by Mandy Baggot
Dear lovely reader,
I’m not crying, you are! OK, I have to admit to having a weep when I wrote the final scenes of One Christmas Star. I fell deeply in love with Emily and Ray’s connection and I adored giving them their happy-ever-after… and I have been playing Jason Derulo’s ‘Marry Me’ on repeat since I finished writing the book!
I hope One Christmas Star has given you all the festive feels and you are getting ready for a winter to remember. I would love to hear what you liked best about this novel. Was it gorgeous Ray? Was it Emily finding her feet and moving on from the loss of Simon? Was it Jonah and the hilarious Allan? Or did the children of Stretton Park Primary steal your heart? And how about those hedgehogs? Olivia and Idris send you hedgehoggy Christmas hugs!
I always like to make my books as real as possible – for me, life really is a romantic comedy. There are laughs a-plenty but there are hard and confronting times too. A couple of the issues touched on in One Christmas Star are very real. The plight of London’s hedgehog population is one of them. Please visit the London Wildlife Trust to find out more about hedgehog mapping and tips to how you can make a difference to the hedgehog population.
Also, the book touches on domestic violence. I know some people will think there isn’t a place for this storyline in a romantic comedy, but I disagree. Like with Ray’s story, there are thousands of men and women who are suffering every day but will keep quiet, be too afraid to speak out. I hope by highlighting this issue in a small way I can perhaps help someone – even helping one person would make a big difference. If you want to find out more, or if you need help or know someone who does, please visit the websites below:
Men’s Advice Line
National Domestic Violence Hotline
But the overall theme of One Christmas Star is a message of hope. It’s about celebrating difference and embracing whatever life throws at you… one verse at a time!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Mandy xx
@mandybaggot
@mandybaggotauthor
Mandy Baggot Book Club
@mandybaggot
mandybaggot.com
Acknowledgements
With every book comes the biggest of thanks! Here are the superstars I am thanking for their help with One Christmas Star:
The team at Aria Fiction/Head of Zeus – Hannah Smith, Vicky Joss, Nikky Ward, Laura Palmer. Thank you so much for your AMAZING support. It’s such a pleasure working with you all and your unstoppable passion for my books really tugs at my heart! Knowing you are 100% behind each new story is everything!
My agent, Tanera Simons. Every book is a new journey and you do so much behind the scenes that no one sees. Thank you for believing in me and for always pushing me towards new and exciting opportunities!
My best writing buddies – Sue Fortin, Rachel Lyndhurst and Zara Stoneley. You are always there for the high fives when things are going well and the hugs when they aren’t. Thank you so much for letting yourselves be bombarded with Christmas song lyrics in the spring and for always being there for me!
My husband, Mr Big and my children, Amber and Ruby. All three of you have had to hear me singing Christmas songs with my new lyrics and none of you told me to shut up… Amber and Ruby, you even joined in! Thank you for trying to understand the crazy working life of an author even if it means less time eating Chinese food together sometimes…
My lovely Bagg Ladies – you are my first port of call for all my book ideas and you are the most amazing supporters. Thank you for all you help and advice and for keeping secret news secret until we can tell the world!
My Mandy Baggot Book Club members and all my readers all over the globe – thank you so much for buying and reading and loving my stories. Without your support I wouldn’t be able to carry on writing. Spreading the word about my books with reviews and shares on social media means the world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
About the Author
MANDY BAGGOT is an international bestselling and award-winning romance writer. The winner of the Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK’s Festival of Romance, her romantic comedy novel One Wish in Manhattan was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year award in 2016. Mandy’s books have so far been translated into German, Italian, Czech and Hungarian. Mandy loves the Greek island of Corfu, white wine, country music and handbags. Also a singer, she has taken part in ITV1’s Who Dares Sings and The X-Factor. Mandy is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Society of Authors and lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband and two daughters.
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