Spotlight & Giveaway: Christmas Cakes and Kisses by Lara Van Hulzen

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Lara Van Hulzen to HJ!

Hi Lara and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Christmas Cakes and Kisses!

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

Eva Endicott lives in Silver Bay and works at Baylee’s Bakery. She loves her job but would really love to own her own cake shop. After being accepted as a contestant in a big Christmas baking competition, her dream of having her own cake business might become a reality – she just needs to stay focused and win.

Tyler Vance is a personal trainer for professional baseball player, Drew MacIntire. Accustomed to not staying in one place too long, he’s drawn to all that Silver Bay has to offer, including a beautiful baker he can’t seem to stop thinking about. Although Eva is laser focused on winning the cake competition, Tyler’s determined to show her she can have her Christmas cake and kisses too.
 

Please share your favorite lines or quote(s) from this book:

“I think too often we are afraid to be real with people. We only want them to see the best in us or about us. But life is full of mess and mess is where we get to know each other best, I think.”

What inspired this book?

The character of Tyler was inspired by one of my sons. He has a strong interest in professional wrestling, as well as being a personal trainer, and he has the same quiet strength I think Tyler has.
As far as Eva, I think she is like a lot of young women I know – she wants to have her own business and prove she can do it on her own. And yet, she is still aware that help from others is a good thing, and it truly is best to not journey alone.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

Every time I sit to write a book, I begin with interviewing my characters. I want to know their favorite color, the kind of car they drive and why – all of which leads me to what motivates them and their story builds from there.
I think Eva surprised me the most as I wrote her story. I initially saw her as bold and stubborn, yet she ended up being much more vulnerable and soft which I really liked.
I find that one of my favorite parts of writing fiction is how I can start out with an idea of a character and then as I go, they truly form a personality on their own. It’s a great balance of having control over the story and yet also sitting back and seeing where the characters take me.

What was your favorite scene to write?

Tyler helps Eva take cookies to the local Community Center for kids to decorate. He doesn’t realize that staying to help is part of the deal. I found it so much fun to write a guy as big as Tyler (he’s 6’5) who ends up being around little kids and in spaces with Eva like bakery kitchens that clearly aren’t created for a man his size.

