My guest today is Pauline Barclay author of Satchfield Hall, Mangnoila House and Sometimes It Happens. Pauline lives in sunny Lanzarote and in her guest post today shares her experiences of Christmas on the island. Welcome Pauline.

Christmas in the Sun by Pauline Barclay

When I think of Christmas, images of snow scenes, pine Christmas trees decorated with coloured balls, log fires crackling as flames leap up the chimney and streets decked with lights and decorations spring to mind, but living in a sunny climate can be rather different. For a start the temperatures are more likely to give you sunburn rather than frost bite. Here on Lanzarote, where we live, Christmas is not as obvious as in many northern European countries, though each year it becomes a little more festive and commercialised than the previous year. Though not with freezing temperatures!

This year the shops started adding their Christmas goodies as early as November, though what you see in the shops is a long way from what you’d expect to see in the UK. Chocolates are one of the main features in the supermarkets and huge joints of Serrano hams which hang on hooks around the store.

One of the traditions on the island is the planting of hundreds of red poinsettias on roundabouts, verges and in municipal gardens; their vibrant red leaves add a special festive splash to the sunny island. Model nativity scenes are also popular down here, particularly with many hotels creating a Lanzarote style display in their entrance gardens. Eye catching for guests and passers by to stop and admire.

The open air shopping centre in Puerto del Carmen, Biosfera, takes on the full spirit of Christmas with thousands of lights and a huge Christmas tree and through the audio system, traditional and popular Christmas songs play.

The island has many nationalities, residents and visitors who celebrate Christmas differently. For the Germans, Scandinavians and Spanish their Christmas feast is Christmas Eve, for the British it is Christmas Day and for the local Lanzarote people it is a mixture between their own traditional festival on 5^th January, The Three Kings and Christmas.

In the Canary’s and across Spain it is the traditional parade of The Three Kings on 5^th January, El dia de Reyes as the fiesta day is known. On Lanzarote it is still marked with a cavalcade of camels carrying three kings through numerous towns on the island.  The kings throw sweets and small gifts to children and followers. It is also the time when gifts are exchanged, the children getting most of their toys on this day.  A special cake is also eaten and every bakery on the island will be busy making this cake for El dia de Reyes. The cake, known as the Roscon de Reyes, looks like a large doughnut and is filled with lashings of cream and nearly always includes a small statue of a King. Truly delicious!

The island is also a place where many people arrive for Christmas; some to get away from the traditional Christmas back home, but all to enjoy the weather. Normally at this time of the year it is warm and sunny, beautiful enough to sit on the beach. Last year it was the hottest December for several decades, not only did the turkey roast, but so did everyone else!

Over the years our Christmas has varied, some years we have gone away, others out to a British restaurant and some staying at home with friends, but so far we have always sat out on the terrace eating our traditional Christmas feast. Our Christmas feast is very traditional and these days you can buy most things on the island to make it truly festive.

This is just a little insight in to our Christmas in the sun, but whatever your plans are for your Christmas, I hope it will be filled with happiness, love and friendship. Wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas.

Thanks Pauline!

You can find out more about Pauline and her novels on her website at: www.paulinebarclay.co.uk and on her blog at: http://paulinembarclay.blogspot.com

Today my fellow blogger Alexa from Alexa Loves Books is my guest for the Countdown to Christmas feature. Alexa is from New Jersey and started her book blog in April 2011. She reviews young adult fiction, contemporary and historical romances. We have very similar taste in books so please do visit her site for lots of fab reading recommendations.

My Christmas Traditions by Alexa

I absolutely adore the holiday season.  When Christmas decorations start going up and the gorgeous window displays are installed, there’s always a rush of excitement and a jolt of joy in my heart.  I always feel more peaceful, more generous and very much more loved.

When Christmas rolls around, I tend to become quite traditional, because I grew up in a house where writing letters to Santa, putting up stockings, decorating the tree and going to church were just a few among the many traditions we embraced.

Though I no longer write to Santa, have no space for a tree I can decorate (as of the moment at least) or somewhere to hang a stocking, I have made a new tradition of my own: I watch Christmassy movies to get into the spirit of things.

