One Hundred Christmas Proposals Competition!

Today I'm pleased to welcome Holly Martin onto the blog with an amazing competition!


One Hundred Christmas Proposals is out now, here’s the blurb

The eagerly anticipated follow-up to One Hundred Proposals.

If you thought Harry & Suzie’s life couldn't get anymore sweepingly romantic than Harry asking her to marry him at the end of One Hundred Proposals – think again!

It’s Christmas in a snow-kissed London, and the.PerfectProposal.com have vowed to carry out one hundred proposals in December. No easy task at the best of times - made even more complicated by Harry & Suzie trying to plan their first Christmas and a visit from the dreaded in-laws. But one hundred deliciously Christmassy proposals later they find themselves asking if everything is still perfect in their own relationship….

Welcome back to the divinely warm world of One Hundred Proposals – with a sprinkling of pure, joyful, festive magic.

Have yourself a very merry Christmas indeed with Holly Martin’s Christmas novella. 

***

I love this story and I’m so excited about you guys reading it too. I never thought I would write a sequel for any of my novels, but catching up with Harry and Suzie, two of my favourite characters, in London at Christmas was a story that was begging to be told. What I love about this story is instead of Harry proposing to Suzie, we get to see some of the amazing proposals they organise for their clients and we learn a little about their clients lives too. One of my favourite proposals in this story is the sightseeing flight over London with the proposal written in flowers on a boat on the Thames.

Now you can win a sightseeing flight over London too and experience some incredible views of our capital.

 

 

This experience gives you a unique perspective on the sights of London. After a short pre-flight briefing, you'll board a Piper Seneca twin-engine plane for a fantastic half hour sightseeing trip.

 

After taking off in Essex you'll follow the Thames west into the heart of the city, getting a unique view of the capital. You'll see the O2 arena, Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, the towers at Canary Wharf, The London Eye, The Shard and the Houses of Parliament. Then turn north to fly over Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace, before heading back east to land in Essex. You'll get an amazing perspective on the geography of the city and the beauty of its landmarks, so whether you're a tourist or a Londoner, you'll see the capital in a whole new way. And if flying isn’t your thing, this would make the perfect Christmas present for someone in your family.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is copy one of the pre-prepared tweets below, tweet it and you’ll automatically be entered into the draw to win this prize bundle. The more you tweet, the more times you’ll be entered.

The competition will run until midnight (UK time) on Sunday 14th December so plenty of time for tweeting. Every time you tweet, you’ll be entered into the draw.

Good Luck


Tweets

One Hundred Christmas Proposals by @hollymartin00 is out now, a gorgeous, sparkly story to curl up with this winter
http://amzn.to/1vwnL4e

**

Join Harry & Suzie as they celebrate Christmas in a snowkissed London,100 Christmas Proposals is 59p
@hollymartin00 http://amzn.to/1vwnL4e

**

Celebrate Christmas in a sparkly,snowkissed London, a beautiful love story to curl up with this winter
@hollymartin00 http://amzn.to/1vwnL4e

**

Christmas lights,overcooked turkey,plenty of cake,glistening snow. 100 Christmas Proposals is only 59p
@hollymartin00 http://amzn.to/1vwnL4e

**

What will Harry give Suzie this Christmas? 100 Christmas Proposals is only 59p, a sparkly,snowy sequel
@hollymartin00 http://amzn.to/1vwnL4e

**

Harry & Suzie are back celebrating their first Christmas in a snowy London,100 Christmas Proposals.59p
@hollymartin00 http://amzn.to/1vwnL4e

**

Fairy lights, candles, snow, flowers and beautiful music, how to create the perfect Christmas proposal
@hollymartin00 http://amzn.to/1vwnL4e

**

100 Christmas Proposals is only 59p,a gorgeously romantic snowkissed story to curl up with this winter
@hollymartin00 http://amzn.to/1vwnL4e

Book of the Month: November

 

The Extraordinary Journey of

The Fakir Who Got Trapped In An Ikea Wardrobe

 

by

 

Romain Puertolas

 

 

Armed only with a fake 100-Euro note, Ajatashatru the fakir arrives in Paris.

