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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

How Does an Intense Christmas Competition Lead to Love?

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Brilliant RomCom author, Sarah Monzon has a great new Christmas novel for us full of all the Christmassy things we love! via @chautonahavig

Finally getting a chance to chat with Sarah Monzon was a total delight, and learning all about her latest release, All’s Fair in Love and Christmas was equally awesome.  My copy is here and waiting for me to dive into the battle of the celebrations!  EEEP! Listen in to see what that even means!

Note: I sound like I’m underwater. We heard it during our interview, but I couldn’t make it behave and couldn’t fix it. Sorry!

Sarah Monzon

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

How Does an Intense Christmas Competition Lead to Love?

All’s Fair in Love and Christmas has so much going for it that I don’t know where to start! Fun mom who made our heroine’s childhood Christmases an international delight without ever leaving home?  Check!  Social anxiety adding to the stress of competing for a promotion?  Check?  Romcom hilarity?  Check, check?  And add to all that Sarah’s wonderful writing and delightful characterization?  I’m all in.

We also chatted about why she chose to write about a woman with social anxiety, her preferred reading methods, and some of my favorite books by her. For a refresher, those are The Isaac Project, 12 Days of Snowmen, and Book Nerds & Boyfriends (a collection of three novellas).

Sarah Monzon All's Fair in Love and ChristmasAll’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon

Two workplace rivals. One festive competition. And a romance that upends it all.

Every December two things are guaranteed for graphic designer Mackenzie Graham–Christmas celebrations and the annual promotion at her workplace. Those two things are by no means mutually exclusive. In fact, the better an employee is at harnessing the Christmas spirit, the more likely they’ll win the new job. With her social anxiety, Mackenzie never thought she’d be a contender in her company’s holiday competition, so how exactly has she found herself dueling her workplace crush with wrapping paper tubes and using tinsel as her weapon of choice for a much-needed raise?

Jeremy Fletcher’s life is meticulously planned out, including how to win this year’s promotion at work. Not only will the new position fulfill some of his career goals, but as a single guardian to his twin niece and nephew, he needs the salary increase to support his family. Jeremy has barely noticed Mackenzie Graham around the office, but now that she’s his rival, he can’t stop thinking about her. Her quirkiness intrigues him, and he’s afraid that if he can’t get his head on straight, the promotion isn’t the only thing he’ll end up losing to Mackenzie.

“Inspirational rom-com readers are going to love this one.”–BETHANY TURNER, bestselling author of The Do-Over

You can learn more about Sarah on her WEBSITE.  Also follow her on BookBub and GoodReads.

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Previous Post: « How Many Lies Does It Take to Expose the Truth That Love Brings?
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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 572: A Chat with Kari Trumbo
byChautona Havig

Mystery is my absolute favorite genre, so when I heard that Kari Trumbo had taken her Wayside Ranch and spun it off into a mystery series, you know I was excited. Kari? Plus mystery? Listen in and hear why Beneath Still Waters is next on my “must read” list!

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Okay… mystery that isn’t focused on romance? That’s like this book was tailor-made for me! EEEP!

I love what Kari is doing with this series and now this spin-off. This is gonna be great!

Beneath Still Waters by Kari Trumbo

Fresh out of training and still haunted by a near-fatal shootout, Ferd Kincade retreats to Wayside Ranch to heal.

She expects quiet. Instead, she finds a body. When she discovers a mysterious boat washed ashore on a nearby lake, nothing about the scene makes sense and Ferd can’t walk away. Pulling Piper’s Ridge detective Duke Campose into the investigation, she soon uncovers signs of something far more dangerous than a simple murder.

Someone is hiding a deadly secret.

And they’re willing to kill again to keep it buried.

As the truth points to a ruthless drug operation, Ferd becomes the next target. Now, she’ll need every ounce of her training, and a lot of faith, to survive long enough to bring a killer to justice.

Don’t miss the giveaway that ends September 7th. Books will be shipped to US addresses, but feel free to enter from anywhere and have the book sent to a friend! No purchase necessary! Just click HERE to enter.

