Tag Archives: romance

Meet Three Characters from New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay.

Today, I am excited to welcome a first-time guest to my blog, Georgia Hill, to introduce three characters from her latest novel, New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay. Over to you, Georgia …

Thank you so much, Carol, for having me on!

My new contemporary romance, New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay, has just come out. I really loved writing it as there are some fun characters. Here’s my quick introduction to three of them. They all work in Va Va Bloom, the florist’s shop, which is at the heart of the book.

Meet Three Characters

Marion Crawford

Marion is the part-time assistant in the shop and is a monster. I had such fun writing her. She’s late forty-ish (never admits to her real age) and loves a spa, yoga with goats and a bargain designer dress. She’s always immaculately made up, is fond of a micro-bladed brow and doesn’t baulk at wearing stilettos for a job where she’s on her feet all day. She may be a monster, but she’s a magnificent one! She tolerates working in Va Va Bloom part-time as her children have mostly left home, and her husband works away. It means she can keep tabs on the town gossip, as she hates being the last to know what’s going on. Along with violently pink Moschino jumpsuits, gossip is her passion. Daisy, the owner of Va Va Bloom, puts up with her because, underneath all the caustic snobbery, lies a generous warm heart, a lonely soul and a genius for upselling!

Mia Lodell

Mia is a delight. She’s the possessor of fine intelligence and a fierce work ethic, and, along with jobs in a supermarket and at the local primary school, she squeezes in working at Va Va Bloom part-time. Now in her early twenties, she struggled at school, flunked her exams and is taking A Levels at evening class. She’s got her eye firmly fixed on university. As well as a passion for nineteenth century poetry, Mia’s the one who teaches the others all about the Victorian language of flowers. It’s a system of coded messages hidden in bouquets that any Victorian Miss would know. Want to declare your passion? Send red roses – but make sure the thorns are removed. Want to show disdain? A bouquet of yellow carnations will do the job nicely.

Daisy Wiscombe

Daisy is the owner of Va Va Bloom. Her father died when she was sixteen, just when she was at that crucial moment of choosing her academic future. To appease her grieving mum, she found herself becoming a science teacher. Several years in, Daisy realises two things: one, she’s a hopeless teacher and two, she’s desperate to do something else. In a huge, life-changing decision, she sets up Va Va Bloom. When the novel begins, she’s been running it for five years and is at that awkward stage of needing to expand the business but isn’t sure she has the finances. A workaholic, the early mornings and full-on Saturdays mean her love life is put on hold. And then, a handsome stranger pops into her shop. He’s wearing thigh-skimming chinos, has a head of luxurious wavy hair and a pair of dark eyes permanently on the brink of humour. Daisy’s rusty romantic muscles are twanged, and she’s instantly smitten. It’s just her luck, then, that he’s buying his girlfriend a bouquet of expensive flowers. Having had her heart broken, Daisy’s confidence in her sex appeal is low. What would a gorgeous man like Rick want with a scruffy Croc-wearing florist who frequently sports rose stalks in her messy hair?

About the book:

Va Va Bloom is the brand new florist shop in Lullbury Bay, run by the talented – and heartbroken – Daisy.
As soon as she set foot in Lullbury Bay, Daisy knew it would be the perfect place to heal from her past and rebuild her life. Working in her very own florist shop by the sea, life couldn’t be better.

Except… arranging beautiful flowers for the weddings of the seaside elite, including the coastal wedding of the year, she can’t help thinking about what could have been.

Then Rick comes into the shop one day, and she finds herself open to a new romance for the first time in ages. But as it turns out, he isn’t without his own baggage… Will love ever bloom again for Daisy?

New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay is out now! Click to find out more or purchase.

Thank you so much for your great post, Georgia. It has been lovely to have you and to meet Marion, Mia and Daisy. xx

About the author:

Georgia Hill writes warm-hearted and up-lifting contemporary and dual narrative romances about love, the power and joy in being an eccentric oldie and finding yourself and your community. There’s always a dog. It’s usually a naughty spaniel of which, unfortunately, she has had much experience. She lives near the sea with her beloved dogs and husband (also beloved) and loves the books of Jane Austen, collecting elephants, and Strictly Come Dancing. She’s also a complete museum geek and finds inspiration for her books in the folklore and history of the many places in which she’s lived. She’s worked in the theatre, for a charity and as a teacher and educational consultant before finally acknowledging that making things up was what she really wanted to do. She’s been happily creating believable heroines, intriguing men, and page-turning stories ever since.

Discover more about Georgia and her novels here: X/Twitter | Facebook | Website


Paws and Prose with Anni Rose.

