Hello everybody! Another later one today, again, my apologies! Today’s post is from Catherine Balavage Yardley, who has written about why she thinks this is such a special time of year. Onto the post!
Christmas has always been my favourite time of year. The build up is always exciting, the twinkling tree in the corner, and the mulled wine are a few of my favourite things. Then there are the presents and all of our favourite people in one place. It’s easy to know why we love Christmas as children: Santa brings us a lot of presents. I also remember our chocolate advent calendars. The countdown was almost as exciting as the day. That’s the sad thing about Christmas, it ends far too quickly. Then you have to wait another whole year for it.
While the good things about Christmas day are numerous: endless delicious food, presents to open, good television to watch. All with your favourite people if you’re lucky. For other people it’s an awful time of year, especially as the pressure to have a good time is so vast. Is it any wonder that writers have set their books during Christmas? Our imaginations already bring so much to the book. Christmas does a lot of the work for us.
Authors know Christmas is magical. Christmas has a pivotal role in my book, Ember. Although the book is set during the three months of summer, it’s a Christmas day from childhood that echoes into the future for my characters. Natalie’s father leaves the family home on Christmas day and takes her younger sister, Amanda, with him. Natalie and her mother are left in shock. Her mother is holding her baby brother, Paul. They try to make the best of the day, but it is a wound that can never fully heal.
Thirty years later her sister is getting married and her father is coming to the wedding. Can the family put aside their differences? Can a family that has broken apart ever put itself back together? As Natalie says in the book ‘my father never had good timing.’ In the dual timeline novel we see Natalie soothe her sister as her parents argue. When there is a break in the arguing Natalie goes downstairs to get some food for them as their parents were too preoccupied fighting to make dinner for their children. It’s only as she climbs the stairs with the goodies that a piece of tinsel catches her eye and she remembers that it’s Christmas. I set this cataclysmic scene during Christmas as the stakes are higher. Every awful thing is felt more keenly. Do the family put aside their differences and live happily after ever? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
Some amazing books that are actually set at Christmas.
-Whisk Away At Christmas by Mahi Cheshire.
-The Miraculous SweetMakers: The Frost Fair by Natasha Hastings
-Make You Mine This Christmas by Lizzie Huxley Jones.
-Big Bad Me by Aislinn O’Loughlin
Thank you so much for reading! Do you agree that Christmas can be a magical time for readers and writers, or any of those she’s recommended? Have you read Catherine’s book? I’d love to have a chat in the comments!
Speak very soon,
Amy xxx
Golden Books Girl 