The kids nodded in unison. To Tyler’s surprise, they followed Rachel’s instructions in an orderly fashion, for kids hyped up about cookies. One little boy walked up to Tyler and stared up at him with wide eyes. “You are really, really big.”
Tyler smiled. “I get that a lot.”
The little boy blinked a few times then went and found a seat.
Eva stood at the end of one table where they could all see her. Tyler watched as she showed them each how to open their bag of cookies, take a tool to spread the frosting and then encouraged them to be creative in whatever they used for decoration.
“These are your very own cookies so if you want Santa to have a blue beard, then you give Santa a blue beard.”
A little girl raised her hand and Eva pointed to her. “Yes, Abigail.”
“I have a cookie in my bag that looks like a turkey.” She held it up in her little hand for all to see.
“That is true. Each bag has one Thanksgiving cookie.” Rachel answered the little girl. “As excited as we are about Christmas, we want to be sure we think about all we are thankful for too.”
“I’m thankful I get presents at Christmas!” A little boy shouted, and all the kids giggled.
Tyler chuckled. The kid had a point.
“I will be coming around to help anyone who needs it. So will Miss Eva and Mr. Tyler.” Rachel told the kids.
Wait. What? Tyler was all about being Eva’s hired hand to carry stuff all day, but decorating cookies?
Eva made eye contact with him and smiled.
So that was how it was going to be. Okay then. He was up for it. How hard could slathering some frosting and tossing sprinkles on a cookie be anyway?
The same little boy who had told Tyler he was big, tugged at the bottom of Tyler’s sweater. “My name is Michael. You can sit by me and help with my cookies if you want.”
“Sounds good, my man.” Tyler made a point of smiling back at Eva before folding himself into a chair beside his new friend, Michael. “Have you done this before?”
Michael shook his head.
Perfect. No help there.
“Well, it looks fun so let’s dive in.”
*
EVA WATCHED AS Tyler attempted to get comfortable in the chair beside the little boy. They weren’t adult-sized chairs, which she guessed would have been on the small side for Tyler anyway, so he practically hugged his knees to his chest which caused reaching for frosting an even more comical feat than him sitting down.
She knew she probably shouldn’t be as entertained by the scene as she was, but Tyler out of his element, was fun to watch. Although, as he chatted with the little boy and helped him find the items he needed for his cookie, Tyler didn’t look all that uncomfortable. Physically, yes, but he was not out of his element with kids.
Rachel came up beside Eva and whispered in her ear. “I know I’m not attracted to him like you are but seeing a guy with kids melts my heart more than anything.”
“I know, right?” She blinked then looked at Rachel. “Wait. What do you mean, not attracted to him like I am?”
“Oh please. I know we are still getting to know each other as friends here, but it’s not hard to read. You two have more heat than the desert in August.” Rachel smiled, patted Eva on the arm then went to help a little girl who had her hand up.
Eva turned her attention away from Tyler and sat beside a child who had more frosting on her hands than her cookie. As much as that is part of the fun of decorating, it was clearly frustrating the child, so she stepped in to help. She placed her own hands over the child’s and showed her how to get a scoop of frosting then slide it over the top of the cookie.
She sat back and let the little girl do things herself, the child’s face lighting up with pride when the frosting stuck to the cookie more than her hands this time. Eva’s eyes and mind wandered back to Tyler. He now had red icing on the sleeve of his sweater but didn’t seem to care. He was laughing at something the little boy said.
The man was gorgeous. When he smiled, he was breathtaking.
Eva sighed. This was so painfully inconvenient.
She had plans. Dreams. All of her time needed to be focused on accomplishing those. She didn’t need a distraction, even if it did come in a big, muscular, nice-guy package that was Tyler.
“Okay everyone! It’s time to get cleaned up,” Rachel announced.
A few kids groaned but they all began tidying up their area and putting their cookies on the plates Eva had provided for them to take home.
She moved around helping, as did Rachel and Tyler. After washing their hands, the kids were allowed to go play again until their parents came to pick them up.
“I think I did okay for my first cookie decoration class.” Tyler gave Eva a smug smile as they put the cookie decorations back in boxes so they could easily carry them to the van.
“You’re pretty confident about that,” she teased.
“And why shouldn’t I be?”
“Because I think you have more frosting on your sweater than on the cookies.” She eyed his sleeves, then tilted her head towards him with a grin.
“What?” Tyler looked down and pulled at this sleeve. “Man. That’s not right. That stuff is like spackle.”
Eva laughed out loud.
Tyler looked at her. “Not funny.”
“It’s a little bit funny.”
“Yeah. Well…” His eyes twinkled now as they looked at her. “Then I guess this means you have more to teach me than you thought when we bake cookies together.”

What was the most difficult scene to write?

Eva helps Tyler decorate his Christmas tree. He talks about an ornament his mom bought before she died. My dad died when I was seven years-old just ten days before Christmas. Decorating the tree is one of my favorite things to do, and it’s also bittersweet as I look at ornaments that are also memories.

He looked down at the ornament in his hand. It was one from the box he’d brought in from the closet he used for storage. It was a Luchador mask; the kind wrestlers usually wear in Mexico. Creative and colorful, this one had shades of blue, gold, and green. His mom had bought it for him the Christmas before his parents died. She’d sent it with a card, apologizing for all the years he felt she hadn’t supported him, as well as how excited she was to see him soon.
That visit never happened.
Lost in his memories, he didn’t realize Eva had come up next to him until her arm rubbed up against his. “That’s a good one. Where did you get that?”
She smiled up at him, but as their eyes met, her face changed. “Oh. Is this one not a good memory?” Her hand moved to his arm and stayed there.
“It was the last ornament my mom sent me.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder, her hand now rubbing his arm. They stayed that way for a few moments.
“It needs a special spot on the tree then, don’t you think?” She moved in front of him and mingled her fingers with his around the ornament, her eyes searching his for permission to take it.
He nodded.

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

I think it showcases my writing style.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

Following your dreams isn’t always simple, but it is worth it.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I am currently working on the next book in the Endicotts of Silver Bay Series, Until I Met You. It is the story of Dominic – Eva’s brother (and twin of Chet from book 1 – Love At Meg’s Diner) who falls for Rachel, the Community Center leader.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: An ebook copy of Christmas Cakes and Kisses & 3 Tule ebooks

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Excerpt from Christmas Cakes and Kisses:

“I don’t believe it.”

