Spicing up the holidays with Samantha Chase

Elle 0:01
My guest today needs no introduction, but we're gonna do it anyway. Sitting on the Steam seat for a second time is the incredible Samantha Chase, who I consider the queen of Christmas romance. Oh hill the queen. Welcome back to steam seen Samantha Queen Samantha, I'm excited. You came back. And did you bring your tiara?

Samantha 0:23
Of course I did. Without it

Elle 0:27
sitting atop your head, like a Christmas angel.

Samantha 0:30
That's right. Oh, I like that. I may have to use that for the holidays.

Elle 0:37
I expect that for your author picture for your next book.

Samantha 0:40
Yes, I would have I did have an author picture with my tiara, which I thought was hysterical. But after a while I was like, that's not a flattering angle. And I was like, oh, anymore.

Elle 0:56
Like CRS are a whole thing. Like we were just talking in the greenroom of the virtual greenroom about tick tock and I saw for a while like, like wearing a tear on tick tock was a thing. It was I know, I knew. I know. You said that your readers aren't on tick tock, but are you are you on tick tock?

Samantha 1:14
I think I did one video on it. And then I cried. And so I was like, Yeah, I'm not going on there again. Because

Elle 1:22
Wait, what you literally cried. I live after seeing

Samantha 1:25
it. I cried because I don't want like we were just talking about in the greenroom. I don't like the way that I look on video. And it didn't matter how cute the video was. I every angle I was like, Oh, I'm so fat. Oh, that's really bad. Oh, that's not flattering. And so I couldn't allow myself to do it. It was like, crushing my self esteem. And my publicist was like, stop doing it then.

Elle 1:49
You're done. publicist is why. Doctor, why

Samantha 1:52
is it hurt? When I do this? We'll stop doing that.

Elle 1:56
You know what was getting me like because Okay, so I go into I like, do the filters. And I do like, and I have all of these tricks of like, make sure the cameras above so like when it comes to like if your camera is at like eye level right now. Yeah. Like, you know, all of these tricks. So I'm like, Okay, I look all right. I'm not, you know, I can live with us and heavily filtered out like, I swear to God, I turned like 48 And something happened to my neck. I'm cut and I every Enik and at certain point, and there's no filter that changes that. No. And I'm like, do you read Nora Ephron? I do. Oh my god. So did you read her short story collection? I'm sorry about my neck or something like that. She's got like the short story. That's all about like that sort of like creepy neck that you get when you're wet. And you're just like, What the fuck happened to my neck? Like, that's where I am right now.

Samantha 2:55
It's funny that you say that because I was getting my hair cut yesterday. And like I kept looking at myself in the mirror. And I was like, Oh, who? I was like, Can we spin me? What like, put my back to the mirror while we're doing this? Because I don't want to look at that crap.

Elle 3:11
I know. I am so surprised. That like, the like, salons are not more flattering.

Samantha 3:18
I know. Crappy lighting.

Elle 3:21
Maybe because they've gotta like, see what they're doing when they caught like

Samantha 3:26
I guess that's important. But why don't you guys

Elle 3:29
just spread some Vaseline on the mirrors.

Samantha 3:33
Or you know what I think would be best. Let your let your crappy lights be on while you're cutting and styling my hair. Then turn me away. Yes, switch at some fabulous lighting and disco music comes on. I would be so all over that.

Elle 3:50
I'm leaving writing. I'm opening a salon and that is exactly what

Samantha 3:54
happened. I would be there in a heartbeat.

Elle 3:57
That would be fantastic. Oh my god. Okay, so we're here because it's the holidays. Yeah. And you are the queen of Christmas. And that's going in your Instagram bio. Right. I

Samantha 4:13
should team up with Mariah Carey. Because I mean, could you imagine? Do you think she's listening right now? Do you think that she'll come in?

Elle 4:25
Oh, my God. She absolutely she absolutely should I think that she needs to write a song for your next Christmas. Do

Samantha 4:31
you know her and I are both from Long Island. And I actually was friends with somebody who went to school with her. So I mean, we're practically like, best friends then I think right?

Elle 4:44
Oh my god. Well, oddly, I knew I knew I went through a course with her former personal assistant. Really? Yeah. And it was it was wild.

Samantha 4:58
To to spill all the tea I thought Mariah

Elle 5:00
she did spill some tea. She spilled some tea. And Mariah is definitely a bit of a diva, but I think it all shocking. But it comes from a place of insecurity. Yeah. From what I sort of was able to glean from conversations that we would have, right, and that she's ultimate. I mean, this person was also very lovely and had the patience of a saint. You know, so I don't know that I would be so generous, but it really did seem like there was that she was very insecure. And, and so would do things that were kind of like it. Were just coming from a place of almost desperation. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Which is sort of surprising because it's like, this is it's, it's Mariah Carey. Like, she's insecure. What?

Samantha 5:52
Yeah, like, okay, so you're like a bajillion air. You're beautiful. And you have like, one of the best voices in the world? What do you have to be secure?

Elle 6:03
Like, you know, it's really funny, because as I mean, it's so funny. We're just talking about like, my, you know, our appearances on this talk, right? Sort of watching these iconic pop stars, female pop stars age or not Isha? As it is? Have you seen Madonna?

Samantha 6:22
She scares me, her parents actually scares me.

Elle 6:26
I mean, that's just, you know, and when I see that, I'm sort of like, okay, that is insecurity. Yeah. And so can you imagine Madonna, being like, and this is not something that just happened. Like she has had to carry this with her for over her. There's that level of insecurity. And so can you imagine being Madonna and being insecure? Like, What? What?

Samantha 6:53
I mean, I think if I had that kind of money, I probably do a little something to, like, what we were talking about with the neck and everything like that, like, Oh, absolutely. Not, like, due to might not like totally, like, change my face so that it just doesn't move?

Elle 7:13
Like, well, that's actually I mean, I think that that really is sort of you know, that that is a psychological thing. Like that is a mental illness, for sure. Um, you know, and there's got to be some sort of like, she's looking in the mirror, and she's seeing something that is not there, right. And she is not going to a doctor who's saying, I am not going to do that. Right. Right, right. You know, like, like she, or she, or maybe she has gone to a doctor who's saying, I'm not gonna do this. So she'll go to the next one. And, and she won't stop until she finds a doctor who will be like, Oh, absolutely, we'll do that. So like, you know, that's why I just feel like my heart really breaks when I see her now.

Samantha 7:51
Yeah, it's, it's because

Elle 7:52
warming it because she was beautiful. And, you know, she would probably age beautifully. Right? It was a you know, this is so like off topic. But you know what, we're just going there because it's a steam scenes, and it's what we do, actually, um, I was in I was working a project in LA and was very, very fortunate enough to have Gen Ed's come to the party. And like, I idolize this one. So if anybody doesn't know who generally like Look, her up old school actress, she was married to John Cassavetes. She sort of had that, I guess, sort of Jane Mansfield. Marilyn Monroe, kind of, yeah. But she was like, very smart. And very, you know, she was always kind of the smarter blonde, right? Very beautiful, iconic, and I and I got to, you know, spend some time with her. And it was a very small party. And she and so I actually, like instead of just like walking her down the red carpet and then never seen her again, actually get to sit down and have a drink with her. Well, she was amazing. Yes. Oh, my God. And she was the kindest woman, um, she put up with my babbling. And I just remember she, she was so stunning. And she let herself age. Right. And she was still gorgeous. She was still gorgeous. And, and so like, you know, and just thinking back to like, those actors who were brought in, they came up in a very different time than like, you know, I mean, obviously, Madonna wasn't brought up with social media, but, you know, she did make a career in part because of MTV. Yeah. You know, what was it they always talk about, like MTV changed everything for rock stars, like before in the 70s? Like, all the rock bands that you listen to are just really ugly. Yes. And unattractive?

Samantha 9:45
Oh, yeah.

Elle 9:46
They had a face for radio, right? Like, it doesn't matter what they look like. All of a sudden MTV happened and now it was like, oh shit. Yeah, we need them to be good looking. Uh huh. Oh yeah, you know, and so imagine like, so that's kind of like what your career is built on. Right? And what happens when you age? I don't know. It's such a complicated thing. Because

Samantha 10:10
did you watch any of the CD the pictures for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction last weekend?

Elle 10:16
A little bit, not a whole. Okay, so Pat Benatar

Samantha 10:19
was inducted into the Hall of Fame. And she came out there with her gray hair, you know, and she looked fantastic. Like, she's not like, I don't know, she's got to be there. I think she's in her 60s. I mean, she embraced that shit. And she looked fantastic. I just think more people should do that. Embrace it a little bit. Yeah.

Elle 10:40
Yeah, I mean, you know, a little unfair. But Paulina Porizkova? Oh, yeah. You know, I follow her on Instagram. And she's just like, not getting any work done. I mean, granted, she's a supermodel, right?

Samantha 10:52
So she's not all not all supermodels age, as well. Like, I think that she, she definitely like she looks her age, but she's able to walk around in a bikini. So I mean,

Elle 11:07
well, yes. There's

Samantha 11:10
always helps. You know,

Elle 11:11
but I think you know, and also, you know, I was I saw a photo of JLo that was like, one of those like, you know, not a paparazzi shot, right. So it was kind of, you know, her at like a beach in a bathing suit. And it was a weird angle. And she looked, was a little far away and kind of grainy. Right. But I was like, if that's JLo like, it made me feel so much better about myself. You know, and so I think that a lot of times, you know, women in the public eye, I get it like it's their business, too. It's their job to look good, right, like that, like so much hinges on their fungibility? Yep. But you know, and that's not to say JLo didn't look good, because but she's 50 Right. She's like, 53, you know, and certain things happen when you're in your 50s. Right. And, and you can see that happened to JLo in this picture, and I was like, she still looks fantastic, right? But she looked 50 Right, she didn't look 32

Samantha 12:16
And here's the thing that like people don't realize any of us could go into a into a photography studio with that kind of hair and makeup team and that level of photography, and then have it all touched up. And we look fuckable to

Elle 12:33
I know that's why I love the filters. Yeah. I love the filters. They almost get us there.

