Festive Fun with... Katie Allen

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Katie Allen as the latest victim, I mean participant, of these Festive Fun with... features. I read and reviewed Katie's debut novel Everything Happens for a Reason earlier this year and it's one that stayed with me long after I finished reading, you can read my review here.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. 
I live in South London with my husband, two kids, dog, cat and stick insects. My first book came out this year, Everything Happens for a Reason, published by Orenda Books. It’s loosely autobiographical and having it out in the world has been a mix of terrifying and exciting. 

I used to be a journalist at the Guardian. I don’t read enough, I watch too many US comedy series on Netflix and I love long walks with my dog and my lovely dog-owning friends. 

I also love to bake, play the piano and sew – that started with face masks and matching dog bandanas. Yikes, I am so dog, dog, dog, hope the cat doesn’t read this.

What are you most looking forward to this Christmas? 
After last year’s lockdown Christmas, I am really hoping we can see some family and do things with friends that we tend to do every year: The pantomime in Bromley; ice-skating at Somerset House; and the Winter Wonderland Christmas market in Hyde Park. I get quite attached to doing the same things each year – the kids too.

Do you have any favourite family Christmas traditions? 
My mum always served mixed Chinese starters and sparkling wine while we opened our presents mid-morning, I have no idea why she did or how it started, but doing that makes me think of her in a happy way. Both my parents died quite a while ago and Christmas makes me miss them, but it also sparks lots of happy memories of them.

Books Read: Everything Happens for a Reason by Katie Allen

Mum-to-be Rachel did everything right, but it all went wrong. Her son, Luke, was stillborn and she finds herself on maternity leave without a baby, trying to make sense of her loss.

When a misguided well-wisher tells her that “everything happens for a reason”, she becomes obsessed with finding that reason, driven by grief and convinced that she is somehow to blame. She remembers that on the day she discovered her pregnancy, she’d stopped a man from jumping in front of a train, and she’s now certain that saving his life cost her the life of her son.

Desperate to find him, she enlists an unlikely ally in Lola, an Underground worker, and Lola’s seven-year-old daughter, Josephine, and eventually tracks him down, with completely unexpected results... 

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

Giveaway: Win a #TeamOrenda bundle

If you're a regular follower of the blog you will know that I'm a huge supporter of Karen Sullivan and Orenda Books. Over the years I have had the privilege to read so many of the fabulous books that have been published and it's so exciting to see this independent publishing company grow from strength to strength, initially publishing just a select handful of books a year to now publishing multiple books each month. 

This month has been billed #JubiliantJune by the publisher with 5 books being published, 2 eBook first being published on 19th June, The Great Silence by Doug Johnstone and No Honour by Awais Khan, as well as 3 paperbacks, This is How We are Human by Louise Beech and Everything Happens for a Reason by Katie Allen on 10th June followed by One Last Time by Helga Flatland on 24th June. All links above are to the Orenda Books website where all the books are on offer in the sale. 

I'm currently reading One Last Time which I'll be reviewing next week and will also be reading Everything Happens for a Reason soon as reviewing for the blog tour towards the end of the month. I also subscribe to the monthly Orenda Books subscription box at Berts Books so have already had an email to let me know that I'll be getting This is How We are Human as this month's selection (I chose the 1 book option but there is also a 2 book option available). 

To join in the #JubiliantJune celebrations I have decided to run a couple of giveaways this month, the first of which is for this #TeamOrenda bundle.