Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
For the first time since I launched Jorie Loves A Story, I’ve been able to have a lovely sub-focus on the *Christmas!* stories which alight in our lives per annum! This year, in particular I’ve had a lovely focus on UK Contemporary Christmas Romances – as I will readily admit, I’m quite smashingly addicted to the writing styles of UK authors! I’ve had to put my #ChristmasReads on hold whilst I was participating in #RRSciFiMonth – so outside of Ms Carla Kelly’s Sweet Regency Christmas Romances, I haven’t yet come across another *favourite!* read of the Season!
Thus far, I’ve had the pleasurable joy of interviewing Ms Halton where we exchanged our Christmas family traditions inasmuch as chattering about why the holidays are special to each of us – celebrating her latest release “Christmas at Bay Tree Cottage”! Shortly thereafter, I interviewed Ms Helen Rolfe – an author I’ve followed on Twitter since she found me therein, whose released a delightful Christmassy Rom set round a knitting shoppe! Still my heart, being a girl knitty over yarn – this one definitely had my heart going a-flutter reading the premise!
Right in line with the festive glow of joy talking about stories set during Christmas I had the honour of bringing to my reader’s attention a delightfully festive bookaway fused with the Christmas spirit of ‘giving’ – whilst interviewing the author who inspired the event to happen! All of this, is continuing – as December dawns – I’ll be interchanging my Sci-Fi reads with dashes of Christmas stories, select Non-Fiction and other lovelies I’m hankering to read during this glorious time of the year.
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 am thankful to be crossing paths with #newtomeauthors who are giving me a heap of joy to host this festive season whilst finding STORIES to gather in time for next Christmas! A few of them are not yet released into paperback but the stories within their pages will be lovingly read once they are published. Today, marks my next special guest, of whom I offered to write a Guest Post Essay in lieu of an Interview – this novel is set in an attractive ‘small towne’ (if you might recall, Small Towne Fiction is amongst my favourites to be reading!) where you can quite literally re-invent yourself and/or find a new beginning. Small townes are glorious for either occasions as much as they offer something quite lovely outside of a ‘big metropolis’ where you can lose your thoughts as much as your sanity for the chaos you endure.
Remember to give me a nod towards what your reading this Christmas & holiday season – especially if you know of a Contemporary or Historical Christmas Rom you feel might whet a thirst of interest for me to be reading right now! Til then, I hope you’ve been enjoying my series of Christmas Guest Features as we welcome Winter into our hearts & let the holidays sweep us up into their Yuletide blessings! Merry meet, dear hearts!
A Christmas Wish
Flora Phillips has an excuse for every disaster in her life; she was abandoned as a new-born on a doorstep one cold autumn night, wrapped in nothing but a towel. Her philosophy is simple: if your mother doesn't want you – who will?
Now a thirty-year-old, without a boyfriend, a career or home she figures she might as well tackle the biggest question of them all – who is she? So, whilst everyone else enjoys their Christmas Eve traditions, Flora escapes the masses and drives to the village of Pooley to seek a specific doorstep. Her doorstep.
But in Pooley she finds more than her life story. She finds friends, laughter, and perhaps even a love to last a lifetime. Because once you know where you come from, it's so much easier to know where you're going.A story of redemption and love, romance and Christmas dreams-come-true, the perfect novel to snuggle up with this festive season.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9781788541077
on 19th October, 2017
Guest Post Topic I asked of Ms Green:
Did you fashion the community of Pooley after a particular towne you’ve visited or did you want to craft a setting where someone could unexpectedly ‘put their life back to rights’ such as how Flora is needing to do with her own affairs – thus, creating an ‘unexpected’ locale where second chances are possible? What inspired you most as you created Pooley to give readers the sense of wonder Flora feels herself?
