I love watching nature programmes like Springwatch and admire anything Chris Packham does, so I immediately noticed this nature book by Hannah Stitfall which has a quote from Chris on the top of the front cover. The cover itself is beautiful too.
The book has good, short chapters which are easy to read. It is very easy to picture what she is talking about, it’s like being there with her (but without the often cold, dark weather and early starts!). This is the ideal book to pick up and read a couple of chapters of. Like with many factual books, it’s full of information and I like taking it slowly to absorb what is being described. You won’t whizz through this book in a couple of hours, but I don’t think you should anyway. It’s a book to be savoured. You could even read it month by month so it is relevant to the time of year you are in.
The book goes through the year highlighting local wildlife from each season. It’s educational, without being obviously so, because you are then aware of which animals and birds are around in each month of the year. You can of course take this into your own wildlife adventures and explore your local areas of interest or just enjoy Hannah’s adventures searching for “Cornwall’s best hidden wildlife.”
We encounter all sorts of creatures within these pages – otters, hares, deer, foxes, badgers, beavers, seals, butterflies, insects and a whole variety of birds. Hannah Stitfall’s love and respect for all of these comes out through the pages of this book and it’s a wonderful read for that reason. There are also lots of gorgeous photos included, which I really enjoyed looking at, my favourites being the foxes.
Hannah Stitfall is a TV presenter and zoologist, who regularly gets up in the early hours of the morning to try and catch sight of some of Cornwall’s best hidden wildlife. She will spend hours on end waiting for a creature to appear among a hedgerow, scurrying across Cornwall’s open fields or taking flight across its towering cliffs and sandy beaches. In these brief, magical moments, Hannah is able to see and capture animal behaviour that the general public rarely get to witness.
In this book, Hannah shares her incredible stories, beautiful photographs and often funny meetings with Cornwall’s wildlife through the course of a year. From brown hares boxing in the grass in the spring, watching an otter cub hunt in the wetlands in winter, to witnessing the unique bioluminescence of a glow-worm in the summer, Wild Treasures is a remarkable diary, informative guide and joyous celebration of our nation’s wonderful creatures.
Hannah Stitfall is a wildlife presenter and zoologist. She’s presented on The One Show, BBC Earth and Radio 4, and she’s a regular digital presenter on the Winterwatch and Springwatch social channels.
Hannah also leads her own seasonal wildlife watching safaris in Cornwall which routinely sell out. This is Hannah’s debut nonfiction book.
Waltho Williams lives in a beautiful home – La Maison du Paradis – in the small village of Poutaloux-Beauvoir in Western France. It is July and the opening of his French Cookery School. He has a Celebrity Chef – Daniel Douglas de Beers – from the Cotswolds to teach the classes, ably assisted by Sous chef Tomas, while Waltho himself has help from the hostess Angelique.
We soon get to know those on the week’s course, meeting some of them on the journey and others as they arrive. They are a mixed bunch and include: Caroline Carrington, who is 61, from Kensington in London. She is getting a divorce from her husband Stanley and she owns a catering company. Francesca (Fran) Cartwright, who is also 61, a loud and vibrant woman from Blackpool, who has been married to Sid for 40 years and owns a fish and chip shop/café. Then we have identical twin sisters – Jeanette and Pearl – who own a gift shop in Bath. Ahmed Singh – a slim, smartly dressed, retired dentist from Solihull. Bridgette Haworth from Lancashire, a widow in her seventies, an expert gardener and owner of Flaxby Manor. Sally Parker-Brown – a fifty-year-old journalist and food writer. She is single, has bright pink hair and is trying to get over splitting up from boyfriend Ross. She owns a Mercedes sports car and has a free place at the cookery school in exchange for writing some articles to get some publicity for Waltho’s new venture.
Everyone wants to get something out of the trip and it’s interesting following their journey and seeing how the week away changes them. There are a great mix of characters and I always love a book with older characters in it. I liked Fran straight away, as she is really down to earth and relatable. I found Caroline too snobby, she is hard to like at first as she turns her nose up at lovely Fran. But of course, things soon come to light and you understand why she is like this.
The story is set in France, of course and is very evocative, especially with the descriptions of the food and the pretty scenery in the area. I found it a bit too descriptive for my taste, with a lot of mention of how things looked and lots of details of flowers and sounds, but that’s just me.
