Today, I am delighted to welcome fellow Apricot Plotter, Angela Barton, to my Christmas countdown!

With just a month to go until Christmas Day, Angela, I would love to know how your characters will be spending the festive season…

In Arlette’s Story, my characters’ are living through WW2 in France, so their Christmas’s are frugal with limited amounts of food.

Discover more about Arlette’s Story:

An emotional and beautifully written debut you will not want to put down.

One woman’s struggle to fight back against the enemy in order to protect the ones she loves.

When Arlette Blaise sees a German plane fly over the family farm in 1940, she’s comforted by the fact that the occupying forces are far away in the north of the country. Surely the war will not reach her family in the idyllic French countryside near to the small town of Oradour-sur-Glane?

But then Saul Epstein, a young Jewish man driven from his home by the Nazis, arrives at the farm and Arlette begins to realise that her peaceful existence might be gone for good …

Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Ruby Fiction an imprint of Choc Lit

Link to buy the book.

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In Magnolia House, my protagonists spend Christmas with friends and take a snowy walk in Hyde Park.

Discover more about Magnolia House:

When you open up your home and your heart …

Rowan Forrester has it all – the happy marriage, the adorable dog, the good friends, the promising business and even the dream home after she and her husband Tom win a stunning but slightly dilapidated Georgian townhouse in London at auction.

But in the blink of an eye, Rowan’s picture-perfect life comes crashing down around her and she is faced with the prospect of having to start again.

To make ends meet she begins a search for housemates, and in doing so opens the door to new friends and new beginnings. But could she be opening the door to new heartbreak too?

Publisher: Choc Lit
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Links to buy the book Amazon UK | Amazon.Com | Kobo |

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However, in my work in progress, my protagonist helps my hero to organise an art exhibition at The Rookery, which doubles as a Christmas party too.

“In the darkness, the marquee had turned from an enormous white tent, into a magical world of make-believe. The pathway leading from the gallery to the marquee was lined with dozens of silver lanterns, showering yellow beams along the coconut matting. An arch of fairy lights spanned the pathway, twinkling a warm welcome at the entrance. The band was now singing Sade’s Diamond Life, the singer’s voice flowing like warm treacle around the enclosure.”

Exciting to have a sneak peak of your WIP, Angela!

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With plenty going on for your characters, I’d love to know how you will be spending Christmas…

I will just have moved back to England with my husband, having spent 20 months in France. I’m excited about making our house in Nottingham all Christmassy and maybe we’ll even get a little ‘help’ from our five-year old twin granddaughters. I love cosy evenings by the fire with the tree twinkling in the corner and the scent of cinnamon and mince pies wafting around the house. It’s also so special to catch up with family who live in different parts of the country. Oh, and bread sauce! Who could forget bread sauce and sprouts? Yum!

I hope you are soon settled and cosy in your new home. Before you go, I’d love you to answer five quick questions from my Christmas selection:

Real or artificial Christmas tree? It has to be real and smell of pine.

Favourite Christmas film? I watch The Grinch every Christmas.

Multi-coloured decs or co-ordinated Christmas tree? Multi-coloured lights and baubles.

First Quality Street flavour to disappear from your tub? Plain chocolate orange creams.

Sprouts or no sprouts? I love sprouts!

I love the smell of pine too!

Thank you so much for joining my Christmas countdown and I wish you and your family a fabulous festive season back in England! xx

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About the author:

Angela Barton was born in London and grew up in Nottingham. She is married with three grown up children and adorable five-year-old twin granddaughters. She is passionate about writing both contemporary and historical fiction and loves time spent researching facts for her novels. Having signed publishing contracts for three of her completed novels with Choc Lit’s new imprint, Ruby Fiction, Angela is excited to be working alongside such a lovely team.

Angela relaxes by making landscapes using free motion sewing on a machine and also designs and makes jewellery. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and Nottingham Writers’ Studio.

Discover more about Angela Barton here: Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Ruby Fiction | Angela is also a member of Apricot Plots.

Don’t miss children’s author, Lexi Rees, up next on my Christmas Countdown! xx

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