Samantha 12:42
People don't realize a lot of these pictures that you're seeing online are so heavily touched up. It's not reality.

Elle 12:50
No, it is not reality. It is not reality. And it's and it's mind fucking young girls. Yeah. Oh, yeah. It really is. It really is. And also, like not talked about it's also mind fucking boys. Yeah, I mean, this is something that is sort of like the dirty little secret of Hollywood. You know, remember when Burt Reynolds was a sex symbol, right? I do. And he was kind of dad body. Yeah, he was laying on that bearskin rug or whatever.

Samantha 13:13
Oh, now I'm gonna have to like wash my eyes with bleach just thinking about that again. Oh,

Elle 13:20
like he was kind of dead. But like, there were no real, like ripped muscles go on. And he was a sex symbol. He was a fucking sex symbol for my mom, you know, my mom's generation and like, I'm like, now like, these guys have to be like, ripped. Yeah. And you know, and, and cut and they're like, you know, 2% body fat, which is really hard to do all the time. Maintain, you know, and it's just a very different really kind of shallow and upsetting world. Like, you know, us mere mortals don't have a chance, right? Yeah, no,

Samantha 13:55
not at all.

Elle 13:59
But you know, Merry fucking Christmas. That's what we're about here. Okay, I need to ask you, Your Royal Highness. How many holiday books have you written?

Samantha 14:14
When you told me you were going to ask that. I was like, I thought I knew the answer. Then I counted. And I have 17 Christmas books.

Elle 14:22
Are you fucking kidding me? You are like an entire season of Hallmark.

Samantha 14:27
Thank you. Hallmark if you're listening.

Elle 14:31
We've already had one the Christmas scars. Okay. So so I haven't I have never had like I've never watched a Hallmark Christmas movie because I've never had the Hallmark right? Because we were an early adopter of cord cutting okay, like I didn't I did not have cable when Hallmark showed up right? So a couple of weeks ago I saw like peacock which Yellowstone's coming back and they were running a special where now they have like the Hallmark Channel on peacock and I was like, take my money. I have Ching. I'm like, oh dang on these goddamn Christmas movie.

Samantha 15:11
And you know, they are like crack, I swear, are like crack people who you would never even think would sit down and enjoy a Hallmark movie will will totally binge that crap and like not have any not even care. Like if they lose days of their lives just sitting watching those movies.

Elle 15:30
I could totally, there is something so satisfying. Well, first of all, I always was like, Oh, the acting is probably crap. The acting is really not bad. It's really pretty good. Right? You know, it's a lot of, I think it's a lot of daytime TV people. And daytime TV people are really solid actors. Like, they know their shit. Because that's their training ground. Like daytime TV is like, you know, 12 hours a day, every day. You're constantly on set like that really is sort of like, you know, a repertory training program for a lot of actors. And so the acting is pretty damn good. And I also like how they you know, it's funny that we're talking about it. The actors are good looking, but they're pretty normal looking.

Samantha 16:18
They are they are there's nobody so over the top that you like, they wouldn't be living in a small town working in a bakery

Elle 16:29
there is no way you know, so I couldn't and even the guys shoe like the guys are maybe like, Oh, he's good looking. But he's not like, Oh, he's not like, you know, Brad Pitt dropped like, you know, oh, my god, over the top gorgeous. He's like, Oh, he's really cute. And cinnamon roll. Yeah,

Samantha 16:45
this alright, the cinnamon roll. That is like something that I just discovered is a thing. Like, a few months ago, I was like, when did that phrase come out? When like, when did that become a thing? But I love it.

Elle 16:58
Yes, it is. And you write a cinnamon?

Samantha 17:00
I do. That's what everybody sends me like, how could you not know what it is? That's what you write. And I'm like, because I don't I never put a label on them. These are just the way that this character is comes from?

Elle 17:10
Well, I think that the labels are starting to happen because of tick tock like, I know, one of the things that sort of was going around tick tock was we like medium spice. And I'm like, I like Sporty Spice. Like what? Like, what does that mean? And you know, and it's like, and spice is different to everybody like, you know, you know, like you were talking about this your rom com or your room before with that rom com and sort of like readers getting very angry about things. You know, like

Samantha 17:43
kick the heat level up like a half a notch and people like, oh my god, now it's so different. I don't know what to do. And it's like, okay, it really, really wasn't all that different.

Elle 17:53
Really, because you close the door, you are close to it, but you are not a suite. And again, I know a lot of people hate that term, not a fan. You know, you are not a sweet writer. I'm

Samantha 18:03
not but nobody. Nobody seems to listen to the rest of that statement. Like as soon as they hear behind closed doors. I could have a neon banner that says for play on the page, and all they'd still hear is closed door. Smith Chase doesn't write sex. It's closed door.

Elle 18:21
But you write sex II Yes,

Samantha 18:23
I do write sexy so readers, I think don't know what to do with me. Other authors certainly don't know what to do with me like when they're getting together for anthologies and stuff. Like they don't know where to where to put me. And it's a little it's a little insulting sometimes because I'm like, I can only say it so many times like okay, I don't think because I closed the door. That you know, like I said, I'm certainly not clean and wholesome. Okay, I am that medium space. You I am that medium spice? You know what I mean? I'd like to I'd like to think I'm sporting spice but I'm not your medium I think that I should I should Photoshop myself into photo with the Spice Girls

Unknown Speaker 19:16
there's 40 Spice there's whatever spice and then there's this man mediums Well, you

Elle 19:24
know I think that this is really because again watching right watching Hallmark and it's like almost like I'm kind of kicking myself for not watching it before I wrote my own holiday rush was I don't know I think that's gonna like circle the drain but we'll see what happens. You're the sweetness of Hallmark and I think because maybe you had that Hallmark movie, which was the Christmas cottage in 2017. I'm wondering if that and they did you know because you get that one Chase kiss kiss

Samantha 20:00
Cynthia right, which is so not what the book was.

Elle 20:03
Right? And I remember you saying that in the last in our first episode together, that you were like, you know, you you had no, like you had no idea what they were doing. And you never even watched it until it aired. And you were like, that wasn't my book. Exactly.

Samantha 20:17
Exactly. And, you know, and I always feel bad admitting that because I'm not I'm not saying anything bad about the movie, I thought the movie was great. It just was not my book. So like, when people who love the movie like, oh, I have to get a copy of the book, I almost want to have to like, give them a disclaimer, like, Okay, I know that you liked the movie. The book is different, you know. So,

Elle 20:44
get ready. It's a little steamy like that. Like, that's the thing like I think, I also wonder if I wonder if the industry isn't very good at sort of almost explaining like the jargon as much as it is jargon. Because I think like, the romance industry jargon, gets out to the readers, but it's never like a 100% like, clear thing. And then they start pushing back because they're like, Well, I don't think it should be sweet romance, because there's nothing wrong with you know, Sex on the page. And that shouldn't be you know, or clean. I think that was the one that everyone's clean. That's what everybody Yeah. Yeah. And then, but when you say, when you say sweet, like, I have seen some authors doing like, Oh, it's a sweet romance with sex. And I'm like, then it's

Samantha 21:30
not sweet. Yeah. And it is, it's a fine line to walk and you want that audience who wants the sweeter stuff? And I think they want to see like, how far can they push it? You know, with how sexy can they? Can they put it before somebody's like, Hey, that's not sweet. You know, that's not it. And, you know, readers, readers are more eclectic than we give them credit for. I mean, I don't think that I've met somebody. I've met people who read Amish romance and who will still also read something like, you know, 50 Shades of Grey. So I mean, it's how the story makes you feel, I think, more than I think we put too much emphasis on how much sex is on the page.

Elle 22:13
If you, right, I mean, I think, you know, are people doing that for clout? I think so. Or at least maybe like, the you because it just feels like, you know, like there's one author that I follow in or not author, it's a reader, I think, but they do a lot of memes, okay. And they're really funny, right? You know, and there, but that, but it's always about all of the sad. Yes. And I'm sort of going, you know, I think that this, like, it's funny, but I feel like the nuances being lost, and the whole point of romance is being lost, and it is kind of playing into that. Oh, that's just like Lady porn, right? dismissiveness,

Samantha 22:54
yes. Yeah. And we struggle with already, like, you know, just in general, like, romance is a genre that doesn't get taken seriously on so many levels. But then when you start adding this sort of a thing, and it's like, here's another hill to climb, you know. So,

Elle 23:16
and, you know, there's nothing wrong with that. Like, it's like, erotica can be great fun. You know, I'm there, but but I think that when it gets to a point where it's sort of like, it's just about the sex, and it's really not about the journey, right? You know, then I kind of go Wait, what are we doing? Right?

Samantha 23:40
And I'm going to be a potty mouth for a minute. So you can bleep me out with you need to

Elle 23:44
know this is all salt all the time.

Samantha 23:49
I think a lot of books, it's just a fuck fest. Okay, like, there is no there is no growth, there is no journey. It's a fuck fest, and that's where it is then then that is like the porn porn for moms or whatever you want to call it. And I enjoy a good sex scene in the book. But like, I also really like seeing the characters and watching them go through all this. I want the emotional roller coaster with that, you know?

