Portobello Book Blog

I’m so pleased that lots of my favourite authors have agreed to take part in my Festive Spotlight and here is another – Jane Lovering. I have read several of Jane’s books when she was published by ChocLit and have read two of those published by Boldwood. She’s going to tell us about A Midwinter Match today. I’ll be reviewing this book next week so watch out for that. I have so many lovely festive books to read this year!

First of all, would you tell my blog readers a little about yourself?

I am an author of what I call ‘psychological romance, with jokes’ and everyone else sort of wibbles about trying to fit into rom com or Women’s Fiction. Basically I try to write about people as real as I can make them, having problems which are real. No rich beautiful people falling in love with other rich beautiful people with Big Misunderstandings, I’m writing about people struggling with work, family relationships, self image and money falling in love with others who are the same! But with jokes, obviously.

In a nutshell, what is your Christmas book about?

A Midwinter Match is about two people who both have their own very good reasons for wanting to keep their job, being forced to compete for only one vacancy. My heroine has anxiety and depression and can’t face having to re-enter the job market, plus she loves her job. My hero has his own reasons for not wanting to look for employment elsewhere too. It’s set in York, over the Christmas period and there’s lots of snow. LOTS of snow.

How did you come up with the title for your book?

I didn’t, my publishers did. I am very very bad at titles. If it were left up to me, all my books would be called things like ‘The One With The Sheep’ and A Midwinter Match would be called ‘The One With The Tiny Jumpers’. Or even worse, ‘The Job Book.’ For some reason my imagination just shrugs when I ask it to label a book, which is a bit pants really.

Do you still keep any Christmas traditions from your childhood?

Yes, I still get hysterically excited and behave in an unseemly way, bouncing around and saying ‘I wonder what I’ve got!’ about a million times an hour. I have also not quite let go of the tradition of peering out of the bedroom window very early on Christmas morning in case someone has bought me a pony.

As yet, they have not.

How do you plan to celebrate Christmas this year?

Hopefully the three of my children who are able to will come over on Christmas Eve, we will have a riotous time for a couple of days, and then they will go back to their homes and leave me with more left-overs than is decent. There may be games played, presents exchanged, long walks with the dog and a lot of eating. The dog will spend the entire time in a state of derangement and the house will be a mess and I may as well put a revolving door on the fridge. It will be brilliant.

What’s your favourite Christmas film?

The Muppets’ Christmas Carol, hands down.

And a favourite Christmas song?

I don’t think I really have one. Emmanuel is my favourite Christmas carol, though. Because I work in a supermarket, from the first of November we are subjected to what I will loosely describe as ‘Christmas Music’ and if I have to listen to ‘Santa, Baby’ one more time I may cause criminal damage.

Do you have a favourite Christmas book?

Probably The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper.

What Christmas book are you looking forward to reading this year?

I’m hoping to get time to read all the Christmas books from my publisher, Boldwood.

How can people follow you or connect with you on social media?

I’m on Facebook, as Jane Lovering and Twitter as @janelovering. I’ve also got a website, http://www.janelovering.co.uk.

And finally, what’s the best Christmas present you ever received?

I have had so many lovely presents from friends and family over the years, it would be very hard, and unfair, to single one out. But two years ago, just after Christmas, I moved into my wonderful little cottage, where I now sit and write and complain about the weather. The whole process went through over Christmas, and it’s cosy with beams and a wood burner and a big farmhouse sort of kitchen and a wonderful little garden, so it’s perfect. Yes, that’s my best Christmas present, even though it was to myself (also my most expensive EVER. Unless someone buys me that pony…)

Thanks so much Jane – I’ll cross my fingers that the pony appears this year! You can find out more about Jane and how to buy her Boldwood book on the Boldwood website here.
For her earlier novels, have a look at her Amazon page here.