Tailgates & Tinsel: A Canadian Holiday Romance is NOW LIVE

J.C. Hannigan
2 days ago
2 min read

Tailgates & Tinsel is now live, and I couldn't be more excited!

I'd gotten the idea to write a Christmas novel a few years ago, when my beautiful friend Tash Cook started posting updates on social media about her progress restoring a 1951 GMC with her father. It was essentially plotted out in my head years ago, but I didn't actually start writing it until July 23rd of this year.

Photograph of a woman wearing a cream sweater with long dark hair tied back in a red bow, holding a copy of Tailgates & Tinsel by J.C. Hannigan in front of a beautifully decorated Christmas tree.

That was when I stumbled upon the most perfect cover for it, and the entire story took immediate shape in my mind. I started writing it that very day. I wrote 39,989 words those last two weeks of July. No word of a lie, I was consumed with telling this story. In August, I wrote another 18,365 words. September was all about edits and revisions and alphas, and by October, it was with the editor.

The goal, even though I knew it was probably a reach, was to have the book published by mid-November.

Unfortunately, in October...we lost my beloved Papa. That grief set me back a bit, but I knew if he could, he'd tell me to stop crying and get it done. So, I did, but that minor delay did push my intended release from mid-November to early December.

Photograph of two copies of Tailgates & Tinsel by J.C. Hannigan underneath an out-of-focus Christmas tree.

Still, it's here. I did it, along with the help of my incredible team and circle of supportive friends and family.

This release is extra special to me, because it's been very therapeutic to write this story. My late Granny (who we lost in January of this year) loved Christmas, and made every holiday such a magical experience for us. This would be our first Christmas without her, and now...it's also our first Christmas without Papa. I take comfort in knowing that they will be together this Christmas, but I miss them.

Writing this story helped me memorialize that magical feeling Granny's holiday spirit always evoked.

This Canadian holiday romance book is full of witty, sarcastic verbal sparring between Elysabeth and Luke, and it's set in one of my favourite local towns: Cobourg, Ontario. I've always found Cobourg to be magical, especially during the holiday season.

And did I mention...it features a Christmas Tree Farm setting and a bookstore setting, which are two of my favourite Hallmark-esque plot devices?

Honestly, I just love this book so much. It's so special to me, and I'm so happy it's out in the world!

Musings