I needed many events. Christmas offers a lot of events. I created the 12 Parties of Christmas, so the hero and heroine had places to date.

EC: Idea for the story?

MC: I love fake dating stories. Hallmark has a lot of them during the holidays. They get me in the mood to write, especially the funnier ones.

EC: How would you describe Lily?

MC: She is self-assured, has a sense of humor, tomboy, guarded, and runs when it gets overwhelming. Up until her parents died, Lily had decided she wasn’t “that girl,” the one who men wanted to date. But then her parents die and she learns the man she thought was her dad wasn’t and from there on nothing is the same.

EC: How would you describe Zane?

MC: Not a planner, honest, witty. Zane is definitely a seat of the pants type of guy. He’s been letting life happen to him. But now, what’s happening isn’t what he wants.

EC: What are the roles of Zane’s two mothers. Biological and foster?

MC: Nurturing and family are important. They are like a burr under a saddle – annoying in their desire to see him settled down. He can’t ignore them because he loves them. But their matchmaking is very heavy-handed. What do you do when women are put in your path at every turn?

EC: What about Ford, Lily’s five-year-old nephew?

MC: He is rooting for Zane, a comic relief, enthusiastic, the inner thoughts of the male and female lead. Ford keeps things light when some of the backstory might be a bit heavy. I love character growth and I love comedy when the two work together. It’s kind of the way I approach life.

EC: Why Solomon the horse?

MC: As a kid, we’d take road trips through the west and count white horses. They became special to me, a touchstone to family. Also, where we lived, there were a lot of local myths and legends about wooded areas. It seemed right to combine the two as a bridge between Zane and Rowdy.

EC: Describe the relationship?

MC: Friends first. She shields him from all the women sent after him by his mothers. He is a teaser. This is a buddy story. Neither expect love to bloom. They each have their own agenda for the holidays. But somewhere along the line, they realize they are each other’s person.

EC: Next book(s)?

MC: I have five western romances releasing in 2026 – 3 with harlequin (including a new Blackwell series book) and 2 with tule (only tule has a page up https://tulepublishing.com/books/the-cowboys-accidental-bride/). I’ll also be working on two romantic comedies – 1 Grandma Dotty/Summer Kisses book (It Happened at Sea), 1 Mermaid Bay.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah by Jean Meltzer

Book Description

Evelyn Schwartz has the perfect Hanukkah planned: eight jam-packed days producing the live-action televised musical of A Christmas Carol. Who needs family when you’ve got long hours, impossible deadlines, and your dream job? That is, until an accident on set lands her in the medical bay with one of her chronic migraines, and she’s shocked to find her ex-husband, David Adler, filling in for the usual studio doctor.

It’s been two years since David walked away from Evelyn and their life in Manhattan, and his ex-wife is still the same workaholic who puts her career before everything else—especially her health. But when Evelyn begins hallucinating “ghosts” tied to her past heartbreaks, and every single one leads to David, he finds himself spending much more time with her than he anticipated. And denying the still-smoldering chemistry between them becomes impossible.

As Evelyn revisits her ghosts of Hanukkah past, she and David both begin to wonder if they can have a Hanukkah future. But with a high-stakes production ramping up the pressure on Evelyn, and troublesome spirits forcing them both to confront their most difficult shared memories, it might just take a Hanukkah miracle for these two exes to light the flame on their second-chance at love.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah by Jean Meltzer is a great holiday read. Hanukkah is known as the “Festival of Lights” and this novel shows how the characters were brought out of their darkness and illuminated with light as they take their journey to reconnect.

In the style of best-selling author Kristin Hannah, this novel is a heartfelt, sad, and heartbreaking story dealing with loss and trauma. But readers also will laugh with the characters as they learn about life lessons and reignite the light of their relationship that was once filled with hope, love, and togetherness. The story is about a second-chance romance during Hanukkah and there is a happily ever after.

It’s been two years since David walked away from Evelyn and their life in Manhattan, during the first night of Hanukkah. Eveyln fell back on her “go to” by leaning into work. Now, a successful television producer, she was chosen to produce the live action musical version of A Christmas Carol for network television.

While having one of her debilitating chronic migraines, she had an accident on the set. The show’s medic is called but unfortunately, he is Evelyn’s ex-husband David, who is substituting for the permanent medic. These migraines can cause Evelyn to blackout, but now something else is going on where she has visions, and hallucinations.

The author spins A Christmas Carol with Jewish twists as Evelyn’s “Ghosts of Hanukkah Past” visit her every night and make her flash back to certain difficult times in her life. Her past, present, and future are displayed to her, offering her to feel love, growth, change, and forgiveness. She is shown how instead of being married to David, she is married to her job with little time for anything but work.

