Festive Edition: The Write Stuff with... Tracy Baines

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Tracy Baines back to the blog to talk about writing a Christmas themed book in the middle of Summer, over to you Tracy.  

My kids might call me the Grinch from time to time. I do not embrace Christmas – until it’s Christmas. To me that occurs sometime around the 20th December and lasts until Boxing Day. I shudder when I see tins of Quality Street in the supermarket at the end of August, despair when the Christmas jingles are played in November. The reason it all ends on Boxing Day (for me) is because that’s the back to work day for those working in pantomimes. Christmas seemed all the more precious when you knew you had to be on the road again on Boxing Day morning. The theatre would be full of families who were in the very best of moods, full of food and fun. A time filled with joy and excitement – and laughter, lots and lots of laughter.

Christmas with the Variety Girls features a pantomime – because when you are in variety theatre Christmas is panto time. As this is the second book featuring the Variety Girls I already had my cast – I just needed to choose a panto.

Christmas in July: Rebecca Raisin - Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Cafe

You are invited to the wedding of the year!

Snow is falling thick and fast outside the Gingerbread Café and inside, its owner Lily is planning the wedding of the year. Her wedding! She never dreamt it would happen, but this Christmas, she’ll be marrying the man of her dreams - in a Christmas-card-perfect ceremony!

The gingerbread is baking, the dress is fitted and the mistletoe’s in place – for once, everything’s going to plan. That is until her mother-in-law arrives... Suddenly, Lily’s famous cool is being tested like never before and her dream wedding is crumbling before her eyes.

In the blink of a fairylight, the Gingerbread Café has been thrown into chaos! Lily thought she had this wedding wrapped up, but with so much to do before she says ‘I do’, can Lily get to the church on time – and make this Christmas sparkle after all?

Amazon links: Kindle 

Christmas in July - Alexandra Brown - The Great Christmas Knit Off

Heartbroken after being jilted at the altar, Sybil has been saved from despair by her knitting obsession and now her home is filled to bursting with tea cosies, bobble hats, and jumpers. But, after discovering that she may have perpetrated the cock-up of the century at work, Sybil decides to make a hasty exit and, just weeks before Christmas, runs away to the picturesque village of Tindledale.

There, Sybil discovers Hettie’s House of Haberdashery, an emporium dedicated to the world of knitting and needle craft. But Hettie, the outspoken octogenarian owner, is struggling and now the shop is due for closure. And when Hettie decides that Sybil’s wonderfully wacky Christmas jumpers are just the thing to add a bit of excitement to her window display, something miraculous starts to happen…

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Christmas in July: Catherine Ferguson - Humbugs & Heartstrings

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Two ex-friends. One Christmas to remember …

Bobbie's boss Carol is a real misery-guts, dedicated to making the lives of everyone around her unhappy in pursuit of every last penny. What makes it worse is that the two women have history: they were once best friends.

When handsome hotelier Charlie steps into the frame the two women go to battle as one sees a romantic future and the other a possible lifeboat for her business.

With wonderful warmth and humour – and the odd mince pie fight – the women are forced to confront their shared past, the turbulent present and, most importantly, the potential of the future.

Amazon link: Kindle

Christmas in July: Karen Swan - Christmas in the Snow

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

No secret stays buried forever...

In London, the snow is falling and Christmas is just around the corner - but Allegra Fisher barely has time to notice. She's pitching for the biggest deal of her career and can't afford to fail. And when she meets attractive stranger, Sam Kemp, on the plane to the meeting, she can't afford to lose her focus either. She learned to shut off her emotions long ago and only her sister and best friend Isobel knows why. But when Allegra finds herself up against Sam for the bid, their passion quickly turns sour.

In Zermatt in the Swiss Alps, a long-lost mountain hut is discovered in the snow after sixty years and the last person expecting to become involved is Allegra - she hasn't even heard of the woman they found inside. But it soon becomes clear the two women are linked and, as she and Iz travel out to make sense of the mystery, hearts thaw and dark secrets are uncovered, long buried by the snow.

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Christmas in July: Jenny Hale - A Christmas to Remember

Reviewed by Samantha-Ann Pepper

Everyone loves Christmas – don’t they? 

Carrie Blake loves her job as a nanny but, while her friends are settling down, all of Carrie’s spare time is spent with other people’s families. Though it breaks her heart, her New Year’s resolution is to embark on a new career and fix her love life. 

As Carrie starts her last job, she’s sure she’ll be going out on a high – the house is amazing, the kids are adorable, and she’s in charge of decorating the tree! 

The only problem could be her boss… single-dad, Adam Fletcher might be both handsome and successful, but he’s always working. Doesn’t he realise he’s missing out on precious moments with his son and daughter? 

As Adam’s family arrive for Christmas including his sensitive sister, Sharon, and his fun-loving elderly Grandpa, Walter, Carrie realises that she might just have found the perfect allies in her quest to persuade Adam to loosen up. There’s still time for Carrie to make this the best Christmas ever… after all, Christmas is the time for miracles, isn’t it? Let the festivities begin! 

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback