Oldham's Reindeer Parade 2015

Every year, my town puts on a Christmassy parade through the town centre with bands, festive characters, characters from the local panto (which is Mother Goose this year and I can't wait to go and see it) plus Santa and his reindeer. This year there was a Christmas songs theme too and although it was a bit soggy it was still lots of fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oldham is really starting to look Christmassy now. The lights haven't been switched on yet but the sparkly grotto is open and the shopping centre has its singing teddy bear display plus some fun photo opportunities for the kids!

 

 

My Festive Reads: The Fox At The Manger by P L Travers

 

It's Christmas Eve and a family are the carol service at St Paul's Cathedral. The three young boys are quite fidgety until their mother tells them the story of Jesus's birth from the perspective of the animals present, including a cunning fox.

 

The first thing that attracted me to The Fox At The Manger was the gorgeous cover. I know they say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but I couldn't help it. I was also drawn in by the author, P L Travers, who wrote Mary Poppins and thought the book would make a lovely family festive read. My daughters (aged 6 and 12) and I read the book together in small chunks each evening and although it was a little wordy (and contained words even I hadn't heard of) we enjoyed it. I was quite surprised by how little of the fox we actually hear about - he didn't make an appearance until near the end - but I thought it was an enchanting tale of a post-war Christmas. My favourite part of the book was near the end as the family make their way home after the service and the children imagine what gifts different animals could bring to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

 

As the book is quite short at just 80 pages, this makes an ideal quick festive read to enjoy during the run-up to Christmas - perhaps even on Christmas Eve itself. It's probably more enjoyable for an adult to read rather than a child as a lot of the book centres on the mother's observations rather than the actual tale of the fox at the manger. Although not a great deal happens in the book, I did think it was a charming little read.

 

 

If you'd like to take part in My Festive Reads, email me at jenniferjoycewrites@gmail.com

You can find out more information about My Festive Reads here

Blog Tour: Meet Me In Manhattan by Claudia Carroll

 

 

Journalist Holly Johnson thinks she's met the man of her dreams. Kind, caring and attentive, pilot Andy is perfect in every way but one - he lives in America while Holly is in Ireland. The pair met online and have been chatting for the past few months and though they've attempted to meet in person, it hasn't worked out. But, determined to meet Andy and see if he is as perfect in real life as he is on her computer screen, Holly decides to fly to New York to finally meet him. The visit is a surprise but who will be more shocked - Andy or Holly herself?

 

I have a confession to make: Meet Me In Manhattan is the first Claudia Carroll book I've read. But it won't be the last! I was instantly drawn into the book by Claudia's witty writing and I loved the Irish humour throughout. I did find the first part of the book a little slow as we get to know Holly and are brought up to speed with her relationship with Andy, but I was hooked once Holly hit the Big Apple.

 

I'm instantly intrigued by any book set in New York at Christmas and Meet Me In Manhattan didn't disappoint at all. New York was really brought to life in all its magical, festive glory and I felt like I was there, experiencing the city with Holly. I really liked Holly as a main character. She's fun and little bit feisty when she needs to be. Although we don't see an awful lot of them, I also thought Holly's best friend, Joy and her boyfriend were fantastic supporting characters. And then there's the gorgeous hero of the book but I won't go too much into that as it will spoil the book for those who haven't read it yet.

 

I sometimes watch the TV show Catfish, so I was wondering what was in store for Holly when she arrives in New York. Will she meet her dreamy pilot or will Andy turn out to be someone completely different to the persona online? And if Andy isn't who he says he is, who is he really and what is he hiding? I really enjoyed this aspect of the book and, without giving anything away, I was pleased with the outcome of the trip. I was also intrigued by Holly's aversion to Christmas and why she prefers to spend the day alone, trying her best to ignore the festivities going on around her.

 

With plenty of wit and humour, I thought Meet Me In Manhattan was a fun, festive read with an enchanting New York setting.

