If your a regular reader or frequent visitor of Jorie Loves A Story, you know I’ve been smitten with the novelists who publish their relationship-based Romances with ChocLitUK for a good two years now! I love being on the cusp of learning about a ‘new release’ whilst I remain patient to see if the Digital First new ChocLit novel will make it to a print release further down the road of it’s lifetime. I don’t mind the gaps between the ebooks and the print editions – as it’s always given me the pleasure of balancing my ‘next ChocLit reads’ to include both Front List and Back List offerings. Thus, I am enjoying being a member of the Reveal Team at ChocLit whilst it gives me a chance to introduce my readers to a variety of sub-genres within Romance I appreciate picking up to read!
As you might have noticed, I have become an appreciator of reading Ms Freeman’s stories, ever since I happily released my review on behalf of her Pharma Industry Contemporary Rom Search for the Truth! It is with pleasure of joy finding that she has a second release I can happily celebrate this year, right in time for Christmas! I have a particular interest in holiday stories because I love being caught up in the joy of the Christmas season whilst tucking inside a light Rom or a holiday setting wherein you get to find people not expecting anything out of the ordinary to enter their lives, but sometimes have the best blessing of all arrive just in time for Christmas!
I wasn’t sure how I felt this year about reading holiday stories ahead of November, as I have a few in queue right now, as well as my first colouring books – I have the tendency to wait until I can feel the spirit of the holidays approaching, where I feel the Seasons have blessedly switched ‘over’ to something ‘other than’ Summer and have caught sight of that shifting towards where the year starts to fold anew into a new chapter. Sometimes reading is atmospheric and sometimes there is a season of awareness for the stories we love to read as well. I recently blogged how sometimes stories are too emotionally triggered to the negative, but in regards to Christmas stories, I find myself properly enchanted by them personally! I just have the tendency to get into the readerly mood for them the weeks ahead of Thanksgiving straight through the first fortnight of January! Not always, as I do surprise myself like most readers – even as October took it’s peek into view, I started to notice, hmm, perhaps I might duck inside one ahead of Halloween this year? How unusual for me!
When this ChocLit Stars project came along, I was most enthused as I had previously celebrated the print releases of Ms Alison May’s Christmas novellas – as when it comes to ChocLit and Christmas, I am unfortunately a bit under-read! I do appreciate their annual ChocLit Treats – those delish little morsels of Romance arriving by your email Inbox, which dance and pepper your holidays with little dashes of fiction so lovingly adorable and keenly enjoyable! Perhaps this is the year, I can select some ChocLit Christmas Roms to soak inside and take stock of how the authors enjoy celebrating one of my most beloved times of the year!
I do wonder, what is your most favourite bit of reading holiday stories? Do you have a certain ‘start date’ or do you enjoy reading them year round? I must confess, I find it hard to attach into a Christmas story between Spring and Summer, but this year, I’m finding October is bringing Autumn joys a bit earlier than usual and thereby, I’m re-inspired to try to read one early!
A Second Christmas Wish Cover Reveal
Do you believe in Father Christmas?
For Melissa, Christmas has always been overrated. From her cold, distant parents to her manipulative ex-husband, Lawrence, she’s never experienced the warmth and contentment of the festive season with a big, happy family sitting around the table.
And Melissa has learned to live with it, but it breaks her heart that her seven-year-old son, William, has had to live with it too. Whilst most little boys wait with excitement for the big day, William finds it difficult to believe that Father Christmas even exists.
But then Daniel McCormick comes into their lives. And with his help, Melissa and William might just be able to find their festive spirit, and finally have a Christmas where all of their wishes come true…
Places to find the book:
Book Page on World Weaver Press
Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)
RELEASE DATE: 1st November, 2016 – ebook version
Formats Available: this is a Digital First release! print and audio should follow next!
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance | Christmas Romance | New Beginnings & Unexpected Love
Converse via: #ChocLit & #ChocLitChristmas
I had a very strong reaction to the choices in the cover art designs for this one as I have such an appreciation for Christmas Roms and holiday stories – it isn’t just the fact I love reading them, in recent years, I’ve read less and watched more! This is a trait I’m working on fixing this holiday season – as I’d like to balance what I watch by what I read, as it’s been such an age since I’ve allowed myself the pleasure of reading a holiday romance! I have the tendency to be camped out watching all the lovelies arrive on Hallmark Channel or Hallmark Movies & Mysteries – as Lifetime airs a few I enjoy, but their ‘good years’ of what they are releasing seem to go one year to the other. I never tire of them either! Even if I have seen them multiple times or annually when it’s time to ring in the Christmastide and soak into the romances that are going to air as repetitively as the music is blaring out of our radio speakers! Eek. I just love this time of the year!
For me, even before I read the synopsis in full – this was my first reaction to the cover which now happily graces the story:
It’s the quintessential cover for me that speaks about this kind of story! I know it might not be the most popular but ooh! That cover just spoke volumes about why I love tucking inside Christmas stories, Yuletide celebrations and the festive nature of Winter bringing round all my favourite holidays!! It’s such an incredibly magical time of the year and I adore snow even if my state is one of the few that doesn’t get any – I long to live closer to snow country, to be caught up in that treasure of snowflakes and the stillness of a wintry walk.
For me it was more the aesthetic of what resonates with this kind of story. The third option was a close second. I didn’t fancy the second nearly as much as I didn’t think the characters had to be seen to feel ‘caught up’ in the heart of the story. It’s the allure of the story for me rather than the specifics.
