Christmas Shorts with... Scarlett Bailey

I can't believe it's Christmas Eve already and time for my final Christmas Shorts guest who is the fabulously talented Scarlett Bailey.

Scarlett is a huge fan of all things Christmas as can be seen in her books, The Night before Christmas and Married by Christmas, both of which I really enjoyed reading.  I also have her Christmas novella Santa Maybe on my Kindle to read over the next few days.

 What is your earliest Christmas memory?  

This is a tough one, I think it's getting up at the crack of dawn at around four or five, after being woken up by my older brother and waking up my parents. It was always such a unique feeling, dark outside, the world asleep, lights twinkling, presents waiting.   

What is your favourite Christmas tradition?
It's well known that I used to love a McVities Tunis Cake, you can't get these anymore, this will be my second attempt at baking one. Last years failed miserably. So cake and leaving a snack out for Santa!

Christmas Shorts with... Jane Lovering

I'm delighted to welcome Jane Lovering to answer a couple of questions in my penultimate Christmas Shorts with... feature.

What is your favourite Christmas tradition?

The Christmas day walk that we always go for in the middle of the day. Because we don't eat Christmas dinner until the evening, the kids have spent all day stuffing themselves with Quality Street, the dogs have eaten the wrappers, I'm tetchy at having been expected to be all organised and have all the presents wrapped and dinner preparations finished, so being able to career about in the open air for an hour or so is a good thing. We're lucky that we live right underneath the North Yorks Moors, so there's always somewhere to go to run off the excess energy and excitement, while the children and dogs stand around and watch. I really should calm down a bit...

Christmas Shorts with... Dana Bate

Today's Christmas Shorts feature post has been written by American author Dana Bate whose debut book The Secret Supper Club has recently been published here in the UK.  Dana has written a short feature about celebrating the Christmas Spirit Without the Christmas Story.
 

I didn’t grow up celebrating Christmas. Well, that isn’t exactly true. I was raised in the Jewish faith, but my mother was raised Catholic, and although she converted to Judaism before she married my father, she had trouble giving up Christmas altogether. So when I was little, we had a tree and baked Christmas cookies and exchanged Christmas gifts, in addition to celebrating the eight nights of Chanukah.

Christmas Shorts with... Liz Harris

My special guest today for the Christmas Shorts feature is author Liz Harris, 2012 has certainly been a good year for Liz with the publication of her debut novel, The Road Back, as well as her romantic comedy ebook Evie Undercover.

What is your earliest Christmas memory?  
When my sister and I were very young, our father popped out on Christmas Eve to see a friend who lived in our block of flats.  A few moments later, Father Christmas arrived.  Despite our excitement at actually meeting Father Christmas and being able to tell him how good we'd been all year, I can still remember the anxiety we felt that our father might miss seeing him.  We kept opening the front door and calling to him, but it was no good - Father Christmas had other children to see and couldn't hang on.  Sadly, our dad never did get to see him. 
     
What is your favourite Christmas tradition?
My favourite is the one started by my mother before I was born - we never open a Christmas present until after the Christmas dinner has been eaten and cleared away.   We get to open our stocking presents in the morning, and whoever is hostess puts a small wrapped gift in front of each place-setting for the meal, which we open, but the main present-opening takes place when every dish is in the dishwasher and we can all relax together.

I like leaving present-opening till later - our focus is on being together, which is the best thing about Christmas.      

Christmas Shorts with... Amanda Egan

Today I'm delighted to welcome Indie author Amanda Egan to answer a couple of questions in my Christmas Shorts feature.  Amanda's Christmas Novella, Christmas Deliverance, is one of the many ebooks that's sitting on my Kindle that I'm hoping to read this Christmas.

What is your favourite Christmas tradition?
My mum always comes to us for a Christmas Eve curry(!) and afterwards we play a silly game or two.  She has her stocking and then hubbie and I have ours at midnight - our one bit of time just for us.  Our son has his in the morning in our room with us and the cats.  Then it's time for a vodka martini and presents around the tree. 

Christmas Shorts with... Henriette Gyland

My Christmas Shorts guest today is Henriette Gyland whose debut book Up Close was published earlier this month.  My review of Up Close will be on the blog later today so make sure you pop back to check it out.

What is your earliest Christmas memory? 

I'm originally from Denmark, and traditionally we sing and dance around the tree on Christmas Eve before opening our presents in turn.  I was tearing roughly at a present when the whole family began to sing a verse from a traditional Christmas song.  In English this verse would roughly translate as "Pulling at the ribbon you're strang-e-lin' a lil-un'". That's how I knew I was getting a doll!

 
 What is your favourite Christmas tradition?

Every other year we celebrate Christmas in Denmark with my parents, and when my father puts the "Christmas Oratorio" by J S Bach on the CD player, it sets the mood, and all the stress leading up to the big day just floats away.

Christmas Shorts with... Sue Moorcroft

My Christmas Shorts guest today is romance writer Sue Moorcroft, whose latest book Dream a Little Dream was shortlisted for the Best Romantic Read Award 2012.   Sue also writes short stories, serials, articles, teaches creative writing and judges writing competitions... an extremely busy lady!