His mission? To acquire a new bed of nails. His destination? IKEA.

Once there he finds an obliging wardrobe in which to lay his head, only to discover on waking that he is locked in, covered in bubble-wrap and headed for England in the back of a truck.

So begins a magnificent adventure, as our fakir travels to Italy in a suitcase, writes a novel on a shirt, flees a revenge-crazed taxi driver, flies to Libya in a hot air balloon and finds love in the unlikeliest of places.

*     *     *     *     *

The Extraordinary Journey of The Fakir Who Got Trapped In An Ikea Wardrobe is the quirkiest title of a book that I've read in 2014 - and possibly ever. And the quirky title suits the book completely! I wasn't sure how I was going to get on with the book to begin with as it's all a bit strange but I soon grew to love the style of Romain Puertolas' writing and his main character, Ajatashatru. He's quite a naïve character and finds himself in some pretty bizarre situations and I found that I was rooting for him all the way! It's such a fun book with lots of laugh-out-loud moments and crazy scenarious - I loved it!

You can see my full review of the book over on Novelicious here

 

Click here to see all 'Books of the Month' 

 

#AmWriting Christmassy Things

I love Christmas, from decorating the tree, to festive crafts and watching films with my family. I also love a good Christmassy book so I decided to write a Christmas novella for 2015. I've just finished writing the first draft and loved getting to know a brand new set of characters (and also seeing a familiar face once again as they made a festive return). I've never written a novella before (A Beginner's Guide To Christmas, which I wrote last year, is only around 8,000 words so it's more like a short story) so it was good to try something new. Of course, I had to listen to my favourite festive radio station - North Pole Radio - to make sure that I was truly in the Christmas spirit as I wrote!

I've also been working on my Christmas short story for 2014. Since I started this blog in 2011, I've been posting a festive short story each year. I haven't always been a fan of writing short stories as I found them quite difficult, but I'm growing to like them more and more and it's good to practice!

So far, I've posted Christmas Spirit, Christmas Eve In New York and A Fairytale Christmas (click to view each story. If you want to, obviously) and this year I will be posting A Box of Christmas Chocolates. It's a sequel to a short story I posted at Easter (The Chocolate Box) so it was nice to catch up with Kat and see what she's up to this Christmas. I'll be posting the story in a couple of weeks so I hope you enjoy it!

My Festive Reads: Emma Crowley

 

Today I'm delighted to welcome Emma Crowley onto the blog to share the five festive books she's most looking forward to this year and to take part in a festive Q&A!


Hi , my name is Emma Crowley. I live in Waterford in the southeast of Ireland. I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember and can get through three or four books a week if time allows. I often do guest reviews at http://shazsbookboudoir.blogspot.co.uk/ . I’m a primary school teacher teaching junior infants in my old primary school and this time of year is so special teaching four and five year olds preparing for nativity plays and becoming so excited absorbing all their enthusiasm for Santa and Christmas. I’m also on Twitter @emthebookworm if any wants to chat. Many thanks to Jennifer for having me as part of her festive feature.




The five Christmas Reads I am looking forward to this year are:

· The Christmas Surprise: Jenny Colgan.

· The Christmas Party: Carole Matthews.

· Secret Santa : Scarlett Bailey.

· Christmas in the Snow: Karen Swan.

· The Great Christmas Knit Off: Alexandra Brown.




Festive Q&A

What do you look for in a festive read?

Festive books have become so popular over the past number of years so much so that I have to start my festive reading in November in order to try and get everything read during the Christmas season. For a festive read I don’t want anything too heavy or too long because I find I tend to often dip in and out of books at this time of year. I don’t mind if Christmas is not mentioned the whole time in the book but it is frustrating when a book claims to be a festive read and Christmas or anything to do with it is then hardly mentioned at all. I want something that will take me away to a whole new setting and give me a warm feeling inside and get me in the mood for all the activities, traditions and customs associated with Christmas. A nice romance element doesn’t go amiss either.

