If you’re anything like me, there’s something irresistibly magical about the holiday season. The twinkling lights, festive decorations, and heartwarming stories that seem to bloom around each holiday make this time of year truly enchanting. I’ve always been a fan of Hallmark movies—the feel-good romances where love blossoms amid snowflakes or spooky celebrations. It’s that love of the holidays and the magic they bring that inspired my Seasonally Spellbound Series.
A Love of Holidays and Romance
From Halloween’s spooky thrills to Christmas’s cozy charm, each holiday brings its own magic. I’ve always been drawn to stories where love grows amidst the chaos of these festive moments, where characters find themselves through the joy (and sometimes madness) of the season. Hallmark movies have a way of capturing that magic in the sweetest, most uplifting ways. I wanted to take that warmth and sprinkle in a bit of supernatural excitement, merging holiday cheer with urban fantasy romance in Seasonally Spellbound.
In each installment of the series, witches, vampires, fae, and other magical beings find love in the most unexpected ways, all centered around the holidays we know and love. My goal was to create stories where readers could experience the familiar holiday spirit but with a twist of magic, danger, and passion. After all, the holiday season is a time when anything seems possible, even for the supernatural.
The Midnight Masquerade: A Halloween Love Story
The first book in the series, The Midnight Masquerade, is set against the backdrop of a Halloween masquerade ball at a gothic mansion. While the festive elements of the season play a big part in setting the mood, the heart of this story was inspired by one of my favorite Halloween love stories: Jack and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Their relationship is full of contrasts—dark and light, spooky yet sweet—and that duality was something I wanted to capture in The Midnight Masquerade. My heroine, Vespera Blackwood, is a reluctant attendee at this mysterious masquerade. She’s hesitant, much like Sally, but finds herself pulled into a world of supernatural intrigue, not unlike Jack’s journey into Christmas Town. And then there’s the vampire king, who, much like Jack, is on a quest for something more—something he believes Vespera might be the key to. Their chemistry, like Jack and Sally’s, is built on a deep connection that goes beyond the surface.
A New Kind of Holiday Magic
In creating The Midnight Masquerade and the entire Seasonally Spellbound Series, I want to bring readers something that combines the familiar warmth of the holiday season with the thrill of supernatural romance. It’s the kind of world where witches can fall in love at Halloween balls, where vampires long for a deeper connection, and where every season offers a new chance for love to blossom amidst the magic.
This series is a love letter to the holidays and to the magic of romance, inspired by the stories I’ve cherished and the characters who’ve enchanted me. Whether you’re drawn to the cozy charm of Christmas or the mysterious allure of Halloween, I hope Seasonally Spellbound brings a little extra magic to your holiday reading list.
Final Thoughts
I can’t wait to share more of the holiday-inspired magic with you as the series unfolds. Each book brings its own twist on the holiday season, and each couple’s story is infused with the magic, romance, and excitement that I’ve always loved about this time of year.
What’s your favorite holiday love story? Share in the comments below—I’d love to know!
Elizabeth Yuen 