Sue has written a fun guide on Ten ways to enjoy Christmas which we hope you enjoy so I'll hand over to Sue.

See as many of your friends and family as you can cram into your calendar.  Even those who don't really care for Christmas, enjoy the parties/meals/drinks!  Try and avoid these being held in your home.

But if you haven't avoided being the host, don't clean your house because then the guests won't feel bad about the state of theirs.  In fact, you'll be helping to make them comfortable.  (So long as you don't give them salmonella poisoning because of the state of the kitchen.)

Christmas Shorts with... Claudia Carroll

I'm delighted to be able to welcome bestselling author Claudia Carroll to my blog for today's Christmas Shorts feature.  Claudia has written 9 books to date including A Very Accidental Love Story which I reviewed earlier this year. 

What is your earliest Christmas memory?  

My awful older brother telling me that were was no such thing as Santa. To this day, I’ve yet to forgive him….!

What is your favourite Christmas tradition?
Ahem, wine. And chocolate. Lots of it. Quality St, family sized tins go down a treat in my house. But then, we’re a very grub-orientated house this time of year.  

What is or was the best book-related Christmas gift that you’ve received?
Getting an iPad....it's completely changed my life...and reading habits! 

Christmas Shorts with... Christina Courtenay

The latest author to take part in my Christmas Shorts feature posts is the lovely Christina Courtenay who I've previously featured on the blog.  

Christina has written four historical fiction novels to date including Highland Storms, The Silent Touch of Shadows, which was published earlier this year.  Her fifth book The Gilded Fan is due to be published in February.  

What is your earliest Christmas memory?  
Not sure if it’s the earliest, but the one that stands out the most is me, aged about seven, telling my little brother that I’d just heard my mother on the phone, booking someone she knew to come and pretend to be our Santa Claus.  As my brother was four years younger than me and still believed in Santa, he started howling and I got into trouble for disillusioning him.  

It was a bit mean, but I didn’t realize he would take it so badly and wasn’t intending to upset him!

What is your favourite Christmas tradition?
Lighting the Advent candles – as I’m half Swedish I follow their tradition of lighting one candle for each of the four Sundays before Christmas and it’s a lovely way to count down the days I think.  I also love decorating the tree (it has to be a real one as the scent is so wonderful!)

Christmas Shorts with... Sophie King

Today I'm pleased to welcome Sophie King to the spotlight for the Christmas Shorts feature.  To date Sophie has written 5 books as Sophie King as well as 2 books under the name of Janey Fraser, most of which I have read. 

Earlier in the summer I reviewed Sophie's e-book collection of short stories, Tales from the Heart, which can be read here and I'm looking forward to reading her new book, Divorce for Beginners, which is due to be published shortly as well as the next Janey Fraser book, Happy Families, which is due out in March. 

What is your earliest Christmas memory?  
Getting into a lift at the old department store Gamages in London with my mother to see Father Christmas. It was like visiting Narnia.

What is your favourite Christmas tradition?
Singing carols in church and also putting out the children's stockings even though they're older now!

Christmas Shorts with... Margaret James

Today's Christmas Shorts guest is Margaret James, author of thirteen novels to date including The Silver Locket, The Golden Chain and The Penny Bangle, a saga about the Denham family.

The Denham's story will be brought up to date in 2013 with the publication of a new novel, The Wedding Diary, which will feature some of the family we've met before.  This new novel is a romantic comedy, so in many ways is completely different from Margaret's previous books.    

Margaret has chosen her favourite Christmas moment from one of her own stories...

The Silver Locket is set during the First World War, so the events in it took place nearly a hundred years ago. It's about a nurse (Rose Courtenay) and a soldier (Alex Denham) who fall in love when they really shouldn't because he's already married and she's as good as engaged. The Christmas of 1915 is special for both of them because they manage to meet up against all the odds, they spend the day together, and Alex gives Rose a present she'll treasure until the end of her life: the Victorian silver locket of the title.

What is your earliest Christmas memory?  

Being four or five, going downstairs in the dark and finding the doll I'd been admiring in a shop for weeks lying under the tree.

Christmas Shorts with... Darcie Chan

My Christmas Shorts guest today is Darcie Chan whose bestselling e-book, The Mill River Recluse has recently been published in paperback by Sphere. 

What is your earliest Christmas memory? 

My earliest Christmas memory is waking up, along with my sisters, and then all of us invading our parents’ room to wake them before rushing to the Christmas tree to see what Santa had brought us.  We lived in Wisconsin then, and I still remember our tree set up in the living room, where huge picture windows faced out into our snowy, tree-filled front yard. It was just a wonderful, beautiful time.

 What is your favourite Christmas tradition?

My son is still very young, and my husband and I are just starting to think about what traditions we’d like to establish for our own little family.  When my sisters and I were growing up, though, my Mom would always find time to take us to the mall for a marathon-Christmas shopping day.  We’d sing all the way down, shop until the last store closed, and fall asleep to Christmas music on the radio during the drive home.  If we got a second wind once we arrived, we’d sort and start wrapping our presents. 

