Mistletoe Mistletoe and Mayhem at the Little Shopping Mall – Hannah Pearl

Did someone say it’s nearly Christmas? There are only 83 to go!!!!

 

Welcome back Hannah, I’m looking forward to catching up it feels like it was only days ago we were welcoming you as part of the Choc-lit family and now we’re here talking about all things Christmas and of course your new book.

 

Are you a lover or hater of Christmas Hannah?

I LOVE it!!!!!

What do you love about Christmas?

I love having time together when we’re lucky to all have a break from work/ school. I love seeing my children’s faces when they open their presents.

Do you have any Christmas traditions, if so what are they are they carried on from your childhood or have you created your own?

We’re not massively traditional so nothing much, apart from trying to get together. We did start doing an enormous family Secret Santa a few years ago for nearly thirty of us. I think that’ll be something my children will always remember, so hopefully we can pick that up again this year.

 

Do you think we’ll have a white Christmas this year?

I doubt it. It’s been so hot this year, far too hot for me to cope well! I know in a few weeks time that’ll seem like a distant memory but I can’t yet get my head around it actually feeling cold soon!

What is your earliest Christmas memory?

Playing together with all my cousins at my grandparents’ house. I’m really lucky to have a big family and it was always a special treat in the holidays to be able to get together. I’ve really missed that for the last few years and hope to see everyone more soon.

What was the best present you received as a child?

I can’t remember! Is that awful? We’re not hugely traditional really and so though we always got lovely gifts, it was always more about being together.

What is the one thing you always wanted but never got?

A Mr Frosty slushie maker. Actually, thinking back, I think we did get one in the end and it never worked well after all that waiting!

Favourite Christmas song pop or carol?

Slade. It doesn’t feel like Christmas until you’ve heard Noddy Holder telling you that it is Christmas 🙂

What would you buy your main characters in “Mistletoe Mistletoe and Mayhem at the Little Shopping Mall” as a Christmas present?

I’d get Caroline some nice chocolates. Actually, anything sweet or food related to save her from cooking!

And for Damian, something simple  but classy, a nice aftershave maybe. Or a hat that isn’t a Stetson 😉

If you were asked to guest DJ on a national radio station on Christmas day what would you play?

 

Slade of course, Wizzard (I Wish it could be Christmas Every Day), Mariah Carey and Wham , just in case anyone nearly made it through Whamageddon in one piece. Is that mean?  But surely it wouldn’t be Christmas without it!

 

Count down to Christmas with mistletoe, mayhem, meddling friends and mystery men …
There’s a saying about all work and no play – but there’s never a dull moment for Caroline working at Holly Walk Mall, especially at Christmas.

When she’s not dealing with orders from Ian, ‘the manager who can’t manage’ as her friend Rachel puts it, she’s overseeing the usual late-night shopping sessions, Santa’s grotto construction and, most importantly, the sampling of many delicious festive treats at the Italian café her friends Nina and Marco own.

But when a new jewellery shop moves in and brings ‘mysterious guy with the cute bottom’ to Holly Walk, Caro isn’t yet aware just how much mayhem she’s in for in the countdown to Christmas. With strategically placed mistletoe, revealing cowboy outfits and even a bit of sleuthing, could this festive season turn out to be the liveliest yet for both Caro and her beloved Mall?

 Order Here   

 

 

@HannahPearl_1  

 

 

For all Hannah’s other books check out the Ruby Fiction Website

 

Read my interview with Hannah as part of the welcome to the family series HERE

Strictly Christmas Spirt – Helen Buckley

Did someone say it’s nearly Christmas? There are only 58 to go!!!!

 

Welcome back Helen, I’m looking forward to catching up with you after an incredible year you’ve had on the book front and talking about all things Christmas and of course your new book

 

Are you a lover or hater of Christmas Helen?

I LOVE it!!!!!

What do you love about Christmas?

It’s such a fun time of year. I love the food, the lights, the presents, and as a Christian it means a huge amount to me spiritually. I find the whole season deeply moving and deeply joyful

Do you have any Christmas traditions, if so what are they are they carried on from your childhood or have you created your own?

Only one – watching the Muppet Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve. It’s my favourite Christmas film. My boys are really little so they don’t really understand Christmas yet, but I hope they will soon and then we can make our own traditions.

Do you think we’ll have a white Christmas this year?

Hmmm…. Probably not. Maybe a slightly soggy one?

What is your earliest Christmas memory?

I do remember waking up one night, groggy and full of sleep, and seeing someone putting something in the stocking at the end of my bed. Of course it was one of my parents but I just went back to sleep!

What was the best present you received as a child?

I got given a Sylvanian Family house once and I was so happy!

What is the one thing you always wanted but never got?

A horse (lol)

 

Favourite Christmas song pop or carol?

I really like Shakin’ Stevens Merry Christmas Everyone, and I always cry when I hear Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe and Wine.

What would you buy your main characters in “Strictly Christmas Spirit” as a Christmas present?

