A Couple’s Dreams and Goals Don’t Have to Be Shared [Guest Post]

We love a good Hallmark Channel original movie. So when we heard that Lacey Baker was going to write a novel based on the happenings in the enchanting town of Evergreen, of course we were interested. We remembered Eliot and Hannah, the two protagonists featured in both the films and in her new book, so naturally we wanted to pick the author’s brain a little. Does Lacey think it is important to have a partner who has similar interests to our own? Also, how does having our own dreams and goals foster a healthy relationship? And how do these themes play into her novel and her own life? Find out in Lacey’s exclusive guest post! We hope you enjoy it. —J&H

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One of the big issues that Hannah and Eliot had to tackle in Christmas In Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing is the fact that their personal goals had begun to travel on different paths. They’d both been settled in Evergreen with Hannah being a Jill-of-all-trades and Eliot running the Tinker Shop that Hannah’s parents used to own. It seemed they were perfectly aligned in careers and in love, but as things often do in life, that changed. Eliot’s career goals would take him out of Evergreen and into the city, while Hannah had just begun to realize her purpose in life and it was in Evergreen.

This issue resonates in the real world as I’m sure a lot of couples encounter this at some point. What if your partner received a job promotion in Italy, would you happily quit your job to pick up and move with him? (I would, LOL, but I’ve been trying to get to Italy for years.) Your career is definitely just as important as his, so what do you do? I believe there’s a level of compromise in every relationship. And, in the end, that’s exactly what Eliot does in order to stay in Evergreen to be with Hannah.

One of the things that Hannah struggled with was finding her own purpose. She’d been following goals she’d set for herself based on what her parents had done in the town. It took her a while to realize her own goals and dreams and when she did, to find out they were different from Eliot’s threw her off kilter. And understandably so. Being a part of a couple doesn’t necessarily mean that things like goals and dreams have to be shared. Once Hannah realized what her purpose was, she was adamant about seeing that goal through to fruition, even if it meant losing the man she loved. Eliot was proud of Hannah and wanted only the best for her, so once she made her position clear to him, he understood how important her new goals were to her.

There isn’t always a clear right or wrong answer where relationships are concerned because different people are involved, with different circumstances. But it is important for a person to have their own goals and to be able to ensure their own happiness, as opposed to depending on someone else to provide those answers. It’s probably equally important to have a level of understanding and spirit of compromise in a relationship as well.

SYNOPSIS

Welcome back to Evergreen, the town built on Christmas wishes… And learn what happens after one snow-globe wish comes true.

Life is going great for Hannah, really. She’s fallen in love with her best friend, her brother is getting married, and she’s looking forward to another festive Christmas in Evergreen.  Still, between her job, taking charge of the choir, and being the town’s jill-of-all-trades, she’s feeling uninspired…especially when Elliot starts to question his own role in the town.

Hannah finds fresh inspiration in the brand-new Evergreen Christmas Museum, and she volunteers for their storytelling project. When she interviews her fellow Evergreenians, however, she learns that not everyone wants the museum around; specifically Mr. Cooper who owns a third of the building.

As Hannah finds herself with more and more responsibilities, and as her relationships with Elliot and her family grow strained, she starts to wonder about what she really wants. Can her love and newly-found purpose survive the changes that loom after the holidays are over?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lacey Baker, a Maryland native, lives with her husband, three children, two grandchildren and English Bulldog in what most would call Suburban America–a townhouse development where everybody knows each other and each other’s kids.

Family cook-outs, reunion vacations, and growing up in church have all inspired Lacey to work towards her dreams and to write about the endurance of family and the quest to find everlasting love.

To date she has written in several genres including small town romance, YA paranormal (as Artist Arthur), a cozy mystery series titled Rumors and adult paranormal (as A.C. Arthur).

For more information, visit the author’s website, like her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter, Instagram, or Goodreads.

CHRISTMAS IN EVERGREEN: BELLS ARE RINGING
By Lacey Baker
336 pp. Hallmark Publishing. $15.99.

Purchase Christmas in Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing direct from Jathan & Heather Books or from one of these other fine online retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Half Price Books, Hudson Booksellers, IndieBound, Powell’s, Target, or Walmart.

Christmas in Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing is brought to you in association with Xpresso Book Tours.

GIVEAWAY

Lacey Baker wants to give you a $20 Amazon gift card! Enter now for your chance to win.

Please note: This giveaway is managed via Rafflecopter. It is not presented by Jathan & Heather, Jathan & Heather Books, Jadeworks Entertainment, or any of its subsidiaries. Contest ends November 11, 2021.