There are lots of laughs in the book, many comedic moments and the reader feels a whole mixture of emotions as all the characters reveal more of themselves and their situations. It is definitely worth a read and some of the characters will stay with you a long time after you’ve read the last page.
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The French Cookery School
Mix together a group of mature students:
A culinary Sloane, a take-away cook and a food journalist.
Add in:
A handsome host
Season with:
A celebrity chef
Bring to the boil:
At a luxurious cookery school in France!
Waltho Williams has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he opens the doors of La Maison du Paradis, his beautiful French home. But with dwindling funds, a cookery school seems like the ideal business plan.
Running away from an impending divorce, super-snob Caroline Carrington hopes a luxurious cookery holiday will put her back on her feet. Blackpool fish and chip café owner Fran Cartwright thinks she’s won the lottery when her husband Sid books her on a week working alongside a celebrity chef. Meanwhile, feeling she is fading at fifty, journalist Sally Parker-Brown hopes her press week covering the cookery course will enable her to boost her career.
But will the eclectic group be a recipe for success, or will the mismatched relationships sink like a souffle?
Whip out an apron, grab a wooden spoon and take a culinary trip to La Maison du Paradis, then sit back and enjoy The French Cookery School!
Caroline James always wanted to write, but instead of taking a literary route, followed a career in the hospitality industry, which included owning a pub and a beautiful country house hotel. She was also a media agent representing celebrity chefs. When she finally glued her rear to a chair and began to write, the words flowed, and several novels later, she has gained many bestseller badges for her books.
The French Cookery School is Caroline’s tenth novel. Previously, The Cruise, described as: ‘Girl power for the over sixties!’ was an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller. Caroline’s hilarious novels include The Spa Break and The Best Boomerville Hotel, depicted as ‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel’.
She likes to write in Venus, her holiday home on wheels and in her spare time, walks with Fred, her Westie, or swims in a local lake. Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, the SOA, ARRA and the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists. She is also a speaker with many amusing talks heard by a variety of audiences, including cruise ship guests.
A Poignant and Humorous Journey of Self-discovery, Resilience, and Redemption
Once, Julie dreamed of a life filled with love and laughter. Now, in her mid-forties, she faces a starkly different reality. She’s single, lonely, and reeling from breaking her hard-earned sobriety in front of her family and friends.
Opting for self-recovery over romance, Julie dives into planning her best friend Kate’s wedding. However, sharing this task with the irritatingly cheerful best man, single dad Luke, proves to be an unexpected challenge.
As Luke’s persistent kindness chips away at her icy exterior, a friendship forms, stirring a longing she’d sworn to suppress. But with self-forgiveness as her biggest hurdle, and her past ready to sabotage her future, can Julie confront the shame and trauma that have darkened so much of her life and find the courage to love again? Or will her demons shatter both her and Luke’s hearts in the process?
Jamie Anderson, author of the hilarious and heartwarming Someone to Kiss, is back with another witty, acerbic, and relatable story. Love, Julie is a richly emotional tale of recovery, forgiveness, and romance that readers have praised for “nailing the humor and snarky nature of our generation.”
Jamie Anderson is based in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. A proud Canadian and Saskatchewanian, she wanted to set her first two novels in the place she was born and raised.
She’s been writing for as long as she can remember, and has been reading for longer than that. She lives happily with her mountain of books, her TV and her two plants.
Hi Karen. Thank you for inviting me to talk about my writing on your fabulous Blog. I’m honoured to be among such great authors, especially as my writing journey has not been a traditional one.
Which childhood books and authors were your favourites? Do you think they influenced you in wanting to become an author?
I don’t have a favourite children’s book or author. Except for the books I read for schoolwork, I didn’t read much as a child. Mum read to me when I was small, but when I was five years old, my parents bought a pub and after that, were very busy. Shortly after we moved into the pub, a disused World War 2 Commonwealth Aerodrome was taken over by the American Airforce, and within a couple of years, there were thousands of GIs in the area. Most of the pubs in the town said they didn’t want the Americans, but mum and dad welcomed them. Dad bought a jukebox, had the hayloft converted to a dance room, and the Fox Inn rocked.
I still have a Bunty annual, but apart from reading Mum’s copies of American author Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women and Jo’s Boys, it was music that I grew up with.
How did you get your first book published?
