Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
Today, I am hosting my last blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources – as although, I have loved hosting her authors and getting to know the writers from across the Pond, I have decided to reduce the blog tours I am hosting as this year is a continuation of my Renaissance on Jorie Loves A Story. Wherein I am trying to sort out what works best for me as a reader – of late this means less print books and more audiobooks – as well as the fact we’re moving into our stormy season where I knew I would limit what I would commit to hosting from the end of Spring til the first months of Autumn. I also want to take a chance to start to seek out the authors I’ve been hosting through these lovely blog tours wherein I’ve hosted author interviews – therefore, it is another period of growth for me as a reader and as a blogger.
This is also the week where I said ‘good-bye’ to hosting for Blogging for Books – as the publisher stepped down from the programme after a ten year run. I was with Blogging for Books the past four years, but I did not get the chance to read too many of their offerings – the latest is about Hollywood, if you’d like to see what my last review is for them.
Originally, I had hoped this might be my second or third video interview – as I previously announced I had a few in the works this Spring – the author decided to make this a standard interview instead, which I was happy to host just as keenly as it’s the convos I love most to be able to share with my readers! Especially as sometimes I think these special features help us find new authors to read – as the case has been true for me in the past! I am still in the throes of assembling the questions for a second video interview, this time round it will be about the #AwesomeJones #superherofiction series which I recently re-highlighted with my review of ‘Lona Chang’.
I truly think you will be charmed by what you find in Cockleberry Bay – the author does a great job of alighting you through her vision for her novel, gives small hints towards what you will expect find inside about her characters & paints quite the happy portrait of a Contemporary Rom you might love reading next! I hope you’ll enjoy this convo as much as I have myself! Top cheers!
The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay
by Nicola May
Rosa Larkin is down on her luck in London, so when she inherits a near-derelict corner shop in a quaint Devon village, her first thought is to sell it for cash and sort out her life. But nothing is straightforward about this legacy. While the identity of her benefactor remains a mystery, he - or she - has left one important legal proviso: that the shop cannot be sold, only passed on to somebody who really deserves it.
Rosa makes up her mind to give it a go: to put everything she has into getting the shop up and running again in the small seaside community of Cockleberry Bay. But can she do it all on her own? And if not, who will help her succeed - and who among the following will work secretly to see her fail?
There is a handsome rugby player, a sexy plumber, a charlatan reporter and a selection of meddling locals. Add in a hit and run incident and the disappearance of a valuable engraved necklace – and what you get is a journey of self-discovery and unpredictable events.
With surprising and heartfelt results, Rosa, accompanied at all times by her little sausage dog Hot, will slowly unravel the shadowy secrets of the inheritance, and also bring her own, long-hidden heritage into the light.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 978-0956832351
on 9th April, 2018
Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook
Converse via: #Contemporary #Romance
I have a favourite Christmas movie which involves a similar premise wherein the benefactor of the community is giving away either money or specific items his neighbours need without revealing his identity. He finds someone (a young woman) to take-over his mission after he passes on – which is why when I read the synopsis for this novel my ears immediately perked up! I love stories which have mysterious benefactors (there is a non-Christmas Indie film which dips into this as well from the POV of a book seller) as they are such a delight to see unravel! What was the impetus of inspiration for creating this story? What gave you the spin on the idea about the inheritance?
May responds: The inspiration for the story was that my father is an artist and painted a beautiful picture of an old corner shop that used to be a sweet shop in a village next to mine. It is long gone, but seeing it made me think of the book/film Chocolat and what a good idea it would be to revolve a story around a shop in a quaint seaside town.
The inheritance spin came to me as the mystery of who left Rosa (the book’s heroine) the shop creates intrigue throughout the novel.
What makes Cockleberry Bay a favourite setting and locale for you? What did you want this seaside town to have which might be missing in others you’ve visited in real life? What are three places of interest readers might feel they could say “this place feels like home” to them? Is it a specific kind of atmosphere, the hospitality, the natural world or something a bit more intrinsically Cockleberry!?
May responds: For those of you who are not from the UK, Devon is in the south west of England and is in my opinion the most beautiful, picturesque coastal area in my whole country. I have had some wonderful holidays down there as a child and adult. I hope I capture the community dynamic of a small coastal town and give its scenery and atmosphere full justice.
Ideally what kind of shop where you hoping to turn the ‘corner shop’ into and what inspired the choice? What are your favourite tucked away shops in smaller towns and villages which give you a heap of joy to visit?
May responds: Hot Dog; Rosa’s cute little dachshund has a lot to do with what she chooses to sell in the corner shop. I love visiting quaint villages and going to card and gift shops. I also, of course, love exploring a book shop that I didn’t know existed.
