Christmas is almost upon us, so this is the last post on my blog for the year. As ever, I’m extremely grateful to all the readers, reviewers, bloggers and other writers (many of whom I class as friends) that have taken the time to read my third novel, Time Will Tell, which was released earlier this year, and to all those that continue to read my books and support me.

Writing wise it’s been a tough year for me. Much of my time has been taken up caring for poorly family members, which at the moment doesn’t look set to change much next year. However, although my writing time is minimal, I’m determined to keep at it until my fourth novel is finished. In the meantime, over the festive period, I look forward to spending time with loved ones, and taking some time out to read. Snuggled up with a good book, a small glass of Baileys and a mince pie at hand is my idea of heaven, and the book I’m currently reading is Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. It’s one of my absolute favourites and has now become a bit of a tradition of mine to read every Christmas.

For those of you that don’t know it, this famous Victorian tale tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a solitary miser who is shown the true meaning of Christmas through a series of ghostly visitors on Christmas Eve – namely the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, as well as a visit from the ghost of his old business partner Jacob Marley. First published in December 1843, the first edition of A Christmas Carol sold out by Christmas Eve, and by the end of the following year (due to public demand) a further 13 editions were released. In 1849 Dickens began public readings of the book, which proved to be so successful he undertook another 127 readings, right up to the year of his death in 1870.

A Christmas Carol (which has never been out of print) has been translated into several languages and adapted many times for film and stage. Some of the lesser known versions include: Carry on Christmas starring Sid James as Ebenezer, and The Six Million Dollar Man – “A Bionic Christmas Carol”, whilst some of the better known adaptions include Mickey’s (Mouse) Christmas Carol, Bill Murray’s Scrooged, Blackadder’s Christmas Carol, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and my favourite film version, Disney’s A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey.

Back in October this year I was honoured to the great-great-great-granddaughter of Dickens, namely author and historian Lucida Hawksley. With a keen interest in her family history, she was speaking at Wanstead Library (as part of the Fabula Festival) where she discussed Dickens’ life, including his early childhood and how his constant fear of poverty, despite being the greatest celebrity of his age, always stayed with him, due to time spent as a child labourer. She also explained that not only was he a superb novelist, but that he was also a brilliant campaign journalist, philanthropist and social reformer.

Above all else though, at a time of year when many families feel the financial burden of Christmas in what too often becomes a celebration of wealth and consumerism, A Christmas Carol reminds us that a joyful Christmas does not require Ebenezer Scrooge’s gold and that instead, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.”

Here’s wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, and a healthy, happy New Year xxx

“God bless us, every one!”