I was inspired to finish my first novel, Foxden Acres, and encouraged to self-publish during The Writers Holiday at Caerleon University in 2011. The late crime writer Lesley Horton was my course tutor. Having Lesley share her knowledge about writing fiction was an incredible experience. It was my first writing course. I was so lucky to have Lesley Horton as my tutor. May I share something that Lesley said? Before leaving for tea one day, she said, “If you’re on a writing roll, get your husband to make the tea.” I piped up with, “What if you haven’t got a husband, Lesley.” She answered, “You go hungry.” I can still hear her saying that. Loved her.
Later in the week, I attended a short course on self-publishing with Malcolm Chisholm. I decided then to find a professional editor, proofreader and formatter, and I would self-publish.
If you had to write a non-fiction book, what subject or person would it be about?
I would write about a Sioux Elder named Elsie Cavender, who adopted me into the Dakota Sioux tribe in 1961 when I was eleven. Grandma Cavender, as she was to me, was a direct descendent of a long line of Sioux Chiefs.
(Photos: Maddie on the Reservation with Grandpa Cavender and Dougie Shepard in 1961)
I said earlier that there was a USAAF Aerodrome a few miles from where I was brought up. While the base was there, my youngest aunt married a full-blooded Dakota Sioux Indian. My parents sent me to visit her in 1961 – and for six weeks, I lived on the Upper Sioux Reservation in Granite Falls, Minnesota. I was adopted into the tribe during a powwow given in my honour and thirty years later, Grandma Cavender gave me my Dakota Sioux name, Wacantkiya Win.
How do you come up with titles for your books?
Titles come to me while I am writing.
Foxden Acres, Bess Dudley organising a group of land girls and turning the Foxden Estate into arable land.
Applause, Margot Dudley’s determination to become a famous dancer and have the audience applaud her.
China Blue is Claire Dudley’s code name with the SOE in France, and The 9:45 To Bletchley represents the near fateful train journey that Ena Dudley took to Bletchley Park.
Titles of the stand-alone sequels are less obvious, and, Old Cases New Colours had no relevance to the story at all until Ena became a witness for the prosecution after investigating a spy in Brighton who is tried for murder and treason in Court One at The Old Bailey. The title came into my head as soon as I began writing, and it would not go away! I justified it by saying Ena investigates old cases that colour her life.
The second editions of my novels have single-word titles, suggested by my fabulous publisher, Kathryn Taussig, at Storm Publishing. They are strong titles. Kathryn sent me a list of titles that she thought captured the story of each book and asked my opinion. After brainstorming, we came up with what I thought were perfect titles for each of the novels I had written.
When you’re being interviewed about the books you’ve written, do you ever forget the names of your characters?
Funny you should ask me that. A character that I am really fond of is the housekeeper at Foxden Hall, in Foxden Acres. I can never remember her name. Mrs Hartly. There! I remembered it without looking it up. The next time I won’t remember. In my defence, it has been thirteen years since I first wrote Foxden Acres. And, as an actress, I was trained to let go of the character I had played when the production ended to have space in my head for the next character – names and lines, too. That is my excuse, and I am sticking to it.
What’s the strangest thing you have researched (or Googled!) for a book you were writing?
I researched some weird, wonderful and horrific subjects while writing novels set in WW2. But, the strangest was while writing a short story about a little girl and her imaginary friend. I wanted to know why children can see and hear imaginary people but grownups can’t. I have a cousin who had an imaginary friend called Freddie from the age of two until she went to school. She insisted Freddie had his own place sitting at the table and when her parents took her out in the car, Freddie would follow on his motorbike. I found it fascinating. After a couple of years of Freddie and my cousin being inseparable, she suddenly stopped talking to him. When my aunt asked her why she no longer spoke to Freddie, my cousin said, quite casually, that he had emigrated to Australia. Some years later, my aunt learned that her neighbour’s late husband, who was called, Frederik, and who had died when my cousin was two, rode a motorbike when he was young and had emigrated to Australia on his eighteenth birthday. Stranger things… eh?
What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
The last book is always the best until I get stuck into the next one. I love spy and crime thrillers. I support author friends by buying their books on Kindle to help them up the Amazon ladder. I buy paperbacks from authors in my writing groups, at conferences and at writing schools like Swanwick. I read a wide range of genres, so I won’t say one or the other is best. I am going to say, too many to name.
What’s your least favourite household chore?
My least favourite chore is changing the bed. I have arthritis and, I think, a frozen shoulder. I can’t lift my right arm above chest height. It’s a nightmare lifting the mattress to put the fitted sheet under it. And it takes me an age to change the duvet cover.