I’d buy Emily an organiser – she’s quite scatty and gets stressed out so I think it would help her.

I’d buy Blake a puppy. I feel like it would bring out a new nurturing side in him!

If you were asked to guest DJ on a national radio station on Christmas day what would you play?

All the Christmas tunes again and again and again.

 

 

 

From disco balls to Christmas baubles …

Ex-dancer Emily Williams turned her back on the sparkle of popular dancing show Strictly Dancing with Celebs to help those in need. Now the only dancing she does is teaching lonely pensioners to waltz, and the closest she gets to disco balls is making baubles with the homeless people in her Christmas crafts class.

She’s certainly not star-struck when Hollywood heart-throb Blake Harris is sent to her at short notice for community service, and has no desire to babysit the arrogant actor with his bad boy antics and selfish ways. Christmas might be a time for miracles, but Blake seems to be a lost cause.

But Emily’s reasons for abandoning her dancing passion means she understands the Hollywood wild child more than she’d like to admit. Could their time together, coupled with a dash of Christmas spirit, lead to a miracle change of heart for them both?

 

 

 

 Order Here    Kobo

 

 

@HelenCBuckley     Helen Buckley Author

 

 

Helen Buckley

 

 

Check out Helen’s other two books on the Choc Lit website

 

I previously spoke to Helen as part of Meet the family and Which books, click to read more.

Unwrapping The Best Man – Rachael Stewart

Did someone say it’s nearly Christmas? There are only 31 days to go!!!! We are almost in full countdown mode…

 

I caught up with Rachael during the release of “The Bad Sister” so with her new book “Unwrapping The Bestman” hitting the shelves and Christmas just around the corner I knew we were due for another catch up.

Are you a lover or hater of Christmas Rachael?

Love, love, LOVER! Christmas was such a happy and special time when I was a child. The whole of December, the picture windows / chocolate advent calendar countdown, the decorating of the tree, the baking, the excitement at school…it was such a thrill that I only have to hear mention of Christmas now or catch the scent of mulled spice or the start of a Christmas tune / movie / TV programme and I am giddy.

Unless it’s January, in which case I definitely suffer the January blues!!

Though having said that I have been known to use festive room fragrance through the year because it gives me an instant buzz 🙂

What are your likes and dislikes about Christmas?

I think ultimately what I love is the fact that it’s the time I remember best for being surrounded by family and friends, and the happiness that comes with all that shared love and laughter. As soon as I was old enough, I would shop for presents, the idea of giving as special, if not more special, than receiving. It’s a time when work is parked and forgotten, and the focus is wholly on whomever you choose to spend that special day with (and the many celebratory days that lead up to it, we often have more than one Christmas Day in our house!). There is also something so very special about the festive spirit that consumes one and all!

I also love baking and experimenting with new festive recipes, which let’s face it, aren’t always the greatest success but it’s in the doing that I get the most enjoyment.

What do I hate? That’s a tough one. If I’m brutally honest it’s the drinking that goes too far, the bar brawls etc etc. Never nice and it’s particularly evident around the festive period. Maybe not this year though, if Covid-19 gets its way! Possibly the only upside to this blasted virus!

Do you have any Christmas traditions, if so what are they are they carried on from your childhood or have you created your own?

Writing a letter to Santa is a must. As is laying out their Santa sacks Christmas Eve, writing a thank you letter to Santa and leaving out the obligatory whisky, mince pie and carrot. I love, love, love this tradition and so long as our kids live under our roof, they’ll be doing it! 🙂

We also have to drink mulled wine and eat roasted chestnuts while watching our fave Christmas movies like Die Hard (it’s a Christmas movie, I won’t debate it! My husband even has framed pictures that we have to display throughout December which are festive cartoon sketches of Die Hard 🙂 Very fun!), Home Alone and recent additions include Elf and Christmas Chronicles. My husband also likes to sneak Bad Santa in there, but it’s okay, as I then make him watch The Holiday with me 🙂

Do you think we’ll have a white Christmas this year?

Well it’s 2020 – anything could happen, right?!

What is your earliest Christmas memory?

Laying out my Santa’s sack at the end of my bed, putting a carrot out for Rudolph, a mince pie and whisky for Santa, and writing my thank you letter. Also, waking up so very early and squeezing my sack to see if HE had been and if he had, breaking into my parents’ bedroom at some ungodly hour (like 3am!) and begging to open presents 🙂

My parents would be exhausted but they would indulge us every time, they got as much joy out of it as we did. In fact, I think that’s the main reason I love it so much – it was the day on which my parents would forget whatever stress they were under and smile and adore and indulge us for the whole time – everyone was happy. And I love my parents so very much for giving me the best Christmases ever growing up. I only hope my kids can say the same when they are my age!

What was the best present you received as a child?

My hi-fi. If I remember right, it was second hand and it was the bestest present ever. As was the My Little Pony Castle. Also, second hand but I didn’t care. Preloved/Newloved – worked for me! Also, my Raleigh racer bike, LOVED that bike!! Ooo, that was more than one!! See, I’m getting giddy again already!! Sorry, Claire!!

