Beauty in the Binding: Author Interview: A Hero's Christmas Kiss by Virginia'dele Smith (Ashli Montgomery)

A Hero's Christmas Kiss JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Hero's Christmas Kiss by Virginia'dele Smith, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: A Hero's Christmas Kiss
Series: Military Kisses
Author: Virginia'dele Smith
Publisher: Books are Ubiquitous, LLC
Release Date: November 7, 2025
Genre: Wholesome and Cozy, Small-Town Christian Romance

Caroling, coffee, and complications. A broken hero and the sweet girl next door…

She just might be the miracle this soldier deserves. But can she fulfill her dreams without losing the guarded military man who’s captured her heart?

Emilie Fielding longs for love — and to own her own business someday. Despite fears that she’s wasting time waiting for her prince to come while working for her Scrooge-like boss, the optimistic barista tackles Christmas preparations for the coffee shop with unbridled holiday joy. And when she stumbles hanging mistletoe, she surprises herself as well as her handsome rescuer with a merry peck on his cheek, right before he’s cajoled into lending her a hand.

Garrett Banks yearns to belong. Learning to live with lingering injuries and struggling with feelings of vulnerability, the Marine discovers a humorous group of senior busybodies and the vibrant young woman who catches his attention while visiting a treasured small town. Tasked with helping to check off her yuletide to-do list, his honed defenses and well-constructed walls begin to crumble.

Even though Emilie’s innate connection with him deepens, she wrestles with the growing need to leave her beloved home to secure her future. And while Garrett hopes to stay by her side, he fears the only way forward is to let her go.

Do they have the courage this Christmas to unwrap the gift of forever?

A Hero's Christmas Kiss is the charming eighth book in the Green Hills romance series and part of the Military Kisses Sweet Romance multi-author project. If you like swoon-worthy characters, fairytale towns that help people heal, and a cozy cup of holiday cheer, then you’ll adore Virginia'dele Smith’s jolly read.

Excerpt from Chapter 4

At first glance, Garrett would’ve described Emilie as cute, like the girl next door or a buddy’s little sister. Her long blonde hair hung in a perky ponytail. That and her petite stature gave him the impression she was quite a bit younger than his thirty-two years. But after watching her juggle patrons, serve food, refill beverages, take phone orders, and keep the dining room tidy and clean, he’d realized she was either incredibly mature for her age or more experienced than her youthful appearance led him to believe. Not that it mattered. Regardless of her actual age, she was decades younger than he felt, both physically and mentally. Perhaps spiritually, too. He’d avoided considering how long it had been since he’d had a conversation with God. Too long, Garrett didn’t doubt, but sometimes opening the lines of communication felt like too daunting a hurdle. It was the same way he felt about his parents, a ten-hour drive from where he stood, but also ten years away from where he was at the moment.

“If you’ll hold this while I climb, I’ll hammer in the nails, and then you can feed the greenery and lights up to me a few feet at a time,” Emilie said, extending an armful of artificial yet festive decorations.

She’d caught him lost in thought.

He looked at her armload, then back at her inquisitive cocoa eyes. The thick brows and dense eyelashes framing them brought to mind a fawn — one patient, wide-eyed, and curious, like in an animated Disney movie.

When Garrett still didn’t catch up, she set down the heavy load draped across her arms and clasped her hands at her heart. Concern clouded those deer-like eyes. She bit her lip in hesitation.

His eyes grazed over her lips, supple and plump and promising.

“Garrett?” she asked in a soft voice, thankfully interrupting his thoughts once again. “Are you okay?”

How had he ever thought her merely cute?

About the Author

Ashli Montgomery is a wife, a momma, a writer, a quilter, and an entrepreneur. Her passion is sharing love stories, books, quilts, yoga, recipes, her faith, and her favorite ways to create a lovely life.

Ashli writes wholesome and cozy romance under the pen name Virginia’dele Smith to honor Syble Virginia Tidwell, Adele Gertrude Baylin, and Etta Jean Smith.