Do you have any rituals when you start writing a new book?
I declutter the study before starting every new book. It’s as if cleaning the study is clearing my mind. I move everything from the left of my computer and replace it with a new pen, notebook, and my Bletchley Park drinks coaster. Making space on my desk is like making space in my imagination. I put a new notepad on my bedside table, with a pen and a small torch – in case I wake up in the middle of the night with an idea and need to write it down. I click the torch on and off to make sure it’s working. I know I’m running down the batteries by putting the torch on and off, but knowing it doesn’t stop me from doing it.
Tell us about your latest book.
My latest book, Justice, book 10 and the last in the Sisters of Wartime England series was published in October 2023 and I am happy to say is being enjoyed by lots of lovely readers.
In the final instalment of this gripping series, past meets present and dark secrets lurk beneath the façade of justice… After a brutal break-in at Dudley Green Associates, Ena Dudley and her trusted colleague Artie Mallory are plunged into a dangerous investigation that intertwines wartime secrets, betrayal and treason.
When a client approaches the agency, saying he’s received a series of anonymous letters, Ena is intrigued. Digging deeper, she finds a haunting photograph of a child taken during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, in a Germany gripped by the Nazis’ brutal reign. The letters lead to a man believed to have been murdered undercover, and his widow who offers more questions than answers.
In 2023, Foxden Acres, book 1 in the Sisters of Wartime England, was published by Storm Publishing. Destiny, Betrayal and Redemption, the first four books of the original saga, followed. And, to my utter delight, as well as being on Kindle, KindleUnlimited and in paperback, they are also audiobooks.
Last October, Justice, the tenth book in the series, was published. Justice is the last in the Sisters of Wartime England, but watch this space. You have not heard the last of the Dudley sisters.
Thank you for asking such interesting questions, Karen. I have really enjoyed answering them.
Love and peace,
Maddie xx
AUTHOR BIO:
Madalyn was brought up in a small market town called, Lutterworth, where she has returned to live after thirty-six years in London. She had a hairdressing salon and wig hire business before going to Drama College. Madalyn was an actress for thirty years, performing on television, in the West End and in Repertory Theatre. She has been a radio journalist and is now a classic rock radio presenter. She has written articles for music magazines, women’s magazines and newspapers. She now writes poems, short stories and novels. She has written ten novels – a wartime saga and a post war series. She is currently putting together a collection of short stories and poetry and writing a novel for Christmas 2024.
(The first book in the Welcome to Mickleway Bay series)
The novel is set in the seaside town of Micklewick Bay on the North Yorkshire coast, where Florrie Appleton (32) works at The Happy Hartes Bookshop. All readers will relate to the wonders of a bookshop, so it’s a lovely setting for this story.
The characters are lovely, well-written and very believable. I love Mr Harte, Miss Davenport and Florrie’s group of girlfriends she hangs out with – Jasmine, Stella, Maggie and Lark. Every good novel has a dog in it and this one features Gerty, the lovely black Labrador who lives at the bookshop with Mr Harte. There’s also a very yummy romantic lead…
The book is mainly a romance novel (though every romance has lots of other bits to it) and we begin the book knowing Florrie is dating Graham, though they seem more like friends than lovers. When a mysterious stranger talks to her outside the bookshop, she finds him very attractive. Could this be the start of something? But then a tragic event happens, which means romance is the last thing on Florrie’s mind…
There are lots of things going on in this book, plenty to hold your interest and keep you reading. The level of “bedroom activity” is perfect for me (i.e. behind closed doors) and Florrie is such a lovely character, you’re rooting for her all the way through and hoping she gets the happy ending she deserves.
A lovely, feel-good book.
9 out of 10
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The Little Bookshop by the Sea
Welcome to your happy place…
Each morning as bookseller Florrie Appleton cycles along the promenade of her seaside hometown, watching the surfers far out in the bay, breathing in the fresh salty air, she counts herself lucky. She has a small but picture-perfect cottage overlooking the sea, a group of friends she can always rely on, and the job of her dreams at her favourite bookshop. But when tragedy strikes, her little slice of heaven is in danger of being lost forever.
To save the bookshop from closure, Florrie finds herself thrown together with the elderly owner’s handsome grandson, Ed Hartes, who has a habit of making butterflies dance in her stomach. But the only romance Florrie has time for lies within the pages of her favourite novels, and her instincts are telling her to be wary. There’s something Ed’s keeping from her, and she can’t face another heartbreak.
