Why I Wrote Grandma’s Christmas Challenge

Every book has a story behind the story.

Sometimes it’s a place I’ve visited. Sometimes it’s a character who refuses to leave me alone. But every once in a while, a book grows from something much closer to home.

Grandma’s Christmas Challenge is one of those books.

Long before I ever wrote Shelley, Jake, or Grandma Edith, I watched the people I love devote their lives to caring for others.

My mom spent her career as a nurse. So did both of my sisters. And my brother-in-law chose the same profession. Their stories—of long shifts, difficult patients, quiet victories, and endless compassion—have always stayed with me. I have seen the emotional weight they carry long after they leave the hospital, and I have always admired the grace with which they do it.

Years ago, I also spent a brief time working as a nurse’s aide. While my experience was only a small glimpse compared to theirs, it gave me a profound respect for the people who choose healthcare as a calling.

Then there was my dad.

He battled Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and anyone who has walked that road knows it changes an entire family. While his journey was difficult, I often think the harder journey belonged to those who cared for him every single day. They gave him patience when he couldn’t remember. They gave him dignity when he needed it most. And they gave our family moments of peace during an incredibly difficult season.

Those experiences became the emotional foundation of this story.

I wanted to write a Christmas romance that wasn’t simply about finding love. I wanted it to be about kindness. About family. About choosing joy when life feels impossibly hard.

Grandma Edith’s Christmas Challenges became the perfect way to tell that story.

They’re simple acts of kindness—many small enough to complete in just a few minutes—but together they remind us that Christmas isn’t measured by gifts or decorations. It’s measured by the lives we touch.

Shelley’s journey mirrors something I think many of us experience. When life becomes consumed by work, responsibility, grief, or simply surviving another day, we can lose sight of ourselves. Sometimes all it takes is one person who believes in us—and a few intentional acts of kindness—to begin finding our way back.

I hope readers enjoy the romance between Shelley and Jake.

I hope they smile at Grandma Edith’s determination.

I hope they laugh at a few of the Christmas mishaps along the way.

But more than anything, I hope they finish the book wanting to spread a little kindness of their own.

Because that’s really why I wrote this story.

It’s my thank-you to every nurse, caregiver, healthcare worker, and family member who has cared for someone they love.

It’s my love letter to my mom, my sisters, my brother-in-law, and especially to my dad.

And if Grandma’s Christmas Challenge inspires even one person to perform an unexpected act of kindness this holiday season, then this little Christmas story has done exactly what I hoped it would.