Flora’s Pooley is based on the town of Atherstone, Warwickshire, it is a small town which once boasted a vibrant hatting industry. It’s suggested that Lewis Carroll fashioned the Mad Hatter from ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ on the hatting-workers of the area as they were systematically poisoned by the mercury used for felt making. The Market Square comprising of a beautiful church, large stone archway and cobbles was the perfect setting for Flora’s story. The village name Pooley comes from another quaint village in Warwickshire, which used to boast a thriving coal mine and brick yard, near to where I grew up. The village of Pooley was once home to the American soul singer Edwin Starr, prior to his death. I simply merged, and fictionalised, the two villages to create a perfect backdrop.
JORIE adds an intermission: I personally love watching YT videos to gather a proper sense about a place I am researching. Being I’ve not yet ventured to the UK, I find it fitting to find tourism videos which introduce me to their townes & cities ahead of time. This one happily was easily found which gives a small glimpse into the setting which inspired Ms Green to write her debut novel! Isn’t it a true gem? I love the old textural feel to this towne – a lovely walkable place where time is relaxed & easily enjoyed. I hope this helps you ‘feel’ as if you’ve visited Pooley if only for a short spell!
I wanted to create a close-knit community, where the older generation remember and know each other’s’ business but where the younger generation are more independent but still respectful of the traditions and people of the village.
I grew up in a large village, where fascinating characters, family histories and stories circulate all the time and are long remembered after the events. Misconceptions and secrets can be part of village life, which helped to provide a suitable backdrop for Flora’s arrival in the fictional village of Pooley.
Many villages are centred about the local pub and its inhabitants, offering the opportunity to have a cast of quirky locals seen through the eyes of a new comer.
Flora needs to find answers to her life-long insecurities, as she’s using them as an excuse for her failures in life, hampering her chances of happiness. I needed her to be different to the other villagers and yet, blend amongst them as time passes. I wanted the locals to portray the quizzical element of sheer nosiness whilst initially aloof. The warmth of village life is shown in the villagers’ support and reaction to Flora’s plight.
In recent months, whilst giving author talks around Atherstone, I’ve explained about the setting and many readers have taken an enjoyment in visiting The Market Square to view the layout for themselves.
Whilst having the chance to have this preview of the story itself, I’ve happily felt as if I could understand what inspired Ms Green to tell this particular story. I am charmed by stories of lost identities and lost heritages – I’m an Ancestry Sleuth in my family, alongside my Mum, wherein we’ve had some lovely adventures uncovering our ancestral past. Most recently, I shared about an unexpected joy we had this Autumn where a long-lost connection to our familial history was reunited!
Being a Prospective Adoptive Mum, I am also one who avidly seeks out stories of Adoption from the point-of-view of the parents inasmuch as the children. There are so many different ways round to tell a story involving non-conventional families – adoption being only one avenue. I bring this up because through Adoption, there can be disconnections of family history and there are issues with self-identity lateron in the adoptees lives. Not limited to Adoptive backgrounds – others can grow up with a misunderstanding about who they are and where they fit in this world. Their families might not have shared living histories with them or lived long enough to fill in those missing gaps of who they were – in the past or the present. All of this combined in my mind as reason enough to itch to read Flora’s story!
I truly love stories which seek out the truth which is hidden from the lead characters, which is why I know when I eventually get to read this one, I’ll be a jolly happy reader!
In regards to millinery work – it doesn’t surprise me – the dangers to workers was only the tip of what was wrong (ie. the supplies and the locations of employment were equally hazardous!) I read a quite extensively researched novel about the Shirtwaist Industry Fire in New York – (fictionalised but rooted in the real events) which led me to reading more about hats & other stories of fashion where the practices of the employers left me wrenched in gutting emotions – the circumstances were beyond dire, they were inhumane. So much of our history as women striving to re-set the standards for our workplace conditions, general health & rights overall is a jarring history where adversities were not easily overcome. Due to my readings, it’s sometimes hard to separate the joy of hats & fashion from the murkier realities of their origins. Or, even, how sometimes even today there are shadier practices still ongoing.
