On 9th March, I took part in the cover reveal for The Cornershop in Cockleberry Bay and featured an excerpt from the Prologue. You can read it here.
I am happy to say that it has now been published and to celebrate, I am featuring an interview with its author, Nicola May. There is also a great Giveaway with the chance to win a paperback copy of the book. Details are at the end of the post. First though, here's a little about the story.
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.
Welcome, Nicola, to Books,
Life and Everything.Thank you so much for agreeing to answer some questions on
my blog about your writing.
Nicola:
Hello and thanks very much for having me on your lovely
blog!
Would you like to start by telling us a little about
yourself and how you started as a writer?
I actually didn’t start writing until my thirties. I was
working in PR at the time, loved a drink and smoked 20 a day and was dared to
run a half marathon. I thought it would be quite funny to create a comedy diary
of events throughout my tough training. Amazingly, I completed the run, but
didn’t finish the diary. It did, however, give me the writing bug and I
commenced my first novel.
What is it about the romance / chick lit genre which
attracts you?
I think we all like a happy ending and writing chick lit
enables that as well as creating a lot of magic along the way. I enjoy the
comedy element of romcom too, as it’s always nice to have a good laugh amongst
the tears, which usually ensue whilst reading one of my novels.
Without spoiling the plot, please could you tell us a bit
about your latest book The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay ?
The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay is a romantic comedy full
of love, life lessons, hope and triumph over adversity. Here is a brief
synopsis:
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, the will states that the shop
cannot be sold, only passed on to somebody who really deserves it. Rosa decides
to throw herself into getting the shop up and running again. But can she do it
all on her own? And if not, who will help her succeed - and who among the small
seaside community of Cockleberry Bay will work secretly to see her fail?
Can you tell us a little about Rosa, the heroine of The
Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay and how you set about creating her?
The wonderfully flawed, big-hearted Rosa, a joy of a
character to create. She was abandoned as a baby by her mother and has no dad
to mention, so was predominantly brought up in children’s homes and with foster
carers. This has made her slightly cynical, doesn’t allow her to trust many
people and most definitely not let love in easily. I wanted her to have an
external wild child image, but I also for the reader to understand and root for
her understandably fragile self. I think her background makes the journey in
getting the shop up and running all the more interesting, and I hope the
readers will root for her success.
If your book became a film, who would you like to play Rosa
and why would you choose her?
Rosa reminds me of a young Helen Bonham Carter with her
unruly dark curls, quirky character and dress sense. I think Emma Watson would
do her justice in a film.
You publish your own books. Which aspect of the whole
process do you find the most enjoyable and which do you like the least?
I never fail to get excited by a box of brand new shiny,
sweet smelling books arriving at my door. Although it’s a massively important
stage, the final proof read slightly bores me as I am itching to get the final
version out there.
What
do you like to read when you are not writing?
I love all of Victoria Hislop’s books. She writes with such
depth, emotion and knowledge. And I admire her for all the research she must
have to do.
Finally, have you three words which sum up The Corner
Shop in Cockleberry Bay?
Heartwarming Fun Intriguing
That's brilliant, Nicola! Thanks so much for answering my questions. I can't wait to see what you write next.
My Thoughts
This is an entertaining and fun read with some great characters and a wonderful setting. What more can you want? There is a secret at the heart of the story and all the way through you are trying to guess who might be involved in it. Rosa is an interesting central character, with her difficult childhood which has affected her development as an adult without doubt. She has lots of layers, from the slightly spiky front she presents to the world, to the caring friend she turns out to be. She faces a challenge in setting up the shop and get it up and running and she certainly does not lack courage in giving it her best.
The beautiful setting is always present in the story and is such a contrast to the London life which Rosa lived before. She has to learn how the village community operates and quite quickly gets the measure of some of the locals, although it is quite a painful learning process at times. With the adorable Hot, her rescued sausage dog, the comedy potential is high. Being a romcom, there are several contenders for romance but who will win the day? Read it and find out!
In short: a quirky heroine and a pacy plot- great fun!
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.
You can follow Nicola here: Website | Facebook | Twitter
| Instagram
Book links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA
| Amazon AU
Praise for Nicola May’s books
‘This book will twang your funny bone & your heartstrings’
– Millie Johnson
‘A fun and flighty read’ the Sun
‘A funny and fast-paced romp – thoroughly enjoyable!’
WOMAN Magazine
Don't forget to follow the rest of the tour!
Giveaway (International)
Win x 3 Paperback copies of The Corner Shop in
Cockleberry Bay (Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries
welcome. Please enter using the
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be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be
notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then
I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged
18 or over. Any personal data given as
part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be
shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This
will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
To enter, follow the link below and good luck!
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