**Christmas With Bookouture** Tom Bale @Bookouture @t0mbale

Another day closer to Christmas, Eeek it’s coming around so quickly and I have a pile of Christmas presents that need wrapping, but at least I’ve finished buying presents, so no last minute rushing around for me, sorry I’m digressing here! Today I’m thrilled to have the awesome Tom Bale pop by the book review café to talk about all things Christmassy, so pull up a pew, grab a mince pie and escape for a few minutes whilst you learn more about a “Tom Bale Christmas”

What is your favourite Christmas memory?

Despite always being really excited about Christmas, my children love their sleep, and when they were young they never once woke us at an unearthly hour on Christmas morning. Usually it was the opposite – my wife and I would be lying in bed, impatiently waiting for them to wake up. One year I couldn’t wait any longer, so I put my head round the door of my daughter’s bedroom and said good morning. As she stirred, oblivious to the sack of presents at the foot of her bed, I added, “Do you remember what day it is?” and she replied: “Tuesday.” As you can imagine, we’ve teased her about it ever since.

                                        Family man Tom Bale

Where will you be spending Christmas?

At home this year. Quite often we’re visiting family, so it’ll be nice to spend the whole day in one place. Of course my wife might take a different view on that, as she has the responsibility for cooking Christmas dinner.

Do you have any Christmas traditions?

A takeaway curry for dinner on Christmas Eve, and a bit of pre-breakfast chocolate on Christmas morning!

                                 Tom Bale’s very large stash of Christmas chocolate

What was your best ever Christmas present?

Probably a very realistic shoulder holster and toy gun that I got at a time when I was crazy about Starsky & Hutch (and it was around this time that my gran knitted me a “Starsky” cardigan!)

What was your worst ever Christmas present?

I can’t really think of any. Probably as a kid I was given socks and handkerchiefs that wouldn’t have seemed very exciting, but from an early age people realised that books or chocolate were the perfect gifts for me, so I was always delighted with either of those – and they still form the majority of my presents today.

                     Tom’s Christmas presents, should keep him reading for a while 

Favourite Christmas tipple?

I tend to stick to my usual beer, though if we’re out visiting and I’m driving I drink quite a lot of ginger beer at Christmas.

What are you hoping for this Christmas?

I’m ashamed to admit that I have a tendency to buy some of my presents myself – this year I already know that Santa will be bringing me Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography, as well as Nomad by Alan Partridge, among other books.

Have you got a Christmas message you would like to share with readers and bloggers?

Firstly, to say a huge thank you for the magnificent support that I’ve had this year! I’d also like to wish everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas, and let’s all hope that 2017 is a bit less crazy and distressing than this year has been.

Tom Bale has had a variety of jobs including retail assistant, claims negotiator and project manager, but none was as exhausting as the several years he spent as a househusband with two pre-school children.

Tom has been writing since the age of seven, and completed his first novel at fifteen. After twenty years and hundreds of rejection slips, his first novel SINS OF THE FATHER was published under his real name, David Harrison. With his next book, SKIN AND BONES, he acquired an agent, a pseudonym and a book deal that enabled him to write full-time. The thriller SEE HOW THEY RUN was published by Bookouture in May 2016, followed by All Fall Down in September 2016.

Website       Facebook      Goodreads     Twitter: @t0mbale

Tom Bale books published by Bookouture

Amazon UK 🇬🇧 See How They Run     Amazon US 🇺🇸See How They Run

Amazon UK 🇬🇧 All Fall Down       Amazon US 🇺🇸 All Fall Down 

My thanks to Tom Bale for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer my Christmassy questions and for providing me with photos from his own personal collection.