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WIN Winter Magic ~ paperback competition
Posted on October 18, 2017, tagged as Cover, Winter Magic, competitions, news
The beautiful new paperback edition of Winter Magic is now available in UK book stores, and I have three copies to give away. With stunning new cover artwork by illustrator Melissa Castrillon this collection of wintery short stories features tales by yours truly, as well as Amy Alward, Emma Carroll, Piers Torday, Abi Elphinstone, Michelle Magorian and more.
To be in with a chance of winning a copy, leave a comment below telling me your favourite thing about winter. Winners will be drawn at random. Entries from the UK only, one entry per person. Closes midnight (GMT) November 10th, 2017.
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This competition is now closed and winners have been contacted by email. They are: Ashley Booth, Megan Seekings and Michelle Walker. Congratulations, and thanks for all your wintery comments. I’m looking forward to some mulled wine, a mince pie and watching The Snowman now – one of my winter traditions!
I love cuddling up on the sofa with our Cats, Woodburner on, reading a good book or watching some a good Winter telly or a good movie. Did I mention a big mug of Hot Chocolate? Well no need really, that’s a given❄️
Winter is my favourite season.
I love the crisp days and how the trees sparkle when they’re frozen with ice. ❄
It’s such a beautiful time of the year. I like that the nights draw in early, it’s the perfect time of year to snuggle up and watch movies. ⛾
I also enjoy going on walks with my family and if its snowed, they love making snow Angels & Snowman.☃
Winter is my favorite season! I enjoy the crisp cold days and, it’s Christmas season! Having al the family together is the best part, we are so spread out these days and everyone seems so busy it’s about the only time we seem to get us all together! #Family
Yes, very true.
I love sitting by the fire reading ‘The Other Alice’. Every year, at the start of winter, I read that book, as it is my favourite one. My cat will curl up by the fire with me, probably snoring and purring quite a bit! After a chapter or two (which turns into three, which turns into four) I will get out a notebook and jot down ideas for my own story. Winter is one of my favourite seasons.
Aw, thank you! I hope it proves as inspirational this year.
I like that I can hide my muffin top under large baggy jumpers and give up any pretence of the ‘diet’ I was never actually on. I like that I can buy an advent calendar for Brian my teddy bear and then ear his chocolates as he’s not real. I love spending time with my family as they live down south and don’t come up north that often. But to be honest what I most like is that finally after a whole year of waiting I get to celebrate my birthday two days before jesus and have fights with restaurant owners to turn off the Christmas music for five minutes so I can have happy birthday played! 🙂 well at least I am honest! 🙂
Ah, yes, my birthday is the 21st, so I feel your pain…
My favourite thing about winter is coming in from the cold, darker nights and sitting curled up in front of an open fire with a good book and some mulled wine – it tastes like Christmas in a cup.
‘Christmas in a cup’ – perfect description!
I love winter because all the joys of childhood at this magical time of year come flooding back. Waking up to an overnight fall of snow, anticipation of Christmas, home baking, warming up in front of an open fire after coming in from the cold, counting the Christmas trees on a long journey home …
But most of all that feeling of being indoors – safe, cosy and with loved ones when the wind and rain are battering the world outside!
My favourite thing about winter is the smell and that crunching, rhythmic sound of snow under your boots. Nothing brings me back to my childhood as much as that; all other senses extra alert as the early darkness forces you to rely less on your eyes.
Curling up on dark nights with a cuppa and a good book doesn’t have to be the preserve of winter, that’s why I have curtains, but it is more socially acceptable. Winter is the best month because it has the best wardrobe. As someone without a beach-ready-body and abs of steel, or even abs for that matter, the ability to hide under a warm sweater without fear of criticism or unusual glances is very welcome.
Being cosy on the sofa with the fire blazing away, lots of candles lit, glass of wine in hand plus, of course, a good book!
I love the whole wrapping up warm, listening to xmas music. Smelling mulled wine and cosying up reading a good book.
My favourite thing about winter is that certain smell/feeling in the air as winter begins & the anticipation of short, cold, days and snuggly, long, warm nights in !!
Blankets of snow or sparkling frost are all very pretty but my favourite thing about winter is the first appearance of snowdrops marking the end of it!
Reading with my children, wrapped up in a blanket with big cups of hot chocolate and the lights dimmed.
I love watching snow fall and the crisp, frosty mornings when the sun shines. Also love waxwings, beautiful winter birds I’ve only seen in Sweden but they do get near to where I live.
I love going for a walk when the ground is frosty and crunchy under foot and you can see your own breath.
Scarfs, boots, coats, no bikinis, roast dinners, reading in front of the fire, crisp beach walks but mainly I love winter because I can drink mulled wine!
