Escape to Normandy with Jan Baynham.

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This week, I am delighted to escape to Normandy, with my guest Jan Baynham, as she talks about her novel, Her Nanny’s Secret.

Thank you for having me on your blog, Carol. As with all my novels, Her Nanny’s Secret is set in both beautiful rural mid-Wales where I grew up and in a foreign location. In this case, the contrasting setting is Normandy in Northern France. When writing the parts set in France, I was able to escape to a country I love and reminisce about the numerous visits we’ve made there on family holidays.

Although the town of Ville de Roi and the surrounding villages of Collinac and Sainte Marie-Hélène are fictional, I’ve based them on the area around southern Normandy. The Norman town of Avranches is steeped in history and there is plenty to see and do there. One of my favourite places is the peaceful botanic garden, Jardin des Plantes, with its view of a famous landmark in the distance out in the bay. In the novel, we accompany my main character, Annie, on a visit to Mont St Michel as she enjoyed walking through the narrow streets and winding her way up to the Gothic abbey perched on top.

The view from the very top was spectacular and worth the effort. They wandered around the arched cloisters that edged formal gardens.

In summer months, wherever you look in the area there’s an abundance of flowers in towns and villages as they compete in an annual contest started in 1959 after the devastation caused by the war. It was felt that the planting of flowers helped renew and repair communities.

A yellow road sign with three flower symbols proudly welcomed the visitor to a Village Fleuri… Everywhere they looked were tubs of flowers in vibrant colours, edging the cobbled pavements, in front of each shop window…

What’s great about visiting France is being able to sit at the numerous pavement cafés and sample French foods and drinks. This was new for Annie and when she visited La Belle Époque, she was overwhelmed by the wide choice on the menu.

Annie couldn’t decide from the images between a savoury galette filled with ham and cheese, topped with a fried egg, or, to satisfy her sweet tooth, a crêpe, oozing with cooked local apples and whipped cream. Pancakes were only ever eaten on Shrove Tuesday at home and then always with sugar and lemon juice.

The area is full of pretty villages all with their own mairies and central squares. At one, Annie is fascinated by a group of elderly men playing a game she hadn’t seen before.

‘Pétanque,’ said Clara. ‘It’s very popular in this part of France.’

… In turn, each player threw a larger silver-coloured ball, a boule, as close to the jack as they could. The men became more animated as the game went on, especially when someone’s boule knocked another’s further away from the jack.

Annie would never forget her first escape to Normandy, the landscape she travelled through, the pretty villages, the language she heard spoken and the warmth of the people she met.

Buying Links for Her Nanny’s Secret, OUT NOW:

Amazon | Kobo | Barnes and Noble

About the author:

After retiring from a career in teaching and advisory education, Jan Baynham joined a small writing group in a local library where she wrote her first piece of fiction.  From then on, she was hooked! She soon went on to take a writing class at the local university and began to submit short stories for publication to a wider audience. Her stories and flash fiction pieces have been longlisted and shortlisted in competitions and several appear in anthologies both online and in print. In October 2019, her first collection of stories was published. Her stories started getting longer and longer so that, following a novel writing course, she began to write her first full-length novel. She loves being able to explore her characters in further depth and delve into their stories.

Originally from mid-Wales, Jan lives in Cardiff with her husband. Having joined the Romantic Novelists Association in 2016, she values the friendship and support from other members and regularly attends conferences, workshops, talks and get togethers. She is co-organiser of her local RNA Chapter and a member of the Society of Authors.

Find out more about Jan Baynham and her novels here: Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook |

Thank you for the great post, Jan, and for stopping by my blog. xx

 

Escape to Cumbria with Caroline James.

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This week, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to Caroline James as she talks about Cumbria, the inspiration behind the setting of her novels.

I write about Cumbria after falling in love with the county many years ago. Also known as the Lake District, it is a creative’s dream and has inspired writers for centuries. My novels have sometimes featured a fictional hotel named Boomerville, popular with guests over the age of fifty. I once owned a hotel in the northern part of the county and knew that one day, it would be an excellent source for stories when I eventually glued my rear to a chair and began to write.

My fictional guests, often older protagonists, like the real guests who came to my hotel, flock to the area to experience the beauty and splendour of the landscape. In The Best Boomerville Hotel, I want the guests to have fun. They enjoy courses such as pottery or art and participate in whacky events where they may get stoned in a tepee with the resident shaman or hold a séance with Queenie, the clairvoyant. As I get older, I embrace my age and want my readers to enjoy the character’s journey as they find themselves experiencing new things too.