Eva Endicott stared at the screen of her laptop. She sat on a stool at the large worktable in the back of Baylee’s Bakery. They opened at six o’clock sharp every morning, but she and Baylee were always there by at least five. They’d prepped for the day and had a few precious moments before opening, so Eva had decided to peek at her email.

“What? What can’t you believe?” Baylee stuck her head out from the small office off the side of the large baking area.

Eva didn’t answer. Her eyes kept scanning over and over again the words on the screen.

Congratulations! You’ve been accepted into the Christmas Cake Competition. Details to come, so be sure to check your email daily.

When she didn’t answer, Baylee stepped out of the office and came over to where Eva sat. “Is everything okay?”

Eva tore her eyes away from the screen and looked at her boss. Baylee’s blond curls were pulled back with a hair tie, the tendrils that usually fell on either side of her face controlled by a large cloth headband.

Eva shook her head. “Yes. Yes! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for things to sound bad. They are actually really, really good.”

Baylee looked at Eva’s laptop screen. “Well, tell me then!”

Eva hesitated. Baylee had been nothing but kind to her since she moved to Silver Bay, giving her a job at the bakery and encouraging her in her dream of baking for a living. But a part of her was hesitant to share the news. What if Baylee saw this as some sort of…betrayal? Eva shook her head. No. That was too strong a word. Baylee would never see it that way.

Baylee’s big green eyes searched Eva’s, waiting patiently for an answer.

“Sorry. Um. Well, I threw my hat in the ring for a big Christmas Cake Competition in San Jose. I just read the email that said I was accepted.” She looked down at the countertop, nervous about how her boss may respond.

“That’s fantastic!” Baylee jumped up and down then threw her arms around her. “I am so happy for you. No one deserves that more than you.”

Eva smiled, mentally chastising herself for being worried. Of course Baylee would respond this way. It went against everything she knew about Baylee for Eva to think otherwise.

“Thank you.” She hugged Baylee back.

“Okay. You don’t seem nearly as excited about this as I would expect. What’s going on?” Baylee pulled up a stool beside Eva.

Eva sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I don’t know. I am excited. I guess I just didn’t let myself entertain the idea that I would even get accepted.”

“You are so incredibly talented, Eva.” Baylee put a hand on Eva’s knee and patted it.

Baylee’s kindness tended to manifest itself physically—a hug, a pat, a quick squeeze of the hand. Her very presence calmed Eva. It was one of the many reasons she loved working at the bakery.

Eva appreciated Baylee’s words. And it wasn’t even about her confidence. She knew she was a good baker, and cakes were her passion. Not only did she get to be creative in the texture and flavor of the cakes, but for her, decorating them was the same as painting a canvas was for an artist. There were endless possibilities of colors and designs.

“I appreciate that, Baylee. You’ve always been so encouraging to me.”

Baylee stood up. “Well, you just let me know how I can be helpful. I think you can win this thing with your eyes closed.”

Eva nodded and turned back to her computer screen as Baylee went back to the office. She wasn’t trying to be cryptic with Baylee or keep any secrets. But her dream was to one day have her own business. Decorate cakes for a living. And she didn’t feel quite right sharing all of that with her boss. As supportive as she knew Baylee would be, it simply wasn’t a dream Eva was willing to share yet. And she felt it prudent to tread carefully—Baylee was her friend and the best person she knew, but she was still Eva’s boss and the idea of anything Eva did down the road as possibly being competition wasn’t something to be talked about just yet.

She rested her chin in her hand and read the email again. Besides, it wasn’t worth having that conversation if the dream never became a reality. Winning the Christmas Cake Competition would add ten thousand dollars to Eva’s savings for her own business, but she was smart enough to know not to count nest eggs before they were anywhere near the basket. The winner would also have his or her cake featured on an episode of one of the most popular baking shows, Best Made Cakes.

“Hello! Anyone here?” Drew’s voice echoed through the bakery.

“We’re back here,” Eva shouted back.

Baylee shuffled around papers she’d been working on, stacking them neatly on the desk. She came out of the office just as Drew stepped into the back room.

“Good morning, lovely ladies.”

