“I am a scientist, a science writer, and editor. Lately, I’ve been conducting a personal scientific study. Now, I know this is controversial in these contentious times, but here is the irrefutable fact: I write better with chocolate.”
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Ho, Ho, Homicide!                                                      by MP Smith

Waiting for their baby to be born, Anne and Jack take a holiday getaway to northern Minnesota. The romantic Christmas holiday is everything they’d hoped it would be until they realize they’re snowed in with a killer. This locked-room mystery is filled with glowing good wishes for the holiday, but also the dread of wondering, “Who’s next?”

What was your favourite or most memorable gift you got as a child?

I was about 7 or 8 years old when I received my older brother’s used bike for Christmas. My parents had repainted it black and put sparkly tassels on the ends of the handlebars. It was beautiful, my Black Beauty. My mom made a cowgirl outfit for me just like Dale Evans wore on the Roy Rogers show. I loved that bike and put many miles on it. We rode like the wind, my Black Beauty and me!

What would be a great gift for your character?

Anything old or historic—an antique piece of furniture, a vintage piece of fabric or lace, an old copy of a favorite book.

Speaking as your character, what is your (their) favourite thing about Christmas?

Enjoying a Christmas Eve tamale dinner at best friends Barb and Pete Garcia’s house. Every December, friends, and family gather to make the Mexican delicacies filled with savory pork, chicken, or cheese and chilies, even pineapple. They’re shared with everyone who helped make them, but most are saved for the huge Christmas Eve feast.

If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?

What fun to imagine! Saoirse Ronan would make the perfect Anne. Anne’s a dedicated teacher, crazy about her husband Jack, and definitely has a nose for trouble. Dark and moody Jack—you know, the Heathcliff type—would best be played by Robert Pattinson from the Twilight movies.

What’s your favourite Christmas movie?

No contest, my favorite Christmas movie is also my favorite movie of all time—It’s a Wonderful Life with James Stewart and Donna Reed. This movie can always lift my spirits and remind me how blessed I am with my beautiful family and wonderful friends.