It’s my great pleasure this evening to introduce fellow Bloodhound author, Nicola Knight to my blog to talk about her debut novel, The Night Before Christmas…
People keep asking me what it’s like to have had my debut novel published this year, and despite being a writer who – you know – is supposed to be good with words, I’ve really struggled to describe the feeling.
It’s been one thing to see family and friends reading it, but they had no choice, they have to say nice things. But to think that a total stranger could actually read and enjoy something I’ve written is something else altogether. As it’s animal-themed, readers have even been sending me their pictures of the book with their pets, and it warms my heart every time it happens. For me, to have anyone at all read my work without finding it absolutely cringe-inducing means I really have come a long way.
My debut is called The Night Before Christmas, all about a woman called Felicity Brooks who hates Christmas and likes to spend it hiding away from the world in an animal rescue centre. Until, of course, love turns up in the guise of a man dressed as a giant penguin. Because why not? It was published by Bloodhound Books in September, and the audiobook arrives on November 8th. A perfect Christmas gift, you might say!
The book started life as an entry into a Penguin Michael Joseph competition. You could actually win a publishing contract, and all you had to do was submit the first 1000 words of ‘A Christmas Love Story’ – what an opportunity. I found the advert with just 24 hours to go to the deadline so I wrote my entry super quickly, feeling absolutely certain it wouldn’t even get through the first round. I had always wanted to be an author but my crippling fear of actually putting my writing out there into the world held me back for so long. I had never even finished anything I’d started, as I was such a harsh critic of my own work.
At the grand age of 42, I finally booked myself onto a writing retreat where I knew I would have to read my work out loud. After all, if I couldn’t face reading to a group of ten other (sympathetic) authors, what was I even doing?
During a holiday on the Isle of Wight, I finally heard back from Penguin. They’d had a huge number of entries and yet my little story about this unhappy girl finding love in unexpected places had actually made it through to the next round, and the next! I couldn’t believe it. Although I didn’t win, I ended up with around 10,000 words and a synopsis and I decided that whatever happened I was going to finish the damn book. I was so attached to the characters by that point I just had to know what was going to happen!
I am eternally grateful to Bloodhound Books for helping me get this little Christmas tale out into the world. Maybe one day I’ll actually get used to the feeling!
About the book
Felicity Brooks hates Christmas. But when she meets a man dressed as a giant penguin on
Christmas Eve, could it spell a change of heart in this laugh-out-loud festive romance.
The ridiculous music. The excessive presents. The stupid Christmas jumpers. Felicity wants
nothing more than to escape it all, and pounces on the chance to work shifts over the
festive period, at an animal rescue centre. After all, it’s the only place that brings her true
happiness.
But her evening is disturbed by a stranger, James, dressed as a penguin cradling a weak
kitten. As Felicity and James work together to nurse the sick feline back to health, it gives
them the perfect excuse to bond over their mutual dislike of all things festive. And soon
sparks fly.
But their attraction is interrupted when Felicity’s ex-boyfriend, Adam, returns to declare his
undying love.
And when Felicity is let down by both men she decides to return to her childhood home for
some peace. While there, she uncovers an array of family secrets and even more about
herself, which may just encourage her to make a choice between Adam and James.
Can the ex outwit the penguin and win Felicity’s heart this Christmas?
Buy link: https://amzn.eu/d/etFB1GX
About the author
Nicola is a former journalist and now a chartered public relations professional, one of only 600 with that status in the UK. In her day job she heads up the communications and campaigns department at Redwings, the largest horse welfare charity in the country.
While writing about ponies is a dream come true in its own right, being a novelist has long been the ultimate goal. Since reviving this in earnest in 2021 in snatches of spare time, she has been placed runner up in the Daily Mail First Novel competition, and longlisted both in the Mslexia Novel Prize and with Penguin Michael Joseph. But Nicola is most proud of the sparkly pen which came as a runners up prize for Comedy Women in Print Flash Fiction, run by Helen Lederer!
In 2023 she also published a chapter which formed part of a collection of stories around mental health called ‘Will You Read This Please?’, edited by Dr Joanna Cannon and co-authored with renowned author Jenn Ashworth.
She lives in Norfolk with her husband, young daughter and three chaotic cats* (*number correct at time of going to press)
LINKS http://www.nicolaknightwrites.com https://www.bloodhoundbooks.com/authors-1/2023/9/20/nicola-knight
IG: @nicolaknightwrites
Facebook: Nicola Knight – Author (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560124741668)
Threads: @nicolaknightwrites
X: @NicolaKWrites
