​I enter my reading books into Goodreads and each December look forward to the end of year-round-up delivered by the app. Well, there were no surprises for me in this year’s review. I have had an utterly rubbish year regards reading. I read 15 books! A grand total of 4,350 pages. I can’t remember a previous year when the number has been so low, but then my mind and energy has been spent elsewhere.
 
I could have skipped this blog post. My reading review could have been forgotten but I wanted to share as it acts as accountability for me. My intention is for 2026 to be very different. I want next year’s Goodreads reading review to reflect a healthy reading habit, not the dismal efforts of 2025.   

Recent weeks have been busy, busy, busy - so I intend to chill this Christmas and thoroughly enjoy the festive season. Below is a previous blog post outlining my Christmas traditions, including my reading habits during the festive period. This year, I won't be waiting till Christmas Eve but instead starting today, 23rd December! I wish you all the merriest of Christmases filled with love, life and laughter! 

​For me, Christmas officially begins at home on Christmas Eve. All preparations such as gift wrapping, delivery drop-offs to friends, food shopping or last-minute bulk buying of big bottles of Bailey’s liqueur has to be completed by the 23rd. If it hasn’t crossed the doorstep by that date - I can live without it!
   Such measures came into play after ‘lockdown’, when I admitted that my love of Christmas was being ruined by the corporate marketing teams and their seasonal guilt-tripping. I refused to buy into their reinvention of my Christmas. I was happy with my tried and trusted family traditions, so I made a stance! I stole back my Christmas from the corporate Grinches – along with one additional tradition especially for Christmas Eve! 
   Three years ago, I’d learnt about the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod (meaning the Christmas Book Flood) where families present each other with a festive book and spend the evening embracing the ‘togetherness’ of reading whilst cosy and warm, accompanied by lashings of hot chocolate! I have whole heartedly nabbed and extended this tradition to fill the entire day! 
   Christmas Eve in my house is now a snuggly reading day, of self-care and seasonal pampering, in preparation for the big day. It’s no coincidence that I feast entirely on mince pies, stollen, Turkish delight and the big Bailey’s gets cracked open! 
Let’s be honest, some Christmas books are simply ‘December books’ where the setting coincides with Christmas time, and nothing more. I like genuine Christmas books where the story starts a day or two before December 25th and ends near New Year. I need to ‘meet and greet’ a cast of characters who remind me of love ones, with their quirky mannerisms, their bizarre yet unfunny jokes and their numerous allergies to turkey, plum pudding or Brussel sprouts.  
   When I dive into the pages of festive mayhem, I wish for a cosy, idyllic setting, waist-high snow drifts and unfinished arguments from yesteryear simmering beneath the festive smiles and threatening to erupt during the King’s speech. I need secret desires, mountains of chocolate treats and characters who plan to return and exchange their unwanted gifts for store vouchers. I want to read about complicated heart break, New year fears and witness gut-wrenching tears beneath or beside a real Norwegian spruce.
   This festive reading confession probably explains the reasoning behind the plot twists and seasonal ingredients crafted within my own Christmas books. My aim is to provide my readers with a traditional family Christmas, as outlined above. Sadly, I always ruin my characters’ festive break by crafting numerous trials and tribulations that ignite conflict and calamities that aren’t welcome anywhere near my own doorstep during my twelve days. Call me ‘festive-selfish’ but I want the best of both worlds! To indulge in a great Christmas book filled with chaos, mayhem and possible romance whilst experiencing a memorable yet peaceful Christmas of the Dickens variety, whilst counting my blessings, albeit with a festive coffee or three! This year, I’ve selected two classic Christmas books ready for my ‘Jolabokaflod’ reading fest.
     Wishing each and every reader, the Christmas of your dreams overflowing with festive ingredients and traditions of your choosing!

I've been off-grid for a week or so, due to moving house but I can now reveal my new writing room. I've upgraded to a downstairs office, which is helpful for both myself and my aged dog. Another advantage is being able to enjoy a view of the garden plus, I'm nearer the kettle! It hasn't been an easy few weeks, I wouldn't advise anyone to move house just before Christmas but I'm winning in the battle of the packing boxes, so can joke about it now. 

My writing desk is positioned in the nook of an old fireplace, which seems the obvious place and hopefully my stories will add to those previously told around this hearth in days gone by! The room is vast with plenty of floor space for a second larger desk, which I can use for my other pursuits. And for the first time ever, I'm surrounded by the majority of my favourite reading books. Not all but the majority! There was a moment whilst unpacking when I did wonder 'do I have too many books?' But that crazy question was answered in a heart beat so I let it pass as a moment of madness! 

The only thing I haven't got in this writing room, and am missing from my previous one, is my wild birds. I've set my bird feeders and tables in the garden so finger crossed, I attract some wildlife but at present not a single bird has been spotted. I visited my old house to collect a few forgotten bits and my beautiful doves were lining the roof, the only thing I had to hand was a box of Weetabix so I crumbled and scattered several of those - which they flew down for. I'm not sure of the intelligence of birds but I'd like to think they have missed our feeding routine.

Anyway, having been without broadband for days, I managed to join London Writers' Salon first thing this morning so my usual routine can resume, yeah! I've broken up for the holiday from my college role so I can indulge my creativity in the coming weeks. 

I wish you all a happy and healthy festive holiday filled with love, life and laughter! 

