Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Dreaming of Christmas by TA Williams! This book sounds absolutely wonderful and I can't wait to read it!
Extract From Dreaming of Christmas:
She had barely stepped into her flat when the phone started ringing. Pushing the door
closed behind her, she set down her weekend bag and her briefcase and answered it.
‘Zoë Lumsley, hello.’
‘Hi, Zo, it’s me.’
‘Hi, Jules. Long time no speak. How’re things with you?’
She and Juliet had shared a tacky old house with a bunch of other students when they were in their last year at university. That was all of ten years ago now and she had pretty much lost contact with lost of the others – apart from Grant, of course. She and Juliet had remained really good friends and, seeing as they both lived in London, normally managed to meet up several times a year, but she realised she hadn’t heard from her since the winter, and now it was already late summer.
‘Not bad really. I’ve moved on from A & E and have suddenly discovered my life again. I even find I have the time and energy to go out in the evenings.’
While Zoë had studied English, Juliet had studied medicine and had plunged straight from university into the busiest period in the history of the health service. Zoë was really pleased to hear her sounding cheery for a change. The last time they had met up – shortly after Grant had left – the evening they had spent together had been more like a funerary wake.
‘Brilliant news. You deserve a bit of time off.’
‘And how about you, Zo, and Grant…?’
There was no need for her to say more. Immediately after Zoë and Grant had split up last Christmas, Juliet’s had been one of the first numbers Zoë had called, knowing she could count on her friend for support and advice. As a result, Juliet knew all the gory details of how the ten-year relationship had gone down the plughole so swiftly. And so unexpectedly, at least as far as Zoë was concerned.
Zoë answered as determinedly as she could.
‘I’m fine. I don’t know if you heard I’d changed jobs. The new one’s not exactly my dream job, but it’ll tide me over until I find something better. And as for Grant, I’ll survive."
She was pleased to hear her voice sounding fairly firm. She now managed to talk about her ex without welling up or boiling over, but it had taken time. A long time.
‘So, no replacement lined up?’
‘For Grant? God, no. I have no intention of getting involved with another man, thank
you very much.’
‘What, never?’
Over the past few weeks, Zoë had begun to ask herself the same question. Eight months had gone by and she was gradually starting to think about Grant less and less. Pretty soon now the time would come for her to begin to get on with her life once more, but maybe not quite yet. She attempted an honest answer.
‘Well, maybe not never, but for now, I’m happy enough as I am. I’m not exactly being paid a fortune, but I can afford the rent, and the job certainly keeps me busy.’
‘So what’s the new job? Still journalism, I presume.’
‘Hello Celebrity magazine. You can probably work out its raison d’être for yourself. The clue’s in the title.’
‘Writing about the lives of the rich and famous?’
‘Would-be rich and would-be famous, mostly, but yes. HC magazine may not be The Times, but it sells, unlike most newspapers these days.’
Her previous job with a big national daily paper had suddenly finished back at Easter when the owners had announced they were having to restructure. After almost eight years with them, she had found herself out of a job. Coming on top of Grant’s desertion, it had added to making this a really tough year – what Ron the photographer had described with his usual gutter humour as her ‘anus’ horribilis. As an English graduate, the spelling annoyed her, but she couldn’t fault the sentiment. It had been brutal.
‘But like I say, Jules, it’s keeping me busy while I look for something a bit more to my taste. I find myself working all hours, and my boss is one of those workaholics who expects the rest of us to have no personal life as well. Luckily for me, I have no personal life these days, so I fit in fine.’
Realising that this sounded a bit too gloomy, she hastily injected a bit more cheer into her tone.
‘But for now, it’s okay. Being so busy means I don’t really have the time for a man – even if I was in the market for one, which I’m not.’
She sensed scepticism at the other end of the line, but then, mercifully, Juliet changed the subject.
‘Anyway, Zo, apart from seeing how you are, the other reason I was calling was to ask if you’d got Billy’s invitation.’
‘Invitation? To be honest, I’ve just come back from a few days with Mum and I’ve got a pile of post here I haven’t looked at yet. Billy, did you say? Computer Billy?’
Computer Billy had been Grant’s nickname for their nerdy friend who had occupied the little attic room on the top floor of their student house. She hadn’t seen or heard from him for years now.
‘Yes, and it sounds amazing.’ Juliet paused. ‘I tell you what. You check out the invite and then call me back. See what you think. If you’re going, I’ll go.’
Zoë dropped the phone and picked up the half-dozen envelopes lying on her doormat. She sifted through the bills and flyers until she found the one she was looking for. It bore an Austrian stamp and it had been typewritten. She slit it open with her fingernail and pulled out a handsome printed card.
Book Spotlight:
Title: Dreaming of Christmas
Author Name: T.A. Williams
Previous Books (if applicable): Dreaming of Venice, Dreaming of Florence and Dreaming of St Tropez
Genre: Women’s Fiction, romcom
Release Date: August 2018
Publisher: Canelo
Cover Image:
Book Blurb:
It’s the dream Christmas: snow, mountains… and, er, an ex-boyfriend. But can Zoe still find love in the Alps?
Dumped on Christmas Eve by her long-term boyfriend, it's been a rough year for Zoe Lumsley. But then she gets an invitation she can’t refuse: an all expenses paid skiing holiday with old university friends. The bad news: her ex, Grant, will be there with his new girlfriend. But so will her former flatmate Billy, the organiser, and in the meantime he’s done rather well for himself. As Christmas in the Alps approaches, it'll be great to see the old gang. Some more than others...
Perfect for readers of Tilly Tenant, Holly Martin and Philippa Ashley, this is the perfect magical Christmas getaway from the bestselling T.A. Williams.
Author Bio:
T.A. Williams lives in Devon with his Italian wife. He was born in England of a Scottish mother and Welsh father. After a degree in modern languages at Nottingham University, he lived and worked in Switzerland, France and Italy, before returning to run one of the best-known language schools in the UK. He’s taught Arab princes, Brazilian beauty queens and Italian billionaires. He speaks a number of languages and has travelled extensively. He has eaten snake, still-alive fish, and alligator. A Spanish dog, a Russian bug and a Korean parasite have done their best to eat him in return. His hobby is long-distance cycling, but his passion is writing.
Author Social Media Links :
Twitter: @TAWilliamsBooks
Comments
Post a Comment