Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
Christmas is nearly upon us and for once, I’m a bit ahead of the curve in regards to my annual tradition of ‘Holiday Reading’ queues! I’ve already begun to share my experiences reading Holiday Romances – curled up inside the Regency through Ms Carla Kelly’s visions of Sweet Romance whilst tucking into a small towne for a short spell in Contemporary times! I have other stories planned as November leans into December and before Twelfth Night arrives in January! This is the time of the year of garland and Yule; of heaps of snow & loads of family being round a tree lit and outfitted nicely with all the accompaniments of Christmastide! Where stockings are hung over hearths and a ready fire helps keep your favourite brewed in your cuppa of choice!
I’ve known about Ms Halton’s fiction for a short bit of time, as I am a reviewer of ChocLitUK – she’s written two stories with them: “A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love” & “A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate”. The latter is still Digital First, however, the first novel is also released into print – I’ve had my eye on her stories to read, as I liked the premise of the first one. Therefore, when I spied this new release of her’s with a Christmas premise, I couldn’t wait to host her on Jorie Loves A Story! I am thankful I’ve been reviewing for ChocLit, as it’s the first way in which my path crossed with her writings!
As I was setting up my conversation with Ms Halton, I wanted to talk about the story & characters but being it’s set at Christmastime, I also wanted to include a few extra bits which happily would encompass my *favourite!* time of the year! There is something quite extraordinary about Christmas – the season of mirth & joy, where most spirits are lifted & joyous during this particular time of the year! It’s also the time I *love!* to binge watch all the lovelies on television (when I have cable, that is!) – especially the light-hearted Christmas Roms on Hallmark Channel and others stations which air the lovelies I’ve loved seeing from the 80s through the 21st Century! Blessedly, I have quite a few on dvd – which makes retreating back into my fond memories of those movies a dash of merriment ahead of my own celebrations!
I have the tendency to go between watching Christmas films and/or holiday seasonal films (ie. dramas, comedies, romances or mini-series) to reading them! I love curling up inside the stories which celebrate how Autumn folds into Winter – of how the Earth cycles through it’s new chapter where frost and snow overtake the natural world. It’s a refreshing time of the year where the wrath of Summer is a faded memory and where you feel alive in your bones simply for the reprieve of humidity! Each year, I try to find a few new authors & their stories to knit inside – of making my own route of festive cheer through literary worlds!
Hopefully, as you alight into our conversation, you’ll be able to get a better feel for the story itself whilst finding out a bit more about Ms Halton and myself in the process! Remember, to leave your commentary & questions for the author in the threads below this post! Here’s wishing you & yours a very merrily festive holiday season!
Christmas at Bay Tree Cottage
by Linn B. Halton, Ms Linn B. Halton
The countdown to Christmas is usually a magical time, but Elena James is fed up with living on a building site! The renovations on her beautiful cottage – like her heart – have been frozen in limbo ever since she was unexpectedly widowed.
Elana calls in a professional, Luke Stevenson, to help finish the cottage, so her little girl can send letters to Santa up the newly-repaired chimney. Luke’s kind, capable and sexy – but he’s also ten years younger than Elana. So why has her heart decided it’s finally time for a thaw?
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 978-0008261290
Also by this author: Coming Home to Penvennan Cove
Published by Harper Impulse
on 3rd November, 2017
Published By: Harper Impulse (@HarperImpulse)
an imprint of HarperCollinsUK
Christmas in the Country Series
A Cottage in the Country | Book One | (Synopsis)
Christmas at Bay Tree Cottage | Book Two
Formats Available: Ebook and Paperback
Converse via: #HolidayRomance, #ChristmasRomance + #HolidayReads or #ChristmasReads
Extract from ‘Christmas at Bay Tree Cottage’
provided by the author Linn B. Halton and is being used with permission.
‘Mum, can we light the log fire tonight?’ Maya looks up at me with eager eyes.
