Paperback in town!
I have jumped through hoops with the formatting, made some mistakes and learnt a lot. Here it is then, the paperback version of my debut novel (debut in the sense it is the first of my novels to be published) Once Upon a Christmas Eve.
Christmas is upon us and tomorrow I will be watching yet another nativity in which my two younger grandsons are starring. One is a King, the other a camel. I say starring because aren’t they all stars?
The first nativity I attended as a grandparent was quite eventful. Child number one was overcome with anxiety and stared out like a frightened rabbit from the makeshift stable where I think he was in the choir. His mouth barely moved during the singing. His cousin, on the other hand, sang with gusto and even had a few lines to say as he tramped through the land to reach Bethlehem. As child number one faltered and whimpered and had to be led from the stage, more confident child number two, led his shepherds to a resting place at the back of the stage. Delivering a faultless line to the watching parents, he then sat down, crossed legged only to miss the stage entirely and be upended so that the last we saw of him was his feet as he plummeted downwards. As we all gasped and wondered what might occur, he pulled himself back onto the stage and hung his head in shame, his bottom lip trembling. It was a little while before he recovered enough to rejoin the singing.
It was my newest granddaughter who stole the show though. She had arrived several weeks earlier than planned and was still tiny at two weeks old. My youngest daughter had wheeled her in and had sat at the back of the room. The headmistress, seeing an opportunity here, asked permission to take the little one to the front of the stage where she explained to all the children, that this is what what baby Jesus would have looked like. The baby’s elder brother, the one who had had to be taken off stage in tears, beamed with pride though could not be persuaded to get back onto the stage himself.
I can only imagine what might happen in tomorrow’s nativity but I am looking forward to it.
Happy Christmas!
Debbie
I am an Author, wife to one, mother to five and grandmother to six. I live in the English countryside in Hampshire, UK, with my husband and two dogs and am a non exec Director for Glow www.theglowstudio.com.
8 Comments
Hilary
Hi Debbie – I’m coming back to buy … I wanted the book version … hope Canada will receive it – I’ll check! But will be back to read properly – looks a fun grandchild read … cheers Hilary
Debbie
That’s lovely of you Hilary. Thank you! X
Hilary
Thanks Debbie – it’s not in CA yet … but I’ll check again – now probably in the New Year – just put an order in for 2 other books and want to see how that pans out … Happy Christmas time – cheers Hilary
Teresa
How lovely! I’ll be getting my copy on Kindle. I hope you enjoyed the nativity – what am I saying, of course you did! And I hope it went without any falling off the stage incidents – what a brave little boy to climb back on the stage. My littlest grandson was a snowman in his Christmas play. He wanted to be a “cool” snowman and was allowed to wear some sparkly sunglasses! xx
Debbie
Ah, a snowman with glasses is super cool! I love the theme they have for nativities these days. We had the Whoopsie do Angel. My two grandsons sang their hearts out and no one fell of the stage although a snowflake did leave the stage prematurely and had to come back on when he realised. This was the reception classes so fives and under – pure joy! XX
Hilary
Hi Debbie – the Paperback is (still) not in the Amazon CA list … but I expect it’ll appear … I’m sure it’s been well received … Happy New Year – cheers Hilary
Deborah Barker
Hi Hilary, from what I can see, it is on Amazon.com but not on Ca. I checked my account with KDP, and it seems that for some reason, it takes longer to show up on amazon.ca. (I Googled the reason and am none the wiser). I would be happy to send you a copy if you let me have your address – your views on it would be appreciated – Debbie X
Debbie
I see the kindle version is available so it must just be a matter of time before the paperback follows. As I say, happy to send it direct! (no charge) X