Michael Rowan finds himself seduced, by more than just the Rowan berries, as he dons his scarf and savours the wild botanicals from Caoruun, the hand crafted, small batch Scottish Gin.

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It might just be me, but the onset of autumn, makes me appreciate all things Scottish and although Caorunn (pronounced Ka roon) was launched in 2009, it is high time that it was better known amongst us gin drinking aficionados, south of the border, of whom, I count myself one.

Produced in the Scottish Highlands, hand crafted in small batches, and quadrupled distilled, it has a uniquely vibrant flavour profile, gained from hand- picked, Coul blush apple, Dandelion, Heather, Bog Myrtle and the aforementioned Rowan berries.

The name Caorunn originates from the Gaelic name for Rowan berry.

This gin is an expert infusion of five locally foraged botanicals, six traditional gin botanicals and natural Scottish water.

Caorunn is clean, crisp, sweet, full bodied and aromatic, no wonder that it is so versatile, (of which more later), with a long, refreshing, slightly drying finish.

Caoruun Gin is perfect for a variety of delicious cocktails including one that mixes Caoruun gin with Campari, Kombucha, apple and sugar syrup garnished with a Blackberry

This is a distinctly tasty gin and I strongly suspect that I will be enjoying it far beyond autumn.

As with all good Gins, the garnish is important and not merely decoration to be ignored. It is recommended that Caorunn Gin is served with a good tonic with plenty of ice and a slice of red apple.

I make no apologies for eating the gin-soaked apple slice once the gin has been drunk, I like to think of this as my just dessert.

Caorunn Gin is available from selected Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco stores, The Whisky Shop and other specialist spirit retailers- RRP £29.00.

 

 

SISTER SCRIBES’ GUEST: ALISON LARKIN ON WHY SHE WRITES

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Welcome to Alison Larkin, bestselling author of The English American, award-winning Austen narrator and now the narrator of The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen and The Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen. 

I’m with Dorothy Parker who said “I hate writing. I love having written.”

I was born in Washington DC, adopted by English parents and raised in England and Africa and I’ve written for as long as I can remember – poems and plays mostly. But they were usually pretty surreal.

Then something happened that changed everything. Including the kind of writing I did.

It was the early 1990’s. I’d recently left drama school and was playing Flora Poste in Cold Comfort Farm in Newbury when the ‘phone rang back stage and I learned that the birth mother I knew nothing about and had been searching for was alive and well and keen for me to come and visit her at her home – in Bald Mountain, Tennessee.

So I went to Tennessee to meet her. Then I moved to New York and became a stand-up comic, because what else do you do?

Growing up, we didn’t talk about feelings in my family, which was helpful I think because the. absence of any other outlet meant I had to write, even though I hated it. I’m sure I never would have written the stand-up comedy act that led to the one woman show that led to my novel The English American if I hadn’t had to.

Photo credit Sabine von Falken

But I did have to. Why? Because people kept asking me what it was like meeting my ‘real’ mother and every time they used those words I felt as if I’d been punched in the heart. Because, to me, my ‘real’ mother was the mother who had raised me. And yet I had needed to find my birth mother and people didn’t ‘get’ why.

So I decided to combine stand-up comedy and theatre and show people through a one woman show in which I played myself, my English mother, and my American birth mother who were diametrical opposites in every way. The show was a hit and led to sitcom development deals in Hollywood and a run in LA and London. And then I had children and stopped performing comedy because I wanted to hang out with my kids while they still wanted to hang out with me.

But then I started to get really annoyed with the way adopted people were portrayed in books and on TV as eternally damaged victims at best, or serial killers. So I thought that maybe if I could put an authentic adopted heroine at the center of the kind of novel that I like to read  then maybe people on a beach or a plane would understand why someone from a very happy adoptive family would need to find the people she came from. And maybe, just maybe, instead of having to go through the whole thing every time someone said “What was finding your birth mother really like” I could say “It would take a book to explain. Oh! Wait! I’ve written one.”

After The English American came out I was rescued from writing by the audiobook industry who set me up with my own studio and hired me to narrate the first of over 200 audiobooks I’ve narrated to date. And I was so busy raising my children there was no time – or need – to do any writing.

