All posts by carol

Angela Barton joins my Christmas Countdown!

Guest Post, Writing & Reading, , , , , , , , ,

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.

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 |

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!

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

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

Kathryn Freeman joins my Christmas Countdown!

Guest Post, Writing & Reading, , , , , , ,

Next up on my Christmas countdown is Choc Lit author, Kathryn Freeman, with her feel-good festive read, A Little Christmas Faith …

Welcome to my blog Kathryn, I have read A Little Christmas Faith, but for those who haven’t, how will your characters be spending Christmas?

The characters in A Little Christmas Faith celebrate the festive day in a seventeenth century mill in the Lake District – lovingly converted into a boutique hotel; The Old Mill hotel. What happens on the day does bear some resemblance to my own Christmas. There is a real tree (though Faith, owner of the hotel, has managed to cram a ten foot Normandy fir into her hallway), presents, turkeys, family … and most definitely chaos. Where it differs from mine, is the very heavy sprinkling of romance. (Then again, one year my husband did give me a life size cardboard cutout of Jenson Button.)

Check out the photographic evidence of Kathryn’s favourite Christmas gift below 😉 But first here’s a bit more about A Little Christmas Faith, starting with the blurb: 

Is it time to love Christmas again?

Faith Watkins loves Christmas, which is why she’s thrilled that her new hotel in the Lake District will be open in time for the festive season. And Faith has gone all out; huge Christmas tree, fairy lights, an entire family of decorative reindeer. Now all she needs are the guests …

But what she didn’t bank on was her first paying customer being someone like Adam Hunter. Rugged, powerfully built and with a deep sadness in his eyes, Adam is a man that Faith is immediately drawn to – but unfortunately he also has an intense hatred of all things Christmassy.

As the countdown to the big day begins, Faith can’t seem to keep away from her mysterious guest, but still finds herself with more questions than answers: just what happened to Adam Hunter? And why does he hate Christmas?

And as I’ve had the pleasure of reading the book, here’s my review:

“A fabulous, feel-good festive read that will leave you with that all important fuzzy feeling! Likeable characters come together in this delightful Christmas story of love, hope and new beginnings. Adam Hunter is a great male lead, perfect to snuggle up with over Christmas.”

Click here to buy the book.

So with your character’s Christmas all sorted, how do you plan to celebrate Christmas this year?

Christmas chez Freeman is a family affair; children, nieces, grandparents. Sometimes we’re at home, sometimes in Somerset. Always there are daft presents (mixed with a couple of serious ones), champagne, crackers, a huge turkey (if at mine, read over done turkey), the Queen’s speech, a real tree (if at my brother’s, read more trees than Santa’s grotto), a film everyone can watch (and will fall asleep during), and chaos. We also try and drag everyone out for a walk, and always receive an enthusiastic response from the teenage generation (‘do we have to?’).

Oh I do love a big family Christmas, it sounds great! Before you go, I must also ask you to answer five questions from my Christmas selection:

Christmas jumper or posh frock? I start out trying to be posh, but end the day in tracksuit bottoms with plenty of waistband give.

Real or artificial Christmas tree? Real, for the smell, for the look and for the memories as it’s what we always had when I was a child. Sweeping up pine needles is just part of the whole Christmas experience.

Best Christmas gift? That would have to be Jenson of course!

Worst Christmas gift? In the early years of our marriage, my husband gave me a food processor. I can only say it must be love, or we’d never have made it to the next Christmas. He did learn from his mistake, see above 😉

Sprouts or no sprouts? Sprouts, because how can you have Christmas without them? I don’t actually like the things, but I can blame my parents for that, because apparently whether they taste bitter or not to you is all in the genes.

Wow, I never knew that about sprouts but I am claiming that for my excuse now too.

Thank you so much for joining in with my Christmas countdown and I wish you and your family a happy (and joyously hectic) Christmas. xx

About the author:

Kathryn says: “A former pharmacist, I’m now a medical writer who also writes romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a hunky hero.

With two teenage boys and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), any romance is all in my head. Then again, his unstinting support of my career change proves love isn’t always about hearts and flowers – and heroes come in many disguises.”

You can follow Kathryn, and find out more about her work here: Facebook | Twitter | website |

Don’t miss author Angela Barton on my blog on Monday 25th November, for more festive fun. xx

The Purrfect Pet Sitter joins my Christmas Countdown!

