If your family is like mine, all your birthdays line up close together. The good news is, only three of our family members have birthdays in December. All the others are spread out across late summer into fall and then again in Spring. That being said, some families have theirs stacked even closer, like my friend Mary Pat Johns. This inspired part of her new story in our Christmas novella collection, Lighting Up Christmas. She’s chatting about it here today. See what you think. Would you like to have multiple birthdays all around the holidays?
To my everlasting joy, Lighting Up Christmas: A Collection of Four Christmas Romance Novellas, released on September 29th with my story in it. I had always wanted to write with a team, and it was a wonderful experience! The common theme in all our stories was Christmas lights. Mine is “Twas the Light Before Christmas.” The wordplay in our titles was just another fun aspect of working together. My story includes a Christmas lights contest—a quite grand one if money counts. It’s initially the driving force for my characters, but that changes as they see past the contest to falling in love—something neither of them expected.
But I couldn’t write a Christmas story without including a bit of autobiographical info—because, in our family, Christmas (or close to Christmas) birthdays abound.
It all began with my husband, whose birthday is December 25th. Yep, he’s our Christmas baby. And yes, it’s a yearly challenge, but he’s a flexible sort and doesn’t mind sharing.
Then came our daughter, who was born the day after Christmas. We weren’t crazy about having another birthday so close to Christmas, but they’ve been really good sports about it. Through the years, they have happily shared parties and birthday cake. Good thing candle-count has never mattered to them. I think it’s fitting that their birthdays are so close together because they are two peas in a pod personality-wise.
But when our daughter married, we learned her father-in-law’s birthday is December 23rd, and things got more complicated. When she became pregnant with her firstborn, she wailed, “Not another Christmas baby!” so I said, “Let’s pray she gets her own day.” I didn’t realize how prophetic that would be. We prayed, and sure enough, Annabelle was born on Christmas Eve, between her two grandpas’ birthdays.
Here’s the part where perspective matters. We could bemoan the closeness of birthdays—December 23, 24th, 25th, and the 26th–or celebrate the uniqueness of our situation and how God brought it all together.
And if that slew of birthdays wasn’t enough, another granddaughter also has a birthday in December. Hers is on the 13th. We were all rooting for a November birthday, since we don’t have any of those, but no. At some point, you just have to decide God has a sense of humor.
Have to admit, it’s been trickier with the young ones, but I can honestly say their mom has worked hard to make sure they don’t feel less than or forgotten.
In my novella, main character Cooper Blackmon has a Christmas birthday. In his case, however, he resents it. It was easy to write that one, especially since all I had to do was remember the same old things people say every year when they hear about my husband’s Christmas birthday, such as, “Bet you got cheated with presents,” and other unhelpful comments. That’s when it matters what and who you listen to. If you take in all the negativity, life stinks, but when you remember Who gave you your birthday, it changes things.
I used our personal experiences to set up Cooper’s spiritual arc in a light, fun-filled story just to remind readers that life is better when we see it through God’s perspective.
Four Christmas romances. Four glowing displays. One season bright with hope.
In Lighting Up Christmas, four heartwarming novellas shine with small-town charm, clean romance, and the gentle reminder that God can bring light to even the dimmest places.
A Christmas-loving neighbor is determined to thaw the heart of the grump next door, one strand of lights at a time. A B&B owner counting on her town’s Festival of Lights finds unexpected help from a Hollywood star with secrets of his own. Two rivals in a high-stakes Christmas lights competition discover the brightest spark may have nothing to do with winning. And a grieving young woman facing her first Christmas after loss finds unexpected encouragement from an author whose kindness helps her rediscover joy.
From duplexes and festivals to beloved light displays and second chances at joy, these stories celebrate faith, community, and love that glows brightest when hearts are willing to shine.
Mary Pat Johns’ writing career began once she retired from teaching speech and writing. She has written devotions for an online publication, had short stories published by Chicken Soup for the Soul, and wrote a column for the Victoria Advocate, a local newspaper.
Countin’ On Jesse, her first novel debuted in 2023. Books 2 & 3 of the Valiant series, Lovin’ On Red and Glitter and the Grouch released in 2024. The last book of the series, Waitin’ On Paige released in 2025. And now a Christmas novella in Lighting Up Christmas with three other authors. God put it in her heart to tell stories of brave veterans and their reintegration into civilian life after suffering the traumas of war. Then it broadened to how ordinary people handle life-changing situations.
She writes Christian romance because when we view life through the hope of Christ’s sacrifice, we find that happily ever after is God’s idea.
Mary Pat lives in South Texas with her husband and their two dapple dachshunds. Her grown children and five grandchildren are useful sorts who keep her grounded with her reading/writing obsession. You can find her at the gym, at her computer, or reading a good book.
Links:
FB link: https://www.facebook.com/marypatjohnsauthor/
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Website: https://www.marypatjohns.com
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-pat-johns
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/marypatjohnspin/_saved/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/43636180.Mary_Pat_Johns
Short link to Amazon/Romance in Valiant series https://bit.ly/4hhJvLj