Taking Readers on a Sentimental Journey

Jennifer Sadera
Dec 21, 2025
3 min read

We all get nostalgic during the holiday season, don’t we?

As we ready the house for visits from friends and family, our thoughts tend to drift back to past gatherings, both recent occasions and cherished moments from long ago. We smile, recalling the countless jokes and laughter exchanged with favorite relatives and lifelong pals amid holiday music, treasured gifts, and too much food. And even though it’s bittersweet, we take a moment to remember those special souls we lost amid the rush and tumble of years.

It's the time of year to wade through holiday shoppers, dash off a Christmas card or two, and whip up the perfect feast.

When we’ve completed it all (usually on Christmas Eve), we pause, reflect, and acknowledge all the things we don’t usually allow ourselves to dwell on: the swift passage of years, and life seldom unfolding in ways we anticipated...

... The yearning to accomplish all the things we've added to our bucket lists.

Christmas Tree at Jennifer Sadera's house

Writing at Christmas

The enticing recipe of fond memories and unflagging hope which can only be created during this magical slice of time, makes most of us think a little deeper, embrace the good a little harder, and yearn to be better versions of ourselves. The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas shimmer with a vibe that no other month can replicate, which is why I like to start a new novel at this time—no matter how hectic the holidays get. The other months are perfect for pursuing goals that are diametrically opposed to Peace on Earth and Goodwill to Men, including these dastardly themes that usually end up in my novels:

Drama—especially melodrama
Poor decisions
Manipulation—of everyone and everything
Mistaken assumptions
Suspicions
Secrets and lying

These topics usually rev my pulse and get my heart racing. I am helplessly inspired by situations that seem impossible and characters who view life through a distorted lens. I manipulate every nasty implement in my literary tool chest with relish to create murder, mischief, and mayhem.

But in December, snuggled in my desk chair with a fluffy throw and cup of hot tea, my writing takes on a kinder, gentler quality. Focusing on noble traits infuses my stories with qualities I might not be inclined to dwell on during other times, like in the middle of a July heatwave. Characters that I create during this introspective time of year become very real to me as little pieces of my own past seep into their narratives.

In my debut suspense novel, I Know She Was There, the character of Mary, a nosy-but-gold-hearted neighbor, was based on the lady who lived next-door to me many years ago. My protagonist’s good friend, Muzzy, was named after my own beloved grandmother who, like fictional Muzzy, was a domestic goddess. The little touches from a lifetime of observation and affection put a unique, indelible mark on a work of fiction.

‘Tis the season to remember that optimistic holiday spirits function as supremely effective foils to devilish antics. The mixing of good and evil will highlight your characters’ qualities, flaws, and development.

Call me sentimental, but I admire the naughty and the nice in each of my creations.

I love their spunk, dismay, deceit, or any of the other thousands of emotions I force them to endure. If I’ve done my job well, readers will hope to find my book under their tree this year.

The Perfect Present?

You can purchase I Know She Was there wherever books are sold. And coming in September, my next psychological suspense, Maybe You Lied, about family lies that bind—and just may kill.

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