Writing & Reading, , , , , , , ,

Today, I am joining my Christmas countdown with The Purrfect Pet Sitter! 

“But that’s not a Christmas book!” I hear you cry.
“Oh, yes, it is!”
“Oh no, it isn’t!”
OK, so technically it isn’t a Christmas book, because it is set from September to New Year’s Eve. However, it does include a family Christmas, amid the snow-covered French Alps. And here’s a teaser about what my characters get up to …

After a difficult year, Lisa Blake is back in her hometown, anticipating a traditional Blake family Christmas – complete with Bing (their not so attractive artificial tree), wonky cracker hats and the Queen’s speech. But, with a holiday home in France, Lisa’s parents have other ideas.

While Lisa has to admit that Samoëns in the snow is beautiful, can the festive season go without a hitch when there are family secrets to be revealed, and a visit from an unexpected guest on Christmas Day?

A picture perfect Christmas in Samoëns!

For those who’d like to know a little more, here’s the blurb for The Purrfect Pet Sitter:

When Lisa Blake’s life in London falls apart, she returns to her hometown rebranding herself as ‘the purrfect pet sitter’ – which may or may not be false advertising as she has a rather unfortunate habit of (temporarily) losing dogs!

But being back where she grew up, Lisa can’t escape her past. There’s her estranged best friend Flick who she bumps into in an embarrassing encounter in a local supermarket. And her first love, Nathan Baker, who, considering their history, is sure to be even more surprised by her drunken Facebook friend request than Lisa is.

As she becomes involved in the lives of her old friends Lisa must confront the hurt she has caused, discover the truth about her mysterious leather-clad admirer, and learn how to move forward when the things she wants most are affected by the decisions of her past.

Buying links: Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay | Nook | in paperback from all good bookstores.

My own Christmas is filled with family fun and tradition …

On Christmas Eve, I visit my eldest daughter and make mince pies with all four of my children and my two gorgeous grandchildren. In the evening, my son puts out a carrot for Rudolph, a homemade mince pie, and a glass of milk for Santa. He then lays out his Christmas sack, while his older sisters do a very good job of joining in 😉

Christmas Day starts around 7am, when the children wake us. Once downstairs to many oohs and ahs about the fact Santa has been, the children open their main presents and then start on the gifts in their sacks, all sitting around the floor while we attempt to stop the dog eating the wrapping paper.

After breakfast, my dad visits to exchange presents, followed by my mum and sister. During this time, we also phone relatives, listen to Christmas music and play games the children have received.

Once the family leave, we have a traditional roast dinner, with all the trimmings, cooked by my husband. In the afternoon the dog gets a walk, before we catch up with our eldest daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, to exchange gifts. It all makes for a busy day filled with family and festive fun.

This is a very old picture but one of my all time festive favourites!

Finally, I am very excited to get to answer five of my quick questions from my Christmas selection:

Multi-coloured decs or co-ordinated Christmas tree? Ours is very much a multi-coloured affair, with random decs made by the children spanning almost thirty years making an appearance on the tree each year.

Must read Christmas book? I read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas with my children, every Christmas Eve.

Cracker hat or no cracker hat? No cracker hat, my head is too big for them 🙂

Best cracker prize? The mood fish is always a coveted prize in our house.

Angel, fairy or star on top of your Christmas tree? We have an angel, purchased from Woolworths (yes she’s been around a while). The children take it in turns to put her on top of the tree determined by a list we keep since the great Christmas angel debate ensued!

You can follow me, and discover more about my work here: Facebook | Twitter | website | 

I’ve loved joining in with the Christmas fun, don’t miss Choc Lit author, Kathryn Freeman, joining my Christmas Countdown, on Thursday 21st November! xx

Morton S Gray joins my Christmas Countdown!

Guest Post, Writing & Reading, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Next up on my Christmas countdown is Choc Lit author, Morton S Gray, with her festive read, Christmas at Borteen Bay…

Welcome to my blog Morton, I’ve read your wonderful Christmas book but for those who haven’t how will your characters be celebrating Christmas?

Set in my fictional seaside town of Borteen, Christmas at Borteen Bay, 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. The story starts at the beginning of December and finishes on Christmas Day, so I think it would give too much away by telling you how they celebrate Christmas! Please read the book to find out.