Here are some of my favorite films set during the holiday season:

1.  The Grinch

2.  Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas

3.  Home Alone

4.  Love Actually

5.  The Holiday

Another Christmas tradition I intend to keep: reading some of my favorite Christmas tales.  I used to do this with my family and it’s a tradition that I definitely want to continue with my own family in the future.

Here are some of my favorite Christmas stories:

1.  A Christmas Carol

2.  The Nutcracker

3.  The Night Before Christmas

4.  How the Grinch Stole Christmas

I love my two Christmas traditions, one old and one new, and I hope to be embracing them for many more years to come.  I wish all your readers a wonderful holiday season, filled with joy, laughter and love all around.  Happy Holidays everyone!

Thanks Alexa!

Today I have a delicious treat for you as part of Countdown to Christmas. Sue Watson, author of Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes is my guest and is sharing one of the yummy recipes that can be found in the novel. As the Strictly Come Dancing final nears this is the perfect time to indulge in Sue’s Chocolate Chilli Fairy Cha Chas! Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes is Sue’s fab debut novel and is out now. Welcome Sue!

Strictly Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes! by Sue Watson

Strictly Come Dancing has been a favourite of mine ever since Natasha Kaplinsky strutted onto the dance floor like an elegant, sparkly, cat. As she was whipped and whirled around by the flexible and delicious Brendan Cole, her feet barely touching the impossibly shiny floor… I was hooked. I think the glitz and the heels bring out the little girl in all of us on a Saturday night, like modern day Cinderellas we long to float on sugary chiffons and hot red spiky stilettoes. So when it came to writing ‘Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes’ it was only right I should sprinkle a little dancing stardust through the novel. I needed an ‘event’ for Stella to make amazing, ‘showbiz’ cakes – so I donned those dancing shoes and recreated, what Stella calls, ‘The Strictly Collection,’ in cakes.

To celebrate the latest fabulous series of Strictly, (and the success of Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes) here’s a little twinkle-toed-tit-bit from Stella’s recipe collection (the rest can be found in the novel).

Chocolate Chilli Fairy Cha Chas with Spangly Frills

These simple-to-make cheeky little fairies are lively, sweet and just a little bit spicy. The heat is in the buttercream, so if you are baking for children or don’t like chilli, just bake the cakes as directed and leave the chilli out of the buttercream… they are still cha chas, just a little more restrained.

Now before you begin just let your hips sway very slowly, feel that music and just let those Latin rhythms pulse through the body as you cha cha round the kitchen collecting the ingredients.  Makes about 12 cha chas!

N.B The recipe is in the back of Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes – so if you haven’t quite finished reading it stay ‘strictly’ with the recipes – and no peeking to see what happens at the end!

Ingredients

2 free range eggs

110g or 4oz caster(?) sugar

110g or 4oz self raising flour

110g or 4oz butter melted

½ tablespoon cocoa powder

12 red metallic paper cases (they remind me of strappy scarlet dancing shoes)

Chilli Buttercream

70g or 2 ½ oz butter, softened

140g or 5oz icing sugar

25g or 1oz cocoa

1-2 tablespoons milk

¼ level teaspoon chilli (or to taste)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ tablespoon milk

Red sparkly bits and edible red glitter

Method

Cha cha over to the oven and turn it to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and fill cake tins with paper cases.

Now whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy – all the time swaying those hips and taking little cha cha steps (it improves the texture, trust me). Slow down the tempo now and fold in the flour, cocoa and melted butter.

Spoon mixture into scarlet stilettos (or shiny red paper cases)and bake for 20-25 minutes until springy to the touch.

For the frosting

When the cakes have chilled out on their wire rack – they will be ready for their dancing dresses.

Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.

Add the remaining icing sugar, chilli and cinnamon and the milk and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Check the taste and add a little more chilli if you fancy something hot, hot, hot and beat in extra milk, if necessary, to loosen the mixture.

Now top those cha cha fairies and throw on some red sparkles and bling, take a big chocolate chilli bite and dance the night away.

This recipe along with many others – including the outrageously Christmassy, ‘Inebriated Christmas Tarts,’ and ‘Cranberry and White Chocolate Christmas Fairies,’ can be found in ‘Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes.’

Thanks Sue!

