Rules of Engagement
Ready For Some Christmas Spirit?
It’s September already. The kids are back in school, the evenings carry a little nip–and before we know it, we’ll be hanging Christmas lights. Award-winning author (and friend, I’m honored to say) Kathi Macias’ latest story, “Rules of Engagement,” debuted on September first to smash reviews.
Kathi was kind enough to chat with me about her new story. Would you like to listen in? I thought so.
Sheila: What was your inspiration for “Rules of Engagement”?
Kathi:
To be honest, I had just recently heard the term and realized I hadn’t heard it in quite some time. Then I thought, “That would be a great story or book title!” Since I needed to come up with a Christmas story, I asked myself how I could build the story around the term/title.
Sheila: What’s the first thing I would notice about Megan if I met her at a party? How about Marty? Marilyn?
Kathi:
Megan is a beautiful young woman, quite striking in appearance, so I imagine you would notice that first. Marty is also good looking, but his strong personality might overshadow his looks. Marilyn has a gentle demeanor, so I believe that would shine forth.
Sheila: What message do you want your readers to carry after they’ve read “Rules of Engagement”?
Kathi:
The heart theme of this story is that God set the prime example of love when he sent Jesus. He showed that love is not selfish or self-centered, that it is all about giving and not taking. First Corinthians 13 sums it up well!
Sheila: This story is a departure from some of your books that focus on issues, like human trafficking. How was it to write something a little, well, lighter?
Kathi:
It was actually quite nice. I always enjoy writing a Christmas-based story. And in some ways it is still a bit issues-related, in that if women recognized the TRUE signs of selfless love, they might be less apt to get involved in an abusive relationship.
Sheila: This story introduces as series, doesn’t it? Can you tell us more about that?
Kathi:
Yes, it is the first in a series of twelve Christmas stories, each written by a different author. The stories are completely different. The only thread pulling them all together is the fact that each day is a countdown toward Christmas, beginning with mine (twelve days before Christmas) and ending with the final story set on Christmas Eve day.
[Insert your favorite exchange of closing niceties here.]
Me again: You can order Kathi’s story from my bookshelf. A new story in the series will release every two weeks over the next few months, so stay tuned!
Disclosure: I’m one of the twelve authors contributing to this project. My title, “Yankee Doodle Christmas,” comes out on December fifteenth.
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