Appreciating What We Already Have
A Goulden Christmas follows a woman struggling with the stress of life who is offered a chance to see an alternate reality of her life, and now she must choose the life path she truly wants. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Years ago, I worked at Children’s Fairyland, a storybook park in Oakland, California. Storybook parks show up often in my work. These quaint attractions are based on works of children’s literature and were especially popular in the mid-20th century. Only a few have survived, as they’ve largely been overtaken by theme parks. I wanted to explore the differences between the two kinds of amusement parks in A Goulden Christmas and reflect those differences in Hope’s struggles. On the one hand, she respects and appreciates the park that is her father’s legacy (though we may not see this at first) and the family and community values Fairytale Land embodies. At the same time, she yearns for something more–for her life to be bigger–as symbolized by the sprawling, commercial theme park. The men in her life further the theme: Josh, a solid, good guy who loves animals and prefers a quiet life, and Rich, who’s flashy, wealthy, and driven.
I enjoyed your characters, especially Hope. What was your favorite character to write for and why?
I can’t really pick one. I liked writing Hope’s character because I think her struggles are relatable. Many of us want more in our lives, but maybe we need to appreciate what we already have. It could be exactly what we need. Janice was fun to write because she is very different in the two timelines. I love cats, so Alice was a joy to bring to life.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Gratitude and appreciation for what we have; love for family; service to community.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m currently writing the third book in my cozy mystery series, The Mother-Daughter Realty Team Mysteries. It will be released in March.
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Hope Goulden works at her family’s old-fashioned storybook park. Loyalty to her mother and her high school sweetheart has kept her in the same job and relationship for years. She’s had it up to here with running the Wizard of Oz merry-go-round and dressing as Santa Claus, then going out for pizza with her unambitious boyfriend. She yearns for the fame and excitement her favorite reality show twins enjoy, and a few cute dresses wouldn’t hurt, either.
On Christmas Eve at Fairytale Land, the statue of King Midas comes alive and grants Hope’s wish for a different life. She’s transported to an alternate timeline where she’s the star of a popular reality show filmed at a theme park and engaged to a handsome lawyer. Score!
But will it be everything she hoped for, or will she find out that all that glitters is not gold? She has until midnight on New Year’s Eve to make the biggest decision of her life.
Posted on January 29, 2025, in Interviews and tagged A Goulden Christmas: An Alternate Timeline Holiday Romance, author, book, book recommendations, book review, Book Reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Carol E. Ayer, christmas holiday romance, contemporary romance, ebook, fiction, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, romance, story, time travel, writer, writing. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.
LITERARY TITAN 
Thank you for the interview!