What is your favourite festive book of all time?

Just for Christmas: Scarlett Bailey. I know this was only released last year but Scarlett Bailey writes so well and totally transports the reader away from their ordinary lives to the wonderful village of Poldore. I fell in love with the varied cast of characters and the real sense of community spirit they all had and how they would do anything to help each other. Alex was a great main character and it was nice to see a woman doing an unusual job for once, she wasn’t your usual run of the mill chick-lit character and neither was the plotline. Boy – the dog just stole the show and a piece of my heart. This was definitely a book where I lost all sense of time and place as the hours flew by as I was engrossed in the comings and goings of the villagers. I’ve also read the follow up ‘ Two Weddings and a Baby ‘which was just as good and I can’t wait to read the festive novella ‘Secret Santa’. I only hope Scarlett Bailey continues to write about Poldore and make the books into a long running series as I always have a feeling of regret and sadness when I turn the last page and leave the characters behind.

If you could spend Christmas with any fictional character, who would it be?

Rosie Hopkins from Jenny Colgan’s ‘ Christmas at Rosie Hopkins Sweet Shop’. Who wouldn’t want to open their own sweet shop in a small village and serve their community? This book has a real good factor to it and I devoured it within a day. Jenny Colgan is another author who has discovered her niche and is sticking to it very successfully as I’m sure I’m not the only one who eagerly awaits her next release. I just fell completely in love with Rosie and her story and how she wanted to help everyone whilst also making a success once again of her aunt’s sweetshop. Throughout the book I was rooting for Rosie to get her happy ending. If I was to spend a Christmas with Rosie I’m sure she would keep me entertained even if we were snowed in her tiny village!
 

Do you have any favourite festive reading snacks?

Like most people I love chocolate and at this time of year there is an abundance on offer. I like dipping into Roses and Quality Street. In the staffroom where I teach we always get tins sent in from the beginning of December so we are thoroughly spoilt. Some of my other favourite snacks are definitely a Terry’s Chocolate Orange or for pure indulgence I go for those Danish butter cookies you get in the circular tin one just never seems to be enough. Whilst I am eating them I am often saying to myself you can walk it all off over the holidays. I can’t forget a good tube of Pringles or lastly Tayto cheese and onion crisps these are Irish made but are totally addictive.

Do you have any Christmas traditions?

I suppose my Christmas traditions are the same as most other families and we don’t do anything out of the ordinary. Every year we have the same relations out to Christmas dinner and we go to mass as a family. I remember when myself and my sister were small our parents insisted we go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Nowadays this is normally around 9 o’clock but back then it was actually midnight and we struggled to stay awake until then. I was always worried that Santa would have come while we were at mass and that we should have been at home tucked up in our beds. Needless to say when we woke up the next morning our presents were always there.

What is your best Christmas memory?

I always remember being fast asleep on Christmas Eve and I woke up because I had heard something outside on the landing . I was so small I thought Santa was coming into my room and if I looked and saw him that no presents would be there waiting for me in the morning. So I hid deep under the covers and kept my eyes closed in the hope I wouldn’t see him. I remember waking up the next morning with my little sister and there waiting for me was everything I had asked for from Santa but most special of all was a rocking horse which I had really wanted .It was white with a rainbow mane and to me then it was just the best thing ever and I can still remember to this day what fun I had.

What is your favourite Christmas song?

It mightn’t be the most obvious choice but I love ‘Fairytale of New York’ by The Pogues. Whenever it comes on the radio at Christmas time be it at home or in the car I turn up the radio and blast out the song and sing along. It gives me goose bumps when I hear it and the first time I hear it each year I know that Christmas is on the way.

What is your favourite Christmas film?

There are loads to choose from but whenever I see The Holiday with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz in the tv listings, I just have to watch it. The scene where Cameron arrives in England for the first time and has to make her way to the beautiful cottage in the snow is fabulous. The whole setting of the small rural cottage and village just gives me such a warm feeling inside. Jude Law isn’t half bad to look at either. I know once I have seen this film the Christmas season has well and truly begins for me.