Elle 24:16
Yeah, there needs to be a point. Yeah. It's like, why are your characters like when I when I'm about to write a song? I'm like, Why are my characters doing this thing? Like what what is driving them? How is this act going to change that right? Otherwise, you're just gonna like I skipped sex scenes and I just show a lot of times I'm like, Oh, here they go. Again. Just a lot of acrobatic

Samantha 24:42
Yes. Unrealistic acrobatics. A lot of Yeah. So let's put that out there.

Elle 24:51
So like, you know, if I'm not seeing if I'm not seeing in those scenes, emotional growth between the characters or some sort of change, you know, I'm I'm probably going to skip the next one, right? I agree. Because there is there is such a thing as too much sex and there is, believe it or not?

Samantha 25:09
Well, you know, it's what's interesting. And I only got to really discover this about myself as I've rereleased the books like we were talking about in the reading room. When I started writing, I did write more, more sex more on the page, sex. I didn't have more sex scenes, but the sex that was had being had was a little more descriptive.

Elle 25:36
Now, why did you put because I think I would imagine that like, you know, writing sex is hard. For me, I know, for some authors there, it's just like, you know, another day in front of the laptop. But like, for me, it's hard.

Samantha 25:49
I hate. Like, I almost embarrassed myself, like, I'll type in like, I don't even want to look at the screen like, okay, just do it, get it over with.

Elle 25:59
See, this is the thing, if I have to change my, like, if I have to start doing dictating when I'm talking? I don't know, that's true, I don't know that I will be able to do that. Right. When

Samantha 26:09
you dictate them. What you do is you just put insert sec,

Elle 26:12
sec seen. I know, but then also because it's part of the emotional growth in the emotional journey, like I guess that's gonna, I'm gonna have to make a real point of knowing what they're gonna how they're gonna get to where they're going to be at the end of that. Right. Right, right. You know? If so that I can put in the Insert section here. Because there's no way I'll be able to like, say that out loud. While I'm driving. Not at all. No way. No way. I can do it here with your stuff. But I can't do it there.

Samantha 26:46
Now. I remember. I remember going to a signing once and like the readers, they wanted us. I was signing with Sarah Humphries. And they were like, We want you guys to like read a scene from your book. And I had to make sure that it was a scene that just definitely did not even hint at Saks or anything, because I knew I would just want to crawl under the table. Like nobody looked at me like say this out loud. Right explicit, but even just a little bit. I was like, Nope, can't do it. I'm a prude writer, but I'm not a prude readers. I mean, what the hell?

Elle 27:24
Okay, so you had said, If you could write a holiday romance, you have 17 of them? Yep. That was what do you like about?

Samantha 27:31
Oh my gosh, I Well, first of all, I love Christmas, like Christmas is my favorite time of the year. Like if I can leave Christmas decorations up year round. I would, I would just be the happiest person in the world. And I just feel like there's a whole mood there's a whole vibe that goes on. Like, some people started right after like Halloween, I'm a little bit more like, late November December 1, like fan they are and everything just you just feel lighter. Or at least I do. And so in a romance, I just love having that atmosphere. Like there's always going to be somebody who is not crazy about the holidays. Like I find that every book like that you've got like, almost like the grumpy sunshine like somebody, somebody loves it. Somebody's not really a fan, you know that they just that it's not important to them. And I think that it is so much fun to like poke that bear. Be like, you're gonna like it, you're gonna like the holidays, you're gonna eat cookies, you're gonna have cocoa, and he's gonna be fucking magical. And that's what I was doing.

Elle 28:42
Well, you know, I think I love that you said it's gonna be it's gonna be fucking magical. Because so I wrote my first I wrote my first holiday romance, I kind of cheated a little bit because I had to retrofit it because it originally wasn't a holiday. And then my editor was like, Well, what's your holiday? novella, and I was like, my, my wife was, like, I don't think about these things until like, October, right? And I'm like, Oh, shit, right? And so this was earlier than October, but I was like, there is no way I can get another book out, you know, fully written. And I have this novella kicking around and it wasn't done. And I was like, you know, I could probably make this a Christmas story. And when I submitted it to her, she was like, Yeah, that's good. But you know, what, where's the magic and I was like, the magic. Oh, the magic like, what? Like, some Harry Potter shittier. And I got what she was saying, but I found it very difficult to write.

Samantha 29:38
You know, and I think like, I think that that's very common, because I think unless you're like an elf like ion who's like, it's all about the holiday, like, like, I could turn that shit on in a heartbeat. But if you if you threw any other holiday at me, I'd be like, like, I don't know what to do. You know, but Christmas stuff So I don't know. It's just like I told you I'm in the greenroom, I would write it year round if I thought it would sell.

Elle 30:07
So how do you infuse like, what? Like, what, what infuses the magic? Like, is it like, I mean, is it like hot chocolate and snow and you know, of course, I'm writing a book where there is no sound like I'm reading a location where that was not helpful.

Samantha 30:23
Alright, so when I was going back in, like the beginning of my career, like, I, my Christmas books were like, full on and your face, Christmas, okay. Then when I got traditionally published, they wanted like a 90,000 word book, and there was no way that I can make a 90,000 word book be like Christmas, like exploding in your face. Like, it's just not possible. So it had to have holiday elements to it. Okay. And that I found a little bit harder to do, because I felt like readers could be like, Okay, here's your token Christmas scene. And, like that sort of thing. But in, like, in my book, a dash of Christmas, which is book 10 in the Montgomery's, and like we need to be, we knew it was going to be a Christmas release. Their whole thing was that they were writing a Christmas cookbook. So they were having to sort of play around with with Christmas settings and Christmas, everything that had to deal with the holidays, they were dealing with that for like weeks on end. And like talking about, well, what was your Christmas like growing up as a child? And what did you What did your family do? So that sort of thing. You know, it was more like leading up to Christmas, okay, which was, which was kind of fun. And holiday spice, which was the other Christmas book I did with with a traditional publisher. They were snowed in together, he was somebody who didn't celebrate Christmas, and she loved Christmas, and she loves to bake Christmas cookies. So while they're snowed in together, she is just baking. And again, like sort of like in your face, like you're gonna, you're gonna fucking love these cookies, and it's gonna make Christmas. You know, just like little things like that. But in a in a 90,000 word books, it can't be, you can't be doing that the whole time. Like you have to have that, that journey of what else they're doing. And Christmas is sort of like a perk. Right? In the independent ones. Those are like 55 to 65,000 words. Okay, and like, I had a Christmas Town like Silverbell fall series like this, the town was called Silverbell falls.

Elle 32:33
So so it's obviously a Christmas Town.

Samantha 32:37
You know, you bring somebody in who doesn't like Christmas, and all of a sudden she's surrounded by like, you know, Christmas threw up everywhere, every block that you went. And of course, she's gonna fall in love with a guy who is like, the Sheriff of the Christmas Town, and this is what he loves. And, you know, so I do, it's a lot of, it's a lot of the Christmas traditions that I love playing on. It's the parades, it's the decorating. It's the, you know, it's the cocoa in the cookies, you know, just little, little elements like that.

Elle 33:07
Right. See, okay, that's okay, I'm feeling slightly better about because, you know, I have elements I have the Christmassy element, right? But I can't say that you know, and there is a little bit of holiday magic because it's an Insta love right? Okay. You know so and so I know readers hate that but whatever I love I believe in instilling

Samantha 33:29
Eye to Eye my husband and I 33 years that was instilled love.

Elle 33:33
Oh my god mind to how did we not talk about Oh, no. Like

Samantha 33:37
I how quickly did you literally Well, we didn't get married quick, but like, I literally saw him through a doorway. And I was like, That's the man I'm gonna marry. Like I just knew. And we moved in together like two months later. Oh my god. Yeah. Yeah.

Elle 33:54
Oh my god. Okay. See, I love that because people are like Instagram, and I'm like, no, no, Insta love is real. It's real. And stuff is real. Because I married my husband a month after.

Samantha 34:05
Did you really? Yeah.

Elle 34:09
Yeah, we lived in Vegas.

Samantha 34:10
I want to put that in a book.

Elle 34:12
Well, this isn't my book. Please do because it because we can never have too many Vegas locations immediately. And so this this holiday book is like basically like, Vegas elopement. Like but they meet in Vegas. It's not like they fly there. Okay, but it's just this sort of like, hey, let's get married. And there's all sorts of like, you know, actually had to put a disclaimer in the book because when we got married, um, the city hall where you get your marriage license was open 20 470 And they ended that in like 2014 Okay, so like now you you can only go like, you know, bankers hours, which I think is stupid. It is. Because there was something talked about magic, like there was something really magic Call about being in a long ass line at like 10 o'clock at night on like a Saturday. Yep. And everybody's in a really good mood. And everybody's in love, and everybody's drawing. And they're like, and it's just like a party. It's like It's like the strip. But inside this like bureaucratic, weird little building, right? And the women that work there are like brassy blondes, and they are and like, how can you not love love, right? When you're in this environment? You know, and I will say 90% of those marriages failed.

Samantha 35:39
I bet I'm sure, I'm sure. But

Elle 35:42
in that moment, in that environment, it was absolutely incredible. And it really made you believe in love that. And they don't do that anymore. But I was like, Well fuck them in my world. That's right. It's still open. 24/7. And you can go at 11 o'clock at night and get your marriage license. And then you can go and get Elvis out of bed and get married by Elvis. Like, you can do those things. Even though you probably can't anymore. Yeah. But, um, because there was just something so much fun about being able to do that. Right. You know, and so, yeah, so I'm a huge fan. So mine has like this instant love and all that. You know, so there is a little bit of that magic because Insta love I think is very magical, but I don't think it's Christmassy enough. Why? Also, like there's no snow in Vegas.

