Sunday, December 4, 2011

Annie Claydon's Christmas Wish Come True


Today I have debut Medical author Annie Claydon visiting the blog. I LOVE Medical romance and combined with Christmas, well, really, what more could you ask for :)

First of all, a huge thank you to Rachael for inviting me onto her blog. And since it’s that time of the year again, and we both have Christmas books to share, there’s only one thing on my mind at the moment.

Christmas! With all its sparkle, goodwill and family times, isn’t Christmas the ideal time for a romance? You might have guessed that I’d agree with that proposition, since my debut book has a Christmas theme. The sparkle of Christmas isn’t the whole story, though.

Statistics show that Christmas isn’t always the peaceful and happy time we’d like it to be. I write Medical Romance, so I’m likely to find that my characters are not just busy with their own preparations over Christmas but also rushed off their feet at work. In addition, my hero and heroine are both haunted by past Christmases, which they’d rather forget. So is Christmas really the perfect time for them to find romance?

I’d say yes. Because romance isn’t just glitz and sparkle, it’s about hope. The hope which tells us it’s possible to move past the bad times, and make the most of the good things we have. That same hope which convinces us that taking a chance on something we really want might not be such a crazy idea, after all.

Christmas is a time for hope, too. Families come together to celebrate and share. There’s a new year about to begin, and here in the UK, the longest of the dark, winter nights has passed. December also sees more people giving to charity than any other time of the year. It’s no coincidence that one of the most enduring Christmas stories is Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. If the miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge can see his past, his present and the future that awaits him, and find it somewhere in himself to change, then surely anyone has reason to believe in miracles.

So I’m an unapologetic believer that the magic of romance blends perfectly with the magic of Christmas. Not because I expect either to go smoothly – I’ve had my fair share of wilting Christmas Trees, cakes that go soggy in the middle and sweaters that don’t fit – but because both give us a reason to have faith in the future.

Last year, all I wanted for Christmas was – just that. The manuscript for ‘All She Wants for Christmas’ was under consideration by the Mills and Boon editors, and I remember thinking that I could relax over Christmas and maybe take a chance on dreaming a little about what the New Year might bring, before reality had a chance to intervene. And this year, I have some celebrating to do, because I’ve already been able to hold my debut novel in my hand, and see it on the shelves in my local bookstores.

I’m hoping that you’ll celebrate with me and so I’ll be sending a copy of my book to one commentator.

Is there something you want (or maybe don’t want!) for Christmas?

If you leave a comment answering Annie's question, you'll go into the draw to win a copy of her debut book :) You have two days to comment and the winner will be posted on Thursday's blog post.


Blurb for All She Wants For Christmas

The tinsel is up and Christmas party invites are flooding in! And this year hearing therapist Beth Travers has made a few secret Christmas wishes… 1. Wonder how new heart surgeon Matt Sutherland would feel about being gift-wrapped? He’s definitely on my present list! 2. Helping Matt and little son Jack with their Christmas tree reminds me how much I’d love a family of my own to decorate one with… 3. Dare I dream about a stolen kiss under the mistletoe at the Christmas party…? Are three Christmas wishes allowed? Well, I’m crossing my fingers and hoping so!

15 comments:

Juliet Madison said...

Congratulations on your book's release! I love Christmas stories of all kinds, and I love anything medical, so your book sounds like a great way to spend some time over Christmas :)
And as for me, all I want for Christmas is... a publishing contract! I write women's fiction and I'd also love to write a Christmas book one day.

Annie Claydon said...

Hi Juliet, thanks for dropping by and for your kind words. A great Christmas wish! Good luck with your writing and I hope that we'll be enjoying your Christmas book one day.

Joanne Dannon said...

Congrats on your book's release - how wonderful your Xmas wish came true :)

Like Juliet - my wish centre's around publishing but I'm hoping the ed loves the sub I recently sent in and she requests a "full".

Becca said...

Congrats on your Chrissy wish!

Like the lovely ladies above I have a Chrissy wish for a sale but more than that I have a wish for some family who have a had a rough year to have a good one next. Seems only fair.
=)

Fiona Lowe said...

Sensational news on your debut novel, Annie. I love Christmas. I know it can be a fraught time for some which is why romance books at this time of yer are so great. We can escape our complicated lives for a bit.
This year I'm wanting good health for all!
Fiona :)

Annie Claydon said...

Hi Joanne, Thank you so much for your comment. Another wish for the editors to get busy with :). Good luck with your sub - here's hoping that you find that you're really busy in the New Year, writing that 'full'.

Annie Claydon said...

Hi Bec, those publishing elves are sure going to be busy this year! Hope they visit you soon.

Thank you for your lovely wish - it does seem only fair, doesn't it?

Annie Claydon said...

Thank you, Fiona. Where would we be without a good book to escape into at Christmas time! One of the real pleasures of the season.

Thank you for your wish :) Something that's so precious for everyone, and I'm wishing the same straight back to you.

Cathryn Hein said...

What a great post, Annie! Adored the bit at the end about holding your Christmas dream. That was lovely.

As for what I wish for Christmas... well, I could be all noble and wish for world peace, or something unattainable like Adam Scott's golf swing, but the truth is right now all I want is a jolly good rest!

All the best with your gorgeous sounding book!

Jenn J McLeod said...

Merry Christmas everyone. All I can say is Santa must be awfully busy organising all those book contracts :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Annie! Congratulation for your book release. This book sounds very romantic. This year all I want for Christmas is a lot2 of books as my Christmas presents. Already told my family and friends to buy me bOoks:). So I wish I can win your book too as part of my Christmas wish:D. Cheers Aretha. aretha_zhen@yahoo.com

Annie Claydon said...

Hi Cathryn, thank you for stopping by. Yes, I think a good rest probably features quite high on everyone's list! Hope yours is peaceful and - restful :)

Annie Claydon said...

Hi Jenn, thanks for your comment. Hopefully Santa is typing away as we speak!

Annie Claydon said...

Hi Aretha, thank you for your comment. Books are always a great Christmas present, aren't they? I've got plenty on my Christmas list too, and I'll be giving some too. I hope you have lots to enjoy!

Annie Claydon said...

Huge hugs and thankyou's to Rachel for having me! It's been lovely to hear all your Christmas wishes, and I hope that everyone gets to give and receive something special this Christmas.