‘I think we should wait until the weekend, darling. There isn’t really time to appreciate it on a school night, is there? Besides, I’m not even sure whether there are any logs left in the store. I promise to get it sorted as soon as I can.’
It was Niall’s job, sorting the fire. He would have booked the chimney sweep in early autumn and had the logs all ready and waiting, stacked neatly against the back wall of the garage. Ironically, last year I was much more organised. I suppose it was one of my coping mechanisms during those raw, early weeks and months. Keep going; keep doing something – anything, so I didn’t have to listen to what was in my head. But I feel bad. Maya will remember that this time last year we spent every evening huddled together on the sofa in front of the fire, reading. Hour upon hour we escaped into alternative worlds inspired by some wonderful authors. Roald Dahl’s Matilda, E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, and Maya’s favourite, Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch, a story of tenderness and triumph.
It was the very worst of times, but I focused on getting us through it one day at a time. My gut instinct, immediately after the accident, had been to sell the cottage just to escape that prevailing sense that something was missing. Niall was no longer here and it would never, ever be the same again. But soon realisation dawned that Maya needed a sense of continuity; the memories trapped within these walls were a lifeline for her, although a cruelly painful reminder for me. In a way she feels her dad is still here and I can’t take that away from her.
What inspires you to set Romances round the Christmastide & holiday season? What draws your eye towards this Season as being one which benefits from uplifting stories of Romance?
Halton responds: For me Christmas is the highlight of the year and it always has been since I was a very young child. I believe there is always a little ‘Christmas’ magic in the air during the holidays because it’s a time of goodwill.
When you have a family so much time goes into the preparation leading up to the big day and the holiday surrounding it, that it is a real labour of love. It isn’t about how much you spend, but about the time spent trimming the house, cooking up a storm in the kitchen and making sure no one is forgotten.
And it’s a time to buy little presents to give to people who touch our lives in some way and deserve a little thank you – like the postman, a teacher or the local delivery guy! But also the neighbour who doesn’t seem to get many visitors – a card and a tin of biscuits delivered by hand is the perfect excuse to stop by and have a little chat.
It’s a season full of love … so you don’t have to look far to find romance and that’s why I always love it when I can fit in a Christmas novel!
I love how we share a mutual passion for the Christmas Season! I grew up with a similar mindset – about how Christmas is about being charitable to those who are not expecting a random act of kindness, of how being neighbourly means more than passing ‘Hallo’ or wave and how, despite all the toils it takes in the kitchen to prep for the big meal – it’s the time spent round the table & near the tree – filling with new memories and reminiscing about the old ones which last evermore. It’s not the quantity nor the costs which count – it’s the knitting together hearts, spirits & the joyfulness of a season where thankfulness is one of the keys to a heart-centred Christmas.
I love the celebration of love, goodwill and humanity at Christmastime – partially when I love curling into Christmas Roms each year – there is such a tenderness to how romance can become built round the holiday season – whilst other stories I like to tuck inside are redemptive in nature. It just depends if I move between Romance or Drama whilst finding myself smitten by all the lovely new possibilities which are publishing per annum!
It sounds like there is a budding ‘May to December’ romance brewing between Elana & Luke – how did you address their ages to not become a barrier but instead, could be a chance at finding true love if they alter their focus off the obvious?
Halton responds: Age is just a number and although with age usually comes wisdom, through life experiences gained, maturity can’t always be measured in years.
Age is a barrier to Elana because she feels older than her years, still adjusting to the loss of her husband. Luke is ten years younger but older and wiser than his years because he’s had to take on a lot of responsibility. That doesn’t make the age gap disappear and ten years difference between a twenty-something and a thirty-something seems greater than if they were in their forties and fifties, for example.
Elana knows that Luke still has a lot of ‘firsts’ to experience and she feels most of hers are behind her. Before she can even think about being involved with anyone she has to come to terms with what has happened. Then, maybe, she can think of moving on.