My handsome, brilliant Indian fiancé, Bhima, loved my writing. “Why don’t you write more,” he pressed me four months ago. “Because I’m happy,” I said smiling again at the first man I ever dared to fully love. I’d spent a lifetime looking for him. And finally, in my 50’s, there he was.

Then he died. So maybe I will be writing again after all.

 

Between now and Christmas, for every audiobook downloaded directly via www.alisonlarkinpresents.com one will be donated to people in need.

 

 

 

My Writing Process CJ Daugherty

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I’m a former journalist and ex-Whitehall civil servant. I was raised in Texas, but have lived in Britain most of my adult life. 

I’m the author of the boarding-school thriller series, Night School, and the US-based crime series, The Echo Killing, set in the southern town of Savannah. 

My new novel, Number 10, follows the 16-year-old daughter of the new prime minister as she rebels against the constraints of living in Number 10 Downing Street, and the intense security that surrounds her. When she stumbles across a Russia-led plot to kill her mother and replace her with a puppet prime minister, she’s determined to stop it. But will anyone believe her? 

 A bit about your process of writing. 

I discovered long ago that trying to write in the morning was pointless for me. I use mornings for admin and other work, and I usually settle down to write at about 3pm. I turn off the internet and the phone, and I write for four hours straight, stopping at around seven. If the writing’s going well, I often pick it up again after dinner and write until midnight. 

 CJ Daugherty

Do you plan or just write?

I plan a moderate amount. My first step is always a one-page synopsis, which I share with my agent. If she likes it, I expand it to two pages, and then to eight. My theory is, if I can’t get eight pages out of the plot, I don’t have a big enough of an idea for the book. Once I do have that much material, I sit down to write chapter one. 

What about word count?

Word count for me is a tale of three halves, basically. In the first 10 chapters of the book, I’m happy if I reach 500 words a day. From chapter 10 to chapter 20, I expect 1200 words a day. After chapter 20, if I don’t reach 2,000 words a day, it’s a bad day.

 How do you do your structure?

My structure is freeform, but I shoot for a W-shape to every plot. Start on a high. Then develop character and explore the plot. Build to a mid-book crescendo. Then dip the pace a little as the characters investigate the main incident and I thread in b-plot and c-plot. End on a high. One of my books (A Beautiful Corpse) ends with the main character deploying a baseball bat against a murderer. Nothing like a fight scene to get the story moving.

 What do you find hard about writing?

It’s very hard for me to be patient with the amount of time it takes to conceive of and create each book. Even once I’ve got the idea and it’s begun to take shape, there’s still months of thought and planning that has to happen before I can build flesh and blood around the basic bones of that first idea. Taking the time to methodically go over and over the same content requires real effort.

 What do you love about writing? 

The magic of it. The moment when I can hear my characters’ voices in my head. The way I can see the locations in the book in vivid, three-dimensional form, as if I’ve been inside their houses. Stood on those porches. Walked through their woods. I spent so much time inventing the inside of Number 10 Downing Street for my latest book, I felt as if I’d lived there myself. It’s an extraordinary illusion, and it comes from taking the time to build those places in your mind, and on the page.

 Advice for other writers. 

To get through the start of a book it helps to know what the ending will be. When you begin planning, think it through all the way. Once you have a beginning and an ending, then you can spend time on the rest of the journey. I think most writers give up when writing because they get stuck, and I think they get stuck because they don’t know exactly where they’re going. Find your ending, and the rest may fall into place.

 Number 10 by CJ Daugherty is out now, £9.99 from Moonflower Books available on Amazon here.

 

JANE CABLE INTERVIEWS CAROL THOMAS ABOUT HER CHRISTMAS BOOK FOR CHILDREN

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In a year where kindness and thinking of others have been brought to the fore, I am delighted to be chatting to Carol Thomas about the release of her latest children’s book, Being a Friend at Christmas. You may be more familiar with Carol as a romance writer, but her children’s books are wonderful too.

In this, the second in her Little Pup series of books, Little Pup is looking forward to his first Christmas in his new home, but he also remembers the dogs he left behind in the shelter and wants them to have a happy Christmas too. Little Pup has an idea, but he needs Father Christmas’ help to make his wish come true.

I love the premise of the book and the fact it carries a message of thinking about others, what inspired you to write it?