Morton you are being a tease! To discover a little more, here’s the blurb 🙂 

Christmas has a way of bringing family secrets to the surface …

Christmas is a bittersweet time for Pippa Freeman. There are good memories, of course – but some painful ones too.

Then her mother is implicated in a mysterious occurrence in their home town of Borteen, and Pippa wonders if she’ll ever experience a happy Christmas again – especially when a family secret is revealed.

But when police officer and old school friend Ethan Gibson offers his support, Pippa begins to realise that even though her life has been turned upside down, a happy and hopeful Christmas isn’t impossible …

And, to add to that, here’s my review:

The story is told from the point of view of the main characters, Ethan and Pippa, who are both still touched by occurrences from their past, that have divided them. So when Pippa has to turn to Ethan for help, it is more than a body on the beach that is brought to the surface. As the two are thrown together it becomes apparent that Ethan is a different type of romantic hero; he is more measured in his responses and passions, he is flawed and yet thoroughly likeable.

As a novella, it is great to escape into for a few hours over the busy Christmas period. I enjoy Morton’s writing style and the world she has created in her Borteen Bay series. I look forward to visiting again in the future.

Click to buy the book: Ebook | Audio | Other Retailers

With plenty of drama unfolding for your characters, I am intrigued to know how you will be celebrating the festive season…

We always have a traditional family Christmas.

Early on Christmas morning I enjoy exchanging presents with my husband and youngest son. My eldest son and his girlfriend collect my mother on the way to our house for lunch and more presents.

Thankfully, my husband loves cooking and I am eternally grateful for this. We will have a roast dinner, usually beef and honey-glazed ham with loads of vegetables including sprouts, roast potatoes and parsnips plus Yorkshire puddings. After a suitable gap for digestion, we then have Christmas pudding with brandy butter and cream.

Often my sister, her partner and her children join us later in the afternoon to see mom and exchange yet more presents.

At some point we walk the dog and then settle down for a film in the evening when everyone has gone home. The day usually feels as if it has passed by very quickly.

Your Christmas sounds very similar to my own, busy but full of family and festive fun. My hubby cooks too 😉

Before you go, I’d love you to answer five quick questions from my festive selection:

Who did you play in the school nativity? I was an angel in the infant school nativity. Unfortunately, I was ill and didn’t make it to school on the day. Mum always says that the teacher cried, ‘Not my Angel Gabriel!’ Oh no, poor you and poor teacher.

Real or artificial Christmas tree? I’ve always loved real Christmas trees, but since living in this particular house and owning a dog, we go for artificial trees, one in the lounge, one in the dining room and one outside of the front door.

Multi-coloured decs or co-ordinated Christmas tree? I love making and collecting Christmas decorations and prefer the multi-coloured, unthemed look. I add to my collection every year and enjoy discovering the older ones when I open the boxes. My favourites have to be the glass icicles that my grandad apparently brought home from somewhere during the second world war.

Here are some of Morton’s gorgeous Christmas decorations!

Best Christmas gift? A perfume atomizer my husband bought for me alongside my favourite Dior perfume. The atomizer has been everywhere with me since that Christmas and it’s so easy to fill by a pressurized system from the mother bottle.

Favourite Christmas film? Without doubt my favourite Christmas film is The Holiday. Jude Law is adorable in the film. I won’t tell you just how many times I have watched this film. Closely followed by Love Actually, which I’ve also watched numerous times.

Three Christmas trees, I have trouble keeping my dog from eating the decorations on one, hehe! Interestingly, The Holiday is proving a very popular choice amongst us romance writers!

Thank you so much for joining my Christmas countdown. I wish you, your lovely family and of course dog, a very happy Christmas. xx

About Morton S Gray:

Morton S Gray 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 Starcompetition. 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 is 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.

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.

You can catch up with Morton via: website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram.

Morton is also a member of Apricot Plots.

Don’t miss me, on my blog on Monday 18th November, sharing a Christmas teaser from The Purrfect Pet Sitter, and how I will be celebrating Christmas. xx

 

Rosie Green joins my Christmas Countdown!

Guest Post, Writing & Reading, , , , , , , , ,

Followers of my blog will know two things: 1) My Christmas countdown is underway, whoop whoop! 2) I love books by Rosie Green. So, what better than to have Rosie stop by, to talk about the fact she has TWO fabulous festive reads out this season?

