A New Christmas Novella

by

As much as I love rugged cowboy heroes, I also have a soft spot in my heart for nerdy Texas heroes. Probably because I’ve been married to one for over 33 years. I’ve slowly transformed my computer nerd husband into a cowboy, though. Over the last few years, he’s started wearing boots and driving a truck, so I’m pretty sure he’s been a cowboy at heart all this time.

My latest release pays homage to all the cowboys out there who disguise themselves as nerdy academics. 🙂

My story – A Star in the West – plays on the three wise men by bringing a trio of Harvard mathematics professors from the East to visit Baylor University in Texas. I love giving my characters names that reflect the theme of the story, and this one was no exception. Our heroine is named Stella Barrington, Stella, of course, meaning “star.” The three wise men from the east traveling from Harvard have names giving a nod to the gifts of the magi. Professors Goldstein (gold) and Muir (myrrh) accompany our hero, Frank Napier Stentz (Frank N. Stentz).

Baylor University in the 1890s

Frank is a genius-level mathematician and Stella is the daughter of a professor who runs her father’s home and sponsors a literary society on the Baylor campus.

Frank and Stella

Stella is a rather plain woman with a large nose and has been passed over by the marriageable men of Waco, Texas. She’s content to run her father’s home, certain that she was not meant to run a home of her own. She has enjoyed friendly correspondence with one of her father’s colleagues back east, never thinking he would actually travel to Texas. When he comes west seeking the possibility of courtship, she is certain he will be disappointed in her. Yet mathematicians see the world in a different way than most. This plays out in one of my favorite scenes in the story . . .

She dropped her chin and tugged her hand free of his hold. “Don’t lie to me, Frank. I know my face is far from beautiful.”

“I speak the truth, Stella.” He crooked a finger under her chin and gently tipped her face up for his inspection. “Your eyes shimmer with intelligence and kindness, your lips are evenly distributed across both cheeks when you smile, and your nose is perfectly centered in the oval of your face. You’ve been blessed with beautiful symmetry.”

She blinked at him, her brow furrowing slightly. “You find my face . . . symmetrical?”

Drat. He knew he’d bungle things. He might find geometric balance beautiful, but Goldstein had warned him that women preferred poetry to science. Too late to change streams now.

“Aristotle said that the chief forms of beauty are order and symmetry and Socrates stated that measure and symmetry are beauty and virtue the world over. It’s why humans are drawn to flowers and butterflies in nature, and columns and archways in architecture.” Maybe he should stop before he made this any worse.

He removed his hand from beneath her chin and dropped his gaze. “I’m making a hash of this, aren’t I?”

She didn’t answer right away, and her silence gnawed at him. He darted a glance in her direction, bracing for the worst, but instead of her features puckering in offense or sharpening in anger, they rounded in what looked to be . . . wonder?

“Mr. Stentz. I think that is finest compliment I’ve ever received.”

On a Midnight Clear is now available!

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | CHRISTIAN BOOK | BAKER BOOK HOUSE

When do you typically start reading Christmas stories?

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For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Karen is a firm believer in the power of happy endings. . . and ice cream. She is an avid cross-stitcher, and makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.

42 thoughts on “A New Christmas Novella”

  2. I love it! But then, I love all your books. It used to be later, but now I start reading Christmas books in October, because I save them in a collection and have so many of them each year.

  8. Good morning Karen! I use to say November. Now, I have been known to read them when it is summer! I read a series not long ago. Your book sounds so sweet Karen. Best wishes!

  10. Good morning Karen, Wow, I love the sound of your book and I love the excerpt you shared!! I also love the book cover, it looks magical. My daughter graduated from Baylor . I read Christmas books year round, the book before the one I just finished was a Christmas book. I do read more Christmas books in November and December. Have a Great day and a great rest of the week.

    • How fun that your daughter attended Baylor, Alicia. I had so much fun researching the history of this school. Did you know that it is the oldest, continually operating university in Texas? It was chartered in 1845. Such a rich history!

  14. I don’t have a particular time. If I see one that looks interesting then I read it. This one sounds fun so I’ll have to check it out.

  19. I usually try to wait until after Thanksgiving and read them into January. However, when I am down or things are getting a bit too chaotic, I will grab one. They are great for lifting the spirits and bringing peace to the soul. With three great authors this will certainly be an enjoyable book.

  21. Well I’ll usually start reading after Thanksgiving, but this year I read your new book early and once my family quit interrupting me I finished (at 11:30 at night) amd it didn’t help that the mail took for ever to show up. But yeah I have a list of Christmas books that I read every year and it’s going on that list

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