For several years I ran a pub, then a hotel in the Eden Valley and was captivated by the warmth of the locals who were so supportive to a newcomer. The hotel had been the principal house in the village and, with an impressive Georgian frontage, was set in three acres of lovely walled gardens with a large Victorian conservatory. Walking along the shadowy ridges of the fells in my spare time restored my spirits after a hard day at work and spurred my creative juices, for even then, I knew that I wanted to write stories based in this special place.

My first novel, Coffee Tea the Gypsy & Me, was set in a fictional village, but the market town of Appleby was the location behind the story. Appleby holds an annual gypsy horse fair, often hated by the locals but loved by the thousands of visitors who flock to the town. The fair was an ideal setting for a story. I live in Lancashire now but often travel into Cumbria for an afternoon or evening walk, and being beside the water of the lakes is something I treasure. My favourite lake is Ullswater, and my much-loved time of year is autumn when the leaves, crisp underfoot, turn to scarlet and gold, and there is a delicious chill in the air.

My latest publication, Hattie Goes to Hollywood, is set in a fictional village close to a lake. Ullswater was the inspiration for the novel. The main character, Hattie, a new resident in Hollywood, turns into a Cumbrian Miss Marple when she discovers three suicides in the village.

I write feel-good novels and hope that they uplift the reader. Cumbria has long been my muse, and I owe a great deal to this extraordinary place.

Carol, thank you so much for hosting me on your wonderful blog.

 Happy reading everyone xx

Thank you so much for stopping by and for sharing your lovely blog and photographs. Autumn is my favourite time of the year, too. xx

About Caroline James:

Author of women’s fiction, Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry, a subject that often features in her novels. She is based in the UK but has a great fondness for travel and escapes whenever the pandemic allows. A public speaker, which has included talks and lectures on cruise ships world-wide, Caroline is also a consultant and food writer. In her spare time, Caroline can be found walking up a mountain with Fred, her Westie, or sipping raspberry gin and relaxing with her head in a book and hand in a box of chocolates.

Books by Caroline James: Hattie Goes to Hollywood | Boomerville at Ballymegille | The Best Boomerville Hotel | Coffee Tea the Gypsy & Me | Coffee Tea the Chef & Me | Coffee Tea the Caribbean & Me | Jungle Rock

Discover more about her novels or contact Caroline here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Amazon

Escape to Korcula with Eva Glyn.

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This week, I am delighted to welcome Eva Glyn to tell us about the setting of her novel, The Olive Grove … an island full of secrets, a summer to discover them all. Over to you, Eva …

Ah, Korcula, Korcula. A gem of an island on the Dalmatian coast, almost close enough to reach out and touch the mainland, and yet with a wild beauty all of its own. Crystal seas, white pebble beaches, holm oaks and stone pines clinging to rocky outcrops… and vineyards… and olive groves. Of course, olive groves.

When I decided to set a book in Croatia I didn’t at first link it with olives, even though it is now published as The Olive Grove. What I wanted to write was a story that brought home the utter awfulness of a child living through a war; what it meant and how it felt. And how they looked back on it afterwards. It would be based on a story I heard from our tour director, Darko Barisic, just days after our visit to Korcula. He had lived through the Bosnian war in Mostar and was able to tell us about the good times and the bad.

And, of course, in any novel there must be dark and light. In fact Korcula was originally named by the Greeks as Korkyra Melaina, a reference to the black trees that covered it almost to the water’s edge. The centre of the island is still thickly forested in places, but around its coastline it sparkles and dazzles like nowhere else I know.

My character Antonia escapes from a toxic relationship to the island to work in Damir’s boutique hotel, Vila Maslina. And maslina is Croatian for olive, so this is where the connection began. And this is the house:

At first glance there was nothing special about Vila Maslina. In fact, it was quite an ordinary-looking farmhouse: two storeys in some places, three in others, with an irregular red tiled roof. But there was something a little different about it, and after a few moments she realised it was because the outside was painted not in the usual white, but with something akin to a paler version of Farrow & Ball’s Green Ground. It softened it somehow, blending it with the olive trees surrounding it. There was no other property in sight, but enlarging the picture on her screen Antonia could see a patchwork of vineyards behind it, rising to meet dark wooded hills…

…A heavy pine door in need of some TLC swung open and Antonia found herself in an elegant living room. The centrepiece was a massive fireplace with a mantelshelf carved from brilliant white stone; above it was an abstract painting in swirls of blue, instantly evoking the sea. The walls were the colour of the palest possible sky and swags of white muslin framed the windows. Bleached pine floors; low, squashy sofas; mismatched antique occasional tables – Antonia could almost smell the beeswax – this room was perfection.