Samantha 36:34
No, but there's some kick ass. Like, like holiday displays. Like, we were just we were there in December. And I went for met a friend for drinks at the Bellagio and like their Christmas display in there was freaking gorgeous over the top gorgeous.

Elle 36:50
Yeah, I mean, that's what Vegas does. Yeah. You know, right. Like, you have like these really great like Christmas, you know? But again, like that's, that was so like, it's, you know, not really part of the plot. Right? So it's sort of Christmas, but not really, I don't know, I feel like I might have missed the mark on this. And I'm a little bit nervous about that. I don't

Samantha 37:10
think you should be nervous that because you know, plenty people write holiday romances in places that don't where there's not snow. Right? I mean, that I don't think that that's that's a necessary ingredient. I know that the Hallmark channel will tell you otherwise. But But I mean, I will say all of mine have had snow and actually I did a I did a Christmas novella from my Magnolia sound series and like Magnolia sound is the North Carolina coast. I mean, like they hardly ever get snow. And I made it snow there. Because I was like it has happened there. So I can that story was like Southern Florida. There was no way you can have a freak snowstorm happening there. Absolutely not. You know, in places, you know, like, even in Vegas, I'm sure that like, it wouldn't be so unheard of that somebody like in the hotels if they like the fake snow, they could snap. Oh, yeah,

Elle 38:11
I did have fake snow. Yeah, I did have like, snow coming out of a cannon. I did do that. You go see you've got your snow elements. Almost lost. I mean, I guess just watching like, I like I think just watching these Hallmark movies. And I was kind of like, you know, because it really is like, you get this sort of, it's the reason for the season. I, you know, like there's this sort of like, you know, there whatever issue is going on with the two main characters that are falling in love. They're either falling in love because of Christmas or the fall in love in spite. Like, there's always something about the holiday that seems to be bringing them closer together?

Samantha 38:56
Well, because I think at the holidays, like that is a time that like everybody, everybody. I know it's a cliche, but people like you're always a little bit nicer at the holidays, people get together more people that you don't talk to, like from January to November. You're hanging with them in December. You know, there's always reasons for a party or a get together. So I think that adds to it as well. Like there's just a more festive atmosphere. And that festive just happens to be Christmas, you know, right. And no other holiday. Does that kind of like hoopla you know, where it's like yeah, it's a season rather than like a day.

Elle 39:36
Yeah, cuz that's not Fourth of July. Exactly. It's and even

Samantha 39:38
even Valentine's Day. I mean, like you got here's, here's your day, get your romance on and get the fuck out.

Elle 39:47
Although I think one could argue Halloween is starting to become a season.

Samantha 39:52
Yes, I have started to say that.

Elle 39:57
And somebody told me um As for my day job, interestingly enough, I was doing an interview with somebody who I'm talking about. Okay, so like, I have I have a very small town that I live near. Okay. That was like, like, it was like USA Today's best small town in America or something like really? It is so fucking cute. Like, it really is like it rivals that sort of like Stars Hollow Gilmore Girls. Oh, wow, New England, small New England town. You have to come visit me? Yes. And I'll take you

Samantha 40:30
there. Liz Lemon would say I want to go to there.

Elle 40:37
So they do this whole Halloween thing now. And you know, like, it's beautiful at Christmas. Like it's absolutely magical Christmas in this little town, but like they're now doing this whole Halloween thing. And I was talking to this woman who now heads up this thing they do the witches dance at this Halloween parade. And it's like this big gets turned into like this big statewide thing. And she had said to me that like Halloween people's something like people spend more on Halloween decorations than they do on Christmas decorations. Like it was something like it was like the most widely celebrated holiday in the United States. That is

Samantha 41:14
wild.

Elle 41:17
That's right. Wow. And so now it feels like we roll into like, you know, before like after back to school shit, we would go right into Christmas. Like remember that when that used to happen? Now I feel like they're like, like September 1, they're rolling out the Halloween right off. And that I think is really cool. Although I

Samantha 41:35
didn't notice to see that. Like they they took Halloween down fast. Like Oh, yeah.

Elle 41:43
Like so. Yeah. November one. It's gone. Yeah,

Samantha 41:45
there were even some stores that like that last week of October, the Halloween stuff was down. And I was like, okay, can't we just wait to like the actual holiday and then transition the next day? Right? Yeah, no, no, sort of like, sort of like Disney World. Like at midnight, they tear down all the fall decorations. And then all the stuff goes up. And like those eight hours that they have, like the whole thing transforms. But

Elle 42:10
that's really incredible. Does it really does.

Samantha 42:12
It does his videos on his videos on It's so wild.

Elle 42:17
Oh, there are because I gotta check that out. Because I'm sort of wondering how many people how much manpower does that take? Human Power?

Samantha 42:23
Yeah. Like, I had read an article and I'm like, somebody got the figures wrong, because they were like, Oh, we're really a small department. And it's like, okay, if you have four theme parks in Florida alone, that you have to transform overnight. You're not a small department. Maybe. Maybe you have a small leadership team. But people out there work in cranes and getting on ladders is got to be a huge amount. Okay, don't don't mess with me. Disney writer, because I'm telling you right now. Look at the video.

Elle 43:00
You it's funny because I've been sort of stuck about like what I'm going to write next. You know, once this holiday, romance is out. And now I'm sort of going maybe I'll try like maybe I'll try to write a Halloween romance.

Samantha 43:10
It's so funny that you say that because I just asked my reader group a few weeks ago, I was like are holiday Halloween romance is a thing. Because I never saw it and they they were like it should be. So you could be like launching something big my friend. I say love for it.

Elle 43:30
Let's do, you should do one to

Samantha 43:33
actually the book that I have coming out on December 6 actually opens with it's like all holidays. It opens with Halloween. We go through Thanksgiving. And it ends with Christmas and New Year. So like I got everything in there this time.

Elle 43:49
Oh my god. So okay, now Is this the one that's your Christmas release? But you're like, oh, it's not really

Samantha 43:54
exactly Chris right? It's not it's not in your face Christmas like my other stuff.

Elle 44:00
So why did you decide to do that this time?

Samantha 44:04
I was like, the way that I was releasing this new series, like Book One had just come out in October and I didn't want to break stride and, and throw in a like a standalone Christmas type of book. So I was like, Okay, so let's just make this one holiday ish. But in order to keep it so that the covers all matched and like that one wasn't so blatantly Christmasy, you know, like so that one has the red font that's like my Ode to Christmas in it. Yeah, like it's it's hard to do because you know, I said want you to new series. I didn't want to take away from that and and make readers forget about it that quick because they will forget about it that quick. You know, something new comes along, you know, I wanted to keep the momentum going. So, you know,

Elle 44:56
how many how many books in this new series, do you think or is it going be like an ongoing thing? Or do you have like an end end in mind right

Samantha 45:02
now, it's a five book series, but like, I've sort of left it because it's a family, I made sure that I introduced early on that there are several branches of the family so that we're not scrambling. If this becomes wildly successful, and

Elle 45:19
you have other characters to pull from actly Exactly.

Samantha 45:22
My goal is to really someday, like be able to write a series that just keeps going and going sort of like Bella Andres Sullivan's. Like, that's my dream. I want to be like that successful and have that kind of a family that people want to keep reading.

Elle 45:36
And that you can keep spinning off and off.

Samantha 45:39
Exactly.

Elle 45:41
I mean, what? How do you sort of I get Oh, my God, I have so many questions in my head, and they're all dancing. Like, how do you know where you're like? Yeah, I can keep going with this is it? Because obviously, like, you know, when you're writing a series, you have a lot of readers on Book One, you lose lose two readers to book two, right? I kind of feel like if you're making it to book four or five, you're in a, you are, you know, but But you, but you do lose your readers as you keep

Samantha 46:09
going. Yes, you do. Yes, you do that. Okay. So before I started writing, I was on a reader, an author's street team. And she was a big name, author, she was traditionally published. And her series that I signed on with, eventually went to like 22 books. And I tapped out at like book nine, because I'm like, this is the same fucking book over and over and over. And what she was doing was that really frustrated me is that she kept because it was a small town, every book, she made sure that she was catching up with like, everybody. So your couple who you bought this book for, because they a little blurb, like, got your attention. And all of a sudden, like their story was getting shorter, and shorter and shorter, because so much time was being spent on the people in the town. And I just I Oh, so I lost interest. I completely lost interest.

Elle 47:14
I mean, at that point, don't you? Like, wouldn't it make sense more sense to write like, some free novellas that you give away to your reader? That's what I would have thought, you know, or like some free chapters, like a couple of really short stories, or you know what I mean? Yeah, like, I don't know, I just feel like that, because I have had an experience with that once or twice. And that really irks me. Because it's like it because it gives short shrift to the couple, right? That you want to read about. Exactly.

