Writing a Christmas book is a joy. It doesn’t matter that outside the blossom is on the trees and the tulips are bending in the wind. It doesn’t matter that with your mug of tea you have a chunk of Easter egg and not a mince pie. How many other people get to lose themselves in Christmas during spring? Yet then have the pleasure of stepping out into that spring air once the writing day is over.
Kathryn Freeman writes for Female First
I’m often asked where I get the inspiration from for my books, particularly when I’m writing out of season. How to dream up a storyline set in December when it’s actually March, and most people have their thoughts set on Easter? In the case of my latest paperback, A Little Christmas Faith, the answer came in the form of a framed photo on a friend’s wall. It was of her adorable (though highly mischievous) dogs (Cavachons), dressed in their Christmas suits.
Bam, suddenly I had two handsome heroes for my book, even though they had four stumpy legs and were a little on the furry side. Instantly my mind began to conjure up scenes. The dogs creating havoc – where better than in a hotel? Especially one the dogs’ owner was trying to establish. Who would own a pair of rascal dogs? It had to be someone big hearted enough to see a couple of crazy mutts in a rescue centre and want to take them home. Even though having the scallywags running loose around her fledgling hotel isn’t in the manual of 'How to run a Successful Business'.
What type of guest might react to their presence in a way that would fire up the reader’s interest? Perhaps also the interest of the hotel owner. I immediately saw someone big, broad and intensely masculine. Strong, yet quiet. A man who’d look daft holding two balls of fluff under his arms.
It’s amazing how one simple thing can lead to a chain of questions and ideas and ultimately inspire a whole book. Within a few days I had my main characters – Faith Watkins, hotel owner and Adam Hunter, her first guest – living and breathing in my head. After that it was easy to work out a plot, though not so easy to keep my two furry heroes (Nick and Tuck) from pushing their cute little noses into the storyline so much they nearly took over the book.
You might be wondering, looking at their oh so innocent expressions in the photograph, how they could possibly have a naughty side. Well, let’s just say the photo shoot wasn’t exactly plain sailing. And as for when they decided to do what dogs instinctively do when faced with a tree …
Kathryn Freeman is celebrating the release of her latest festive offerings. A Little Christmas Faith is released in paperback on October 2 and A Little Christmas Charm will be out there as an eBook on October 16.
Both novels follow Kathyrn's bestselling summer release, Oh Crumbs: a romantic comedy with the tag line, 'Sometimes life just takes the biscuit...'
Kathryn's books are available from all good book shops and online retailers or via her award winning publishers, Choc Lit - https://www.choc-lit.com/