The Twelve Days of Christmas is a beautiful collection of seasonal stories inspired by the beloved Christmas carol. Here’s the blurb:
“The air glitters with hope as the snowy village of Merrywake celebrates the Christmas season after the tumult of the Napoleonic Wars.
As the Viscount’s famous Twelfth Night Ball draws closer, many of the villagers have a story to tell – we meet a lovelorn vicar and kindly maid reunited after a misunderstanding, three sisters vying for the hand of a dastardly duke, two servants hiding a dangerous secret and a soldier making his way home, unsure of the welcome he might receive. As their tales braid together, we see life and love in the village from belowstairs to high society.
Reimagining each of the traditional carol’s gifts, and written in tribute to Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, The Twelve Days of Christmas is a collection of festive tales filled with seasonal cheer and heart-warming characters. Will the challenges and mysteries that the Viscount’s guests encounter be resolved by the night of the ball?”
We explore the inspiration behind the novel, the challenges of weaving twelve festive stories around a familiar Christmas carol, and, of course, the surprisingly large number of birds involved! We also get into a wonderfully detailed discussion about obscure Georgian names.
Our conversation takes in all things Georgian, from Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer to our favourite historical characters and the television and film adaptations we love (hello, Bridgerton!), as well as a few we aren’t quite so keen on.
Susan shares how her childhood love of books, television and film helped shape her passion for historical fiction and ultimately inspired her writing career. We discuss the art of creating a convincing Georgian voice that captures the spirit of Austen while remaining accessible to modern readers, alongside the extensive research involved in getting the details right – from fashion and clothing to food and everyday life.
Although The Twelve Days of Christmas is filled with festive warmth and heart-warming characters, Susan doesn’t shy away from exploring more challenging themes, including child loss, grief, slavery and class divisions. We talk about balancing these darker subjects with the lighter, more uplifting atmosphere of a Christmas collection.
And there’s plenty more, including Susan’s reading recommendations, what’s currently on her TBR pile and some brilliant insights into writing historical fiction.
A huge thank you to Susan for joining us for such an entertaining and fascinating conversation.
The Twelve Days of Christmas is available now from all good booksellers. We highly recommend it as a wonderfully festive Christmas gift, particularly for readers who love Georgian historical fiction, Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and beautifully crafted seasonal stories.
