🎄Fabulously Festive Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo ~ Kitty Wilson

It's time to light the fire, twinkle the fairy lights and mull the wine

🎄Come and join us for a Fabulously Festive Sunday Brunch🎄

I am delighted to welcome author, Kitty Wilson 

to our Fabulously Festive Brunch today

Merry Christmas, Kitty 🎅

🎄What festive food are you bringing to this Christmas Sunday brunch?

Ooh, I'm going to bring lots of cheeses and maybe a bit of smoked salmon. I love what we call 'picky' food in our house, food you can just pick at and graze on all day so I think this will be my contribution. I may well sneak a few home-made mince pies in, and a boozy berry roulade. Not very brunchy, but it's Christmas so I think we should just eat it all and not let the usual rules apply!

🎄What would you like to drink; we have buck’s fizz, mulled wine, egg nog, gingerbread latte or a cup of spiced tea?

I don't drink a lot of alcohol but have a weakness for Buck's Fizz and absolutely ADORE mulled wine so am going to be happy with either of those. However, my tolerance is pretty low so whilst I may badger you for those two, you might be wiser to give me a cup of spiced tea and hide the rest!

🎄Where shall we eat our festive brunch, around the kitchen table, by the fire in the formal dining room, or outside on the patio?

I love outdoor dining; it always makes me feel as if I'm on holiday but for our special Christmas Brunch I'm thinking it could be a bit brrr so let's keep it informal and eat in the kitchen...that way I can keep my eye on that Mulled Wine.

🎄Shall we have festive music playing in the background? If so will you share with us a favourite piece of music or Christmas carol.

Yes, yes, yes! I love Carols so I would really like to have them playing in the background. O Little Town of Bethlehem is a favourite.

🎄Which of your literary heroes (dead or alive) are joining us for our festive Sunday Brunch today?

I have so many but my latest book, Every Day In December, features a strong Shakespearean thread so I should really say Shakespeare but the truth is I would much rather speak to his wife so can we invite Anne Hathaway instead? Very little is known about her so it would be fascinating to have her insights. Plus, Hamnet was one of my favourite books from the last couple of years and she is a primary character in that so it would be wonderful to quiz her on Maggie O'Farrell's version of her history.

Tinder Press 
2020

🎄Which favourite Christmas book will you bring to Sunday Brunch?

I'm going to bring The Nutcracker because I just love the Christmassyness and the adventure of it all. But we might have to act out the Sugar-Plum Fairy dance and the Mouse King battle. Like I said, probably best to feed me the spiced tea.

🎄Do you have any special Christmas Traditions?

I certainly did have when my children were small and I'm looking to bring them back when I become a grandmother - although maybe not for a few years yet.

One of my favourites was standing outside and sprinkling reindeer food on our lawn which would miraculously coincide with Santa racing past in the night sky, with the sleigh bells ringing so loudly that it was almost as if he was in the garden.

Once everyone was asleep, Santa would leave the children's gifts in their stocking at the end of their beds but every single year without fail he would leave glittery footprints all the way from the fireplace right up the stairs to their rooms. I used to have so much fun with that.

🎄Are you tinsel or glitter?

I am an ex-infant teacher so glitter for me. We would be using it almost every day in the classroom and at home with all the crafts we used to do in the run-up to the day itself. I swear it always used to feel like I had a full month of glitter getting absolutely everywhere.

I'm quite muted and traditional in my decorations, I love all the glitter and sparkle of Christmas but at home it is a much more old-fashioned vibe, I use threaded popcorn instead of tinsel on my tree and have lots of greenery all around the walls and ceiling rather than tinsel.

🎄Are you real tree or artificial?

Real, and I use the same one each year which I then replant and let it grow in the garden throughout the rest of the year. I moved to Bristol a couple of years ago so the one we have currently is quite small but the one I used to have in Cornwall is really very big now.

🎄Are you mince pie or yule log?

I love a mince pie, especially home-made ones so mince pies for me.

🎄Are you Christmas crackers or party poppers?

Christmas Crackers. I just love them. I still get a thrill over the snap of a cracker, although I'm a bad-tempered old shrew when it comes to wearing the crowns. I also love the red fish you get and insist everyone lets me tell their fortunes with it. One year I thought I'd be all grown-up and get super posh ones, but it just wasn't the same. Christmas Day needs the red fish!

🎄After brunch shall we have party games or collapse in front of the television with a huge box of chocolates?

I really like board games and party games like Charades but my family are a little reluctant. They humour me at Christmas and will play one game – they're very strict about this – in the afternoon to keep me happy but that's my lot. So, I'm going to choose party games and grin from ear to ear the whole way through.

🎄What can you tell us about your fabulously festive read that won’t give too much away?

One More Chapter
2021

Ah, I can tell you lots without giving it all away. The book is called Every Day In December and features a heroine, Belle who adores Christmas and a hero, Rory, who does not share the love. Each chapter is a day of the month of December so I have managed to cram it full of so much Christmas. There's Christmas trees and carols, mulled cider and mince pies, Sinterklaas, gifts, Christmas crafts, snow and sledding and a Victorian Christmas at Tyntesfield House – a National Trust property near to me. The book is based in Bristol but with Belle having a job in a Christmas decoration shop in Bath, I've been able to include the Abbey and the Christmas Market as well. I have tried to write a book that fills the reader full of cosy Christmas warmth and have been bowled over by its reception so far. Reviews have been amazing, and some readers have said it will be one they revisit every year.

Kitty where can we find you on Social Media?

Twitter @KittyWilson23

Facebook 

Instagram 

Website 

More about Kitty

Kitty Wilson lives in Bristol and loves the city. She happily spends most of the time welded to her keyboard dreaming up deeply romantic stories that make her giggle as she types. She has a penchant for very loud music, owns more books than one human could possibly read and has an unhealthy obsession with paint charts.

Kitty thanks so much for taking part in Fabulously Festive Sunday Brunch.

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