I, also grew up on family histories – even before I took up the sleuthing of our ancestral past – as Mum was spearheading it long before I caught the ‘bug’ for digging into archives! I think the best blessing of the living histories is the oral histories give you a different appreciation for the cycle of life – of how lives have evolved and yet remained very much the same as they were once lived. We all strive for the same things, hope to meet someone to love & find a community where we can live not only at peace but find connections amongst neighbours who might literally become more like beloved friends or extended family.
Oh, yes, indeed! Local pubs – where the whole of the community can find a safe haven from the woes of everyday life are equally enjoyed on this side of the Pond! They take after I believe the pubs of England – where their more like meeting houses of where families or singles alike can find a measure of joy with wicked good food, a diverse variety of ales on draught and an atmosphere which is crazily buzzing with laughter, conversation and the fiery enthusiasm for sports (if the season merits it).
I, admit, finding the video of Altherstone helped me feel more rooted to your story and Flora’s journey! I used to love to watch the house hunting series from the UK – the name eludes me – where they focused on Country Houses? It was such a clever concept because you could ‘peer’ into the countryside tip to stern and gain a better insight into the layout of the country. Likewise, videos like this one help align a reader into what you saw and thereby, give us a firmer grounding on Flora’s footsteps.
Thank you, Ms Green for writing such a convicting back-story for Flora, as I was most impressed you composed this during Nanowrimo! I, myself won the intensive challenge back in 2008 – putting my Nano novel on hold for a short spell as five years later I developed what is now known as Jorie Loves A Story. There is a season for everything which is why I’ve embraced my season as a book cheerleader & author advocate whilst blogging my reading life. Being a JoyFul Tweeter was an unexpected route of happiness I hadn’t even foreseen or considered. I look forward to reading your stories and following your writerly career! Happy Christmas!
Be sure to play this Author Introduction to Pooley & Flora – especially as this debut novel has such a heart-centred story-line – of lost memories, lost identities and the will of how some of us have to find strength to repair the past. I am so very thankful I could host this author as her debut wings it’s way into reader’s hearts! One day, I too, will love discovering what becomes of Flora’s journey!
Published By: Head of Zeus (@HoZ_Books)
This novel is cross-released between Head of Zeus & their Digital Imprint: Aria Fiction. I elected to mark down the release date for the paperback edition – being a traditional reader of print books &/or audiobooks. I wanted to let my readers know this is released in print in case they also read traditionally in a digital world. I decided to follow both social channels for the publisher on Twitter (linked here) in order to stay attuned to the new stories which will be upcoming. It’s lovely to know their Digital First releases do go into print; I shall keep my eyes on their publications! One wicked good bit of trivia: their an Indie Publisher from the UK I hadn’t had the pleasure of crossing paths with until this blog tour! Go Jorie!
Formats Available: Ebook and Paperback
Converse via: #HolidayRomance, #ChristmasRomance + #HolidayReads or #ChristmasReads
About Erin Green
Erin was born and raised in Warwickshire, where she resides with her husband. An avid reader since childhood, her imagination was instinctively drawn to creative writing as she grew older.
Erin has two Hons degrees: BA English literature and another BSc Psychology – her previous careers have ranged from part-time waitress, the retail industry, fitness industry and education. She has an obsession about time, owns several tortoises and an infectious laugh!
Erin’s writes contemporary novels focusing on love, life and laughter. Erin is an active member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and was delighted to be awarded The Katie Fforde Bursary in 2017. An ideal day for Erin involves writing, people watching and drinking copious amounts of tea.
Photo Credit: Aimee Spinks
This author interview is courtesy of: Brook Cottage Book Tours
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 “A Christmas Wish”, book synopsis, author biography, author photograph of Erin Green and the tour badge were all provided by Brook Cottage Book Tours and used with permission. The YouTube videoes were possible due to embed codes provided by YoutTube. Post dividers & My Thoughts badge 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:
https://t.co/N23vwUqPQY Erin Green is the guest author over at Jorie Loves A story. Read the brilliant guest post! @ErinGreenAuthor @joriestory @Aria_Fiction #books #author #xmas #Christmas
— Brookcottagebooks (@BrookCottageBks) December 4, 2017
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