What was the one present you always wanted but never got?

Mr Frosty! I begged and begged and never got one. We, of course, bought one for our kids as soon as they were the right age, and guess what, it’s hardly been used. So maybe my parents knew what they were doing. I always wanted an actual pony too, but I’ll let them off that one 😉

What is your favourite Christmas carol and Pop Song?

I absolutely adore The Pogues “Fairytale of New York”, but I LOVE all Christmas music, and I’ll let you into a little secret, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” does feature in Unwrapping The Best Man…

If you were asked to guest DJ on a national radio station on Christmas day what would you play?

I would play every Christmas tune known to man – how unpopular an answer is that?! But seriously from the 1^st December it’s ALL I listen too…yes, I’m that festively annoying! Another trait I share with Caitlin!

What would you buy the main characters in Unwrapping the Best Man for Christmas?

Unwrapping the Best Man stars festive-loving Caitlin and very-much-the-Grinch Jackson…so what would I buy them…Hmm…

I’d buy Jackson some really good earphones (you know the ones that mute the outside world!) because boy can Caitlin talk— Joke! Though she can, seriously, but he loves that about her.

I think I’d actually buy them a skiing holiday so that they can go from slope to slope having fun together by day and enjoying the glorious mountain views covered in snow. And then cosy up in front of a warm fire on an evening in a gorgeous wooden lodge and get all lovey-dovey and indulge in some super-sexy time…Or maybe that’s what I want to buy for my hubby and me…sorry, getting giddy again, Claire!! 🙂  Maybe I’m more like Caitlin than I ever realised…

 

 

Unwrapping The Best Man

On the first night of Christmas, her sexy crush finally gave to her—an unbelievably hot night! Now she’s ready for nights two, three and four… Unwrap the steamy sequel to Getting Dirty by Rachael Stewart.

I’ve lusted after brawny, gorgeously rough Jackson Black for six lust-fueled, unrequited years. But Jackson has rules, and the big one is “no getting involved with clients” of his elite London sex club. Including me. But our best friends are getting married, and for one deliciously hot night, the maid of honor and best man agree…what happens in the Scottish Highlands, stays in the Scottish Highlands.

It was everything I wanted and more…until the complete jerk disappears during the night.

Now it’s Christmas, and I have a plan to prove to Jackson Black just how much I don’t care, that he doesn’t turn me on like a Christmas tree. Only Operation: Naughty Elf is backfiring big-time. That aching need for his touch is stronger than ever. It’s painfully clear that I want more than just a fling from the untouchable Jackson Black.

I have one chance to unwrap the best man. But is this sexy, guarded grinch about to steal my heart…or break it?

 

 

Order Here

 

Rachael Stewart adores conjuring up stories for the readers of Harlequin Mills & Boon and Deep Desires Press, with tales varying from the heartwarmingly romantic to the wildly erotic.

She’s been writing since she could put pen to paper as the stacks of scrawled on A4 sheets in her loft will attest to, and the lovingly bound short stories that her father would run off at work and proudly share out with his colleagues. Thinking it was a pipe dream to be published one day, she pursued a sensible career in business but she was really play-acting, achieving the appropriate degree and spending many years in the corporate world where she never truly belonged. Always happiest when she was sat at her laptop in the quiet hours tapping out a story or two. And so here she is, a published author, her full-time pleasure, a dream come true.

A Welsh lass at heart, she now lives in Yorkshire with her husband and three children, and if she’s not glued to her laptop, she’s wrapped up in them or enjoying the great outdoors seeking out inspiration.

@Rach_B52       Rachael Stewart Author

 

 

Rachael Stewart

 

www.rachaelstewartauthor.com/

 

Want to find out more about Rachael’s books, check out her Amazon author page.

 

Christmas At The Little Beach Cafe – Morton S Gray

Did someone say it’s nearly Christmas? There are only 29 days to go!!!!

 

Welcome back Morton, I’m looking forward to catching up and talking about all things Christmas and of course your new book

 

Are you a lover or hater of Christmas Morton?

I hate the frenetic quality of the build up to Christmas, those times when you can’t park because the carparks are so full and everyone seems to lose basic civility. I hate the pressure of trying to get Christmas presents and the Christmas food.

However, I love sending Christmas cards. I love Christmas decorations, Christmas trees and lights. I love spending time in a relaxed way with my family. So on balance, I love Christmas.

Do you have any Christmas traditions, if so what are they are they carried on from your childhood or have you created your own?

We tend to have a quiet time really, maybe do a couple of jigsaws together and watch films. My husband is brilliant at cooking Christmas lunch thankfully, because meals with so many elements like that tend to get me very flustered – I’m more a one pot type of cook. On Christmas day, we fetch my mother in time for lunch and share our meal with my two sons and the eldest’s girlfriend. In the afternoon, my sister and her family join us and they take mom home.

Do you think we’ll have a white Christmas this year?

No! I can’t actually ever remember a snowy Christmas. It’s more likely to be cold and sunny, or misty and moist.