Having seen Little Pup settle into his forever home in the first book, I couldn’t resist revisiting him at Christmas. I had the idea for the story soon after writing the first. As a teacher and a mum of four, I think children are good at grasping concepts, such as empathy, kindness and generosity, from the books they read. Stories can be enjoyable and fun, as well as inspiring a conversation, and I believe that’s what this book does.

I know you illustrated the book too, which do you prefer illustrating or writing?

Writing definitely, but I did love drawing the pictures for Being a Friend at Christmas. I drew them during lockdown while homeschooling my son and supervising my two high school aged daughters with their studies. It was quite therapeutic. I love dogs, so bringing Little Pup to life was a lot of fun.

How did you manage to keep the creativity going during lockdown?

There are five of us at home, and it was actually lovely to find our own rhythms for the day. We started work at times that suited us, went for walks, and did things like sit down and eat together – something usually prohibited by getting to various after-school clubs. I think focusing on those positives and not putting pressure on ourselves really helped.

I wasn’t the only one who got creative in our household, either. My daughter started making bracelets, earrings, bead art and keyrings and opened an Etsy shop. She’s had some lovely, positive feedback and I think it’s great to see a teenager being creative and using their initiative. You can check out her crafts here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RedDaisyCrafts

 As people turn their attention to buying for Christmas, I am sure they will make great stocking fillers, as will your book.

Thank you. I hope so. I love to share Christmas stories with my own children and hope others feel the same. There is something very special about sharing a book, and snuggling up in the winter months complete with pyjamas, slippers and a heartwarming story; it’s is a real treat!

 

And with being a friend and thinking of others in mind, between now and Christmas, Carol is raising funds for Angel’s Garden, dog shelter, in Xanthi, Greece on all purchases of Being a Friend at Christmas, made from this link: https://www.carol-thomas.co.uk/blog-dogs-at-christmas/

Snakes and B…….s what utter joy to read the commemorative issue of M.C Beaton’s first Agatha Raisin novel: Quiche of Death

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‘Commemorative? you ask. Sadly yes.

M C Beaton (1936-2019) was the author of both the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth series, as well as numerous Regency romances. Her books have been translated into seventeen languages and have sold more than twenty-one million copies worldwide. She is consistently the most borrowed UK adult author in British libraries, and her Agatha Raisin books have been turned into a TV series on Sky.

She is one of my favourite authors, I laugh, I try and work out ‘who dun it’, I love Aggie, with a passion. And what’s more, I fear Agatha Raisin is rather like me. She seems not to have a filter on her mouth.  She says things  I would indeed think, and probably even say, in a similar situation.

I absolutely adore her, though she can irritate, manipulate, behave rather badly but finally unearth the truth, though scattering her love life in bits around her.  In fact, even as I’m writing this, I am thinking of that other hilarious character DI Frost created by R D Wingfield. Both authors so clever, both who created characters we love, both whom we miss beyond measure.

Stuart MacBride has written a warm and evocative introduction, revealing that Marion was just as fascinating as I suspected, and had lived a full and fascinating life. He shares anecdotes, and laughter. A perfect shoehorn into Quiche of Death, which is presented in a commemorative cover, and which anyone would love for Christmas, something naughty but oh so  nice.

Quiche of Death takes us into the world of a successful PR doyen, Agatha Raisin who is gathering up her togs and retiring to a quiet (you’ll be lucky) Cotswold village – dear old Carsely  – which we have come to know so well over the years. To help herself settle in and become one of the community, this great non-cook decides to enter the village quiche competition, and win. This is Aggie we’re talking about, who can stuff a ready made meal in the microwave but little else, so she cheats. Of course she does. Off she goes to her old haunt, London, and sorts out a deal with a deli.

And it all goes dreadfully wrong, of course… To clear herself of the consequences  she has to find the real baddie. And hence, in this debut Agatha Raisin novel, our unique sleuth is born.

I miss M C Beaton, I longed to receive my review copy, and would even have bought one, in hardback. Unheard of for me. Treat yourself for Christmas. Join those like the St. Petersburg Times. ‘[Agatha] is a glorious cross between Miss Marple, Auntie Mame, and Lucille Ball . . . She’s wonderful’ 

Or the Chicago Sun-Times: ‘Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance-hungry Agatha’

And what about another favourite of mine, Lee Child, that well know thriller writer, and author of the Jack Reacher novels: ‘Full of perfectly pitched interest, intrigue, and charm’

One of my favourites and oh so true Daily Mail: ‘A Beaton novel is like The Archers on speed.’

