#HarperXmas - Carmel Harrington's top 10 Christmas songs!

Today I'm delighted to welcome the fabulous Carmel Harrington back to Little Northern Soul, this time to talk all things festive! (You can read my previous interview with Carmel here). As part of #HarperXmas Carmel has shared with me her Top 10 Christmas songs... if these don't get you in the festive mood, I don't know what will! 

My Top 10 Christmas Songs

Here’s the thing, I’d love to be a broadway star. Or a popstar, a proper diva that would give Beyonce a run for her money. Maybe I could have been the 6th Spice Girl. Bookish Spice. Never mind girl power, it’s writerly power! One big problem though. My talents don’t quite back up my ambition. Now, I can hold a note or two, can even do the odd party piece which sounds decent, once a few drinks have been consumed by all listening. But I know my limits.

There’s no better time to practise your vocal acrobatics than at Christmas. I switch on Christmas FM and listen to it 24/7. Well, maybe not all night, but you get the drift. 

I adore classic anthems that make me feel warm and fuzzy and full of love for my fellow mankind. The lyrics and melodies tap into my memory bank and bang, I’m back in one of my happy places. Then there’s the big dance songs that make me jump up and throw my best moves around the kitchen table. Some of these are novelty songs, the sillier the better really, that should grate on my nerves, but somehow or other, at Christmas they work! And lastly, there’s the carols, those wonderful songs that make me feel the spirit of Christmas with every note.

Choosing my top ten for you all has been a horrendous task. I could have done a top 100. But I’ve taken it all very seriously. I’ve listened to my short list over and over, whittling it down to 19. I’ve had to drink wine and eat mince pies, to help get me through it all, but I’m ever the trooper.

Are you ready? Right, in no particular order ….

Last Christmas

I’ll admit it, I was a huge Wham fan when I was a young wan’! And this song, brings me right back to my teenage years, where I was crushing big time on Andrew Ridgely. Last Christmas is one that stands the test of time and sounds as good today as it did back then. I love that music video too, of them all frolicking in the snow. I have been a fan of the Christmas jumper and wooly festive hats and scarves ever since. Yesterday, Amelia was singing this very song at home. Another generation already a fan.

I’ll Be Home For Christmas

I don’t mind who sings this. Buble, Crosby, Bennett, Hastie, I’ll take any of them. When I hear it, I remember all the years I lived away from home. I counted down the days till Christmas Eve till I got to go home.

FairyTale Of New York

The lyrics are genius. The melody unforgettable. And the chorus one of those that everybody has to sing along to. When I hear this, I think of all the Christmas parties where at the end of the night, everyone is up on the dancefloor, arms wrapped around each other, swaying and bopping to this.

O Holy Night

I think that no matter what our religious beliefs, this carol just connects us in an emotional festive wave. Did you know that it was adapted from a French poem in 1855? I always well up when I hear this song. I’m an awful boohooer, won’t lie. So it doesn’t take much to set me off, but this song, moves me deeply. I love Mariah’s rendition. When I wrote Every Time A Bell Rings, EVERY DAY, before I started to write, I listened to this, to put me in the right frame of mind.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

For me, it has to be Judy Garland’s version. One note in, and I’m back to the 1980’s, in my sitting room, on a Sunday afternoon, with Mam, Dad and my brother and sisters, watching Meet Me in St Louis. Pure nostaliga.

The Christmas Shoes

Now I know that some will argue that this is one of the worst songs ever, but I say bah, humbug scrooge to those! It’s pure cheese on toast, sweet, smaltzy with over the top sentiment. But I ADORE it!

First time I heard it, I was in the car with Mr H and it came on and I literally went into the ugly cry. Now, okay, I was pregnant and hormonal at the time, but still, that little boy just wanted to buy shoes to make his dying mama look beautiful. Oh sweet divine, I am not able. Someone buy those sparkling shoes, someone hug that little boy, someone find a cure for that dying mama! Ah here, now I’m off boohooing again. You see? Told you, I’m a disaster!

Merry Christmas Everybody

Now come on, Slade = It’s Christmas! I can still remember watching Top of the Pops as a kid and seeing these guys belting this out. And in party season, it’s one of those songs that gets us all up on the dance floor, doesn’t it? (Not that I need an excuse. I love a good bop.)

