Christmas is approaching fast, time to snuggle down with a mug of hot chocolate and read a festive book, or buy one as a treat for someone else. So for the next three weeks I’m going to feature a debut Christmas novel, and talk to the authors about their favourite Christmas traditions. My first guest is Linda McEvoy, author of The Christmas Market.

Blurb

Jas has ten weeks to save the Christmas market, launch her vintage hat-making business, and sort out her life. She has a witch of a childhood nemesis to overcome and absolutely no time for romance. But it’s Christmas. And there’s mistletoe and twinkling lights and a beautiful French angel. And Niall! And sometimes magic happens when you least expect it and all you really need to do is believe. 

Reviews say ‘magical, quirky and romantic,’ ‘with a sparky main character starting over in a town filled with community, heart, and hope,’ ‘filled with warmth and Irish humour,’ and ‘you won’t be able to put it down.’

Sales links:

https://bedfordsquarepublishers.co.uk/book/the-christmas-market

Welcome to my blog, Linda. Do you have any favourite family Christmas traditions? If so, what are they?
My daughter and I bake Nigella’s sticky gingerbread on Christmas Eve. We’ve been doing this since she was a child and we continue the tradition even though she’s now twenty-six. With all that ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, it smells like Christmas to me. Also, I always gift books and notebooks along with any other presents I give. And those are my favourite gifts to receive.

When do you open your Christmas presents?
We open most of our presents on Christmas morning but I always give my daughter new Christmas pyjamas the day before so she can wear them to bed on Christmas Eve. We usually open one other present – a small one such as a book – on Christmas Eve too.

If you could invite any author living or dead to share your Christmas lunch, who would it be?

David Nicholls. I absolutely love his writing and my favourite book is One Day. Em and Dex still live in my head. I started an early version of my debut novel, The Christmas Market, from a writing prompt on his online writing course, Inside Stories. Ideally, if I could have a Christmas lunch party, I’d also invite Beth O’Leary, Josie Silver, Emily Henry, and Marian Keyes.

What book would you like to find in your Christmas stocking?
There are a couple of writing craft books that I’ve borrowed from my local library and keep meaning to buy as I only get to read snippets before I return. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande. I’d love either or both of these for my bookshelf so that I could dip in and out.

🎄Thanks so much for dropping by to talk to us today, Linda. Wishing you a Merry Christmast and Happy Writing in 2025! 🎄

Meet Linda

Linda writes feel-good love stories, and her debut novel, The Christmas Market, is published by Bedford Square Publishers. She is represented by Nicky Lovick, WGM Atlantic.

You can find her @lindamcevoywriter on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky, and at Linda McEvoy Writer Facebook Author Page.