Finally, what are you most looking forward to this Christmas?

After such a hard first term in school and endless preparations for the infant nativity play I have to admit to really looking forward to a good break where I can just rest and relax, eat plenty of Roses and Quality Street and of course catch up on plenty of reading especially all the excellent Christmas themed books being released this year. Last year my sister was away in Australia so it will be far nicer having her back this year as we will all be together as a family once again. It wasn’t the same without her last year. Also where I live in Waterford we have a huge winter festival called Winterval which runs from the end of November right up until to the New Year so I will enjoy the opportunity to check out all that it has to offer. It really brings the city alive with lots to do-christmas stalls, carriage rides, ferris wheel, ice skating and lots more.

 

 

My Festive Reads is a feature celebrating all things bookish with a festive theme. If you would like to take part, please get in touch! You can find all the details here

 

 

Click here to view all My Festive Reads posts
 

Ruth's Guide To Christmas Outfits

Ruth likes to dress up so Christmas is the perfect time for shopping! She'd like to share her favourite outfits this season.

There are so many things happening during the festive season, from office parties, to socialising with friends and family and, of course, the main event of Christmas dinner. I've been doing a lot of shopping to make sure I have outfits for every eventuality. Here are my favourites:

Event: Office Party

I love this dress, with its floral lace pattern and skirt that is ideal for dancing (think of the twirls). I'd team it with these gorgeous silver/black platform court shoes

Dress from Yours

Shoes from SimplyBe

Event: drinks with friends

I love wearing dresses and I adore prints, so this dress is perfect for meeting up with friends for a few festive drinks!

I'd team it up with a pair of knee-length boots and a purple satin clutch bag to add a bit of bling

Dress from Joe Browns at Simply Be

Boots from Yours Clothing

Clutch bag from sassybags.co.uk

Event: Christmas Dinner

I like to feel comfortable on Christmas Day (especially after I've stuffed myself with my mum's gorgeous turkey with all the trimmings. Plus Christmas pudding. And chocolate) so I'll be wearing this tunic. I love the colour and the sequin detail adds a bit of festive sparkle

I'd team the tunic with leggings and some glittery peep-toe heels to add a bit more sparkle (you can never have too much sparkle at Christmas!)

Tunic from Yours Clothing

Shoes from Simply Be

Event: The Whole Festive Period

Everybody needs a festive jumper! I love this Rudolph jumper with pom-pom nose from Yours Clothing.

I wish you all a very merry Christmas - whatever you're wearing!

Ruth usually spends Christmas curled up on her parents’ sofa, watching feel-good movies whilst being fed festive food and drink until she can no longer move. But Ruth’s perfect Christmas is shattered when her mum receives a DIY-induced injury and Ruth is forced to take over the preparations.

Shopping. Cooking. A house full of hyped-up kids.

Christmas may no longer be the most wonderful time of the year.

Download for FREE 

Amazon UK | Amazon US

 

A New Member of The Joyce Family!

On Thursday evening, we welcomed a new addition to our family - meet Luna, our gorgeous puppy!

 

We've been wanting to get a dog for quite a while and are so glad Luna is finally with us. She's a lovely little dog who's favourite past times are licking people and sleeping. Most of the photos we have of her are of her taking a nap!

 

 

Our daughters chose her name, so we were surprised when she wasn't named Elsa or Olaf!

 

 

Luna has settled in really well. We love her already!

 

Guest Post: Marissa Tejada

I’d like to welcome Marissa Tejada who is the author of the newly released romantic comedy Chasing Athens. She’s here to talk about the inspiration behind her chick-lit/women’s fiction novel that takes place in Greece.   