Vila Maslina has been Damir’s home since he was a small boy, where he came to live with his aunt to escape his wartime past. But now that past is finding him again and it seems there is nowhere he can run to.

I hope The Olive Grove whisks readers away to beautiful Korcula, to live in Antonia and Damir’s world as they try to help each other to heal, and early reviews have made me hopeful that is the case:

“An extraordinary read. I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself.” Rubie

“A beautifully written book that made me want to visit Korcula.” Jill

“An excellent job of contrasting the idyllic setting with the horrors that took place decades earlier.” Claire

The Olive Grove was published by One More Chapter as an ebook on 3rdSeptember with paperback and audiobook to follow in November. For stockist information visit here.

Thank you so much for the wonderful post, Eva. The Olive Grove has landed on my kindle and I am looking forward to reading it. xx

About the Author:

Eva Glyn writes emotional women’s fiction inspired by beautiful places and the stories they hide. She loves to travel, but finds inspiration can strike just as well at home or abroad.

She cut her teeth on just about every kind of writing (radio journalism, advertising copy, PR, and even freelance cricket reporting) before finally completing a full length novel in her forties. Four lengthy and completely unpublishable tomes later she found herself sitting on an enormous polystyrene book under the TV lights of the Alan Titchmarsh Show as a finalist in the People’s Novelist competition sponsored by Harper Collins. Although losing out to a far better writer, the positive feedback from the judges gave her the confidence to pursue her dreams.

Eva lives in Cornwall, although she considers herself Welsh, and has been lucky enough to have been married to the love of her life for twenty-five years. She also writes as Jane Cable.

Discover more about Eva Glyn: Facbook | Instagram | Twitter | Newsletter sign up 

Escape to Greece with Ian Wilfred.

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This week, I am delighted to be taken on a sun kissed escape to Greece with author, Ian Wilfred. Over to you, Ian…

Thank you for inviting me on to your blog, Carol. I do love a sunny escape, and so I thought I would tell you about one of the great loves of my life (apart from my husband and dog, of course), the Greek town of Parga.

Parga is on the mainland of Greece, but you do feel you are on an island as it is not that well known. Located opposite Corfu, to reach it, you fly into Preveza. From there, it’s an hour’s journey around the coast to Parga. When we first visited, over twenty years ago, we had to get on a ferry for part of the journey; now, there is a tunnel that goes under the water. It saves a lot of time, but I do miss that little ferry trip.

Parga is a town of two halves divided by a steep (and I do mean steep) hill that leads to a castle affording fantastic views of the surrounding area. On one side of the hill, the harbour has its beautiful restaurants and fabulous little shops that look out to the sea. On the other side is the main beach of Valtos. It is simply stunning! Nestled behind the beach are olive groves with a scattering of holiday accommodation. Taking a sea taxi between the beach and the harbour takes less than ten minutes – and avoids the climb up the hill. Arriving by sea taxi into the harbour, lit up at night, is magical. It is a scene that appears in all three of my Greek books.

Parga first appeared in one of my books, SECRETS WE LEFT IN GREECE, in 2018. I changed Parga to Holkamos and decided it had to be an island; Valtos became Volmos, the castle and the sea taxi with the harbour all stayed the same.

(Always ready to seize an opportunity to escape into a beautiful setting, I found this video of Parga and can clearly see why you felt inspired by the town and surrounding area, Ian.)

The following year because I enjoyed writing it so much and readers seemed to love the island I had created, I revisited Holkamos with MY PERFECT SUMMER IN GREECE. This is one of my favourite books; I loved writing Cheryl’s story.

Last year I gave the Greek islands a miss. Instead, coming closer to home, I wrote a novel set in my fictional quayside town of Saltmarsh in Norfolk and also one set in Spain based on the lovely holiday resort of Mojacar (changing the name to Graingcia).

This year I’ve headed back to Holkamos with NEW BEGINNINGS IN GREECE and Graingcia with FINDING HAPPINESS IN SPAIN. These are my two summer reads. I’m always being asked what my books are about, and I keep coming back to the same sentence: they have quite a few secrets, a little bit of laughter, of course, romance, but above all, my books are about friendships and new beginnings not forgetting lots of gorgeous sunshine and fabulous food.

Ian’s books are available in ebook and paperback editions. Why not pick one up and head off to Greece, Spain or Norfolk. Purchase here: UK | US | Spain | Australia

Thank you for the great post, Ian. I love the sound and look of Parga and really enjoyed this hint at the wonderful settings within your books. I am also in awe of your prolific writing, so many wonderful novels, I can’t wait to dive in. xx

About the author:

Ian Wilfred lives on the Norfolk coast with his husband and west highland terrier. He is wonderfully supportive of fellow authors and is a member of the Romantic Novelist Association. His debut novel ‘Putting Right The Past’ is set on the island of Tenerife and was published in 2013. Since then he has gone on to publish other books set in his beloved Norfolk, the Greek islands, Spain and Martha’s Vineyard.

