The Great Christmas Knit Off (36 page)

New to the fabulous series of the world of Carrington’s? Try CUPCAKES AT CARRINGTON’S, the first book in the series

Georgie Hart loves her job – running the luxury handbag concession at Carrington’s department store in the pretty seaside town of Mulberry-on-Sea, and treating herself (once too often!) to a red velvet cupcake with buttercream icing in Carrington’s café.

But Georgie is thrown into disarray when Carrington’s is plunged into a recession-busting makeover, cueing the arrival of
femme fatale
Maxine, who wields the axe in her immaculately-manicured hands. It spells a recipe for disaster for Georgie and soon she is fighting not only for her job, but also for the attentions of her gorgeous boss, James. And when hot newcomer Tom arrives, who may or may not be the best thing since sliced bread, Georgie must decide where her loyalties really lie …

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Wondering what happened between CUPCAKES and CHRISTMAS?

ME AND MR CARRINGTON is an ebook-only exclusive short story. Click
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Fancy a festive treat? Try
Christmas at Carrington’s
, a deliciously indulgent read and the follow up to
Cupcakes at Carrington’s

Georgie Hart loves Christmas time at Carrington’s Department store. Running the luxury handbag department, she adores helping customers in the hunt for the perfect gift for the perfect someone. And this year is no exception – now she has the hunky Tom, Mr Carrington himself, to spend the special day with.

But when Tom springs a surprise, Georgie’s plans are thrown into chaos. Carrington’s is getting a fresh lease of life in a hot new reality TV show, featuring formidable retail guru, Kelly Cooper.

As the first show airs, Georgie is shown in a far from flattering light. Worse is to come when Kelly’s vile daughter appears to get her claws into Tom. Georgie fears this will be the worst Christmas ever, but Santa still has a little surprise for her stocking this year – she’ll just have to wait until Christmas to find out …

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Find out what happens to Georgie and Tom in the final Carrington’s instalment

Georgie Hart and Carrington’s Department Store have got the world at their feet. Since a reality TV series put them both on the map, life has been amazing! Carrington’s profits are in the pink, Georgie has carved herself a place in the nation’s heart and her romance with Tom, the store’s boss, has finally blossomed.

Now summertime has come to Mulberry-on-Sea and Georgie is in great demand. The town is holding a big summer festival and she and her mates from Carrington’s are planning on making sure that Mulberry puts on a show!

But Georgie is about to get the offer of a lifetime – one that is just too good to turn down and something that will test her loyalties to their limits … Will Georgie be able to pull off it off once again, or has her luck finally run out?

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Dear Reader

This is the first book in my new Tindledale series and I really hope you enjoy it. I have wanted to write a book about knitting for a very long time, since childhood in fact, when I loved rummaging through the tassel-trimmed Dralon knitting box that took pride of place in my Nanny Edie’s front room, then sitting on the footstool beside her with my hands held up for her to wind the wool around them. The whole process fascinated me and my fondest memories are of knitting with her – of the comforting click-clack of the needles as we nattered away – and I truly hope to have captured the essence of these memories forever in this book. So my first thanks goes to my Nanny Edie, for sharing her love of knitting with me.

Next, I’d like to thank all of you, my darling friends, who chat to me on Facebook and Twitter, or who send me emails: you are all magnificent and your kindness and cheerleading spurs me on through it all – writing books can get lonely sometimes, but having all of you is like a family and that is something very special indeed. I really couldn’t do any of this without you. You mean the world to me and make it all worthwhile. Thank you so very much xxx

Special thanks and gratitude to my agent, Tim Bates, for always telling me what’s normal and without whom I’d most likely be lying in a babbling, incoherent heap somewhere. Many thanks and appreciation, as always, to my wonderful editor and friend, Kate Bradley, for being so kind and funny and for coming to see me when I was writing like a maniac to meet my deadline. Of course, none of the other stuff would happen without my dream team at HarperCollins, especially Kimberley Young, Martha Ashby, Jaime Frost and Katie Moss with their wonderful enthusiasm, energy and expertise.

Ann Faithfull, aka @GrannieF, for sharing her knowledge of knitting – any anomalies are totally down to me. Louise Zass-Bangham for winning the ‘name a character’ auction and introducing me to the wonderful world of Ravelry. Julie Richards at
www.thelittleknitkitcompany.co.uk
for designing Sybil’s lovely little Christmas pudding knitting pattern at the end of this book.

Jadzia Kopiel, for helping me to keep on keeping on – you’re the wisest woman I know. Niki Lawal for making me significantly smaller. Immense thanks always to my dear friends Caroline Smailes and Lisa Hilton – your friendship and being there is what also keeps me going
xxx

My darling QT, for bursting into my office to present me with a tiara that she had made because, ‘it will help you write the magic words’. Thank you my brave, funny, bright little girl, I love you with all my heart and will always make sure your light shines xoxoxo. My husband Paul, aka Cheeks, for holding the fort, for bringing me Curly Wurly cake and for standing by my side when I finally found the courage to set myself free. And my dad and Christine for being proud of me.

Now, pour yourself a Baileys, sit back and I really hope you enjoy
The Great Christmas Knit Off
. And remember always to
keep calm and carry yarn.

Luck and love to you all, and wishing you a very Merry Christmas,

Alex xxx

Alexandra Brown began her writing career as the City Girl columnist for
The London Paper
– a satirical diary account of her time working in the corporate world of London. Alex wrote the weekly column for two years before giving it up to concentrate on writing novels.
The Great Christmas Knit Off
is Alex’s fourth book and is the first in a new series set in the fictional village of Tindledale, following the lives of all the characters there. She previously wrote three novels and a short story in the
Carrington’s
series, set in Carrington’s department store in the pretty seaside town of Mulberry-on-Sea, following the loves, laughs and life of Georgie Hart.