Catch up on this commemorative copy of Quiche of Death by M C Beaton  28 years after it was first published and which started one of the most popular crime series of a generation. Give yourself a treat in your Christmas stocking, but buy one for everyone else in the family – a copy each, or they’ll pinch yours, and it’s so attractively jacketed, it’s one to keep pristine: howzat?

Quiche of Death by M C Beaton with an introduction by author and her friend, Stuart MacBride, publisher Constable. hardback @ £20

5 Books That Changed Me by Michael Rowan

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1 Coral Island by R.M.Ballantyne 

The first ‘proper’ book that I read as child.  I could read the standard text that we were taught at school, but there was little plot, no discernible theme or character development. Coral Island was loaded with all three, this little book captivated me, as this was the first time that I could see the pictures they conjured up of the three shipwrecked boys having adventures in a lagoon. I would pretend that I was one of the two older characters every time I swam in any municipal swimming pool and even today at 64, I can’t resist imagining myself back there, as I duck beneath the surface in our local Lido though these days it is more Moby Dick than Coral Island.
Michael Rowan, writer

2) Merchant of Venice – Willian Shakespeare

As a 10 year old at St Wilfrid’s, I looked forward to our weekly reading sessions. One week there was a change of format, as our teacher explained that he was going to read us a story from a few hundred years ago. He didn’t read it as a play, but as a story, in parts over several weeks. He told us of a man who was in love (Yuck) and who needed money to impress the girl’s father. There was a riddle which I recall was a cliff hanger and then there was the cutting of a pound of flesh, ‘nearest to the heart’ which enthralled this 10 year old bloodthirsty boy. It was the beginning of a love affair with Shakespeare that continues to this day.

3) Lady Chatterley’s Lover- D H Lawrence

As a pupil at an all boy’s grammar school around 1971, I had been identified as a keen reader. Whilst most of my fellow pupils trudged through one book a term, I returned each week for a new book. This interest delighted a series of English teachers, until in the fourth year, Mr W gave me a special ticket to use the sixth form library. The keys to the sanctum of knowledge. As I perused the shelf containing the works of D H Lawrence, I discovered Lady Chatterley’s Lover, which was soon hidden beneath my blazer as I marched back to my class, about to become the hero of the fourth year. The look on Mr W’s face as he confiscated the book, my special library card and delivered his ‘you have let me down and yourself down speech’ will never leave me, but I did go on to read all of the works of D H Lawrence, albeit after I had left that particular school.

4) The Return of the Native – Thomas Hardy

In the summer of 1975, I found myself on an 18 30 holiday, now famed for high jinks and alcohol but then a travel company in its second or third year and virtually unknown. As a keen reader I ensured that along with my sun- tan lotion and coolest threads, I packed an ample supply of books. Evenings were spent in Spanish discotheques, whilst the afternoons were for laying on the beach recovering from a hangover. I however, was to be found reading about Eustacia Vye in The Return of the Native. How I was mocked by the other lads on the holiday, that is until a young and very pretty English Teacher lent over and asked me what I was reading. It was the beginning of my love of Thomas Hardy, and the start of my first holiday romance.

5 Contented Dementia – Oliver James. 

I was in my 50s when both of my parents developed dementia, a cruel illness of which, at the time there was limited information written.  

The demands of the illness kept growing, but there was little advice and I clearly recall thinking, if only there was the equivalent to a car manual, a book that explained in simple easy to understand language, what to do. A chance review brought this book to my attention, crammed with excellent advice, with its three golden rules, never ask direct questions, never contradict, and learn from the person with dementia. This book became my bible throughout my parents’ final years, and I went on to become an advocate for Contented Dementia. No one, no matter who or where, could have a conversation that used the word dementia, without me elbowing my way in and recommending the book. Over the years 100s of people have looked on me as some eccentric but quite a few of those have thanked me afterwards. 

 

Invite Everyone To The Festive Party With Savyll Alcohol-Free Cocktail

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non-alcoholic cocktails, non-alcoholic, alcohol free. sayllWhether you’re the designated driver, a mum-to-be or moderating your alcohol intake, research shows that more of us are opting for alcohol-free drinks. This fabulous Savyll non-alcoholic cocktail gift set is the perfect way to make everyone feel part of the festive celebrations!