Samantha 47:40
So when I started, okay, so my first family series that I did was the Montgomery's, and I really thought that that was just going to be three books. Like that was all that I was prepared for. And I was this going back to like, 2013. So I was very new to writing. And by the end of Book Three readers were just like, rabid, they were like, there's gotta be more, you got it. There's gotta be cousins, it's got to be something like, you know, you have to keep writing. And that book in that series ended up going to 10. The next series I did, I kept it at seven. And it was actually supposed to be kept at six. But there was like, a family friend, who was who'd been like, he popped up in every book. And so everybody was like, well, where's Bobby? story? So I was like, Alright, I guess this book will be seven, you know, in it. But Magnolia sound, I found for me, like, I could have kept going with that. But with that series, like, ended up book 11. And I could have kept going, but the readership wasn't there. You know, like, you pre orders go down, you, you know, you you noticing, like, there's not as much traction and release week. And so you have to as an author, you have to ask yourself, like, okay, maybe these readers are going to be buying the book three months from now. But I have to be making money. Now I have to be writing and being, you know, generating income now, and maybe what I need to do is start something new, and maybe, maybe in a year or two, I can come back to this series.

Elle 49:13
Right. So you don't feel like you're done with Montgomery. Like you could keep a you might keep going

Samantha 49:17
I could, I could very easily there's always There's always more back, you know, out there that you can do. Right, and I actually like you need to remember Yeah, exactly. And honestly, like, I have to wonder, you know, at what point when is it too long to go back? You know, like, okay, so I had done a band rock and roll band trilogy with my traditional publisher. And it was just the three books. And it was a fan favorite. And what so when I got the books back, I was part of some little promo group on small town romances and we had a put we had to put out a free novella one one month like brand new content And people had asked about the band manager like, when is he gonna get a story? So I wrote this 20,000 word novella for him. And like, that's that book. That series, the last book had come out in like 2019. Okay, so people were like, Yeah, okay, like a novella. But what about a book forum? What about so once I got the rights back to that little, you know, freebie novella. Now I expanded it to a full length book, and I'll release that next year. And we'll see if it's still there. Oh, very cool. Yeah.

Elle 50:35
How many? How many books? Do you really see your generally I know that you've had a busy year. And you know,

Samantha 50:40
this year, definitely was not a good year to go by. But 123 Normally around six or seven releases a year. That's extraordinary. Yeah. And I'm very consistent with it like I have, you know, this is what I do. Like every seven to eight weeks, bam, there's a book.

Elle 51:00
So how are you like, what is your process with that? Like, are you? Do you write the whole thing? And then set it to send it to edit? Do you write a chunk and send that chunk to edits? And while they're editing, your others are editing you keep going, like, how does that look?

Samantha 51:15
No, I write the whole thing. Okay, and I actually, I'm one of those people that like, I start in chapter one, and I plow through until the end of the book, I do not stop and edit. I don't stop and tweak. I don't do any of that i The book has to be written. And then once it's done, I like I let it sit for like a week where I don't look at it, I don't think about it. And then I pull it back out. And that's when I start running it through like like pro writing aid and Grammarly, like to check that stuff. And then while I'm rereading, that's when I do my tweaking. And then I send it off to my editor.

Elle 51:52
Wow. So how many for today are you doing? Because if you can get this out in like eight weeks, and you're letting it sit, you know, sort of like simmer for a week. Like that's pretty. I feel like you're probably writing a lot of words a day.

Samantha 52:03
It depends on the book. Okay, we went my husband, I went away to the beach for a week back in October. And I wrote in six days, essentially, I wrote 52,000 words. And six. Wow. And that is rare that that doesn't happen. But we were away. There were no distractions. And like, for me, like some, some authors have like a whole setup, like whether it's certain music playing in the background, a certain room or whatever, for me, the beach sound of the ocean, that puts me that is by totals in place.

Elle 52:45
And that's where you really can Yeah, sort of like, you know, find your find your Find Your Voice easy.

Samantha 52:50
Exactly, exactly. So, when a story is really there I can I can easily bang out 5000 words a day. Some days, I'll bang out 10,000 words a day. And then there are days that I won't write at all. Wow, yeah. But when I'm in the zone, everybody better back the fuck off. Because I don't care if you're hungry. I don't care. Like, you know, if dinner needs to be cooked or you don't have clean clothes, I don't care. Do it yourself because I'm busy. So I have a very understanding family and my kids grown so everybody can fend for themselves. You know, I don't have to be doing all of that.

Elle 53:34
Right, right. Oh my god, this is amazing. Because, you know, I have like the date, you know, I still have my day job even though, you know, it was freelance for a long time. And now I'm having like a real job come up, like a real job. And I'm going, Oh, fuck, oh my god.

Samantha 53:50
But yeah, okay, so I was just part of a book that came out from Jennifer probes and Aaron Branscombe called What I wish I'd known. Okay. And I got asked to be part of it. Because I had done an interview, Aaron had interviewed me, and we talked about how I started writing. And we lived in this tiny, tiny house, it was like 900 square feet. There were four of us living in it. And I was working. And I was like, I'm, I'm going to write. And so we had this little desk in the corner of the dining room. And after dinner, that's where it's sitting right? And things got too loud, because who's playing video games, who's watching the TV who's doing whatever. Then I take, I had a laptop and I would go in the bedroom and I'd sit on the bed and I would write, I would write at work, I'd write on my lunch break, I'd write in the morning, like, I would find like, like a squirrel like I was just going to find every little spot to do it. I don't recommend letting it consume you the way that it consumed me in the beginning. But, you know, if it's something that you're passionate about, of course, you're going to find the time had to do it.

Elle 55:00
Yeah. Because I was like, that was my first one when I was writing urban fantasy that sort of what it was like it would squirrel away time. You know, at night after my daughter went to bed, you know, I'd sort of like my husband fall asleep, and I just be sitting up in bed typing, typing, typing, you know, or first thing in the morning, like, early in the morning, you know, but then it just, you know, then I was able to get into more of a groove with like, you know, doing it first thing in the morning, and you know, I didn't have but I didn't have a commute, right? Because I've always been freelance. I've worked from home, right. And not having that commute. was the reason why I was able to do it. Oh, yeah. You know, and now I'm like, Well, shit. I

have my dad like, I don't know what I don't know. He must think I'm independently wealthy or something. Because he was like, What about a car and driver? Oh, my

Samantha 55:51
gosh.

Elle 55:55
was like, What planet are you living on right now?

Samantha 55:59
Are you gonna fund said car and drove her dad? Did she get a car and driver? I was like, Are you kidding? I love that. I love his optimism.

Elle 56:14
I know, I know, because the current driver is going to pay Yeah, my books pay for a

Samantha 56:22
dream. That is just the dream.

Elle 56:27
Like, somebody can drive you, you can just sit in the back and write. I was like, That would be awesome.

Samantha 56:32
If I could afford that I would not be going back to work.

Elle 56:35
I know. That's what I was like, Well, if I could afford that, I don't know that job. Okay. Okay. Yeah, I honestly.

Samantha 56:44
I don't know if like I said, you find the way. And there are so many people who are so disciplined. Like, they're going to get up that extra hour early. And they're going to get those words in, or they're going to they're going to set aside this amount of time. And they're going to I am not disciplined. Like, I don't write. I don't write unless the characters are talking to me. Right. And sometimes they're not sometimes they need a little nudge. So yeah, I had to sit down and actually try. But yeah, I like, I forgot who I remember. I think it was like Murray force. It was like, you know, I make sure that I write 2500 words before. Before like lunchtime, and it may not have been heard but like, it's I remember somebody saying that. And I just remember thinking, I don't come downstairs until 10 o'clock. Like which makes everybody crazy. If you ever you want to watch other authors heads explode. Tell them how Samantha Chase run. So Jay. Like, oh my god. How do you function? Like what is wrong with you? You know, my kids are grown. Why do I have seven o'clock in the morning?

Elle 57:53
I work you absolutely do not.

Samantha 57:54
I work from home. Why do I have wash? Why does that mean that I have to get up that early? If that's not when I want to get up?

Elle 58:04
No, you can because your I mean, your day ends later probably does probably than everybody else

Samantha 58:09
it does. You know, like after dinner and I come in my office and I do and I work I work so that 11 o'clock, but my day doesn't start until 10

Elle 58:19
Oh, wow. So you like I'm curious? Then what what is your day look like? Like, are you doing other things? Are you writing all day? Then you're having dinner and then you're writing all night? Um,

Samantha 58:28
I guess it depends on if the characters are talking. But typically, I wake up between like eight, nine. I have my little laptop next to the bed. And I go in there and I check my emails from the comfort of my bed. I have one of those adjustable beds. So I get net zero position. And like a fucking diva that I am. I guess I sit.

Elle 58:50
I straighten my teeth. And I start my

Samantha 58:53
day like that. My dog doesn't even like my dog gives me the stick if I wait if I wake her up before nine o'clock. Like she looks at me like what the fuck is this? Like? Hello? Yeah, so she's, she's equally a diva. So between like 930 and 10 I go and get the dog. We go downstairs. I get her her breakfast. She does. We go through her whole morning routine. I come in my office and get things set up. I look at all my my analytic reports and all that stuff. See what yesterday sales were like, and my mom calls me every day at 10 o'clock in the morning. Every day. I love it without fail. We talked for about 30 minutes. And it's so funny my sister was like what the hell do the two of you talk about every day for 30 minutes? Like it's not all like you know invigorating conversation. Sometimes it's not even interesting conversation but Mom's getting older and you know, she just she doesn't get out as much either and she doesn't have a lot of friends so she wants to call him ditch me about the her neighbor or somebody making noise. I'll listen to it. Oh, listen. By the time I get her off the phone I'm I'm at the computer and like a lot of it as you know, as being an author, it's not only about the writing, it's okay. You know, you're answering so much admin it is it's a lot of admin stuff. And like, I had a cover reveal last week. And by the time you go through all the Instagram posts and all the Facebook posts, and you thank everybody, and you leave a comment, share and yeah, like, so that takes time. So, by that point, now we're looking at lunchtime. My husband calls me every day at lunchtime. Every day at lunchtime. It doesn't matter if I say, Hey, I'm gonna be busy. Don't call.