On some levels Luke is actually wiser than Elana and I think that mirrors the way people are in real life. That old saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ could easily apply to looking at people and making an instant judgement based on their age or appearance.
I definitely agree! Especially as sometimes age isn’t easy to perceive – there are those who look younger than their years and are not taken for the age they are simply due to misconceptions about their age on the onset of meeting – whilst there are others, as you say, who mistake youth for inexperience, immaturity and a lack of conceptionalising the ‘larger picture’ of what life can afford to bring into your life. I think it’s a healthy way of adding a hidden layer to relationships – of examining what is more important in the end – it’s not age, it’s partially mindset, internal wisdom, endured intuition and a willingness to step outside the proverbial box to try something new which might lead to something quite extraordinary. I truly love how you’ve set this story to fall between what people think they understand about love, relationships and the ages in which we allow romance into our lives and what they haven’t yet learnt.
Were you like Maya growing up – holding onto the spirit & essence of Santa / Father Christmas or did you know from a tender age the truth behind the myth?
Halton responds: I don’t think I’ve ever stopped believing in Father Christmas and never really will. Instead I like to believe that we are all Santa’s little helpers, distributing the Christmas joy!
When I write labels out for presents I still write ‘From Santa x’ as I did when my sons were very young. I think Father Christmas embodies the spirit of the season and everyone who does something for someone else at Christmastime is simply keeping a little part of that alive.
I haven’t either – tell the truth! How lovely for us, eh? This is how I came to embrace the legacy of Father Christmas & Santa – of how each of us holds the will to be a caregiver of goodwill, charity and kindness – of giving out more love and gratitude of joy each year to where one day the world will be circled in a light of warmth from one soul to another. I believe exactly as you – how we each are a signal of memory for the goodness in humanity.
What was the hardest part about having Maya and her Mum lose their father/husband so early-on in their lives?
Halton responds: It’s horrible when a tragedy occurs, but sadly it happens. Even worse when it’s an accident because often it’s totally unexpected and it’s hard not to wonder ‘why’ or ‘if only’. But the real angst is that Elana doesn’t have time to grieve properly because she needs to keep a roof over their heads and be strong for her daughter.
I wanted to show that even at her weakest moments she demonstrates incredible strength, born out of the love she has for her daughter. I hope the readers will be touched and admire her, as she represents a lot of people in this world who go through something similar.
I believe she will be – a testament to not only the fortitude to carry-on but of having the willingness to put her daughter first whilst attempting to sort out the pieces of where her life fell apart the moment everything ‘changed’. It’s hard to sort out how you feel, what you should do first and how you can move ‘forward’ whilst nothing feels ‘right’ anymore. Those are crucial moments – of anguish but also, personal insight – of how we set our heart and attitude to transition through the worst of what has alighted on our path – whilst giving ourselves time to heal and to grieve. Life’s a tricky balance at times, that’s for sure! I can tell due to how you’ve approached writing her story – she must be touching hearts quite immediately after being met due to how much care you’ve put into her back-story!
You had Elana explore the healthier aspects of grief – by showing how she was trying to process through the transitional period after her loss – what inspired the diary entries she was composing as a ‘self-check’ on her progress? Why do you think this helped her the most?
Halton responds: Her counsellor inspired the diary and it’s a recognised way of dealing with the emotions that build up and are hard to express. It isn’t always easy to share that with other people but just the act of writing it down is a release.
To Elana it’s a lifeline and eventually she reaches a point where she can simply delete it because she’s ready to move on. That was a massive step for her, on her grieving journey. But it’s also a tool many people can use whenever something is building up inside of them and causing anxiety. Sit down and write a letter, empty yourself of the pain and anger. When it’s time to let go you can rip the letter into tiny pieces with a real sense of satisfaction.
