Interview and Review - Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop by Jenny Colgan

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Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop

by Jenny Colgan

Publication Date - 7th November 2013

Publisher - Sphere

As I have mentioned before there is nothing which gets me into the Christmas spirit quite like curling up with a great festive read, preferrably with a mug of hot chocolate or an open fire but these romantiscised ideas come from reading so many of said festive books. Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan has become on of my fail-safe Christmassy books so when I saw that Jenny was releasing another Yuletide novel, Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

Here's the blurb :-
Curl up with Rosie, her friends and her family as they prepare for a very special Christmas . . .

Rosie Hopkins is looking forward to Christmas in the little Derbyshire village of Lipton, buried under a thick blanket of snow. Her sweetshop is festooned with striped candy canes, large tempting piles of Turkish Delight, crinkling selection boxes and happy, sticky children. She's going to be spending it with her boyfriend, Stephen, and her family, flying in from Australia. She can't wait.

But when a tragedy strikes at the heart of their little community, all of Rosie's plans for the future seem to be blown apart. Can she build a life in Lipton? And is what's best for the sweetshop also what's best for Rosie?

Treat yourself and your sweet-toothed friends to Jenny Colgan's heart-warming new novel. The irresistibly delicious recipes are guaranteed to get you into the festive spirit and will warm up your Christmas celebrations.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a sweet, cosy read which is just perfect for the run-up to the Christmas celebrations. Set in a picturesque village featuring small schools, rolling hills and corner shops. The location screams ideal Winter destination, even with the snowy disruptions. I think that the Rosie Hopkins series are my favourite Jenny Colgan books because it reminds me of my Pembrokeshire home, the positives (the community, the countryside) and the negatives (the gossip, the public transport...or lack of it!).

After reading Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams, the first installation of Rosie's adventures, I felt that everything had been rounded up nicely at the end of the story. I was a little bit worried that this book had been written purely as a Christmas follow on and that it wouldn't have much of a story line. I imagine that it would have been easy for it to become an 'everything's-great-and-wonderful-merry-Christmas-to-all' sort of book. Thankfully, I was wrong.

I won't give too much away but when the blurb says 'a tragedy' they don't just mean that Rosie runs out of candy canes on Christmas Eve! I had to read that chapter twice because I'd read it so quickly the first time round, too worried about what was going on and what was going to happen. Like Jenny's other cake, chocolate and sweet themed novels there are some wonderful recipies which I'm very much looking forward to trying out over the holidays. Recipes include fudge, candied peanuts and more which are perfect for Christmas time. As always, there was a strong humour throughout the book. There were lots of laugh out loud moments which earned me a few funny looks in the coffee shop but I really enjoy Jenny's humour and it has the ability to really lift some despairing parts of the story.

Yes, there were sweet, heart warming, tear-in-your-eye moments. Surely that's why we read Christmas stories? That's true for me anyway. But there were heart wrenching, worrying moments too. This is a brilliant book in it's own right, with a great storyline. Not a saccharine, sickly Christmas cringe-fest at all. This is another book which I'll be plucking from the shelf on December 1st for many years to come.

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Jenny Colgan is the author of numerous bestselling novels, including Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe and The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris, which are also published by Sphere. Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe won the 2012 Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance and was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller, as was Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams, which won the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2013. Jenny is married with three children and lives in London and France. She was kind enough to answer a few of my questions :-

How do you balance your writing with your home life and children? 

I cannot and will not lie- I have help!  A lovely woman comes in three mornings a week to help with cleaning and laundry, and the rest of the time they're at school. Before I had children I thought I'd be able to work whilst they were napping or playing- hahahah! NO! Of course not. So I pay for help. The best thing is the flexibility. 

Did you have any favourite authors or books as a child? Do you think they have inspired you when you write?
Yes, loads. Jo in Little Woman, of COURSE, I idolised her. And I loved Enid Blyton, who wrote in so many genres. James Heriot was a massive influence on me, you can see it in the Rosie books. Lipton isn't Darrowby, but they have their similarities!

