'Just For Christmas' is the story of Alex Munro, who when she discovers that the love of her life is getting married to someone else, decides to leave her home and job in Scotland and go and live as far away as possible in the Cornish harbour town of Poldore, where she will be the town's first ever female Harbour Master. Alex is naturally a loner, but finds it impossible not to be drawn into the heart of the community has it prepares for its world famous Christmas Pageant, making friends amongst the locals, and even with the very stinky mutt that's already a sitting tenant in the Harbour Master's cottage....
Just for Christmas
You have loved writing stories since your childhood, so what were your earliest attempts like?
Ha! Well, I can't remember my really early attempts but from the aged of about ten to fifteen, I laboured over a novel about a female Highwayman (Because I really loved the Margaret Lockwood in movie The Wicked Lady), but never quite finished it and then as a student I wrote a dystopian novel where the main character dies at about page 50 and ten haunts to the novel. I thought it was terribly clever at the time...
You have worked as a waitress, cinema usherette and bookseller, so at what point did you decide to write novels?
I think I've always been writing novels, although admittedly mostly in my head. The point when I decided to try and become published was a few years ago now, when I won a short story competition and I thought, well, you know, maybe this is worth a try.
You are passionate about old movies so what is your favourite?
OH SO MANY!! I suppose my most favourite of all though is 'Brief Encounter' I just love it, I love the repressed passion, the brilliant Noel Coward script, the incredible music, the amazing performances. I love it, love it, love it. And also 'An Affair to Remember' oh and of course 'Gone with the Wind,' because after all, I am named after Ms O'Hara.
Why did you want to transport the character of Alex to a Cornish cottage?
I had the idea for Just for Christmas when I was visiting Fowey in Cornwall, last summer. It's such a beautiful little town, and so full of fascinating characters. I've always loved Cornwall, and really wanted to set a book there, and I was watching the boat trips take the tourists up and down the river when the idea came to me. The town I invented, Poldore, is loosely based on Fowey, but it's become a little world in my head now, full of characters and places, and I'm going back there for my next novel.
You and the character of Alex have dogs so how important are dogs in your world and in your writing?
I grew up with dogs, and they have always been an important part of my life, there really isn't a friend that you can count on more than your canine one. I've written a couple of dogs into my novels, including Vincent Van Dog the one eared mutt in 'The Night Before Christmas' and now Buoy in 'Just for Christmas' who is ALMOST my favourite character in the book. Although they are not natural soul mates, Alex and Buoy have a lot more in common than they realise.
Why is the book the perfect Christmas read?
Oh, well first of all, have you seen the cover? It's so pretty it could almost be a Christmas decoration. Secondly I really love Christmas, and so my Christmas novels are really about Christmas, not just books that happen to come out at this time of year...and I think this is my most Christmassy books of all, particularly as large parts of the plot revolve around the towns Christmas pageant, in which the whole town becomes the set of nativity play.
Please tell us a bit about your previous two novels A Night Before Christmas and Married by Christmas.
'The Night Before Christmas' is about Lydia, who goes to spend Christmas in the Lakes with her best friends and the man she hopes will soon become her fiancé. And then when her best friend Joanna turns up with a new boyfriend that turns out to be Lydia's old flame, things get very complicated.
'Married by Christmas' is about Anna, who two weeks before her Christmas Eve wedding discovers that the man she is planning to marry is already married - to a Vegas Showgirl! Anna's challenge is to track the first wife down in time to get her to sign the annulment papers, which involves a whirlwind trip to New York and an very unexpected encounter.
What is Christmas like in your house?
Extremely chaotic, lots of family, lots of dogs, lots of presents, lots of food, lots and lots of tinsel, quite a lot of wine, and lots and lots of fun.
What is next for you?
Well, I'm working on the next Poldore novel now, so we will be revisiting some of the characters from 'Just for Christmas' again and meeting some loves new one too!
Just For Christmas by Scarlett Bailey, Ebury Press, £6.99.