I definitely agree – when you can get your thoughts & feelings down in a space where it’s just you and what your going through – you can find peace in the details. Being able to ‘let go’ of what is written is part of healing – it allows you to purge the more negative thoughts and/or the worrisome ones – where you might not have felt you were working things out as well as you could – or perhaps, you just found the emotions overwhelming – of all the loose ends and the unknowns stacking up – I can definitely see how therapeutic this would be! Such a good idea to add to her timeline – as it shows a strong progression of spiritual and personal growth.
What is your favourite Christmas memory growing up?
Halton responds: I was probably around seven years old and I had a desk for Christmas. I had an obsession with stationery from a young age because I loved to write and draw. I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep and laid awake all night. Then I ran out of steam in the afternoon and fell asleep!
My other favourite memory is when I was about five, I think. I decided I was going to stay unwake and catch Santa putting the stocking on my bed – which my mum always did! I lay awake for ages and then saw a woman walk from the corner of my bedroom across to the bottom of my bed. She stood there for a few moments and then disappeared. I like to believe it was my grandmother, who died when I was a baby. I wasn’t scared because I saw a lot of things that those around me didn’t see and it was comforting. I fell asleep before the stocking appeared, though.
I remember when I inherited my grandfather’s desk – it was green, aged and lovingly ‘used’. I was a letter writer and correspondent since I was quite young – exchanging letters with friends world-wide (something I am aiming to return back to as soon as I can get my thoughts to pull together properly) – so I definitely know the euphoric feeling of finding yourself with a ‘desk’ for the first time! There is incredible joy knowing you can get organised and have a steady place to ‘write’, ‘pause’ and ‘think’. I never did homework on it though! lol It wasn’t a high priority – I found schoolwork mundane and boring – but writing a letter to a friend? Now, that was priority number one! lol
What a beautiful memory – I’d like to think it was your grandmother, too! How sweet and kind of her to give you such a strong remembrance of her visit, too! I have heard of similar things – round the holidays (or our birthdays/anniversaries) I have noted people say they can sense, feel, or see their loved ones the most because they know those are the moments we might be most open to the experience as we’re genuinely happier than other moments they might choose.
What is your favourite Christmas tradition you still observe today?
Halton responds:
We have so many:
We try to go to a midnight carol service if we can.
I always make my own mince pies and because I hate mincemeat; I make two varieties including apple, orange peel and nut ones.
I always cook Christmas lunch because I enjoy doing it for the family.
I trim up way too early because I think the run-up to Christmas is a big part of the enjoyment. Okay, I admit – I’m a Christmasaholic.
We don’t overspend on presents because it isn’t about the gifts but the time the family can spend together.
I never tire of playing the Christmas oldies – whether that’s music or films! We have cuddle up on the sofa days to indulge ourselves, on the run-up to the big day.
We have two Christmases because our family live miles apart in the UK. So, for us Christmas doesn’t have to happen on the 25th of December. It’s actually quite liberating and my other half and I end up having THREE Christmases, because we always have a ‘just us’ one, too! Well, I say just us but, actually, it’s a threesome because we have a feisty Bengal cat named Ziggy who is the boss in our house!
Ooh my – Ms Freeman was talking to me this year about making homemade mince pies – I nearly choked when I realised what the key ingredients were — although, true to my nature, I might actually attempt it ‘once’ to see what it is like, but I’m thinking I’ll have to amend the recipe — similar to you, except without a taste as a reference point – I’m not akin to mincemeat! If you know of an alternative recipe, due let me know! I’d love to try to make the traditional treat – but honestly — I am uncertain if I could handle eating it after I made them!
Ooh how could you? I love the music on the radio arriving into our lives the week of Thanksgiving (stateside – this would be towards the end of November) and sadly, have to part with the loveliness of it’s musical interlude by New Year’s; some years they extend it by a week, others, they call it off a bit too early (after Christmas Day!). Same for the films on tv – either you get a smashing run into Twelfth Night or it all concludes between Christmas & New Year’s – making me feel melancholic as it couldn’t have just ‘blinked’ past so fast, could it?
