Great Christmas Tree Tour: Jar of Dreams - Liz Flaherty

Cheryl, thanks for letting me come over again—I’m afraid I’ll wear out my welcome one of these days, but I do love sharing the holidays with you!

I’m a sucker for houses. I’m not sure if it’s because the one where I grew up was so small and lacking in both charm and privacy or where the passion originates, but a passion it is. One of my favorite parts of developing a new story is deciding where the people in it are going to live. I have a real bent toward Victorian.

When my niece married years ago, I did the sewing for her wedding. As a gift, she gave a replica of a Dickensian-era post office she found at Joann’s, where we’d spent an unbelievable amount of time in the preceding month. A career postal worker, I was charmed by the building. My husband saw an easy and fairly inexpensive way to buy me gifts. 

Of course, about fifteen buildings and many trees, people, and other paraphernalia—it fills two totes—he’s rethought the inexpensive part, and when he helps rebuild the villages each November, he rethinks easy, too.

My villages are on the shelves above the kitchen windows, and my photography is suspect—okay, it’s bad—but you can get an idea of how it looks.

I’ve added a picture my office-sewing-room tree. It’s decorated haphazardly with snowmen, and my daughter-in-law Laura made the angel at its top. The ivory silk of the angel’s dress is left over from the fabric of Laura’s wedding gown, made by her mother.

Lucy Dolan, in JAR OF DREAMS, which will be released January 14 by Carina Press, comes to a stop on her way to new beginnings in a Victorian house in Taft, Indiana. 

Before she knows it, she’s half-owner in Tea on Twilight, tearoom extraordinaire, and Boone Brennan is wondering what hit him. I had so much fun with story, starting with finding the house I wanted to be at its center!

From Cheryl:

Liz, you will never wear out your welcome. You and I have to be twins separated at birth. I am the same way--gaga over houses--Victorian houses! I obsessively draw house plans for my characters.

I never thought of setting up my village in the kitchen, but this is a great idea. No matter where I do it I have to pack away a volume of items. This looks so great - and I would never have thought of the squares of fabric you used.

I am reading JAR OF DREAMS right now (I got an advance copy!) and am enjoying this story so much. Lucy and Boone are unusual characters and their story is one readers will enjoy. What a great cover! And a house....

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