Letter from Paris, a new novel

Buying a Christmas present for someone who is keen on romantic novels? Then you need look no further, as Letter From Paris will be the right choice for them.

It is written by Therese, and is a continuation of the story of India Butler. (You may have met India in the novel India's Summer, if not, you could well buy that for your friend, too).

India is 40 and sort of still single.

She has always had a longing for something that may well be, at least in part, somewhat unattainable.

She desires to be French, she desires je ne sais quoi, to speak better French, to act and live like a Frenchwoman.

And what better place to pursue this dream than the capital of France, Paris?

But there are problems in her life, those little things that niggle away at us. She doesn't entirely trust the long-distance love of her life, Adam. But should she be more trusting of him? Or not?

Her life seems to be spread over several continents, and the life of her and her friends are chaotic and made so by their own flawed decisions and the flawed or arguably bad decisions of other people.

There's LA, there's London, there's Paris and Las Vegas and raw human emotions of love, lust, betrayal and redemptions, that are interwoven by novelist Therese to create a story that is compelling, romantic, realistic and refreshingly honest.

It's published by The Story Plant. The cover price is $13.95, the ISBN is 978-1-61188-141-7.

It is available from good book retailers and also online from the Amazon Book store (£8.76, paperback) at http://thatsbooks.blogspot.co.uk.

More Frozen Fun this Christmas

Frozen is another of those Disney cartoons that have apparently taken the world by storm with children and their parents singing the songs and children hoping for Frozen products in their Christmas stocking this year.

One such product is a delightful SuperColor Frozen Glitter Puzzle from Clementoni.

It's designed with a serious purpose in mind, to assist your child in developing their manual dexterity, their use of logical thinking and their observational skills.

However, the main reason that you will be buying this puzzle is because you know that your child or children will love to complete it as it is based on and around the storyline of Frozen and the characters that they know and love so well.

Perhaps mums and dads and grandparents will join in the fun on Christmas morning as the puzzle is completed? Perhaps even humming along to the tunes from Frozen that they will demand are played?

You can learn more at http://www.clementoni.com/en.

The game is available from good toy retailers and also from online retailers such as www.amazon.co.uk.

It should cost around £10.00.

Santa is welcome to use a free travel pod courtesy of Thistle Hotel, Heathrow

If Santa (or any other traveller, really) is keen to get started on their somewhat tiring world travels without having to be worried about parking for the reindeer or the sleigh,  they'll find everything they require at the Thistle London Heathrow T5.

Because throughout the Christmas period, the hotel will be transporting its 25,000th guest by driverless pod to Terminal 5.

The modern and go-ahead hotel company which launched free, fast and unlimited Wi-Fi throughout all of hotels earlier in 2014, plus unveiling  what is the world's first online ‘Choose Your Own Room’ service, recently, has got together with Heathrow Airport to offer their very special guests (including Santa!)  exclusive access to the world’s only commercial driverless pod transport system..

It costs a very reasonable £5, and the service runs 1,000 times every day between 3:00 a.m and 1:00 a.m, with a journey time of a mere five minutes to terminal 5.

And there's another bonus, as it needs no pre-booking with up to four guests, experiencing no waiting time at all.

"Getting around at Christmas can be a hassle and we are keen to make sure that our guests have a great start to their travels. The pod is just another example of how we use technology to make their lives easier" said Jorgen Rasmussen, General Manager, Thistle London Heathrow Terminal 5.

The pod is operated by Ultra in partnership with Heathrow Airport.

Just think how exciting this will be for the family, as they jet off to visit relatives for the Christmas season or start off on the Christmas and New Year holiday of a lifetime!

The Really Nasty Horse Racing Game

It's a new game from Rascals and it's set to take Christmas by storm in families up and down the length and breadth of the UK this Christmas!

You know all those nice, worthy family games with an emphasis on fairness and decency? Well, that doesn't describe The Really Nasty Horse Racing Game!

This is a game for the rest of us! It's described as "The competitive family game of bluffing, double-crossing and fun!"

It's for two to six player ages 12 to adult.

You have to earn prize money with your own horses. Or perhaps you will secretly amass great wealth (or not?) by attempting to secretly back another horse.

And here's were the Really Nasty aspect of the game comes in, because you can wreck the outcome of the race by bringing your Really Nasty cards in to play to sabotage the outcome of the race!

But do watch out! Other members of your clan would very well pull the same evil stunt and do you out of the outcome of the race that you had set your heart on!

It's an award-winning game and it is clear to see why this is the case as there will be plenty of fun, excitement and mayhem in your family should you invest in this game!

There's everything you will need for your day at the races, including a bookies' board and a dry marker, a large wad of money, horses, jockeys, a riderless horse, race cards, and 24 Really Nasty cards.

The game is available from toy stores and www.Amazon.co.uk and should cost about £20.00 or so.

German Wines can help make your Christmas a fairytale Christmas

Christmas in Germany has been described to me by a friend who grew up in Germany as being "a magical, fairytale time."

