For our December 2022 Q&A I selected Elizabeth A. Meitzler. She is the author of The Twelve Swipes of Christmas, a romantic comedy about love, loss, friendship, and dating in the 21st century.

This is her debut novel and I hope the first of many.

Elizabeth lives in the Pittsburgh area with her husband, Jake, and their daughter, and son. How did this young busy working mother find the time to write and self-publish a novel?

Elizabeth’s personal story is a testament to determination and the importance of finding a balance in life.

In 2018, she had to have back surgery. Her recovery required bed rest which was particularly challenging because Elizabeth has ADHD. Desperate for something to do, she started writing stories and she became hooked. Writing soon became more than a way to occupy her time; it became a passion, but life sometimes gets in the way.

Elizabeth’s daughter Addie was born prematurely; plots and query letters were pushed aside to focus on family. Addie thrived and became a happy active toddler and Elizabeth started writing again in November 2020. Several months later, Elizabeth learned she was pregnant with her second child.

During Thanksgiving 2021, Addie was diagnosed with B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. I know from personal experience having a child with a serious medical condition is devastating but trying to navigate through the beginnings of such a difficult journey while pregnant is something I can’t begin to fathom.

Elizabeth, Jake, and Addie, with the support of family and friends, embraced treatment and Children’s Hospital became a part of their world. I’m happy to say, Addie’s treatments are going well, and she is enjoying her role as a big sister. I’m even happier Elizabeth didn’t stop writing. She completed her novel and after careful consideration, she decided to retain creative control of her work and self-publish. The Twelve Swipes of Christmas became available on Kindle and in paperback on November 10, 2022, on Amazon.

Elizabeth Meitzler will be holding her first book signing at Borelli’s Cellar at the Galleria Mall in Mt. Lebanon, PA on December 10, 2022, from 4-6 pm. If you are in the Pittsburgh area, come out, say hello, have some wine and buy this book! 

After speaking with Elizabeth, I know you will love hearing about her life’s adventures and the adventures of her main characters in her own words. I asked her 15 questions and here are her responses.

1.    You originally never considered a career in writing. What did you study in college and what made you decide to become a writer?

I have been a nanny since I was 15. I’ve always loved being creative and doing fun activities with the kids. This led me to majoring in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Special Education. I’ve never been the type of person who fully knows what she wants to be when she grows up and when I entered Junior Year, I decided to change majors. I graduated Clarion University with a major in Rehabilitative Sciences with a concentration in developmental disabilities. After college, I worked many different jobs in the Children’s Institute for 3-4 years. I still was trying to find myself during that time.

I always thought of random stories, but never sat down and put pen to paper until I had back surgery in 2018. After some good feedback from a close family friend, I decided to continue writing. The more writing and reading I did, the more my work improved.

2.    What is it about romance and particularly romantic comedies that appeal to you as a reader and a writer?

I’m a fan of all genres, but I love a story that can make me laugh and swoon at the same time. I love characters that are flawed and struggling to find out who they are. It makes me feel like I’m living the story with them. I think one of the main reasons I was drawn to writing romance is for the happily ever afters.

3.    Did you tell your family and friends when you started writing again? Were they worried you were taking on too much?

At first, the only person I told was my husband. I was very shy about writing because I wasn’t sure if it was just a hobby or would lead me somewhere. When I started writing again, it helped give me an outlet and I was able to focus on my characters instead of real life for a little while.

4.    How long did it take you to complete your manuscript, make revisions, and complete the self-publishing process?

I started writing The Twelve Swipes of Christmas during NaNoWriMo 2020 and made the decision to self-publish in April 2022. While it was a very long process, I am beyond happy with how my book turned out.

5.    Without spoiling the plot, your main character, Tatum is gifted four dating apps from her best friend Mila to help her move on from a difficult breakup. Do you have any experience using dating apps? What sort of research did you do?

I personally have never used dating apps, but a few of my friends have and they’ve found incredible partners from them.

6.    Tatum’s dating disasters are funny and unexpected. How did you come up with them?

The toughest disaster to come up with was Nash and Tatum’s first date. I wanted the readers to understand the date was going bad but didn’t want to sour Nash’s name so much that readers would be upset when he and Tatum got together. It took me a while to decide how each date would fail, but the more I wrote, the more ideas came to me.

