Tuesday 11 October 2016

Blog Tour: The Christmas Promise by Sue Moorcroft

I am delighted today to be on the blog tour for The Christmas Promise by Sue Moorcroft. I love how many wonderful Christmassy books are starting to come out already and this one promises to be unlike any other book you have read! As if that wasn't enough to tickle your tastebuds, I have a little teaser from the book to share with you. Don't forget to follow along the tour with the other wonderful bloggers listed below.


As if feeling the weight of expectation under all those gazes, Izz stumbled into speech. ‘So, Sam, do you get up to Camden for the music? I’m going to see Jeramiah Ferrari at Barfly in January. They’ve got a new album out.’ Self-consciously, she cleared her throat. ‘Who are your favourite artists?’
Patrick buried his face in his drink. Jake began to inch away, craning over the heads of the crowd as if searching someone out. But Izz’s eyes were on Sam.
Ava’s heart sank as she recognised her expression.
Oh, right. Izz had one of her crushes. On Sam.
And Sam and his smoothly dressed cronies were embar­rassed. Indignation burned in Ava on her friend’s behalf. Izz couldn’t help being Izz. She wasn’t confident with men, probably because boys had bullied her for her size at school. Hunching apologetically as if to try and hide her height, her flirtation technique was a bit like a needy dog looking for a pat.
Sam, Ava had to admit, at least had grace enough to bear his part in the conversation. ‘I’ve been to Dingwall’s a few times.’ He sent Ava an encouraging smile, inviting her in. ‘Do you and Ava go to gigs together?’
But Patrick asked at the same moment, ‘Ava, you live locally, don’t you? Camden’s pretty cool. Do you work here, too?’
Feeling bad for Izz liking Sam when he was being polite rather than liking her back, Ava answered Patrick. ‘I share Izz’s flat and have a studio there. I’m a couture milliner.’
Patrick made a performance of looking confused. ‘You’re going to have to tell me what that is. I’m just a bloke.’
‘I make hats. Bespoke hats, by hand.’
His gaze moved upwards. ‘So that’s why the headgear?’
‘Yes. This is a pillbox, but I make all styles.’
‘Sounds like an interesting career,’ Sam put in, when Izz took a breath in her comparison of Dingwalls and the Roundhouse.
‘It’s fantastic. So creative.’ Patrick raised his drink in a toast.
Ava smiled. Patrick’s flirtatiousness was too obvious to be attractive but if Ava responded to him Izz would have a chance to chat to Sam. How would Izz become more at ease with men if they didn’t stay in her conversations? ‘But aren’t you PR types creative, too, Patrick?’
Sam turned politely back to Izz, leaving Ava to listen as Patrick chatted about his place in the communications agency and the mix of commercial creativity, incisive inno­vation and sales craft that went into writing successful advertising copy. ‘We get a bit fed up with people saying that anyone in promo and publicity just plans parties and hands around champagne.’
Ava gave him a smile. ‘You mean you have to make the sandwiches, too?’
‘No – I order them from the deli.’ Patrick laughed.
Ava’s attention was taken when Izz, perhaps running out of conversational steam, turned to fight her way to the ladies.
Sam clapped Patrick on the shoulder. ‘Your turn to organise a round of drinks, I think. I just want a word with Ava.’
Patrick nodded and began to push his way towards the bar, leaving Sam and Ava together in the crush. She fidg­eted, feeling slightly as if she’d been asked to stay behind by a head teacher.
And in true book related style I have pledged my own promise this Christmas #MyPromise


The Christmas Promise is out now in ebook and available in paperback in December from Foyles

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