A Big Move, A Big Break-Up and A Big-Choice

Some of my favorite contemporary novels have whisked me away to fantastic settings and destinations that I loved reading about just as much as the story or characters themselves. As an expat living in Greece I couldn’t help but be inspired to write Chasing Athens. It wasn’t just the beauty of Greece. It was about the life Greece gave me. I found myself picking up the pieces after my divorce in a foreign country. If that wasn’t hard enough I was going through culture shock, learning a new language and reshaping my career in the process. It was a combination that taught me more than I could imagine. Top that all off with a crippling economic crisis that led to riots and protests where I lived in the heart of the city. After my breakup I decided that I wanted to stay on in Greece and looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.

 

 

Plotting and Place

As I plotted Chasing Athens, I knew I wanted to tell a story that was about the importance of place in our lives and how it can truly affect us. My novel follows the story of 30-year-old Ava Martin, an American expat living in Athens, who suddenly finds herself wondering where she truly belongs after her husband walks out on her. What happens next leads her through a humorous, touching and cultural journey that forces her to confront her disappointing past and redefine the true meaning of home.

Much of my novel takes place in the Greek capital. It’s a place of contrasts where your surroundings can cross to each extreme including old and new, ancient and modern to fast and slow. However, it’s a place that owns its distinct Mediterranean vibe and character. Then I included two favorite islands of mine, Hydra and Mykonos. Hydra is a short ferry ride away from Athens which makes it one of those ideal getaways for Athenians and travelers alike – romantic, quaint and picturesque. Mykonos is adorned with its picturesque whitewashed architecture and laced with pretty beaches. It’s also famous for its cosmopolitan nightlife which contributes to the fact that it is one of the most visited islands in Greece. The city and the islands inspired me and I added them as “characters” that fit in well with the drama I wanted my character to go through.

 

Greece as Inspiration

Greece has always been a fantastic setting for me when reading novels. After my firsthand experiences I felt I could portray its outward beauty and its imperfections. With its pluses and minuses, pros and cons Athens could be any place we choose to live or visit. My “any place” happened to be a place called Greece. Greece inspired me and the direction of my first novel. Greece is also a place that changed my life.

You can find Chasing Athens on Amazon US and Amazon UK among other sites. Feel free to connect with Marissa on Twitter @tejadamarissa, Facebook and on all sorts of social media via her website http://chasingathens.com/ and travel blog: http://www.mygreecemytravels.com


If you would like to appear here on the blog via a guest post, email me at jenniferjoycewrites@gmail.com

More details here

My Festive Reads: A Fictional Christmas Dinner

 

 

I've read a lot of great books this year with some brilliant characters, so I thought it would be fun to put together a guest list of fictional characters to invite over for a fun and festive Christmas dinner!

 

Jess, Ed, Nicky and Tanzie

from The One Plus One by JoJo Moyes

 

 

I loved The One Plus One earlier in the year and thought that Jess, daughter Tanzie and stepson Nicky made a brilliant, if slightly dysfunctional family. Add in their new friend Ed and the smelly but loveable dog Norman and you've got yourself some pretty great guests.

 

You can see my review of The One Plus One here

 

 

Alex and Holly

from The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me by Jimmy Rice and Laura Tait

 

 

Best friends Alex and Holly would bring a lot of fun to the Christmas dinner. Plus, Holly already has a festive name, upping the Christmassy atmosphere.

 

You can see my review of The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me here 

 

 

Romily and Posie

from Dear Thing by Julie Cohen

 

 

Romily is pretty impulsive but also fun and she has a big heart so I think she would make a fantastic guest for my Christmas dinner. Her daughter Posie could also keep Tanzie company!

 

You can see my review of Dear Thing here 

 

 

Crystal

from A Place To Call Home by Carole Matthews

 

 

Crystal would bring so much fun to the table! Crystal is funny and daring as well as being a great friend. I bet she'd have some stories to keep everybody entertained!

 

You can see my review of A Place To Call Home here 

 

 

Ben

from No-one Ever Has Sex On A Tuesday by Tracy Bloom

 

 

Like Crystal, Ben would bring a lot of fun. He doesn't have a serious bone in his body!