7.    The relationships between Tatum and Nash and Tatum and Brendon are interesting contrasts. Did you know exactly where each relationship was going or did your characters surprise you?

The interesting thing about The Twelve Swipes of Christmas is that I had an idea of how I wanted the characters to act, but they kept deviating from my outline. It worked out for the best because I think the interactions are more authentic this way.

8.    You gave Tatum amazing friends who provide a unique support system to counterbalance issues from her past. Without naming names (unless you want to) are Mila and Trey loosely based on anyone you know?

When I started writing, I envisioned Mila as a strong-willed best friend and wanted everyone to like her. After a few drafts, Mila started sounding eerily similar to someone I know.  I then realized whom I was loosely basing Mila off of my Junior and Senior year college roommate. She and I became extremely close like Tatum and Mila. Trey is, unfortunately, completely fictional. He still holds a special place in my heart though!

9.    When Tatum agrees to a “friends with benefits” relationship, you’ve suddenly tasked yourself with writing sexual encounters in addition to the possibility of a romantic relationship. In your writing, do sex and romance differ or do the lines blur?

I believe it’s possible to have romance without sex, but I do think sex is a part of life. Tatum and Nash have this natural attraction and I think that combined with the spirit of the holiday does make the lines blur for them.

10. How difficult was it to write intimate scenes you knew your family and friends would be reading?

When I was in the writing process, I tried to put that out of my mind and focus on Tatum and Nash’s journey. Not going to lie, I try not to think about other people reading those scenes. Even though I wrote the book and it’s out there and published, I get highly embarrassed whenever someone I know brings it up. I never know how to respond and end up smiling and laughing.

11. A question we’re all wondering is when did you find time to write with so many important events taking place in your life?

I started writing The Twelve Swipes of Christmas back in 2020 when I only had one child who was healthy at the time. I would find time to write and edit my work with help from our family. When Addie was diagnosed, my writing got pushed to the back burner. My husband and I had to adapt to our new life, and it took a while to discover our new norm. Once again, our family was a giant help with that. Needing to find that escape again, I picked my laptop back up and would work during hospital stays, outpatient visits, etc. I think my husband gets the husband of the year award for helping me find time to focus on Tatum and Nash and encouraging me to keep writing. And I’m so glad he did.

12. Does writing give you a safe space away from the stresses of everyday life? How does it differ from retreating into a good book someone else has written?

Life is hard and tough for anyone. Sometimes when I’m overwhelmed, my mind likes to travel to these fictitious worlds and create characters where I can focus on their experience instead of mine. I do find it similar to sitting down and reading a good book, however, I think knowing the direction my writing is going is comforting. As someone with ADHD and a touch of OCD, it’s nice knowing what’s going to happen next instead of worrying about what can and will go wrong.

13. Who designed your book cover and how did you find them? How involved were you in the process?

I joined a few writing Facebook groups and was given the names of different companies that create book covers. After a good deal of research, I found Yummy Book Covers. Enni Tuomisalo was absolutely incredible. We e-mailed back and forth about what I envisioned for my book, and she blew my mind. Enni sent me three potential covers and, since she’s been doing this longer than I have, gave me guidance on what grabs people’s attention and makes them want to pick up your book. I cried when she sent to the cover because it was exactly what I pictured in my mind.

14. Do you have plans for a website? Do you have an author’s page our readers can follow?

Down the road, I would love to get my life together enough to create an author website. As of right now, I am on Instagram (elizabethmeitzlerauthor) and TikTok (author_elizabethmeitzler) where I post updates of my life and work.

15. What’s next for you? Will you continue writing in this genre or have you considered others?

I definitely am going to continue writing. I think it helps me decompress and is good for my mental health. As for what’s next for me, I’m not really sure. I am a firm believer in letting ideas come to me organically. I feel like if I sit down at my computer and force myself to write, it’s not going to be good. I would like to branch out to other genres eventually, but I am currently sticking to Romantic Comedies.