Learn more on Kari’s WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

  • Apple
  • Castbox
  • Google Play
  • Libsyn
  • RSS
  • Spotify
  • Amazon
  • YouTube
  • and more!
Episode 572: A Chat with Kari Trumbo
Episode 572: A Chat with Kari Trumbo
August 19, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 571: A Chat with Lucas and Shauna Fischhaber
August 17, 2026
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Episode 570: A Chat with Niki Florica
August 15, 2026
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Episode 569: A Chat with Fayla Ott
August 10, 2026
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Episode 568: A Chat with Chelsea Bobulski
August 8, 2026
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Episode 567: A Chat with Roseanna M. White
August 5, 2026
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Episode 566: A Chat with Clint Hall
August 3, 2026
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Episode 565: A Chat with Taylor S. Newport
August 1, 2026
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Episode 564: A Chat with Sheri A. Bradley
July 27, 2026
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Episode 563: A Chat with Stephanie Mack
July 25, 2026
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Can the small town of Berne support two bookstores Can the small town of Berne support two bookstores? Of course, not. Does that stop Anne Montgomery from opening one practically next door to the other one? It does not. Their friendship may be dead, but nothing will stop her from running her dream bookstore. And... she got the prime location. It's perfect!
Except it isn't. If something doesn't change, she'll flop faster than this year's over-hyped novel. After much pleading (and some interfering), Milton and his trusty parrotlet, Atticus (not Finch) arrive to help.
Book two in the Bookstrings series (aside from the two prequel novellas), Clock Tower Bound is available in print, on Kindle (and Kindle Unlimited), and coming soon to audiobook (and @ChristaDelSorbo's) YouTube Channel (where you can listen free!).
https://amzn.to/4xrzgvt #affiliatelink
#Christfic
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The introduction to the Bookstrings series, Spines The introduction to the Bookstrings series, Spines & Leaves takes you near Joshua Tree National Park and a tiny bookstore desiccating in the heat. But Milton Coleridge and his love of books sees potential--and another kind of love. For someone else. Again. Still, with his trusty parrotlet Atticus (not Finch) by his side, he's turning his business skills in a new, more rewarding direction. Jump into the first Bookstrings novella today. Available in print, on Kindle (and Kindle Unlimited) and audiobook, as well as able to be listened to FREE on YouTube. https://amzn.to/3U2Smtn #affiliatelink
#ChristFic
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#BookishBooks
Nothing says true love like a mutual admiration of Nothing says true love like a mutual admiration of books, right? Nine authors, nine stories, more matches than we may ever know. Preorder your copy before the price goes up! https://amzn.to/4hxAwIO #affiliatelink
#IvoryKeysPress
#BookedForLoveAnthology
#ChristFic
#Kindle99
#Preorder
#KindleUnlimited
Judah Hensley knows three underacknowledged things Judah Hensley knows three underacknowledged things. 1. Alpacas are gross. 2. Family is complicated. 3. Faith is even worse. He might have to spend his summer hawking devotionals and enduring yet another, "Have a blessed day," but he'll survive by driving his coworker crazy and trying not to annoy his parents. Much.
Panda Marie knew working with Judah would be awful, but finding out he's lost his faith? Now what?
One old bookstore, one new location, one last summer to survive and then they all get a new start on life. Question is, will it really be better?
https://amzn.to/4hveztT #affiliatelink
#Christfic
#Bookstrings
#BookishBook
Judah Hensley knows three underacknowledged things Judah Hensley knows three underacknowledged things. 1. Alpacas are gross. 2. Family is complicated. 3. Faith is even worse. He might have to spend his summer hawking devotionals and enduring yet another, "Have a blessed day," but he'll survive by driving his coworker crazy and trying not to annoy his parents. Much.
Panda Marie knew working with Judah would be awful, but finding out he's lost his faith? Now what?
One old bookstore, one new location, one last summer to survive and then they all get a new start on life. Question is, will it really be better?
https://amzn.to/4hveztT #affiliatelink
#Christfic
#Bookstrings
#BookishBook
Nothing says true love like a mutual admiration of Nothing says true love like a mutual admiration of books, right? Nine authors, nine stories, more matches than we may ever know. My contribution to the anthology is Turnabout Is Fair Match. One good thing came out of the trauma in Dying to Read: Olemann's Books now has a reputation for having "matchmaking" book clubs. And that's something Imogen Stokes is very interested in--not for herself, of course. She has a grandson to match up, and Olemann's is the place to get it done.
Preorder your copy before the price goes up! https://amzn.to/4hxAwIO #affiliatelink
#IvoryKeysPress
#BookedForLoveAnthology
#ChristFic
#Kindle99
#Preorder
#KindleUnlimited
Can the small town of Berne support two bookstores Can the small town of Berne support two bookstores? Of course, not. Does that stop Anne Montgomery from opening one practically next door to the other one? It does not. Their friendship may be dead, but nothing will stop her from running her dream bookstore. And... she got the prime location. It's perfect!
Except it isn't. If something doesn't change, she'll flop faster than this year's over-hyped novel. After much pleading (and some interfering), Milton and his trusty parrotlet, Atticus (not Finch) arrive to help.
Book two in the Bookstrings series (aside from the two prequel novellas), Clock Tower Bound is available in print, on Kindle (and Kindle Unlimited), and coming soon to audiobook (and @ChristaDelSorbo's) YouTube Channel (where you can listen free!).
https://amzn.to/4xrzgvt #affiliatelink
#Christfic
#BookishBooks
#Bookstrings
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