Belinda Jones takes us to a winter wonderland...plus a book giveaway

**Giveaway is now closed**

Is there anything more cozy than hugging a cute dog outside on a snowy day? If not, then Belinda Jones surely has it made! And better yet, her birthday is tomorrow! She's here today to talk about her latest novel, Winter Wonderland (reviewed here), which takes place at the winter carnival in Quebec.

Belinda is the author of 11 chick lit novels and is researching her 12th (if you like cake, you'll want to read it when it's published)! She was born in the UK but has lived on the west coast of the US for a few years and now resides on the east coast! Given she's such a traveler, she even has a Travel Club on Facebook! You can also find her at her website and on Twitter.

She's here to keep the holiday mood going strong and has
THREE books to share with some lucky readers! (Two paperbacks, worldwide and one e-book, US only.)


How did you decide to write chick lit?
It wasn't the most direct route! I worked for women's magazines for ten years before I ever had a notion about writing a book and then it wasn't chick lit I had in mind but a travel memoir - specifically ON THE ROAD TO MR RIGHT - A Search For The American Dream Guy. The agent I pitched it to basically said, 'Thanks but no thanks!' and 'How about chick lit?' I told her that I wouldn't know where to begin, I'd only ever written factual-but-funny journalism, nothing creative since school. But she was insistent and I had to admit that I did have a passion for romantic comedies so I fictionalised a series of escapades with my best friend in Vegas and that became DIVAS LAS VEGAS - A Tale of Love, Friendship & Sequinned Underpants! I had no idea what a blast it would be to come up with characters and get them into all sorts of pickles and heart-soaring scenarios! It's been a revelation! (And after I had written 3 novels, Random House agreed to publish ON THE ROAD TO MR RIGHT and it became my first Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller, all thanks to my chick lit readers!)


Advice to future writers?
I think the most important thing is to really lose yourself in the story, totally submerge and surrender! This is so hard with the 'real world' always niggling and tugging at you, so many distractions! So I think a few sacrifices have to be made along the way, from a time point of view as much as anything. There will rarely be the 'perfect' moment to write. You might have to let your chores mount up for a couple of weeks, disengage from Social Media and basically become a temporary hermit! I always let my friends know 'I'm going under!' and not to expect to hear from me for a while. Winter Wonderland was the quickest book I've ever written because I moved to Virginia (my husband is in the US Navy) and I didn't know a soul! It sounds a bit lonesome but as a writer you have lots of imaginary friends to keep you company!!


How do you approach your writing? Do you plot or go with the flow?
I'm a go with the flow kinda gal! Sometimes I wish I could be clean and methodical in my approach because it's quite a messy, anxiety-inducing business for me in the beginning. But I'm on my 12th book now so it's time I came to terms with the 'fumbling in the dark' aspect of my writing! One of the greatest pleasures for me is when the characters take over and I just type what they tell me!


If Winter Wonderland were made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?
Jacques the dog-sledder with the bi-coloured Husky eyes is easy - I had Nick Wechsler (aka Jack from Revenge) in mind as I was writing every scene! He just seemed to be the perfect combination of ruggedly tousled and a quality heart! I could see Canadian hottie Ryan Reynolds playing the mischievous Malhomme - I think he'd make a dashing playboy with just the right amount of knowing humour! His missus Blake Lively certainly has the hair and model looks to play tour guide Annique. But as for the leading lady Krista... I would love to go with Emily Blunt - she'd be great at the physical comedy as well as the close-up emotional stuff - loved her tender moments in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen! I was having a little cry as I wrote a few particular lines and I can just see her eyes welling up now...!!


What is your idea of a "winter wonderland?"
In a word, Quebec! It's basically already a fairy-tale kingdom inside a snowglobe and then you add the Winter Carnival attractions - Ice Palaces, snow-sculpting, sleigh rides, dog-sledding, tobogganing and some mad sport called ski-joring which involves a skiier being dragged around a slalom track by a man on horseback! I didn't try that but I did enjoy the Maple Taffy experience - molten maple syrup is poured onto fresh snow and you roll your stick in it to create a gloopy golden lollypop! Delicious!


What is your favorite thing to eat during the holiday season?
My thoughts immediately go to my Auntie Gilly's festive spread - she always has the works: Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, brandy butter, Yule log, big tin of Quality Street chocolates... but it's the mince pies I miss most of all now I live in the US. (Mincemeat is sweet, not an animal product, honestly you'd love it..!) I did find an imported box last year though. It's just the jolly relatives that are missing now!


What is your favorite holiday themed TV program/movie? (Or holiday episode of a TV series.)
My favourite Christmas movie is It's A Wonderful Life. I first watched this lovely film about ten years ago while sitting in a hot-tub in a converted train caboose in a US trailer park town about 2.5 hours hours from San Francisco! My friend Emily and I were so freaked out to discover we were vacationing in the Meth Capital of Northern California (research for the aforementioned ON THE ROAD TO MR RIGHT book!) we wanted to lose ourselves in a heart-warming family tale and this was one of the DVD options at the B&B. I was surprised how deep the movie gets! It really makes you think about the impact of your life on others and certainly makes you extremely grateful for what you have right now!


What is your favorite New Year's Eve memory?
I actually met my husband on New Year's Eve four years ago at a Los Angeles bar called The Dresden - you may know it from the movie Swingers, it's very retro-kitsch with lounge singers crooning Fly Me To The Moon et al. I've probably only been out on NYE three times in my life but my best friend Sam was visiting so we went along for a few Kir Royales and ended up having one of the best night's of our life, lasting all the way until 10pm on New Year's Day! One of the freakiest things is that I was wearing a silver ring that had a heart and a key charm on it and it broke while I was talking to Jonathan - and he literally ended up holding the key to my heart!

Thanks to Belinda for a lovely chat and for sharing her book with our readers!


How to win Winter Wonderland:
Please comment below with your e-mail address. (Please note: Entries without an e-mail address will NOT be counted. You can use AT and DOT to avoid spam. Or provide a link to your facebook page or blog if you can receive messages there.) Also, please indicate which country you are located in. If you are in the USA and do not indicate, you will NOT be eligible for the e-book.


Bonus entries (can be listed all in one post):
1. Please tell us: What is your idea of a winter wonderland?
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)
5. Follow us on Twitter and/or Pinterest.
6. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

Paperbacks-worldwide; e-book-US only. Giveaway ends December 25th at midnight EST.