Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're playing host to a stop along a Rachel's Random Resources tour featuring a Romance/Chick-Lit title that is celebrating its BOOK BIRTHDAY this very day! (Woot woot!) So grab your party hats, and horns as we take a closer look at the book making its way to virtual shelves near you...
A Spirited Girl on Cornish Shores
A Little Hotel in Cornwall series, Book 2
by
Laura Briggs
About the book...
It looks like a perfect Cornish autumn, with aspiring novelist Maisie Clark still finding inspiration as a maid at the historic Penmarrow Hotel. Between the staff of quirky co-workers, glamorous and unusual guests, and her growing friendship with the charming but mysterious Sidney Daniels, Maisie is living out adventures instead of just penning them in the pages of her would-be novel's growing number of chapters.
And then there's the slight problem of keeping the balance between friendship and 'something more' with Sidney, who's helping introduce her to the village's version of a Cornish Halloween, and has recently taken an interest in Maisie's secret that may change things between them. But even Maisie’s imagination can't conjure the unusual event this Halloween brings to the Penmarrow. An eccentric earl has chosen this site to host his lavish birthday celebration that includes a pretty (and perceptive) young psychic whose predictions seem to have everyone on edge — and, to Maisie's delight, the elusive novelist Alistair Davies is rumored to be part of the guest list! But with the earl's bickering relatives and illustrious friends on hand— and more than one ghost of the past waiting to be revealed — it’s anyone’s guess what the festivities will bring before the party is over.
Will the psychic foretell doom for the earl's gathering—and is her ‘gift’ as genuine as it seems? Will Maisie finally meet her favorite author face to face? And, more importantly, what about the romantic sparks that fly between Maisie and Sidney?
And then there's the slight problem of keeping the balance between friendship and 'something more' with Sidney, who's helping introduce her to the village's version of a Cornish Halloween, and has recently taken an interest in Maisie's secret that may change things between them. But even Maisie’s imagination can't conjure the unusual event this Halloween brings to the Penmarrow. An eccentric earl has chosen this site to host his lavish birthday celebration that includes a pretty (and perceptive) young psychic whose predictions seem to have everyone on edge — and, to Maisie's delight, the elusive novelist Alistair Davies is rumored to be part of the guest list! But with the earl's bickering relatives and illustrious friends on hand— and more than one ghost of the past waiting to be revealed — it’s anyone’s guess what the festivities will bring before the party is over.
Will the psychic foretell doom for the earl's gathering—and is her ‘gift’ as genuine as it seems? Will Maisie finally meet her favorite author face to face? And, more importantly, what about the romantic sparks that fly between Maisie and Sidney?
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~⁕~ EXCERPT ~⁕~
Thank
you so much to Gina for letting me show her readers an extract from
my latest romantic read. It is the sequel to my summer novella A
Little Hotel in Cornwall, where American waitress and aspiring
novelist Maisie Clark found herself working across the Pond at a
historic hotel. In this scene, Maisie is on her way to see her friend
Sidney Daniels, the groundskeeper for the local vicarage. (my pleasure! ^-^)
Like many half days
off during my weeks at the hotel Penmarrow, I was planning to spend
it with the vicarage's unusual caretaker, handyman, and carefree
wanderer-at-heart. Whom I had lately promised could read the object I
carried with me, bundled together with twine: the stack of papers
that represented the late nights and carved-out hours of my time in
Cornwall, and a year of imaginings from my literary aspirations
beforehand.
The thought of him
reading it made me nervous, truth be told. Since I first began The
Untold Heart,
its only reader had been Professor Scott, who hadn't been the world's
biggest fan of period Gothic romance, even without both a touch of
steam punk and a heavy dose of literary allusions. For him, Edgar
Allan Poe's poetry ended at "The Raven" — and it wasn't
supposed to be married to the classic American author's short stories
to give Annabel Lee an elaborate personal history. Needless to say,
he didn't give odds to the possibility of my novel finding harmony
between all of these things and
a
perfect ending.
A promise was still
a promise. Besides, Sidney — even if he never claimed to be the
deeply-literary type — would probably be a kind critic who lied
with his lips and told the truth with his eyes, thus sparing my
dignity and our fragile young friendship...or whatever this was
between us.
I cycled past the
old church whose stained glass windows overlooked the sleepy burial
ground, turning at the opening in the hedge which led to the
maintenance shed located behind the vicarage, where Sidney lived as
groundskeeper.
