I am very excited to have an author interview for you today as part of the blog tour for Christmas at Log Fire Cabin. There are some great blogs on this tour so don't forget to visit the others for more excellent content. Catherine Ferguson has been kind enough to stop by the blog today to answer my burning questions but first, here's what her fabulous festive novel is all about...
Curl up by the fire this Christmas with the eBook bestseller Catherine Ferguson.
When Poppy’s boyfriend Harrison proposes the week before Christmas and gives her twelve days to decide, she doesn’t know what to do. With the festive season in full swing, it’s make or break time for the couple and the clock is ticking…
Meanwhile, Poppy’s best friend Erin is desperate for the pair of them to fulfil their dream of setting up a dinner party catering company – and when an opportunity arises at a luxury log fire cabin, the girls take their chance to impress.
But they hadn’t bargained on the owner of the cabin being quite so attractive – or having quite such a sexy voice. As the twelve days tick on, will Poppy realise that Harrison is the one for her? Or will it be love in the lodge when the new year comes?
Lose yourself this Christmas in the new novel from the brilliant Catherine Ferguson, perfect for cosying up with by the fire.
And here is the interview, all the buy links are below so you can order this festive novel once you've read all of Catherine's answers!
Do you write full time & if so, have you always done this?
I’m not quite at the stage where I can afford to write full-time, although I do devote around thirty hours a week to writing my books. To keep the wolf from the door, I have a little cleaning job a few mornings a week, which serves the dual purpose of keeping me fit and helping me stay in touch with the world beyond my laptop! Plus I can be back at my desk, writing, by 9.30am, which is fab.
Do you have a particular writing style or genre that you prefer?
I love writing romantic comedies.
How do you develop your characters as you write, are any of them based on real people?
To make a character stand out, it’s important they have little quirks to their nature, and I do love dreaming these up. Rather than consciously basing them on actual people, I think mine emerge from the library of characteristics in my head, assembled over a lifetime of being nosy and observing people!
What was the inspiration behind Christmas at the Log Fire Cabin?
I love spending Christmas at home with the family, but I’ve often wondered what it would be like to hire a cottage in the country and decamp there for the festive period, preferably a place with lots of woods where you could take endless snowy country walks and return to warm up with mulled wine by a roaring log fire. So I suppose Christmas at the Log Fire Cabin is a bit of a fantasy for me. Not that the guests in the book all enjoy the perfect Christmas. Far from it!
What is your writing process-do you plan it out first? Write a bit at a time?
I’ve tried sketching out every chapter at the start but it just doesn’t work for me. The story changes so much throughout, as I slowly get to know my characters, that I find it best just to start with a rough idea of the themes in the book, and how the story will pan out, but allow inspiration to strike as and when. I get my best flashes of inspiration when I’m out walking, so I try to make this part of my working day. It’s always worth it for the gems that emerge. I’m often galloping for home at the end of my walk, terrified I’ll forget my brilliant idea before I can get it down on paper!
How much of you is reflected in your writing?
Probably far more than I’d like, is the answer to that!
What kind of research did you have to do before/during writing Christmas at the Log Fire Cabin?
My heroine, Poppy, is a fantastic cook and particularly loves Italian food – so I was forced to do lots of lovely Italian cookery research. (Very hard work but hey, it had to be done!!)
How much attention do you pay to the reviews that you get?
A lot more than I should. It can sap your energy for the rest of the day, getting a horrible review, but I’ve realised that every writer gets them. Even the most popular. I’m slowly getting better at handling the bad reviews and not forgetting to concentrate on all the good ones, too!
Are friends and family supportive of your writing?
They’re all incredibly supportive, spreading the word about my books wherever they go and being excited for me as another launch day approaches. There are a few friends in particular who urged me to keep going, even when I was getting nothing but rejections and feeling it was all a bit hopeless. They told me I would make it eventually – and they were right! I will always be so grateful to them.
How do you feel leading up to your publication day?
Excited to finally get my book baby out there. But also nervous and apprehensive, wondering what people will think of it.
Which other authors inspire you or are there any you particularly enjoy reading?
Corny, I know, but Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series first inspired me to start writing, and I loved the sharp irony in Jane Austen’s novels when I was growing up. Nowadays, I so admire Marian Keyes and Sophie Kinsella – both masters of their craft!
Finally...what are you working on right now?
I’m absolutely loving writing my next book, which is due out in March. It’s called Love Among the Treetops and concerns a girl called Twilight Wilson who’s trying to save the family home and opens a café in a treehouse in order to do so! I’ve taken lots of inspiration from the incredibly magical Treehouse Restaurant at Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, close to where I live.
Thank you so much to Catherine for stopping by!
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