Savyll cocktails have been carefully crafted using a unique blend of natural ingredients to recreate the sophisticated flavours, familiarity and sense of occasion that cocktails bring, with a premium selection of the world’s most popular variations.

They have a beautifully presented gift box that features a choice of either Savyll’s best-selling collection Bellini, Gin & Tonic, Moscow Mule and Mojito OR you choose a box of four from their fabulous range, which also includes Spiced Rum & Cola and Old Cuban.

“Pronounced “sah-vell” – meaning to be ‘savoured by all’ Savyll cocktails can be served directly from their elegant signature glass bottles and enjoyed without the need for mixers or other embellishments – simply chill, serve and sip!

The range is vegan-friendly, gluten free and free from any listed allergens and artificial sweeteners.

Savyll was founded by “dinner party mixologist” Avnish Babla.  When he became an expectant father, Avnish wanted a healthier lifestyle for himself and his wife, Diana. Moderating alcohol consumption was important to him. However, he soon discovered there was a limited choice of non-alcoholic drinks that weren’t overly sweetened or artificially flavoured. Together with an award-winning beverage developer, Avnish turned his cocktail crafting passion into a mission to reinvent their alcohol-free namesakes, so anyone choosing to moderate or abstain can enjoy without compromise.

“I’ve always loved entertaining friends and family, and to experiment with new, unique cocktail ideas,” says Avnish, “but after choosing to moderate my own alcohol intake when my wife became pregnant, like many people, I felt removed from the sense of occasion and sophisticated taste complexities of alcoholic drinks.”

“As our branding suggests, we believe cocktails should be savoured to enjoy the intricate flavours. Savyll Cocktails are an alcohol-free reinvention of this principle, crafted with all of the exuberance, ambition and curiosities of cocktails so young and old, drinkers, moderators and abstainers can all enjoy the party – Savyll Cocktails can be savoured by all!

I have tried these non-alcoholic cocktails and I think they are great. So many of these non-alcoholic, or even pre-mixed cocktails, taste awful, like they are full of chemicals. Not these ones from Savyll. I would definitely buy these for some sparkly fun. They are perfect for Christmas of dry January. 

Available from Amazon and direct from savyll.com

 

Oh my word most of my dreams have come true, as Delicario launches its online farmers’ market for fine artisan food and wine from across Europe by Annie Clarke

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Delicario Christmas Gift Hamper

image courtesy of Alex Scazney

There I was, reading the press release lauding the luxury brand Delicario  but thinking, oh yeah, really? I mean could this ethically sound niche online delicatessen also be professional and efficient? Well, I’m sorry to be picky but so often things fall apart after the order goes in, and then … the… w-a-i-t, the packaging and mishaps, the presentation… Hey ho, the first step was to obtain a sample and only then could I attest to the quality of the product, not to mention the ongoing efficiency.  

We should at this point bear in mind that this old duck, the editor of Frost Magazine, is on yet another diet, so yes, a soupcon of something artisan wouldn’t breach the dry bread and water regime surely. But then it all went very wrong. 

Postie brought … roll of drums, and  a ting from the triangle …  a Delicario wicker hamper  the next day. Forget the solitary jar of something, here was a cornucopia of goodies from small artisan European producers, all regulated and directed from the head office: Birch Barn  in Kent, Delicario (www.delicario.com )

Diet, what diet? As I unlatched the black wicker straps I found myself wondering if the efficiency would be matched by quality.  Well, see of yourself. Here we have Arke extra virgin olive oil. The olives are picked by hand and milled within 12 hours, in a low temperature to respect and exalt the flavours as the attached label explained. Oh how wonderful to read this about the olive oil. It could not have come from anywhere but a sustainable artisan concern. 

Then, the Sauginon Blanc, Nube ,  De Leza Garcia from Spain, grapes grown in Rioja. Oh my word, serve chilled,  breathe in the scent, taste the dry smoothness. Really, it IS just so smooth.

This we drank with Italian Pate of Artichokes. Dream with me… Subtlety of flavour to die for, and of  course, Italian, I should have known. I have been in love with all things Italian after the ticket man at the Uffizi  (I believe it was), said when I asked for an old person’s entry. ‘Ahhh, but not old, merely experienced.’ I nearly fainted with joy that someone had recognised me for what I am.