Elle 1:00:44
I had that too. Yeah, I had that too, for a very long time. And it finally stopped.

Samantha 1:00:49
Oh, how did you make it stop?

Elle 1:00:51
You go to a different job.

Samantha 1:00:55
You know, like, I'm sure that there's gonna come a time that I'm gonna look back on this and be like, how freakin sweet that he called me every day. But they're just days. I'm like, I've got nothing

Elle 1:01:05
to say to you. Right? Yeah. And I'm so busy. Yeah, stop. Yeah,

Samantha 1:01:09
please. You know, so you get him off the phone, you have some lunch. Now you're looking at like one or two o'clock in the afternoon before you like sitting down to actually do anything, you know. And then he comes home at four o'clock, my son, because he still lives at home. And he doesn't go to work at five. So he comes strolling down around three. So now I got to talk to him for a little bit, then the husband's home, and you have to talk to him for a little bit. Then I get back in the office and it's like, okay, I have like an hour to like, maybe get some writing done. Oh, wait, now it's time to start cooking dinner. I gotta cook dinner. You gotta sit down to dinner. So by the time I come back in my office, I've like gotten maybe 75 words written. Even though I've been sitting at my desk, trying to get shit done all day. So yeah, so from like eight to 11 That's my creative time.

Elle 1:01:59
I am actually really blown away that you can do because I use you know, I used to write at night. And then I and then I flipped it and I started writing in the morning because I found that I wasn't getting the words. Okay, if I didn't do it first thing, it was so easy. For me. It's kind of like going to the gym, right? Like, like, if I'm if I'm if I'm home or like like, it's really hard to go to the gym at the end of the day. Yes,

Samantha 1:02:22
it is. Oh, I did I you know, I added that. And I started I started doing water aerobics three times a week, three mornings a week.

Elle 1:02:29
Oh, yeah. Very good. Theory. Good. Yeah. But if you don't do it first, it is so easy to be like, Oh, I'm not going to do so before COVID I had a really great schedule setup where I woke up, got my daughter off to school, took care of the dogs, sat down, wrote for like two hours, went to the gym, and then started my freelance day. Okay, COVID up ended all right, you know, so like, a lot of things shifted and changed. And, you know, and so now I'm like, I don't actually between the releases and everything else. I actually haven't been writing anything new. Because I've been in like editing and releasing. Right. You know, and also like, you know, some work stuff has propped up that's kind of like kept me really, really busy. So I so it's just so and I and I'm always like, well, you could write at night, but it's like, by the time you know, seven o'clock rolls around on dog fucking tired. Yeah. And so I'm kind of astounded that you can that you can do this at night and your creativity is there because I feel like mine. You know, when I moved to daytime I was I actually was better about it when I moved to like first thing in the morning. Well, you

Samantha 1:03:35
know, what's, what's weird is that when we were at the beach, I was more productive during the day earlier in the day, and interested then we'd come back to like everyday like he would go out fishing, like at the crack of dawn, he'd be out of the house and on the beach. And I'd get up and I do my thing and I would write and we would go out to dinner every night and then when we came home he'd go back out and fish and so I would have like the house to myself to do more writing. And at night I was never as productive that's really interesting. So I think I just need to move to the beach. I think the lesson that we're all going to take away from this is that Chase deserves a beach house she can write a whole lot more

Elle 1:04:16
please buy her blog so that she can buy the damn beach house

Samantha 1:04:20
all I'm saying people right now I am I am my next four releases are written and ready to like they're they're either like already edited or at the editor right now. So like I'm ahead of myself and I need to keep that momentum going. Yeah, because yeah. Do you

Elle 1:04:43
do you sort of like bank all of your books before you release? You know, like if you had like, so that you can release like within a few weeks or whatever or do you just like finish one release finish one release.

Samantha 1:04:56
For a while there it was like finished one release because I was Just not I just couldn't keep up like, like, Well, like I was telling you earlier. I mean, this year, it was just so awful that it was that was all I could do to get each release out when it needed to be out. I haven't been ahead since early 2020. And wow. Yeah. And that was I was really ahead at that point, because I was getting ready to have shoulder surgery. So I had no idea what the recovery was going to be like. So I made sure leading up to that, that I had a bunch of books in the bank ready to go. Right. Right. But now I'm just I'm, I'm excited to be this ahead again, and to just keep going so that I can have them in the bank so that maybe in 2023, I could breathe. Yeah, that's all

Elle 1:05:47
you need. You need. Yeah. So I want to read a steamy, steamy. Who's up for the holidays? Yes,

Samantha 1:05:56
that was last year's Christmas.

Elle 1:05:58
Last year. Okay, so tell me about the book. Tell us about.

Samantha 1:06:03
The funniest thing about this book is that it was inspired, because my husband and I were toying with the idea that we were going to have to move his parents here to North Carolina, and they live in Florida. And so I had to go and we would go and visit these like 55 and over, like communities, and look at the apartments and like, meet with the people. And then you'd hear about all the fun things that they do. And just some of the antics that go on in these places was hysterical. So I was like, I am totally putting that in a book. Because these 55 and older people are freaking riot. Okay, they are. They are cutthroat in some ways they are competitive. They are they everything is about like their kids and their grandkids and who's coming to visit and who has more people coming here. And I'm like that is that ships going in a book. So I knew that I wanted to have a 55 and over community setting. And but I wanted my hero and heroine like, you know, I always wanted to do a stuck in an elevator together. I don't know why. But I really, really did. So I had it that these they were neighbors who really didn't know each other. They live in the same apartment complex, and they're a younger couple. And she kind of like she's happy to be away from her family. Her family lives several 100 miles away. His His family lives a little bit closer, but they're all trying to match him up with somebody like the holidays are coming. And they want him settled down. They want Him to find a wife and get married and start having kids. And so while they're trapped in the elevator together, she decides that she'll help him and be like his fake date through the holidays to get his family off his back. As a part of that time they spend visiting his mom who lives in this 55 and older building, and all the craziness that the neighbors all do in this place.

Elle 1:07:57
Oh, that's really fun. Yeah, that is that's actually as I've been coding on Hallmark that is like actually the best Hallmark setup ever.

Samantha 1:08:10
That's I'm, you know, at the producer who did the Christmas cottage, I actually pitched that to him. And he was like, Yeah, I'm not looking to do any rom com II stuff. Say rom com. Kiss of Death with Samantha trace.

Elle 1:08:23
Oh my god, it's the kiss of death for me too, I think. Interesting. Because it's Rob coming. But it's it's really I mean, I think, okay, it's small town, right. And small town always has that element of you know, I mean, the, the side, the sidekicks and small town romance are fun. Yeah. And so, you know, like, I don't think my main characters are all that funny, right? Like, I think it's the side the side pieces right? That make it hilarious.

Samantha 1:08:55
Write the quirky people around your couple.

Elle 1:08:59
So does that make it small town or does that make it wrong?

Samantha 1:09:02
I still say small town. I would say small town.

Elle 1:09:07
So maybe, maybe maybe it is like re like repositioning for me. Because when you're telling me that I'm like That sounds really fun. But it doesn't sound common. Like it doesn't like I'm not like I'm not going listening to this going. Oh, that's rom com right?

Samantha 1:09:24
It is romance with some comedic elements that I can play when I talk about it because because it's the kiss of death was a freaking No.

Elle 1:09:42
All right, so I'm a sucker for a fake dating trope. Like I love fake dating. You know, the fake couple. I think that it's like the best trip ever. That enforced proximity. My go twos, like I love those. So I'm sort of all over this This fake data Yeah, and

Samantha 1:10:02
they've got guys got the force proximity in there too because now they're like snowed in at the 55 and over community. So my two favorite drill.

Elle 1:10:13
So I picked option two because I know you sent me the two options to read I picked option two. Okay. Um, so we're in. We're in our, we're in Hannah's point of view, right? And this is this is some spiciness. We got a little spice going on here a little bit more spice than the first one is

Samantha 1:10:31
it medium spice?

Elle 1:10:37
was so where are we at this point? Like, where are we in the story?

Samantha 1:10:42
Ah, I have to remember where in the book that I sent it to you. I have to be

Elle 1:10:48
okay. You want me to just start reading and then you can be like, okay, yeah, this is because I'm just like you did what you sent me isn't terribly long and I just really loved it so much that I just want to read the whole okay. We're gonna start and stop though. Okay. Okay, here we go. We're in Hannah's point. She hadn't lied when she told them about the the epiphany about the two of them. She just hadn't expected gage to respond so enthusiastically and she didn't regret it for a minute. His body was lean and warm and hard all over and Hannah couldn't wait to peel him out of his suit. Tonight, he looked like he'd stepped off the pages of GQ. And that and now that she knew him better, she realized there was nothing lawyer ish about him. And there wasn't a damn thing wrong wrong with that. Hiking her dress up slightly. She straddled his lap and kissed him as if her life depended on it. When they had been trapped in the elevator, she had wanted to get to this stage this frantic and needy feeling were all either of them could do is rub up against each other, building them up into a frenzy. It was just crazy how fast it was happening. Never before had she felt this turned on are this wildly out of control with a man. Obviously she'd been turned on by other guys and enjoyed sex with them. But right now, with gage felt like all of that on steroids. Her skin felt too tight. Her dress, and bra and panties irritated her beyond belief. All she knew was that she wanted his hands mouth and body on her everywhere. Soon, their kisses became needy or hungry or more urgent. beneath her she felt his arousal and it was simply all she could do to hang on to the last threads of her sanity. Bedroom. She painted against his lips, please. Now, gauge stood up with her wrapped around him. They were both breathless, but refrained from kissing simply staring intently into each other's eyes as he made his way to her room. Of course, you knew exactly where it was, and his apartment was identical to hers. But Hannah said a quick and silent prayer of thanks that she remembered to clean it up before they left earlier. I love that little bit. I wasn't gonna stop there. Because I was like, this is like what I love about your writing. There's so many like, I'm just like reading that. And I'm like, yep, true story. Like,

Samantha 1:13:00
I have to tell you, like I My face is probably like 47 shades of red. Because the way that you read that I'm like, that sounds so much sexier than the way it sounded in mind. I wrote it

Elle 1:13:14
No wonder my readers get mad at me sometimes.