When Florrie stumbles upon a mysterious stash of yellowed letters in the storeroom, it seems Ed isn’t the only one with secrets. The old bookshop is full of stories waiting to be told, and they aren’t only in the pages of the books….
The perfect uplifting, feel-good read for fans of Jessica Redland, Jenny Colgan and Phillipa Ashley.
Purchase Links
Author Bio –
Eliza J Scott lives in North Yorkshire with her family and has wanted to be a writer as far back as she can remember. She is inspired by her beautiful surroundings and loves to write heartwarming stories based on romance and friendship with a generous dollop of community spirit and a hint of humour. She has written and self-published ten novels and has been an Amazon UK Kindle bestseller.
When she’s not writing, Eliza can usually be found with her nose in a book or working in her garden doing a spot of plot wrangling (of the writing variety), and battling against the weeds. The weeds, unfortunately, are currently winning but Eliza is undeterred. Roses are amongst her favourite flowers and she doesn’t need much of an excuse to visit a plant centre where a new rose always seems to mysteriously find its way onto her trolley much to her husband’s astonishment.
Eliza also enjoys having a catch-up with friends over tea and cake, as well as bracing walks in the countryside, rounded off by a visit to a teashop – for yet more tea and cake!
Set in the fictional town of Gleveham in Gloucestershire, Her Deadly Friend is a really good, exciting read. Right from the prologue, you are hooked. It begins 29 years ago at school. Amy Ashby and her mother are complaining to the head teacher that Terri and Steph have damaged her viola.
It then moves on to the recent present. Someone is murdered at the Georgian Gardens and we follow the police case. Steph from the school incident is now Detective Inspector Stephanie ‘Steph’ Lewis, and along with her boss DCI Kevin Richards and the police team, they set about solving what soon becomes more murders.
As for the other two girls from school, Terri is still Steph’s best friend. Amy Ashby lives with her elderly, ill mother Eileen after her father has died. She is matron at a posh private school and it seems her ex-boyfriend Sean is stalking her.
Well, this story certainly holds your interest, I read it in a few days as I wanted to know what was happening. The chapters are the perfect size too – just one more soon becomes fifty pages read! There are so many great, realistic characters in here – some you love and a couple you’ll really hate! It is a page-turner, it’s very twisty-turny, and full of surprises right till the end. And no, I didn’t guess whodunnit!
(Originally posted August 2022.)
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Her Deadly Friend – the closer she gets, the more people die
The Suspect
Bullied by Steph Lewis at school, then betrayed by her lover, Amy Ashby still seethes with fury. Despite the decades-old resentment, she’s on the hunt for a new man and a fresh start. This time for keeps.
The Stalker
When both women are stalked by a figure from their shared past, danger threatens.
The Detective
Now Detective Inspector, Steph follows a tip-off to her old rival. After quarrels exploded beyond the playground and changed lives forever, she vowed never to see Amy again. But that was then.
The Deaths
Murder rocks the city. First one, then another. The body count reaches five, and all Steph’s leads point to Amy. But is Steph obsessed with a schoolgirl vendetta or closing in on a deadly killer?
I have read Samantha Tonge’s books before and she’s an author where I’d read anything she had written. I love the warmth of her style and the authenticity of her writing. So I was very excited to read her latest novel – A Single Act of Kindness.
Tilda Wright is in her late twenties and lives in a rundown area of Manchester where she owns a cleaning business. She sticks to a tight routine and a tidy house. She lives alone with her inherited cat Dettol and likes it that way, not wanting to make friends or get to know anyone that might let her down. But then she meets Milo, a thirty-year-old homeless man.
I don’t really want to give away any more of the plot, as there’s a lot of character development, hidden secrets and self-improvement. I love how Tilda and Milo are quite different and unusual main characters for a book. Milo is at a very low point in his life and although Tilda seems as though she’s doing okay, she really isn’t. She has to shut out a lot to get through her days and the reader really wants her to enjoy life and find happiness. It turns out Tilda and Milo have more in common than they expected.
Despite both the main characters being flawed, you really come to know them and love them and want them to find their way to happiness. The novel has a perfect balance of highs and lows and the reader will find themselves going through all emotions as you read the unfolding story. I kept shouting at Tilda’s character, telling her to do something different or make the other decision, because I really cared about her. When you’re that invested, you know it’s a really good book!