The only draw back to our little moment of pate and wine heaven was that Dick and I should have been eating it with Inspector Montalbano on his balcony overlooking the sea,  none of us speaking as we savoured every bite, and added just a spot more Arke extra virgin olive oil on the tomato salad.

Then, of course, for Madam Fatty, just one or two sweet orange/chocolatey treats made by Kucino, Italy. I sat hearing the waves lapping, watching the moon rising…

And in the morning, Mandarin Marmalade on toast, so very British, but actually Italian, tasting of mandarins, and a very finely cut marmalade, almost a puree I’d say. Delicious.

 So, bravo the hamper, with each item sensibly packed, the bottles safely swathed, and even a personalised note that came with it, Dear Margaret, the experienced woman from Yorkshire …  Well, no, not the latter.

Delicario (www.delicario.com) is a niche online delicatessen working with small-scale sustainable producers of authentic regional European delicacies with an ‘international farm to table approach’, launched by a small team of specialists working in the luxury services industry with a passion for food and travel. Steering clear of mass production, the emphasis is on sourcing natural ingredients, harvested and processed with dedication to detail, as you can tell,  by often family-run businesses and sold online as individual items, gift boxes or hampers.

The Delicario website (www.delicario.com) is  consumer friendly which with my IT expertise (nil)  is something I seldom say. It’s easy to navigate through a list of well-presented specialities including charcuterie, truffles and mushrooms, wine and champagne, paté and creams as well as artisan pasta, sauces and baked as well as sweet treats. In the dedicated hamper section, there are suggestions tailored to all occasions such as the ‘Delicario Christmas Temptation Hamper’ with Damien Buffet brut rosé champagne and Vossignoria cheese laced with truffle, Ascolano olives from Piceno and Croccantino dark chocolate from Campania.

The ‘Delicario Dinner for Two Hamper’ includes the finest Bellota Iberian ham, Calabrian Capocollo and Marettimo cheese with sprigs of thyme, accompanied by the ‘haute- couture’ of champagne, followed by pure Wagyu beef rib-eye and a full-bodied Barbera D’Alba. Dessert is of course included as chocolate lovers indulge in Piedmont hazelnut cake smothered in dark chocolate fondant. Each gift box and hamper can also be individually tailored by selecting products from the Delicario range.

Gift vouchers and personalised greeting cards offer a personal touch.

Founder Marco Rosa and his team are eager to start fulfilling orders including Christmas hampers and gift boxes at Birch Barn in Kent. He remarks, “Having the experience of working with well-known, luxury brands for over 25 years, we have seen a shift by consumers towards conscious shopping for high quality, sustainable and often organically grown goods. The secret of successful cultivation has been passed down through several generations of mostly family-run businesses. Every product has a story to tell!”

“Our mission is to bring the best European artisan flavours to the table of appreciative customers, particularly during a period when travel to new and unexplored places is complicated. This year, Christmas cheer comes in gift boxes and hampers that capture the very best of authentic ingredients to create a ‘dining out experience’ in your own home.”

About Delicario

Based at Birch Barn in Kent, Delicario (www.delicario.com) was established by co-founders Marco Rosa, Alexander Scasny and Andrew Dack as an innovative online ‘international farmers market’, selling individual items, gifts and hampers of artisanal delicacies sourced from hand-picked regional producers all over Europe. Avoiding mass production, Delicario believes in the unique spirit of natural ingredients, harvested and processed with love by small family businesses, always with sustainability in mind. Each product has been thoughtfully selected to inspire celebration and harmony in flavours around the dining table.

One day I will visit and interview the team. It really is my kind of set up, and I know it will be yours. I recommend Delcario with no reservations whatsoever. I’ve had a simply wonderful time, and am about to throw the weighing scales out of the window, Life is truly too short, for ‘experienced’ women like me to be fretting. Besides, I will take an few more turns around the sports village cycle track, on my sit up and beg, stately as a galleon, and care not if I hold everyone up. So there.

I am so delighted, as I have found the perfect Christmas gift for my four children. They will love their hampers.

Annie Clarke is a Random House author. Her latest novel is Christmas on the Home Front.