Samantha 1:13:20
So, so that is about I'd say maybe a quarter of a third or a third of the way through the book into the book. Where like, it's relatively early. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, so they're not

Elle 1:13:33
even gonna really pretend that there's no attraction. Exactly. In terms of

Samantha 1:13:37
the fake date. Exactly. They had done a few little things like, she had met some of his family, and had sort of like, been played flirting with one of each with each other and then realized, like, Okay, so there's an attraction here. And we're obviously going to be doing like all this flirty kissing stuff. So we might as well just enjoy it and know that this is just a temporary thing. So okay, and she's the one that's more like, this has got to be temporary. Like this is not a long term thing is completely fake. But we're just going to we're going to enjoy it while we can.

Elle 1:14:13
I don't want to ask the why for that, because we need to learn that in the book. Yes. But I kind of think cuz you know, I was not expecting this to be towards the beginning. And when you said oh quarter to a third. I was like, wow, so how what's going to happen here, but this is like we're fake dating but we're kind of friends with benefits we might as well make the most exactly while we're fake doing this fake dating thing. And so actually now whatever happens next is clearly they are going to fall in love. Yep.

Samantha 1:14:43
And he's like all in from the get go like he's just like Hell yeah, like but he wants he's the one that really is looking for the forever and she's the one that's like, yeah, no, we have to keep this you know, compartmentalized in our

Elle 1:14:58
interest. Yeah. So you know I really like, you know, that's mostly like what I write is like, the god the man is like, wants that relationship and the woman is the one saying, right, you know? And she's not chasing Right. Um, you know, and I love that. And I think that it's really interesting because I don't, you know, I don't I don't know that. I don't know, I'm trying to think about romance is like, Is that typical AND ROMANCES or is that a typical or is it like 5050?

Samantha 1:15:33
Probably 5050. Yeah, yeah, I think more 5050. But

Elle 1:15:38
I know, I sort of, I tend to write more about the woman who's sort of like, I'm too busy. I don't need this in my life right now. I don't have time to fall in love. I don't have any interest in falling in love. And, and he's the one that changes her mind.

Samantha 1:15:54
I don't think that I do that one nearly as much as I should. You know, I think that a lot of times, like it's either it's a mutual thing. Like they're both they're both going into it feeling the same way. Or, or she's the one that wants the relationship and he's the one that needs to be convinced.

Elle 1:16:13
Interesting. Okay. Cool. All right. Okay. Sorry. Carefully, he lowered her to the bed before covering her body with his and Hannah side with how incredible he felt. raising her head. She went to kiss him again. But he stopped her. Do you know what I thought earlier tonight, when you first opened the door? She shook her head. I thought you look like the sexiest Christmas present. And all I wanted to do was unwrap you.

Samantha 1:16:46
She had on a red wrap dress.

Elle 1:16:50
Oh my god. So I read that, like, I read that. And I was like kicking myself because like, That was perfect. And that was like my missed opportunity right there. We could have had like a wedding present, unwrap. Like, I was like, it's so obvious, right? And I'm like, you didn't do that, you stupid. And in my head. I'm like, can I kind of rewrite for the release? You know, and I'm just like, No, I didn't do that. And I that was a total missed opportunity. And I kind of feel like, like, I think that's where like because you look like I'm sort of Christmas like I'm kind of apathetic about it. So I think that that might be where the differences because you can't, like I'm not really thinking about like, like, for me Christmases. Oh, fuck, I have to like go shopping. Oh, fuck, I'm like, oh, like they're like, like, it's always like, Oh, fuck always proceeds, whatever it is that I have to do around Christmas. It just feels like one more thing I have to do that I don't have so like, you know, when I go to people's houses, and they've duck the fucking halls, and I'm like, really? How, you know, like, how do you have time for all this shit? And you know, they've got the Carol's going, I don't know, I'm kind of going well, maybe I'll like convince myself to do it differently this year. With all my Hallmark watching. Maybe

Samantha 1:18:07
it may it may make you feel a little more festive, but if it doesn't, so but yeah, you know,

Elle 1:18:17
but I'm like, I don't know, maybe I'm not cut out to write, you know, holiday novella.

Samantha 1:18:21
Well, I think like when I when I started doing this, I was so like, because of the success of the Christmas cottage that I was like, Man that is that is like that's where it's at. Like that was like that's where my audiences that's what they want. And it's just like anything else like when I when I decided to then make a Christmas series. They were all over it for like books one through three. And then it was just sort of like, oh, yeah, look, she's got another book in that series. You know, like, I'll read it eventually. But you know, readers are funny they're either you know, you never know Yeah, they're gonna be into so don't force it if like you're not loving it then don't force it.

Elle 1:19:02
My urban fantasy I did do a holiday novella but it was like the the the the subhead was holidays or how Oh, so that just

Samantha 1:19:13
Yes, urban fantasy I'm trying to write

Elle 1:19:26
a question about your Christmas series. Is every book set at Christmas or have you done or is it just because it's Christmas Eve around at this town that you can set it in like September or February or what action or is it always set around?

Samantha 1:19:40
It's always set around Christmas.

Elle 1:19:42
Okay. All right. I'm kind of curious like what is the town look like on April 1?

Samantha 1:19:49
Yeah, you know, I never did a deep dive like that. It's it's the town was located in upstate New York so you know that it's cold probably. Like year round almost. I Um,

Elle 1:20:02
one hot day and odd.

Samantha 1:20:06
But I mean, like, I made this tan like as obnoxiously Christmas as you can get like, from the moment like you get you see the sign that says Welcome to Silverbell falls, if you roll down your window like this song Silver Bells is playing. Like, everywhere you went, that's what it was. And the heroine in that first book, she's very anti Christmas because like everything bad in her life has happened at Christmas, a Christmas like her mom took off, like when she was four at Christmas, and like took over all the Christmas gifts with her. Like her and her dad, like who raised her, you know, like they got violently ill one year at Christmas. So when she's like she and her grandmother, who had pretty much not bothered to have any part of her life, dies and leaves her this house in this Christmas Town. So she's like, this, this bitch who had nothing to do with me, like this is the last big like fuck you that she's just like, now you have to go and live in this Christmas Town in order to get your inherited so she's like, it's just torture for her everyday that she has to step outside that house and just be surrounded by people who are just so happy and jolly all the damn time.

Elle 1:21:22
Oh my god Note to self one click this hole when I finish talking to you, because I am the biggest bah humbug. right up my alley.

Samantha 1:21:34
And the funny the thing that I did with that firt with that first book was I had like 25 People like on my street team at that time. And every one of them are in that book, like the character is named after every one of them in that book. Oh, fun. They are the townspeople. As at what I did book to the following year, I tried to fit everybody in, but I made the street payment, like doubled by that point. And afterwards. I'm like, Hey, guys, we're not doing that anymore. Like you know who you are. And I love you. You need the book anyway.

Elle 1:22:08
Yeah, yeah, that yeah, we can't do it. Because a small town has to stay small.

Samantha 1:22:12
Exactly. Exactly. Okay, so So yeah, it was it was a fun series. And I really I wrote it. Like, after I got the deal with Hallmark because I was like, okay, they seemed interested, like, they had asked me, Are there any more books in the Christmas cottage series? And I'm like, Mike, no, that was kind of like, a one and done. I mean, there is a, there is a book that like, is like, takes off, like right where that book left off. But the way that the movie was done, you couldn't use that book is you couldn't do it, the book is useless. So my goal was I was like, I'm gonna write another, I'm gonna write a Christmas series so that if they come back and they want something from me, I could be like, Hey, here's six books in this world that you could do something with? And they never did. They never they never asked.

Elle 1:23:04
Oh, yeah, you know, holiday, like, Halloween, Hollywood, Halloween holiday, Hollywood. You know, they're slow. They are. They're slow. It can take a really long time. Exactly. So

Samantha 1:23:20
I have not given up and I still, you know, I will pitch the hell out of any of these Christmas books to anybody that wants that that's interested in them. Because there's a lot of networks now a lot of streaming. You know,

Elle 1:23:32
there are a lot of streaming. Yeah, unfortunately, every, you know, this recession or whatever, I don't know, we're interesting. We're not I don't know what's going on, you know, economically or whatever is happening in the world. But the streaming services are really pulling back on their content. But you know, what, it's only temporary. Exactly. You know, like, this is just a hiccup and they're gonna stop producing new content, and then they're gonna have an O shit moment. And then they're gonna start, you know, churning out the content, right? I tell because that's, that's the only way they can keep the viewer Exactly.