Recipes feature a lot in your recent books, do you try them all out personally? And do you have a signature recipe?
Of course! I would never suggest someone cook something I hadn't tried. I change specialities all the time, but I make really really good fishcakes, and fabulous pissaladiere, which is a french pastry with slow cooked onions, olives and anchovies. I could eat it all day. Fortunately my husband hates anchovies so I don't make it that often. And I do like a nice light victoria sponge.

How difficult was it to get your first book published?
Well, I am not good at answering this question because I got my first novel published very easily, but you have to know that before that I had tried cartooning, stand up comedy, poetry and children's stories and failed dismally at all of them. 

Do you have a designated 'writing space'? If so, what is it like?
No I don't, I like to go to cafes and different places. My absolutely favourite place to write is on the train. I live in France, and there they come round the quiet carriage to make sure you've got your phone off! I have a specific seat I like on the TGV (high speed train) from Cannes to Paris, and I always get loads down there. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
It is so easy to publish now I would say, please don't rush to it. You don't want everyone seeing your very first, unpolished efforts on the internet for evermore. Practice and practice until you know you're ready (you'll know). And never stop reading. 

For more information about Jenny and her brilliant books, you can visit her website or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop by Jenny Colgan is published by Sphere, it's available now in hardback, £12.99.

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*I received this book in return for an honest review.

Getting Rooted in New Zealand Review and Author Interview

Craving change and lacking logic, at 26, Jamie, a cute and quirky Californian, impulsively moves to New Zealand to avoid dating after reading that the country's population has 100,000 fewer men. In her journal, she captures a hysterically honest look at herself, her past and her new wonderfully weird world filled with curious characters and slapstick situations in unbelievably bizarre jobs. It takes a zany jaunt to the end of the Earth and a serendipitous meeting with a fellow traveler before Jamie learns what it really means to get rooted.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a funny, down to earth account of moving to and living in a new country. There was no sugar coating, it seemed that Jamie had a really difficult time living in New Zealand and it made me think hard about what it means to move abroad. I have already moved from England to Wales for my job and that was extremely difficult at times so would it be even worse in a different country? Especially with all the cultural and environmental differences. I love books which are set out in diary form. It usually makes them concise and to the point, I find there is much less rambling. Some of Jamie's 'diary entries' were just a sentence long but they were often observant and hilarious. It surprised me as to how much of the vocabulary in New Zealand and the UK is the same, crisps not chips, biscuits not cookies, and these little language details which Jamie included were so interesting. Overall, four stars for this book.

Jamie Baywood grew up in Petaluma, California. In 2010, she made the most impulsive decision of her life by moving to New Zealand. Getting Rooted in New Zealand is her first book about her experiences living there. Jamie is now married and living happily ever after in the United Kingdom. She is working on her second book. Jamie was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

What was the most difficult thing about moving abroad? And what was the best?
Following my dream to live abroad by moving to New Zealand was absolutely liberating. New Zealand turned me into a writer. I have absolute gratitude for every experience and everyone I met. It taught me to trust myself and believe in myself. New Zealand is such a beautiful country. Beaches, mountains, glaciers, lakes, forests, islands, New Zealand’s got it all. It has such freshness about it, like the islands just emerged from the sea. It feels like anything is possible in New Zealand. I also loved the quality of light in New Zealand. It was like looking through a polarized lenses, but more intense. Everything is so colourful and vibrant.

Dealing with visa restrictions has been the most difficult things about moving abroad. In New Zealand, it greatly limited my options for employment. Overall, I found the New Zealand immigration office significantly easier to deal with than the UK Border Agency. From my personal experience the New Zealand immigration office were efficient. All of my visas in New Zealand were processed in a couple of weeks. Although I was married in January 2012 in the UK, my marriage visa was not approved by the UK Border Agency until September 2012.



What attracted you to eventually living in the UK?
I’m from California. In my mid-twenties, I had bad dating experiences in California and a dream to live abroad. I read in a tour book that New Zealand’s population had 100,000 fewer men than women. In the attempt to have some ‘me time’ I moved to New Zealand. I eventually met a Scottish man that was also on a work visa living in New Zealand. We’ve been trying to figure out where in the world to live together and how. We have been living in the UK since winter 2011. I am currently on a visa in the UK called an Extension to Stay as the Spouse of a UK Citizen. This visa will expire in 2014. We are deciding now if we should go through another round of visas for me to stay in the UK or if we want to try living somewhere else in the world. We are seriously considering moving back to New Zealand next year.


