If you’re anywhere on social media, you can’t help but notice the huge rise in the number of festive fiction titles over the last few years. I’m a sucker for a Christmassy cover; if there is a hint of a sparkly snowflake, I want to read it. It doesn’t matter that it might be September, when I pick up a book with snowflakes, snow-globes or holly on the cover, in my head it’s Christmas already.
So what is it about festive fiction that makes us go all gooey? Personally I think it’s because these books epitomise feel good fiction. You can fill that huge mug with creamy hot chocolate and squishy marshmallows that you got from John in accounts in your work kris-kindle last year and drift off into your perfect Christmas. It doesn’t matter that your usual Christmas Day involves you and your brother bickering like you are 6 and 8 years old again. Or your Dad asleep in his armchair snoring so loudly that you can’t hear Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory. Or leaving the turkey in the oven for too long until it’s as dry as a bone. Those things don’t happen in our perfect fictional world. And even though I can only remember ever having one white Christmas myself, the best bit is it always snows in Christmas themed fiction.
So when it came to designing a cover for ‘The Girl I Was Before’ I knew I wanted my very own festive fiction cover complete with snowflakes. I had to rein myself in with the holly and glitter; I didn’t go all out on the Christmas design because although it is partly set over Christmas, it isn’t the core of the book. I’m really happy with how the cover turned out. I think it captures up the warmth and romance of the story. I hope you’ll like it too.
When we open a festive fiction book, we’re opening a fuzzy, feel-good, romantic experience. So grab your hot chocolate, throw another log on the fire and curl up with a book and get transported to your perfect Christmas.
Here are my top 3 Christmas reads guaranteed to put you in the Christmassy mood:
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, because nobody does Christmas quite like the Victorians.
• Something from Tiffany’s by Melissa Hill: After a mix-up with bags, the lives of two couples become entwined in a romantic story of fate and destiny.
• The Gift by Cecelia Ahern: With tones of It’s a Wonderful Life, this is a book with a heart-warming message at its core.
Thank you so much to Izzy Bayliss for sharing your thoughts on festive fiction. I also love the Christmas books as may be apparent to anyone following my blog over the last month or so!
About Izzy Bayliss
Izzy Bayliss lives in Ireland with her husband, children and their dog. A romantic at heart, she loves nothing more than cosying up in front of the fire with a good book. Her motto is that reality is over-rated and she is happiest staring into space and day-dreaming.
You can find out more about her on www.izzybayliss.com or also hangs around on Twitter @izzybayliss or Facebook @izzybaylissauthor
The Girl I Was Before is available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Was-Before-rom-com-McDermott-ebook/dp/B01H1T5I5Y/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476973845&sr=8-1&keywords=izzy+bayliss
So what is it about festive fiction that makes us go all gooey? Personally I think it’s because these books epitomise feel good fiction. You can fill that huge mug with creamy hot chocolate and squishy marshmallows that you got from John in accounts in your work kris-kindle last year and drift off into your perfect Christmas. It doesn’t matter that your usual Christmas Day involves you and your brother bickering like you are 6 and 8 years old again. Or your Dad asleep in his armchair snoring so loudly that you can’t hear Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory. Or leaving the turkey in the oven for too long until it’s as dry as a bone. Those things don’t happen in our perfect fictional world. And even though I can only remember ever having one white Christmas myself, the best bit is it always snows in Christmas themed fiction.
So when it came to designing a cover for ‘The Girl I Was Before’ I knew I wanted my very own festive fiction cover complete with snowflakes. I had to rein myself in with the holly and glitter; I didn’t go all out on the Christmas design because although it is partly set over Christmas, it isn’t the core of the book. I’m really happy with how the cover turned out. I think it captures up the warmth and romance of the story. I hope you’ll like it too.
When we open a festive fiction book, we’re opening a fuzzy, feel-good, romantic experience. So grab your hot chocolate, throw another log on the fire and curl up with a book and get transported to your perfect Christmas.
Here are my top 3 Christmas reads guaranteed to put you in the Christmassy mood:
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, because nobody does Christmas quite like the Victorians.
• Something from Tiffany’s by Melissa Hill: After a mix-up with bags, the lives of two couples become entwined in a romantic story of fate and destiny.
• The Gift by Cecelia Ahern: With tones of It’s a Wonderful Life, this is a book with a heart-warming message at its core.
Thank you so much to Izzy Bayliss for sharing your thoughts on festive fiction. I also love the Christmas books as may be apparent to anyone following my blog over the last month or so!
About Izzy Bayliss
Izzy Bayliss lives in Ireland with her husband, children and their dog. A romantic at heart, she loves nothing more than cosying up in front of the fire with a good book. Her motto is that reality is over-rated and she is happiest staring into space and day-dreaming.
You can find out more about her on www.izzybayliss.com or also hangs around on Twitter @izzybayliss or Facebook @izzybaylissauthor
The Girl I Was Before is available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Was-Before-rom-com-McDermott-ebook/dp/B01H1T5I5Y/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476973845&sr=8-1&keywords=izzy+bayliss
When Lily McDermott walks in to find Marc, her husband of just three months in bed with actress Nadia, life as she knows it is over. Lily thinks things can't get any worse when she sees photos of her husband and his new lover splashed across the glossy magazine pages, but when she loses her job too, she is at her lowest ebb and turns to baking to soothe her soul. Wounded and broken she has to try and pick herself up again with the help of her best friend Frankie and with her encouragement, Lily decides to turn her hobby into a business and sets up Baked With Love. However whatever Lily does, it seems disaster soon ensues and when handsome stranger Sam comes to her rescue, Lily isn't quite ready to turn her back on her marriage.
Can Lily risk opening her heart again or is she destined to allow Marc to shadow her life forever?
Sounds like a lovely read, and the cover's gorgeous :)
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