Samantha 1:24:07
No, but I mean, as much as we all alright, I didn't say oh, there are people that like love every year like went to look at all those Christmas specials like Charlie Brown Christmas and like Rudolph the Red Nose, like, you love seeing them every year. Right? But then you hit a point where you like something new to watch could be fun. So like, you can't just keep recycling that same content. Eventually. You're gonna have to put something new what back out there.

Elle 1:24:32
Absolutely. Okay. Gotta keep going. Okay, good. Okay. Okay, so all he wanted to do was unwrapped. His voice was low and gruff and sent shivers a delight down her spine. holding up his hand she saw it was trembling slightly. This is what you do to me just the thought of being able to touch you as me like this. Without breaking eye contact. Hannah reached over to the tie on the side of her dress and gave it a little pull, pull. loosen it before handing it to gage. I'm all yours she whispered. And that was just to give you a little Headstart. His smile was almost wolfish as he took the tie from her hands. She waited for him to tear her dress open. But he didn't. If anything, his movements were slow and reverent. Like he was savoring the moment. And she, and she fell a little bit in love with him. Right then and there. He didn't kiss her. He didn't say a word. But every touch and every caress were just as powerful. Her dress of choice tonight worked in their favor because it literally wrapped around her body. And when gage peeled it open, exposing the matching red bra and panties the look on his face book volumes. With her own trembling hands. She reached up and cut this cheek. I want you one large hand covers hers, as the other covered her as is the other crest the swell of her breast. That's good, because I want you to so much Hannah. I've imagined you look like this every single night since the night in the elevator. Oh, he's given it up. As exciting as that was to hear. She didn't want to talk anymore. She wanted him she needed him. And as she guided him closer shoot so she could finally kiss him again. She couldn't wait to have him. And we fade to black.

Samantha 1:26:12
Saint let's not sweet. There's nothing sweet about that.

Elle 1:26:17
It's not It's a little dirty. And it's a little dirty. I mean, it's not like, you know, you don't have like pulsating caulk, right? And all of that. But like, I think it's I think it's genius. Yeah. I think assuming

Samantha 1:26:35
Yeah. Nobody, nobody agrees.

Elle 1:26:43
And like the I mean, coming from somebody who reads steamy romance, like, I don't know, I could take it or leave it. I don't like I don't. I don't like sweet like, or clean or whatever. Like I don't like I don't like the chaste stuff. I really don't. Because they don't feel like that's really true. Exactly. That's where that's where that's why it bugs me because I really feel like any two human beings that get together and feel that sexual attraction are only going to be chased for a very short period of time. Exactly. And, and and if you're holding on to it for whatever reason, and I know some people do, but in my world and in my worldview, in my experience you do you eventually get meant to that. Yeah. And there's nothing wrong with that. And so that is why I don't really enjoy reading that because I feel like you even like watching the Hallmark movies, which again, crack. I'm addicted. I can't wait to see what's on tonight. Because it's probably new because it's Friday. But like, I don't, it bothers me that they have the chase kiss at the end. Yeah. Because it doesn't even feel like a slow burn to me now. Like it does, because like slow burn. You mean you're getting interrupted like you feel like they're because I don't even like notice any real chemistry between these two people exact until the very last. And that. And that is where I'm like, that is the one part of the hallmark stuff where I'm just like, yeah, no, this this isn't ringing true. Right? Because in any other situation, they would probably be all over each other. Yeah.

Samantha 1:28:17
I agree. I mean, like, in the in the movie that they did the Christmas cottage. I think that that was one of the few movies where like, they were snowed in together. I mean, like, if anybody could have been like, you know, sharing a bed. You know, that was the scene, you know what I mean? Like, they had a whole house to themselves. You know, I, they didn't need to be on like opposite couches. You know, they were right. They were they were a couple who like they dated before. So at least the way that they did in the movie, you know, so there was the familiarity there. Like there was no reason why they had to be so chased on separate couches. Right. But but that's just how they want it. That's their formula. You know, obviously it works.

Elle 1:29:02
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's so funny, like, sort of like the start of the movies to see like rated G. Like, as a romance writer and knowing like, what most books like what happens in most books and just see like, this is so clearly a romance, and it's rated G. It gets me every time I'm like, How is this rated G and yet there it is. It's rated G

Samantha 1:29:22
Yeah, it's, it's crazy. I look at it sometimes like because I know, I know, other authors who've had their books turned into Hallmark movies and how different they all turn out. And I kind of like sometimes I'm like, What did what did you even like about the book that you that you found the need to like change? It's so much right now. And again. They weren't bad movies. It's just, they weren't the book.

Elle 1:29:51
They weren't the book. It's sort of reminds me of like when you go like look at recipes online. And if there's a comment section, somebody is like, Oh, this was really good. And then they say but I did This and they have all of these things that they substitutions and additions and all of a sudden, you're like, you didn't even make the fuck like, you're like, that's a totally different recipe. Like, okay, I'm glad you enjoyed it, but like, no, that's not the recipe anymore.

Samantha 1:30:19
Like two ingredients that I had and like, what was it?

Elle 1:30:23
Like it was like flour, right? Maybe,

Samantha 1:30:30
maybe, oh my gosh. And there's something completely

Elle 1:30:33
different. And that's kind of I feel like what's happening with Hallmark when they get their hands on some?

Samantha 1:30:37
Yeah, it's true. It's true. That's all right. The flip side to that. And I know that we're totally going off script here with all this, but like, I can remember when have you ever watched any of the movies like on passion flicks? Have you watched any of them? No, I haven't. Okay, what I loved about passionate flicks, when they first like announced that they were going to become a thing. They were like, We're doing your book, true to like, everything that's in there. So if you're a hero and heroine, we're like wearing like a red shirt, blue jeans in the book. That's what they're wearing in the movies. And so that was fantastic. What nobody treated to consideration, okay, and I haven't watched a lot of them, but like, I watched a few is that the way things are written in a book don't always sound natural. In reality, yeah. Okay. So I'm like, okay, somebody could have taken a little bit of creative license. I mean, like, we don't mean to

Elle 1:31:37
actually. Like, there's a happy medium there, right? Like, you know, and I can think of like, I felt like Game of Thrones did it really well, okay, where they were able to, with the first couple of when they had books to work from, they were actually able to distill the important bits from the books, and actually get them out onto the page. So it was the books but different. And as a fan of the books, you could really appreciate what was happening, right, you know, on the screen, and, and, and one didn't take away from the other. In fact, if anything, they enhanced it, because there were so many fucking characters and Game of Thrones, it was actually really useful to have actors. Yeah. So that you could keep track of them. You know, so I actually, like, really enjoyed this series, because I was like, Now this makes sense. You know, so there's a way there is a way to do it. But no, you can't just take a book and plop it like and just like, you know, hand the, like hand actors the book and be like, okay, read, you know, like, you can't, exactly you can't do that. That's an audio book. Yes. With

Samantha 1:32:39
with visual Yes.

Elle 1:32:44
Because there are just two different mediums and you have to you have to write for a medium you have to create for the very specific mediums. And I know that some purists like probably get really mad like, it's nothing like a book. But that's because it's not the book, right? It's not a book, like it needs to it needs to be different. But yeah, I think that maybe home a little too far. Really,

Samantha 1:33:05
really, really, really do. So, yeah, they're making bank though. I mean, like they people, you know, like, ourselves included. I mean, we're just like, Okay, what's the next new movie coming out? What's on what's happening? Yeah, watch it.

Elle 1:33:18
Yeah, yeah, there's something really great. Like they've, they have a formula and it works really, really well. You know, and I'm sort of like, you know, wondering, you know, I'm really watching it with this I going, how do I cribbed this formula and translate it to a book because they do think that there's something there's something there? They've really hooked into something, right. You know, and you know exactly what you're done. And the story is always different every time. And it's just, it's yeah, it's like it's like having an oatmeal cookie.

Samantha 1:33:50
Yeah. Yeah. Or chocolate chip, chocolate chip, chocolate chip.

Elle 1:33:56
Or sugar. Straight up sugar. Samantha, it is always so much fun to talk to you, Your Royal Highness.

Samantha 1:34:04
I told you, man, Mariah Carey.

Elle 1:34:09
Um, where can people find you but where do you hang out on the internet? And we know it's not tic tock worst.

Samantha 1:34:15
Definitely not tic tac. I am all over Instagram at Samantha Chase romance. And on Facebook. You could find me on Samantha Chase fan club. And I really wish I could change that but I can't.

Elle 1:34:29
I think it's cute. And as always, I will have links in the show notes. So don't go to a car accident trying to like type this into your phone while you're driving. Exactly. We don't

Samantha 1:34:40
do that.

Elle 1:34:42
Samantha happy

Samantha 1:34:43
hauls yes to you too. And I'm excited for this new journey for you.

Elle 1:34:48
Thank you. Thank you. Well, we'll see how it pans out. But yeah. I'll let you know how the dictation Yeah.

Samantha 1:34:55
I want to know how that all is. And if you get that car driver I know

Elle 1:35:05
I'll be the one we're on the fucking Tiara

Samantha 1:35:08
want to drive with you

Elle 1:35:13
and we need to plan your trip up here so you can take a look at this magical town yes

Samantha 1:35:16
oh my gosh yes thank you so much for having me I feel like we really we did not stay on script hardly at all but I love talking with you.

Elle 1:35:29
I know it's always so fun this like you know we're supposed to talk about Christmas did we kind of

Samantha 1:35:34
there we kind of get it in case we didn't enough Christmas.

Elle 1:35:42
Christmas holiday. Jingle Bells. Jingle ball. Wait. We're closing the doors is steam

Samantha 1:35:51
scenes are closing

Transcribed by https://otter.ai