Today, I am very happy to welcome fellow Choc Lit (Joffe Books) author Anni Rose to my blog – especially as she is here to talk about her adorable dogs. Over to you, Anni …

Thank you for inviting me on to your blog today to talk about my pets and my writing. I know we both have a soft spot for Labradors. I had a yellow Lab, Henry, from the age of about eight and was delighted, more recently, when work commitments finally meant I could have another dog.

These days my constant writing companions are Brian, a Labrador with absolutely no brains at all. He sleeps on his back and usually with his tongue out! And likes to carry two balls or two sticks around. He hasn’t really got the idea of fetch or drop but will sit and stare at you happily with two balls in his mouth. Then we also have Rockstar, a Romanian street dog, who came to us after a major operation to put pins in both back legs. He’d been hit by a car and left on the side of the road for dead and was the inspiration behind Miss Phyllis in my fourth book, Recipe for Mr Ideal.

We’d never homed a rescue dog before and it was a very daunting prospect, we knew nothing of his history, only that he would need patience, time and a huge amount of love. I can still remember the day when this terrified creature turned up. Three years on, he has settled in beautifully, he still has a very odd gait – the pins are still in his leg, but these days he will happily jump in and out of the car or to catch treats. In fact, there is little he won’t do for cheese or bacon – a dog after my own heart!

He is, however, very much the boss in this house. A fascination with shoelaces, he can untie the trickiest knot and has his favourite chairs in the house – don’t try and sit one of them! If it ever comes down to a battle of wills, it’s best to give in gracefully, Rocky can be very stubborn, but he is immensely protective of Brian, and he has stripped the squeaker out of all Brian’s balls (for which we are very grateful!)

All my books have at least one animal; I feel they add more depth to the story. They are as important to me as my hero and heroine and always fun to write.

I like to be able to picture all my characters before I start writing a book, and the dogs, cats or horses are no exception. But, when I say that none of my human characters bear any relation to somebody, living or dead, the animals always do.

Charlie Brown in Recipe for Mr Super was really a Shetland Pony with a thing about Wellington boots and who upended me more times than I care to remember. Dragon was a beautiful horse with asymmetrical hips who needed constant vocal reassurance when faced with a jump. Elvis from Recipe for Mr Banksy was a tribute to our two previous black Labradors, who we lost during Covid before Rocky and Brian came along. Up and coming books have a Lurcher-Weimaraner cross called Fergus, who I met on a walk one day, and a Harlequin Great Dane called Colin. Then there’s also a book in the pipeline with more to come from Miss Phyllis.

I love having animals around me. They get me out for walks in the morning without complaining, whatever the weather, and are both great cuddlers. What’s more, they never complain when I read chapters to them over and over again. Who could ask for more?

Thank you for inviting me onto your blog Carol, and I look forward to reading more about Luna in your books to come. Anni x

You are very welcome, Anni. It was lovely to hear about your dogs. They are both gorgeous; Brian is, of course, Labradorable! Thank you for the great post. x

Anni Rose’s books are all available via Amazon.


About the author:

Born and raised in Berkshire, Anni Rose emigrated to Wiltshire six years ago, where she lives with her husband, sister, two dogs, a cat and Midge, the grey, speckled hen.

As a child, she could usually be found either reading or writing fiction, producing reams of stories over the years.

On leaving school, the need to earn a living sort of got in the way, and her writing was limited to financial reports or employees’ handbooks, but a local writing course and an encouraging group of writing friends re-ignited the fiction flame many years later, and Anni went on to have several short stories published in various magazines.

Anni would describe her writing these days as mainly modern romantic stories with a healthy dollop of humour thrown in. Away from writing, Anni can usually be found behind a camera, walking the dogs, enjoying one of her husband’s curries or one of her sister’s bakery treats.

Discover more about Anni Rose and her work here:  WebsiteX (Twitter)Facebook


Paws and Prose with Carol Thomas.

As someone with a soft spot for Labradors, I am thrilled to be sharing a little about the special dogs in my life who have inspired the dogs in my novels.

Benson, my chocolate Labrador, was my constant companion and best (furry) friend for almost sixteen years. I could rely on him for a cuddle no matter what the ups and downs of life. He was the most loveable and loyal of dogs. When writing my first novel, Crazy Over You, I knew I wanted to weave him into the story.

After discovering her husband has had an affair, my protagonist, Abby, is at a crisis point in her relationship. She feels betrayed, confused and isolated. While her world is falling apart, her chocolate Labrador, Bramble (who shares many qualities with Benson), remains her constant support. He epitomizes the themes of love and loyalty and is the perfect companion for Abby.

Three years after getting Benson, we found him a friend, Milo. Milo was a slightly wonky-eyed boy with an independent spirit, a variety of quirks and a lot of love to give. He and Benson quickly became very close.