You can find out more about Sue and her book at: http://www.fatgirlsandfairycakes.co.uk/ or http://fatgirlsandfairycakes.blogspot.com/

If you’re in the Worcester area on 15^th December or Swindon on 17^th December Sue will be at Waterstone’s branches, giving away free homemade fairy cakes and special ‘Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes’ Christmas gift bags to everyone buying a signed copy on the day!

Read my review of Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes

Buy the book in paperback or for Kindle (links go to Amazon.co.uk)

Ten days into Countdown to Christmas already – the time is flying. Today I have the pleasure of welcoming the lovely Miranda Dickinson back to One More Page. As well as being a hugely successful author, Miranda is also a singer and songwriter so is expertly placed to provide today’s guest post on her favourite Christmas tunes.

One More Sleep Till Christmas – The Muppets (from The Muppet Christmas Carol)

I have to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol each year on Christmas Eve – it’s my favourite film and now a Christmas tradition! I love all the songs from the film but this one is my favourite. It sums up the excitement of Christmas Eve perfectly for me – plus, it’s sung by Kermit the Frog, so what’s not to love?

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – James Taylor (from October Road)

James Taylor is a legend and I adore his voice and songs – I’d love to record a song with him one day (in my dreams!) I love this Christmas classic and his version is the coolest, smooth-jazz-tastic interpretation of the song I’ve ever heard. It’s always on my iPod at this time of year.

White Christmas – Bing Crosby (from Holiday Inn and White Christmas)

What can I say? You’ve got to love a bit of Bing at Christmas and this song is a fabulous classic. It also makes me laugh at the moment, because when I marry my fiance Bob next September I’ll be ‘Mrs B White’ (listen to the last line of the song to hear that name) and all my Christmases will be White from then on!

Driving Home for Christmas – Chris Rea

I love this song – the original, not the awful version on the Iceland ads at the moment! I’m doing some Christmas party gigs with The Peppermints (the band I sing with who inspired The Pinstripes in It Started With a Kiss) and we have this song in our mammoth seven-song Christmas medley. It’s so much fun to sing and really festive!

Sleigh Ride – John Rutter

This is a piece of classical music, not the more famous song of the same name (which I also love). I know this might sound mad, but you can imagine the horse’s hooves on the snow and sleigh bells jingling as the sleigh moves when you listen to the music! It’s one of the most evocative pieces of music I know.

Thanks Miranda

Miranda is kindly providing two SIGNED copied of It Started With a Kiss as a giveaway! To enter just leave a comment in the box below saying what your favourite Christmas tune is. Two winners will be drawn using random.org after the closing date.

UK entries only please. Entries will close at midnight on Wednesday 14th December. Good luck!

You can find out more about Miranda on her website at: http://www.miranda-dickinson.com/

Read my review of Welcome to My World

Read my review of It Started With a Kiss

Read my interview with Miranda

Buy It Started With a Kiss in paperback or for Kindle (Links go to amazon.co.uk)

Today I’m delighted to welcome Sharon Lathan to One More Page with a guest post on Regency Christmas. Sharon is the best-selling author of The Darcy Saga sequel series to Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. Her previously published novels are: Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, Loving Mr. Darcy, My Dearest Mr. Darcy, In the Arms of Mr. Darcy, A Darcy Christmas, and The Trouble With Mr. Darcy.  I read Sharon’s latest novel, Miss Darcy Falls in Love recently and really enjoyed it. In addition to her writing, Sharon works as a Registered Nurse in a Neonatal ICU. She resides with her family in Hanford, California in the sunny San Joaquin Valley. Welcome Sharon!

Regency Christmas by Sharon Lathan

A man might then behold
At Christmas, in each hall
Good fires to curb the cold,
And meat for great and small.
The neighbors were friendly bidden,
And all had welcome true,
The poor from the gates were not chidden
When this old cap was new.

~The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon by Washington Irving

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. In my first novel – Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy – I was overjoyed when the timeline established by Jane Austen meant that the newly married Darcys would soon be celebrating their first holiday season. As the series progressed and a year passed I was able to again highlight Christmas in In The Arms of Mr. Darcy. An even greater joy was when my editor approached me to write a Christmas themed novella to be part of an anthology. Score! I was in heaven!

