Book Review: Winter’s Fairytale by Maxine Morrey
Carina, November 2015
A few weeks before Christmas and a sudden blanketing of snow has closed the roads and brought public transport grinding to a halt, stranding Izzy miles from home and in desperate need of rescuing.
That doesn’t mean she’s looking to bump into Rob and spend a cosy weekend holed up in his swanky flat watching London become a winter wonderland! Because Izzy and Rob have history…
Six months ago, they were standing in the vestry of a beautiful country church, while best man Rob delivered the news that every bride dreads on their big day.
But at the time of year when anything is possible, can Rob and Izzy let go of the past and let Christmas work its magic? Or will this be one holiday wish that Izzy lets walk right out of her life…
My first thought was – ‘…and this is a debut novel?’
That should say about all you’d need to know how much I loved this book.
Maxi has crafted and woven a beautiful tale where you’re rooting for the two protagonists to get together from the first time we meet them on the pages. Izzy was jilted at the altar and promptly broke the nose of the Best Man when he came to break the bad news – pretty good considering she’s on the petite-side and Rob’s a strapping rugby-playing fellow.
As life has it, Izzy makes wedding dresses for a living and it’s through her business, and the fact that fate conspires to bring the pair together all the time, that ‘something’ begins to grow between the two of them. Life being what it is though, it’s never going to be that simple and there are many misunderstandings and false starts before love finally finds a way.
by 
Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Christmas Carol
Friday 23rd December 2016: Christmas Carol.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt: As there are only two days to go, I couldn’t resist making the Fiction Friday Christmas themed.
We all know the story of The Christmas Carol. Scrooge, Jacob Marley, The ghost of past, present and future and the eventual redemption.
This week, update the Christmas Carol to make it modern.
Your character is not liked. He’s not a nice person. He/she shuns their family, friends and the Christmas season. Your character is greedy and uncharitable. They are visited by four ghosts. However, what if he is forced to become one of the ghosts for a while? What if he somehow gets the power to transport someone else?
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Writing Achievements and Goals
Thursday 22nd December 2016: Writing Achievements of 2016 and Goals for 2017.
As this is the last writing group exercise of 2016, I thought it would be good to look back at your year of writing and achievements and then look ahead to the new year.
Divide the page into two. In the first column, write down all the things you’ve achieved this year. It can be anything. For example, that you managed to write every day for a week.
Once you’ve done that, in the other column, write down all of your writing goals for the coming year. Do you finally want to start your book? Write more short stories?
Write everything down. Keep it somewhere safe where you can go back and look at it when you need a boost.
by Mick’s Musings: Felicitous Yuletide Greetings to you all!
Well, here’s my final blog post of the year and it’s been a strange last couple of months. My personal writing has kind of ground to an unwilling halt for the last two months and I know the exact reason. I’ve transferred back to my old position at work and am often not getting home until nearly half seven in the evening and am simply too tired to pick up my laptop and write. I’m perfectly aware of what everyone, including myself, always tells anyone who wants to write – write at every opportunity etc… – but sometimes, that’s just not possible; especially when you don’t ‘like’ your day job that much
Which brings me onto my New Year’s Resolution; ignore the feelings above and WRITE!! Simple as that and I’ll do my best to hold myself to it. I was doing quite well with my writing for the first ten months of this year and I want to get back to how I was then. Here’s hoping for a better year at work.
So, what have I been doing if I haven’t been writing? Since I last wrote, I’ve devoted quite a lot of time to my reading specifically that of two FRC’s I’ve been fortunate enough to be invited to read.
The first was the smash hit on Amazon by the wonderful Sue Moorcroft ‘The Christmas Promise.’ I’m fortunate enough to be a member of her Facebook Group #TeamSueMoorcroft and because of my participation in the promotion of her through Twitter and Facebook, I was given the opportunity to read a preview copy of this fantastic novel. In the weeks leading up to its release on Kindle, I sent out daily ‘Twitter-Teases’ about it and enjoyed myself immensely. If I’m lucky, perhaps I should now consider myself friends with Sue? I wouldn’t be presumptuous enough to assume that, but I would be honoured if this were true.
by Christmas – My 2016 Gift Guide For Writers
With the days before Christmas creeping into single digits, it’s time to get those last-minute presents. It seems to have snuck up doesn’t it!
As someone who would love to write a book and continues to try, I am stupidly obsessed with any gift that is along the writing theme. Here are a few things I think would make excellent gifts for the writer in your life. Or, if you’re a writer yourself, something to suit you. After all, it is the law of Christmas present buying that you should buy something for yourself right?
(I am not sponsored by any of the brands mentioned. I just think the items would make excellent gifts. OK, so I want all of these things too but that is not the point. Ha-ha.) If you’re needing some inspiration, I am hoping this list helps.
The first item/gift idea I found was this very cute Pink Agenda from Ohh Dear and is available via ASOS for £9.99. First it is pink so that is me pretty much sold.
It looks as though it is compact enough to fit into a handbag plus it is not date specific so you can begin to use it at 
any point in time you want to.
It’s a day a page. You have space for your daily objectives as well as appointments. There is even space for doodles.
This would suit a writer who loves lists and liked to be organised.
Next up is this very adorable Pusheen stationery set from John Lewis and is £9. Pusheen is so incredibly cute (I won’t mention that I thought Pusheen was a boy until someone corrected me.)
I am such a sucker for stationery sets such as this and would love it when I was still at school. Beginnings of term usually meant I could go out in search of sets like this. Yes, I am Laura and I love all things stationery.
This particular set contains an ‘I’m Busy’ notebook, a pen, pencils, highlighters, an eraser and a sharpener all presented in a plastic wallet. What I love most about sets like this is that it is fun and reminds you as such when you use it. If your writer is also a fan of Pusheen then this is a must have.
I couldn’t do a gift guide for writers and not include something from one of my favourite shops on the planet. This Get Things Done journal is £8 from Paperchase.
The cover is so cute and it’s a hardcover so to me it feels like it would withstand being in a bag. Inside there are various to do list sections, daily planners and get it done pages as well as lined and gridded sheets for notes should you need to make any. There are fifty sheets (so one hundred pages,) and has an elasticated closure.
I feel this would be perfect for someone who takes on their novel in 2017.
by Book Club
