Interview with Donna Ashcroft - author or ‘A Christmas Romance in the Scottish Highlands’
Author of ‘A Christmas Romance in the Scottish Highlands’
❄️ 🎨 ❄️
INTERVIEW
❄️ What sparked you to write A Christmas Romance in the Scottish Highlands and provide a brief overview of the story’s essence?
I had an idea that it might be fun to write a modern-day Cinderella story and to base it around a pantomime performance because it was an opportunity to make the most of Christmas, but also to bring in a warm and fun community. Also, Cinderella is one of the ultimate romance stories and I wanted to recreate the wonderful feeling you get at the end when the couple get their happy ever after.
When I wrote the book, I wanted to mirror the fairytale characters in the real world which is why Ella works for Magic Mops (a cleaning company), and has a stepmother and two stepbrothers. Much like Cinderella in the fairytale, Ella is exploited by her family and doesn’t get to do the things she wants.
Alex Charming – who plays the prince in the pantomime – spends his life trying to live up to his father’s expectations, which is similar to the prince in the fairytale. But in my story, no matter what he tries, he doesn’t.
There’s a lot going on in the book. I wove it together to mirror the Cinderella story, and at the same time I wanted my hero and heroine to have strong and believable character arcs. I needed to throw them together off stage and I did this by giving them both a love of art. Throughout the book, they are both working with a famous landscape artist, working on a painting that matters to them – and this is their route to learning about themselves and ultimately to changing their lives. (Not to mention achieving their HEA.)
❄️ What is it about the Cinderella fairy-tale that you like? What elements did you draw upon for your own modern Cinderella story and what have you done differently?
I love the Cinderella fairytale – it’s the original HEA story and there are plenty of characters to both like and dislike, which was a fun starting point. Ella has an affinity with animals which allowed me to include her bloodhound, Wyatt, who plays a big part in the story. There were hundreds of elements I could use in the book, from the fairy godmother to the evil stepmother, to the naughty stepsiblings (brothers in this case). Ella has to deal with all of them in the real world in order to be happy. I also weaved in smaller touches from the fairytale, like Cinderella losing one of her shoes and the prince presenting it to her at the end of the book. I had plenty of material which helped me to combine the magic of the panto with the real world.
While the pantomime/fairytale element was central to the book, much of it takes place in the real world. I’ve mentioned Ella and Alex are working with a watercolour artist and their artistic talent is an important – and unique – element in this story.
This novel showcases a very important relationship problem. Can you tell us what that is and its damaging effects to those subjected to such unfair expectations?
Alex Forbes-Charming is the hero in this book and has a lot to learn if he’s ever going to be happy. When we meet him, we learn his mission in life is to get his father’s approval. Initially his goal is to create a piece of art that will impress him– something that will be hung in the company HQ. But what we learn, as the story progresses, is that Alex is never able to please his dad. This has made him emotionally stunted. He doesn’t trust and he doesn’t allow people into his heart. He believes everyone is out to get him and that it’s a dog-eat-dog world. He has to change his beliefs and release his father’s hold over him if he is ever going to be happy.
Fundamentally it's a story about people’s expectations and trying to live up to them. It’s about understanding that sometimes people can’t be pleased. They either set their expectations too high, or perhaps they don’t really want you to meet them. It’s about learning what matters to you and choosing to live up to that.
❄️ Please provide a couple of lines each that describe Ella and Alex as individuals?
Ella is a people-pleaser, she’s wants to fulfil the promise she made to her father on his deathbed. But in order to do it, she’s putting everyone else first, and she’s being taken advantage of. She’s kind and a hard-worker, but she needs to change.
Alex – at least initially – is cold on the surface, he works hard and thinks everyone else should do the same. He doesn’t tolerate weakness and has no time for slackers. But he hasn’t learned to let people in and he’s far more vulnerable than he first appears.
❄️ Henry had some interesting ideas about being an artist, can you share a few of those thoughts?
Henry Lockhart, is the landscape artist in the story. He helps Ella and Alex to change through their mutual love of art. Henry believes you need to show the truth in art – he expects honesty from Alex and at the start tells him he expects him to bleed (emotionally) while he’s in his studio. He doesn’t tolerate lies of any kind, he pushes Ella and Alex to ‘show the truth’ in all its glory in their work. But for some, the truth can be too much – and to really see the truth, you sometimes have to look at it more than once.
❄️ Hunter’s part/role in the story is quite touching. Tell us a little about this boy and how he relates to and affects Alex (without giving anything vital away!).
Hunter is the seven-year-old grandson of Aggie McBride who works as Henry’s housekeeper. The little boy takes a shine to Alex as soon as he arrives. Hunter is adorable and eager to impress Alex with the drawings he’s been doing. The two of them slowly form a friendship during the book as Hunter and Alex learns that Hunter’s father isn’t very impressed with Hunter’s art. I wanted to use their friendship and mutual love of art to draw a parallel between the boy’s relationship with his father and Alex’s relationship with his. Through Hunter, Alex realises that some people can never be pleased and it’s okay (and sometimes necessary) to walk away.
❄️ Is it difficult to write from the male perspective (as a female author) and what helps in your approach?
I actually find the male perspective easier to write than the female. I’ve no idea why. Perhaps it’s because it’s easier to adopt a fictional mindset. With women my own perspective slips in and I have to work hard to make sure all my heroines are different. I am a visual person and I picture my characters and almost climb inside their bodies when I’m writing. This gets easier to do as I move into the second or third draft of my story and the characters really come to life.
❄️ You obviously love writing Romance novels but if you were to try another genre for an artistic challenge, what would it be and why?
I’d write romantic suspense or psychological thrillers. I really enjoy watching and reading them both. It’s a very different insight into the human mind – reading about people who want to solve crimes, or those who commit them. I enjoy puzzling out people’s motivations in the stories and I really enjoy the culprits being caught. My favourite writers in the genre usually include a romance too, so it ticks all the boxes!
❄️ What was the last book you read that made you cry?
I don’t tend to read books that make me cry. Unless it’s a romantic suspense or a thriller or crime novel, I enjoy romance. Things that make me laugh or feel warm and happy at the end. There are so many authors I love who do this. Nora Roberts, Julie Caplin, Sarah Bennett, Lucy Score, L.J Ross to name a few!
❄️ Do you have another project in the works and can you share a bit about it?
I’m currently writing a summer book for 2025. It’s set in Tuscany – which is a first for me. I’m enjoying writing about hot weather, sunscreen and beaches! As you’d expect, I’ve got some crazy characters and animals, and multigenerational romances. It’s an enemies to lovers romance set around a big Italian wedding and I’m having a lot of fun writing it!
🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄
Thanks to Donna for being my guest author today! To read more about Donna and her books visit her lovely website where you will also see links to her social media pages.
