Book jacket biographies don’t tell us nearly enough about the authors we love. That’s why Zibby Mag launched the Author Spotlight, giving readers an inside look at the lives and work of your favorite writers.

This week we’re spotlighting author Sarah Hogle and her new holiday romance, Just Like Magic!

What inspired you to write Just Like Magic?

The idea for Just Like Magic came to me out of the blue, and I really couldn't say what prompted it—I was half-asleep. But what made me excited to actually sit down and get the words out was this vision of creating a story that was solidly farce. I'd published two other romantic comedies, both of which incorporate a fair amount of humor, but I wanted this one to be much zanier. I wanted a plot with ridiculous twists, to make something that felt like opening up a Christmas present and receiving an explosion of glitter to the face, with Elf and Airplane! as inspiration.

What books are on your nightstand right now?

I'm currently reading The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, which is wonderfully cozy and witchy. Up next are Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings and A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday.

Where is your go-to place to write?

I'm very boring in that I pretty much only write at my desk. I'm a stay-at-home mom, so I write in my living room where I can keep one eye on my kids while I type. It's a cute little nook, though: I have a planter of ivy beside me, twinkly lights, and bookish art hanging on the wall. My bookshelves sit directly behind me.

What is your favorite indie bookstore?

I've visited The Book Loft of German Village in Columbus, Ohio, once before and it was really cool—the store takes up a whole block and has over thirty rooms of books. I'm excited to be celebrating my book's launch there on pub day. Someday, I'd love to visit The Ripped Bodice in Culver City, California, and Eagle Harbor Book Company on Bainbridge Island, Washington.

What are three books you'd recommend readers start after Just Like Magic?

The first book that pops to mind is You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky, and I think that anyone who enjoys Just Like Magic will love this one. Matthew Prince and Bettie Hughes, Just Like Magic's main characters, are both spoiled, selfish minor celebrities who find love in a small town at Christmastime. Timothy's writing is hilarious, and I just adore this book to pieces. 

I would also recommend The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese, which is so warm and swoony and feels like living in a sparkly Christmas snow globe; as well as In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren, which is a fun time loop Christmas romance. And naturally, if readers read Just Like Magic and like it, there's a good chance they'll enjoy my two other books, You Deserve Each Other and Twice Shy!

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I think something that might surprise readers is that while it appears as though I started off writing straight-up contemporary romance and then began to veer toward fantasy, in reality, writing straight-up contemporary romance isn't something I usually do. Before I wrote You Deserve Each Other, my debut novel, I wrote a lot of fantasy and paranormal romance that never went anywhere, including a duology about sisters in a town rife with love magic and folklore (I've actually rewritten one of the books, repackaged the premise into a trilogy, and hope to publish it), a wolf shifter romance, and a book about a woman who made a wish when she was a child and the wish started coming true on her thirtieth birthday. 

In the future, readers will definitely see more fantasy romance from me, mostly light contemporary fantasy, but I might dabble in other sub-genres. I'd also love to try my hand at cozy romantic mysteries and light sci-fi romance.