Firstly, I need to start with a writing confession. In the third week of November, I dropped the baton regarding my 50,000 writing goal but for good reason. Boy, what a month I’ve had! I’ll explain. From 1st November I was happily writing towards my goal each day and then life took over. 
 
Throughout this year, I have strived to juggle my writing, teaching and home life. And during the final week of November, ‘The Universe’ decided to show her hand; a Royal flush from where I’m standing. In just five days, I’ve managed to finalise every situation. I have purchased a newer car, found somewhere to live, applied and been accepted by the landlord. Landlord? I hear you mutter. Yep, this girl is free to live where ever she wishes … but how do you decide on a location when the world is your oyster? I’ll take a year to decide and then opt to lay down roots in 2027 – which makes sense to me.

​My creative brain hadn’t the ability to juggle all the fast-paced decisions bombarding me so my writing pace suffered. I'll proudly take 41,328 words. This is the first year in 13 years that I haven’t written 50,000 or more words. It’d have been foolish to continue, I’d have pushed myself too far. This girl knows her limits!

​I will continue my writing challenge into December.
 
I’ll remember November 2025 with fond memories but my focus is firmly on December - hoping it's the icing on this year’s cake!   

My memory recalls dragging my sorry ass through the motions of a hectic day. I’d spent each hour talking myself through each step, from appointment to appointment, from place to place. Facts, details and health worries swimming around my head. Unanswered questions that no one wanted to help me answer in case they influenced my decision – the important type, the big ones. 
 
Finally, I reached the end of a horrible day. And that’s when there was one small moment of sunshine. Just one glimmer. My instant reaction surprised even me – I burst out crying in the middle of a public place ruining the moment.
 
Over the years, I’ve referred back to this particular day, time and time again. And today, with my health restored 100%, and despite dreading the dark memories, I’m hoping for a day filled with sunshine. 

Yesterday, I went house hunting. I said earlier in the year that the summer was to be my last in this property and so, the search begins. I know what I want and what I need. I know what Teddy needs. That's the criteria! Boy, what a task. I started looking a month ago, placed interest in a new home and due to the poor admin skills of the agents, my hopes were dashed before they even started. Basic admin, ladies and gents - that was the stumbling block. Maybe a sign of the times! I've continued to browse and search but nothing has caught my attention ... though my muse was sparked into life on viewing certain streets and their characteristics. Friday morning, my brain threw me a  curve ball of a new book idea and yet another has occurred due to a specific street name. So another title, number 16, has been added to the writing room wall list!

Today is a writing day so I'll settle at my desk and shuffle the alphabet on the projects I am currently juggling. I promise I will not create a manuscript etc for the street idea book ... though on second thoughts, I would only need to copy the file created on Friday and then rename the documents. Could I? Should I? At this rate, I'll still be looking for a new home but have ideas galore to write about so won't have time to relocate. Mmmm, 2026 may prove interesting! 

Today is a writing day. This morning, I made tea, feed my dog and then settled at my desk at 7:45am, ready to join London Writers’ Salon at 8am. I opened my diary document, wrote the date Friday, 7th November 2025 and boom, my mind instantly threw up three events. Firstly, my Irish grandfather died on this date in 1969. The second event, was a birthday reminder of a young woman, I know. And thirdly, a memory from 22 years ago today. That was also a Friday. And boom! My brain delivered the premise for a story. Noooooooooooo! 
 
That's not what I need right now. I have a project teetering on the edge of being finished. I have a November project that I only started on the 1st. I have another project that I am juggling in-between and my damned brain decides now is the time to delivered me a corker of an idea! That, ladies and gents is my brain! I love it to bits but boy, it’s frustrating at times. 
 
So, you’d think that I would write down the details – happy and content that my muse had delivered yet another idea. I already have fourteen ideas listed on my writing room all. I did write it down. I also created a manuscript template for it, plus the accompanying documents that I use when writing - a title and quotation came to mind, as did a dedication. All in all, the last hour which should have been spent shuffling the alphabet on my November project has turned into an hour spent creating the paperwork for a brand-new idea. Cheers brain, happy Friday! 

He's the love of my life! We had a week apart while I visited Liverpool and Teddy went to his dog-boarding lady - boy, did I miss this little guy. He's now 14.5 years old and we spend a minimum amount of time apart. When I write - he is beside me in his basket. When I indulge in hobbies or interests, he sits in the nearest armchair and when I read, he lies across my legs. He's deaf, going blind and has a gammy hip, especially when the winter weather comes around ... but we soldier on together. I have to carry him up and down stairs a million times a day - it's a good job I'm now fit and healthy. He has two caring ladies who visit him when I'm away from home all day so he gets spoilt with treats and playtime. He's one big bag of unconditional love! Who has accompanied me on so many adventures but now, even I see how he's slowing up. The bounce has gone from his step, the sparkle from his eye and each morning, we both take delight in a cod liver oil capsule to care for our aching joints! While he's here I'll spoil him as much as I always have and pray that I get another six months with my boy.

As promised, I am sharing the first page of my brand new book, number 17! I can't believe I've reached that number but I have!

I've had the story idea in my head for a little while, as a children's story actually but have decided to put a huge twist on the theme and write it for adult readers. The concept remains the same but from a slightly different angle.

My aim for this month is to write 1700 words each day for 30 days. I want to be half way through draft 1 by 30th November. I'm hoping I love writing this book, as the last one has been a huge headache. I could do with some fun writing. 

Bye for now, I need to write my daily words.

​1st - 1724 words