Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
As you might have noticed, I am seeking out quite a lovely array of stories published by Harlequin as well as having read my first *Mills & Boon* Historical Romance recently which left me swooning for the first novel in the series!
Today, I have the joy of featuring a short Q&A with a Harlequin author who has recently brought her lovely series to an end – the Templeton Cove series, which surprisingly had a lot of continuity and forethought stitched into it’s series arc as you will see revealled in our conversation! What inspired me most about this novel – the eighth and last of the series – is how it is a story about personal identity and the origins of a person’s birth – of finding out the truer histories which are not always readily known and for resolving the angst of not understanding who you are because you do not fully understand where you came from in the beginning.
The reason I have been wanting to seek out more stories of birth origins or identity issues as well as stories of foster care youth and Adoption are due to my own path towards being an Adoptive Mum. There are stories being published which focus on these life changing events – however, finding the stories has been quite difficult of late, as they are not as easy to seek out as you might believe they would be. Therefore, I am delighted to be finding new authors who are striving to tell heart-centred stories set around these themes.
Initially when I sought out to interview Ms Brimble, I had thought the Templeton Cove series might be on-going still – I learnt through our conversation Mac’s story is the capstone and the ending. It would appear I fell a bit short realising this but it has given me new purpose to seek out the stories leading up to Mac’s discovery about his own identity and the issues he had in resolving the questions he had about his birth mother. All children deserve to understand their origins – which is why I know it is healthy for them to seek out their birth families even if the outcome might not be what they are expecting, it is hard to resolve ‘who’ you are without understanding ‘where’ you came from originally.
I am thankful to Ms Debbie at Brook Cottage Books for helping me put this interview together – it was a bit last minute due to my illness this past month, as I had forgotten who was hosting this particular blog tour! Such is the stress of having a virus overtake your life! Therefore, I felt her instincts for choosing which questions to send to the author were well in-tune with what was most curious in my own heart about this series. The conversation is one I think you will enjoy because it digs into the heart of both the series and the character of Mac who is the central lead character in this eighth and final installment!
Be sure to brew a cuppa of your favourite tea whilst your reading this convo!
A Stranger in the Cove
Subtitle: Templeton Cove series
Mac Orman is on a mission. When he discovers his recently deceased father had been searching for his birth mother, Mac aims to finish the job by finding the grandmother he never knew. His quest leads him to Templeton Cove—and a firecracker of a woman who instantly jump-starts his tortured heart.
For Mac, Kate Harrington is the most tempting kind of distraction. But their sizzling connection comes with a side of suspicion for Kate, who doesn’t trust this brooding stranger in her town. Mac arrived with no plans to stay, but as he falls for Kate, he wonders how he could ever possibly leave.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 978-1335449085
on 2nd January, 2018
Published By: Harlequin Books (@HarlequinBooks)
via their imprint Harlequin Super Romance
Follow the Templeton Cove Twitter feeds!
Formats Available: Ebook and Paperback
Converse via: #ContemporaryRomance & #TempletonCove or #HarlequinSuperRomance
When you first started writing the Templeton Cove series – did you see this as a trilogy, quartet or a long-running series wherein you could explore different characters who would start to populate the series as it continued?
Brimble responds: It’s always been an ambition and dream of mine to write a small-town series and when I’d finished writing Finding Justice (book 1), I wasn’t ready to leave Templeton Cove so I knew I’d found a setting I wanted to explore. Next, was filling the Cove with an assortment of characters that could easily take on starring or secondary roles.
Having said that, I never imagined the series would run to eight books, but my editor and amazing readers love the series as much as me and I was more than happy to keep giving them more and more books!
Of all the characters you’ve focused on in the eight novels thus far along, do you have a favourite amongst them? IF so, why?
Brimble responds: My absolute favorite character is Marian Cohen who is the town’s matriarch. She’s appeared in every book in the series which is why the finale is really about her. I wanted to finish off her story as well as give two additional characters their happy ever after. She is fun, feisty and a well of inspiration and wisdom. I will miss Marian the most now the series has come to an end.
What inspired Mac’s journey to seek out his birth mother and to sort out his identity in this eighth story?
Brimble responds: Mac’s story was inspired by Marian’s backstory which I knew from the second book (A Man Like Him), but was also cemented in my heart and mind when my husband was successfully reunited with his birth mum three years ago. The journey my husband and the whole family have gone through was extremely emotional at times, but everything worked out better than we ever could have hoped for.
The situation and the ups and downs gave me the experience I needed to deliver the best and most honest story possible. Fingers crossed, readers will feel my sincerity as they read.
Which characters from the previous novels can readers happily look forward to seeing re-appear in A Stranger in the Cove?
Brimble responds: As well as Marian, the town’s detective inspector, Cat Garrett, is also a character that regularly returns as well as lots of other staple characters such as the owner of The Coast, previously heroes and heroines who are still resident and another favorite of mine, Leah Dixon who has appeared in three books and was given her own story with Ethan’s Daughter (book 7)
As you write both Contemporary and Historical stories – which are your favourites or rather, which aspects of each do you love most?
Brimble responds: I love writing both, but I often find myself entirely immersed with the historicals more than the contemporaries in that there is so much to learn and fascinate in the research. The contemporary stories give me more freedom to concentrate on telling the story, whereas the historicals give me the opportunity to pick real events in history and mix them with the fictional. I truly love every aspect of my job!
Whilst having down-time from researching and writing what best uplifts your spirit and renews your energy?
Brimble responds: I am a very spiritual person and really believe in the power of positive thinking and gratitude – my favorite ways to relax are either reading a good book, socializing with friends and family or sitting in front of the TV with my knitting…my second obsession to writing.
I am overjoyed I was able to share a bit about this series whilst gaining further insight myself about what lies in store for me whilst I gather the books to read! I dearly look forward to getting to this wicked ending where Mac resolves the mysteries of his own living history. I was also smiling at the end of our convo realising both Ms Brimble and myself are knitty for crafting! I too, am smitten by fibres and love to cast-on projects which give me a delightful joy similar to why I love piecing together stories full of heart and soul characters who take journeys towards self-realisation and self-awareness of their purpose within their lives.
This author interview is courtesy of: Brook Cottage Book Tours
Similar to blog tours where I feature book reviews, as I choose to highlight an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog. I provide the questions for interviews and topics for the guest posts; wherein I receive the responses back from publicists and authors directly. I am naturally curious about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of stories and the writers who pen them; I have a heap of joy bringing this content to my readers.
{SOURCES: Cover art of “A Stranger in the Cove”, book synopsis, author biography, author photograph of Rachel Brimble and the tour badge were all provided by Brook Cottage Book Tours and used with permission. Post dividers & My Thoughts badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets embedded by codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Conversations with the Bookish and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2018.
Comments via Twitter:
Author #Interview feat. @RachelBrimble ?
Chatting w/ Ms Brimble about 8th story w/in her #HarlequinSuperRomance series #TempletonCove! Find out why telling Mac's birth origin story is a crucial piece of continuity!
??https://t.co/RM5d4UKU3J @HarlequinBooks @BrookCottageBks pic.twitter.com/NeHm9NY4kK
— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter ??? (@joriestory) January 17, 2018
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