She described visits to her grandmothers home in a forest, the Christmas Markets, the fairytale castles with the impossibly ornate turrets, the seasonal special foods, the Christmas spices, the stollen, making gingerbread houses and the variety of wines that Germany is famous for.

There's a wide variety of wines, wider than you might have thought possible. If you pop into Tesco you can pick up a bottle of Peter and Peter Riesling at £7.49. It's a crisp Mosel wine which has fruity notes and tones and even a hint of ripe apples on the finish.

Another Riesling is the Fritz Willi Riesling, it's another Mosel yet is different again from the Peter and Peter offering. Are there hints of ripe peaches there? Yes! Yes there jolly well are! At £11 to £12 a bottle this will be another sure fire winner this Christmas. You'll find it at Noel Young Wines of Cambridge, www.nywines.co.uk.

If you are more of a red wine drinker you will be pleased to know that the German wine makers have not overlooked your needs.

The That's Christmas taste team can also heartily recommend the Villa Wolf Noir 2012, Pfalz. It's a rich blend of all sorts of summer fruits, combined with the flavours of the gorgeous grapes.

You'll find it at £10.49 to £11.49 and it is available at Oddbins.

You'll also find a wide range of fine German wines from your local supermarket, some corner stores and local and national wine merchants. But do make sure that you order early to ensure delivery for Christmas or the New Year.

Travelling tips for Christmas

It has been said that it is only when we are lost that we begin to understand ourselves (Henry David Thoreu, it was, who said this) and sometimes we need a little time alone in a new setting to allow ourselves to be captivated by history, culture, fine cuisine or shopping.

Novelist Thérèse, was so enlightened by time spent in Paris one Christmas that she was inspired to write her latest novel, Letter from Paris, a witty and glamorous account of a trip to the city of light and romance.

“Travelling alone can be daunting, especially during the holidays - the idea of stepping off the plane into the unknown without a companion can seem alien– but believe me it can be one of the most liberating things you’ll do. Sitting in a café with a crisp glass of wine, a good book to read  and the delights of watching the world go by- is bliss and something you don’t appreciate until you try – after all, there’s always the possibility of  a handsome stranger or old friend to entertain you if you’re desperate for a little conversation.”

Thérèse has compiled 5 essential tips for travelling alone this Christmas:

1.       Look up old friends and business contacts through online channels and let them know of your impending arrival.  Don’t be too rigid with your plans as it could impinge on exciting opportunities to meet new people (perhaps even  under the mistletoe)
2.       Enjoy a glass of Sancerre before you set out for the evening, it will relax and reinvigorate you.
3.       Stay in a boutique hotel, the setting is almost guaranteed to be unique and charming, as well as elegantly festive. Often, boutique hotel bars are exclusive and intimate allowing you to meet like-minded guests travelling alone
4.        Buy a beautiful journal and note down your thoughts and musings; this will allow you to reflect on your time when and more importantly ‘if’ you decide to head home…
5.       Follow the footsteps of your favorite author / character from a book set in the city you are visiting, as well as providing inspiration for the book in you, you see the city in a different light. I followed Ines de la Fressange’s guide book Parisian Chic and every day felt like an adventure.
Read more about Thérèse’s adventures at www.thereseblogs and pick up her latest novel ‘Letter from Paris’, published by The Story Plant and available from Amazon $11.71, as well as on Kindle.

Heartsease Farm drink You'll need to remember the name

You will need to remember the name of Heartsease Farm, as you will need to order some of their sparkling fruit drinks for this Christmas and New Year.

The Blackcurrant drink is  sold as "Carbonated spring water with British blackcurrant juice."

And whilst that's certainly true as far as descriptions go, it certainly doesn't tell the whole story or show you the big picture.

It's a little bit like describing The QE2 as "quite a big ship, really" or a Rolls Royce as: "a nice ride."

When you open the bottle there's a pungent yet welcoming smell of real blackcurrants, so you know that real fruit is within the bottle.

It is not overly carbonated, the level of carbonation is just right, and it is obvious that a great deal of thought has gone into the correct level of carbonation for this drink. And I like that, because if the people who make a drink clearly care so much about it, then that makes it easier for me to care about it, too.

The flavour is another area where the Watkins family (who have farmed at Heartsease Farm since 1903, that's 111 years) show an extraordinary attention to detail.

The favour is just right, not too strong, not too weak, not too tart. not too sweet, but perfect.

They also use their own spring water to make the juice drinks, from Radnor in Powys, Wales, where their family farm is.

As well as blackcurrant they have Traditional Lemonade, Elderflower Presse, Raspberry Lemonade, St Clements Presse and Fiery Ginger Beer.

To learn more please visit  http://radnorhills.co.uk.

They are also looking for retailers so if you have a shop or run an online food and drink retailer, they'll be pleased to hear from you. Please tell them That's Christmas sent you along!)