It does make you think about a lot of things too – what people get from life and whether it’s enough; what you should (or shouldn’t) do to help your fellow human; whether to trust people; whether by protecting ourselves, we end up doing more damage. Ultimately though, it’s an uplifting, feel-good story and in a world which can seem quite frightening these days, it’s a joy to get lost in a story with so much good at its heart.
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A Single Act of Kindness
Meet Tilda Wright…
Tilda has done everything she can to make her life neat, protected, tidy. No longer the girl who was scared of everything, whose family pushed her away, who hit rock bottom. Now she runs her life – as she does her successful business – with the utmost organization. As long as she keeps everyone at arm’s length, she will be fine. She will be safe.
But then a chance encounter with a man who’s fallen on hard times changes everything. Milo needs a break, and self-contained Tilda surprises herself by deciding she should help him. Just for a while. A few days at the most.
Maybe all he needs is someone to organize him, to help him clean up his act? She is sure she knows how to kick-start Milo into turning his life around.
What Tilda doesn’t know is that – with this single act of kindness – it might actually be her own life that’s about to change forever…
Samantha Tonge is the bestselling and award-winning author of over 15 romantic fiction titles published by HQ, and most recently Aria. Her first book for Boldwood, Under One Roof, was published in February 2022 and her move to Boldwood marks a broadening of her writing into multi-generational woman’s fiction. She lives in Manchester with her family.
1) Which childhood books and authors were your favourites? Do you think they influenced you in wanting to become an author?
I was obsessed with Roald Dahl. Particularly Matilda, which came out when I was a little girl. I was given the hardback as a present. I still have it, and my daughter is reading it. I loved his sense of humour, his playful language and his ability to create characters that were both relatable and often fantastical. His books taught me that it is possible to write stories that are both entertaining and meaningful.
2) How did you get your first book published?
I started my debut novel, Patience, about 10 years before it was published, but then forgot about it for a long while. What finally pushed it over the line was a Faber Academy course, which gave me the impetus to finish it. I then sent it out to agents, and was very lucky to get two offers. After I’d chosen my agent, we worked on the manuscript for a few months, before sending it out to publishers. Then a month or so later, we had two offers from publishing houses. It was such an exciting, dreamy time.
3) If you had to write a non-fiction book, what subject or person would it be about?
Patience, was inspired by my sister Clare, who has Rett syndrome. Despite the fact we’ve never been able to speak to each other, we have an “unspoken language,” something I was determined to feature in the book; the bond between Patience and her sister Eliza is incredibly strong. If I ever have time, I’d like to write a non-fiction book for other siblings of disabled people, sharing my childhood experiences. I felt very isolated as a kid, thinking I was the only one, and now I’m much older, I know that’s not true.
4) How do you come up with titles for your books?
Patience, my first novel, was named after the Take That song. Patience the character is an enormous Take That fan (as am I in real life!) so it made sense, and it’s also a book about being patient, and being a patient, so it made sense on lots of different levels. My second, Grace, was a deliberate link – another virtue. Grace is the name of the baby in the book, and the characters also have to demonstrate ‘grace’ in the way they behave. My third novel, The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave, was originally going to be called Constance (another virtue!) but my editor changed it. I think it was the right decision. It gives people more of an idea about what to expect from the novel.
5) When you’re being interviewed about the books you’ve written, do you ever forget the names of your characters?
All the time! I was doing a live radio interview recently and realised I couldn’t remember the name of the character. It was really annoying, as I had a good point to make! I’ve created so many characters now, and when you’re writing something new, your brain often dumps what went before. Or at least, mine does, anyway.
6) What’s the strangest thing you have researched (or Googled!) for a book you were writing?
Probably trying to find out how the residents of houses on Thames islands in the Victorian era got their drinking water. You’ll have to read my next novel to find out why 🙂
7) What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
I’m just about to finish Janice Hallett’s The Appeal, and goodness it’s a clever book. It’s compulsive and imaginative, and I wish I’d written it! Although I don’t write crime (yet) I do love reading it.
8) What’s your least favourite household chore?
Ironing. I simply don’t do it. I have a handheld steamer instead for quick fixes in the morning.
9) Do you have any rituals when you start writing a new book?
Not really, except that I always light a candle next to my desk when I write. I love the scent and it sort of sets the scene. I also always write a synopsis first with the ‘hook’ for the book, and this then helps me to brainstorm the plot, which I write into a spreadsheet with a chapter outline on each line. Oh, and I always have a cup of fresh coffee!