 

You can see my review of No-One Ever Has Sex On A Tuesday here 

 

 

Who would you invite to your fictional Christmas dinner? Let us know and take part in My Festive Reads! You can find all the details here



 

Click here to view all My Festive Reads posts



Giveaway Winners: It Must Have Been The Mistletoe by Judy Astley

 

Thank you to everyone who entered and/or tweeted about the giveaway. Rafflecopter has selected the winners at random, who have been contacted by email.

 

The winners are 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Congratulations! I hope you enjoy your prizes!

The Christmas Party by Carole Matthews

 

 

Single mum Louise has been struggling since her partner left her and their daughter, Mia. But now she's landed herself a good job that can kick-start her career again. She hasn't been working for Fossil Oil for very long but she feels she can really grow within the company and provide a good life for Mia. The only problem is her boss, Tyler, who can't seem to keep his hands to himself.

 

Corporate wife Kirsten is fed up with her life and her marriage to Tyler. She knows all about his affairs but hopes that they can have a good Christmas together and re-ignite their relationship.

 

And then there is Melissa, the glamorous wife of Tyler's boss, Lance. Together, they have made Fossil Oil a success but it seems now that Lance is getting older, he's being side lined onto a new project, which means moving away to Washington.

 

With Christmas around the corner, Fossil Oil is putting on an elaborate Christmas party for its staff. It will be a night to remember - but not necessarily for positive reasons.

 

The Christmas Party mostly takes part over one day as Louise, Kirsten and Melissa prepare for and then attend Fossil Oil's Christmas party. The party takes place at a huge, luxurious manor house that is decked out for the occasion and sounded amazing. I would have loved to have attended the party myself - but without all the drama that ensues! While Kirsten and Melissa have lived a privileged life with their successful husbands, Louise has been struggling as a single mum. She's been left in debt by her ex partner and is now living back with her mum and dad. I felt for Louise as she has been trying to make a better life for herself and her daughter and thinks she's found that first step on the ladder that she needs but Tyler is making things difficult. Tyler is quite a slimy character and very selfish, so I felt sorry for his wife, Kirsten too, although I wanted to give her a shake at times as she sat back and allowed Tyler to make a fool out of her and their marriage.

 

Although the book takes place over one evening for the most part, an awful lot happens at the party and we get to know the characters quite in depth. Because of the structure of the book, it felt like the first chunk was quite slow whereas the ending, taking place over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, were rushed and I would have liked to have more of an idea where Louise, Kirsten and Melissa's lives would take them once the book ended.

 

The Christmas Party is a fun, festive read full of drama and scandal. There isn't a dull moment as we witness the party - and the fallout afterwards! 

Ruth's Top 5 Tips for Surviving Christmas

Today, A Beginner's Guide To Christmas's Ruth will be sharing her Top 5 Tips for surviving Christmas!

In A Beginner's Guide To Christmas, I share my tips on how to survive the festive period (usually when something goes wrong as I try to organise my family's Christmas for the first and last time).

So I thought I would share my Top 5 Tips for a smooth(ish) Christmas. Follows these guidelines and you too could have the perfect* Christmas.

1 - Do Not Leave Your Christmas Shopping Until The Last Minute

I cannot stress this enough. We've all done it, haven't we? It's Christmas Eve and you think you've got plenty of time. Wrong! You end up buying your mum a loo brush and your dad a shot glass with 'Best Dad Ever' on it even though he doesn't drink shots. Ever.

Panic buying isn't cool. It's stressful and sucks all of the fun out of Christmas shopping and the festive season in general. Listening to Slade being piped throughout the shopping centre is no longer a joyous occasion. It's a countdown. There are only three more songs left until the shops close and you still have five presents to locate and buy. On your marks, get set, go! *cue disappointment and loo brushes*

It just isn't worth it. Leave plenty of time to do your shopping. You'll thank me for it later.

You won't thank me for it. You'll be too busy panic buying while Slade wishes everybody a merry Christmas. I'll see you there. With my mum's loo brush.