Silver Bells

Ring aling, hear them sing … sigh, I’ll admit it, I could listen to Michael Buble singing Rock a Bye Baby and it would make me, well sigh, but I adore this song. I love Dean Martin’s version and Bing Crosby’s, as they were the ones that mam always played. This song is the one I sing the most at home, when I’m just mooching about.

Do They Know It’s Christmas

I still get chills when I hear this song. I know many versions have been tried, but the original Band Aid one is the ONLY one I’m interested in. I know all the lyrics by heart, can tell you who sang which part and can remember where I was and who I was with, the first time I heard it. Which incidentally was mam and dads sitting room with John, Fiona and Shelley, my siblings. I can still remember dad in the background telling us to turn that rubbish down. And mam telling him to be quiet! Ha!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

The only version of this I want to hear, is the one by this really cute double act called Amelia and Nate. Some might say I’m biased, but as far as I’m concerned it’s pure magic when they belt this number out. And by the way, I believe. Do you?

Wishing you all the merriest of Christmasses, full of love, joy and song!

Love,

Carmel

The Riviera blog tour: guest post by Karen Aldous

Today I'm delighted to have a guest post from the wonderful Karen Aldous on Little Northern Soul, as part of The Riviera blog tour! So without further ado, I give you Karen... 

Discovery through writing

Having now completed my third novel, I thought about how far I had come in less than three years. I still have to pinch myself. If, like me, you long to write a romance novel and get it published, there are some discoveries that I would like to share. When I was younger, I loved reading and writing, and was always fascinated with who authors were, and how they managed to bring these characters to life. Author bio’s and a few magazine articles were all we readers had access to then, unlike all the books and blogs available now. Over the years, more material became available, writing magazines and ‘How to’ books authors such as Stephen King, Sue Moorcroft, Kate Walker to name but a few wrote about the craft. Since I set out on my mission to get my first novel, ‘The Vineyard’ from my head to the publisher, in January 2012, I have found there is so much help available now which I’d recommend to new writers.

The first discovery was the Romantic Novelists’ Association and their New Writers scheme. I’d read about it a few years before but timing was never right! Joining this scheme set my mind and fingers in motion to get my novel written. Why? Because a professional reader or writer will read your manuscript and, critique it for the market you’re aiming it at. It is excellent feedback for your first work. From enrolling, I had eight months until the deadline, and boy, was that motivating. It’s a route I’d heartily recommend. But, even if you don’t get on the scheme, the important thing is to finish your novel. Once you have that first draft, leave it for a few weeks, edit and send it out. No editor or agent can read a blank page.

The next thing which I discovered was the events I could attend as an associate member of the RNA. I was like, and still am, a kiddy in a candy shop. Lots of authors I’d read, happy to welcome me and offer advice and support. I’d suggest noting down any questions you may have before an event, especially if you get star-struck like me, and, I wish I had asked more. But someone will be happy to answer on any aspect of writing if they can. The point is, even though I wasn’t published, I began to believe in myself as a writer and was given the opportunity to meet publishers and agents at various events. I can assure you, the writing community are very friendly. In addition, the workshops, talks, and conference are all geared to offer writing expertise from successful authors. Luckily I am close to London, but there are chapters and members’ groups all around the country.

One final discovery which I throroughly recommend is getting to a local creative writing class. I still regularly attend The Write Place, in Kent, local to me, which has been of huge benefit to my writing; from creating a gripping opening chapter to giving your characters depth, discussions on markets for your work etc., etc., to all the much needed and lovely support it offers. I’ve still tonnes to learn but, the steps I climbed above were the first and, as I discover more, I will share at a later stage.

Good luck with your writing and I hope to one day meet you at the RNA and even better, read your book.

***

About the author

Karen Aldous enjoys village life on the edge of the north-downs in Kent with easy access to the buzz of London. Not only does she love the passive pleasures of reading and writing, she also craves the more active pursuits with her family and friends such as walking, cycling and skiing especially when they involve food and wine! Karen gets much of her inspiration from her travels and if she had to choose, France, Greece, Switzerland, Italy and Lake Tahoe in US would be her favourites. However, wherever she goes, she discovers a new character emerges in 'Karen's World'. She likes to write about strong independent women who can direct their own lives - but struggle to control them! And, of course there's always a gorgeous hunk or two!