Eva laughed and shook her head. Drew MacIntire was a professional baseball pitcher, as handsome and charming as they come, and madly in love with his wife, Baylee, who made her way over to him and welcomed his embrace and kiss as if they’d been apart for years, instead of maybe an hour or two since she’d left home.

“Get a room,” Eva said. She sat up straight and turned to the doorway as a deep voice said the exact same words at the exact same time.

Her eyes locked with the man who had spoken—Tyler Vance. Drew’s friend and personal trainer. He was also the man that had Eva’s tummy flipping every time she saw him, and made her daydreams a bit steamier than she was used to. Sure, she’d dated and been interested in guys before, but something about Tyler made everything in her stand up and pay attention. It was a response she was still trying to wrap her head around, but the more she thought about it, the more frazzled she became.

He took up the entire doorway. At six foot five and made of solid muscle, the man’s presence was hard to ignore.

“Sounds like great minds think alike.” He smiled at Eva, then cocked his head toward Drew and Baylee, who were still making out in the middle of the room.

Eva looked at the couple then back at Tyler. “I’d like to say you get used to it…”

He laughed, the deep sound echoing through the room, as well as Eva’s whole body, sending a shockwave that had her breaking eye contact with him and turning her focus toward her computer once more. She stared at it as if it held the secret to all she needed to calm down in the presence of Tyler. Her floating screen saver wasn’t the lifeline she’d hoped for though. Her heart still pounded and her level of awareness to Tyler’s proximity was off the charts.

“We can hear you, ya know.” Drew said. He’d unlocked his lips from Baylee’s, but his eyes still stared down into hers, the two of them lost in their own form of nonverbal communication.

“You sure about that?” Tyler teased. “We can give you two some time if you need.”

Drew turned to his friend, leaving one arm wrapped around Baylee’s waist. “All right, all right. You can’t blame a man for wanting to see his beautiful wife whenever he can though.”

Eva rolled her eyes. “You mean every hour on the hour?”

Tyler chuckled again. “Before a workout. After a workout. Messaging her in the midst of a workout.” He held up a finger with each thing he verbally checked off.

Smiling, she pursed her lips and looked away when Drew gave her the evil eye.

“Okay, y’all.” Baylee patted Drew’s chest. “As fun as this is, it’s time for us all to get to work. We have a bakery to open and you two have a pitcher’s arm to keep strong.”

Now it was Tyler’s turn to roll his eyes. He looked at Eva. “You’re right. You’d think you’d get used to it, but I’m not so sure that’s possible.”

“You’re just jealous.” Drew gave Baylee one more kiss then moved towards Tyler. “It’s time we find you the love of a good woman.”

At that, Tyler ducked his head and turned to leave. Not before Eva caught a glimpse of what had to be him blushing. It was hard to believe a man that size could blush but based on the heat that rose in her own cheeks, she decided it was time to get going on work and get her mind off a gorgeous man who rattled her, and him finding the love of a good woman.

Tyler tossed a “Good to see you two” over his shoulder as Drew pushed him out the door, then followed behind. Eva hopped off the stool and closed her laptop. She stored it away off to the side of her small desk in the corner and put on her Baylee’s Bakery apron.

“I swear, those two…” Baylee shook her head and smiled. “Drew’s not wrong though. I’d love to see Tyler find someone special.” She gave a quick glance Eva’s way then headed to open the bakery.

If Eva didn’t know better, Baylee’s comment had implications. Ones that were aimed at her.

She took off the band that held her hair up and redid a messy bun, so it was good and tight. She grabbed a headband from her desk and slid it on to keep her hair out of her eyes and off her face. It was just like Baylee’s and matched the yellow of her apron.

Baylee and Drew could think all they wanted of a woman perfect for Tyler, but Eva couldn’t be it. She had dreams and goals to achieve, and the last thing she needed was a distraction in the form of Tyler Vance.

Attracted to the man or not, she didn’t have time to entertain thoughts or feelings toward anything other than making it on her own. Achieving all she set out to achieve when she moved to Silver Bay.

With that, she pushed her shoulders back and headed toward the front of the bakery. There were pastries to bake and customers to serve. And there were Christmas cakes to think about, especially one that would knock the socks off the judges at the competition and get Eva one big step closer to her dream.