10) Tell us about your latest book and upcoming book. Also please add your links for your blog/website, social media links, etc.
My latest novel, The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave, is an uplifting, emotional read which feels like a warm hug. It’s got a 4.5 average on Amazon, which is amazing. It’s free via Kindle Unlimited and also available in audio and paperback. You can buy it here: https://amzn.to/3M5hwAQ
I always love Heidi Swain’s books and I pre-ordered this one way back in August. As well as being a brilliant writer, Heidi also has to be one of the loveliest people I’ve met online. So I’m thrilled to celebrate her publication day with a few questions and answers, which I hope you enjoy reading too.
If you could escape for a holiday to somewhere you’ve created in your books, which fictional destination would you visit and what would you do there?
That’s a tricky question, because I would love to visit every setting I’ve created. Christmas at Wynthorpe Hall with the Connelly family would be idyllic, wouldn’t it? However, as we’re heading towards summer (allegedly) and I’m a huge fan of having a go at different crafts, I’m going to pick a visit to Hollyhock Cottage which features in The Holiday Escape.
Ally and her dad host the most wonderful artistic weekends in Kittiwake Cove and I’d love to stay there and try my hand at making some more silver jewellery. I took part in a silver stacking ring making workshop a while ago and I loved it.
How do you come up with the names of your characters? Do they announce themselves, or do you have to work to find out what they are called?
With great difficulty is how I come up with them and no, they never announce themselves! I’m not even going to attempt to add up how long I spend working on assigning characters the right names. I’ve quite recently discovered that film credits are a superb source for both first names and surnames, but it hasn’t helped speed the process up.
Even though I’ve never had a character land complete with a name, it didn’t take me long to settle on Bella in Home for Christmas, but she’s been the exception not the rule. Whatever the name ends up being, it absolutely has to be the right fit and that can take hours, days, weeks of baby name website searching, and now, film watching!
What word count do your publishers ask for? Do you have issues with over-writing or under-writing?
All of my books are around one hundred thousand words. Some go over by a few thousand, but never under. I tend to write a pretty solid first draft and it’s always about that length. Funnily enough, it isn’t something I think about, it just somehow happens. I hope I haven’t jinxed it now I’ve acknowledged it!
You have some of the most beautiful book covers I have ever seen. Please tell us a little about the process of the covers being designed and what input you have.
Thank you so much. I’m delighted you like them and I absolutely love them, too. Predictably the current one is always my favourite!
As soon as my editor has the roughly drafted details of what the book is going to be about, she briefs the art department and Pip Watkins works her magic. Pip has designed all of my covers and I very rarely ask to have anything changed. In fact, I can’t remember the last time… The team might have a few options to consider with regards to colour choices for the design, but we always love the same one.
I consider myself most fortunate that I’m able to express an opinion and could ask for things to be altered if I wasn’t happy. I know not every author has that opportunity and I’m doubly blessed given that Pip hits the jackpot every time.
What will you be doing on publication day? Do you still get excited about each new release?
As a rule, I spend around seventeen hours on social media on publication day. I kid you not! I literally go from one social media platform to another, thanking everyone for their kind likes, shares and comments. It’s epic! And then of course, there’s the traditional and thoroughly fabulous publication day party created and hosted by Sue Baker on Facebook.
This time around I’ve also got an in-person event happening on the actual day. My local library has invited me along for an evening celebration and I’m really looking forward to that.
I’ll have a breather on Friday and then it’s over to Downham Market in the heart of Wynbridge country for a morning of fun, photos and hopefully lots of signing in No8 The Old Book Shop.
I do still get excited about each new release, but I’m always jittery about how the book is going to be received. I’ve celebrated eighteen times now and the nerves haven’t gone away yet so I’m not expecting this time to be any different. Here’s hoping everyone loves it!
Imagine you were invited on all the skilled reality TV shows – Sewing Bee, Bake Off, Pottery Throw Down, Strictly, etc. – but you could only pick one. Which would you pick and why?
Well, I’m not skilled in any of these but I did recently have a go at making a pinch pot at my local library and loved it, so I’ll say Pottery Throw Down. It’s not only the skill that I’m drawn to, but also the wonderful camaraderie between the contestants and hosts. Everyone is always so supportive – apart from when Keith gets a bit slap happy with his bucket of course – and I love watching everyone bond throughout the series.