How do you balance your writing with your home life and children?
My funny writing style was one of the things that initially attracted my husband to me when we began dating. He wants me to succeed as an author. He is currently working on a MA in Landscape Architecture. As a couple we give each other time and space to work on our own independent creative projects and encourage each other to follow our dreams. A lot of the time he will be in the same room with me as I write working and he works on his own projects.


Do you have a designated writing space? If so, what is it like?
Although I have no trouble committing to my husband, I’m having trouble committing to furniture. Once you get your life in a suitcase, it’s hard to go back to having things again. The idea of having a full set of furniture like a desk makes me feel claustrophobic. I’ve been sitting on pillows on the ground and typing on a coffee table.


Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
I constantly make myself notes. This summer in Wales, I was scribbling stories on the backs of maps and Google directions as a passenger in the car. I also send myself text messages or emails riding in
trains or buses. It might not look like I’m writing a book if one was to observe me, but I am constantly watching, listening and thinking about writing.


Did you self publish? How did you do it?
I’ve just completed an MA in Design. Designing, publishing and marketing my book was my dissertation project. I had to do everything within a couple of months. Self-publishing was the fastest way to publish within the very limited time scale I had. Self-publishing is one person taking on all of the responsibilities typically held by teams of people in traditional publishing companies. It has been a steep learning curve. Publishing my book was my way of transforming poison into medicine. I hope that it can help people that have had bad dating experiences or bad work experiences – make them laugh and not give up hope.


How long did it take you to get your book published?
Most of the book was written as the events happened; it just took me a few years to work up the nerve to publish. To write my book Getting Rooted In New Zealand, I relied upon my personal journals, e-mails, and memories. In February 2013, I organized my stories into a cohesive narrative. It went through several rounds of editing and then I published in April 2013.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Be yourself and find a good editor.


What is your next book about?

I’ve been living abroad for over three years. I plan to divide my books by the countries I’ve lived in. The next book will be about adventures in Scotland. The third book will be about living in England.


I'm very much looking forward to Jamie's next book, especially if this one is anything to go by!

Getting Rooted in New Zealand is available for kindle and in paperback from Amazon.
Follow Jamie on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Amazon and Goodreads.

My Week #6

Yet again, another week which has been crazily busy. I apologise for the lack of posts.

Last Tuesday I had asked previous Great British Bake Off contestant Holly Bell a few questions which she was kind enough to answer. You can see that post here.

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I had a busy weekend. I went to a friend's house for a few (much needed!) drinks on Friday after work and on Saturday it was an au-pair friend's birthday so six of us went out for a meal and drinks. We went to Wahaca, a Mexican restaurant in Soho. It was really busy when we got there so we had a few drinks in the bar downstairs first. They serve tequila cocktails (alongside Mexican beers and other cocktails), they were so strong! Usually cocktails just taste like juice to me but I could definitely taste the alcohol. They were nice, I had a grapefruit one which was really refreshing and a passion fruit one which was nice and sweet, but I don't think I would have them again. The decor was really cool, empty tequila bottles on shelves, chairs suspended from the ceiling and chain link curtains gave it a really Mexican but modern and unusual feel.

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We sat at a table for six, it was plenty big enough for us all to sit around it comfortably. We ordered and the food came pretty quickly which was good because we were all starving by then. There was about 10 minutes between the first dish coming out and the last dish being served though so some people had to start their meals before some of the others had anything. I ate the grilled steak tacos, the black bean and cheese quesadillas and the sweet potatoes, the food was divine. It was slighty spicy, enough so that your lips burn from the heat but not too much, the flavours were delicious and the service was quick. I asked for a glass of tap water and the waiter came back in about a minute with glasses for the whole table. I was so full, I really shouldn't have had dessert but they had churros with chocolate sauce which I really could not resist. I was definitely right to have them. YUM! All together, including a nice cool Corona to wash it all down, my bill came to around £22 which I thought was excellent value for a Central London restaurant. It is a chain but it feels so individual and with those prices I wasn't really going to turn my nose up. The music was quite loud, meaning you had to shout across the table if you were talking to each other but other than that a great place.  I would definitely return. In fact, there was lots of cool, unusual looking places to eat around that area in Soho, if you are looking for somewhere new then maybe go for a browse.