Welcome to my blog Rosie. Oh my goodness, two Christmas books, I feel spoilt for choice! To help me decide which to read first, I’d love to know what your characters will be up to this Christmas…

Ooh, that would be telling! Go on, you know you want to 🙂 

A happy Christmas definitely isn’t on the cards in the opening chapters of Snowflakes over Moondance Cottage, what with Jess, the main character, having to put up with a surly (but very fit) builder knocking down walls in her precious old family home. Her mum is acting strangely and her sister seems to have a mysterious agenda of her own. Recent family Christmases have been sad and tinged with tragedy. But maybe this year, the magic of Christmas will heal old wounds and bring the family the very best gift of all…

In A Winter Wedding at the Little Duck Pond Cafe, the villagers are preparing to celebrate with Ellie and Zak at gorgeous Brambleberry Manor – but will everything go according to plan? It has to be a happy Christmas, hasn’t it?

I love the sound of the fit builder 😉 and I am desperate for Ellie and Zak to finally make it up the aisle. Maybe the blurbs will help me decide:

Snowflakes over Moondance Cottage

When Jess Rigby lost her dad, the family coped in different ways, alone in their grief. Now, her mum seems to be going off the rails and her sister, Isla, who moved to France, is now back and determined to get the old family home on the market. But the last thing Jess wants this Christmas is for renovations to start on the house. It’s sure to stir up old memories she’s desperate to forget. And to make things worse, Isla seems to have hired the most obnoxious builder in the world to do the work. Jess could forget the fact that woman seem to be putty in his hands. But what she finds harder to ignore is the frisson she gets every time she squeezes past him in the mess that is now their beloved family home! Soon, the house begins to give up its secrets, some of them shocking. Can the family finally start talking and find a way to move on from the past this Christmas?

Click to buy.

A Winter Wedding at the Little Duck Pond Cafe

With Zak and Ellie’s wedding day approaching, excitement is spilling over in the village of Sunnybrook, especially among the Little Duck Pond Café crew. Ellie is over the moon with her romantic surprise wedding gift from Zak, and Madison is promising to organise a hen party to remember. Everyone has high hopes for a magical Christmas Eve wedding celebration at gorgeous Brambleberry Manor. (Even Maisie-Moo has a sparkling new outfit.) What could possibly go wrong?

Sometimes, even the best-laid plans can end in disaster. And with the journey to the altar turning out to be rockier than expected, it’s going to take nothing short of a Christmas miracle to ensure a happy ending . . .

Click to buy.

Well that’s decided … I’ll just have to dive straight in to both!

As part of my Christmas countdown, I am also asking authors what they will be up to this festive season, where will you be spending your Christmas?

At home, as always. I wouldn’t really want to be anywhere else! I suppose it’s a legacy from when my son was little and it was lovely for him to wake up to Christmas and all the excitement in his own house. He’s eighteen now but Christmas Eve still feels as sprinkled with magic as it did back then. Our festivities begin on the 24th. Relatives arrive in the morning and I’ll begin preparing turkey and all the trimmings in the afternoon. We have our Christmas dinner that night, which I love because it means that by the time Christmas Day dawns, I’ve done all the hard work and I can spend the big day itself just relaxing and eating chocolate. A recipe for total bliss in my opinion.

That’s a great idea! Finally, before you go, I’d love you to answer five quick questions from my festive selection:

Christmas jumper or posh frock? Christmas jumper

Real or artificial Christmas tree? Real

Favourite Christmas film? The Holiday

Singing a Christmas carol or bopping along to a Christmas classic? Christmas classic

Multi-coloured decs or co-ordinated Christmas tree? Multi-coloured!

Now I wish I’d asked for a pic of the Christmas jumper! 

Thank you so much for joining my Christmas countdown and I wish you and your family a wonderful festive season! xx

About the author:

Rosie Green has been scribbling stories ever since she was little. Back then they were rip-roaring adventure tales with a young heroine in perilous danger of falling off a cliff or being tied up by ‘the baddies’. Thankfully, Rosie has moved on somewhat, and now much prefers to write romantic comedies that melt your heart and make you smile, with really not much perilous danger involved at all, unless you count the heroine losing her heart in love.

You can find Rosie on Twitter.

Check out how author Morton S Gray and her characters will be spending Christmas, on my blog on Thursday 14th November. xx