If you don’t mind, Karen, I’m going to take this opportunity to say that it doesn’t matter if you’re skilled, proficient or otherwise when it comes to having a go at things. I throw myself in at the deep end all the time these days because it really is about taking part. If you enjoy doing something, then do it, irrespective of whether you get a polished end result. If you never try, you’ll never know. A decade ago, I didn’t have a single book with my name on and now I’m writing my twentieth. Life’s short folks, so dive in!
The Holiday Escape Blurb
Her dream holiday is his everyday life. His dream holiday is her normal life. What happens when they collide?
Ally and her dad, Geoff, run the family business, a creative retreat, from their home Hollyhock Cottage in picturesque Kittiwake Cove. They give their guests their dream break, but Ally hankers after glamourous city living, fancy restaurants and art galleries.
Ally’s survival strategy is to escape out of season, take a break abroad and pretend to be the person she always imagined she would be. She meets Logan while she’s away and he turns out to be exactly the kind of distraction she’s looking for.
With her spirits restored, Ally returns home, picks up the reins again and sets her sights on another successful season, but when Logan unexpectedly arrives on the scene, she soon realises she’s in for a summer that’s going to be far from straightforward…
A story about bringing a holiday home – and what happens when what goes on on holiday comes back to bite you…
A lover of vintage paraphernalia and the odd bottle of fizz, she now writes feel good fiction with heart for Simon and Schuster. Her debut novel, The Cherry Tree Café was published in July 2015 and she became a Sunday Times Bestseller in 2017. Her 2022 Christmas title, A Christmas Celebration was awarded the RNA Popular Romantic Fiction Award in 2023.
Heidi currently writes two books a year and is represented by Amanda Preston, LBA. She lives in Norfolk.
I was excited to read this book, as I loved the first book in the series (Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove) where we meet Meredith, who makes a new start in life by buying a lighthouse on impulse. This book (book three) features Meredith’s mum, Lydia and her story. Meredith is in there too, of course, so we get a chance to catch up on other characters and see how they are doing.
Lydia, lives at Bay View Cottage and is 71. I love older characters and Lydia is fab! She is divorced from Peter, her fifth husband.
The community of Driftwood Bay is wonderful. I love finding out who everyone is, how they get on and what they do. There’s such a great cast of characters here, but a few need special mention.
There’s Martin whose job reminds me of The Repair Shop on TV and I enjoyed finding out about the projects he was working on and their stories. He suggests him and Lydia enter the local dance competition and this brings forth a load of memories from Lydia’s past.
Lydia’s next door neighbour Celia is a similar age to Lydia and has a wonderful array of animals – two horses, four goats, chickens and a dog called Hobson. Her sister Dianne is moving in to look after the house and animals while Celia is away. We find out about her in this story.
Finally, special mention to the brilliant Vi. I love her, she’s hilarious! (Just don’t give her a letter to post!)
I can really relate to Kim’s writing, especially her authentic characters, wit and humour. I was already laughing along at page 2 at a situation I could relate to with delivery drivers. Her writing is an absolute joy to read, the warmth comes off the pages and you can tell she adores her characters. She tackles some serious subjects too, but everything is handled beautifully. Plus there’s the gorgeous setting. I think even I could be persuaded to do some early morning beach yoga if I lived there!
Another absolutely brilliant read from Kim Nash! Highly recommended.
BLURB
Making Memories at the Cornish Cove
It’s never too late…
After five husbands and five broken hearts, Lydia feels like she’s always been chasing something. But now she’s found her purpose, and having moved to Driftwood Bay to spend more time with her daughter Meredith, she’s happier than ever.
But there’s still life in these old bones yet! With her newfound sense of identity, she’s keen to re-explore the things that made her happy as a younger person. Lydia’s passion was dancing – she used to compete in her younger years, and there’s no place she’s more at home than on the dancefloor.
So when widower and antiques restorer Martin tells her about a big dance competition, she’s ready and raring to bring more joy into her life. But while making memories with Martin, the more she realises that both of their hearts need restoring too…
Kim Nash is an author of uplifting, funny, heartwarming, romantic, feel-good fiction and has wanted to write books since she was a little girl. The Cornish Cove series is set in the fictional seaside village of Driftwood Bay in Cornwall and is published by Boldwood Books. She lives in Staffordshire with her son Ollie and English Setter rescue dog Roni, is Digital Publicity Director for publisher Bookouture (a division of Hachette UK) and is a book blogger.
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