Ooh, we *always!* extend our celebrations! We’re definitely the kind of family who likes to ‘tag on’ extra days or weeks — lol. Also, when I had a larger family than I do now – blessed to have known them when I had – we spilt things up a bit – the big family dinner was on one day, but Christmas morning was with Mum & Dad (and our furry friends – at one point that included quite a lot of interesting ‘side animals’ like hamsters, guinea pigs, small birds, fish, etc along with the family dog and cat) as I still to this day love Christmas morning rituals of opening the Christmas cards hanging in the boughs of the tree before the gifts. Christmas brunch was at my maternal grandparents whereas like I said Christmas dinner the whole lot of us came together!
Over the years, we tried to keep all the traditions alive – even the special familial ones – but as we found ourselves quite shortened in people, I must say, the traditions were put on hold long ago. It’s not quite the same now as it was then – mostly, as it doesn’t work as well with the short numbers – so one day, when the family re-expands (ie. when I become a Mum) we’ll bring the traditions back and dust off our holiday sparkles of joy!
One of my favourite Christmases of the past decade was attending Christmas Episcopalian mass – at midnight – with the traditional firelight of candles, too! So rare nowadays to get candles! Plus, of course, when local churches put on Christmas plays – it’s quite keen, but it’s the musicales which are even more enjoyable! There is so much to appreciate – even the Autumnal & Wintry Art & Craft faires or Christmas markets are special.
It is nice to know no matter where you are, if Christmas is special to you and yours, we tend to have mutually beloved traditions being celebrated at the time of the year where blessedly the world is captured in peace.
Thank you so much, Jorie for some fabulous questions – and wishing everyone a very HAPPY, HEALTHY and MAGICAL Christmastime. xx
And, I hope the same for you, Ms Halton, tenfold!
Very blessed I could converse with Ms Halton about her latest Christmas release – I feel so rightly attached to the character’s journey, I cannot wait to read this story myself! I shall have to wait though – as soon as I found out it’s a series, I want to back-read ‘A Cottage in the Country’ as I’m quite fickle about how I read series – there are certain exclusions where I sometimes have to concede to read a series out of ‘order’ but those are few and far between! I’d much rather read everything in sequence! Ergo – when I finally get to settle into the cottages of Ms Halton’s heart, I shall be one very happy girl indeed!
About Linn B. Halton
Bristol-born Linn lives in the Forest of Dean, in the UK. She resides there with her lovely husband and cat, Ziggy. She has been writing novels since 2009 and has written short stories for a number of magazines.
She is also known for her series of ‘Home by Design’ articles wearing her former interior designer hat. "I'm a hopeless romantic, self-confessed chocoholic, and lover of coffee. For me, life is about family, friends, and writing. Oh, and the occasional glass of White Grenache ..."
An Amazon UK Top 100 best-selling author with A Cottage in the Country in November 2015 whilst Under The Stars also became a best-selling novel in November 2016. Linn's novels have been short-listed in the UK's Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards. Linn won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award.
Linn writes Chick Lit, Romantic Comedy, Women's Contemporary Fiction and Psychic Romance. Publishers include Harper Impulse, Choc Lit and Endeavour Press.
This author interview is courtesy of: Brook Cottage Book Tours
Before you take off – I wanted to mention I’m twinning today with a fellow book blogger I’ve crossed paths with previously through our mutual love of ChocLit & Romances – be sure to visit Rachel’s lovely blog where she is disclosing her thoughts on behalf of ‘Christmas at Bay Tree Cottage’!
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.
{SOURCES: Cover art of “Christmas at Bay Tree Cottage”, book synopsis, author biography, author photograph of Linn B. Halton and the tour badge were all provided by Brook Cottage Book Tours and used with permission. The extract from “Christmas at Bay Tree Cottage” was provided by the author Linn B. Halton and is being used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets embedded by codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Conversations with the Bookish and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2017.
