First Taste of Christmas

I spent a long weekend in Frankfurt recently for a family celebration.The Christmas market had just opened so I paid it a flying visit. I really love these markets even if I don't usually buy anything other than mulled wine and a Bratwurst (fried sausage) or a pancake filled with cheese and ham. Yummy.
 But I love the smell of all the spices - cinnamon, aniseed, roasted almonds and of course mulled wine.
I went to Sunday morning Mass in the Dom, Frankfurt's cathedral, which is a huge tourist attraction. This historic cathedral served for 300 years as the site of coronation for Holy Roman Emperors. Although it was more or less destroyed in the Second World War, it still retains that venerable feel of times long past. Guided tours take place when there is no church service being held. The inside is awe inspiring. There's a museum and you can climb the 95 meters to the bell tower to view the city. A word of caution: the stairs are narrow and very steep so if you are a bit creaky on your knees, it's probably better if you skip this. If you can do the climb you'll be rewarded with a breathtaking view of Frankfurt. I must admit I didn't have the energy although I would have loved to be able to view the city and its Christmas decorations.
I love the whole area around the cathedral and the Roemer, with its half-timbered buildings. This time, the Christmas market stalls had been set up but were not open until next day. It all made me  feel how close we are getting to the festive season.

 I am currently editing a novel which I wrote some years ago and a small part of which I have set in the Roemer. I mention the St. Nikolas church, the Nikolaikirche, in the story. It is such a lovely building and very typical of Germany, I think.

All in all, my short trip put me completely in the Christmas spirit so I decorated my apartment today and now I am all set for this happy season.

Christmas Novel

I love Christmas. Today I had to force myself to pass a shop which had a wonderful display of festive decorations including a cute little Christmas tree. There was just no way I would have space for it in my little apartment.
One of the reasons I started writing my Christmas novella, Christmas at Castledarra was because of this love for the family season. Thinking about my childhood and those walks to Midnight Mass when the sky was bright with frosty stars, and later when as a young adult I came home for Christmas, I asked myself the question nearly every writer asks when they are planning their novel: what if? What if Molly has dreams for herself and her family? What if her children have very different dreams and difficulties? Will all of these dreams come true? How will it all end?
And so I sat down and wrote the story.
One of my readers told me the other day that it was her favourite of all the novels I have written so far. "You have to write a sequel", she said and proceeded to speculate on how the story continued. I was both touched and surprised at her interpretation of each character and told her so. She said she felt like they were her personal friends and she would love to keep in touch with them.
These somewhat rare experiences of meeting readers face to face and hearing how much they enjoyed what I wrote has to be one of the most uplifting experiences in my life. It more than compensates for all those times when I sat in front of a blank computer screen or deleted pages of text because that wasn't where I wanted the story to go.
Readers, please, when you finish a book, leave a review even if or perhaps especially if it is a critical one. No writer claims to be faultless. But your feedback is essential and very welcome.