Picture the scene - a heroine wrapped in a thick, woolen, winter coat, her hair whipping back against a stiff New York breeze dappled with snowflakes. There's the scent of hot dogs and caramelized onions in the air, Santas ringing hand bells on every street corner and the citizens of Manhattan clad in gloves and winter boots, their breath hot in the freezing air.
One Wish in Manhattan
In reality I'm sat at my desk feeling sweaty and sticky as I battle to cool down the house in the middle of a June heatwave. The windows are open, wasps are entering in their dozens and everyone is strimming their hedges or mowing their lawns while I try and concentrate on Christmas in the Big Apple.
It's horrendously hard to write a novel set at Christmas time when you're wearing less clothes than Miley Cyrus on her wrecking ball and feeling like you're trapped in a sauna. Writing that summer novel in winter is easy. Everyone wants to dream about warmer days, beaches, cocktails, light nights and long lazy days. So how do you do it? How do you get yourself in the mood for Christmas in New York when it's summer in the UK?
Set the mood
Dim the lights, light some scented candles and shut out everything else that is going on outside. Create a little sanctuary that's only you and the world you're creating. I chose spiced orange, cinnamon and black vanilla candles. I have to admit I'm a bit of a candle addict no matter what season it is.
Set the sound
To get me in the Manhattan vibe I called up Spotify and drowned myself in festive tunes and songs to recreate that all-American spirit. I swung around the room to Frank Sinatra, bopped to Buble and indulged in some New York jazz. Also, the soundtracks to the most famous Christmas movies helped get me in an Empire State of mind.
Set the menu
My favourite thing about Christmas is the food! And there is a lot of food in my latest release, One Wish in Manhattan! Bagels, burgers, pretzels, chestnuts roasting, gingerbread, yule logs, hot dogs (of course!) and Yorkshire puddings (because they don't just go with beef you know!). I didn't sit there and gorge on all these things - even though I might have wanted to - but I did dream them up, lick my lips and remember every succulent offering I like to indulge in at Christmas time. What would your characters be eating? Mince pies and plum pudding? What would they be drinking? Hot chocolate or spicy, mulled wine?
Set the scene
You Tube is the novelist's best friend. You can literally travel anywhere using it. Whenever I couldn't conjure up my winter scenes with imagination alone, I used You Tube to put me in that place. I watched New York street scenes to capture that city ambience, the beep of the yellow taxi cabs, the view from Brooklyn Bridge, the ferries over to Staten Island, the horse and carriage rides around Central Park. There wasn't anything I couldn't find to put myself in the middle of.
Writers often end up writing against the seasons but it doesn't have to spell disaster. A little imagination, the Rat Pack on repeat, a mug of cocoa and you're halfway to writing your Christmas book.