‘Twelve Swipes of Christmas’: Bethel Park writer works through adversity to publish first novel

Anyone who’s composing an email, authoring a book or anything in between can take a cue from Elizabeth Meitzler.

“If you’re sitting there falling asleep reading your own writing, everybody else is going to do the same thing,” the Bethel Park resident said. “I wouldn’t want to read that!”

So she spent two years meticulously crafting what became her first published novel, “The Twelve Swipes of Christmas,” working to ensure that eyes remain riveted.

Along the way, she experienced two major life changes. On a positive note, she and husband Jake welcomed a new son, Jameson.

Unfortunately, the couple also learned on Thanksgiving Day 2021 that Addie, their 2-year-old daughter, had been diagnosed with leukemia.

“She had fevers, and we went in because we thought she was dehydrated. And that’s how we found out,” Elizabeth said. “I actually stopped writing, because it was a lot, trying to get used to the new normal.”

Eventually, she returned to dreaming up further adventures for Tatum and Nash, her romantically entwined “The Twelve Swipes of Christmas” characters.

“You stop thinking about all the to-do lists, and this and that. Go with their issues, not mine,” she said. “You just develop this whole new world, and there’s no leukemia.”

Meitzler received a similar diagnosis when she was young, and although she recovered fairly expediently, she recognizes the impact it had on her father and mother, Jerry and AnneMarie Kopach of Upper St. Clair.

“I think it’s harder for my parents, because they’ve had to go through it twice,” she said. “You never want to go through your kid having cancer, let alone your grandkid having cancer. I feel like it’s déjà vu for them, and I can’t imagine that, if I were in their position.”

Helping to brighten family spirits was the Nov. 8 publication of Meitzler’s book, with the “Swipe” of the title referring to Tatum’s decision to give online dating a try. Nash is her first encounter, and it doesn’t go well.

“They end up running into each other over and over again, and it just keeps happening. So they kind of develop a friends-with-benefits relationship, but they’re not really friends, because they don’t really like each other,” Meitzler said.

“She has a lot of personal issues going on in her life, and somehow through the relationship, he’s the one she wants to turn to, and that’s when she realizes the relationship kind of took a turn. And it evolves from there.”

While the story of Tatum and Nash is Meitzler’s creation, she credits others for helping her bring the project to fruition.

“I did have a lot of friends who would beta read or proofread and give me feedback,” she said, plus they’d provide ideas. “I’d send them a message, like, ‘OK, this happened. I need something outrageous to go next.’ And they’d help me out with that. There’s only so much that can go on in just your head.”

For further assistance, family members continue to give her some free time by watching Addie and Jameson.

“There’s always a lot of help,” Meitzler said. “So I write or edit or go over my hundreds of drafts whenever they would help me.”

As for the time of her book’s season, it would seem to be a natural.

“I love Christmas. I love it,” she said. “I think we decorated the second week of November. It’s never too early to decorate for Christmas, in my opinion.”

This holiday season, “The Twelve Swipes of Christmas,” published by IngramSpark, is available online through outlets including Amazon, Walmart and Barnes & Noble.

Meitzler has visited Barnes & Noble at South Hills Village to discuss the possibility of the paperback being sold there:

“They told me, ‘This looks like it should be in our store.’ I said, ‘Oh, thanks!’”

In the meantime, she still is getting used to seeing an actual book with her name on the cover.

“Mom made me sign one the other day, and I was just like, I don’t know how to do this,” she said. “This is weird.”

She’ll be getting more practice soon: Her first book signing is scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 10 at Borelli’s Cellar at the Galleria of Mt. Lebanon.

For more information about “The Twelve Swipes of Christmas,” visit www.goodreads.com/book/show/63032369-the-twelve-swipes-of-christmas.