A Darcy Christmas – the anthology published last year but still in print and just as fabulous for this season – gave me another opportunity to delve into the traditions and history of the holiday season in Regency Era England. The above poem as quoted by Washington Irving is an old song sung at Christmas time and gives a sense of the spirit of the season. Above all, Christmas was a time to embrace family and friends. Not so different than today, you may surmise, yet the differences were stark.

First and foremost, Christmas was a solemn, religious observance. Church attendance with ritualistic remembrances of the birth of Jesus was a vital part. A decorated tree was unheard of, instead the tradition to hang boughs of evergreen branches as a sign of eternal life. Ofttimes the boughs were triangular to symbolize the triune nature of God. Hanging them over the doorway was a welcoming gesture of goodwill, guests greeted with a kiss. Mistletoe was one of many winter greens used to adorn a house, the part pagan and part Christian belief that mistletoe had healing properties and the power to bestow life and fertility naturally leading to the custom of kissing underneath it as an expression of love.

Providing for visitors, those who were in one’s employ, and anyone in need was a serious undertaking. Mincemeat pies, Christmas puddings, and fruit cakes were specially prepared with liquor, hearty spiced meats and fruits, and heavy dough so that travelers could carry them and eat of them for days without fear of spoiling. Care packages consisting of food and necessities were delivered to the poor, parties were thrown wherein all were invited to partake of the feast, and the remains were passed out the day after Christmas in boxes to local citizens. The latter is the origin of “Boxing Day.”

Carols were sung and they were nearly all of a religious or peace-bringing theme. Groups would wander from house to house singing as a way to bring good cheer and bestow blessings. Cookies, small cakes, and warm spiced drinks (most containing alcohol) would be given to the carolers as a thank-you and return blessing. Other roving groups called “mummers” performed plays, often in pantomime and always wearing a mask, that were humorous but also meant to teach a moral lesson of some kind.

Night time parties with bonfires and feasting were common on Christmas Eve. Dancing, minstrels, and games of all kinds occurred with the classes mixing in celebration of the special event being honored. Wassailing and drinking wassail was a huge part of the festivities. A massive log was cut and dragged with due pomp into the house, anointed with spiced oils, and set afire in the biggest hearth in the house. This was the Yule Log and it would be kept burning from Christmas through to the Epiphany, the honor of watching over the log to make sure the fire did not die a coveted duty. The charred remains would be gathered and stowed away to be used the following year as kindling for the next Yule Log.

Christmas day itself would consist of family attending church after a breakfast with pastries and frumentry (a type of Christmas pudding). Gifts, if they were exchanged at all, would be simple and only the very wealthy gave more than one per person. Wrapping paper did not exist so gifts were either given as is or concealed with plain paper or colored fabrics and tied together with ribbons – all of which would be carefully set aside to be reused.

All twelve of the days from Christmas to the Epiphany – the day commemorated as when the Magi appeared before the Christ child – were revered. The 12 gifts listed in the famously annoying song all had a religious symbolism attached. At the end of the twelve days was Twelfth Night, a final night to hold a feast or ball to signify the end of the season. This is when folks went a bit crazy! Twelfth Night celebrations were typically rowdy – a sharp contrast to the quieter days before.

These traditions are, of course, only a small slice of all the varied ways the English in the Regency period would have spent their holidays. Naturally there were many differing customs just as there are today. But hopefully this glimpse has been enlightening. Websites that relate Christmas history are plentiful, but here are a few of my favorites:

Christmas: Its Origin and Associations by William Francis Dawson – http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22042/22042-h/22042-h.htm

The Christmas Archives – http://www.christmasarchives.com/toc.html

History of Christmas – http://www.christmascarnivals.com/christmas-history/

Wassailing Through History – http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/holiday06/wassail.cfm

And as a final treat, here is a recipe for authentic English Wassail–

Ingredients

1 qt. brown ale

8 oz. dry sherry

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

3 apples

1/2 lemon peel finely grated

1/2 tsp. each ground

nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Peel and core two apples and cut in thick slices. Place in layers in a baking dish and sprinkle with the brown sugar.
3. Drizzle with 2 oz. of brown ale.
4. Bake until the apples are very tender, about 45 minutes.
5. Chop the apples and their cooking juices in a food processor until smooth.
6. Place in a saucepan over medium-low heat and add the remaining ale, sherry, lemon peel and spices. Simmer gently for a few minutes.
7. Peel and core the remaining apple and slice. Add the slices to the bowl and serve while still warm.

