Mistletoe and Malice by Lori DeJong
Mistletoe and Malice, what a great title! I’m excited to have my writing buddy, Lori DeJong, back on my blog to tell us all about her newest novel. Let’s dive right in (I have so many questions!).
**This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Jen – Welcome back, Lori! Tell us all about your newest book!
Lori – Mistletoe and Malice is my first romantic suspense and the first in my new Guarded Hearts Series. My first three novels were strictly contemporary romance. But I had such a great time with these characters. It’s a story featuring a strong, independent heiress-slash-defense attorney who’s become the target of an unknown threat, and the reluctant bodyguard assigned to protect her who isn’t thrilled about spending his days with a spoiled society princess. Their views of the other begin to change as the days turn into weeks and the danger circles closer. When an attempt on her life almost succeeds, Colton has a tough choice to make, one that could change the course of both their lives.
Jen – I love the title! Romantic suspense is quickly becoming a favorite genre to read. It’s a fantastic cover too. Christmasy plus suspense. Check it out!
Mistletoe and Malice:
He’s sworn to protect her . . . but guarding his heart may be his biggest challenge.
After barely escaping an attempted abduction, Houston attorney Riley Hudson is forced to accept her wealthy father’s demand for private security. The last thing she wants is a bodyguard—especially one as maddeningly arrogant, bossy … and handsome as Colton Blankenship. Yet as the threat against her escalates, she begins to rely not only on his skills, but his steadfast presence.
Colton isn’t thrilled about giving up his hard-earned holiday vacation to protect a spoiled heiress. But he soon learns Riley is nothing like he expected. Fierce, independent, and unwavering in her faith, she’s everything he thought he’d left behind after tragedy shattered his own beliefs. As the unknown threat circles closer, the tension between them ignites into something deeper … and far more perilous.
When a second attempt on Riley’s life nearly succeeds, Colton faces a terrifying truth. Protecting her means risking more than just his life. Haunted by a past he can’t outrun, and a faith he’s all but lost, he must decide if he can trust God again … before he loses Riley—and his heart—for good.
Jen – As a fellow writer, I always want to know how other authors come up with ideas.
Lori – I’m kind of all over the place. I love to people-watch, especially at the airport. So many possibilities! Where are they going? Where have they been? What is their relationship to the person they’re with? I also like to touch on current cultural themes that delve into some deep places. I get a lot of ideas from hearing other people’s true stories of overcoming addiction, breaking free of abuse, healing from abandonment, among others. If I find it inspiring or compelling, oftentimes a loose story concept or plot will start to form in my mind.
Jen – I love people watching! And, I really enjoy writing and reading stories of people overcoming things. So encouraging.
Questions on writing styleJen – My next question – do you plot your novels? And question #2, do you do a rough draft?
Lori – I don’t. At least, not the full book. I usually have a loose plot in mind, then start my character development. I’m a very character-driven author, and as I’m fleshing out my protagonists, the plot will usually fill out. I’m not a plotter, but I’ll identify the five main plot points of the story and then write intuitively (by the seat of my pants) from plot point to plot point. My first draft is pretty rough, then during editing, I add the layers of emotion, setting, description, the senses. That’s also when I determine if something isn’t moving the story forward. I don’t think I’ve had a book yet where I didn’t pull out entire chapters because they weren’t compelling. That’s painful, but it’s necessary to keep the story engaging.
Jen – That sounds painful!
Dealing with writer’s blockJen – What is the hardest part for you in writing a book?
Lori – Sticking with it when your characters go silent. Otherwise known as writer’s block. It’s tempting to just put it away and come back later, but when you’re writing on deadline, you don’t have that luxury. You have to keep going even if you’re not sure where you’re going. I’ll often just do a non-essential scene where I ask my characters some questions or put them in a situation outside of the story to see how they react. That sounds odd to a non-writer, but it really works to get those voices going again.
Lori DeJong
Lori DeJong (pronounced DeeYung) is an award-winning contemporary Christian romance author who enjoys penning stories full of grace and the redemptive power of God’s love that inspire others to hope regardless of circumstance, find joy in the moment, and grow in their faith.
Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Lori arrived in Texas in 2005 and dug those roots right in. She currently resides in beautiful Georgetown, north of Austin, with her husband of thirty years. Other than their two fur-babies, their nest is empty, as their daughter and son-in-law are settled in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
Lori loves to write about love and romance and all that fun stuff, with a firm foundation of faith. Clean but sassy, sparkly, and even goose-bumpy romance, with God in the middle and characters seeking and learning and changing, couldn’t be more heartwarming or spine-tingly.