I love the sound of crows calling on misty days, and how the moon shows up about 3 in the afternoon, jostling the sun to get out the way. I love that it isn’t summer, because the summer is when I get my Winter Blues, but the winter is where I feel I really belong. I love that it’s easier to find a bench to sit on to feed the crows from, and I love that my beautiful doggie doesn’t care that my hands are freezing, but wants me to throw her frisbee as much as she does in the summer. I love my coats that wait patiently for me all through the summer, and I love finding the bits of old tat that I’ve left in the pockets for months.
Wearing my big ugly cardigan around the house! (It should never be seen in public.) I love it.
Snuggling up with the family watching films together with hot chocolate and marshmallows with the fire burning.
And later a little tipple with the hubby and mince pies
And playing board games with the kids
Can’t beat a mince pie! Hated them as a kid but love them now, must be getting old.
Cuddling up on the sofa with my boyfriend and our baby watching a film under a fleecey blanket. Also I love the build up to Christmas xx
Snuggles on the sofa with the family, only having rhe Christmas lights winckling in the house. Dark nights and candles lit. I have a sky light in living room of my new so I’m looking forward to some cosy me time when it’s raining, what better way to read a book with soft lighting and tue sound of Potter patter ran drops. Frosty walks on the Quantocks, taking some lovely winter photos
Winter can be so beautiful, so I love going for a walk with the dog in the woods on a cold but sunny day. Then heading home to a nice cup of tea (or mulled wine!) and curling up under a blanket on the sofa. Bliss 🙂
staying in reading books under blankets with hot drinks is my favourite thing.
I love all the cosy jumpers you can curl up in to stay warm x
I love curling up in bed with a hot water bottle, listening to the wind with a book in my hands and reading until daft o clock. Lost in the narrative with the cats curled up beside me, this is something money cannot buy and more precious than gold.
My favourite thing is snow because its traditional and all my grandkids love it you dont see it gardly in england the last four years its sad as you could play in it with my grandkids a make snowmen and they live it as a kid i did too it just dont feel like winter no more without it so strange that feeling is
Honestly, I find autumn and winter depressing as I love sunshine and, where I live, we don’t get much of it but sunny winter days are sparkling diamonds between the dark times, which revive me. I love being outside on days like this, taking photos in low light and being able to spot the birds because all the leaves have gone from the trees. Wearing my favourite thick jumpers and being the only person on the beach in winter is exhilarating but it’s great to come home to the stove and an excuse to make inroads into the To Be Read pile. But by February I’m so eager to see buds on trees and green stalks pushing up through the earth again!
Sunny winter days are lovely, so invigorating.
I love winter crisp frosty days for walking & reflecting & dark evenings snug in front of the fire crafting or reading a good book.
Excuse to eat soups and fresh bread and drink hot chocolate 🙂
I love the clearness of the air, it feels like I can see for miles. My favourite thing to do is watch a film in front of the log burner with some crochet on my knee
I love the frost, those mornings when you wake up and before even opening the curtains you know it’s going to be sparkly and white outside. When I take the dog out into the garden, the crunch of the frost underfoot and seeing your breath in the cold air.
Cosying up in front of log fire and watching a film or reading a good book. Also love it when it snows for the first time.
Snow, without a doubt, even though we haven’t had it properly for several years.
I would love this for my school library, where the kids can’t get enough of wintry stories!
I hope we get it this year – my son has never seen proper snow!
Mulled wine after a long wintry walk.
Can’t wait for my first mulled wine of the season…
My favourite thing about winter is waking up and sensing the strange quiet light of night-fallen snow
Yes – magical!
Wearing comfy boots, gloves and scarfs and knowing there’s a soft sofa at home to cuddle into with an earl grey tea and a good book.
My favourite thing about winter is the greggs festive bake.
Never tried one, but curious now!
My favourite thing about winter is being home. I’ve lived in a foreign country for a while and I always go home in winter. This year, I’m finally home for good.
Hot chocolate in front of warm fire, watching Christmas films with my little family
Crisp blue mornings, breath in the air, crunch underfoot.
Old b&w movies, the cat curled up in your lap, hoping , hoping, hoping for snow!!!
Getting all wrapped up to go for a walk on a sunny,
cold winter day and then going back home for a nice
cup of tea.
My favourite part about Winter is the big scarfs and coats and gloves and wooly hats with bobbles on. Getting home to a warm house with a winter casserole on the go. Snuggling up in bed with a big, thick, heavy duvet. The best part by far though is being a teacher, the children getting excited for Christmas and sharing their Christmas spirit
Yes, it’s lovely when children start to appreciate the giving as well as receiving. My (almost four year old) son told me last night he’s looking forward to leaving milk for Father Christmas and a carrot for the radiator! 😀
Geocaching in the snow or frosty looking forests and finding treasure hidden beneath the crunchy leaves or deep inside tree trucks.
This competition is now closed. Results will be posted here soon and winners contacted by email. Thanks to all who took part – I loved reading your thoughts on winter!