What is your earliest Christmas memory?

Difficult one. I was an only child until I was seven. I enjoyed Christmas much more once I had a sister. I used to like watching her open her presents first. I remember one confusing Christmas when Santa left presents all over my parents’ bedroom instead of in the usual pillow cases at the end of our beds! They weren’t even in piles for my sister and I. I realise now that my mom and dad must have overslept, but as children, we wondered what was going on. Mom retrieved the situation by getting us to guess who each item was for, so it turned out as great fun in the end.

What was the best present you received as a child?

As part of our Christmas stockings we always used to have huge boxes of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolates – I don’t even see boxes that big for sale any more. But, I think my favourite single item would be my talking doll. She was about two feet tall and had a string to pull in her back. Her conversation was limited to a few sentences, of course – “I am Little Poppet” was her first phrase. My mother was brilliant with the sewing machine and had made her a full wardrobe of clothes. Now I think about it that must have taken her so many nights of sewing when I was asleep or at school. That memory made me a little teary as my mother now has Alzheimer’s and dementia.

What is your favourite Christmas film?

I adore Love Actually and The Holiday and have watched them numerous times, but never tire of the stories or sound tracks.

What would you buy the main characters in Christmas at Moonshine Hollow for Christmas?

Silvie would be easy. She loves Christmas, so anything sparkly, probably a nice jumper to wear and a necklace. Justin is more difficult, because anything to do with Christmas propels him back into horrid Christmas memories. He loves drumming, so I guess a drum of some kind would always be welcome.

 

 

Run away to the little beach café this Christmas …

Five years ago at Christmas, solicitor Justin Sadler made the decision to leave his comfortable existence behind and move to the coast. Since then, he’s tried his best to ignore the festive season and, as he sits in the little beach café and reflects on that fateful night when his life was turned upside down, he expects his fifth Christmas alone to be no different to any of the others since he made his escape.

But when he encounters a mystery woman on the beach, he soon realises he may have found a fellow runaway and kindred spirit. Could Justin finally be ready to move on and let Christmas into his life again?

 

 

Order Here

Morton lives with her husband, two sons and Lily, the tiny white dog, in Worcestershire, U.K. She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Society of Authors.

Her debut novel The Girl on the Beach was published after she won the Choc Lit Publishing Search for a Star competition. This story follows a woman with a troubled past as she tries to unravel the mystery surrounding her son’s new headteacher, Harry Dixon. The book is available as a paperback and e-book.

Morton’s second book for Choc Lit The Truth Lies Buried is another romantic suspense novel, The book tells the story of Jenny Simpson and Carver Rodgers as they uncover secrets from their past. This book is available as an e-book, paperback and audiobook.

Christmas at Borteen Bay was Morton’s first Christmas novella. It is set in her fictional seaside town of Borteen and follows the story of Pippa Freeman, who runs the Rose Court Guesthouse with her mother, and local policeman Ethan Gibson, as they unravel a family secret as Christmas approaches.

Bestselling Sunny Days on the Beach, is her fourth novel for Choc Lit. Again set in Borteen, this book is the story of what happens when craft shop owner, Mandy Vanes takes in an abandoned teenager, Nick Crossten and the repercussions when Graham Frankley, a gin distiller, arrives in town to say he has received a letter telling him he is Nick’s father.

Morton previously worked in the electricity industry in committee services, staff development and training. She has a Business Studies degree and is a fully qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Reiki Master. She also has diplomas in Tuina acupressure massage and energy field therapy. She enjoys crafts, history and loves tracing family trees. Having a hunger for learning new things is a bonus for the research behind her books.

If you’d like to find out more of what Angela gets up to (Advance warning: this may include references to wine, dark chocolate, Poldark and the hunky Aidan Turner)

@MortonSGray          Morton Gray

 

 

Morton_S_Gray

 

 

www.mortonsgray.com

 

Check out Angela’s other books on the Choc Lit website

 

I previously spoke to Morton as part of my welcome to the family series, that can be found Here!

Christmas at Moonshine Hollow – Angela Britnell

Did someone say it’s nearly Christmas? There are only 45 days to go!!!!

 

Welcome back Angela, I’m looking forward to catching up and talking about all things Christmas and of course your new book

 

 

Are you a lover or hater of Christmas Angela?

Can I please be a little bit of both because I suspect that’s the way most people are?

What are your likes and dislikes about Christmas?

Love – the true meaning behind the season and spending time with family especially seeing the excitement in my grandchildren’s eyes.

Hate – the overly commercial event it’s become and sappy Christmas songs and films. If anyone wanted to torture information out of me just lock me in a room and play ‘White Christmas’ or make me watch ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and I’ll tell you anything!

Do you have any Christmas traditions, if so what are they are they carried on from your childhood or have you created your own?

When I married my American husband our festive traditions were very different but we’ve adapted many of them along with making ones of our own in the best tradition of trans-Atlantic romance. That’s why we always have crackers on the table and eat roast potatoes and sprouts with our roast turkey along with southern dressing and sweet potato casserole!

