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!