Discover more about Ian Wilfred and his novels here: Amazon | Facebook | Twitter 

Escape to Borteen Bay with Morton S Gray.

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Today, I am delighted to be joined by regular guest Morton S Gray as she talks about living in a fictional world. Over to you, Morton…

I write standalone contemporary “romance with a mystery to solve” novels but all set in my fictional seaside town of Borteen. I’m just putting the finishing touches to the seventh novel set in the town, having published the sixth – Summer at Lucerne Lodge in April 2021.

My debut novel, The Girl on the Beach was my first book set in Borteen. I truly find it amazing how quickly a fictional place can begin to feel completely real. In my head, I can walk down the streets and name the shops and their owners, I know what the views are like from various places in the town and surrounding countryside, even how wide the roads are.

When it came to writing Book Two in the Borteen Secrets Series – The Truth Lies Buried, my editor asked if I had a map of the town, so I drew one and added pictures to show how I envisaged the buildings and various landmarks. It was surprisingly easy to do, because I had walked the streets so often in my head. I fully intend to tidy this up at some point so that I can let readers see it, but at the moment the map includes some pictures to which I don’t have sharing rights.

I’ve set two books at Christmas in Borteen – Christmas at Borteen Bay and Christmas at the Little Beach Café and book seven’s timeline goes through the Christmas period too. The traditions of the town at this time of year again feel so very familiar to me, with the Christmas fair, Santa fun run and Christmas tree dressing event.

There have also been two summer books set in Borteen – Sunny Days at the Beach and Summer at Lucerne Lodge, which give the town a different touristy feel with more beach activity. Again, I can happily walk the beach at Borteen and visit the caves in the cliffs. The town is not based on an actual place, more a mixture of lots of seaside places I have spent time in, so it amuses me when my readers try to guess the actual location.

My characters are also very real to me. If any of them walked into a café I would instantly recognise them. I know their appearance and demeanour, how they interact as if I was inside of them looking out of their eyes, as well as from observing them through the eyes of other characters. Not only do I know how their facial features change when confronted with the situations I put them into in my books, but I know how they feel too, how their heart rate reacts and the sensations on their skin.

I suppose what I am trying to say is that I can put myself inside my story, fictional town and even inside the characters’ heads. I realise that makes me sound really odd, but it is how the process of writing works for me. For me as part of the practice of writing, I see my books unfold like films in front of me.

This experience isn’t unique amongst writers, but friends who haven’t had this encounter with a fictional world can look at me a little strangely if I talk about it, especially when I mention that other Borteen residents mentioned in the seven books so far are clamouring for their stories to be told too.

What a great post, Morton. I love your Borteen Secrets series and the way your knowledge of the setting and characters shines through in the writing. xx

Book celebrations:

 Morton is celebrating two things at the moment, the release of her sixth novel for Choc Lit – Summer at Lucerne Lodge and the paperback release of Sunny Days at the Beach.

Summer at Lucerne Lodge tells the story of Tanner and Rosie. They first meet at a charity auction held in the grounds of Lucerne Lodge on the outskirts of the seaside town of Borteen. However, that first meeting isn’t as innocent as it sounds, because Tanner has found a private investigator’s file on his father’s desk about Rosie and wants to know why … Discover more, here.

Sunny Days at the Beach begins when commitment free singleton and craft shop owner Mandy takes in an abandoned teenager, but then gin distillery owner Graham arrives in Borteen with some unexpected news. Discover more, here.

About the author.

Morton S Gray lives with her husband, two sons and Lily, the tiny white dog, in Worcestershire, U.K. She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Society of Authors.

Her debut novel The Girl on the Beach was published after she won the Choc Lit Publishing Search for a Star competition.Her other books for Choc Lit are The Truth Lies Buried, Christmas at Borteen Bay, Sunny Days at the Beach, Christmas at the Little Beach Café and Summer at Lucerne Lodge.

Morton previously worked in the electricity industry in committee services, staff development and training. She has a Business Studies degree and is a fully qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Reiki Master. She also has diplomas in Tuina acupressure massage and energy field therapy. She enjoys crafts, history and loves tracing family trees. Having a hunger for learning new things is a bonus for the research behind her books.

You can find out more about Morton and her work via: website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Apricot Plots

Don’t miss author Ian Wilfred, as he stops by next week with a guest post that will have you dreaming of Greece. xx