These three cherished grandmothers taught Ashli to love without judgment, always putting family first. Through Grandma Syble’s journals and appetite for books, through Momadele’s priceless cards and handwritten letters, and through hours of visiting over fabric at Mema’s kitchen island, Ashli also learned to treasure words.

Get to know Ashli by subscribing to her newsletter, The Gazette, at AshliMontgomery.com

Author Interview

Q: What inspired you to write A Hero’s Christmas Kiss?

Ashli: Every December, I read only Christmas books. I look forward to the tradition all year long, and I have to confess that I’ve started early this year. When I began creating my fictional world of wholesome and cozy romance in the small town of Green Hills, I knew I wanted to have holiday books. When I began planning my first Christmas romance (Undeveloped Love), I decided to shorten the book to half the length of my novels. We pulled in so many directions during the holidays; I thought a novella could provide the perfect escape, a few hours of lovely delight, and an excuse to indulge without stealing too much time away from shopping, decorating, and prepping for family get-togethers. Once I wrote that first one, I was hooked. A Hero’s Christmas Kiss is my second Christmas Collection novella, and my goal is to produce one every other year (or more!).

Q: How long did it take to write this book?

Ashli: I’m really embarrassed to admit that the deadline for this one crept up on me. I’d drafted the premise, character profiles, and plot arc months ahead of time. Then I looked up and realized it was due to the editor without delay – yikes!! I put everything else in my world on the back burner (except my husband, kids, and dogs) and did nothing but write for ten straight days. When I began my self-editing process, I was shocked and amazed to find that I absolutely love the romance, the characters, and the entire novel.

Q: What surprised you while researching/writing this novel?

Ashli: Did you know that roastery degrees exist? Yep, there are certification courses and even accredited degrees for people who study coffee roasting. It’s a big deal, and it doesn’t sound easy. A lot goes into the beans, the soil, the moisture, the processing, the mixing, the flavors, the scents, the packaging, the distribution, and then finally, the brewing of a cup of coffee. I’m a true nerd, and I love, love, love learning new things, so even though I don’t drink coffee AT ALL, that rabbit hole of discovery was right up my alley.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from A Hero’s Christmas Kiss?

Ashli: A single quote is soooooo difficult. There’s just too much that goes into setting the stage for every one-liner. Instead, I’ll share a favorite scene…one that demonstrates so many emotions, including playful banter, supportive respect as they work side-by-side, and the electric chemistry zapping between our enchanting couple:

“What are you making?” he asked, dropping his hand, but not handing over the spoon just yet.

“Rice Krispie Treats,” she answered, swiping the spoon from him. Only because he let her, and they both knew it.

“Don’t they sell those at the store?”

“They aren’t the same.” Her aggressive stirring emphasized her know-it-all tone. Garrett was having a blast with this side of Emilie’s spunk.

“They look the same. Same blue packaging…same three elves.”

“I guess store-bought is fine in a pinch, but homemade is better,” she said, setting a catering-sized rectangular cake pan beside the bowl on the prep table.

“Because…” he said, fishing for more just to keep her talking with such animated passion.

“Because store-bought tastes like chemicals.”

When Emilie started dumping cereal-and-marshmallow mixture into the pan, Garrett picked up the bowl and held it upside down over the pan. Without a word, Emilie accepted his help and began scraping the contents from the bowl. Then she took a spatula, rubbed it with butter, and began flattening the mixture in the pan.

A small amount of the mixture remained stuck to the spoon. Instead of using the greased spatula to add it to the pan, Emilie pulled the leftover mixture off with her fingers.

“Cereal, marshmallows, and a quarter-cup of margarine. That’s all you need…no added preservatives,” she told him as she lifted her fingers to his lips. “Here, see for yourself.”

She played with fire, and she knew it because her cheeks flamed a fetching salmon shade of pink. But she didn’t back down.

Neither did Garrett.

Wrapping his hand around her wrist, he moved his mouth to her offering. Her pulse beneath his fingers picked up speed. Yes, Emilie felt the attraction and the magnetic pull and the magic between them just as fiercely as Garrett did.

