29 December 2014

Festive Q&A Post 20: Chrissie Manby

Another Festive Q&A for today! Now it is the turn of one of my favourite chick lit authors, Chrissie Manby. Her new book A Proper Family Christmas is the second in a new series starring the Benson family, and I really enjoyed the book! Thank you to Chrissie for answering my questions!

You can buy A Proper Family Christmas as an eBook or a paperback now!

Q1. Please tell me about your new festive book!

A Proper Family Christmas is the second in my series featuring the Benson family.  This time they're back home in Coventry but life is far from boring.  The daughter Jacqui admitted to having given up for adoption in A Proper Family Holiday is suddenly back in the Bensons' lives.  She's grown up to be Annabel Buchanan, a very posh forty-something living in an enormous country house.  She has everything money can buy.  But she can't buy health for her daughter, who needs a kidney transplant.  That's why Annabel has made the decision to track down her birth family at last.

Without giving too much away, I can tell you that it's not a happy reunion.  Ronnie and Annabel in particular take an instant dislike to one another.  But over the course of a few months, the sisters who grew up apart come to learn more about each other.  Does that make them like each other more?  You'll have to read the book.

Q2. What do you think it is about festive books that readers love so much year after year?

We all love Christmas, don't we?  I think part of the reason we like to read about the season is that it's actually so fleeting.  It's all done and dusted in a couple of days!  Reading festive novels helps to stretch the pleasure out and get us in the mood.  And perhaps give us ideas of how NOT to do Christmas too.

Q3. What prompted you to write a Christmas book?

My first book featuring the Bensons was unashamedly summery - it was set on a package holiday in Lanzarote - but it ended on a cliffhanger of sorts.  I wanted to pick up where I left off, which was in August, and the span of the story took me up to Christmas time. Perfect, since my next publication date was November!

Q4. Quick fire questions! What's your favourite thing about Christmas?

Seeing my family and enjoying the festivities with them.

Q5. Favourite christmas film?

White Christmas!

Q6. Favourite christmas song?

The Coventry Carol.  Quite apt as the Bensons are from Coventry.

Q7. Favourite christmas tradition?

Dressing the tree with baubles collected over a lifetime.  I love savouring the memories each decoration holds.

Q8. What are you hoping to find under the christmas tree this year?!

I'll sent you my Net-A-Porter wish list!  Failing that, a box of Charbonnel et Walker's Sea-salt caramel truffles never goes amiss.

Q9. What's the best Christmas present you've ever been given and why?

A typewriter and a guide to learning how to touch-type. Most useful skill I ever picked up. Dad found the second-hand typewriter and refurbished it for me. I used it to write the first story I ever had published.

Q10. What is up next for you?

More fun with the Bensons!  This time they're going on a Caribbean cruise.  Expect more family drama, plenty of mayhem, love, romance and lots more of little Jack.

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