Do you think we’ll have a white Christmas this year?

I don’t remember having a white Christmas growing up in Cornwall and it’s doubtful we’ll have one here in Nashville it’s more likely to be mild and damp.

What is your earliest Christmas memory?

Being excited about finding the silver sixpence in the Christmas pudding and it was only years later that I realised that I always found it thanks to my indulgent parents!

What was the best present you received as a child?

My aunt hand sewed a shoe box full of clothes for my Sindy doll and they were so unique and special – my only regret is that I didn’t hold onto them.

What was the one present you always wanted but never got?

I can’t remember anything in particular which some people might say was because I was a spoiled only child!

What is your favourite Christmas carol and Pop Song?

I love traditional carols and although it’s hard to choose I’ll plump for ‘Oh Come all ye Faithful’ preferably sung in a packed church with an organ and a couple of trumpets thrown in for good measure.

If you were asked to guest DJ on a national radio station on Christmas day what would you play?

I think I might go out on a limb and not play anything related to Christmas – there are plenty of places people can listen to Christmas music so maybe my listeners would prefer some summery Beach Boys songs along with some rousing Queen and Abba hits for good measure.

What would you buy the main characters in Christmas at Moonshine Hollow for Christmas?

Cole gives Jenna a very special present in my book but I can’t spoil things and tell you what it is.

If I was buying them something I’d choose something related to the history of moonshine for Cole – a friend of mine has a small antique still she uses as a fireplace decoration that would be perfect for Cole’s house.

I think Jenna would appreciate a gift card to visit all the beautiful Tennessee state parks when spring comes around.

 

 

Christmas at Moonshine Hollow

Mistletoe and moonshine: a Christmas match made in heaven?

Moonshine Hollow’s famous ‘Lightning Flash’ might be an acquired taste, although the same could be said for moonshine distillery owner Cole Landon, what with his workaholic habits and ‘Scrooge’ tendencies when it comes to all things Christmassy.

But when Jenna Pendean from Cornwall pays a visit to Cole’s family-run distillery in Tennessee during the holiday season, will Cole’s cynicism about the existence of Christmas miracles be put to the test?

 

Order Here

Angela grew up in Cornwall, England and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee to visit family and friends, drink tea and eat far too many Cornish pasties!

A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she’s visited or lived on her extensive travels. Thanks to over three decades of marriage to her wonderful American husband she’s a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Romance Writers of America and the Music City Romance Writers. Her first novel ‘Truth and Consequence’ was published in 2006 and she’s now had over 30 novels published internationally and several short stories in women’s magazines.

If you’d like to find out more of what Angela gets up to (Advance warning: this may include references to wine, dark chocolate, Poldark and the hunky Aidan Turner)

@AngelaBritnell          Angela Britnell

 

 

Angela Golley Britnell

 

 

www.angelabritnellromance.com

 

 

Check out Angela’s other books on the Choc Lit website

Meet Me at Fir Tree Lodge – Rachel Dove

Did someone say it’s nearly Christmas? There are only 65 days to go!!!!

I caught up with Rachel during the release of “The Fire House on Honeysuckle Street” so with her new book “Meet Me at Fir Tree Lodge” hitting the shelves and Christmas just around the corner I knew we were due for another catch up.

Are you a lover or hater of Christmas Rachel?

I wasn’t always! I had a fair few difficult Christmases growing up, and I used to work for most  of them to avoid it, but since I had children, it’s taken on a new meaning so it’s really nice to enjoy being together.

This year will be a difficult one of course, but our little family under           our roof will be making the best of it. My husband cooks the dinner, and I do the rest, so it works out well. 

What are your likes and dislikes about Christmas?

I hate the commercial overtones, and the assumption that everyone has an easy time in the festive period and has someone to spend it with. It’s a difficult time for many, and that makes me sad.

What I love about Christmas is the family time, the suspension of the            normality and the cheer that people seem to have around the season. I’ve seen a lot of lovely things done for others, and that gives me hope that it’s not all bad. 

Do you have any Christmas traditions, if so what are they are they carried on from your childhood or have you created your own?

I always buy my children new PJs for Christmas, well all of us actually!

We put a carrot out for Rudolph and a mince pie and a drink for Santa, and I lay flowers for my late cousin, who’s  birthday is Boxing Day. I light a candle for those who can’t be here, and I give to charity in whatever way I can.

My husband and I always wanted to have a really normal family Christmas for our boys, so we have done that since they were born. Oh, we always watch Home Alone too, and I adore Jingle all the Way and of course, The Holiday.

Do you think we’ll have a white Christmas this year?

Well, it’s 2020, so I wouldn’t count it out!

What is your earliest Christmas memory?

Being with my mother and younger brother, opening presents round the tree. My mum’s face watching us open gifts that she’d worked hard to buy for us. We cherished every gift, and still do.

What was the best present you received as a child?

Books, hands down. I still want books for Christmas and I am nearly 40!