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I went on a date this week to the cinema to see The Conjuring. I enjoyed it, there was some really jumpy bits and there was quite an interesting story line which is what I like in a horror film.

I'm working on a pretty exciting (if incredibly lame!!) Harry Potter knitting project at the moment so watch this space!!

I was featured in Bonjour, Blogger's Saturday Summary, which you can see here. How exciting! I keep forgetting that people actually read what I am writing! And I hope you're enjoying it. A couple of people have come up and started a conversation with 'I saw on your blog' which is pretty surreal, and brilliant :)

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I have just booked tickets to see Blood Brothers AGAIN!! This will be my fourth time. It is an unbelievably good musical, I love it. It's definitily one of my favourites, if not my all time favourite. This will be the third Nolan sister I've seen playing Mrs Johnston. I am excited.

An Interview With Holly Bell - The Great British Bake Off

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The Great British Bake Off is a programme which is becoming more and more popular as each series comes around. Two weeks ago the first episode of the fourth series aired and had around 6 million viewers, a programme best. It was also reported that there was a baking sales boom in the run up to GBBO as bakers stocked up on ingredients and equipment with which to create their own yummy goodies. I've followed it since the first series, I love cuddling up on an Autumnal evening with a cup of tea and a few choice biccies. There's just something about it's sweet, homely but still stressful and competitive style. I suppose I feel about GBBO how other people feel about the X Factor and I am not ashamed to admit it!!

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Holly Bell, a finalist from series two, very kindly agreed to let me interview her. Holly is a young mum of two boys who lives in Leicester. She writes an absolutely hilarious blog called Recipes From A Normal Mum which is the perfect mix of funny life and parenting observations and nice things to cook and bake. Since being on GBBO Holly has worked with Sainsburys and QVC creating tasty recipes and presenting videos. She has also written a cook book called Ready, Steady, BAKE!. It's in E-book form and is available from Amazon.

Here's Holly in action, giving some great tips on how to ice a cupcake.

Everyone seemed to get on so well in your series of GBBO, did you get to spend much time socialising off camera? Are you still in touch with anyone?

Some of us did socialise and some of us didn't. I have always been someone who deals with stress by talking about it so I was keen to go out and let my hair down after filming. I also like eating out! So myself, Rob, Ian and the lovely Jo always went out for dinner somewhere and *may* have sunk a few glasses of wine too. I am still in touch with pretty much everyone, in particular Jo, who I meet up with and talk to regularly.

Mary and Paul seemed really helpful and knowledgeable. Did you get to speak to them much off camera?

I'm afraid they weren't allowed to talk to us off camera - and if they tried to they got in lots of trouble. Mary would often try and give us hints to improve our bakes and would then be told off by the crew. I wish they had been allowed to help - there may have been less disasters. Though I guess the programme wouldn't have been as entertaining!

Mel and Sue are the hilarious presenters of GBBO but they give a lot of emotional support to the bakers as well as comic relief. Would you say that they helped you when you were stressed or upset?

Mel and Sue are both incredibly kind and generous souls, very sweet to anyone having issues and always there for a bit of banter and chat when we all needed to lighten up and remember that no-one's life was on the line - it was only baking after all. Sue was especially kind to me when I cried at the quarter final and gave me perspective on the situation.

Do you have a favourite recipe or signature bake which you most enjoy making? Do your children have a favourite recipe?

I love baking anything that others like to eat - I guess if pushed I'd say a lemon drizzle cake. Everyone seems to love it and it's incredibly easy. My eldest son love cupcakes, oaty biscuits and anything with sprinkles on top! My youngest does not really have a sweet tooth. He'll eat very dark rich chocolate cake but other than that he's a savoury man, so cheese straws, pastry and pies are his favourites.

I've seen, via Twitter and Facebook, that you're really excited for this series of GBBO. Has anybody caught your eye already as being a potential finalist?