Readers will laugh with Evelyn as she tries to deal with the comical Hanukkah ghosts but also cry with her as she remembers how David always tried to help her deal with parental neglect, chronic illness, infertility, pregnancy loss, and grief.

This is a great book because people will be able to connect with the characters and understand their journey through the lens of Judaism, although they do not have to be Jewish to enjoy the story. Readers will laugh at the humor, cry as they mourn the character’s loss, and cheer as they demonstrate strength and rekindle love, getting their happily ever after.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How does Hanukkah come up in your writings?

Jean Meltzer: My husband is an Army military veteran, having done two tours of duty during the Iraq war. The world, as my husband has seen, can appear so dark. By being bright ourselves, we can brighten other people and make the world a much lighter and better place. I try to write from the lens of Jewish authenticity of my Jewish experience. It is my mission and passion to tell Jewish stories. My first one, The Matzah Ball, was also a Hanukkah book. I like the idea of spreading light among Jewish stories.

EC: Does Dickens have an influence in this story?

JM: I thought of different ideas and loved the Hanukkah retelling of A Christmas Carol. My mother who is a psychologist often used A Christmas Carol in her therapy, marriage and family counseling. We talked and she commented that the people think the story is about looking at your past and changing. She said what the story is really about is seeing your experiences through another person’s lens. At that moment I thought this is what I want The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah to be about where the main female character, Evelyn, sees her heartbreaks through another person’s lens, David. I find it a privilege to tell other stories through a Jewish lens. Hopefully, lots of Jewish retellings in my future.

EC: Why the chronic illness?

JM: I have been sick with a chronic disability since I was 18/19 years old, chronic fatigue syndrome. Because I have lived with disease for so long, I have come to a process in my life as someone who has a chronic disability. From my first book, I have always written characters a little bit like me, either sick or anxious or struggling, but still get their happy ending. I can write all these stories with real life events, but in the end the characters deserve to have a happy ending.

EC: Does Evelyn’s chronic migraines define who she is?

JM: As someone with a chronic disability, I feel you cannot separate it from experiences. It is a part of my daily life. Does it define me totally? No, but it is a part of who I am. For Evelyn, that is the same sort of experience. She knows how to maneuver and deal with it. It is a part of the decisions she makes in her life. I also have experienced chronic migraines but not as disabling because medication has worked.

EC: Do you agree Evelyn does not appear to be very religious?

JM: Because Evelyn is more of a secular and cultural Jew, she does not spend much time with the lingo then someone who is super educated in Jewish culture and tradition. David’s family is a little more engaged in the Hanukkah traditions than Eveyln. I have lived in both experiences. I have the characters decide for themselves. The main message is there, that miracles can still happen and that God is involved in our affairs. I try to write from the lens of Jewish authenticity of my Jewish experience.

EC: How would you describe Evelyn?

JM: Stubborn, independent, gutsy, smart, funny, tough, workaholic, and used work to avoid relationships with friends, family, and David. She is deeply sensitive and fears her own vulnerability. I think she tries to thrive and survive. As she grows and changes throughout the story, Evelyn becomes likeable. I think she is misunderstood unlike Scrooge from A Christmas Carol.

EC: How would you describe David?

JM: He became more confident because Evelyn was a part of his life. She helped him stop being bullied and supported him financially while he went through medical school. He is also caring, introverted, sensitive, but withdrawn.

EC: How would you describe the relationship?

JM: She and he were complete partners. She was his anchor. She is the one if the dinner order was wrong, she would send it back, while he would not say anything. She is more assertive. They make each other better. They were childhood friends. They were equals and there for each other, until they started to splinter. Because of this huge traumatic loss in which she could not deal with, they fell apart. He still missed her, while Evelyn has displaced anger toward him. And feels betrayed by him. As a child of divorce, she was bitter to him for committing that unforgivable sin, leaving her in Eveyln’s worst moment, plus he did it on the first night of Hanukkah. One of the reasons she has blown off Hanukkah is she also has displaced anger towards God.

EC: Next book?

JM: I am taking a year off from writing because I am planning a big conference titled Jewish Joy Con, https://www.thejewishjoycon.com . It is a groundbreaking three-day event celebrating the best in pop-culture, storytelling, and creativity, scheduled for March 13-15th at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL. There will be Jewish creators from every industry and is open to Jews and non-Jews alike. This is taking every second of my life right now. Readers should look for a book in 2027.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Queen Who Came In From the Cold by S.J. Bennett

Book Description

1961, England.
The Queen is spending a night on board the royal train with her entourage and her sister, Princess Margaret. But before they reach their destination, an unreliable witness claims to have seen a brutal murder from one of the carriages.