What was the one present you always wanted but never got?

I can’t recall anything. We were lucky that way I guess, and I never really wanted anything much but PJs and books.

What is your favourite Christmas carol and Pop Song?

Well, everyone loves Mariah Carey, but it’s The Pogues for me.

If you were asked to guest DJ on a national radio station on Christmas day what would you play?

I would do a happy songs set, without Christmas music on at all! Some people need a pick me up that day without the fat red suited man being mentioned, so yes, I would do a happy song set for people to bop to.

What would you buy the main characters in Meet me at Fir Tree Lodge for Christmas?

Ooooh, that’s a good one! Definitely something to bake with for Rebecca, who loves to have a dabble with trying new things.

Luke I would buy a filo-fax or a desk with shelves built in, as he is a bit of a disorganised dork!

 

Meet me At Fir Tree Lodge

Escape to Fir Tree Lodge, where new beginnings come with a fresh blanket of snow…

Rebecca Atkins has everything she could hope for – the perfect fiancé, fabulous friends and a career as a professional skier. But when an accident on the slopes brings her crashing down in the snow with a catastrophic thud, everything changes. Her career is over, and her fiancé turns out to be, well, not so perfect.

With the chance to start afresh, Rebecca does what anyone else in her position would do… She turns to baking and manages the Alpine Bites café, nestled in the French Alps.

But when handsome stranger Luke Sommersby becomes Rebecca’s unexpected lodger, her plan to completely forget about love is thrown into jeopardy. Guarding her heart since the accident, Fir Tree Lodge is strictly a man-free-zone.

Luke is kind, caring and gorgeous, but the emotional scars from her fall still run deep, and she fights to keep the sparks catching her heart at bay.

Will Rebecca be able to find a second chance in the snow and step into a bright new future with Luke by her side?

Fans of Jenny Colgan, Emma Davies and Debbie Johnson will love Rachel Dove!

 

Order Here

Rachel tells us about herself below:

I am a writer and teacher, living in West Yorkshire with my husband, our two sons, and our furry pets.

In July 2015, I won the Prima magazine and Mills & Boon Flirty Fiction Competition, with my entry, The Chic Boutique on Baker Street, out now in ebook and paperback. The Flower Shop on Foxley Street followed this in 2017 and both books hit the Amazon top 200. Chic Boutique got to #2 in the rural life humour chart and is regularly in the top 100 of that chart. The Wedding Shop on Wexley Street came out in ebook on 10th August and the paperback 1st November 2018.

I am the winner of the Writers Bureau Writer of the Year Award in 2016 and I have had work published in the UK and overseas in various magazines.

I love to write romantic fiction, both rom-com and harder hitting women’s fiction.

I am also a teacher and have an MA in Creative Writing from Teesside University. 

@WriterDove        Rachel Dove Author

Writer Dove

Want to find out more about Rachel’s books, check out her Amazon author page.

Holly’s Christmas Secret – Kirsty Ferry

Did someone say it’s nearly Christmas? There are only 80 days to go!!!!

Hi Kirsty, great to be able to catch up again and talk about your new book Holly’s Christmas Secret and of cause Christmas!

 

Are you a lover or hater of Christmas Kirsty?

I love it.  I particularly enjoy my Christmas dinner, pjs after that and prosecco, chocolate and trashy tv all afternoon! Calories don’t count on Christmas Day, right?

Of cause all the veg we eat with Christmas dinner cancels everything else out

What are your likes and dislikes about Christmas?

I love the build-up and my favourite day is perhaps Christmas Eve as it’s still magical, even as an adult.

What I don’t like is the fact Christmas starts in the shops in September, and I hate the commercialism part of it – that makes me sound miserable, perhaps, but I think it’s more than just parents getting stressed and overspending. 

A three-year-old isn’t going to remember Mummy’s perfect Christmas table – they’re going to remember playing with their toys all day, and eating a boat load of chocolate until they are bouncing of the walls.

Actually, who am I kidding – that’s me with the chocolate, that is!

Do you have any Christmas traditions, if so what are they are they carried on from your childhood or have you created your own?

A mixture of both. My Christmas tree still has three very special decorations on it – a pom-pom owl and a pom-pom Santa which I made in primary school, and a white felt snowman I made in secondary school. He has a red knitted hat and a red knitted scarf, and my gran knitted those for him, so he’s extra special.

Since I had my own son, we have always put a mince pie, a carrot and a drink for Santa on Christmas Eve. My husband and I argue over who has to bite the end off the carrot each year to make it look as if Rudolph ate it. I usually try to bargain out of it by saying I’ll have the wine and the mince pie instead, but it doesn’t always work. My son is 19. We still do it. We still argue over it. And I’m pretty sure it’s his turn to be Rudolph this year.

We always go to the Family Crib Service on Christmas Eve with a whole load of our friends, and we always take a picture of the kids in the same position outside the church afterwards. Means as the oldest ‘child’ is almost 23, and the youngest is 16, we’ve been doing it for a while now!

