I am delighted to have an excerpt and a surprise Cover reveal for Nicola May's latest book, The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay. It is due to be published on April 9th and I will be reviewing it as part of the blog tour on 11th April and also interviewing Nicola, herself.
As a taster, I have an excerpt for you today and also a sneak peek at the cover.
What's the book about? Well first, here's a little about the book:
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.
And now... here's a look at the cover- I am sure you will like it...
Praise for Nicola May’s books
‘This book will twang your funny bone & your heartstrings’ – Milly Johnson
‘A fun and flighty read’ the Sun
‘A funny and fast-paced romp – thoroughly enjoyable!’ WOMAN Magazine
Excerpt
PROLOGUE
‘Are you sure you’ve got the right person?’
Rosa took off her bright red woolly hat and scratched the
back of her head furiously, causing her dark brown curly hair to become even
more unruly.
The tall,
pinched-faced solicitor nodded. ‘Yes, of course we have. Evans, Donald and
Simpson do not make mistakes. You, Miss Larkin, are now the official owner of
the corner shop in Cockleberry Bay.’
He handed the
bewildered twenty-five-year-old a battered leather briefcase and pointed to a
small combination padlock on its brass clasp.
‘Here. The will stated that you - and only you - can open
this, using your date of birth.’
‘This is all very
strange,’ Rosa said. ‘And where exactly
is this Cockleberry Bay?’
‘Devon, dear,
Devon.’ The solicitor looked under his
rimless glasses. ‘I take it you know where that is?’
‘I may have a cockney accent, Mr Donald, but I’m not
stupid.’
‘Well, open it
then.’ The solicitor was shifting from foot to foot in anticipation. He
confided, ‘We’ve been wanting to know what’s in there for days.’
Showing no
emotion, Rosa gazed at him with her striking green eyes and asked coolly: ‘Is
there anything else I need?’
‘Er, no - but are
you not going to . . .?’
‘I need to get to
work.’ Rosa put her hat and scarf back on, zipped up her fur-lined bomber
jacket and headed for the door. ‘Thank you so much for your help.’
And she was gone.
‘Rude!’
The solicitor peered crossly out of the window of the
offices in Staple Inn and watched as the young woman, the briefcase in her
arms, strode across the frosty cobbled courtyard and out into the bustle of
London’s ancient legal quarter.
About the Author
Award winning author, Nicola May lives in Ascot in Berkshire
with her rescue cat Stanley. Her hobbies include watching films that involve a lot of swooning, crabbing in South Devon, eating flapjacks and enjoying a flutter on the horses. Inspired by her favourite authors Milly Johnson and Carole Matthews, Nicola writes what she describes as chicklit with a kick.
Book links: You can pre-order here:
for a place on the tour and a copy of the book and cover.
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