Today, I am delighted to welcome fellow magazine writer and author, Kate Blackadder, to the November spotlight. If you're anything like me, you might have started thinking just a teeny weensy bit about the seasonal 'C' word. With her new book 'Stella's Christmas Wish' just out, I asked Kate to tell us what she'll be wishing for this year.
Over to you, Kate.
This year I’m dreaming of … a
Black & White Christmas, because Black & White Publishing https://blackandwhitepublishing.com/shop/coming-soon/stellas-christmas-wish.html
has just brought out my novel Stella’s Christmas Wish: myBook.to/Stella
Six days before Christmas a family crisis
brings Stella home from London to the Scottish Borders and the man she left
behind. Christmas is the last thing she’s thinking about but as the day draws
nearer it begins to work its magic ...
These are a few of my
favourite Christmas things (and some of Stella’s):
Carols
I can’t sing for toffee but
that doesn’t stop me … I love them all
but am particularly fond of O Little Town
of Bethlehem <hums tune to herself>
Earrings
I have some Christmas tree earrings which I love. I’ve had them for about 20 years. At a Christmas Eve party when Stella
first got together with Ross she wore a dark red dress and fluffy snowball
earrings.
Jumpers
Stella wears a silvery-green
one with stars but my favourite has a Christmas pud on it – and my daughter
inside it.
Food
There’s always smoked salmon
with blinis (I made them from scratch one year). If we have the traditional
turkey fest for me it’s got to include red cabbage and roast parsnips. When
there are chocolates on the go no one else likes the coconut ones so, yippee, I
get all of those, but we fight over anything that can be described as ‘solid
chocolate’.
Drink
Prosecco while we’re opening
presents, and a nice heavy red wine with dinner. Cheers!
Decoration
A friend painted a glass ball
for me which I love. Stella’s granny has a collection of antique baubles with
scenes of the nativity inside, but it’s the fairy on top of the tree – and her
magic wand – that has special meaning for Stella.
Memories
My mum and dad gave me a
girl’s annual every year; I always had them read from cover to cover well before
breakfast. They inspired me to collect annuals – I have around 350 now.
More recently, I loved waking
up early on Christmas morning just before the scampering of feet along the
corridor heralded excited children clutching stockings. These days they still
get stockings and there’s still a bit of excitement but no scampering.
Books
Every Christmas Eve I read The Night Before Christmas aloud to
anyone who’ll listen. When my offspring were younger I read them A Christmas Carol most years and two
terrific books by Paul Theroux, perfect for any age, A Christmas Card http://amzn.to/2ejr62N
and London
Snow. http://amzn.to/2eqtR3m
Films
As a family we are positively
addicted to It’s a Wonderful Life. We
have a DVD of it but that doesn’t stop us watching it when it’s on television
or, joy of joys, when it’s shown at a local cinema in the run-up to Christmas.
My daughter and I (and
Stella) love a slushy romantic movie on a winter’s afternoon, watching with a
mug of hot chocolate and some Christmas baking to hand. My favourite is The Holiday with, amongst a starry cast,
Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz and Rufus Sewell. It’s set in gorgeous (if
impossibly snowy) Surrey and glamorous Los Angeles.
Perhaps one day we’ll settle
down to watch a film version of Stella’s
Christmas Wish (I wish … ).
About Kate Blackadder
I live in Edinburgh with a
view of the Castle. I’ve had around fifty short stories published and three
magazine serials. Two serials The Family
at Farrshore myBook.to/Farrshore and The Ferryboat myBook.to/Ferryboat are
available in large-print library editions and on Kindle. Stella’s Christmas Wish, myBook.to/Stella set in Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders, is my
first full-length novel. I blog at http://katewritesandreads.blogspot.co.uk/ and can be found on Twitter @k_blackadder and https://www.facebook.com/KateBlackadderAuthor
Thank you, Kate. Now over to my lovely readers. What's your favourite part of Christmas?
What a lovely post Wendy and Kate! I pre-ordered Stella's Christmas Wish and it's now on my Kindle. I'm saving it to read in December.
