Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
Remember when I shared recently: 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!
You could also say, I’ve happily sorted out a few new stories to showcase this year set during the Christmas Season – this is my second interview, as my first was for Ms Halton, of whom I found out we shared an amazingly similar background full of the bliss of Christmas memories & the connectedness of close-knit families!
I get quite giddy whenever I browse through the Authors I am following on Twitter – of whom I’ve placed on my “Authors Keen to Read” List and/or are randomly found whilst browsing the twitterverse – some of these authors are writing Christmas and/or Wintry stories I find most fascinating – most of which I must confess are being published in the UK! I am finding each year I am blogging, more of the stories I am personally seeking are coming from British authors! Not always, but there is something to be said for the fact most of the stories are also set in the UK!
The author I am interviewing today crossed my path awhile ago on Twitter – she’s actually one of the Authors on my List to be read – a list which has grown in four years to nearly *700!* authors! I was quite gobsmacked realising this – as I thought for sure it was under that mark by at least 300! It’s my intention of course to make a dent in the number of authors who are left ‘unread’ each year, but the past several years, you can see I’ve only been able to ‘add’ rather than ‘subtract’.
When I read the premise on behalf of this novel, being a knitter, I felt like the author had captured something I have been seeking in Knitty Fiction! I’ve tried reading most of the stories published set in yarn shoppes or from knitting circle POVs – most are very well-known novels, yet I never could feel myself attached inside them. Something felt ‘off’ or just didn’t seem my cuppa tea – as I read about this story-line and then, joyfully realised the series was taking off quite quickly thereafter – I thought perhaps, I finally can settle into some crafty backlit stories by an author who can write a series which hold’s my attention!
As I interviewed the author, we’re all celebrating the 1st Birthday of the novel whilst acknowledging the sequel is being released this Christmas & Holiday Season! Isn’t that smashing!? I thought so!
The series shifts perspectives – it starts with a yarn shoppe & the sequel takes us into innkeeping – something else I’ve always have loved: Bed & Breakfast’s!! As I showcase both novels in this series today, I hope you’ll enjoy the conversation which flowed between Ms Rolfe and myself! Due know, this is one series I look forward to picking up and reading as soon as I’m able too! Before you read our convo, make sure you have your favourite brew in a cuppa to keep you company!
Christmas at the Little Knitting Box
Subtitle: A heartwarming Romance for Christmas
Christmas is coming and New York is in full swing for the snowy season. But at The Little Knitting Box in the West Village, things are about to change …
The Little Knitting Box has been in Cleo’s family for nearly four decades, and since she arrived fresh off the plane from the Cotswolds four years ago, Cleo has been doing a stellar job of running the store. But instead of an early Christmas card in the mail this year, she gets a letter that tips her world on its axis.Dylan has had a tumultuous few years. His marriage broke down, his mother passed away and he’s been trying to pick up the pieces as a stay-at-home dad. All he wants this Christmas is to give his kids the home and stability they need. But when he meets Cleo at a party one night, he begins to see it’s not always so easy to move on and pick up the pieces, especially when his ex seems determined to win him back.
When the snow starts to fall in New York City, both Cleo and Dylan realise life is rarely so black and white and both of them have choices to make. Will Dylan follow his heart or his head? And will Cleo ever allow herself to be a part of another family when her own fell apart at the seams?
Full of snow, love and the true meaning of Christmas, this novel will have you hooked until the final page.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 978-1540764829
on 13th December, 2016
Christmas Romances have a particular niche of joy in my reading life – what gives you the most happiness in creating a story set round such a joyous time of the year? What do you love most about setting lives and hearts in sync during the holiday season?
Rolfe responds: I love reading Christmas romances as well as watching movies with holiday themes. I think it can be a very special time of the year, a stressful occasion for some, and the time when true feelings are often put on the line whether it’s a declaration of love, the revelation of a secret or people pulling together in times of need. Setting books in the holiday season is really exciting because I get to experience a lot of Christmas and I hope people can delve into my stories and fall in love with the characters.