2 - Don't try to bake/craft this Christmas

Or any other Christmas. I suggest blocking Pinterest so you're not tempting to give something a go. Oh, those biscuits shaped like elves with edible glitter look easy enough. Wrong! They will not be easy. They will be biscuits designed by the devil himself, the recipe sent out to torment you while you should be enjoying a relaxing Christmas with your feet up in front of the telly.

Christmas is stressful enough. Don't add to it by trying to be fancy. Buy biscuits. Buy decorations. Stay away from Pinterest.

3 - Avoid children at all costs

Christmas is all about the kids? Yeah, right. Christmas is ruined by kids. Avoid, avoid, avoid. Even if they're your own.

4 - Don't forget the batteries

If you simply can't avoid the little darlings (said sarcastly, obv), make sure you stock up on batteries before Christmas. Buy every size going. Yes, even those little watch-sized ones. Because if you don't own a pack of AAAA batteries, you will need them for a toy on Christmas Day.

No batteries = no peace and goodwill

5 - Invite yourself to somebody else's Christmas

This is the best tip if you can pull it off. Wrangle yourself an invite to somebody else's Christmas (where they're the poor suckers who have to prepare and cook and make everything fancy) and you're onto a winner. If you can somehow make it snow, you can arrive just as the turkey is being served (and with a perfect, plausible excuse) without having to help at all. Bonus!

*Not guaranteed. After all, what do I know? I'm a total beginner here too. As long as you all survive pretty much intact, mark it down as a win.

Ruth usually spends Christmas curled up on her parents’ sofa, watching feel-good movies whilst being fed festive food and drink until she can no longer move. But Ruth’s perfect Christmas is shattered when her mum receives a DIY-induced injury and Ruth is forced to take over the preparations.

Shopping. Cooking. A house full of hyped-up kids.

Christmas may no longer be the most wonderful time of the year.

Download for FREE 

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Everything Changes But You: The Playlist

A lot of music inspired Everything Changes But You - either because I nicked the song lyrics for my title or I used them as song choices when Ally and her friends go to their karaoke nights at the pub.

When I was putting together the soundtrack, I used some of these songs as well as some magic-themed ones. I also wanted to add 'Over the Rainbow' as The Wizard of Oz was a huge inspiration when writing the book. When I found the Israel Kamakawiwo'ole version merging it with 'What a Wonderful World' I thought it was perfect for Ally and summed up the book for me.

Here is the soundtrack. Enjoy!

Be careful what you wish for...

Ally Richmond is dreading turning thirty and bidding farewell to her youth. And when her husband says he wants to start a family, she begins to panic.

Is this all that life has to offer from now on? Popping out babies and growing old gracefully? She wants a life crammed with glamour and spontaneous adventure, not one full of dirty nappies and night feeds.

When Ally makes a silly birthday wish for a new, exciting life, her wish is granted.

But when Ally is presented with the freedom and opportunities she craves, she soon realises this new life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and that there really is no place like home. But can she find her way back - or is she stuck in this new reality forever?

Amazon UK | Amazon US

A Beginner's Guide To Christmas - The Pinterest Board

I joined Pinterest a bit late - only a few months ago - and since then I've been a bit obsessed! I have boards for A Beginner's Guide To Salad and Everything Changes But You and now I have a board for my festive short story, A Beginner's Guide To Christmas too!

A Beginner's Guide To Christmas is a free festive short story that follows Ruth as she organises her family's Christmas for the first time. You can download A Beginner's Guide To Christmas from Amazon here

The pictures I've pinned are mostly funny ones with tongue in cheek top tips and guides.

You can view the Pinterest for A Beginner's Guide To Christmas here

Don't forget, you can also add A Beginner's Guide To Christmas to Goodreads!

Ruth usually spends Christmas curled up on her parents’ sofa, watching feel-good movies whilst being fed festive food and drink until she can no longer move. But Ruth’s perfect Christmas is shattered when her mum receives a DIY-induced injury and Ruth is forced to take over the preparations.

Shopping. Cooking. A house full of hyped-up kids.

Christmas may no longer be the most wonderful time of the year.

Download for FREE 

Amazon UK | Amazon US