It’s Publication Day! The run-up to publishing An Island Christmas, which is my tenth title, seems a lot longer than my previous books. But in truth, the pre-order term was by no means the longest one. I guess a lot has happened in my life, which has made these past two months harder to me personally.
Sad Personal News
I lost my Dad in October and have been travelling a lot between Finland and the UK during his final illness and since. It has taken time away from working on this book, but the grief has also at times been totally debilitating. I’m sure many of you who have experienced the same know how hard it is. I have taken strength from the knowledge that my Dad was very proud of my writing career and I know he would have wanted me to push forward with this Christmas book. Which is what I did.
And today it’s finally Publication Day! Time to celebrate and to look forward. I’m incredibly happy that An Island Christmas has made No1 Hot New Release on Amazon and many members of my Launch Team have adored the novel.
Early Reviews for An Island Christmas
“Another good read with a reminder to all of us – we must take risks in life as change is in most cases for the better, however scary it sounds first.”
“Beautiful descriptions of the snowy island landscapes. I felt as if I’d been there myself. The excellent twists and turns kept me reading your book through the night as usual.”
The Blurb
On the windswept Scandinavian Åland Islands, the festive season is snowy and chilly—yet breathtakingly beautiful.
It’s time for Alicia to enjoy her first Christmas back on her beloved Islands with her family. There’ll be traditional dancing around the tree and sipping mulled wine in front of a cozy fire. But peace is broken by Alicia’s estranged husband, Liam, who springs an unwelcome and devastating surprise, while her ex-lover, Patrick, temps her with an altogether different kind of future. Alicia faces impossible choices to keep her family together.
With her world crashing around her, can Alicia create the idyllic Island Christmas she’s always dreamt about?
Meanwhile, Brit, Alicia’s best friend, returns to the Islands to lick her wounds after a particularly bloody break-up with an Italian chef. When she meets her new boss, the Captain of a Baltic cruise liner, sparks fly. Brit can’t help but fall quickly in love with Jukka, but when she discovers his murky past, she fears her heart is about to be broken yet again. Are the rumors about Jukka true, or just typical small island gossip?
Join this quirky Scandinavian island community for a Christmas you’ll never forget!
An Island Affair Blog Tour
I’m delighted to also announce that Anne Cater from Random Things Tours is organizing a Blog Tour for An Island Christmas. Starting on Monday 2 December, the tour goes on until Wednesday 11.12. Do join in the fun and see what these avid readers think of An Island Christmas!
Book Bloggers have been vital in spreading the word about my books, so I am hugely grateful to these ten book lovers and hope you can support their blogs by visiting and commenting on the posts.
The best way to take part in the blog tour is to keep an eye on my Twitter feed on @helenahalme here.
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