ReplyDeleteI used to get annuals at Christmas and I so wish I hadn't given them away and had kept them like you, Kate.
Must admit my favourite part is the excitement of "He's been!" and just spending time with people you love.
Thanks so much, Teresa. Hope you enjoy Stella.
DeleteI used to get an annual in my stocking each year and still remember a story of a girl whose mum had forgotten to cut the tie that linked her mittens to gather. Sadly, like you, I no longer have them.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite is Princess Annual 1965.
DeleteIt was Beano, Dandy and Rupert for me. I still have the 1959 Lone Ranger annual on my shelf here above my desk. Interesting post, Wendy and Kate.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Keith.
DeleteHow lovely that you kept it, Keith.
DeleteI'm not a big fan of Christmas. There seems to always be months of stressful build up and pressure to spend, spend, spend!
ReplyDeleteI do like going for a walk once the dinner is in the oven though. It's fun to see people in daft jumpers or carrying presents and it's one day when everyone greets everyone else and wishes them well.
And OK, I do like the food too.
A walk on Christmas Day is a lovely thing to do, Patsy, I agree. Jogging (there's always a few joggers around here) not so much ...
DeleteI get my present shopping done early to avoid the stress - then I can relax and enjoy the the rest.
DeleteThere's so much here that resonates with me: the annuals, It's A Wonderful Life. The Holiday - but I don't want to think at You Know What yet. My husband asked me this morning if it was too soon to start planning festove food: YES!
ReplyDeleteSorry, Julia! Agree with you about food planning. Thank you for commenting.
DeleteNever too late to think about food of any type!
DeleteEvery other year the family come to my house for Christmas day and this year there'll be 14 of us and I can't wait! I love everything about Christmas, the carols - that I can't sing very well, the food, the holidays from work and being around my family and having fun with them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting, Debs. Have a wonderful time.
DeleteWe do every other year as well, Debs. This year it's my sister's turn... Yippee!
DeleteLove Christmas, the music, the cards being with loved ones, Christmas films - especially my favourite of all time A Christmas Carol - and Christmas stories. Got Stella's Wish on my Kindle and I'm saving it Kate! :-) xx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue. Hope you enjoy it.
DeleteMy choir's Christmas cincert in the church with my choir is my favourite things, Sue.
DeleteWhat a lovely post, I feel almost festive now! Christmas was my favourite time of year growing up, and I always got a Judy annual, it was my favourite comic. It was the first place I was published too, I had a poem in it aged 11!
ReplyDeleteHope you've still got the copy of Judy with your poem, Karen!
DeleteBet you were super excited when you saw it in print, Karen.
DeleteThank you Kate and Wendy for a fun blog. I used to love getting the Beano annual every year. Wish I'd kept them :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tracy. Annuals seem to have struck a chord!
DeleteI would get either the Beano or the Dandy albums, Tracy.
DeleteWhat a wonderful feel-good post, Kate and Wendy, particularly appreciated as it's so gloomy outside. I love the feeling Christmas brings - everyone gathered round, a bit of sparkle and glitz to brighten those dark winter days. (Love the image of Stella wearing a deep red dress and snowball ear-rings.) Christmas annuals - still a staple stocking filler in our household. Looking forward to settling down with a mug of hot chocolate and Stella's Christmas Wish. : )
ReplyDeleteHow lovely! Think you need to write your own festive post, Rae.
DeleteNow, I'm really in the mood for Christmas!My favourite part has to be spending time with the family. Each part of the day has its own specialness. And the laughter is always free flowing (as well as the wine). Wishing Kate lots of luck with Stella's Christmas Wish.
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy it, Rae. Thankyou for your lovely comments.
DeleteThank you for your good wishes, Nicola. All the best.
DeleteFree-flowing wine and laughter - perfect!
DeleteLovely post - I loved my annuals too, Kate, but don't have many now! I'm really enjoying Stella's Christmas Wish at the moment and I'm sure it will be a great success.
ReplyDeleteI've probably got everybody's annuals that ended up in charity shops and jumble sales!
DeleteGlad you're enjoying the book.