Today it's my pleasure to welcome local author Mandy Baggot to the blog for the next Festive Fun with... feature. Welcome Mandy.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m Mandy Baggot and I’m best known for writing laugh-out-loud romantic comedies featuring strong heroines, gorgeous heroes and always that happy-ever-after!
What are you most looking forward to this Christmas?
I’m most looking forward to some time to relax with my family and sitting down to that delicious turkey dinner. I’m cooking again this year, but I quite like doing it!
Do you have any favourite family Christmas traditions?
My husband and I always have Chinese takeaway and watch Die Hard every Christmas Eve. Die Hard IS a Christmas movie!
Describe your ideal Christmas
I’ve still not had a Christmas in Greece! We booked to go in 2020 and we all know what happened then! I’d love to spend Christmas in Corfu with the family, enjoying a winter Greek style.
If you could choose one person, dead or alive, to celebrate a one time special Christmas with, who would you choose and why?
I’d choose my grandad. He died in 2005 when my eldest child was only five months old and he didn’t get to meet my youngest. I would love to have a Christmas with him here, sitting around the table with us all again.
What Christmas book would you like to see turned into a film?
Obviously one of mine! I very much write my books as I see them so, for me, they always seem like films already. Many readers have suggested two Christmas books of mine in particular – One Wish in Manhattan and my latest, Christmas by the Coast. Although, for me, I would love to see One Christmas Star made into a film, there’s so much scope for it to be the next Nativity.
If you could spend Christmas with any fictional character, who would you choose and why?
John McClane obviously!
Do you have any Christmas book traditions?
No traditions really, but I do LOVE to read festive books. I started at the beginning of November!
What is your favourite Christmas song?
Stop the Cavalry – Jona Lewie. It’s always been my favourite and I can’t see it changing.
What is your favourite Christmas film?
Die Hard LOL! OK, I’ll choose a more traditionally festive one… Nativity! I love watching this every year with my children and singing all the songs. One of my recent favourites though was Netflix’s The Knight Before Christmas.
And finally, what are your hopes for 2022?
That we can all get back to some kind of normality and enjoy spending time together, travelling more, going to live events etc. I would love to get back to doing book signings! Health and happiness for everyone!
Quick-fire questions
Roses or Quality Street? Roses
Mince pies/Christmas cake or Yule log? Mince pies but only the ones with icing on top.
Turkey or ham? Is this hot or cold? Arrgghh! Turkey.
Brussel sprouts or roast parsnips? Sprouts! Parsnips are literally the only vegetable I don’t like!
Gravy or cranberry sauce? Gravy! Cranberry sauce is like eating your roast with jelly on top!
Fake or real Christmas tree? I have a fake one!
White or coloured lights? White
Giving or receiving presents? I get all embarrassed opening gifts to me and much prefer watching others open their gifts so… giving! But I do like to receive them too. Don’t we all?
Mandy is best-known for her laugh-out-loud romantic comedies featuring strong heroines, gorgeous heroes and always that happy-ever-after!
The winner of the Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK's Festival of Romance, her novel, One Wish in Manhattan, was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year award in 2016. Mandy's books have so far been translated into Bulgarian, Czech, German, Hungarian and Italian.
Mandy loves the Greek island of Corfu, wine, cheese, Netflix, country music and handbags. Also a singer, she has taken part in ITV1's Who Dares Sings and The X-Factor. Most recently, Mandy took part in BBC1's Ready Steady Cook with Greek celebrity chef, Akis Petretzikis.
Mandy is a member of the Society of Authors and lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband and two daughters.
Visit Mandy's website at www.mandybaggot.com or follow her on Twitter @mandybaggot, Instagram @mandybaggot and Facebook @mandybaggotauthor.
Buy Christmas by the Coast:- https://amzn.to/3nvGg9r
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