I think you have picked the best time of the year to tell stories, truly! The Christmas season is full of a lot of mirth for me – it’s one of my favourite times of the year, but it’s more than that – as we all have our own traditions, two of mine are reading the Christmas Romances & Dramas whilst trying to find time to watch the lovely Christmas movies I hold so very dear in my heart! I think stories which are character driven are my absolute favourites – I look forward to meeting yours one day!
As the key setting in your novel is a yarn store – have you’ve been especially crafty with fibre throughout your life or is a new passion of yours? Or, have you appreciated the fibre arts community from afar and wanted to tuck into this world through Cleo’s journey?
Rolfe responds: I’m really not very crafty at all! I think my worst subject at school was needlework and I won’t even mention what grade I got for effort, or for attainment! My parents are both very crafty however, and have both knitted a lot of items for us over the years – jumpers for the kids, a bobble hat for me, a draft excluder for our house in Melbourne, teddy bears for the kids and more recently a Father Christmas and a snowman to put out around Christmas time.
Despite not being crafty, I can totally see why people have a passion for it. I really enjoyed researching the setting for Christmas at the Little Knitting Box, I think because there is so much to learn about yarn and so much I never knew. At one point in the story Cleo using Vicuna and it was really interesting to find out about this unique, and expensive, type of yarn and how it is sourced. One day I would love to own a pair of my own vicuna socks!
Ooh my!? I never would have guessed! (about being uncrafty!) Ooh my goodness! How knitty indeed! Those are some of the things I aspire to be able to knit myself – the toys & the clothes – sometimes I think to myself I’m attempting too much, I should just be thankful for what I can knit, but then, of course, in the back of my mind, I wonder? Why hold myself back?! Surely, as my technique knowledge grows, so will the patterns I can undertake! How clever though – both your parents are equally crafty! I’m unsure if I have come across this particular yarn myself – however, whilst researching a trip to Alaska, I found out they have an equally exclusive yarn there – one which the Native Americans regularly knit for visitors & residents alike to purchase – I was fascinated by it because it’s an animal fibre I never heard of before and it’s remarkably sustainable – thereby, I know what you mean! Sometimes even in ordinary instances you find yourself smitten by researching things which are new to you! Even if, when I’m working on my own stories, research is a heap of fun!
Why do you think yarn shoppes make such a cosy atmosphere for where creatives who love tactile crafting can find common ground – share stories over tea or wine, mutually gush over the latest ‘wares’ and find themselves happily addicted to trying new and challenging patterns for either knitters or crocheters? What do you love most about them whilst walking in for the first time? Is it what you see or something more?
Rolfe responds: I think yarn shops make the perfect atmosphere for coming together, sharing and a good old gossip. From what I’ve seen, knitting can be really hard work and you do need to concentrate but at the same time, once you’ve got a bit of a flow going, it is something your hands can work at while you sit and talk to the person beside you.
I did my research for my book in Loop, London, and I think the thing that most amazed me when I walked in was the colour! There are so many to choose from, so many textures, and even as a non-knitter, I could spend a lot of time in there imagining what could be made from so many beautiful things. I think there’s also the feeling of it being a little old-fashioned – I know it’s not at all, but stepping into a yarn shop is almost like forgetting the world as it rushes by, and enjoying something so simple. It also feels inclusive, with shoppers all having the same interest, no matter what level their skills are at.
In theory, yes! I’ve not yet mastered the art of ‘chatting & knitting’ without having a few errors made along the way in the pattern! I generally take an easier pattern – straight knit/purl with me for meet-ups nowadays as to be honest? It’s too wrecking to find myself so caught up in a conversation, I’ve dearly made a mess of my knitting! I do agree – the meet-ups are best, not only to see what everyone else is working on but to gather how timeless the art of it is truly is! It’s definitely multi-generational and this is lovely because of how varied the stories are you overhear!