Once again, the shed
door was closed and locked. I knocked twice, then sighed. Sidney had
forgotten that he had asked me to come by. Again.
"He's always
going to ask me and never going to remember. Isn't he?" I
addressed one of Sidney's dogs, the big shaggy one with definite
traces of wolfhound in his lineage. He thumped his tail lazily
against the courtyard path's stones.
Since Sidney had
forgotten to leave a note, I didn't have the faintest idea what
errand he might be on, and I didn't want to chance leaving my
manuscript on his doorstep, where just anyone might find it.
"I don't
suppose one of you would like to take me to him?" I asked, as I
lifted the bicycle's kickstand. As if he had been waiting for this
signal, the terrier mix Kip sprang to his feet, wagging his tail. He
scurried along beside me, then trotted ahead, in the direction of
Sidney's friend Dean's cottage.
The familiar unkempt
front garden beds were filled with late-season roses and faded stalks
of foxglove. I parked my bike and approached the front door, as Kip
flopped over among the flattened tufts of ornamental grass.
I shuffled the
package and the manuscript to one side in my arms, and knocked on the
door. I could hear the muffled sound of classical music playing
within. "It's open," called a voice on the other side,
which was unmistakably Sidney's. I lifted the handle and crossed the
threshold of Dean's cottage.
The short, narrow
hall where Sidney had greeted me the last time I was here was empty
except for a Macintosh hanging from a hook and some crookedly-hung
framed prints and artwork. In the untidy living room beyond it, the
source of the recorded aria I heard from outside, a large canvas was
propped on an easel near the windows, the drapes drawn wide open to
look out on the wilderness of a garden outside with its tangled high
stalks and wild-limbed shrubbery as it permitted the daylight to
enter.
On the canvas was a
garden scene depicting a woman and two children seated on a blanket,
and manicured flower beds brimming with brightly-colored daisies,
aster, late summer lilies, and sprays of roses covering the garden
walls. Dean's wheelchair was positioned directly before it, with
Sidney beside him on a low chair. A palette of mixed paints rested on
the wheelchair's arm, fastened around the arm of the disabled man;
between Sidney's fingers rested a brush tipped with a shade of
lavender, almost touching the canvas.
"A bit more to
the right. Lightly, now," said Dean, in the richly-charged yet
blunt voice I remembered from before. "Just there. A bit more
and ... perfect. Now, the ochre for the center ...." But here he
trailed off, seeing me standing there.
"Sorry to
interrupt," I said, apologetically.
"I said 'come
in,' didn't I?" said Sidney. "Can't very well answer the
door while I'm in the middle of this."
He held up his hands
as proof, which were smeared in various shades of purple. The same
colors stained the knees of his trousers, his old pullover dark blue
jumper, and now the edge of his hair where he tucked the artist's
brush like a carpenter's pencil.
Now I put the
recollection of Sid saying he 'painted a bit' in its proper context:
not that of touching up garden shed exteriors around the village.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the author...
Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller 'A Wedding in Cornwall'. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1st
Prize: A Ross Poldark collectible Knitdark character doll (Open
Internationally) –1 winner
Perfect for fans of all-things Cornwall, this
Ross Poldark doll with tricorn hat is made by Angela Blay, whose
popular Knitdark creations have been featured on The Graham Norton
Show. Since each doll is hand made, the Ross the winner receives may
vary slightly in appearance from the one in the picture. Readers can
learn more about the Knitdarks at Angela's Twitter page @kwerkyknits
as well as her Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/kwerkyknits
2nd
Prize: A decorative tin T.A.R.D.I.S (Open Internationally) –1
winner
A tin T.A.R.D.I.S similar to the keepsake
Maisie is gifted by Sidney in Book 1, A
Little Hotel in Cornwall. Designed
by Etsy artist KittyConduitt81 and perfect for fans of Doctor Who!
Being a unique, hand made item, the final design may vary slightly in
appearance from the one pictured. Learn about KittyConduittDesigns on
Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/KittyConduittDesigns
3rd
Prize: A Kindle/Tablet case featuring cover art from A Little Hotel
in Cornwall (Open Internationally) –1 winner
A specially designed case for a Kindle or
Tablet featuring the cover art for Book 1 in the series A
Little Hotel in Cornwall. The final
product's size, texture, and color will depend on the winner's
device.
*All 3 winners will also receive a digital
copy of Book 1 in the series, A
Little Hotel in Cornwall.
*Terms and
Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter
using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will 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 Rachel’s Random Resources reserves 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 Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I
am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Special thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
