As Christmas approaches, parents worldwide struggle with a difficult issue: will this be the year that their child stops believing in Santa Claus?

Of course the time comes when a child’s logic wins out over their imagination: when they realise that the man in the Santa costume who’s visiting their school is wearing the exact same shoes as their maths teacher; when explanations of quite how Santa manages to get around all the houses in the world don’t quite add up; when a child asks brightly, ‘How come Santa’s used the same wrapping paper for his presents as you have on those you’ve given to me?’

The realisation that Santa – or the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy – doesn’t exist is a seminal moment in childhood, and one many parents hope to put off for as long as possible. Don’t we all remember the sadness of discovering that the world is a less wonderful, sparkling, twinkling place than we’d imagined since we were even capable of imagining? Growing up is not easy, and even as an adult we often yearn for the simplicity and innocence of childhood.

I think the reason that we love Christmas so much is the magic in the air – and being around children who do believe heightens the experience. But I wonder whether, if we allow ourselves, children have a lesson to teach us at this time of year…

For at the root of Christmas is one core value: Faith. It’s what children have in abundance, and adults – hurt by the realities and difficulties of life – often struggle to embrace.

Those of us who write and read romance, of course, are much attuned to the magical, atmospheric, sensation-stirring side of life. And when I write romance, such as in my novel Burning Embers, I always think the climax of a book boils down to two people who love each other taking a leap of faith – to trust each other, to trust their feelings, to trust this thing called ‘love’ that is intangible and yet is the most powerful force on Earth.

Faith – belief in just a touch of magic – may be a difficult path for a reasoned adult to tread. But oh how much lighter one treads with a heart that contains hope and belief.

So this holiday season, I wish you all a truly magical Christmas, in every sense.