Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a book? How authors come up with their stories? Well, the Fab Four would love to share all about their Christmas anthology, I’ll Be Home, with you. Grab your favorite beverage, a cozy plaid blanket, gather around the fire, and let’s chat!

We’re curious, how did you all meet, and where did the name Fab Four come from?

Funny enough, we all live within southwestern Ontario, but Helena and Darlene actually met at a writer’s conference in Colorado! Small world. Most of us connected through The Word Guild, a Canadian writing organization. We started going on writers retreats and conferences. We formed a beautiful friendship and have become close friends. As for the name, I believe Helena (or as we call her, Helen), came up with it on Facebook Messenger as a joke, but it stuck. We’re so thankful God put us together. We fit perfectly.

How did you come up with the idea to put out a Christmas anthology?

On our way back from the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, we started talking about how fun it would be to put an anthology out together. That one spark was all it took and we soon began brainstorming ideas. Helena wanted to write historical. Sara thought it would be fun to write a romance about Anne of Green Gables. Melanie wanted to write a rom-com. And then there’s Darlene (insert laugh here). She writes about serial killers, but that just didn’t seem to fit with the other three stories, so she decided to tame things down with a cozy mystery story with a Hallmarky (is that a word?) vibe. We then thought it would be fun to write stories with the theme of “coming home” and decided to include a train in each one. There are also what we call “Easter eggs” in every story. We hope readers will have fun trying to find them.

Sara, what was the inspiration behind Just a Gilbert Blythe Kind of Girl?

Ever since I first saw the Anne of Green Gables mini-series in the eighties, my bookish heart has belonged to the guy who had lost his own heart to Anne the day she broke a slate over his head. As my heroine, Lucy, says, when her dad asks her what is with women and Gilbert Blythe, “He’s incredibly cute and sweet and adorable and he really gets Anne and he’s always there for her.” There is just something so innocent and heartwarming about Anne and Gilbert’s story—about them finding their way to each other and Anne the orphan discovering family and home. When the four of us began talking about doing an anthology together and setting each story in a different province, I knew immediately my story had to have a Green Gables theme and be set in PEI. Filled with nostalgia and a hint of romance, this story of coming home brings me so much comfort and joy, and I pray it will do the same for readers. After all, isn’t nostalgia, home, comfort, and joy what we all long to experience at Christmas?

Melanie, tell us what a typical day looks like for Porsha in Where My Heart Belongs?

Despite crushing on her boss, forgetting coffee dates with friends (she's left Barbie waiting more times than she can count), and spending copious amounts of time searching for her keys, Porsha spends her days as provincial marketing manager at Imagine. Most days, after racing to grab her morning coffee at the corner cafe, she jumps from client to team meetings, spearheading various ad campaigns that build brand recognition and increase sales for her clients. She says, “If I’m working on a project, you’ll think I fell off the face of the earth.” After work, for stress relief, she goes for long runs along Lakeshore Boulevard or uses the treadmill in her apartment during the winter.

Helena, what research was required for Love Across Time?

I love history. The WWII era intrigues me as I try to wrap my mind around how, even in the face of such devastation, people clung to the rhythms of ordinary life. Despite the horrors surrounding them, they still celebrated holidays, fell in love, and got married. These seemingly small acts of silent resistance stand as a testament to the tenacity of the human spirit and our determination to fight against evil in whatever way we can. Looking at period photographs, checking flight logs at the British Archives, and exploring London’s museums, I’m reminded of the resilience of those who came before us. Their ability to find joy and meaning, even in the darkest times, is both humbling and inspiring, showing us that light can always be found amidst the shadows.

Darlene, what encouragement do you hope readers will take away from Mistletoe and Mayhem in the Rockies?

Emory and Hunter both wrestled with different fears, but ultimately learned to give everything over to God. He does know best, doesn’t He? This is something we all can relate to, can’t we? I’m so thankful He’s the one in control and we can come home to Him always. They also realized that ultimately, God has the best plan for their lives. The verse I chose for this story is Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Fab Four, last question. What is something interesting readers would enjoy learning about you?

The Fab Four appreciates you chatting with us in our café.

Here’s a fun picture of us on pajama day enjoying the fire at Mel’s cottage. Can you guess who’s who? ?

You mentioned you go on writers retreats. What do you do at these retreats?

Drink coffee. Lots of coffee. It’s a prerequisite for the Fab Four! As well as chocolate. ? LOL. We brainstorm, write, share what we’ve written for critiques, eat, watch a movie, eat more, giggle, catch up on our lives. We have so much fun together. However, the best part of our retreats? Our powerful prayer sessions. Wow. God is in the house (or cottage)! Seriously, we are simply four gals who love to write, love each other, love God, and want to be His light.

Thanks for sharing with us. It’s been fun. 

Happy reading, friends. We hope you enjoy these four unique stories from I’ll Be Home as much as we loved writing them!

Melanie, Darlene, Sara, and Helena (aka the Fab Four)