I wasn’t sure how the other Stars would react, as sometimes I find what I find appealing is counter to what others find but in this one instance, I was wicked excited finding out we were all on the same page with this cover! Isn’t that brilliant!?
Some of my favourite Christmas Roms are the ones where the lead character is fit to be tied it’s ‘Christmas’ again! Where something has disrupted his or her life and has become such a state of disregard for the holidays, that they’d personally just ‘skip over’ the whole holiday season! The reason I like those types best is because when you have intense drama it leads to a greater eclipse of a character’s journey and thereby etching you closer to the meaning of the season whilst growing closely attached to the heart of the character’s spirit and why they’ve become so emotionally detached or frustrated. There are so many variants of bringing stress into a person’s life – either circumstance or tragedy or simply a stack of odds placed on their path can do the trick; but what I love most is how each time you see or read one of these lovelies, there is a beautiful takeaway message and a renewing of Hope. Isn’t that why we love reading Christmas Roms the most?! The Hope of what is still yet to come and what is still yet unknown to be revealled!? To see how everything knits together and gives us such an uplift of joy to be reading during the time of year where everything just feels super magical outside?!
See?! I’m not far off the mark – this woman (Melissa) clearly needs a Christmas re-vamp! Where she can truly find something other than resentment during the holidays and surely, someone out there can turn the clock round on how her feelings can override her aversion to Christmas! Mind you, I think given her circumstances, it would turn anyone’s heart sour on Christmas! What a situation!
Now in regards to Father Christmas and stories surrounding the magic of Santa, these are some of my favourites as well – there are as many variants for this as the holiday traditions that touch our lives, but one thing remains the same throughout them: you have to believe and have the joy of the season in your heart to see what isn’t always possible. Sometimes that becomes altered by life and the memories of the past, but if you even have a small bit of wonder inside your heart, there is potential for the curious surprises that can arrive inside your life through a story-line of Father Christmas! I am unsure the twist in this story will be – either showcasing Father Christmas or how there are those amongst us who are Father Christmas to those who never expect to be surprised – whichever way it goes, I know I’m in for a special treat of a read!
I wonder what everyone else thinks about Christmas Romances!? Does everyone else get as excited as I do about the holiday films and the lovely new Christmas Romances being released each year?! I wonder what other readers have for tradition when it comes to Winter and the holidays – if they are as readily excited to find new stories or new films or even new musical releases that increase the joy of the season whilst giving us such a lot of happiness at the same time!? This is one year out of the three I’ve blogged where I am most eager to share my holiday joys in reading Christmas stories and/or focusing on holiday romances! I have a lot of lovely surprises coming up this year, and look forward to sharing the holidays with each of you.
This Cover Reveal is courtesy of: ChocLitUK
My current ChocLit readings this Autumn:
Search for the Truth| by Kathryn Freeman (review)
Turning the Tide | No. 1 of Little Spitmarsh | by Christine Stovell (upcoming next: 8th October!)
Talk to Me | by Jules Wake (forthcoming: 15th October!)
And, visit my ChocLit Next Reads List on Riffle
Now that I have ‘tasted’ Ms Freeman’s writing style for Contemporary Rom, I look forward to reading more of her stories! As there are quite a few now that I am most keen on ‘meeting next’! Isn’t that lovely!?
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Similar to blog tours where I feature book reviews, as I choose to highlight an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog. I provide the questions for interviews and topics for the guest posts; wherein I receive the responses back from publicists and authors directly. I am naturally curious about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of stories and the writers who pen them; I have a heap of joy bringing this content to my readers.
Reader Interactive Question:
Have you previously had the pleasure of reading a ChocLitUK Romance novel!? Did you now they regularly release novels with strong female leads and male characters who are a delight to find on the pages? ChocLit truly has found a niche for giving romance readers something hearty to chew on whilst seeking out uplifting relationship-based Rom with just a dash and a hint of intrigue, drama, and suspense! What do you seek out from a romance novel?
The relationship-based drama, comedy, historical, or suspense? OR the strength of the setting, timescape, and dimensional eclipse of the characters therein!?
When it comes to reading holiday romances, what are your personal favourites!?
{SOURCES: Book cover for “A Second Christmas Wish”, book synopsis and Choc Lit Star badge were provided by ChocLitUK and used with permission. Author photograph of Kathryn Freeman provided by the author Kathryn Freeman and used with permission. Tweets embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Post dividers and My Thoughts badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Stories Sailing into View banner and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2016.
Comments via Twitter:
@ChocLituk @KathrynFreeman1 Yes, I wonder what wicked surprises are afoot! ? I heart #Christmas stories. Mmm. Hmm. Tuesday will be JOYFUL ?
— Time Traveller Jorie (@joriestory) October 3, 2016
@KathrynFreeman1 @ChocLituk Not quite yet, although I wouldn't mind smelling them! :) Plus the ciders, and cosy comfort foods you ? Mmm YUM!
— Time Traveller Jorie (@joriestory) October 4, 2016
Delighted you helped to choose such a beautiful cover for my Christmas story, Jorie – thank you so much! I’ve always been one to steer clear of Christmas until December, and then burst head long into it. This year though I find myself wanting to burst into it now :-) I find it hard to read Christmas stories out of the season – but strangely found it easy to write one in Easter! Thank you for revealing my lovely cover on your blog xx