Behind the Book

Fixin' Vixen

by Cat Collins

A playful holiday romance with reindeer games, Christmas chaos, and a heroine trying to recover her festive spirit.

Cat Collins brings a light, whimsical holiday world to life here, pairing steam and comedy with a Christmas mood the author hopes leaves readers feeling joyful.

playful festive whimsical spicy light-hearted
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Fixin' Vixen book cover
A festive setting with just enough reluctance at its centre: the mood fits a heroine being pushed back toward Christmas spirit.
Author conversation

With Cat Collins

Cat Collins answers our questions about Fixin' Vixen

We asked about the book’s origin, cover, writing process, atmosphere, and intended reader experience — then shaped those answers into this feature.

Origin

Why this book exists

Fixin' Vixen begins with a very clear spark. As details shared with IndieBookStories make plain, Collins wanted to write a Christmas story, and the first image that came to mind was a classic children's Christmas movie she had loved since childhood. That mix of nostalgia and reinvention shapes the book's reason for being. Rather than retelling something familiar, she takes the warm seasonal feeling of that early inspiration and turns it toward something flirtier, funnier, and more grown-up. The result is a holiday romance built to feel bright, mischievous, and fully aware of its own festive silliness.
On why this book exists

“I knew I wanted to write a Christmas story and it was the first thing I thought about.”

On why this book exists

“A classic children's Christmas movie that I loved as a child.”

Behind the book

The human story behind it

There is also a practical, very human story behind the book. Collins shares that she is "a teacher by day," and Fixin' Vixen was written in the margins of a busy life: during school off periods, in her home office, and even while waiting in the car for a doctor appointment. That matters because the book carries the energy of something written with real affection and determination rather than perfect conditions. Collins points to whimsy, heart, and joy as central to her voice, and those qualities feel connected to the way this story was made: fitted around work, carried through breaks, and kept alive because the author clearly wanted readers to have a lively Christmas escape.
A group of four stands outside a snowy cabin, huddled together as if planning a holiday challenge.
Collins's story world sounds full of team games, festive pressure, and chemistry that keeps complicating everything.
Reader experience

What kind of journey is this?

On the story’s pace and mood

“There is always a lot of whimsy in my words, and a lot of heart.”

The reading experience here sounds brisk, cheerful, and knowingly over-the-top in the best holiday-romance way. Collins describes her narrative voice as "light and fun," with "a lot of whimsy" and "a lot of heart," even when the scenes turn spicy or dramatic. Readers can expect a Christmas setting that leans into comic set pieces, team challenges, festive tension, and a heroine surrounded by strong personalities. The tone appears more playful than brooding, more fizzy than solemn. If you enjoy seasonal romance that mixes humour, heat, and a touch of magical absurdity, Fixin' Vixen seems designed to offer exactly that kind of cosy-but-mischievous reading mood.
Inspired by the story world

A visual glimpse into the book’s atmosphere

The images around Fixin' Vixen draw from details Cat Collins shared with IndieBookStories: snow, cabin warmth, bold colour, comic holiday energy, and a red-haired heroine moving through a whimsical Christmas world with more than a little romantic chaos.

A red-haired woman frowns in a snowy winter setting lit by holiday lights.

The reluctant holiday heroine

One of the clearest images Collins shared is simple and telling: a red-haired woman in the snow, not entirely pleased to be there.

Three different men stand in a festive winter setting: a lumberjack, a businessman, and a dark-haired man by a motorcycle in a Santa hat.

Three very different distractions

The author describes a line-up of personalities that gives the book part of its comic and romantic charge.

A cozy cabin interior glows with bright holiday colors, festive decorations, and warm firelight.

A bright, pop-colour Christmas world

The visual identity Collins describes is light-hearted, whimsical, and defined by colour rather than the usual holiday-romance look.

Reader response

How readers may feel

On how readers may feel

“Hopefully readers will feel joyful and full of Christmas spirit!”

Collins says she hopes readers will feel "joyful and full of Christmas spirit," and that gives a good sense of the emotional direction of the book. For the right reader, this may feel like stepping into a holiday world that is bright, flirtatious, and gently chaotic. The whimsy in the voice may soften the drama, while the heart Collins describes could keep the story emotionally inviting even at its spicier moments. If festive romance works for you, this looks like a book that may leave you feeling cheered, amused, and pleasantly swept up in seasonal nonsense.
Reader fit

Who this book is for

This book is likely for readers who want holiday romance to be fun first: lively banter, Christmas atmosphere, playful fantasy touches, and a heroine navigating more than one love interest. If you like seasonal reads that don't take themselves too seriously, but still want warmth and emotional presence alongside the steam, Collins's approach may land well. It also looks well suited to readers drawn to colourful, slightly offbeat festive setups rather than traditional small-town sweetness alone. If you enjoy romance with whimsical energy and an authorial voice that stays light even when the stakes turn personal, Fixin' Vixen may fit neatly into your December reading stack.
A useful note

Who this may not be for

This may not be the right fit if you prefer your Christmas fiction quiet, nostalgic, and low-heat. Readers looking for a conventional one-couple romance, a more serious emotional tone, or a strictly traditional holiday story may find this book too mischievous in both premise and execution. It also sounds less suited to readers who want realism over festive fantasy.
Fixin' Vixen book cover
Fixin' Vixen
Cover story

Behind the cover

On the cover

“Instead of choosing the typical "faceless" cartoon figures found on most Holiday romance books, I went with pop art cartoons instead.”

The cover direction mirrors the book's tone closely. Collins shares that she wanted something "light-hearted and whimsical" that would both fit its genre and stand out within it. Rather than using the more typical faceless cartoon style often seen on holiday romances, she chose a pop art cartoon look instead. She points to "the pop of colors" as part of what she loves about it, and that choice makes sense for a story that seems to lean into bold festive energy, humour, and visual personality.
C
Author

Cat Collins

Profile details supplied to IndieBookStories.

Writing room

From the author’s desk

Fixin' Vixen was written in stages, beginning over Christmas break, pausing for another project, then returning over the summer. Collins estimates about eight weeks of work went into the first draft. The writing spaces were not precious or fixed. In the author's own words, it happened "any and everywhere": at school during off periods, in a home office, and even in the car before a doctor appointment. That patchwork process suits a book with lively momentum. It feels made by someone fitting imagination into ordinary life whenever she could.
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