Yes! You described it perfectly – we’re all on equal footing as knitters (and those who crochet, too!) as we all started ‘somewhere’ and despite where we are with our techniques – there is something wicked attractive about fibre itself! You are quite right – Mum & I could literally get lost in a yarn shoppe for hours on end – not just enquiring over the yarns themselves but looking up new patterns, chattering with fellow fibre artists and just being wrapped up in the ambiance! Sometimes it’s nice to duck in for a random knitting session – esp at the shoppes where they let you ask Questions if your run amuck for free? Those are the shoppes to celebrate!
The more I’ve learnt of the story, the more I itch to get a copy in print! One of these days…
Why do you think taking a risk for on a ‘second chance at love’ is hard for Cleo & Dylan – is it because they worry if they allow their hearts to trust someone again they could get hurt or is it, they’ve reached a point in their lives where going solo seems more appealing due to everything that happened?
Rolfe responds: I think Cleo and Dylan are both incredibly worried about being hurt again. They’ve both managed to get themselves to a place in their lives where they are content, where not too much takes them by surprise, and they can manage that just fine. When they each realise their feelings run deep, it’s hard for each of them to take the chance, particularly for Dylan whose priority is his children. I’m glad they were both brave enough in the end to go for it!
I am as well – as these are the kinds of ‘second chance romances’ I love to find! I love seeing who yields first and who has the hardest struggle to ‘trust again’. Sounds like such a lovely drama to watch unfold – but also, with Christmas in the background, a delightful one at that!
As you’ve set more than one story during Winter and the holidays, what are your fondest memories of this season? Do you find you thrive in cooler temperatures or do you long for humidity? What’s your favourite joys of Winter?
Rolfe responds: I think I like the idea of winter even more than winter itself! I think there’s something so appealing about snuggling up with a hot chocolate (or a mulled wine!) with the fire going and reading a book or watching a movie. Some of my favourite memories are of waiting for the darkness to descend and then putting on the tree lights and turning off every other light in the house. I could stare at a Christmas tree for hours!
Isn’t that the truth!? Christmas trees are so very giving of their essences – you could peer at the tree, seeing all the ornaments, lights and tinsel but at other times, despite the allure of the trimmings – it’s the memories you see reflected rather than the objects! Especially if you added special treasures to the tree year after year or the tree was part of your family’s traditions on Christmas Eve or morn. I cannot yet say — if I prefer the season (Winter) or only prefer it in theory – your idea of having hot cocoa or mulled wine to nosh on whilst reading is definitely up my alley of interest! And, who doesn’t like a roaring fire!?
What was your favourite ‘tradition’ of Christmas you’ve knitted into “Christmas at the Little Knitting Box” or one you’ve like to share with my readers if you didn’t include one in the novel?
Rolfe responds: My favourite tradition is watching a Christmas movie with my husband and the kids. We have quite a few Christmas movies on DVD so on Christmas Eve we put all the names of the movies into a Santa bag, shake them up, and then take one out. We all have our favourite movies, but we all have to watch the one chosen. Then after that, we do the same until we’ve watched them all (although not on the same day!)
Ooh, this is a clever treat! I never thought of this myself – our collection is still growing- as the films we have on dvd doesn’t quite compare to the ones we like to watch annually airing on television – if your familiar with the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies!? Blessedly their releasing more of those on dvd – like last year’s Christmas time travel drama with Candace Cameron Bure which was a new favourite of mine! I’ll have to remember this though for when the collection outgrows what you can watch in a day! Nifty! Thanks for sharing!
Why do you think Christmas Romances gives your own spirit such a lift to both write and read? What keeps drawing you into their folds?
Rolfe responds: I love writing romances at any time of the year because falling in love is the most magical thing, but it can be hard. I love taking characters, their issues, their different personalities and working through every obstacle they find until they can make a way to fit together. And doing so at Christmas really unleashes my romantic side from the log fires and Christmas lights, to mistletoe and carols.
I truly feel like I’ve had the blessing of getting to know a bit more about your writing style & process – of finding a bit more about how you write and why writing is your passion. For this, I am full of thankfulness our paths have re-crossed through the blog tour! I am unsure if you remembered we had found each other on Twitter – it was at some point over the past four years and somehow it makes it sweeter knowing I can finally host you on my blog! Perhaps, before next Christmas I can bring some of your stories home! Thank you for sharing a bit of insight into your Christmas traditions alongside a few bits of clues about what we can all expect to find within “Christmas at the Little Knitting Box”! I truly look forward to seeing the series grow and deepen through the characters who will populate it!