Thank you Sharon!

Sharon is kindly providing one copy of Miss Darcy Falls in Love and one copy of A Darcy Christmas to give away to one lucky reader. To enter just leave a ‘pick me’ comment in the box below and I’ll draw a winner using random.org after the closing date.

This giveaway is open internationally. Entries will close at midnight (UK) on Thursday 8th December. Good luck!

You can find out more about Sharon and her books on her website: www.sharonlathan.net and on Austen Authors: www.austenauthors.com

Today I’m delighted to be hosting Ali McNamara as my Countdown to Christmas continues. Ali’s first novel, From Notting Hill with Love … Actually was released last year and her second, Breakfast at Darcy’s came out on 24th November. Both are excellent winter reads! Welcome Ali!

My Five Favourite Christmas movies by Ali McNamara

In the best X-Factor/ Strictly/ Big Brother tradition they are in “no particular order.” Because I couldn’t pick my favourite!

The Holiday: Starring: Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz. Jude Law & Jack Black.

Lovely, warm, gooey romantic comedy that if nothing else will make you want to try house-swapping just in case your new neighbour turns out to be Jude Law!

Love Actually: Starring all Richard Curtis’ usual crew of favourites including Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. Makes you want to start your Christmas countdown super early. Worth it for the doorstep scene between Keira Knightly and Andrew Lincoln alone!

Serendipity: Starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. I have to admit I only saw this movie for the first time this year! But it’s already high on my list of Christmas favourites. Just perfect for all those of us who believe in destiny and fate…  Plus much of it is set in New York at Christmastime, what more could you want?

Miracle on 34^th Street: Starring Richard Attenborough, Mara Wilson and Elizabeth Perkins. Remake of an original 1947 movie starring Maureen O’Hara.

I love both these versions of a story about a little girl who’s lost her faith and belief in both Christmas and Santa Claus, and how Santa – Kris Kringle, persuades her and the rest of New York he’s real…

Home Alone 1&2: Starring Macaulay Culkin. Everyone knows these movies don’t they? If you don’t, watch them this Christmas, pure Christmas (blue stilton) cheese at it’s best, that will make you laugh, cry and feel desperate to be with your nearest and dearest this festive season!

Happy Holidays!

Thanks Ali  – Serendipity is one of my all time favourite movies too!

Ali’s publisher Sphere have very kindly given me five copies of Breakfast at Darcy’s to give away! To enter just leave a comment in the box below saying what your favourite Christmas film is. Five winners will be drawn using random.org after the closing date.

UK entries only please. Entries will close at midnight on Saturday 10th December. Good luck!

You can find out more about Ali on her newly redesigned website at: http://www.alimcnamara.co.uk/

Read my review of From Notting Hill with Love … Actually

Read my review of Breakfast at Darcy’s

Read my interview with Ali McNamara

October – another quick month and another six books read. Interestingly, I’m reading a lot more on my Kindle these days as I find it much easier to hold the Kindle than a book at the same time as holding baby! Four of the books I read were new releases for October.

The books I read were:

October book of the month

An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

Trade Winds by Christina Courtenay

Renovation, Renovation, Renovation by Nell Dixon

Wrapped up in You by Carole Matthews

Highland Storms by Christina Courtenay

My book of the month for October is An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson because Autumn is my favourite season and I loved the emphasis on family. I found it to be a really emotional and enjoyable read perfect for this time of year.

The three most popular posts in October were:

My review of The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks; Carole Matthews’ guest post on researching her new book and my review of Netherwood by Jane Sanderson.