As Drew and Tyler jogged through town to get warmed up, Tyler tried to keep his mind on the workout ahead, but Eva’s face kept coming into view.

They’d met a few weeks before, not long before the Harvest Festival, and each time they’d seen one another since, she got flustered and found a way to disappear. Aware of his size, Tyler was no stranger to being the brunt of stares or even whispered comments, although those were usually because of his past and not only because of his size. His mother used to tease that he was like a kind, gentle little mouse that got misplaced in the body of a lion. As a kid, he found that amusing. As an adult, he’d had to learn the power that came with his size, the ability he had to command a room with his presence, and that he could do so for good or for bad. He’d also had to learn that people make assumptions and there was nothing he could do about that. His responsibility was to be himself. Be kind. Be gentle. Be confident. And let others think what they wanted.

Although Eva’s response to him wasn’t unusual, it was…intriguing. She didn’t come across as afraid of him. Not at all. Of course, Chet Endicott was her brother, and he wasn’t a small guy. He was also a twin, so it wasn’t as if Eva hadn’t grown up around big guys.

No, her response to Tyler was something else. If he had to pinpoint it, he’d say it was attraction. He smiled. Well, he was pretty darn attracted to her as well. Who wouldn’t be? She had those big, round blue eyes that reminded him of lazy days floating in the ocean. Her auburn hair could look like fire one minute and honey the next. It wasn’t a shade he’d ever seen before.

When he’d moved to the small town of Silver Bay, it was initially to live a quiet life, something he’d never done before. Dating hadn’t crossed his mind. The past few years he’d been so focused on getting healthy and then training Drew to do the same. He hadn’t had a lot of time to think about a social life, and as Drew’s trainer, he had to keep the same schedule as a professional baseball player, which made it tough.

But now? Maybe he’d take the time to see if he was right, see if he rattled Eva because of attraction or because of something else.

“Okay, you are thinking super hard and based on that smirk on your face, it has to do with a certain redhead who works with my wife.” Drew’s voice cut through Tyler’s thoughts.

He shook his head. With all the time he and Drew had spent together, it was pointless to try and argue with him. It was also not a topic he was ready to get into with his friend yet either. “Just thinking.” He increased his pace. “Come on. Play time is over. You’re warmed up. Time to actually do a workout.”

“Whatever.” Drew laughed, matching Tyler’s pace. “But when you figure out how you feel about her, I’m here to listen.”

He gave Drew’s back a slap and then gave him a small push. “Get going. Think about your own life and stop worrying about mine.”

Drew waved a hand. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He ran ahead a few steps from Tyler, then shouted over his shoulder. “He doth protest a bit much though, I believe!”

Tyler laughed but knew just how to get Drew to shut up. With a “last one to Meg’s Diner buys breakfast,” he sprinted past Drew and took off.

“Oh man!” Drew accepted the challenge and sped up.

Tyler found a fast pace and held it. Although he anticipated his focus on speed would get his mind off Eva, he found with every step thinking of her even more.

Maybe Drew was right. Maybe it was time to see if a beautiful redhead was part of his future.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Eva Endicott comes to Silver Bay to prove to her family that she can make it on her own. Working in the local bakery, she’s determined to save enough to open her own cake decorating business. Winning an upcoming Christmas cake competition is the key to her dream, so Eva has no time for distractions, especially not devastatingly handsome ones that make her heart skip a beat.

Tyler Vance is the personal trainer for professional baseball pitcher, Drew MacIntyre. After following a retired Drew to Silver Bay, Tyler’s own future is uncertain. Things become more unsettled when a beautiful baker enters his world. Eva fascinates Tyler and as he gets to know her better, he considers planting his roots in Silver Bay. But when the location Tyler chooses for his training facility is the same one Eva wants for her bakery, something has to give.

With the contest deadline looming, Eva can barely think about Tyler. Until a blinding moment finally reveals her true feelings.

Is it too late? Or will a Christmas miracle give them both more than they ever dreamed?

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Meet the Author:

Writing stories since she was a young girl, Lara’s dream of being a novelist became a reality with her Men of Honor Series.

An avid reader, she worked as a book reviewer for 18 years with various organizations. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a Masters of Divinity in Chaplaincy.

Lara loves tea, baseball and living in Idaho with her husband and Great Dane.
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