Lori’s debut novel, Love’s True Calling, released in 2023, was the 2022 winner of the ACFW Genesis Award for Romance, a double finalist in the 2024 Selah Awards, and was named the 2023 Scrivenings Press Contemporary Book of the Year. Love’s True Home, released in June 2024, was also a Selah finalist. Love’s True Measure, released in June 2025, won second place in the Angel Awards, and Lori’s Christmas novella, Jingle Bell Matchmakers, a part of “A Match Made at Christmas” novella collection, was named a 2025 ACFW Carol Award finalist and placed first in the Angel Awards.
Readers can subscribe to my monthly newsletter and/or follow me at the following links: On my Website or Community, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, GoodReads, and Bookbub.
Lori’s writing careerJen – Were there pivotal moments or challenges in your writing career that helped define your path?
Lori – I actually quit writing in 2009 due to some upheaval in our personal life. My husband was laid off, I couldn’t continue to pay dues for my writers’ groups, and I had to go back to work. I was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted through that and just simply didn’t have the mental bandwidth for creativity. It wasn’t until 2019 that I met a woman at church who is a writer, told her I used to write and was considering starting again. She invited me to her local ACFW group, and the fire started burning again. I spent 2020 re-educating myself because so much had changed in the years I lost, but the biggest blessing out of all of that was that my debut novel, that released in 2023, came from homework for an online class I did on plotting using your characters’ motivations. I hadn’t planned on writing it, but those character voices I mentioned wouldn’t stop jabbering at me to write their book. So I did, and here we are, four books later. God has been very good.
Jen – Yes, He is!
Rejection and criticismJen – How do you deal with criticism or rejection?
Lori – You mean after I have a good cry? Haha! Actually, that’s not far from the truth. I cry easily, and I’ve had my share of good cries over rejection, bad contest scores, even bad critiques. I have the most wonderful critique partners, so I know if they’re pointing out something, then it really is something that isn’t working. But after getting the frustration out, I just dig back in, ask God to guide me, and start writing. You always have to get back up, or you’ll never know what you could’ve accomplished.
Jen – That’s good advice. If you don’t try, or keep trying, you’ll never know.
What comes after Mistletoe and Malice?
Jen – What are you working on now?
Lori – The Quiet Watch is book two of the Guarded Hearts series and features Trevor from book one. I threw him into a tailspin from the first page, which has him retreating to the little town and family ranch where he was raised but left sixteen years before. There, he reconnects with Kinsley, the little sister of his boyhood best friend. She’s a large-animal veterinarian, and it’s not long before he realizes somebody’s trying to run her off her land. She refuses his offer to call in help from the security services company he works for, so he decides to covertly keep an eye on things, without her knowledge. What he doesn’t anticipate is how quickly she works her way into his heart, and at the worst possible time, when he’s not sure what his future holds.
Jen – I can’t wait to read it!
In Lori’s “spare” timeJen – My last question – What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Lori – I love watching competition shows on Food Network. The holiday baking shows are my favorite, along with Guy’s Grocery Games.
Jen – Those are so fun! I’ve been watching the British Baking Show. Great distraction from writing! I’m happy you were on the blog today and shared more about Mistletoe and Malice. It’s already on my TBR!
Read What is a Cozy Mystery, then follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, and subscribe to my newsletter to keep up with news about my book and any special offers!
Hi, I’m Jen! I’ve been married for over 39 years, have 5 amazing kids, and have 3 adorable grandkids. I homeschooled our three youngest children and used to blog about homeschooling. I also taught Oral Communication as an adjunct instructor for over 5 years.
Jen Dodrill Writes is born of a passion of mine – to write a novel! My first cozy mystery – Birds Alive! – released Feb. 27, 2024, and the 2nd in the series, Where’s the Quetzal? released Feb. 25, 2025! My romantic suspense novella, SeaBreeze Obsession in Trinity Sands Beach Club, released June 17, 2025!
When I’m not working, you’ll find me writing, spending time with my family, or curled up on the couch reading and drinking a mug of dark roast coffee. (Don’t forget to check out my mug shop – JDMugs!)
The post Mistletoe and Malice by Lori DeJong appeared first on Jen Dodrill Writes.
