My Favourite Things by Nicky Slade, Author

Food Savoury and sweet:

I like a proper roast beef dinner with all the works and one of the few puddings that never lets me down is a pavlova. Even if it collapses you can just pile cream and fruit on top and hide the mistakes!

Drink

I drink gallons of tea but it has to be ‘proper’ English tea, not fruit or herbal or Earl Grey. And not what my Granny called ‘shamrock tea’ ie made with only three leaves¬

Film

Roman Holiday because I saw it with my mum when I was quite young and Sense & Sensibility (the Emma Thompson one) because it’s pretty well perfect. And it has Alan Rickman – can’t ask for more!

Book

A very old one, ‘Pillars of the House’ by Charlotte M Yonge, published in 1873. I was brought up on her books and I love them and when we moved to Hampshire I was thrilled to discover that she lived all her life about three miles down the road from me.

Author

That’s a hard question, I have dozens. Charlotte Yonge, as above, and Angela Thirkell. Newest best author is Jodi Taylor whose ‘Chronicles of St Mary’s’ series is right up there too.

Character

Too hard! Felix Underwood from the Yonge book and Mr Markham from Jodi Taylor’s books

Song

When the Carnival is Over by The Seekers

Holiday destination

Years ago we had a few days’ stopover in Fiji. It was magical and we did a short cruise round the islands. There was white sand, a coral reef, blue sky and a turquoise sea and I remember thinking that at that moment I was completely happy.

Animal

Cats. We’re between cats at the moment.

Person

I’d probably better say it’s my husband!

Place to write

In my untidy study

Season

I love to be warm but I have a Christmas Eve birthday and there’s something about winter and all that anticipation.

Tradition

Still with the Christmas theme, we always have a Chinese takeaway here in the early evening of Christmas Eve, for the whole family

Inspirational quote

I’m not sure I have one but when it comes to romance I quite like quoting my late mother’s slightly cynical: ‘Don’t waste time looking for a knight in shining armour, find one whose armour isn’t too rusty, and polish him up to suit.’

Thing in the whole world

Has to be my family, of course, but also history and all things historical.

About me:

I was brought up in Poole, in Dorset and over the years I’ve lived in a few places, including a year in Egypt when my family was very young. I have three children, all grown up now, and my husband and I live a few miles outside Winchester, ancient capital of Winchester. I love being right on the doorstep because it’s beautiful and full of history.

I’ve had seven novels published, including a romantic comedy; a series of Victorian cosy mysteries set in the late 1850s and featuring Charlotte Richmond, a young widow with a slightly shady past. I also write a contemporary series about Harriet Quigley, a recently-retired headmistress and her sidekick, her cousin the Reverend Sam Hathaway. The third Harriet book, The Art of Murder, was published recently as an ebook, by Endeavour Press. The paperback will follow shortly.

My blog is called Winchester Histories & Mysteries (it does what it says on the tin!) and I’d love to have people follow me. www.nicolaslade.wordpress.com

Click here to buy a copy of the book

Thanks for joining us Nicky

Sincerely

Book Angels x