After my parents divorced, it became our custom to have a traditional dinner with Mom on Christmas, and then an Italian-themed meal with Dad the next day. With my father and stepmother, my sisters and I would always spend a few hours in the afternoon sitting around his large dining table making homemade ravioli for dinner.  Making ravioli is a time-consuming process, but one that let us spend lots of quality time together. It’s also easier to do with lots of hands involved, and the effort is so worth the finished product!

Christmas Shorts with... Linda Mitchelmore

Today's Christmas Shorts feature post is a whimsical short story provided by Linda Mitchelmore.  

Over the years Linda has written hundreds of short stories, many of which have been published in most of the popular magazines, before the publication of her debut novel To Turn Full Circle.  I hope you enjoy reading this.
 
A New Dress for Christmas 
 
Cassiopeia - Cassie for short to the rest of the family - sighed.  Another Christmas morning
and she was in the same old, same old - a childish froth of white lace with a thin silver belt.  Likes a flippin' Christmas tree fairy.

Why couldn't she have something more grown-up?  Something new, a new dress for Christmas Day like she knew Melissa and Kirstie would be wearing, because they'd been going on about it for weeks - how wonderful their dresses were and how much they had cost.  

Oh no - talk of the devil.  The twins were coming.  She could hear them giggling as they ran down the stairs. Any minute now that moment of peace she always enjoyed on Christmas morning before the rest of the family came down, noisily ripping paper off presents, and shrieking with delight at even the smallest, simplest thing, would be shattered. And Melissa and Kirstie would crow about their new clothes, like they always did.

Christmas Shorts with... Logan Belle

Next up in the Christmas Shorts features is an interview with American author Logan Belle.  Logan is the author of the erotic burlesque series, Blue Angel, Fallen Angel and Naked Angel, recently published here in the UK which I'll be reviewing shortly. 

What is your earliest Christmas memory? 

I was seven or eight and my mother brought home our first Christmas tree.  It was not a real tree -- the branches screwed into the spine but I LOVED it.  We are Jewish and never celebrated Christmas but my mother thought it was important for us to experience it.  She put an enormous Santa portrait on the interior of the door.  It was revolutionary to us.  My father was not happy. 

What is or was the best book-related Christmas gift that you’ve received?

When I was seven I got a beautiful edition of Little Women.  A few years ago, I tracked down the same edition online for my daughter.  More recently, I received a Nook - the Barnes&Noble e-reader.  It's truly a gift that keeps on giving.  

Christmas Shorts with... Cathy Woodman

Today's Christmas Shorts interviewee is bestselling author Cathy Woodman.  I have really enjoyed reading Cathy's Talyton St George series over the last couple of years especially the latest one,  Vets In Love, which was published last month so I was delighted when Cathy agreed to answer my Christmas related questions.  

So who did Cathy say she'd like to kiss under the mistletoe?  Read on to find out...

What is your earliest Christmas memory?  
The sense of anticipation and excitement on waking up in the middle of the night with the weight of a pillowcase of presents on my feet.  Having woken my parents and parents, my siblings and I were sent back to bed with instructions not to get up until dawn.  We sat on our beds in the dark, trying to guess what was in our presents, shaking and squeezing them and peeking under the wrapping paper.   

What is your favourite Christmas tradition?
My favourite Christmas tradition is putting out the sherry, mince pies and carrots for Father Christmas and his reindeer on Christmas Eve.  My teenage children tell me Father Christmas doesn't exist, but I don't believe them!   

Christmas Shorts with... Phillipa Ashley

My Christmas Shorts feature post today has been written by Phillipa Ashley, whose recent book Miranda's Mount won the Best ebook award at the recent Festival of Romance awards, about her experience of having one of her books made into a Christmas film.

So I'll hand you over to Phillipa to tell you all about it.

Christmas in July

A few years ago I was lucky enough to have one of my books – ‘Decent Exposure’ - made into a US TV Christmas movie.

Set in the English Lake District, the book is about a mountain rescue team who pose nude for a charity calendar which is the brainchild of Emma, heroine. The hero, Will, ends up reluctantly posing as Mr July.

In May 2009, I found out that the movie of my novel was going to be the flagship Christmas holiday movie on the Lifetime network and that the hero was now Mr December! That’s how the book ended up being retitled as ‘Dating Mr December’ in the USA.

Christmas Shorts with.... Kimberley Freeman

Today's Christmas Shorts interview has been completed by Australian author Kimberley Freeman whose latest book, Wildflower Hill, has just been published here in the UK.  

So I'll hand you over to Kimberley to talk about all things Christmas.

What is your earliest Christmas memory? 

When I was six, we had a Christmas party underneath our house and I cut out stars from crepe paper and made Christmas posters and sticky-taped them all over the walls. They stayed up for years, because nobody ever took them down.

 What is your favourite Christmas tradition?
Christmas is very different in Australia. For one thing, it's the middle of summer. So Christmas on the beach, with cold cooked chicken and ham, and lots of different salads, and a chilled glass of Riesling and then a dip in the ocean would be my favourite Christmas tradition here.