Then we go home, order a Chinese takeaway and eat it on our knees in front of the Muppets Christmas Carol. I always wrap my presents whilst watching Elf, and on Christmas afternoon it’s new pjs, prosecco, a bath with my new bath products and new Broons book or Oor Wullie book – depending on which one is out that year – and eating chocolate until I pop. Bring it on!

Do you think we’ll have a white Christmas this year?

It can snow on Christmas Eve after I’m back from church, stay white and snow a bit on Christmas Day, then melt overnight for Boxing Day! That’s it.

What is your earliest Christmas memory?

I was taken to visit Santa Claus at Fenwicks in Newcastle when I was about five. My mum and grandma took me, and we had sausage and chips in the rooftop restaurant at the Co-Op before we went. Once we were at Fenwicks, we were ushered into a magical sleigh ride, and it was really dark. The ‘sleigh’ moved off, and fake snow came down from the ceiling and I remember it settling on my coat. I was wearing one of those brown furry hats that were all the range in the 70’s with pom pom things on the cords you tied under your chin and had a brown furry muff to match! The ‘snow’ stopped, and the lights came back on, and these black velvet curtains parted and there was Santa’s Grotto in front of me! I don’t remember getting the sleigh back – we were probably let out the fire exit! But I remember the journey to the grotto  very well.

What was the best present you received as a child?

Tough one – I’ve had some lush presents. My Bedtime Bear Care Bear is fab – I say ‘is’ because I’ve still got him, and he lives in my bedroom. Also, I got a bike with a basket on the front when I was 16 –a purple Raleigh Caprice.  I wanted to be Myfanwy from the David Essex video. I’ve still got that bike and have been using it this summer. Love it.

That’s the one present I always wanted and never got a Care Bear!

What was the one present you always wanted but never got?

A Mr Frosty! My husband, however, sourced one out for me a couple of years ago and I was very happy. I made alcoholic frozen cocktails in it. So then I was very happy.

What is your favourite Christmas carol and Pop Song?

Ohhhhh Do they Know it’s Christmas by Band Aid is right up there, along with Fairytale of New York by Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues, Last Christmas by Wham and David Essex’s Winter’s Tale. They are ageless. Can you tell I’m a child of the eighties…? If I had to go classical, I love Prokofiev’s Troika, and carol-wise I’ve always loved We Three Kings of Orient Are, Little Donkey, and In the Deep Midwinter.

If you were asked to guest DJ on a national radio station on Christmas day what would you play?

All those songs I mentioned before. And a good proportion of other famous Christmas Songs. But nothing modern by Reality Show contestants….so totally not Christmas records. And that takes us back to commercialism again.

What would you buy the main characters in Holly’s Christmas Secret for Christmas?

Holly, my historical heroine, would appreciate a big box of watercolour paints. 

Noel, my historical hero, would probably appreciate a typewriter or a nice fountain pen.

Sorcha, my contemporary heroine, would love something like a Primrose Bakery Cookbook or a Hummingbird Bakery cookbook (I have both, highly recommended).

Locryn, my contemporary hero, would probably appreciate a first edition of a certain book – but to find out which one, you’d have to read my book…

 

Holly’s Christmas Secret

 

 

Once upon a Cornish Christmas …

It’s almost Christmas at the Pencradoc estate in Cornwall which means that, as usual, tea room owner Sorcha Davies is baking up a festive storm. And this year Sorcha is hoping her mince pies will be going down a treat at ‘The Spirit of Christmas Past’ exhibition being organised at the house by new local antiques dealer, Locryn Dyer.

But as Locryn and Sorcha spend more time together, they begin to uncover a very special story of Christmas past that played out at Pencradoc more than a century before, involving a certain ‘Lady’ Holly Sawyer, a festive dinner party and a magical secret encounter with a handsome author …

 

Pre Order Here

 

Kirsty is from the North East of England and won the English Heritage/Belsay Hall National Creative Writing competition in 2009 with the ghostly tale ‘Enchantment’.

Her timeslip novel, ‘Some Veil Did Fall’, a paranormal romance set in Whitby, was published by Choc Lit in Autumn 2014. This was followed by another Choc Lit timeslip, ‘The Girl in the Painting’ in February 2016. ‘The Girl in the Photograph’, published in March 2017, completes the Rossetti Mysteries series. The experience of signing ‘Some Veil Did Fall’ in a quirky bookshop in the midst of Goth Weekend in Whitby, dressed as a recently undead person was one of the highlights of her writing career so far!

Kirsty’s first timeslip novel ‘The Memory of Snow’, commended in the Northern Writers’ Awards, is set on Hadrian’s Wall, with the vampire tale ‘Refuge’ set on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. She has also put together a collection of short stories, a non-fiction collection of articles and writes Gothic Fiction under the pen name Cathryn Ramsay.

Kirsty has had articles and short stories published in Your Cat, Peoples Friend, Ghost Voices, The Weekly News and It’s Fate, and her short stories appear in several anthologies. She was a judge in the Paws ‘n’ Claws ‘Wild and Free’ Children’s Story competition in 2011, 2013 and 2014, and graduated from Northumbria University in December 2016, having achieved a Masters with Distinction in Creative Writing.