She swallowed and lifted her chin. Garrett relished her obstinate spirit.

Slowly, he tasted the Rice Krispie Treat, taking his time to savor the feel of her fingertips against his lips. Before releasing her arm, he slid his mouth to her wrist and placed a kiss on her thrumming heartbeat.

“You’re right,” he said, eyes locked on hers. “Delicious.”

Q: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

Ashli: After years and years of obsessive reading, a sweet romance story popped into my head and refused to go away. I envisioned scenes, characters, dialog, and setting with vivid detail. I fell in love with every aspect and decided I had to put it on paper, just to get the romance life outside my own mind. Once I started writing, the words flowed into pages, and pages flowed into chapters. By the time I had written the first book, the second and third were then haunting my dreams. I studied mathematics in college and was an educator by trade…reading was a hobby, so writing honestly came out of nowhere. It blindsided me and quickly became the calling I never knew I was missing. Now I love it and only wish I could produce books as quickly as ideas for new ones take up residence in my brain.

Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?

Ashli: I am a huge — like really, really huge — Formula 1 racing fan. Attending an international race (as a VIP, of course) is at the top of my bucket list. And I’m 100% certain we’ll have a main character in one of my books who is an F1 racecar driver. I just have to figure out what in the world he or she would be doing in Green Hills, Oklahoma – LOL!

Q: What are you currently reading?

Ashli: As I mentioned above, I’m already on my Christmas book kick for the holiday season. On top of that, I host an online, monthly book club called The Book Belles of Green Hills. And…as a quilter, I include threads of quilts and quilting in each of my romance novels. So, putting all that together, I’m currently reading A Quilt for Christmas by Sandra Dallas to see if it’s a good fit for our December 2026 book club selection. Set in 1864 Kansas, it weaves together courage, resilience, determination, family, and love, which are tropes and characteristics I employ in my fictional world, too.

Q: What is your favorite genre to read?

Ashli: This question might be even harder to answer than the favorite quote question! The quick response is ROMANCE because I love a love story!! But that’s taking the easy way out. I enjoy books that take the reader on a journey. Perhaps one of discovering a new love, a new home, or a new future…or one that tells of days past and history forgotten, one in which characters must lean upon and rely on those they love to survive and succeed…or one that makes us question and doubt what we think we know about the heart…those are the love stories I love to read.

Q: What is your favorite hobby?

Ashli: You know that saying Jack of all trades and master of none? Well, I test that theory on a weekly basis. I’ve tried giving up some of the hobbies and activities that bring me joy, just to make room to focus on one thing, in hopes of excelling at it. But the truth is that I’m wired to try it all. I’d say my very favorite hobby is quilting. Playing Mahjongg is a close second. As is practicing yoga. And playing pickleball. You’ll notice lots of recipes and meals in my books because I adore cooking and baking. I’ve done some crocheting and some scrapbooking. As a football coach’s wife, we move often, so I jump right into interior design and home staging with a happy heart. After dinner, there’s nothing better than a walk with my husband and the dogs, followed by a hot bubble bath. Oh, and did I mention, I’m an obsessive reader?

Q: What is your favorite season and why?

Ashli: William Cullen Bryant said, Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile, and I agree with him. In color theory, I’m an autumn, so I gravitate toward fall colors — the tart yellow of a mustard seed, the rusty brown of a weathered board, the soothing shades of an orange pumpkin or a green gourd, the deepest navy blue of a starless midnight sky. My birthday is November 3rd, so I’m an autumn baby. And my husband of 30 years is a college football coach, so our life revolves around the boys of fall. Lucky for him, I loved football, crisp nights cheering in a stadium, and the thrill of a community coming together even before we met. There’s just nothing quite as lovely as fall!

Tour Giveaway

(3) winners will each receive A Hero's Christmas Kiss Book Bundle including autographed hardcover edition; commemorative postcard, bookmark, sticker, and magnet; plus a $25 Starbucks gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight December 2, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on December 9, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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