Milo inspired Jack, in my second novel, The Purrfect Pet Sitter. Jack is a similarly wonky-eyed black Lab, the beloved pet of Winnie, the first client to put their faith in Lisa Blake as she embarks on her new career.

One of my favourite scenes involving him is the opening chapter in which he has slipped his collar. In Lisa’s search for Jack, she has a chance encounter with a mysterious man in leather; Lisa finds him frustrating, whereas Jack seems to have him on side.

Another of my favourite scenes comes when Lisa and Winnie take Jack to church for a service in honour of St Francis of Assisi (patron saint of animals). Writing the scene in the church was a lot of fun. I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that what Jack does to a Yorkshire terrier actually happened. Albeit, Benson was the one guilty of this misdemeanour in one of his early training classes, in which he, being a Labrador, was much larger than his smaller breed puppy pals.

Jack gets up to a few cheeky antics in the book. Some were inspired by my second black Lab, Hubble, who sadly passed away at a far too young age.

He was a bundle of energy and stars in adverts and the book trailer for The Purrfect Pet Sitter!

In my most recent novel, A Summer of Second Chances, Granger, the chocolate Labrador of the Bramlington family, comes from a long line of esteemed pedigree dogs. However, like his owner Henry (Lord Bramlington of Dapplebury), who finds living up to familial expectations difficult, Granger knows where his affections lie and forges a new path.

I love incorporating dogs into my stories; they add warmth and, being good judges of character, offer another perspective to the story.

After the sadness of losing Hubble, I was sure I wouldn’t have another dog. I had been blessed with three wonderful boys and knew I was lucky to have them. … that was until I saw Luna, a rescue dog needing a loving home. Luna had spent the first two years of her life in a barn, being used for breeding. She is our first female dog, our first rescue and our first yellow Labrador. She’s come a long way in the short time we have had her. She has learned to play with toys, accept treats, be walked, have cuddles, relax, trust, and snuggle up on the sofa. She is adorable, and it is a privilege to see her increasingly realise that life is full of love and fun. And the reason I am introducing her now? Well, I am sure she will appear in one of my books in the future.

Thank you for reading about my dogs. And if you enjoyed this post look out for others coming over future weeks as other writers share the animals that have inspired the paws in their prose.


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Location, Location, Location with Kirsty Ferry.

I am delighted to welcome fellow Choc Lit author Kirsty Ferry to my blog to talk about the setting of her latest novel Bea’s Magical Summer Garden.  Over to you Kirsty …

My new book, Bea’s Magical Summer Garden, features – well – a magical summer garden. I have taken some liberties with the location of the Garden and removed it plant by plant from Dilston Physic Garden, near Corbridge in Northumberland, to an unspecified location near Edinburgh in Scotland. I probably wouldn’t have located it near Edinburgh if I’d thought ahead, but I needed to do that because it is part of the Schubert the Cat series of books, which began with Every Witch Way.

Every Witch Way follows the adventures of Nessa, who lives in Edinburgh when she heads off on a Halloween road trip across Scotland to find out more about a legendary witch. I blithely gave Nessa four brothers, and when I realised each brother needed a book, the location stuck – because Schubert is an incredibly meddlesome cat and needs to be within easy access of each of his ‘uncles’ to help them find love. And I will forever be grateful to Joanne from Portobello Books, who helped me work out where pirates might have been executed on the Sands of Leith for It Started with a Pirate!

We first meet Bea, the owner of the Garden,  in the fifth book, It Started with a Wedding –  her cousin Fae is the heroine of that one; and, if you’ve read It Started with a Wedding, you’ll know why Bea’s Garden was a perfect setting for a lot of the action.

So the ‘real’ Magical Garden is quite a bit further south, but if you are ever in the area, I completely recommend you go. The place is an amazing mishmash of eclectic, scientific and spiritual; each plant, for example, has a sign in front of it telling you the folklore and magic side of things and the scientific health and wellbeing information. Dilston was created by Professor Elaine Perry, who is a prominent UK neuroscientist and is one of the most interesting and lovely people I have ever met. The first time I set foot in Dilston, I knew it had to appear in a book someday.

The wider estate that Bea’s Magical Summer Garden is set on, Glentavish Estate, is completely out of my imagination. The hidden gates that separate Glentavish House from Bea’s Garden owe a lot to ideas that sparked when I first read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett as a child, and maybe look more like something from Wallington in Northumberland, only with a higher wall!

Wallington in Northumberland

The Temple to the Four Winds that is alluded to in the book was inspired by the one at Castle Howard – only it is much, much smaller. When you read the book, you’ll get the idea why that had to be so!

