Historical crime novel set in County WEXFORD
Talking Location With author Kate Forster – romance in the North of England
10th November 2022
#TalkingLocationWith…. Kate Forster, author of Christmas Eve at Cranberry Cross, romance novel set in the North of England
I love writing about what homes mean to us and how we are often changed by a new home. There is something special about even moving house and exploring a new neighbourhood. Where are the local shops now? Where is the post office? IS there a good place to get a takeaway coffee?
When you write a book, these questions are multiplied many times over.
My new book, Christmas Eve at Cranberry Cross is set in the North of England, past Leeds. I needed somewhere cold and when I researched which areas where the coldest in the UK, this location was near the top of the list.
It was thrilling to research the homes in the areas, with the magnificent English history and magic of the country.
The description of the house in the book was fun to write.
“Soon the trees began to clear and then the car rounded a corner and there stood an imposing Jacobean manor, complete with fog surrounding it and a single light on in the top tower.
There was a steeply pitched roof, with a perfectly symmetrical display of chimneys, gables, dormer windows and ornately carved arches around the windows. The house was grand but bleak in its outlook, its smoky shade of grey stone and the wind that was making the trees wave in protest.
There were two large urns on either side of the magnificent front door, with a conifer tree in each, and one had a sad-looking piece of red tinsel hanging on for dear life in the wind.
There was nothing welcoming about the house, Eve thought. It looked like a place where children were sent for punishment in Victorian times.
There were yew trees topiarised into cone and cylinder shapes dotted about the lawn, and paths leading to ornate gardens that spread beyond the house. A large fountain seemed to be an afterthought, perhaps installed by a previous mistress of the house to try and make it look less gloomy. The car stopped next to the fountain and Eve could see it was dry.
‘Geesh, that’s something out of a Gothic novel. It’s what I imagined Lowood School to look like in Jane Eyre.’
Hilditch stopped the car and looked ahead. ‘Welcome to Cranberry Cross.’”
The book is very influenced by gothic Victorian fiction, which I love to read. The Lowood school which I refer to was an actual school that Charlotte Bronte and her sisters attended. It was called the Cowan Bridge School and was in Lancashire.
The austerity of the place in many ways matches the weather. Cold winds and frozen water, which apparently the students at the school were given to drink with burnt porridge.
The house also took inspiration from some of the stately homes in the Yorkshire area, where the isolation of the homes was a large plot device I used in the book.
Eve, the heroine of the novel, has family in Leeds, which is a beautiful city filled with history. In the book, Eve goes into Leeds for Christmas shopping for the day. There are many things that the British do well, but Christmas is one of the best.
I wanted to capture that sense of fun and Christmas joy on the streets. The lights and the activities that are on offer in Leeds at Christmas a so beautiful. It’s not just London that has large Christmas events on if you are travelling at this special time.
The characters visit the Briggate, which is a wonderful Christmas shopping destination and is called the Knightsbridge of the North, with it’s marvellous array of shops. The area was once filled with markets and merchants.
Now it is a gorgeous shopping strip, perfect for pedestrians and at Christmas it has stunning light displays.
And finally my characters visit a Christmas Market in the made-up village of Cranberry Cross. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a market and if there is something special about a Christmas market at night. Here is how I describe it in the book.
The market stall tents were all in red and white with stripped awnings and pointed tops, looking a little like Santa hats, with jolly gifts beneath them.
Rows of column heaters lined the pathways, glowing and welcoming, while rows of Christmas lights were strung across from tent to tent.
A large fire pit was surrounded by stools made from tree trunks and signs suggesting shoppers sit a while and indulge in a mulled wine and roasted chestnuts.
There was a roaming folk band playing Christmas songs and Christmas elves handing out sweets and little presents to children passing them by, while singing with gusto to the adults.
The market was filled with scents of burning pine and apple wood, chestnuts, popcorn and sugar.
And everywhere she looked were items on sale that made her smile.
Doesn’t that sound so special? There are many Christmas markets to visits in the north of England and it’s a special experience. If you get the chance, please visit, and have a hot chocolate for me.
KATE FORSTER
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Hi Kate,
I just knew I shouldn’t have stopped to read your delightful post, as I have now added all your stand-alone novels to my wish list (there are just so many lovely authors and great books around, that I try to stay clear of much series reading!)
I always check out an area before I commit to moving, so that I know exactly what it has to offer and there are not too many nasty surprises. I also visit several times, on different days and at different times of the day – I know, pretty OCD, right? 🙂
We are now fortunate enough to live down in the south of England, so we couldn’t be further from your Leeds setting for this book. However, we are literally a stone’s throw from three cities, Bath, Salisbury and Wells, who all have some amazing coffee shops and those all-important massive Christmas markets.
Can’t wait to read your books and thanks for a lovely post 🙂