Interview with Amber Schamel

Happy Tuesday, Reader Friends!

Today I have Amber Schamel visiting. We’re talking about her upcoming Christmas story, Solve by Christmas. Are you ready for some holiday reading?

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About the Book

The Blurb: “When sabotage threatens the Rudin Sugar Factory, Detective Jasper Hollock believes this will be his first real case. But dear Mr. Rudin—the only father Jasper has ever known—holds a different assignment for his private investigator.

“I’ve struck a deal with God, Jasper, and you’re my angel.”
Mr. Rudin charges Jasper to build a “case” of reasons for his employer to continue his life. If he fails, Mr. Rudin will end it in suicide on Christmas night.

As the incidents at the factory become life threatening, Jasper’s attempts at dissuading Mr. Rudin prove futile, and Jasper is left staring at the stark reality of his own soul. Time is ticking. Jasper must solve both cases by Christmas before Mr. Rudin, the company, and Jasper’s faith, are dragged to perdition. Will this be the Christmas Jasper truly discovers what makes life worth living?”

“Amber Schamel’s engaging prose weaves together not one, but two edge-of-your-seat threads in this historical mystery. With the hero racing against time to solve the two cases readers will be kept guessing as they attempt to crack the case. “ ~ Laura V. Hilton author of Christmas Admirer (Whitaker House)

Links: Amazon, B&N, FeedBooks, Goodreads, Kobo, Smashwords, Pre-order Bonus

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Interview

Toni: Welcome, Amber! Thanks for joining me today. I’m sure the readers are all curious as to what inspired you to write a Solve by Christmas.

Amber: I wanted to bring my readers a Christmas story with a tight deadline. That led to a detective who had to solve a case by Christmas. But, what if that case was not a “real” case like he wanted? So my poor detective, Jasper, ends up with two cases that he’s trying to solve amidst a blizzard.

Toni: Sounds like it’ll be a great read. Despite the somberness of the cases, were you able to incorporate the beauty and enchantment of Christmas? How so?

Amber: I hope so! Although it was much harder than I anticipated. The seriousness of the cases was one thing, then you have the time-period that the story is set in. 1913 didn’t have a lot of decorations to choose from, and they didn’t have radio yet, so it was a challenge to work some Christmas in there. But we do have church choirs, tinsel and decorations in shop windows, carolers, and those adorable orphanage children to give us the tiny Tim feel. 😉

Toni: I’m always fascinated by carolers since I can’t sing a lick, lol. Did you have to do any kind of research for this book? What was your favorite part?

Amber: Oh, yes. Research is one of my favorite parts about writing historical fiction. This book was so much fun because it is set in Denver. Having grown up outside Colorado’s capitol, it was so fun to research what it looked like and the events happening in and around it. Turns out there was a lot more than I thought! From historical buildings, to union wars, to historic blizzards, there was lots of story fodder to draw from.

Toni: How fun! How about some personal questions? Don’t worry they’re not too crazy. Pumpkin or Apples?

Amber: I love pumpkin stuff. I also love apple stuff. There’s this amazing tea from Celestial Seasonings that is Carmel Apple Delight…it goes perfectly with my favorite Pinterest recipe for Pumpkin cookies.

Toni: Yum! They are a pretty great combo. Cider or Chocolate?

Amber: Yes please.

Toni: Lol. Classic Christmas movies or Newer version?

Amber: I must be a ‘both’ kinda gal. LOL. Shop Around the Corner, Wonderful Life, and the Christmas Shoes rank among my favorites.

Toni: *gasp* I’ve only seen one of those. Guess I’ll have more movies to watch this Christmas season. Amber, before you go, could you tell us what you’re working on next?

Amber: Well, I could. But then I’d have to kill you. 😉 Just kidding.
I am working on multiple projects and I’m not sure which one will see shelves first. One is a civil war story about a would-be lawyer who must face his greatest fear to save his best friend. The other is a WWII love story about a fella who loses his best friend to the Bataan death march, falls in love with his fiancé, only to discover that his best friend is still alive. And I’m also working on a non-fiction biography.

Toni: Busy lady! Praying God gives you the words for all of those! Thank you again for joining me today. Readers, do you have any questions/comments for Amber?

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About the Author

Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call “historical fiction at its finest”. A homeschool graduate from a family of 12 children, Amber found her calling early in life. First published at age 21, she has continued to hone her craft and has been awarded the 2017 CSPA Book of the Year Award in Historical Fiction. Between ministry, family and working in their family-owned businesses, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples. Find her on the Stitches Thru Time blog, or on any of the major social media sites. Amber is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

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