The Temple to the Four Winds at Castle Howard.

I could genuinely draw you a map of how the ‘estate’ looks in my mind, but then it might spoil it for your imagination. I do hope you’ll read the book, though, and see it the way I see it. Because then I’ll know I’ve done a decent job writing it…and the locations might make sense when they are all plopped down in Schubert’s world.

This is the website for the real Magical Garden if you want to check it out: Dilston Physic Garden.

About the book

What’s not to love about Bea’s Garden?
Its higgledy-piggledy layout, fascinating plants and occasional resident black cat makes it the most charming place to visit on a sunny afternoon. Plus Bea has bees – and her Honey Festival is sure to create a buzz.

But not everyone thinks Bea’s Garden is the bee’s knees.

The Man at the Big House next door has been a thorn in Bea’s side for the longest time, with his unnecessarily snippy letters about her beautiful climbing plants ruining his ‘clean lines’. Could he and his poisonous project manager Carla pose problems for her Festival? Or can Bea rely on the Man’s cousin – and her newest annual pass holder – Marcus Rainton to fight her corner?

With bee best friends, big black cats, a secret garden gate and a surprising identity reveal, Bea’s Garden is surely in line for its most magical summer yet!

Buying Links can be found here: Kirsty Ferry (choc-lit.com)

About the author:

Kirsty Ferry is from the North East of England and lives there with her husband and son. She won the English Heritage/Belsay Hall National Creative Writing competition in 2009 and has had articles and short stories published in various magazinesHer work also appears in several anthologies, incorporating such diverse themes as vampires, crime, angels and more.

Kirsty loves writing ghostly mysteries and interweaving fact and fiction. The research is almost as much fun as writing the book itself, and if she can add a wonderful setting and a dollop of history, that’s even better.

Her day job involves sharing a building with an eclectic collection of ghosts, which can often prove rather interesting.

You can follow Kirsty and find out more about her work here: Facebook | Twitter | website | blog 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog, Kirsty, and for sharing this insight into the setting of Bea’s Magical Summer Garden. xx

Review of Eva Glyn’s The Collaborator’s Daughter.

My writing buddy, Eva Glyn, who also writes as Jane Cable, has a wonderful new book coming soon. The Collaborator’s Daughter is a dual-timeline novel set in Dubrovnik. Eva will be stopping by my blog on May 5th to talk about the setting of the novel, but as I have recently finished reading an advance copy of this book, I couldn’t wait to share my review.

The blurb:

In 1944 in war-torn Dubrovnik, Branko Milisic holds his newborn daughter Safranka and wishes her a better future. But while the Nazis are finally retreating, the arrival of the partisans brings new dangers for Branko, his wife Dragica and their new baby…

As older sister to two half-siblings, Fran has always known she has to fit in. But now, for the first time in her life, Fran is facing questions about who she is and where she comes from.

All Fran knows about her real father is that he was a hero, and her mother had to flee Dubrovnik after the war. But when she travels to the city of her birth to uncover the truth, she is devastated to discover her father was executed by the partisans in 1944, accused of being a collaborator. But the past isn’t always what it seems…

Published by One More Chapter.

My review:

There is much to like about this well-researched, dual-timeline novel. Set largely in Dubrovnik in 1944 and 2010, the story follows sexagenarian Safranka, who seeks to discover the truth about her father’s life and the circumstances of his death. Fran is a likeable character, she is quick to jump to conclusions at times,  but I enjoyed her journey of discovery (in more ways than one). The people she encounters in Dubrovnik are mostly welcoming; I particularly liked Jadran, who plays a significant role in her search.

The author’s depiction of the setting transported me to Dubrovnik in both time and place. I was drawn into the story, reading it over a weekend as I willed Fran to find and recognise the truth she was searching for. Based on real events, the impact of war is shown through the far-reaching consequences for all of those touched by it; because of this, it is an emotional read.

Preorder The Collaborator’s Daughter here.

(US cover)

You’ll notice I have shared both the UK and US covers. As I read, my kindle showed the US cover, it is my favourite as a result. Which do you prefer? Either way, you can enjoy the same great story within the cover.


About the author:

Eva Glyn writes emotional women’s fiction inspired by beautiful places and the secrets they hide. She loves to travel but finds inspiration can strike just as well at home as abroad. Her books are published by One More Chapter, an imprint of Harper Collins.

Although she considers herself Welsh, Eva lives in Cornwall with her husband of twenty-six years. She also writes romance with a twist of mystery as Jane Cable.

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


In other news, my romantic comedy, The Purrfect Pet Sitter is 99p for a limited time only.  

Find out what happens with Lisa Blake rediscovers the one she let get away!