Snowflakes and Mistletoe at Inglenook Inn
Subtitle: A feel-good Christmas Romance...
It's the most wonderful time of the year...but is it the time to fall in love?
As the flames on the log fire flicker and the snowflakes swirl above the New York streets, maybe this Christmas could be the one that changes everything...
When Darcy returns to Manhattan, she’s put in charge of the Inglenook Inn, a cosy boutique hotel in the heart of Greenwich Village. The Inn needs a boost in bookings if it’s to survive the competition, so Darcy is convinced that hosting Christmas this year is the answer. What she doesn’t expect is to meet a face from the past, which can only spell trouble.
Myles left England behind and took a job in New York. It’s a step forwards in his career, and has the added bonus of being nowhere near his family. He’s also hoping to avoid Christmas, the worst time of the year. But when his company puts him up at the Inglenook Inn and he recognises Darcy, it isn’t long before they clash.
When disaster strikes, can Myles and Darcy put their differences aside to make Christmas at the Inglenook Inn a success?
Places to find the book:
on 12th December, 2017
New York Ever After series
Christmas at the Little Knitting Box | Book One
Snowflakes and Mistletoe at the Inglenook Inn | Book Two | *this is a Digital First release!
Formats Available: Ebook* and Paperback
Converse via: #HolidayRomance, #ChristmasRomance + #HolidayReads or #ChristmasReads
About Helen J. Rolfe
Helen J Rolfe writes contemporary women's fiction with an emphasis on relationships and love. She enjoys weaving stories about family, friendship, secrets, and characters who face challenges and fight to overcome them. Helen enjoys creating strong female lead characters and although her stories often deal with serious issues, they always have a happy ending.
Location is a big part of the adventure in Helen's books and she enjoys setting stories in different cities and countries around the world. So far, locations have included Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Connecticut, Bath and the Cotswolds.
Born and raised in the UK, Helen graduated from University with a business degree and began working in I.T. This job took her over to Australia and it was there that she studied writing and journalism and began writing for women's health and fitness magazines. She also volunteered with the PR department of a children's hospital where she wrote articles and media releases. Helen began writing fiction in 2011 and hasn't missed the I.T. world one little bit, although the I.T. skills have come in handy of course, especially when it comes to creating and maintaining a website.
After fourteen years of living in Australia, Helen returned to the UK and now lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and their children.
This author interview is courtesy of: Rachel’s Random Resources
Rachel & I first crossed paths whilst celebrating our mutual love of ChocLitUK novels – this blog tour marks the first I’ve been able to host for her after discovering recently she has a blog touring company! You’ve might have seen her badge in my sidebar!? I am looking forward to bringing Guest Author Features, Book Spotlights w/ Notes & Reviews to Jorie Loves A Story hosted by Rachel! It’s quite lovely when someone you know in the twitterverse has started their own company & has followed their passion for helping others. I look forward to working with Rachel more often starting in 2018!
You will next see me hosting her blog tours on the following dates:
- the 5th of January, 2018 : The Captain’s Disgraced Lady by Catherine Tinley
- the 30th of January, 2018 : The Magic of Stars by Jackie Ladbury
- the 27th of February, 2018 : Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal by Lara Temple
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 the Little Knitting Box” & “Snowflakes & Mistletoe at the Inglenook Inn”, book synopsis, author biography, author photograph of Helen J. Rolfe and the tour badge were all provided by Rachel Random Resources and 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:
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
Happily celebrating the #BookBirthday🎂 of a delightful #ChristmasRomance🎄📚 I look fwd to #amreading one day! Come visit & read the convo I shared w/ @HJRolfe! 😄
🗣️#Interview https://t.co/37Q3ZsPVyi
via @rararesources #blogtour pic.twitter.com/RXJar57EbC— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) November 29, 2017
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