Comments via Twitter: (wherein we discuss mince pies!)
🎄#Christmas at Bay Tree Cottage🎄
by @LinnBHalton on #blogtour via @BrookCottageBksJoin Jorie w/ this festively centred#Interview🌟via https://t.co/9Am6ZgEo7j
Share your memories of the #holidays + #holidayseason!
& read the author's favourite Christmases! 🎅 pic.twitter.com/hak1uXFgri— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) November 16, 2017
It truly is such a brilliant convo! Extra blessings though for the clues on how to re-materalise mince pies I know I'll find #yumyum! Ms Freeman (@KathrynFreeman1) forgive me, but I think I'll be amending my promise! 😇 (see comments)
— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) November 16, 2017
Ha! ha! Sensible lady. Takes ages making the pastry and cutting out all the circles. And I top them with pastry Christmas trees … but it's the only pastry/dessert I cook all year! Mmm … brandy cream! 🤣
— Lucy Coleman (@LucyColemanauth) November 16, 2017
I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes (?) out for the Brandy creame! ?My heart was wavering a bit when I learnt the truer ingreds you shared; when Ms Halton suggested an alt. recipe – I knew I could eat those instead w/o faltering! (or fainting!)?
— Jorie Loves Space Opera (@joriestory) November 16, 2017
Nifty idea adding the?to the pies! I love little touches like this – I can see I’ll have fun sorting out how to bake them! Must start planning my?now! lol ?
— Jorie Loves Space Opera (@joriestory) November 16, 2017
I do make my other half the real ones but can’t eat them! Both sort freeze well and still taste wonderful after defrosting! Really enjoyed your post. xx ? ?? ❄️
— Linn B Halton (@LinnBHalton) November 16, 2017
Tweeters happily sharing this post:
https://t.co/PoaAmR0UTA Linn B Halton is being interviewed today and talking all things Christmas! @LinnBHalton @joriestory #books #christmas #holidays #reading #author #interview
— JBJohnston (@jontybabe) November 16, 2017
https://t.co/VPUhwwYYqE Linn B Halton is being interviewed today and talking all things Christmas! @LinnBHalton @joriestory #books #christmas #holidays #reading #author #interview
— Brookcottagebooks (@BrookCottageBks) November 16, 2017
Author Interview | Jorie happily welcomes Ms Linn B. Halton to #JLASblog to converse about her love… https://t.co/sgI949xV0s via @joriestory
— Sheryl Browne (@SherylBrowne) November 16, 2017
Talking all things Christmas and writing CHRISTMAS AT BAY TREE COTTAGE with Jorie @joriestory #books #christmas #holidays pic.twitter.com/DBVWZhSDXA https://t.co/CSt7HBuP5K
— Lucy Coleman (@LucyColemanauth) November 16, 2017
Hi Jorie and thank you so much for such a wonderful chat about all things Christmas related ?- it is simply the best time of the year! You are so right in that family traditions do change over the years as we lose loved ones and welcome little ones into the world. The cycle of life is an amazing thing and I believe that loved ones are always around us, wrapping us in their love. Wishing you and yours a truly wonderful Christmas celebration! xxx PS No need to put mincemeat in mince pies …. orange peel, chopped nuts, cooking apple and chopped dates. Plus a little brandy or sherry. Yum!
Bless you, Ms Halton!
You’ve saved me the anguish of sorting out the ‘mince’ bits!! :) Your version sounds positively delightful – especially as I’m an omnivore whose eagerly excited about being a veghead again! Definitely will add the liquor as that is part of the tradition! Ha! Definitely so! Traditions have to continue to evolve – if you don’t adapt, you’ll lose the new chances to re-define your family traditions & the celebrations will feel more off-kilter somehow. I’ve been blessed to come from as close-knit as a family as you do (from what I could gleam in your replies) – thus, we stay amendable to what life brings. Truly thank you for your beautiful responses – both in this note and in the conversation. I loved having you today on my blog!