Kim Harrington, author of A Killer for Christmas, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.
Welcome, Kim.
Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.
A KILLER FOR CHRISTMAS is about a woman who moves to a Christmas-themed tourist town for a fresh start, and the picture-perfect charm is chipped away by a series of murders. I like to say it’s what would happen if a Hallmark Christmas movie had a serial killer, except cozy in tone. And with humor too! Right now, it’s a standalone. But I’d love to return to this town for more books if there is demand from readers.
Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?
One night, I told my husband I was heading upstairs to watch TV in bed and he asked, “What will it be tonight, a Hallmark Christmas movie or a murder show? Because it’s always one or the other.” And suddenly I wanted to write something that combined both!
Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?
My main character, Kelsey, has been through a life upheaval. A lot of people make a change in their life when something like this happens—like coloring their hair or getting bangs. Kelsey decided to uproot her entire life and move to the town that always made her happy when she was a child. Though she doesn’t know anyone there! Themes that come into play are fresh start, fish out of water, and eventually, found family.
How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?
I definitely play favorites. Either because I empathize with them or find them fun to write. In this book, my favorite is my main character Kelsey because she has a great sense of humor and it was fun to write in her lightly sarcastic tone.
How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?
The setting of Christmasville was extremely fun to create in this book. I wanted to take a tourist town but push its boundaries. So I really leaned into the Christmas vibe and the quirkiness of its traditions and eccentric characters. I also thought…if this town was real, what would I want it to look like? What would I want it to have?
What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?
It depends on the book. In this book, I wanted Kelsey’s career (social media manager) to ring true. I’m in marketing myself, but I did do further research to make sure I was getting some of the details right.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?
I had so much fun writing this, and I hope you have fun reading it. Grab a cup of hot cocoa and settle in for the ride!
Thanks so much for having me!
You’re welcome, Kim, and good luck with A Killer for Christmas.
Readers can learn more about Kim Harrington by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on BlueSky.
The novel is available at the following online retailers:
PenguinRandomHouse Amazon B&N Bookshop.org
About Kim Harrington: Kim is the author of A Killer for Christmas, her debut adult mystery, as well as Clarity, Perception, The Dead and Buried, and Forget Me for teens and Revenge of the Red Club, the Sleuth or Dare series, and Gamer Squad series for younger readers. Her books have been sold to ten countries and optioned for television. She lives in Massachusetts with her family, where she’s hard at work on her next mystery novel.
