Tag Archives: Choc Lit

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!

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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

Morton S Gray joins my Christmas Countdown!

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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

 

Lynda Stacey joins my Christmas Countdown!

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

Next up on my Christmas countdown is Choc Lit and Ruby Fiction author, Lynda Stacey, with her compelling read, House of Christmas Secrets…

Welcome to my blog Lynda, I am excited to know how your characters will be celebrating Christmas…

In House of Christmas Secrets my characters have been through a pretty tough time by the time they get to Christmas. Two unexpected visitors appeared and with them came more problems than one Christmas would normally have to cope with.

I’d love to think that my characters would have the biggest turkey, that Nomsa and Bernie would be fighting over who made the best roast potatoes, that Maddie, Bandit, Jess and Jack would all sit by the Inglenook with a glass of eggnog and after, they’d all sit around the big oak table together as a family. Wine would flow and Santa would turn up to see both Poppy and Lily. Oh… and Buddy the springer would have the biggest bone ever to munch at in the corner of the kitchen. Yes… I hope they’d have the perfect day.

And for a bit more of a teaser here’s the blurb:

This year we’re just going to have a nice, normal Christmas… 
Last year’s Christmas at Wrea Head Hall didn’t quite go to plan which is why Jess Croft is determined this festive season will be the one to remember, for the right reasons. And she has plenty of reasons to be hopeful, she’s going to marry the man of her dreams, Jack Stone, seven days after New Year’s Eve.

However, as family secrets are revealed in hidden letters and two unexpected guests turn up on the doorstep, Jess is left wondering whether her life will ever be the same again.

Can Jess and Jack still experience a peaceful festive season that they had imagined or are there some problems that even Christmas can’t fix?

Click to buy the book: Amazon | Kobo | Audible

With your characters hoping, but perhaps not getting, a peaceful festive season, I am wondering what your plans are for Christmas?

I’m not a fan of Christmas, not since I lost my mum. So, for the past few years, we’ve gone abroad and had holidays in the Caribbean and Cape Verde. But the holiday companies double the price at Christmas, so this year we’re planning a Christmas at home, with the huge tree, a bit of Bing Crosby, lots of wine and the log burner in full flow.

When we are at home, we quite often spend one night at Wrea Head Hall around Christmas, they have the best food and 20ft Christmas Trees and being there is like stepping into one of my books. I fully expect Nomsa to walk out of the kitchen or see Bandit walking through the grounds. www.wreaheadhall.co.uk

I’m very sorry to hear about the loss of your mum, Lynda. xx

Wrea Head Country House Hotel, looks like an amazing place – the perfect getaway for you and a great setting for your characters!

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

Christmas jumper or posh frock? Jumper and sweat pants… I’m happiest when I’m comfy.

Naughty or nice? Naughty every time..!

Mince pie or Christmas pudding? Am I allowed to say BOTH… on the same plate, with brandy sauce. Yep, you guessed… I’m greedy and I have a sweet tooth. (Both are definitely allowed!)

Favourite Christmas film? White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye… I watch it every year.

Multi-coloured decs or co-ordinated Christmas tree? Co-ordinated… I’m very OCD

First Quality Street flavour to disappear from your tub? The purple one with the nut in it… Mmmmm I’ve actually already seen them for sale in the supermarkets and I can’t wait.!!

Who did you play in the school nativity? I was always the narrator. Think I might have had a big voice and apparently I was good at reading… so nothing new there.

I LOVE the fact you got so carried away with my Christmas selection you answered seven questions, and chose two puds instead of one! You’re a star.

Thank you so much for joining in with my Christmas countdown and I wish you a happy and peaceful Christmas at home, this year. xx

About Lynda Stacey:

Lynda grew up in the mining village of Bentley, Doncaster, in South Yorkshire,

Her own chaotic life story, along with varied career choices helps Lynda to create stories of romantic suspense, with challenging and unpredictable plots, along with (as in all romances) very happy endings.

Lynda joined the Romantic Novelist Association in 2014 under the umbrella of the New Writers Scheme and in 2015, her debut novel House of Secretswon the Choc Lit & Whole Story Audiobooks Search for a Starcompetition.

She lives in a small rural hamlet near Doncaster, with her husband, Haydn, whom she’s been happily married to for over 20 years.

Discover more about Lynda and her books via: Facebook | website | Twitter | 

Including her latest novel Keeper of Secrets:

Don’t miss author Rosie Green, on my blog on Monday 11th November, as she shares her new Christmas novel and how she will be celebrating Christmas. xx

Jackie Ladbury kicks off my Christmas Countdown!