The Queen and her assistant private secretary, Joan McGraw, get to work on their second joint investigation. No one else saw the crime. If there is a victim, could he be the missing photographer friend of Margaret’s new husband, Tony Armstrong Jones?

This time, the Cold War threatens to undermine the Queen’s upcoming visit to Italy. She and Joan must tackle dark forces that follow them all the way, in a tale of spies, lies, and treachery.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Queen Who Came in From the Cold by S. J. Bennett features Queen Elizabeth II as the protagonist and her private secretary Joan McGraw. Fans of Peter James, who’s latest The Hawk Is Dead, involves the current Queen Camilla and King Charles might also like to read this story.

This plot has Queen Elizabeth II and her personal secretary Joan involved with spies, lies, and treachery involving the KGB. The Queen, Prince Philip, and Princess Margaret are planning on taking the royal yacht to Italy. But the temporary lady-in-waiting claims she saw through the train window a dead man being tossed into a lake. The Queen and Joan decide to investigate. They discover a plot to smuggle a Russian defector aboard the Britannia while the Queen and Prince Philip are visiting Italy.

This is a cozy mystery that has intrigue and humor along with historical figures that readers get to know better.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the series?

S. J. Bennett: I was shifting from writing children’s books to crime. My father was in the army and spent a lot of time with the Queen. I ended up thinking she would make a great detective because of her curiosity about people. She had access to any expert. I decided to write a series where Queen Elizabeth II is the detective behind the scenes and lets someone else take the credit, a man who is her nemesis.

EC: Idea for this book?

SJB: This is the fifth one in the series, all written to be read as a stand-alone. I went back in time to 1961, the height of the Cold War and the Space Race. It was all very dangerous and a great time to set a mystery novel. This book starts on the royal train. An unreliable witness thinks she saw something from the train window. Later, I move to the royal yacht, the Britannia. This one is a story of spies with the Queen caught up in international intrigue and takes on the KGB.

EC: Did the title come from the James Bond movie?

SJB: John le Carre wrote The Spy Who Came in From the Cold that came out in 1963. His first book came out in 1961 and in the final pages of this book I have Prince Philip reading the book by a new author. He cannot remember the name but indeed it was John le Carre. I also have some characters reading James Bond books. President Kennedy enjoyed reading Ian Fleming so I had Prince Philip keen to read Fleming so he can chat with him when he comes over.

EC: How would you describe Queen Elizabeth II?

SJB: She was intelligent, funny, witty, curious, very warm and self-contained. She was an empathetic person.

EC: How did you get the dialogue for the Queen?

SJB: She did not talk that much conversationally in public and did not give interviews. My parents did meet her but overall, I had to imagine it. There was a time period to get her voice right. What I did do is watch old videos of the family and saw the little asides, like when she made a joke to someone. In the early books of the series I imagined her and Philip as an older couple.

EC: How would you describe Joan, the Queen’s Assistant Private Secretary?

SJB: She is an outsider who is not part of the Royal machine and has not grown up within the Royal family. She is a working-class person. She grew up in the 1930s and enjoyed working crossword puzzles with her father. She was recruited to Bletchley Park to be a code breaker. She gave a lot and was hugely instrumental in helping us win WWII. When it was over the code breaking effort was ignored and her contribution to it was also ignored. She found herself in the typing pool at Buckingham Palace. The Queen found her there. Joan has a great memory, is a linguist, and keeps a secret. She is curious, no nonsense, analytical, and courageous.

EC: Was she based on anyone?

SJB: My grandmother. She was clever, hardworking, and multitalented. She was largely underestimated growing up in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.

EC: Since the story is based on historical figures what do you want readers to get out of the story?

SJB: Of course, entertainment. But also, a sense of reassurance. The world we live in is stressful. My books allow readers to retreat for a bit. I write in the Golden Age tradition where the Queen sets the tone of being moral, serious, with a sense of justice. I like to live in a world where the people in charge are like that.

EC: The next book?

SJB: The next book is set in 1966. It is titled Deck on The Royal Yacht and will be published in October 2026. It was a big year for Britian. We had the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and was popular. The Queen has set off on a five-week tour of the Caribbean. The plot has somebody who has helped Joan out in the private office found dead of a drug overdose. Joan is a suspect because she does not like this woman very much.

THANK YOU!!

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