Searches bringing most people to the blog were:

1. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
2. The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks
3. Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes by Sue Watson

In other October news, I took part in my first blog tour for Carole Matthews lovely Christmas book Wrapped up in You; gave my thoughts on my favourite books from the World Book Night 2012 list, hosted a fab Nicholas Sparks giveaway and made it to 900 followers on Twitter

I also began planning for my Countdown to Christmas in detail in October and am excited to say that I have some fantastic guest posts, guest reviews and giveaways lined up for December!  Countdown to Christmas is my book blogger version of an advent calendar with a Christmas-themed post every day from December 1st to 24th. I did the countdown last year and it was great fun but I’m making it bigger and better this year! There is still time to take part so if you are an author, publisher or fellow blogger and you’d like to contribute a post; be interviewed about Christmassy things, do a guest review or a giveaway or have another fab Christmassy idea, drop me an email at: onemorepageamanda@gmail.com

Coming up in November I’ve got a fab pile of wintry chick lit books lined up with reviews of Maria Duffy’s debut Any Dream Will Do, Miranda Dickinson’s It Started With a Kiss and One Minute to Midnight by Amy Silver. I’m taking part in Ali McNamara’s blog tour to celebrate the release of Breakfast at Darcy’s and I’m also looking forward to reviewing the first in a new paranormal series; Avenger’s Angel by Heather Killough-Walden.

Happy November reading!

Today I’m welcoming my first ever guest blogger to One More Page; the fabulous Carole Matthews, whose new book Wrapped Up in You is out this Thursday.  One More Page is Carole’s first stop on her Wrapped Up in You blog tour! Welcome Carole!

Readers often ask me how much research I do for a book and, I guess, the easy answer is that it largely depends on the book. For The Chocolate Lovers’ Club, I ate lots of chocolate and put on a stone in weight. I went paintballing and got shot in the back for The Chocolate Lovers’ Diet. I do, sometimes , suffer for my art! For Welcome To The Real World, I spent a year working with the Welsh National Opera and it’s fair to say that I never want to see Madame Butterfly ever again.

Sometimes the books are set close to home and others I try to set in more exotic locations to give a bit of variety. For my latest book, Wrapped Up In You, I wanted to show a contrast to a typically British Christmas and I thought that the landscape and heat of Africa would provide an excellent backdrop. It would also give me the opportunity to have a very different type of romantic hero  as  Dominic, is a fully-fledged Maasai warrior! From the comments I’ve had already from readers, it seems like everyone has fallen in love with Dominic just as my heroine, Janie, did.  I even had a phone call from my mum who was reading the book and was very worried about him. She couldn’t bear to wait until the end to see if it all turned out well for Dominic and Janie!

The research was like a dream come true. My dearly-beloved, Lovely Kev, and I spent a week in the Maasai Mara in Kenya on safari. The deal is that I do all the note-taking and Lovely Kev takes all the photographs so that I can remember all the wonderful things we’ve seen when I’m back in my office in downtown Milton Keynes!

I always try to do as much as I can, while I’m there. Although I have a rough outline of my plot, I’m never entirely sure what I’m going to use and you can’t just pop back to somewhere like the Maasai Mara! We spent time in a Maasai village talking to the people and getting an insight into their way of life. They are such lovely people, warm with a quiet charm. Their life is so hard and sparse compared to ours that I thought it would be interesting to bring Dominic back to an English village to see the contrast.  We joined in with a Maasai traditional dancing and jumping ceremony which features in the book and bumped across the dusty plains in a truck as Janie does. I hope that it adds to the colour of the story and I try to be as accurate as I can. If a place is truly inspiring then I think it can really add to the plot and the flavour of the novel.

We did glamping – posh camping – but, at the end of the day there’s still just a bit of canvas between you and a startling variety of wild animals. There were a couple of hairy moments – we had a hippopotamus eating right outside our tent in the dead of the night, so close that you could hear its tummy rumbling and the roar of the lions coming closer and closer as they went out hunting was enough to set the heart racing!

Africa is such a vast and beautiful country. The Maasai Mara is just spectacular. If you can possibly get there, please put a trip to the Maasai Mara on your ‘to do’ list. In Wrapped Up In You, I hope I’ve given you a taste of its magic.

Thank you Carole. Wrapped up in You is out on 27th October. Please stop by on Thursday for my review and do check out the other stops on Carole’s blog tour!

You can find out more about Carole and her novels at: http://www.carolematthews.com/