Links:  Facebook | Twitter | Website | Blog

Blurb

The journey is only as good as its end…

It’s been a hard journey, but Lizzie Lambert’s life is a Provençal dream come true. Her business is wildly successful, and with her little boy and the love of her life, Cal, she is making a beautiful home on the vineyard for their blended family.

But when Cal goes to America to support his son through a teenage crisis, it becomes clear the kid’s not the only one with some growing up to do: Cal’s glamorous ex-wife wants to get her claws in him again. As Cal spends longer and longer away, Lizzie wonders, was it all too good to be true?

Escape to Provence with Karen Aldous’ The Riviera, the perfect read for an idyllic summer.

LINKS: The Riviera | AmazonUK | AmazonUS | KOBO | Goodreads

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Guest post: Erin Lawless

Today I'm delighted to hand over this post to Erin Lawless, to talk about her writing and publishing journey. So without further ado, here's Erin! 

"I LOVED the book," the email claimed. Good start. "But," the sentence continued (the literally dreaded but) "I'm not sure who your market is. The book is almost too many things…"

The email from the prospective agent went on to suggest I rework the book into a BDSM erotica and think about resubmitting.

This is a completely true story.

It was 2012 and I had just finished writing my first novel. After a lifetime of fanfiction, blog posts and questionable short story writing, I had managed it, all 105,000 glorious words. Seven characters, spanning seven years, I had literally slaved over it, and was torn between wanting to make every single person in the world read it and deleting the document in a full-on panic. I settled for the middle ground, sending the PDF out to ten or so friends and acquaintances who had volunteered to be brutally honest. And they all liked it. "I was worried I'd hate it, and it would be awkward," admitted one. "But it was actually really good!"

Buoyed by that confidence builder I sprang into action, buying the requisite copy of the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook and researching the process from inspiration to publication. First, I needed an agent and so off went fifteen or so carefully cultivated and personalised submission letters – and my fingers very firmly crossed themselves. Months passed. I continued polishing my manuscript, checking my inbox constantly, ticking off the responses as they came in. I only had six responses and every single one of them said that book was good but that it was too cerebral to be a romance, too romantic to be considered general fiction, too X to be Y…

But I still really wanted to tell Adam and Harriet's story. So I shelved my dizzy plans for traditional publication and set about doing what I do well – sorting it out myself. I titled the book Little White Lies, pulled together an awful cover on Paint, whacked it up on Amazon and wished it well, my sweet, sad, cerebral romance.

By early 2013 I was knee-deep in a historical novella when I noticed a call out on Twitter from HarperCollins for a focus group of readers to attend their offices later that week to discuss a proposed new romance imprint. It was nearby, boasted free sandwiches and tea and I'd always wanted to see the inside of HarperCollins (high up on if not the pole position on my list of dream publishers) so I agreed to go along. Hours later, I walked out of HC Towers full of excitement about this imprint – it sounded fresh, innovative – I wanted to be a part of it.

So when Harper Impulse was opened for business later that year I dusted off my manuscript and submitted, still agentless, apologetic, eternally hopeful. By August I was signed to a two-book deal. And on 5^th December 2013 the renewed, revamped, reworked Little White Lies was reborn as The Best Thing I Never Had. No BDSM necessary. 

In the last eighteen months Best Thing has had a torrid love affair with digital bestseller charts across all platforms, in several countries. I sat next to a stranger at a hen do dinner only to find she'd just finished reading it the night before, not knowing she'd be shortly sitting down to a curry with the author! It's been absolutely amazing – and something I clearly could not have done without the amazeballs team at Harper Impulse having my back. Knowing that I have shared – and continue to share – Adam and Harriet's story fills me up with pride every single day.

My second contemporary romance for the imprint is due out June 11^th. Somewhere Only We Know might look like your typical boy-meets-girl story, but when that boy works for Immigration and that girl is a Russian national about to be deported, the tale is anything but typical. I'm so excited to start sharing a new story – Alex and Nadia's – another lovingly crafted "cerebral romance".

And I'm also reasonably smug to report that at least three of the literary agents who rejected me back in 2012 are currently following me on Twitter. 

*****
Erin's latest novel- Somewhere only we know, is available from 11th June. You can preorder here