 

 

5 Reasons Why It's Fab to Write A Festive Book

I loved writing The Mince Pie Mix-Up as it was not only a lot of fun to really mess with my characters' lives, it's also set at Christmas and I've found that writing a Christmas book is FAB. And here are 5 reasons why:

1. Festive Films

I usually only watch festive films at Christmas (or a teeny bit before. My rule is that as long as Halloween has passed, they're fair game) but when you're writing a Christmas book, it's pretty essential to dig out the festive feel-good DVDs. It's research and not at all slobbing out on the sofa in your pyjamas with a family-sized bag of popcorn. Nope - RESEARCH, my friend.

2. Festive Music

Like the festive films above, these are usually only enjoyed during December (*cough* and November) but when you're writing a Christmas book you NEED to get into the spirit with a jolly good dose of Bing Crosby, Slade and The Buble. Dust off the festive CDs or listen to one of the many year-long online festive radio stations (God bless them, every one).

3. Festive Food

Although many of us claim that the best thing about Christmas is getting together with friends and family, we all know it's really the food. Mince pies, tins of Roses, a Terry's Chocolate Orange all scream Christmas to me so if you're lacking the festive spirit (and let's face it, getting Christmassy in the middle of summer can be tough), stuff yourself with festive treats to give you a much-needed boost!

4. Creating Christmas

We all want a perfect Christmas but it sometimes ends up a bit shit. Family arguments, toys without batteries, the turkey refusing to defrost (mainly because you forgot to take it out of the freezer until Christmas morning). So many things can go wrong and dim the Christmassy glow we're all expected to feel on the big day. But if you create your own Christmas in fiction, it's entirely in your hands. It can be as perfect as you like or, if you're feeling particularly vengeful after a particularly crappy Christmas, you can make your characters utterly miserable. Bah humbug!

5. Christmas again and again

When you're writing a Christmas book, you get to celebrate Christmas again and again! It doesn't matter that's it May - you NEED to wear those Rudolf socks. And so what if it's a sweltering August day (artistic licence used here if you're British) - that hot chocolate with gooey marshmallows and lashings of whipped cream is PARAMOUNT to keeping that Christmassy flow going. No matter what time of the year it is, you absolutely need to get your Christmas on. So play those festive tunes, watch those feel-goods and stuff yourself with chocolate for breakfast. It is Christmas after all - at least in your head.

‘I wish I could live your life. I’d happily swap lives with you.’

’Tis the season to be jolly but for Calvin and Judy the usual festive bickering has already begun! Judy’s convinced that her husband has it easy – no glittery wrapping paper, no playground gossip and absolutely no Christmas baking.

Calvin wishes he could trade in his obnoxious boss and dull nine-to-five job to spend more time kicking back with his kids – how hard can Judy’s life really be?

But after a magical mince pie mix-up, one thing’s for certain – by Christmas Day, life for Judy and Calvin will never be the same again. Perhaps the grass isn’t always greener after all…

The Mince Pie Mix-Up is out now



A Festive Chat With Carole Matthews

 

Can you tell us about your new book?

It’s called The Chocolate Lovers’ Christmas and is about a group of friends who bond over their mutual adoration of chocolate and meet at a fabulous café called Chocolate Heaven. It follows the trials and tribulations of their relationships with lots of tears and laughter along the way. I’ve written two other books about these ladies and they feel like old friends now.

What was your inspiration for The Chocolate Lovers’ Christmas?

After the first two books, I’ve had soooo many emails and messages from readers asking me to write some more about them. Finally, I did it. Plus, what’s not to love about the Christmas/Chocolate combo!

What do you love most about the festive season?

Since I’ve been writing Christmas books, I’ve become a complete Christmas nut. I love everything – dressing my Christmas tree, present buying and wrapping, all the cheesy songs and I think Christmas lunch is the best meal of the year.

Do you have any Christmas traditions?