@kirsty_ferry          Kirsty Ferry Author

 

www.rosethornpress.co.uk

 

Kirsty’s Blog

 

Check out Kirsty’s other books on the Choc Lit website

The Tearoom on the Bay – Rachel Burton

Did someone say it’s nearly Christmas? There are only 86 days to go!!!!

 

I was lucky enough to have Rachel as my mentor when I started to write “Perfect Lie.” After posting an interview with me on her blog on publication day I knew I couldn’t miss this chance to talk about her new book The Tearoom on the Bay and of cause Christmas!

My family still give each other stockings which is a definite carry on from childhood and I love it. My husband and I always watch Die Hard on Christmas Eve (I am not prepared to argue this, Die Hard is a Christmas movie!)

Are you a lover or hater of Christmas Rachel??

A bit of both I think. I love the idea of Christmas, I love being cosy at home and I love Christmas baking and all the sparkle and twinkle lights. But as a dedicated introvert I find the socialising and Christmas parties exhausting. I’m a big fan of that week in between Christmas and New Year when there is nothing to do except eat and read and watch TV!

Do you have any Christmas traditions, if so what are they are they carried on from your childhood or have you created your own?

My family still give each other stockings which is a definite carry on from childhood and I love it. My husband and I always watch Die Hard on Christmas Eve (I am not prepared to argue this, Die Hard is a Christmas movie!)

Do you think we’ll have a white Christmas this year?

Probably not – have we ever had a white Christmas in living memory? One of the things I love most about Christmas romance novels is that it always snows in London, even though in real life it hardly ever does!

What is your earliest Christmas memory?

My mum’s family lived in Australia and they came to stay with us the Christmas that I was six. It was so exciting to meet my cousins for the first time and have a big family Christmas together. I also remember that

What was the best present you received as a child?

My first camera. I can’t remember how old I was but it was the best present – it made me feel very grown up.

What was the one present you always wanted but never got?

A My Little Pony.

 

What is your favourite Christmas carol or Pop Song?

The Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

If you were asked to guest DJ on a national radio station on Christmas day what would you play?

I’d play the playlist for “The Tearoom on the Bay” which can be found in the back of the book! I’m not a huge fan of Christmas music because I used to work as a waitress in a restaurant that played Christmas music from 1 December right through until 6 January and I’m still haunted by memories of Slade playing over and over again!

What would you buy the main characters in The Tearoom on the Bay for Christmas?

I’d buy Ben a tea subscription so that he could wean himself of corporate coffee for good.

 

I’d buy Ellie the gift of a day off and look after her café for a day so she could pamper herself. She totally deserves it!

 

 

 

The Tearoom on the Bay

After a tough break-up, Ellie returns to the only place she’s ever really felt at home – the coastal town of Sanderson Bay. A year later, she’s living her dream, brewing delicious artisan teas and selling them at her very own café. And when the mysterious and brooding Ben walks into her tearoom, Ellie finally dares to dream of true love.

But then her ex shows up in the Bay, and just as Ellie discovers some tragic truths about her family’s past, she learns Ben might be hiding an unwelcome secret of his own…

Can Ellie let go of her past and brave a future with Ben?

 

Out today so grab your copy NOW!

Ebook – 1st October & Paperback 14th January

Rachel Burton has been making up stories for as long as she can remember and always dreamed of being a writer until life somehow got in the way. After reading for a degree in Classics and another in English Literature she accidentally fell into a career in law, but eventually managed to write her first book on her lunch breaks.

She has spent most of her life between Cambridge and London but now lives in Yorkshire with her husband and their three cats. She loves yoga, ice hockey, tea, The Beatles, dresses with pockets and very tall romantic heroes.

She is always happy to talk books, writing, music, cats and how the weather in Yorkshire is rubbish. She is mostly dreaming of her next holiday…. 

@RachelBWriter          Kirsty Ferry Author

 

 

Rachel Burton

 

Rachel’s other novels can be also found on her Amazon author page

 

My review of Rachel’s book “The Things we Need To Say” can be found Here

Writing, refereeing & sniffing

Hope everyone had a good Christmas, I did. Christmas isn’t my favorite time of the year. Too much hassle, stress and drama and half the time I just want to sleep. As every year I think in the morning OMG I am going to cry as I am so tired!!! But thanks to the NHS and drugs I think I made it through the day. I wanted to come home and hide several times but no such luck! The highlight of the day  was Alex failing in the canal on our way to Auntie Georgina’s god only knows why but he cycled straight into the canal!!!

I did #parkrun on Christmas eve, I walked all the way round and Alex walked most of the way with me. I think I am going to download the NHS couch to 5k and start doing that at #parkrun. So when I am in town tomorrow I am going to buy a sport bra and we shall see what happens from there 🙂

I have set my PB at 58mins so I can only get better haha

Harder, Faster, Stronger…