I think they're all marvellous - I liked Lucy a lot in week 1 but obviously she didn't make it through week 2. Frances is very creative, I wish I had half as good ideas as her. Kimberley seems to have great tech ability. It's very hard to say at this stage. If you look at past years winners, it's often people who have had a few ups and downs who really shine as their confidence grows towards the end of the competition. So frankly, anyone could be the winner!

Do you find it hard juggling work, your home life and your two boys?

Like any normal Mum who juggles work, kids, the house, a relationship and friends, something has to give. I am not superwoman, nor would I want to be! I am not very house proud, which helps. My tolerance for mess and disarray is pretty high.And I get a lot of help - my Mum and Dad help me a lot with the boys when I am working. My husband does pretty much all the ironing and my boys are already trained to tidy up after getting all their toys out.

I've never understood why anyone would try and do everything in a household. It's just not possible. Of course if I won the lottery I'd employ a cleaner, gardener and maybe even someone to help with the ironing. (Probably ought to start playing it to be in with a chance of winning!)

Follow Holly on Twitter, like her on Facebook and have a look at her blog :)

The Great British Bake Off Series Four Episode Three - Desserts is on BBC2 Tonight at 8pm

Interview with Cathy Glass

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Cathy Glass is a foster carer and an author who has fostered many children. She has written numerous fostering memoirs, which tell the stories of some of the children she has fostered. These include Damaged, her first published novel and number one in the Sunday Times best sellers chart in paperback and hard back. 'Cathy Glass' is actually a nom de plume, because of the sensitive nature of her work she writes her books under a pseudonym.

I'm not going to copy Wikipedia and spout off a million facts about her, if you would like to know a bit more of Cathy Glass's background then you can look here. She also has her own webpage.

I am so pleased that I have had a chance to ask Cathy Glass a few questions, she is a massive inspiration to me, being a writer and also a foster carer. Foster caring has always interested me, it is something which I have felt very strongly about doing at some point in my life and reading her books, which show the ups and the downs of foster caring, have really given me an insight into the fostering world. I really do recommend her books, they have moments which will make you laugh out loud and moments which will make you sob your heart out (in my case, this has sometimes been on the tube. How awkward). The work which she, and other foster carers around the country do is invaluable. You can tell just by reading her books that the relationships the foster carers build with these children, the boundaries, love, shelter, food and nurture they give really do make a difference to so many vulnerable children and their families.

So, with her latest book Will You Love Me due to be released on September 12th, she has very kindly answered some of my questions about her fostering experiences and writing routines.

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What do you find to be the most challenging and rewarding aspects of being a foster carer?

Probably the most challenging aspect of fostering is listening to a child disclose abuse. It is heartbreaking. Also, having to say goodbye at the end of a placement is difficult. The foster family bonds with the child and goodbyes are never easy. The most rewarding aspect of fostering is seeing a child improve – to learn to trust and smile again. That’s wonderful.


How do you fit your writing around your home life and children?

My children always come first so when I am writing a book I rise very early to write. I answer emails whenever I have the chance during the day.


Do you have any advice for people who are interested in becoming foster carers?

There is always a shortage of foster carers so if you are interested in fostering I suggest you contact your local fostering service and ask for more information. Different countries vary in their procedure for recruiting foster carers, but there will be an introductory evening where you will learn more about fostering and you will be able to ask questions and share your concerns. The application and assessment process to become a foster carer is long and in depth so you will have plenty of time to think about your commitment. Fostering doesn't suit all families but if you go ahead and foster you will find the rewards - of seeing a child improve and be happy - are never ending.



Do you have a designated 'writing space'? If so, what is it like?

I have two places – one is comfortable armchair where I write the first draft of my books in longhand, and the other is my desk in the front room where my computer and printer are. I describe these in more detail together with my writing routine in my book About Writing and How to Publish, which is out in December.


Do you have any favourite genres, authors or books which you enjoy reading?

To be honest I read many different genres and authors. I have recently finished The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence, and The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker.


Was it difficult to get your first book published?

Yes. Although I’d had articles and short stories published in newspapers and magazines it took me twenty years to have a book published.

Will You Love Me is out on September 12th and About Writing and How to Publish is out on December 6th.