Hmm, generally speaking – have the utmost respect for plumbers, but what makes the one in Cockleberry especially attractive in Rosa’s eyes? (as the synopsis eludes he’s quite the catch?)
May responds: He’s a bit of a bad boy. Cheeky and flirtatious and plays a major part in one of the plot lines.
I have to ask! Of all Cockleberry’s gossip-mongers, who was your favourite to create and develop? What are some of the quirks of their behaviour you can share with us?
May responds: I love Shelia Hannafore, who runs The Ship Inn. Her husband died, and she bought herself a new set of teeth with his life insurance. Her smile is so white and bright that the fishermen say they don’t need a lighthouse in the bay. She is a very strong woman and will go to any lengths to protect her family – which you will find out…
Which of the Cockleberry characters took you by complete surprise? Either by not planning on having them in the story originally when you were creating it or by providing a challenge to find their ‘voice’ within the cast?
May responds: Definitely Queenie Cobb. She is the gran of one of the main characters. She came into my mind after I had started writing but has turned out to be a linchpin to the whole novel. She is a very interesting character and will create a few laughs along the way.
What piece of jewellery of your own holds the most sentimental value and why? (as a necklace is of importance in the novel)
May responds: I have a gold and sapphire ring that belonged to my mum – she died when I was just 17.
My goodness – that’s too young to lose your Mum! My sympathies,….
Can you let us have your favourite passage from the novel and explain why it’s your favourite?
May responds: I am not going to share my favourite passage, sorry, as it involves a massive spoiler. If anyone who reads the books guesses which it is, I will offer a prize!
Ooh my – this is a happy surprise for my readers!!
Randomly open to a page in the book – which character is featured? What would surprise us to learn about them?
May responds: It is actually Luke, the plumber who’s name changes later in the novel when you realise he wasn’t completely honest about who he was!
In regards to the cover art – what were you hoping to see in the artwork and how did the final copy embrace your own vision of Cockleberry Bay?
May responds: After loving the corner shop painting that my dad did, I asked him to do the illustration for me. I describe the steep streets going down to the sea in the novel and that is exactly what the cover depicts. It is just how I imagined Cockleberry to look like.
I have to ask – how did Hot endear his name and is he based on a beloved pet of your own or someone near to you?
May responds: Sausage Dog is a known nickname for Dachshunds…. And a Hot Dog well we all know what one of those is…. Rosa steals him too… and the word hot can also be associated to stolen goods.
This was interesting as stateside across the Pond, we tend to call them ‘hot dogs’ by the other name which confers the same context but ‘sausage dog’ isn’t one I’ve heard of yet! I think sometimes we share the same traditions in language and phrases but alter the ways in which we say them. I love learning new ways of how American & British linguistic histories differ and loop back into each other!
Is this a town you want to re-visit in the future or is it solely a one-off? How do you decide to write one-offs or series, and do you have a preference?
May responds: I wrote a sequel to Working it Out, called Let Love Win so never say never re writing something else down in the bay. There are pros and cons to writing sequel in the fact a lot of your characters and places are already developed, but the difficult bit is you have to write it as a stand-alone novel too, as not everyone may have read the first one.
When you’re not researching or creating your stories what uplifts your spirit the most to feel renewed?!
May responds: I love to walk in the countryside and on windy beaches. I wish Cockleberry did exist as, as it’s Sunday I would probably be having a cup of tea in Coffee, Tea & Sea, the café down there!
Thanks very much for having me Jorie
And, thank you for giving us such keen interest
in better knowing Cockleberry Bay!
This author interview is courtesy of: Rachel’s Random Resources
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 “The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay”, book synopsis, author biography, author photograph of Nicola May and the tour badge were all provided by Rachel Random Resources and used with permission. Post dividers 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.
I have read and loved this book. I didn’t know that sausage dog was a British phrase, I assumed it was well known, so I learnt something new. I also am going to think of what Nicola’s favourite passage might be…… ;-)
Great interview.
Amanda.
Hallo, Hallo Amanda!
Thanks for dropping by today – especially as you’ve already had the joy of reading the story! :) It is definitely one I want to read myself – as I love how Ms May gave us such a wonderful representation of what we can expect from Cockleberry Bay in this convo! So happy to have learnt the convo and the book are reflectively insightful on what you’ve experienced! Blessed, you’ve shared this on Twitter, too! Thanks for that! :) I appreciated your note – as I, too, was surprised in finding we had different phrases to reflect the same breed! Isn’t that interesting? I find language wonderfully intriguing.
Ooh, if you find it – I will cheer you on for the discovery! Don’t forget to let me know if you guessed it correctly! Happy hunting!!