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Starting my Christmas countdown, I am delighted to welcome author Jackie Ladbury whose novel, Happy Christmas Eve, is described as an uplifting, heart-warming story…

Welcome to my blog Jackie, the cover of your book is gorgeous and I would love to know how your characters will be celebrating Christmas…

The characters in my book, Happy Christmas Eve, are in turmoil over Christmas. Eve has loved Lucien, the bad boy singer in her band, for all of her life but is starting to realise that she’s wasting her time. Theo, a local baker has, in turn, loved Eve all of his life and is desperate to make her fall in love with him. Lucien – well he doesn’t really care about anyone or anything as long as he’s fed and watered. Christmas brings them all together in Lucien’s parents’ manor house, and it seems that this Christmas a few home truths will be dished out along with the turkey and Christmas pudding.

And for a bit more of a teaser here’s the blurb:

All I want for Christmas is you … or you?

Eve Halligan is back in her hometown for Christmas after a whirlwind few years touring with her band, the Molotovs. A lot has changed since she left, but two things have stayed the same. One: Eve is head-over-heels in love with Lucien Malikov, the Molotovs’ bad boy lead singer. Two: Lucien is completely indifferent to her.

Still, Eve dreams that this could be the Christmas where she convinces Lucien that they’re made for each other. But when childhood friend and local caterer Theo Wright comes back into her life bringing with him festive cupcake and sausage roll conundrums, Eve begins to question whether her Christmas dreams have been wasted on the wrong man …

Click to buy.

With your characters having quite the Christmas in store, I’d love to know how you will be celebrating the festive season in the Ladbury household?

We normally wake up quite early, my two daughters jump on to the end of our bed and we drag our pillow cases that Santa has filled and take it in turns opening various bits of nothingness mixed with a few decent presents. My daughters are not children anymore so the days of being able to stuff their stockings with cheap pink plastic toys are long gone.

We rarely have a Bucks Fizz and smoked salmon to start the day, apart from in my dreams where we are the perfect family sitting down to breakfast on a table that was meticulously laid the night before. More likely to wipe the cat hairs off the table and take it in turns watching that the breakfast doesn’t burn.

Oh but the culprit of those cat hairs is so very cute!

We’ve never, ever spent a Christmas day on our own – I think we’d all want to cry if that happened as we all enjoy ‘getting ready’ even if we are having family over to ours. My family are scattered wide, but my sister, who lives in Dubai, is home this Christmas (yay!) but not my other sister who lives in Sydney (not yay!)

I’m doing a ‘Ladbury Christmas’ this year which will probably be between ten and fourteen of us, including my mother and father-in- law who I love to bits. Hopefully my daughters will help out as I lose the plot after I’ve prepped it all and opened the champagne!

You have a busy time ahead, but I can’t possilby let you go without asking you to answer five quick questions from my festive selection:

Naughty or nice? Nice. I’m a real pink and glitter ‘buy me a unicorn’ kind of gal.

Favourite Christmas film? The Holiday. I don’t know why I find it odd that people read Christmas books all through the year as I watch The Holiday whenever I’m feeling low. I’ll bet I know the lines better than Cameron Diaz.

Best Christmas gift? An iPad from my husband when they very first came out and I was still trying to become a published writer. I cried, I was so bowled over. Still have it although it’s an iPad 1 and not much more use than the proverbial brick now.

Worst Christmas gift? A packet of roll-up tobacco packed in a Tiffany jewellery box when I was trying to give up smoking. I seriously thought the boyfriend in question had bought me a beautiful present – until I opened the box. Had to try really, really hard to pretend I thought it was funny too. Thanks Chris!

Multi-coloured decs or co-ordinated Christmas tree? I pretty much just upend a full box of decorations onto a tree and jiggle it all about a bit. At least that’s what it looks like – I have NO artistic talent.

I love The Holiday all year round too, and your Christmas tree sounds perfect to me! 

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

About the author:

Jackie Ladbury writes heart-warming contemporary and historical women’s fiction that guarantees a happy ever after. From spending many years as an air-stewardess and seeing that it really is love that makes the world go around, she determined to put the same sparkle and emotion into her stories. Her life is no longer as exotic (or chaotic) as it was in those heady days of flying as she now lives a quiet life in Hertfordshire with her family and two cats, spending her days making up stories and finding excuses not to go to the gym

Discover more about Jackie via: Facebook | website | Twitter | The Write Romantics

Check out how author Lynda Stacey and her characters will be spending Christmas, on my blog on Thursday 7th November. xx