We always go to our neighbour’s house on Christmas morning and have buck’s fizz which is a lovely way to start the day. But not much else really – we do all the usual stuff, eat too much, watch telly, work our way through too many tubs of Celebrations. I like to be at home and have friend’s round and just relax.

What is your favourite Christmas song?

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland. Always makes me cry though.

And favourite Christmas film?

I think it would have to be Love, Actually which I adore. I love how all the little stories come together.

What would you like to find under your Christmas tree this year?

Some Chanel No 5 perfume please! (Hint, hint Lovely Kev!) I’ve just run out of perfume and have never worn Chanel before. I think now that I’ve reached a certain age, I should put that right.

Finally, what are you working on at the moment?

The Chocolate Lovers’ Wedding! When I got to the end of The Chocolate Lovers’ Christmas, I realised that I still hadn’t finished with these ladies. For me their friendship endures off the page as much as it does in the books. They’re lovely characters and I really enjoy writing about them. Plus it means that I have another year of doing lovely chocolatey events!


Thank you for having me, Jennifer! C : ) xx

 

The Chocolate Lovers' Christmas is out now and I'll be reviewing it here on the blog soon!

My Festive Reads: Festive Reading List for 2015

 

There are so many fab and festive sounding Christmassy reads out this year and I'd love to read them all but unless someone fixes it so that we have a year-long Christmas, it isn't going to happen, unfortunately. So I've managed to compile a much more manageable list for 2015 and I'm looking forward to diving into them all!

 

 

Click to view my review (when available)

 

 

Meet Me In Manhattan by Claudia Carroll

 

The Fox At The Manger by P L Travers

 

A Merry Mistletoe Wedding by Judy Astley

 

How To Stuff Up Christmas by Rosie Blake

 

A Christmas Kiss by Vicky Pattison

 

The Chocolate Lovers' Christmas by Carole Matthews

 

 

What will you be reading this Christmas?

 

 

If you'd like to take part in My Festive Reads, email me at jenniferjoycewrites@gmail.com

You can find out more information about My Festive Reads here

 

A Parcel For Anna Browne by Miranda Dickinson

 

Anna Browne leads a pretty ordinary life, spending time with her close friends when she isn't working as a receptionist for the Daily Messenger newspaper. But her ordinary life is given a boost when she starts to receive anonymous gifts, which are always wrapped in brown paper and delivered to her workplace.

 

The gifts are beautiful and Anna begins to shine brighter with each new delivery. But who is sending the gifts? And why?

 

I loved the premise of the book and was instantly intrigued about who Anna's mysterious gift-giver was. I was almost as eager to see what was contained in each parcel as Anna - and her workmates - were when each one arrived at the Daily Messenger's reception desk. It's such a romantic idea and I loved how Anna began to blossom, her confidence growing with each parcel she receives. One of the aspects I liked most about the book was the care and detail that went into the packages - and not just from the sender. Miranda Dickinson described the packages so evocatively, not only from the sight but the scents and the memories each one evoked.

 

We learn about Anna's childhood, which wasn't always a happy one, and see that Anna deserved this injection of glamour and attention. She's a warm and sweet character so I was hoping she'd get a happy ending. She obviously cares about her friends and I loved the friendship she has with her elderly neighbour, taking the time to visit and really listen, which makes a huge difference to the quality of her neighbour's life.

 

While I liked the character of Anna, I think my favourite of all was security guard Ted. He's such a larger-than-life character and he really jumped off the page for me. He sometimes takes his job a bit too seriously but he's a fun, vibrant character and I really enjoyed his scenes in the book. Fellow receptionist Sheniece also grew on by the end. To begin with, I thought was rather shallow but I started to see a more caring side.

 

While the majority of the story revolves around Anna, there are little snippets from other characters too and I found this aspect interesting as we find out how the people around Anna see her and the whole parcel situation. It was great to have this secret insight into Anna and, for me, it gave a more rounded view.

 

A Parcel For Anna Browne is a fabulously feel-good story full of charming characters, hot heroes and plenty of drama and intrigue.